A Groundbreaking Year: Innovation, Adaptation, & Sustainability
Wednesday, September 2, 2026 at 3:00 p.m.
Ohrstrom-Bryant Theatre
Shenandoah Conservatory
Welcome to the annual Conservatory Convocation! Incoming and returning conservatory students are invited to kick off the 2026/27 academic year with a dynamic lineup of music, theatre and dance performances showcasing the conservatory’s extraordinary student artists. The year's event includes a special keynote address by HGA’s Vice President & Principal in the Arts, Community & Education Practice Nancy Blankfard.
Prelude
TROMBONE COLLECTIVE
Matthew Niess, director
“Unlucky Lady”
Originally performed by TROY
Written by Troy Doherty and Evan Frederiksen
CONTEMPO ENSEMBLE
Roman Harris-Hernández, vocals
Janelle Breitkreutz, keyboard
Delaney Reyes, keyboard
Liam Jaehnigen, guitar
Jackson McLister, guitar
Lilly Blatterman, bass
Anna Starliper, drums
Ellie Long, alto saxophone
Aidan Robbins, tenor saxophone
Aidan Murray, trumpte
Shenandoah Conservatory Student Council President’s Welcome
Brodie Meyers ’27 (B.M. in Music Production & Recording Technology)
Static in the Wires
Choreography by Christopher Harmon
Music: “The Radical Self ” featuring Kubra Khademi by AGF; “Come In” by Senking
DANCE ENSEMBLE
Emy Chludzinski, Angie Coppa, Brandon Goldman
“Ô mon bel inconnu”
Music by Reynaldo Hahn
Text by Sacha Guitry
VOCAL TRIO
Kinsey McCulloch, voice
Aislin Given, voice
Savannah Stephens, voice
Maja Tremiszewska, piano
String Quartet No. 3 in F Major, op. 73
III. Allegro non troppo
Dmitri Shostakovich (1906–1975)
Jonathan Toomer, violin
Caroline Stephenson, violin
Steven Gestrich, viola
Andrew Stewart, cello
Sax Heroes
Philippe Geiss (b. 1961)
SAXOPHONE ENSEMBLE
Patrick Rippeon, soprano saxophone
Megan Howell, soprano saxophone
Alex Jacoby, soprano saxophone
Wentao Luan, alto saxophone
Greg Ranzen, alto saxophone
Michael Hernandez, alto saxophone
Coleman Wright, tenor saxophone
Lyndsey Dean, tenor saxophone
Nevaeh Raysor, tenor saxophone
Tom Hague, tenor saxophone
Aidan Robbins, baritone saxophone
Everett Woodward, baritone saxophone
Gabe Barlow, baritone saxophone
Jonathan Fenders, bass saxophone
Timothy Roberts, music director
“Triana” from Book 2 of Iberia
Isaac Albéniz (1860–1909)
Andrew Wood, piano
“Do the Work” from The Prince of Broadway
Jason Robert Brown (b. 1970)
MUSICAL THEATRE ENSEMBLE
Ryan Bagnolati-Camargo, Daniel Bosch, Isaiah Canterbury, Jack Dungan, Aidan Espinosa, Gabriella Estabrook, Meadow Hall, Stella Hoyt, Reagan Kern, Armando Llanes, Jasper Moore, Linnea McKinney, Amanda Phillips, Madi Redecker, Marni Gass, Konnor Sheffield-Colbert, Evan Smith, Walker Wallace, Charlie Welch, singers; Carter Perryman, piano
Dean’s Welcome
Dr. Jennifer Smolos Steele
Dean & Professor of Music, Shenandoah Conservatory
Keynote Address
President’s Address: Unveiling the Shenandoah University Center for the Arts
Dr. Tracy Fitzsimmons
Dean & Professor of Music, Shenandoah Conservatory
Closing Invitation
Dr. Jennifer Smolos Steele
Dean & Professor of Music, Shenandoah Conservatory
Postlude
TROMBONE COLLECTIVE
Matthew Niess, director
This production contains theatrical haze and a strobe-like effect.
Special thanks to Elizabeth Albert, John Bonanni, Patrick Brady, Andrew Carson, Carolyn Coulson, Maurice Fraga, Sam Fry, Emma Gallagher, Matthew Hapeman, Ellary Hileman, Caden Janosy, Byron Jones, Doris Lederer, Brodie Meyers, Matthew Niess, John O'Conor, Golder O'Neill, Courtney Reilly, Timothy Roberts, Megan Smallwood, Emerson Stark, Jennifer Smolos Steele, David Steinmetz, Brennan Sullivan and Rhys Utterback for assisting in the planning and programming the 2026/27 Conservatory Convocation.
Join us on Thursday, October 22, at 4 p.m., to celebrate the groundbreaking of the Shenandoah University Center for the Arts, a bold, new, state-of-the-art space for creativity, performance and community. The ceremony will take place on the lawn in front of the Ohrstrom-Bryant Theatre.
We’d be honored for you to be part of this exciting milestone that will further define the future of the arts at Shenandoah.
Learn More about the Center for the Arts >
Dr. Jennifer Smolos Steele
Dean
Dr. Carolyn Coulson
Associate Dean for Faculty & Academic Affairs
Dr. Jeffrey Marlatt
Associate Dean for Student Affairs
Dr. Jennifer Green-Flint
Assistant Dean for Administration & Finance
Executive Director of Shenandoah Conservatory Arts Academy
Dr. Shaun Evans
Assistant Dean for Conservatory Recruitment
Director of Athletic Bands
Courtney Reilly
Executive Director of Performances & Engagement
Artistic Director of Performing Arts Live
When you join the Shenandoah Conservatory Dean’s Circle, your annual member support helps Shenandoah Conservatory address the costs of excellence in performing arts training, equipping state-of-the-art facilities, hiring world-class faculty, and fostering experimental and creative student projects.
Join Now >
Shenandoah Conservatory is grateful to the Dean's Circle for supporting our creative community of artists, scholars and educators.
Meet the Dean's Circle >
To learn more about joining the Dean’s Circle and the other ways you can make a transformative gift to Shenandoah Conservatory visit www.su.edu/performs/support or contact:
Shenandoah University Office of Advancement
give@su.edu | (540) 665-4512
Shenandoah University is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All gifts are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law.
As a Friend of the Conservatory, you designate your support for a specific academic department, student ensemble, high profile guest artist or special initiative. Your gift demonstrates your appreciation for the important role the arts play in our lives and our community.
Join Now >
Shenandoah Conservatory is grateful to the Friends of the Conservatory for supporting our creative community of artists, scholars and educators.
Meet the Friends of the Conservatory >
Contact Shenandoah University's Office of Advancement at (540) 665-4512 or give@su.edu for more information or other ways to give.
Shenandoah University is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All gifts are tax deductible to the full extent of the law.
The Listen Everywhere system in Ohrstrom-Bryant Theatre is provided in part by Hearing Life: Winchester.
nkoda
Some performances at Shenandoah Conservatory of Shenandoah University feature digital scores accessed through nkoda, the world’s premier digital sheet music platform. Visit nkoda.com to learn more.
