Amy Bowman, piano

Saturday, April 11, 2026 at 7:00 p.m.
Goodson Chapel – Recital Hall
Shenandoah Conservatory

On This Island, op. 11

I. Let the florid music praise
II. Now the leaves are falling fast
III. Seascape
IV. Nocturne
V. As it is, plenty

Benjamin Britten (1913–1976)

- brief pause -

Notte

Ottorino Respighi (1879–1936)

Quel guardo il cavaliere… So anch’io la virtù magica from Don Pasquale

Gaetano Donizetti (1797–1848)

- brief pause -

Chère Nuit

Alfred Bachelet (1864–1944)

Mary Ruth Williams, violin

Villanelle

Eva Dell’Acqua (1856–1930)

Mary Ruth Williams, violin

- intermission -

Stars and the Moon from Songs for a New World

Jason Robert Brown (b. 1970)

Thank You for the Music from Mamma Mia!

Björn Ulvaeus (b. 1945)
Benny Andersson (b. 1946)

Sing for Your Supper from Boys from Syracuse

Richards Rodgers (1902–1979)
Lorenz Hart (1895–1943)

Shannon Fowler, mezzo-soprano
Jessica Yorke, mezzo-soprano

- brief pause -

Glitter and Be Gay from Candide

Leonard Bernstein (1918–1990)

Grace Ashby is a soprano originally from Hebron, Maryland. She is currently pursuing her Bachelor of Music degree at Shenandoah Conservatory in Winchester, Virginia, studying in the studio of Dr. Fotina Naumenko. She appeared in the fairy chorus for Shenandoah Conservatory’s production of Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream in April 2023. Ashby also had the honor of portraying Marilyn Monroe in Shenandoah Conservatory’s multi-disciplinary collaboration, Caged Birds, in November 2023 which featured music from modern composers including Missy Mazzoli and Santa Ratniece. Ashby has been involved in numerous choral ensembles since Fall 2022 including Conservatory Choir, and had the honor of being the soprano soloist in Amy Beach's Canticle of the Sun, performed with Shenandoah Conservatory’s Symphony Orchestra and Conservatory Choir in April 2024. During June 2024, Ashby had the pleasure of participating in SongFest’s 2024 Art Song Festival as a studio artist at Pomona College in Claremont, California. In October 2024, Ashby had the opportunity to perform Handel’s Acis and Galatea as Galatea’s Cover and Chorus in Porto, Portugal, and Salamanca, Spain, in collaboration with Shenandoah Conservatory’s Symphony Orchestra and Conservatory Choir. Ashby received first place at the Virginia NATS competition in Musical Theatre and Classical in February 2025 and was a finalist in Shenandoah Conservatory’s Student Soloists Competition performing Strauss’ Brentano Lieder, op. 68 in March 2025. Ashby performed in Shenandoah Conservatory’s production of Verdi’s Falstaff covering Nannetta in April 2025. She is excited to soon be performing as Gretel in Shenandoah Conservatory’s production of Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel in April 2026. Ashby is thrilled to announce that she will be pursuing her Master of Music degree after graduating. She wants to thank her family and friends for their immense support throughout the process!

My recital today is incredibly bittersweet. In these past four years at Shenandoah, I have grown so much as an individual and artist. I would not be here today without your support. To my family, thank you for believing in my dreams and for always encouraging me. To my friends, Shenandoah University (SU) wouldn’t be the same without you. The friendships that I have created will last a lifetime and I am forever grateful for all of you, you fill my life with so much laughter and joy. To my partner, Kyle, thank you for always being there whether to pick me up after a late night rehearsal, for listening to classical music with me in the car, or to cheer me up when I’m down. I love you and am grateful to have you in my life. Thank you all for celebrating with me today!

Grace Ashby is from the studio of Fotina Naumenko. This recital is presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a Bachelor of Music in Performance (Voice).

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