Festival Scholars and Artists

Louise Toppin – continued from Schedule
Recent performances include: world premiere of Julia Perry’s Frammenti dalla sua lettere di Santa Caterina with the Akron Symphony Orchestra, performances with Julia Bullock and the New World Symphony, co-curated and sang festival of Black Music in Hamburg with the Bremer Philharmoniker in Germany with Thomas Hampson and Larry Brownlee, performance at the U.S. Capitol for Congress and President Obama, and for the opening of the Smithsonian’s African American Heritage Museum. 

She has appeared on NPR’s All Things Considered; co-hosts the Minnesota Orchestra “Listening Project”concerts, and hosts her own radio show entitled Conversations in African American music. She has been a guest on college campuses including Harvard, Yale, Duke, and many others.  Co-founder and Director of the George Shirley Vocal Competition on repertoire by African American composers, and Director of Videmus (non-profit organization that promotes the concert repertoire of African American composers), she also founded the Africandiasporamusicproject.org research tool.

Previously, Toppin was the Distinguished University Professor of Music and Chair of the Department of Music at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.  She is currently University Distinguished Professor of Diversity and Social Transformation and Professor of Music (Voice), at The University of Michigan.   For more www.louisetoppin.com. 

John O’Brien – continued from Schedule

He served  on the faculty of East Carolina University from 1985-2022.  During his tenure at ECU he served as Chairperson of Vocal Studies for 15 years, Chairperson of Keyboard Studies for 5 years, Music Director of the ECU Opera Theatre for 10 years and for 22 years he was the Professor of Accompanying. O’Brien has collaborated with such artists as Metropolitan Opera stars Hilda Harris and Victoria Livengood, violinist Eliot Chapo, tenor Bill Brown, flautist Carol Wincenc and clarinetist Deborah Chodacki.  He has performed in New York’s Merkin Recital Hall, and Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. As harpsichordist he performed regularly with Clarino Consort and Baroque dance soloist Paige Whitley-Bauguess and he has performed recitals with soprano Julianne Baird, baroque violinist Julie Andrijeski and has been a regular keyboardist with Atlanta Baroque.  He is a founding member of the North Carolina Baroque Orchestra with which he regularly performs on keyboard, violin/viola and baroque flute.  He was a featured artist at the Magnolia Baroque Festival in Winston-Salem NC and he has performed at the Piccolo Spoleto Festival with Chatham Baroque.