A faculty recital by Suna Gunther, assistant professor of voice, will include several University of Nebraska–Lincoln voice faculty and alumni.
The recital is 7:30 p.m. Sept. 17 in Kimball Recital Hall. The concert is free and open to the public. The concert will also be live webcast. Details are available here.
“I am very excited for this program,” Gunther said. “I am new to UNL, and I wanted to begin my relationships with my new colleagues by making music together. They have all very generously agreed to perform with me.”
Gunther’s recital will include the following faculty and alumni: Karen Becker, Kevin Hanrahan, William Shomos, Jamie Reimer Seaman, Marques L.A. Garrett, Alisa Belflower, Amy Guevara and Thomas Gunther with Madeline Rogers.
Her program will include “A Love Cycle” by Garrett, assistant professor of music in choral activities. The cycle includes “A Love Song” by Paul Laurence Dunbar from “Lyrics of Love and Laughter,” Alberto Donaudy’s “O del mio amato ben,” Heinrich Heine’s “Herz, mein Herz, sei nicht beklommen” and “Adieu, jusque je vous revoye” (anonymous).
“Each of these songs are shaped by the language of their poetry in really beautiful ways,” Gunther said.
Her program will also include a new composition, “Remember Me,” for soprano, piano and cello written for this concert by Eklund, Hixson-Lied Professor of Music and director of choral activities.
She will also perform some well-loved duets from operas by Mozart, Puccini and Rossini, musical theatre duets and lesser-known duets by Robert Schumann, Henry Purcell and Carl Zeller.
Gunther is thrilled to have the opportunity to make musical connections with her new colleagues so early in her time on campus.
“The relationships that I have built with my colleagues have been really important to me throughout my career, thus far,” Gunther said. “And I’ve always felt that they have evolved to a whole new level of understanding when we were able to make music together. So when I moved here, I really wanted to start with that foundation for us all to be able to bond through what we love the most. It’s already been such a wonderful experience being able to make music with people who haven’t performed in a long time because of COVID and other extrinsic reasons. Being able to already learn and grow through one another’s artistry has been wonderful. I’m really looking forward to doing more of that.”
The program also includes a variety of music.
“We’re doing everything from the Baroque to brand new music, including both classical and musical theatre genres,” Gunther said. “I think every single piece is really unique in itself because I’m collaborating with an entirely different artist with each of them. No five minutes will be the same.”
Gunther comes to the Glenn Korff School of Music from the College of Saint Rose in Albany, New York, where she was assistant professor and coordinator of voice. She received her bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University and her master’s and doctoral degrees from Indiana University.
“I’m so excited to be here,” Gunther said. “The caliber of musicianship here really blew me away, across styles and genres. The people that I met during the search were so warm and welcoming and had such fabulous ideas for growth within their program. I have great respect for the people that I already knew, and that is only growing as I get to know more people.”
