Heather Gozdan-Bynum received her Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Clarinet Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Iowa. She worked in the Acquisitions Department of the UGA Main Library prior to becoming an Academic Advisor in 2023.

Her undergraduate degree is in Music Performance from Bowling Green State University and she earned a Master of Music with a related field in Musicology from the University of North Texas. Originally from Ohio, Heather now lives in Athens with her husband Josh and rescue pup Dunkin.

The 3-movement work will be performed in this lecture-recital with a piano reduction of the orchestral parts.  An introduction to the themes and structure will be presented before the performance of each movement.  This will include Prokofiev’s use of motives, phrase length, tonality, and thematic transformation.  An overview of the form is important for the listener, and this presentation will focus on Prokofiev’s thematic development and presentation.  The movements are approximately 11 minutes, 18 minutes, and 11 minutes in length.  The music has an enormous range from tender lyricism to anguish and torment.  One can hear the full human dynamic from elation to despair. This cello concerto will be performed by David Starkweather with the UGA Symphony Orchestra and conductor Mark Cedel on Tuesday, September 14 at 7:30 p.m.

MICHAEL HEALD, violin

MAGGIE SNYDER, viola

DAVID STARKWEATHER, cello

D. RAY McCLELLAN, clarinet

featuring guest artist Kenn Wagner, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra

RECITAL INCLUDES:

Haydn: String Quartet Op.33 No.3

Ruth Gipps : Rhapsody for Clarinet and String Quartet

Beethoven: String Quartet Op.135

ABOUT KENN WAGNER

Kenn Wagner has been a first violinist with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra since 1994, and has also served as acting assistant concertmaster of the ASO.

Outside of the ASO he has appeared abroad as guest soloist with the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra in China, and Christ Church Symphony string section, in New Zealand. Nationally he has soloed with the New Orleans Symphony, Arlington symphony and the Wintergreen Music Festival Orchestra. Locally, Kenn has appeared as soloist with the Atlanta Community Symphony Orchestra, the Dekalb Symphony,  Clark/Spellman Symphony,  Atlanta Philharmonic, and the Atlanta Musicians’ Orchestra with repeat engagements, including a world premiere of Lucas Richman’s violin&cello concerto at Spivey hall last season.

A passionate chamber musician Kenn has performed with Riverside Chamber Players, Leaptrott Trio, Atlanta Chamber Players, Awadagin Pratt’s Next Generation Festival, and National Chamber Players with special guest Kenneth Slowik of the Smithsonian Chamber Players.

He has been a guest artist at the Piccolo Spoleto festival with both The Orlando Chamber Soloists and The Leaptrott trio. In Puebla Mexico in 2014 , Kenn collaborated with members of the Grammy Award winning Cuerteto Latino Americano in Puebla Mexico and faculty from Indiana University, and last season he returned to Mexico as guest performer in the San Miguel chamber series with the Atlanta chamber players. Mr Wagner  has performed on a recital at Spivey Hall with Alan Morrison faculty member of the Curtis Institute.

Kenn is a graduate of Indiana University where he studied under Joseph Gingold, and Kenn serves on the faculty at Kennesaw State University, having also served on faculty of Morehouse College for nearly a decade.