June 1, 2012
The School of Music Celebrates Achievements
The School of Music celebrated another stellar year at the Annual Honors Convocation on Wednesday, May 30 at The Blackwell Inn on The Ohio State campus. Faculty, students, alumni and friends enjoyed an evening of memories, awards, and music. Student performances included Joseph Hansalik, smooth jazz piano; The Scarlatto String Quartet: Devin Copfer, Elizabeth Fisher, Joshua Dieringer, Katherine Garrett; The OSU Trumpet Ensemble: Matt Harriman, Todd Fessler, Shannon Thouvenin, Matthew Urbanek, Jennifer Grimmer, and Ross Runyan; Mihyun Lee, piano; Jazz Quartet: Dan White, Jon Lampley, Adam DeAscentis, and John Suntken; vocalists Keyona Willis and Jaman Dunn, accompanied by Ed Bak; Timothy Berens, guitar and Adam DeAscentis, bass; and The Venti Volare Woodwind Quintet: Rachel Haug, Stephanie Kunz, Jackie Bretz Eichhorn, Katey Jahnke, and John Gorman.
In addition to the presentation of awards to student musicians and scholars, the following 2012 awards were presented to alumni and faculty recipients:
The OSU School of Music Distinguished Scholar Award
The OSU School of Music Distinguished Teaching Award
The OSU School of Music Distinguished Alumnus Award
Fritz Kaenzig
Fritz Kaenzig has served as principal tubist of the Florida Symphony Orchestra and as additional or substitute tubist with Amsterdam's Concertgebouw and the symphony orchestras of Chicago, Detroit, Houston, San Francisco, and St. Louis; additionally the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Los Angeles Philharmonic under such conductors as Bernstein, Dudamel, Haitink, Leinsdorf, Ozawa, Salonen, and Slatkin. He has recorded and performed as soloist with several of these orchestras, as well as appearing as soloist with the US Air Force and Navy Bands. Since 1984, Mr. Kaenzig has been principal tubist in the Grant Park (Chicago) Orchestra during summers, which has played to capacity audiences since moving to the Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park in 2005. Kaenzig has performed in ensembles backing up artists as widely varied as Alan Ginsberg, Luciano Pavarotti, and the Moody Blues.
As guest instructor, recitalist, soloist with ensembles, and adjudicator, Mr. Kaenzig has made appearances at many high schools, colleges, universities, conferences, and music camps throughout the United States, Korea and Japan, and he also maintains an association with the Colburn Conservatory in Los Angeles as tuba instructor. He received degrees from The Ohio State University where he studied with Robert LeBlanc, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, with extensive studies also with Arnold Jacobs, former tubist of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and was a member of the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra. Prior to joining the U-M faculty, he taught at the University of Illinois and the University of Northern Iowa. Mr. Kaenzig is a past president of the Tubists Universal Brotherhood Association, now known as the International Tuba and Euphonium Association.
Professor Kaenzig’s students have landed positions in orchestras, military bands, and universities throughout the USA, Europe, and Japan, including the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, US Marine Band, Air Force Band, Navy Band, and the Naval Academy Band. His students regularly win national and international solo competitions and two former students have been awarded Fulbright Scholarships to study abroad.
THE OSU SCHOOL OF MUSIC DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD
Ms. Ruth Friscoe
Ruth Friscoe is a resident of Columbus, presently living in Beechwold. Although she graduated from The Ohio State University with a major in theater and owned and operated the Ruth Friscoe Dance Studio for nearly 30 years in Columbus, Ruth has always had a passion for composing music. As a young girl in Youngstown, Ohio, she studied composition and theory with Orlando Vitello. She spent nine summers at National Music Camp in Interlochen, Michigan, focusing on dance and music composition. Ruth is fortunate to count among her many fine teachers Dave Wheeler (who started her on arranging), Vaughn Wiester, Billy May, Willie Maiden, and Richard Smoot, as well as the wonderful community of local musicians and artists who have shared generously of their time and talent. Her most recent artistic adventure venture is photography, where she has excelled at photographing her garden and travels.
The Ruth Friscoe Prize in Jazz Composition was originally established in 1996. The prize was created to recognize creative prowess in the form of an original jazz composition for big band. The following year at Jan Radzynski's request another award was offered to a student of classical composition. Regarding the awards Ruth writes: "The purpose of the Ruth Friscoe Composition Awards is to encourage creativity and provide incentive and support to students who love to compose music."
