The FEU’s beloved Sunday concert series is back! During the Rendez-Vous Musical #96 coordinated by Khalid McGhee, some of the FEU’s talented musicians & guest artists will pay homage to the classics and put their own spin on contemporary works in a dynamic and captivating performance.
These concerts, which are an opportunity for the musicians to present the works they are perfecting or creating, are known for their friendly and warm atmosphere. The audience, delighted by the (re)discovery of classical and contemporary works and new compositions, often stays to chat with the musicians, who take great pleasure in these exchanges, always talking about music and their discipline with great passion.
Pratical Information
Date Sunday, February 4 | Time 5pm | Facebook Event
Save the Date! Next concert on Sunday, March 3rd
Program
James Weldon Johnson (1871 – 1938), J. Rosamond Johnson (1873- 1954)
Lift Every Voice and Sing
Khalid McGhee
Adolphus Hailstork (1941 – )
Yuhwa
Ethan Nylander, flute
Florence Price (1887-1953)
The glory of the day was in Her Face
William Grant Still (1895-1978)
Song for the Lonely
Robert Owens (1925-2017)
Drei Gesänge für Bariton
I. Fremde Stadt
II. Eine Geige in den Gärten
III. Im Nebel
Florence Price (1887-1953)
Resignation
Song to the Dark virgin
Jared Michaud, baritone
Christina Koti, piano
Afro-fusion dance selection
Danté Christian, dancer
Zyad Sibai, choreographer
Valerie Coleman (1970 – )
Requiem Milonga
Isabelle Pazar, flute
Khalid McGhee, piano
Frank Churchill
Someday My Prince Will Come
Jax Coopersmith
Splish-Splash
Thelonious Monk
Straight No Chaser
Ezra Beber, drums
Bethany Cordell, bass
Resident Musicians
American pianist and collaborator, Khalid McGhee, is dedicated to exploring the convergence of musical genres. Originally from Saint Louis, Missouri, he received comprehensive training in classical piano and voice, while also covering genres like gospel, jazz, soul and musical theater. A Blue-Chip Full-tuition Scholar at the Northern Arizona University – Kitt School of Music, he received a Bachelor of Music with Distinction in Piano Performance. He continued his studies at the Institut für Musik der Hochschule Osnabrück in Lower-Saxony, Germany, winning prestigious awards such as the Deutschland Stipendium (twice) and a Fulbright grant. Parallel to his musical pursuits, Khalid’s deep-rooted passion for diverse cultures, human behavior, and cross-cultural communication is evident in his studies in pedagogy and linguistics, as well as his impactful work as an educator and collaborator. During his recent Fulbright experience, he actively explored the use of music as a tool to enhance language learning and promote social integration among school students with migrational backgrounds. He currently resides in Paris as an Artist-in-Residence and Harriet Hale Woolley Scholar at the Fondation des États-Unis, pursuing a Diplôme Supérieur at the École Normale de Musique de Paris “Alfred Cortot”.
Franco-American baritone Jared Andrew Michaud is a Fulbright/Harriet Hale Woolley Scholar for 2023-2024 in Paris, where he studies with François Le Roux and Pascal Rogé as part of a duo singing course at the École Normale de Musique de Paris, and studies privately with Susan Manoff. With his duet partner, pianist Christina Koti, Jared won first prize in the Federation’s Lied Art Grant Competition 2022 (New York), the 4th SGSM International Singing Competition (Slovenia) and the Elisabeth Schumann Lied Duo Competition 2022 (London). They also represent France as emerging artists in the Young Europe Sings program, co-funded by the European Union. The duo has performed in recitals in the UK, USA and Greece, appearing in venues such as St. James Piccadilly in London, the DiMenna Center for Classical Music in Manhattan, Yale University, the Rhodes International Music Festival and the Theocharakis Foundation in Athens. Jared obtained his Master’s degree from the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music & Dance in London and his Bachelor’s degree from Yale University.
Holding a Bachelor’s of Music in Flute Performance from West Virginia University, Ethan Nylander is a rising professional flutist who especially enjoys orchestral music, contemporary music, and composition. Ethan is the recipient of a Fulbright Grant to France, and he currently studies at the École Normale Supérieure de Musique de Paris with flutist Mihi Kim. Some of Ethan’s prized accomplishments include winning First Place in the Atlanta Flute Club Young Artist Competition and Carl D. Hall Piccolo Competition, First Place in the Central Ohio Flute Association Collegiate Competition, First Place in the National Symphony Orchestra Summer Music Institute Solo Competition, and Second Place in the Mid Atlantic Symphony Orchestra’s Elizabeth Loker Concerto Competition. He also won the WVU Young Artist Competition in 2022 and performed solo with the WVU Symphony Orchestra. During his studies at WVU, Ethan recorded an album of solo pieces for Alto and Bass flute by French-speaking composers titled Métamorphose: Contemporary Solo Works for Low Flutes which can be found on streaming platforms. He briefly studied composition at WVU and has written multiple pieces for flute, to include flute and piano works, solo flute, and flute and electronics- one of which has been recorded on his album. Ethan has performed in concert halls such as the Weill Recital Hall of Carnegie Hall in New York and the Kresge Concert Hall in Pittsburgh.
