Ohio State School of Music faculty Robert Brooks and Lara Semetko-Brooks showcased American music genres and strengthened the relationship with The University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna via two high profile events in Austria this summer. A versatile soprano and contemporary voice specialist, Semetko-Brooks teamed up with her husband, Robert Brooks, a jazz saxophonist and educator who specializes in jazz education, to perform a recital of American music and to present a lecture on modern American opera.
“While taking in the rich history of Austria, we were able to bring historical American music, jazz and musical theatre, and perform it at Mozarthaus Vienna, Mozart's residence from 1784-1787. The recital was an incredible experience of cross collaboration of styles, and it was exciting to see the audience be engaged in a musical genre that they typically would not see at the Mozarthaus,” reflected Semetko-Brooks.
“Throughout the program, we discussed the background of the selections and what each song meant to us through our journey as performers,” Semetko-Brooks said. The program included: “Taking a Chance on Love” by Vernon Duke, “So in Love” by Cole Porter, “Who Needs Love” by Goldrich and Heilser, “I Love You” by Cole Porter, “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” by Harold Arlen, “Steps of the City” and the song cycle “Mornings Innocent” by Gwyneth Walker, “Vanilla Ice Cream” by Jerry Bock, and “Meadowlark” by Stephen Schwartz.
“It was such a blast to get an opportunity to perform a recital of American music at the Mozarthaus in Vienna. The experience was only made better by sharing the stage with my wife and colleague," Robert Brooks said. “Meeting and collaborating with musicians from across the world was exciting and I'm looking forward to bringing knowledge back to share with our students.”
Students, faculty and professional teachers interested in modern American opera attended the lecture at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna. The lecture discussed the Ohio premiere of the new American opera, Sweets by Kate, which was presented by The Opera Theatre of Ohio State in February. The presentation included information about technical specs, plot, casting, gender flexibility of casting, orchestration, musical accessibility, staging, costuming, prop accessibility, and why works like Sweets by Kate are important to perform, because they represent the student body and audiences more equitably.
“I'm excited to share our experiences with our students at Ohio State to remind them that music is truly a universal language!” Semetko-Brooks said.
With the lecture and recital, the couple represented Ohio State internationally and built the foundation for continued studies and collaboration with The University of Music and Performing Arts.
This international exchange was supported by an International Research and Scholarship Grant from the Office of International Affairs.