February 20th: Live@Central to feature pianist Matsuo

Dr. Jun Matsuo, assistant professor of music at Coker College, will perform a solo recital entitled “Musical Motives: Inspiration, Obsession and Death” at 6:30 PM Wednesday, Feb. 20 forLIVE@CENTRAL! in the Sanctuary of Central United Methodist Church.

This recital will include works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, Sergei  Rachmaninov and Claude Debussy. A few selections Matsuo will play include Mozart’s Sonata, three pieces by Rachmaninov and three pieces by Debussy, which pieces, Matsuo explains, “share a certain cohesiveness.”

“One aspect of music that intrigues me is how composers create and utilize a motive, which is, perhaps, the most fundamental part in a musical composition,” explained Matsuo. “I would like to share with the audience my point of view and hopefully it will enhance their listening experience in the future.”

“Dr. Matsuo is a consummate musician, a gifted teacher and a wonderful colleague,” said William Carswell, associate music professor and chair of the Department of Music, Theater and Dance. “Her upcoming piano recital, featuring the works of Beethoven, Debussy and Rachmaninov, will showcase her musical talent and will, again, demonstrate why she was recently named a Steinway Artist – one of only five in South Carolina.”

Matsuo, who joined the Coker College staff in 2009 as a visiting assistant professor of music, teaches piano and music theory. She is a frequent performer and has played as a guest in New York, Maine, Florida, North Carolina and Texas, as well as South Carolina. Her overseas activities include a recital and lecture at the Universitii Sains Malaysia in Penang as well as being one of the selected performers at the French Piano Institute in Paris for master classes with Dominique Merlet, Pascal Devoyon, Noel Lee, and Roy Howat.

Dr. Matsuo earned her Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano Pedagogy from the University of South Carolina and prior degrees from Binghamton University and the State University of New York at Plattsburgh.

This free program will be at 6:30 PM in the historic Sanctuary of Central United Methodist Church at the corner of Irby and Cheves Streets in downtown Florence. An eclectic variety of free programs are offered each Wednesday Night at Central, fall thru spring, by LIVE@CENTRAL!  and the public is invited.  You are invited to participate on Central’s Wednesday Evening Meal served at 5:30 PM in the Davis Family Life Center.  The meal is $5.00 for adults and $2.00 for children.  Please call the Central Church office at 843-662-3218 by 11:00 AM the Monday before the meal to place your reservation. A nursery and children’s activities are provided. For more information, contact program coordinator Murray Jordan at 843-229-0379 or Linda Segars at 662-3218.  Please bring your friends and join us for a great evening of education and fellowship.

Steinway Artist to Present Solo Recital at Coker College

Jun Matsuo, assistant professor of music at Coker College, will perform a solo recital entitled “Musical Motives: Inspiration, Obsession and Death”at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 11 in the Watson Theater on the Coker College campus.

This recital will include works by Mozart, Beethoven, Rachmaninov and Debussy. A few selections Matsuo will play include Mozart’s Sonata, three pieces by Rachmaninov and three pieces by Debussy, which pieces, Matsuo explains, “share a certain cohesiveness.”

“One aspect of music that intrigues me is how composers create and utilize a motive, which is, perhaps, the most fundamental part in a musical composition,” explained Matsuo. “I would like to share with the audience my point of view and hopefully it will enhance their listening experience in the future.”

“Dr. Matsuo is a consummate musician, a gifted teacher and a wonderful colleague,” said William Carswell, associate music professor and chair of the Department of Music, Theater and Dance. “Her upcoming piano recital, featuring the works of Beethoven, Debussy and Rachmaninov, will showcase her musical talent and will, again, demonstrate why she was recently named a Steinway Artist – one of only five in South Carolina.”

Matsuo, who joined the Coker College staff in 2009 as a visiting assistant professor of music, teaches piano and music theory. She is a frequent performer and has played as a guest in New York, Maine, Florida, North Carolina and Texas, as well as South Carolina. Her overseas activities include a recital and lecture at the Universitii Sains Malaysia in Penang as well as being one of the selected performers at the French Piano Institute in Paris for master classes with Dominique Merlet, Pascal Devoyon, Noel Lee, and Roy Howat.

Matsuo earned her Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano Pedagogy from the University of South Carolina and prior degrees from Binghamton University and the State University of New York at Plattsburgh.

The Coker College Music, Dance, and Theater Department is sponsoring Matsuo’s performance, which is free and open to the public.

December 3rd:Voice and Piano Students to Present Fall Recital

Voice and piano students at Coker College will perform a recital, which is free and open to the public, at 5:30 p.m. Dec. 3 in the Hannah Lide Coker Recital Hall on the campus of Coker College.

