This week’s Monday Concert Series recital featured Trio Capric. The group includes Debra Ronning, lecturer in music and director of keyboarding, Stephanie McCullough, adjunct professor of violin and viola and Sarah Male, adjunct instructor of cello. The recital took place on Monday, Jan. 26 at 7:30 p.m. in Leffler Chapel and Performance Center.
The concert featured Ronning on the piano, McCullough on the violin and Male on the cello. It also included guest artists Peter Kenote on viola and Simon Maurer on violin, performing Brahms Quintet in F Minor, Op. 34. “Brahms Quintet is a masterpiece of the chamber repertoire,” Ronning said. “We are excited to present this work to the college community.” Both the Quintet and the Beethoven Trio were early works by their respective composes and reflect the optimistic vitality of youth.
Ronning served as President of the Pennsylvania Music Teachers Association (MTA) from 2000 to 2002, as President of the Eastern Division MTNA from 2002 to 2004 and on the National Board of Directors of Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) from 2004 to 2006. She has performed works by contemporary composes throughout Pennsylvania and elsewhere both as a soloist and in chamber ensembles. Ronning’s graduate work was in piano performance, and she has played since she was seven years old. She enjoys both teaching and performing, particularly as a collaborative artist. “I have freelanced as a ballet accompanist, musical theater performer and as a church musician,” Ronning said.
McCullough earned a Master’s in Music Performance from the University of Delaware in 2007, as well as a Bachelor’s in Music Performance from West Virginia University. She has performed with the Fulton Theater Pit Orchestra, the Lancaster Symphony, with guitarist/vocalist Scott Parmer in the duo group Steel and Bow and with the Elizabethtown College Faculty Piano Trio.
Male earned her Associate of the Arts in Music degree and a Principle Emeritus Prize at the Victorian Conservatory of Music in Canada. She also earned a Bachelor’s in Music with high honors from Rutgers University and a Master of Music from Mannes College of Music. Male is a former member of the Saskatoon Symphony and a current member of the Lancaster Symphony Orchestra. She also helped found the Newstead Trio and has performed worldwide.
“Trio Caprice was formed when Sara Male and Stephanie McCullough joined the FAPA faculty several years ago,” Ronning said. The Trio has recently performed for the Perry County Arts Hour, Willow Valley Series and Kutztown University Series, among others. Their performance repertoire includes major classical trios and works by several different composers, including Piazzolla, Martin and contemporary composers. “Last March at the Lancaster Conference of American Music with guest composer Ellen Gaffe Zwilich, we performed some of her chamber music,” Ronning said.
Trio Caprice not only performs works for trio, but quartet and quintet repertoire as well. “For this concert we are joined by Peter Kenote and Simon Maurer,” she said. “Peter is a violist with the New York Philharmonic. Simon is a well known violinist in this area who also performs early music as a specialty.”
The Monday Concert Series presents both the Fine and Performing Arts Faculty and guest artists. “As members of the fine and performing arts faculty we have performed on the Monday series several times,” Ronning said. “It is a wonderful opportunity for the college community to hear the many talented musicians that are part of the FAPA [Fine and Performing Arts] department.”
Preparing for a concert involves many hours of individual practice, according to Ronning. After that, group preparation begins. “Once we begin group rehearsals, the process takes on a new life,” she said. “At that point, we each need to know our parts well enough to be able to collaborate.” After that, she said the challenge is being able to hear how the parts work and flow together. This means that the individual performers need to be able to work together and share ideas to reach a polished performance. “It is thrilling and all consuming to play music together,” she said. “You are each an integral part of the creation of your musical goal.”
The Monday Concert Series is sponsored by the Fine and Performing Arts Department.
