GOSHEN —
The Spektral Quartet, the ensemble-in-residence at the University of Chicago, returns to Goshen College Music Center Jan. 18 at 7:30 p.m. for a program of quartets by Mozart, Verdi and Hugo Wolf in Rieth Recital Hall.
Spektral violinist Austin Wulliman, a Goshen native, received musical training as a youth in the Goshen College Strings Preparatory Program, a progenitor of what is now the Community School of the Arts. He also attended Goshen College before receiving degrees from Northwestern University and the University of Michigan.
Spektral’s Jan. 18 concert and Jan. 19 coachings of young musicians in the Music Center’s Youth Honors Orchestras are presented in part through the Lon and Kathryn Sherer Preparatory Music Endowment. It carries on the legacy established through their more than 60 combined years of teaching music, most of them at Goshen College. In addition to college teaching, Lon and Kathryn taught hundreds of pre-college students — Lon in violin and Kathryn in piano. Throughout their careers, they were advocates for making music accessible to young people.
Lon Sherer and Kathryn Summers met as college students at Michigan State University in the early 1950s. Throughout their marriage, their music-making was a shared life work, first at Woodstock School in Mussoorie, India (1956-59) and then at Goshen College (1959 onward). In the early 1960s, Lon earned his doctorate in music performance from the University of Michigan. Kathryn earned her master’s in piano performance from Southern Methodist University in 1979.
Lon and Kathryn arrived at Goshen College at a time when interest in instrumental music was beginning to expand at the college and more generally in the Mennonite Church. Lon built up the college orchestra, expanded the WGCS classical music collection, brought recorders, early music and opera to the college, and started high school music week. Kathryn, along with John T. O’Brien, launched the piano pedagogy program and the annual piano workshop. In 1979 Lon studied with Shinichi Suzuki and later founded the GC string preparatory program, incorporating the tenets of the Suzuki method into his teaching of children and youth from the community.
In addition to their lives as performers, as teachers Lon and Kathryn gave much attention to the learning process and how students achieve mastery of their chosen instruments. During their careers, they studied and worked with master teachers including Frances Clark, Kato Havas, George Sebok, John Owings and Shinichi Suzuki, ultimately becoming master teachers in their own right.
Lon continues to connect in various ways to the musical life of the Goshen community. Kathryn died this past February.
Entertainment
Related Photos
-
The members of Spektral Quartet are shown in this promotional photograph.
Spektral Quartet to perform at Goshen College
- Entertainment
-
-
Charlie Daniels Band coming to Shipshewana
He’s got the hat, the fiddle and the hits. And he’s feeling revitalized.
In a recent telephone interview with The Goshen News, 74-year-old Charlie Daniels said he is feeling like a new man after his pacemaker procedure earlier this year. He says everything is in sync and he is having a great time on the road.
“I’m enjoying this tour and we are looking forward to making music in Indiana,” the country-rock icon said. -
Fair concert tickets on sale Saturday
Tickets for reserved track seats for the 2013 concert series at the Elkhart County 4-H Fair go on sale Saturday at 9 a.m.
-
'God of Carnage' shows this weekend in Goshen
The path leads from civil to war.
“God of Carnage,” the current production at Goshen’s New World Arts theater, chronicles a progression and a deterioration. -
Wawasee High School choir to revisit ’50s-’80s
The Wawasee High School Choral Department will present an “American Bandstand” Pops Show Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in the high school auditorium.
-
LIBRARY NEWS: Local writers' work available in Bristol
The Soul, Ink writing group has put together stories, essays and poems that are available at the Bristol library. A copy of the local authors’ work is available for $5.
-
Kris Kristofferson to perform at Lerner Aug. 10
A onetime Highwayman is headed to downtown Elkhart.
Country musician Kris Kristofferson is scheduled to perform at The Lerner Theater, 410 S. Main St., Aug. 10. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and the show starts at 7:30. -
Goshen Community Chorale celebrates 30th anniversary
They were warming up with a scale exercise. In a sense, they were also offering a mission statement.
-
Cemetery tour set for Saturday
The Elkhart County Historical Museum and the Elkhart Civic Theatre will return to Grace Lawn Cemetery in Elkhart for the annual cemetery tour.
-
Choir concert Sunday at Goshen College
Two Community School of the Arts children’s choirs will be joined by graduating CSA student performers as part of the annual spring Community School of the Arts Showcase Concert on Sunday at 4 p.m. in the Goshen College Music Center’s Sauder Concert Hall.
-
GoShakes’ ‘Romeo & Juliet’ show debuts Friday
GOSHEN - The source material is classic. This is shaking things up a bit.
The name promises as much. - More Entertainment Headlines
-
Sheriff: No Sign Killing of 2 Kids Was Planned
Obama Defends Drone Strikes, With Limits
Raw: Jurors Deadlock on Jodi Arias Penalty
Boy Scouts Decision "First Step" Say Activists
Raw: Utah Teen Arrested in Death of His Brothers
Closer Look at Okla. School Where Children Died
Two Suspects in Murder Known to London Police
Boy Scouts Mom Supports Gay Inclusiveness
"Be Ready": NOAA Warns of Busy Hurricane Season
SeaWorld: Penguins Are Coolest Thing in Florida
Obama Renews Call to Close Gitmo
Obama Offers Drone Strike Defense
Raw: Heckler Interrupts Obama on Guantanamo
A Slice of Apple History Up for Grabs
