Ouachita Stories

Ouachita Baptist University’s Division of Music will host flutist Danilo Mezzadri and soprano Susan Ruggiero on Saturday, March 9, for the university’s first annual Flute Day. Events and classes will be held throughout the day and will conclude with a Flute Ensemble concert at 4 p.m. and a concert at 5 p.m. featuring the guest artists. The concert, which is free and open to the public, will be held in McBeth Recital Hall in Mabee Fine Arts Center.

“It is my intention to make this an annual event, bringing a different guest artist each year,” said Dr. Carlos Feller, visiting assistant professor of music at Ouachita. “The event is tailored to pre-college students in the state as well as Ouachita music students. It includes masterclasses, clinics, workshops, and concerts, giving them the opportunity to perform in front of peers of different levels and share their passion for music with our community.”

Registration for Flute Day will open at 9 a.m. in the band hall of Mabee Fine Arts Center prior to a warm-up session in McBeth Recital Hall at 9:20 a.m. A flute choir reading session will begin at 10 a.m., followed by a masterclass led by Mezzadri at 11 a.m.

The afternoon will include a visit exhibit by Nugent Flutes in the band hall from 1:30-2:30 p.m., a second flute choir reading session in McBeth Recital Hall at 2:30 p.m. and later a flute choir concert by participants, the Ouachita Flute Choir and Hot Springs Flute Ensemble at 4 p.m. The day will conclude with the guest artists concert featuring Mezzadri and Ruggiero at 5 p.m.

“This event is also an opportunity for the participants and Ouachita students to be exposed to accomplished artists and educators in the industry, network with professionals in our field and attend a high level musical performance,” Feller said.

Mezzadri earned a Master of Music in flute performance, Master of Musicology and Doctor of Musical Arts in flute performance degrees from Michigan State University. Mezzadri has won multiple competitions, including the International Porto Alegre Symphonic Orchestra Young Instrumentalist Competition and the Brazilian International Flute Association Competition, and has appeared as a soloist with more than 35 ensembles, including Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Jackson Symphony Orchestra, Pró-Música Symphony Orchestra of Rio de Janeiro and Camerata Florianópolis. An experienced orchestral musician, Mezzadri is currently principal flute at Gulf Coast and North Mississippi Symphony Orchestras. He also is an associate professor of music at The University of Southern Mississippi.

Ruggiero holds a Master of Music in voice and a Master of Music in flute performance from the University of Michigan and a doctorate in voice from Louisiana State University. As an active recitalist, Ruggiero performs regularly both as a soloist and a chamber musician. She has performed as a principal artist with New Orleans Opera, Natchez Festival Opera, Shreveport Opera, Mississippi Opera, Opera South, Blue Lake Opera, Wildwood Opera Theatre, Kentucky Opera and Opéra Louisiane. Ruggiero also is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including the Mozart Award in the National Orpheus Vocal Competition, first place award winner in Shreveport Opera’s Singer of the Year competition, a two-time district winner in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, amongst others. She teaches at the University of Southern Mississippi and William Carey University.

Mezzadri and Ruggiero, along with pianist Elizabeth Moak, cofounded Accent Trio; the group is to release a new CD, “Accento Trio in Recital,” with Blue Griffin Records.

Co-sponsoring Ouachita’s Flute Day are the Hot Springs Flute Ensemble and Erik Nugent from Nugent Flutes.

For more information, contact Dr. Carlos Feller, visiting assistant professor of music, at [email protected] or 870-245-4160.

 

By Katelyn Myers

March 8, 2019