KU Music Outreach with Eutin, Germany

KU music students travel to Eutin, Germany, for summer 2011 residency

A group of KU School of Music students traveled to Lawrence's sister city, Eutin, Germany, this summer and continued the successful music exchange developed between the University of Kansas and Eutin. The students participated in a six-week summer residency in July and August.

During this residency, the University of Kansas School of Music instituted the Kansas University Germany American Music Institute/KUGAMI. The KUGAMI Orchestra performed two operas, Hansel und Gretel and Don Giovanni, as well as two concert programs for total of 14 summer performances.

The organizers for this summer residency were the group of Neue Festspiele with the Eutin GmbH; Professor David Neely with the KU School of Music; and Dean Robert Walzel with the KU School of Music.

The conductors for these performances were KU's own David Neely, Robert Baldwin (University of Utah, Salt Lake Symphony), and Rudolph Piehlmayer (Leipzig Gewandhaus).

The KU School of Music hopes to continue its partnership with the Eutin summer festival in 2012 and beyond. Contact the KU School of Music for more information at 785-864-9742.

Delegates from Eutin visit Lawrence, April 13-20, 2011

The visitors included Hans Wilhelm Hagen, treasurer of the Eutin Trade Association and president of the Volksbank; Jorg Fallheier, artistic advisor to the Eutin festival; Martin Vollertsen, chair of Friends of Lawrence in Eutin; and others. David Neely, Director of Orchestral Activities at KU, and Dean Robert Walzel hosted the visit, which included a reception at Free State Brewery on April 17. (A special beer was brewed by Free State just for this visit--the Eutin St. Michael's "Tafelbier"--recipe compliments of the Eutin Brauhaus.)

During their visit, the Eutin group discussed plans initiated with Professor Neely in December on a joint venture between the 2011 Eutin Summer Festival and the KU School of Music. Plans include the formation of a summer institute that will take KU music students to Eutin in July and August to perform orchestra concerts and performances of Hansel und Gretel and Don Giovanni for German audiences.

January 2011 - KU music students travel to Eutin, Germany to perform

Five graduate students from the University of Kansas traveled with the dean of the School of Music and the director of KU's symphony orchestra to perform in Eutin, Germany, Lawrence's sister city. The Jan. 15 concert featured Robert Walzel, dean of music, on clarinet; David Neely, symphony orchestra director, on piano; and students Lukasz Lagun, violin; Robert McNichols Jr., bass baritone; Hugo Alberto Vera, tenor; Amy Elizabeth Cahill, soprano; and Kristian Bucy, soprano.

The group performed opera arias, chamber music pieces, American musical numbers, solo works and popular songs by such composers as Giuseppe Verdi, Giacomo Puccini, Johann Strauss, George Gershwin and Astor Piazzolla. They also performed one work by Carl Maria von Weber, a native of Eutin, to commemorate the 225th anniversary of the composer's birth. The concert provided an opportunity for the Eutin community to learn about KU's music program.

Delegates from Eutin will travel to Lawrence and appear in residence from April 13-20, 2011. The visitors will include Hans Wilhelm Hagen, treasurer of the Eutin Trade Association and president of the Volksban; Jorg Fallheier, artistic advisor to the Eutin festival; Martin Vollertsen, chair of Friends of Lawrence in Eutin; and others. David Neely, Director of Orchestral Activities at KU, and Dean Robert Walzel will host the visit, which will include a 70-guest reception at Free State Brewery on April 17. (A special beer will be brewed by Free State just for this visit--the Eutin St. Michael's "Tafelbier"--recipe compliments of the Eutin Brauhaus.)

During their visit, the Eutin group will finalize discussions initiated with Professor Neely in December on a joint venture between the 2011 Eutin Summer Festival and the KU School of Music. Plans include the formation of a summer institute that will take KU music students to Eutin in July and August to perform orchestra concerts and performances of Hansel und Gretel and Don Giovanni for German audiences.

Photos Courtesy of Jánis Porietis.