Campus News in Brief
School of Music presents its third annual Collage Concert
The School of Music will present its third annual Collage Concert on Friday, March 18 at 8 p.m. in the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall. The concert will feature a wide variety of compositions to interest the audience.
The concert will feature the work of more than 300 musicians in their efforts to showcase the school’s range.
All of the school’s ensembles, orchestras, quartets, and choirs will participate in the event. Members of the faculty who also have positions in the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra will participate in the concert.
Featured groups include the Carnegie Mellon Philharmonic, directed by Ronald Zollman; the Carnegie Mellon Baroque Ensemble, directed by Stephen Schultz; the Jazz Vocal Ensemble, directed by Thomas Douglas; and the Contemporary Ensemble, directed by Zollman.
Robert Page, the Paul Mellon University Professor and director of choral studies, will direct the Concert Choir. Before the concert begins, visitors can listen to the Pipe Band outside of the performance hall.
For solo performances, students include Emma Steele, a junior violinist; Michael Dee, a senior clarinetist; Nicole Gasse, a master’s candidate vocalist; Luis Carlos Hernandez, a master’s candidate pianist; and Natalie Severson and Vanessa Young, sophomore and master’s candidate harpists, respectively.
Aron Ralston to be speaker at 114th Commencement
At Carnegie Mellon’s 114th Commencement Ceremony on May 15, Aron Ralston (E ’97) will speak about his life and his inspiring story of survival.
His story began in April 2003 in a Utah canyon, where he was trapped for almost a week by a half-ton boulder. Faced with this near-impossible situation, Ralston made the decision to amputate his right hand and escape. Afterward, he rappelled 65 feet and hiked seven miles to seek rescue.
His story is the focus of the movie 127 Hours, starring James Franco and directed by Danny Boyle. The movie is based on Ralston’s New York Times 2004 bestselling autobiography, Between a Rock and Hard Place.
At Carnegie Mellon, Ralston majored in mechanical engineering and French with a minor in piano performance.
Ralston was a resident assistant as well as a member of seven honor societies. Ralston partially credits Carnegie Mellon’s training and education with helping him, in addition to his main source of inspiration: his family.
“He turned grave adversity into a learning and teaching experience for all of us. I know our graduates will enjoy and greatly benefit from hearing Aron speak,” said said President Jared L. Cohon in a recent press release.