Megan Fergusson, viola, & Daniel Pesca, piano
February 8, 2008
Megan Fergusson enjoys a multifaceted career as both a performer and teacher. She has performed with orchestras throughout the United States, including the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, Toledo Symphony and as guest principal violist of the Flint Symphony Orchestra. As a chamber musician she has collaborated with Ida Kavafian, Paul Katz, Yan Wei of the Silk Road Ensemble, and performed on numerous occasions with the Michigan Chamber Players presented by University Musical Society (UMS). Her festival appearances have included Tanglewood, Aspen, Spoleto USA and Domaine Forget (Canada).
Thriving on creative projects that transcend artistic boundaries, Ms. Fergusson has enjoyed interdisciplinary work with former Martha Graham dancer and choreographer Peter Sparling as well as with musicians ranging from Indian rock star A.R. Rahman, PDQ Bach a.k.a. Peter Schickele, and Chicago's lead singer Peter Cetera. She has performed in such diverse locations as the Kennedy Center (Washington D.C.) to the Kerrytown Concert House (Ann Arbor) and continues to appear throughout the United States, presenting her recital series “The Viola as a Voice of the 20th century”. She has premiered numerous works and collaborated with composers including Michael Daugherty and Bright Sheng.
Ms. Fergusson’s educational outreach has included teaching for the Young Audiences program “Bring Back the Music” (Dorchester, MA) and consulting for NPR’s “From the Top”. Dedicated to the education of young people, she also has taught at the Dana Hall School (Wellesley, MA) and served as faculty at New England Music Camp and Phoenixfest!
Currently on the faculty of Bowling Green State University, Ms. Fergusson is completing her DMA in viola performance at the University of Michigan with Yizhak Schotten. She holds degrees in viola performance from Rice University (BM) and the New England Conservatory (MM) where her teachers have included Karen Ritscher, James Dunham and Martha Katz. 2007-08 season highlights include J.S. Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 6 with Yizhak Schotten and solo recitals throughout North America with repertoire including works by Toru Takemitsu, Krzysztof Penderecki and George Rochberg.
Daniel Pesca received his Masters degree in both composition and piano performance at the University of Michigan and his Bachelor of Music with highest distinction in both areas at the Eastman School of Music. He has received much recognition for his work, including Eastman's Louis Lane Prize, a commission from The Commission Project of Rochester, NY, and the Elizabeth C. Rogers commission. He has had works premiered by the University of Michigan Symphony Orchestra, Musica Nova, the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra. His composition teachers include Susan Botti, Betsy Jolas, Tania León, Michael Colgrass, Robert Morris, James Willey, David Liptak, and Carlos Sanchez-Gutierrez; his piano teachers include Logan Skelton, Nelita True and Yakov Kasman. He has been the featured soloist in concertos by J. S. Bach and Elliott Carter and has performed in many venues, including the Kennedy Center, the Midwest Composers Symposium, and the Heidelberg New Music Festival. Daniel is a busy accompanist, for which he received Eastman's Excellence in Accompanying Award. He has participated in the Bowdoin International Music Festival, the American Conservatory in Fontainebleau, France, and the TCU/Cliburn Piano Institute.
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