This event is now SOLD OUT. A limited number of tickets will be available through a waiting list

The Vanderbilt University Orchestra, conducted by Ernesto Estigarribia Mussi, will present a special musical celebration of the Vanderbilt Sesquicentennial on Saturday, February 10. The Crescere Aude  program will include the premiere of new works commissioned by the Vanderbilt Chancellor for the occasion, composed by members of the Blair School of Music faculty. Following the performance, the chancellor invites guests to a reception with refreshments in the Ingram Hall lobby.

Each of the four movements of the Crescere Aude program was written by a different Blair faculty composer. Molly Herron, Stan LInk, Michael Alec Rose, and Michael Slayton all contributed new commissioned pieces for the evening, which will be accented with readings by Major Jackson and Alice Randall between movements.

The Vanderbilt University Orchestra performance of Crescere Aude is Saturday, February 10, 8:00 p.m. in Ingram Hall. The event is free to attend with tickets required for admission. Doors to Ingram Hall will open 30 minutes prior to show start. Late seating will be at artist discretion.
 

Venue: Ingram Hall, Vanderbilt University Blair School of Music
Address: 2400 Blakemore Ave., Nashville, TN 37212
Parking: Free parking is available at the Vanderbilt West Parking Garage on Childrens Way, directly across from Blair School of Music. Due to construction on 25th Ave. South, enter the West Garage on 24th Ave. South.
 
 

About the composers:

Composer Molly Herron “thinks deeply about motion, energy, and the physics of sound” (NPR). Whether writing for baroque strings, flowerpots, or newly designed instruments, her work achieves “a wonderful consideration of counterpoint and sound in time” (Seen and Heard International). Recently released on New Amsterdam Records, the album Through Lines: New Music for Viola da Gamba is a collaboration with the viol consort Science Ficta. She is an assistant professor of composition and theory at Vanderbilt University Blair School of Music.

Stan Link is the associate professor of the composition, philosophy and analysis of music at Vanderbilt University Blair School of Music, where he teaches courses on music history, theory and analysis, interdisciplinary arts studies, and film. With a Bachelor of Music in Composition and Music History from the Oberlin Conservatory, and Master’s and Ph.D. degrees in Composition from Princeton University, his previous academic posts were at La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia, and at the University of Illinois. His work includes acoustic ensembles along with computer-generated and assisted music.

Michael Alec Rose is a composer in many genres. His opera Lolly Willowes was premiered in 2019, supported by Houston Arts Alliance. In 2022, A Million Alien Gospels had five sold-out performances by Ventana Ballet. Professor Rose’s Exchange Program between Vanderbilt University and the Royal Academy of Music continues to inspire many new works for London violinist Peter Sheppard Skærved, most recently in cooperation with institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum, Library of Congress, and Ashmolean Museum.

Michael K. Slayton has composed numerous works in a cross-section of musical genres, with specific emphasis on chamber music. His continuing dedication to the value of artistic exchange has afforded him opportunity to write for distinguished performers all over the world. Published by American Composers Edition, Inc. (BMI), his music is regularly programmed in the U.S. and abroad. A member of the Society of Composers, Inc., the College Music Society, and Broadcast Music, Inc., and president of the American Composer’s Alliance, Slayton continues to be an active participant in the national and international music community. He currently serves as professor and coordinator of composition and theory at Vanderbilt University Blair School of Music.

About the Vanderbilt University Orchestra: 

The Vanderbilt University Orchestra is one of the premier performing ensembles at Blair School of Music. Focusing on the highest-quality performance of canonical classical romantic and 20th-century works, additional repertoire is drawn eclectically from a wide range of periods and styles. Students become immersed in the stylistic demands of particular composers and periods, while honing their skills as ensemble players. Commercial recordings and collaborations with guest composers and other artists are important components of the ensemble’s activities. 

About Conductor Ernesto Estigarribia Mussi: 

Paraguayan conductor Ernesto Estigarribia Mussi is highly regarded for his versatility and effervescent style on and off the podium. Hailed for his “expert direction” by Fanfare Magazine, he is music director of the Sheboygan Symphony Orchestra and the Mankato Symphony Orchestra, becoming the first Paraguayan to be music director of a professional orchestra abroad. He holds the position of assistant professor of conducting at Vanderbilt University Blair School of Music and has previously served as associate conductor of the Quad City Symphony Orchestra. 

Estigarribia Mussi has guest conducted the Minnesota Orchestra, La Crosse Symphony, Dubuque Symphony, St. Cloud Symphony, Rochester Symphony, Orquesta de Cámara del Centro del Conocimiento (Argentina), Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional-Paraguay, and is the most frequent guest conductor of the Orquesta Sinfónica del Congreso Nacional (Paraguay). In addition to symphonic performances, Ernesto has led numerous opera productions including Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi, Mozart’s Idomeneo, Britten’s Albert Herring, Zimmermann’s Weisse Rose, and Jake Heggie’s Two Remain. 

He holds degrees from Pittsburg State University (BM) and the University of Minnesota (MM and DMA), where he studied conducting with Mark Russell Smith. In his free time he enjoys cooking vegan recipes with his wife Sabrina.