Ricky Dubuisson II is a vocal performance major at MUW. This is his fourth year at the W and he has studied voice under the guidance of Dr. Susan Hurley since fall of 2022. While studying with Dr. Hurley, Ricky won first place in his category at the regional NATS singing competition in fall of 2023.
His past performance experience includes the previous 2 years of Opera Scenes performances at the W, plus Beautiful Beulah Belle, Little Mermaid Jr, Medea, The Wiz, and other stage productions with Perk Players and Mississippi Sound at MS Gulf Coast Community College.
Ricky would like to send out a special thanks to all of his friends, chosen family, and professors for encouraging him throughout this process. He encourages all to read the program notes between sets and hopes everyone thoroughly enjoys the recital!
You are invited to join the W Chamber Singers, conducted by Dr. William Reber, Prof. Zane Lynn, and music student conductors for their spring performance!
Date of Performance: February 27, 2024 at 7:30 p.m. in Connie Sills Kossen Auditorium, Poindexter Hall.
Program
Odd Times – Valentin M. Bogdan (Mississippi University for Women)
Valentin Bogdan and Julia Mortyakova, piano
Midnight Glowing on Horseback – Alan Goldspiel (University of Montevallo)
Electronic Playback
Legacies – Hannah Adhikari (W Music Alumna)
Hannah Adhikari, piano
Life Sequences, Mvt. 1 & Mvt. III – Charles Weathersby (W Music Student composer)
Ginger Zingara, flute
“May I ask you to…?” – Ivan Elezovic (Jackson State University)
Electronic Playback
Impromptu No. 1 – Hannah Adhikari
Hannah Adhikari, piano
Etudes for Solo Piano – Valentin M. Bogdan
Introduction
Basso Ostinato
Sets
Aug
Program Notes
Odd Times is a work loosely based on the Sonata Allegro form. Composed during the challenging period of the pandemic lockdown, it serves as an allegorical representation of the uncertainty that characterized this unprecedented era.
Midnight Glowing on Horseback juxtaposes surrealist ideas and classical formal structures within its left to right time-based electronic playback. The audio events combine and mix samples of ordinary objects, instruments, synthesized sound, and Salvadore Dali discussing his moustache. The slightly bizarre mix of elements, rarely all that jarring, and maybe nonsensical, combine to conjure a mental image – midnight glowing on horseback? – or perhaps to merely create an awake dream.
Legacies – A piano solo for Grief. Whether it be family or friend, all loss is loss. May this melody bring out your memories together that still live on.
“May I ask you to…?” The main approach of the piece leaves the listener in an unexpected and confused state produced by interactions among the characters of the piece. The appearance of ignorance and sometimes irony causes communication to be very difficult, and in some instances impossible. The mixture of hesitated questions, observations, and attempts at clarification produces even further confusion with occasional comical events.
Life Sequences is a 3-movement piece composed for flute. Each movement begins with a sequence that is repeated and manipulated to develop the movement. This set of movements at the time of composition was an introspective reflection of a sequence of life events. However, each listener is free to interpret them in their own way.
Impromptu No. 1– A piano solo to remind us of our Childhood. We can find magic in life again when we see the world through a lense of love.
Etudes for Solo Piano This set of apply the meaning of the word etude, “study”, not only to the performer, but also to the audience and composer. Some of the writing is meant to challenge the pianist, similarly to the etudes of past major composers, while some of these etudes are the result of the composer challenging himself to make the most use of certain techniques. Finally, some of these works involve the listeners; they are asked to create their own understanding of what they hear, as part of an intellectual challenge.
Date of Performance: November 7, 2023 at 7:30 p.m. in Connie Sills Kossen Auditorium, Poindexter Hall. Senior Aaron Rishel, baritone accompanied by William Reber, piano.
PROGRAM
Im Frühling – Franz Schubert
Ganymed – Franz Schubert
Sonntag – Johannes Brahms
Deh vieni alla finestra from Don Giovanni – W.A. Mozart
La ci darem la mano from Don Giovanni – W.A. Mozart
with Tiffani Jernigan, soprano
When I was One and Twenty – George Butterworth
Is My Team Ploughing from Six Songs from a Shropshire Lad – George Butterworth
I Never Knew from AIDS Quilt Songbook – Ricky Ian Gordon
Walt Whitman in 1989 from AIDS Quilt Songbook – Chris DeBlasio
Avant de quitter ces lieux from Faust – Charles Gounod
Agony from Into the Woods – Steven Sondheim
with Ricky Dubuisson II, baritone
Losing My Mind from Follies – Steven Sondheim
BIOGRAPHY
Aaron Rishel is a senior studying vocal performance at The W. Aaron was very active performing in musical theatre for the past decade on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. He was a student of Westley Hodges for voice, piano, and saxophone; Brandon Ring for voice, MGCCC Perkinston Campus; and currently studies under the tutelage of Dr. Susan Hurley.
He enjoyed attending the Junior Theater Festival in Atlanta for many years and working with iTheatrics in New York City during the summers helping to make musicals into versions for students. Aaron was also cast with iTheatrics All-Star National JTF Europe Cast and performed at the inaugural JTF Europe, Birmingham, UK, in May 2019.
Aaron would like to thank everyone who has supported him throughout his endeavors.
This recital is given in partial fulfillment of degree requirements for the Bachelor of Arts in Music (Performance).
Aaron Rishel is from the studio of Dr. Susan Hurley.
