Sunday Music Series: Jason Gresl & Friends

Program Title:  A Day and a Life

Jason Gresl and friends share a delightful collection of theatrical chamber music that celebrates the wonderful journey of life.

Performers:

Jason Gresl - clarinets, piccolo, saxophone
Aleksandra Kemble, flute
Tyler Ninalga, piano
William Loring, actor

Program:

Dance Preludes (1954)  by Witold Lutoslawski (1913-1994)

Allegro Molto 
Andantino
Andante
Allegro giocoso

La Voce Delle Nuvole Che Non Ci Sono Più (1992) by Nicola Campogrande (b. 1969)

Champagne with a Twist by Sean Brady (b. 1960) Penelope Fleming (b. 1972)

Nose (2005) by Roderik de Mann (b. 1941)

Begin Sweet World by Bill Douglas (b. 1944)

Ray by Jenni Watson (b. 1985)

Feast  by Bill Douglas

Special Thanks to: Department of Music, Howard Performing Arts Center, Mark Rigney, Lara Turner, Neil Parsons, Hilary Abigaña, Myra Su, William Loring, South Bend Civic Theatre

About the Musicians

From playing bass clarinet while upside-down in front of the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra to an impromptu performance of Mozart’s clarinet quintet just after almost drowning in the Panama Canal, woodwind specialist Jason Gresl spends his days diving from one artistic adventure into another. Jason is Utility Clarinetist for the Symphony of the Lakes and Laporte County Symphony, and regularly performs locally with South Bend Symphony, Holland Symphony, and Southwest Michigan Symphony. Chamber music appearances have included Ensemble Concept 21, The Playground Ensemble, The Barton Workshop, Grupo Montebello, and the South Bend Symphony Woodwind Quintet and his duo, Claricello. Jason frequently performs in the pit for musicals around the country. He played on the national tour of Elf:The Musical, and has performed the South Bend leg of national tours for Wicked, Chicago,The Book of Mormon, and Phantom of the Opera. Regional credits also include In the Heights, Urinetown, Little Women, The Sound of Music, and most recentlyWest Side Story. Since 2019, he has also been onstage in multiple productions of Paula Vogel’s play, Indecent - at the Chautauqua Institution, Weston Playhouse, Milwaukee Chamber Theater, and The Arden Theater. In 2019, Jason began touring with Chicago-based puppet theater Manual Cinema’s production of Frankenstein sharing the stage in California, Utah, Florida, and northern Canada. This season he will join them again in Boston, Seattle and Ecuador. Jason teaches clarinet and saxophone at Andrews University, Lake Michigan College, Saint Mary’s College, and Indiana University - South Bend.

Aleksandra Kemble came to the U.S. in 2002. She studied at the Chopin Academy of Music in Warsaw, Poland where she obtained her Master's degree in flute performance and continued her studies in the United States receiving both "Artist" and "Performer" Diplomas from Indiana University. Mrs. Kemble expanded her musical knowledge and experience through attending master classes throughout Europe (Austria, Holland, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Switzerland, Poland, Czech Republic and Slovakia) and is now the principal flutist with the Elkhart Symphony. She has also appeared regularly with the Southwest Michigan Symphony, LaPorte Symphony Orchestra, Symphony of the Lakes, Kalamazoo Philharmonia and had been frequently invited to play at the Round Barn Theater in Nappanee, Indiana.

Aleksandra Kemble received her Suzuki training and certification in "Every Child Can", a course on the Suzuki philosophy and its application to education and Suzuki teaching, from the Suzuki Association of the Greater Washington Area in Virginia in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 and is now certified a Suzuki teacher. Mrs. Kemble now maintains a private flute studio in her home in Mishawaka, and continues to spread her knowledge and experience by teaching at many local schools throughout the community.

Born and raised in Toronto, Canada,Tyler Ninalga started piano lessons at the age of five under the tutelage of Imelda Monardo. At age eleven, Tyler enrolled in the Ontario Conservatory of Music, where we studied under the Royal Conservatory Music Certificate (RCM) Program. He concluded his studies under the RCM Program after completing the Grade 10 Practical Examination for piano. Tyler has participated in numerous festivals and competitions across Canada and the United States. A few notable examples include the Walla Walla University Piano Festival (2018, grand prize recipient), Montecito International Music Festival (2019), Andrews University Young Artist Competition (2019-2020, winner), and Southern Adventist University Concerto Competition (2019-2020, finalist).

Outside his solo performance studies, Tyler is an active collaborator in the Department of Music. He currently is the pianist for the Andrews University Chorale ensemble and a percussionist for the Wind Symphony. He is also a part of a chamber quartet ensemble with fellow music performance majors Jason Marquez (clarinet), Jamison Moore (cello), and Glorie Bojilov (violin). Tyler Ninalga is currently pursuing his Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance at Andrews University under the tutelage of Olena Rybachok. He is a Dare to Dream Scholarship recipient.

Bill Loring spends his time both behind the scenes and on stage. He serves as the Construction Manager at the South Bend Civic Theatre.  He has performed with The Acting Ensemble, South Bend Civic Theatre, Notre Dame’s Department of Film, Television, and Theater and others. Recent performances include Spamalot ,The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, Legally Blonde, and The Full Monty.