“The fall student recital includes samples of repertoire from students taking applied voice or piano lessons with Dr. Jun Matsuo, Eric Kesler or myself,” said Assistant Professor of Music Serena LaRoach-Hill.  “All of the students perform in the recital whether they are music majors, minors or even non-majors.  For many of the beginners and non-majors, this is one of the few opportunities they have to perform solo pieces in public.”

"The student recital is one of my favorite performances.” said senior music major, Latavia Smith.  “It is an opportunity for me to showcase some of what I've been preparing every semester."

In addition to showcasing the work of the College’s traditional music students, the recital provides an opportunity for local high school students enrolled in the PULSE (Partners for Unparalleled Local Scholastic Excellence) initiative to perform for the public.

A key component of the partnership is the Accelerated Learning Opportunities initiative (ALO) that expands curriculum opportunities through collaborative teaching programs with the South Carolina Governor’s School of Science and Mathematics and Coker.  ALO is available to eligible students at Hartsville and Mayo High schools who live in Hartsville.

Now in its second year, PULSE is administered by the TEACH Foundation through a five-year $5 million grant from the Sonoco Foundation. The collaborative program involves the Darlington County School District, South Carolina Governor's School for Science and Mathematics, Coker College and Sonoco.

This semester’s ALO students are enrolled in classes in dance, piano and vocal studies.

"I am really nervous but extremely excited about the recital,” said Nicole Hyaman, now in her second year as an ALO student. “Compared to where I started, I feel like I've grown exponentially.”

The next public recital for voice and piano will be held at 3 p.m. May 5 in the Coker College Drawing Room.

For more information about Coker College’s programs in performing and visual arts, call Wesley Atkinson at 843-383-8050.  For information about PULSE and ALO, visit www.teachfoundation.orgor call 843-917-0026. 

November 5th: Coker Music to Present Faculty-Guest Recital

Coker College will present a recital featuring cellist Richard Thomas and pianist Jun Matsuo on Monday, Nov. 5 at 7:30 p.m. in the Hannah Lide Coker Recital Hall. 

The pair will present a wide range of music including works by Boccherina, Brahms, Popper and Piazzolla.  Admission is free.

Earlier this month Assistant Professor of Music Matsuo was officially designated as a Steinway Artist by the world-renowned Steinway & Sons. Versatile as both a solo and collaborative performer, Matsuo joined the Coker College faculty in 2009 as a visiting assistant professor of music, teaching piano and music theory.

In addition to South Carolina, she has appeared as a guest pianist in New York, Maine, Florida, North Carolina and Texas. Her international activities have included a recital and lecture at the Universitii Sains Malaysia in Penang, Malaysia; performances of Spanish and South American Music for Cello and Piano in Japan; and master classes with Dominique Merlet, Pascal Devoyon, Noel Lee, and Roy Howat at the French Piano Institute in Paris, France. She also recently presented a lecture on Carl Czerny at the World Piano Conference in Novi Sad, Serbia.

Matsuo earned her Doctor of Musical Arts in piano pedagogy from the University of South Carolina, and prior degrees from Binghamton University and the State University of New York at Plattsburgh.

Matsuo’s teachers include Nanako Tamaki, Kathryn Stuart, Peter Takacs, Walter Ponce and Charles Fugo as well as Diane Richardson and John Keene in collaborative study.

Thomas directs the Presbyterian College Chamber Orchestra and is a member of the North Carolina-based Atlantean Piano Trio and the Greater Anderson Musical Arts Consortium Orchestra in Anderson, South Carolina. He is a former member of the Orquesta Sinfónica de Colombia in Bogotá and the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional of the Dominican Republic. He has performed and taught throughout North America, South America and Asia. In the summer of 2010, Thomas and Matsuo performed a series of recitals in Japan.

Coker's Matsuo named Steinway Artist

In a surprise campus presentation this week, Associate Professor of Music Will Carswell announced that Assistant Professor of Music Jun Matsuo has been designated a Steinway Artist.

“A pianist who achieves the title ‘Steinway Artist’ reveals to those who study with that artist, and those who hear that artist perform, that they are serious about their craft and are committed to extraordinary results as a teacher and performer,” said Carswell, who chairs Coker’s department of dance, music and theater, coordinates the music and music education programs and directs the choral studies program.

“Steinway & Sons is proud to welcome Jun Matsuo to our illustrious roster of Steinway Artists,” said Steinway & Sons President – Americas Ron Losby.  “Matsuo has demonstrated not only a commitment to personal excellence, but also a commitment to bringing out excellence in her students. It is especially fitting that Professor Matsuo teaches at Coker College, which has committed to becoming an All-Steinway School.”

