By Zach Cable
Ball State oboe professor Lisa Kozenko will partner up with New York Philharmonic associate principal oboist Sherry Sylar on Dec. 2 for a day-long master class as part of Ball State’s Oboe Marathon.
Kozenko and Sylar will offer mock auditions and feedback, practice tips and oboe ensembles to students from noon to 8 p.m. in Hahn Recital Hall.
Kozenko spent 11 years teaching at Mannes College of Performing Arts before coming to Ball State in Aug. 2017 and has been a “professional musician and performer” for 34 years.
“I’ve had the privilege to teach and share my love of music pretty much my entire life,” said Kozenko. “I’ve found a home here at Ball State.”
Kozenko performs internationally as a soloist, chamber artist and orchestral musician. She’s appeared as a soloist with major orchestras like the National Orchestra of New York and the National Symphony Orchestra of Mexico.
A prizewinner of the 15th Louise D. McMahon International Music Competition and winner of the Artists International Special Presentation Award, Kozenko has been featured on NPR
Performance Today, CBS Sunday Morning and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
“Out of all my accolades, my favorite is when I was awarded the Heidi Castleman Award,” Kozenko said.
The Chamber Music America Heidi Castleman Award is awarded to youth educators that excel in chamber music teaching.
Sylar isn’t just another random guest artists; she and Kozenko both studied together at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York.
“We go way back,” said Sylar. “She’s just as good a friend as she is a musician.”
Sylar too has performed with major orchestras including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the St. Louis Orchestra and the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France.
“We actually performed in Carnegie Hall when I was with the Orchestre Philharmonique,” said Sylar. “It’s one of the most prestigious venues in the world for music; located in the heart of Manhattan.”
Like her friend Kozenko, Sylar is passionate about teaching music and spreading her knowledge. She gives master classes internationally and was invited to China as a judge for the Beijing National Orchestra’s first-ever auditions.
“I just don’t ever want classical music to die. It’s the most pure form of music and I feel as if I need to do my part and spread it around the world,” Sylar said.
The two oboists’ master class will be free and open to the public. For more information, visit the Ball State School of Music Calendar.
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