Isabelle Pazar, flutist and winner of the 2022-23 Fulbright scholarship, studies flute pedagogy and traditional techniques of the French flute school. Her research project led her to study alongside flutist Patricia Nagle at the École Normale de Musique de Paris Alfred Cortot. Isabelle’s love of musical composition, and particularly of the Romantic era, brought her to Paris to study the flute in her native land. Originally from the United States, and more specifically Maine, Isabelle is a doctoral candidate in music performance at Stony Brook University in New York, where she had the good fortune to study with renowned flutist Carol Wincenc. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Boston College after studying with assistant flute professor Judy Grant, creator and director of the Boston Flute Academy. In 2017, she received a scholarship from Boston College to attend the Cremona Italy International Music Festival and Competition. Isabelle earned a master’s degree in music performance from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2020, where she studied flute with Dr. Cobus du Toit and worked as an assistant studio flute teacher. She also helped teach music history. She also studied with flutist Sooyun Kim of the renowned Lincoln Center Chamber Music Society in New York, and performed in several MasterClasses for flutists Leone Buyse, Elizabeth Rowe, Mario Caroli, Linda Toote, and Lorne McGhee. Recipient of the Harriet Hale Woolley Scholarship for 2023-2024, Isabelle is thrilled to continue her studies in Paris as artist-in-residence at the Fondation des États-Unis.
Guest Musicians
Jax Coopersmith is a Jazz Saxophone Major at NYU. Immersed in the music world and a lover of jazz fusion, Jax is heavily invested in the New York music scene and participates in many jams with upcoming artists. His creativity has taken him to composition, where he aims to connect to his audience through sound and story telling. Jax is also a Gilman Scholar and Grammy U Member, actively bringing together a community of artists and performers. Jax thanks everyone for coming to the show and hopes they enjoy the music. Jax est étudiant en saxophone jazz à l’Université de New York (NYU).
Bethany Cordell is a classically trained cellist from Boston, Massachusetts, studying privately for the past 15 years. She privately studied drums for two years and bassoon for seven. In high school,
Bethany self-taught herself bass guitar to play with her school’s jazz band. For multiple years, she also participated in choirs (on district, state, Eastern, and national levels), and she played bassoon and cello in youth orchestras and wind ensembles. Bethany is now a Music Business major at NYU and has performed on bass guitar in numerous NYC venues.
Ezra Beber is a drummer from Toronto, Canada. He specializes in jazz but is well versed in lots of different styles of music. He also plays guitar which has deepened his experience of listening to and playing music. Ezra is studying jazz drums at NYU with some of the world’s best musicians.
Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, Danté Christian is a junior at Pomona College studying abroad for this semester in Paris. Although Danté academically focuses on physics and architecture, he is also extremely passionate about the performing arts as well.
Greek pianist Christina Maria Koti is musician-in-residence at the Hellenic Foundation in Paris for the year 2023-2024, where she studies privately with Susan Manoff, while pursuing an artist diploma in voice/piano duet at the École Normale de Musique de Paris with Pascal Rogé and François Le Roux. She holds a Master’s degree in piano performance under Professor Deniz Gelenbe-Arman at the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music & Dance, with a scholarship from Trinity College of Music, and previously obtained a Bachelor of Music with First Class Honors from Glasgow University. With her duo partner, baritone Jared Andrew Michaud, she won first prize in the Federation’s Lied Art Scholarship Competition 2022 (New York City), the Elisabeth Schumann Competition for Lied Duo 2022 (London), and the 4th SGSM International Singing Competition, Lied Duo category (Slovenia). The duo has also been selected to represent France at the Young Europe Sings (YES) 2023-2024 Academy. Christina Maria has recently taken part in the following masterclasses and festivals with Jared: the Heidelberger Frühling Liedzentrum masterclass with Anna-Lucia Richter and Ammiel Bushakevitz, the Schubertiada International Lied Duo with Wolfram Reiger, the Colla Voce/Horto Festival workshop, and the London Song Festival. Christina Maria has also taken part in festivals and competitions as solo pianist, such as the Gnessin Academy Summer Festival, the Concorso Internazionale Pianistico citta Villafranca di Verona, the Glasgow Music Festival, and the Dinu Lipatti International Piano Competition. She won the Founders’ Prize for Pianistic Accompaniment (London 2022) and was selected as one of the Young Artists of the Toronto Music Festival (summer 2023) in the Art of Song program.
Raheem Senegal is a PhD candidate from Texas in American civilization at Paris-Saclay. Completed his studies at the University of North Texas in 2019. The bulk of his work centers on collecting oral histories of a Black-American family of creole descent, exploring the points where ethnic and racial idenity in South Louisiana converge, diverge, and complete the tapestry of Blackness in the modern United States of America.