In accepting the award, Matsuo deflected the attention from the prestigious accomplishment to her music, saying simply, “I’ll be playing here next Monday.”

Last month, the music program presented a gala concert to celebrate the College’s All-Steinway Initiative, a commitment to using Steinway-designed instruments in classrooms, practice studios and in performance spaces campus-wide and to engaging a Steinway Artist on the faculty.

Less than one percent of colleges and universities worldwide are designated as All-Steinway Institutions.  Coker will be one of only three colleges in South Carolina with this distinction.

Jyotindra Parekh, owner of Rice Music House of Columbia, S.C., a Steinway partner in the region since 1924, his wife, Mary, and Losby were present for the celebration.

Matsuo joined the Coker College faculty in 2009 as a visiting assistant professor of music, teaching piano and music theory.

She is versatile as both a solo and collaborative performer. In addition to South Carolina, she has appeared as a guest pianist in New York, Maine, Florida, North Carolina and Texas. Her international activities have included a recital and lecture at the Universitii Sains Malaysia in Penang, Malaysia; performances of Spanish and South American Music for Cello and Piano in Japan; and master classes with Dominique Merlet, Pascal Devoyon, Noel Lee, and Roy Howat at the French Piano Institute in Paris, France. She also recently presented a lecture on Carl Czerny at the World Piano Conference in Novi Sad, Serbia. 

Matsuo earned her Doctor of Musical Arts in piano pedagogy from the University of South Carolina, and prior degrees from Binghamton University and the State University of New York at Plattsburgh.

Matsuo’s teachers include Nanako Tamaki, Kathryn Stuart, Peter Takacs, Walter Ponce and Charles Fugo as well as Diane Richardson and John Keene in collaborative study. 

Matsuo and cellist Richard Thomas will perform a recital, which is free and open to the public, at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 5 in the Hannah Lide Coker Recital Hall.

For more information about music programs at Coker College, please contact Carswell at 843-383-8063 or wcarswell@coker.edu.

September 16th: Steinway Gala Opens Hartsville-Coker Concert Association Season

The Coker College Music Program will present a gala concert to open the Hartsville-Coker Concert Association’s 2012-13 season and celebrate the College’s All-Steinway Initiative.

The concert will be held at 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 16 in Watson Theater of the Elizabeth Boatwright Coker Performing Arts Center.

Featuring performances by Coker faculty, alumni and students, the program includes works by Mozart, Schubert, Rachmaninov, Hebb and Milhaud. 

Becoming an All-Steinway School – a commitment to using Steinway-designed instruments in classrooms, practice studios and in performance spaces campus-wide – will give Coker a distinction held by less than one percent of colleges and universities worldwide. 

With personal insights about the company whose name has become synonymous with “the world’s finest pianos” and about the program being developed at Coker, Ron Losby, president of Steinway & Sons, will offer remarks during the event.

“This is an exciting time on the Coker campus, and especially in the music program,” said William Carswell, chair of the department of dance, music and theater at Coker.  “Extraordinary pianos, Steinway pianos, will enhance the quality of the education our current students receive, and becoming an All-Steinway School will assist in our efforts to attract talented, new students to the program.  The success of this initiative will truly be a game-changer for the Coker Music Program.”

“Becoming an All-Steinway School exemplifies the college’s determination to live up to and extend the fine legacy that is Coker’s heritage and our students’ future,” said Charles Sullivan, interim vice-president of institutional advancement. “We continue to be enormously grateful for the loyal support of Coker’s alumni and friends who are making this initiative possible.”

This concert is co-sponsored by Rice Music House of Columbia, S.C., a Steinway partner in the region since 1924.

Tickets for the concert, which are available at the door, are $25 for adults and $7 for children under 18. Coker students with college identification are admitted for free.

A partnership between Coker College and Hartsville, the Hartsville-Coker Concert Association presents an annual program of performing arts events in downtown Hartsville and on the Coker College campus.  Individual tickets are sold for each event, and discounted season tickets are included in the association’s membership.

For more information about the Hartsville-Coker Concert Association, visitwww.hartsvillecokerconcerts.org or call 843-383-8125.

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Coker College readies undergraduates for personal and professional success through a distinctive four-year program that emphasizes a practical application of the liberal arts as well as hands-on and discussion-based learning within and beyond the classroom. Coker is ranked among the “Best Colleges” in the South by U.S. News & World Report as well as The Princeton Review. Located in Hartsville, S.C., Coker is within two hours of the cultural, financial and recreational resources of Charlotte, Columbia, Charleston and Myrtle Beach.

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