MICHELE FIALA

• Bevery Lewis: Fundy Temperaments

“Overheard is a refreshing disc of contemporary music…a thoroughly enjoyable and important contribution to the recorded repertoire for oboe and English horn.”

The Whole Note - May 2012

“There is a certain personality Michele Fiala portrays not only in her choice of music, but her performance. She has depth, charm, and humor, a juxtaposition that makes for a well-rounded performer.”

Schwartz, American Record Guide – May/June 2012

"Michele Fiala displays impressive command of oboe techniques traditional and new; she's well-supported by her colleagues."

[ * * * * ] Anthony Burton, BBC Music - May 2012

“[In Susan Kander’s piece] Michele Fiala’s oboe and Donald Speer’s piano tell the whole tale in a most effective manner…Gilles Silvestrini describes three French Impressionist paintings in his Three Duos for Two Oboes. Each movement is short but demanding of the players in an Impressionist style. [Fiala’s and Schuring’s] playing is light, fluent, and wonderfully flexible… Fiala and collaborative pianist William Averill perform [Peaches at Midnight] with panache… The sound quality is good and equal placement is accorded to each instrument.”

Maria Nockin, Fanfare - Issue 35:5 May/June 2012

"Some of the most interesting music for double reeds, oboe in particular, has been written over the past fifty to one hundred years. There is certainly a rich tradition of oboe artistry as the orchestral timbre of choice going back to the Baroque. There have also been some wonderful works written by the English romantics of the post-Elgar era. This collection showcases quite well the variety and quality of new music being written for oboe and English horn and their appreciable expressive qualities... First, the performances on this disc are wonderful! Michele Fiala is an international artist having performed with a number of symphony orchestras and in an impressive array of solo recital venues. She has beautiful tone and a very expressive range of color and ample fluid technique.  She is joined on the Silvestrini and Goad works by Martin Schuring of Arizona State University, who was also one of Fiala’s teachers throughout her doctoral studies. Schuring has a similar international reputation and an impressive recording and authorship resume. Pianists William Averill and Donald Speer are also amazing musicians who achieve an ideal blend of accompaniment skills as well as individual showmanship where needed. The performances in this collection are a strong reason for hearing this disc!  The music, itself, is also wholly compelling... As I said, there is some terrific playing in this collection. Michele Fiala and her colleagues are all very skilled players who bring emotion and verve to their performances.  The music is so interesting too, though. I was particularly fond of the Silvestrini, Lewis and Goad works but all of these pieces are very good and make terrific additions to the oboe and English horn repertory. I think double reed enthusiasts would love this album but there is something for everyone. Highly recommended!"

[ * * * * ] Daniel Coombs, Audiophile Audition – March 2012

Michele Fiala maintains an active international performance schedule, having appeared throughout the United States, Italy, England, Germany, France and Canada. She has performed in the the Church of St-Martin-in-the-Fields Concert Series in Great Britain, the Saarberger Serenaden Festival in Germany, the Banff Summer Music Festival in Canada, the Festival dei Fiati Novara in Italy, and with the Lancaster Festival Orchestra, Louisville Orchestra and Phoenix Symphony. She has also appeared with Lee Ann Rimes, Roberta Flack, Trey Anastasio and Barry Williams. Fiala is the Assistant Professor of Oboe at Ohio University and previously held a similar position at Western Kentucky University. She holds DMA and MM degrees from Arizona State University where she studied with Martin Schuring, and has also worked with Robert Atherholt, Mark Ostoich, Alex Klein and Richard Killmer. When not performing or teaching, Fiala runs marathons, with a personal record of 3:20. Her debut recording, The Light Wraps You [MSR Classics], featured premiere recordings of contemporary oboe music and received international critical acclaim. She also appears in  recordings on the Naxos, Centaur and Equilibrium labels.

Martin Schuring held orchestral positions with the Hong Kong Philharmonic, The Florida Orchestra and the Phoenix Symphony before joining the faculty of Arizona State University where he is currently Professor of Oboe. Schuring has played with the Grand Teton Music Festival Orchestra since 1980 and serves on the Festival’s Board of Directors. He also serves as President of the International Double Reed Society. Schuring prepared a modern edition of the Barret Oboe Method for Kalmus, and his comprehensive book of oboe technique, Oboe Art and Method, was published by Oxford University Press in 2009. Martin Schuring studied at the Curtis Institute of Music with John de Lancie, and has recorded for the Philips, Koch International, MMC and Summit labels.

William Averill is a true collaborative keyboardist, at home not only at the piano, but equally at the harpsichord, fortepiano, and organ. Mr. Averill has established himself as an opera coach, working for festivals such as the Opera Theatre of Lucca, Italy, Wolf Trap Opera Company, Utah Festival Opera and San Diego Opera. Mr. Averill has taught at the Indiana University School of Music, where he had the opportunity to work closely with famed soprano Martina Arroyo. He has worked with numerous renowned conductors and directors such as John Copley, Tito Cabobianco and Colin Graham. Mr. Averill has played in master classes for Marilyn Horne, Rudolph Piernay, Benita Valente, Harmut Höll, John Wustman, and in Baroque repertoire for Emma Kirkby, Nicholas McGegan and Julianne Baird.

Donald Speer is Professor of Piano at Western Kentucky University, where he specializes in class piano, pedagogy, literature and accompanying, and also serves on the faculty of the Kentucky Governor’s School for the Arts. In addition to an extensive performance schedule in collaboration with WKU music faculty, Dr. Speer has shared the stage with renowned musicians including Steven Mead, Vince DiMartino and Paul Basler. He has also premiered and recorded numerous works by contemporary composers, including Michael Kallstrom, Lewis Neilson and Rodney Rogers. Dr. Speer holds the BM degree in Piano Performance from Louisiana College, a MM degree in Performance from Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville, and a PhD in Music Education from Louisiana State University. Former piano teachers include Mary Ann Crump, Ruth Slenczynska, Linda Perry and Jack Guerry. As a writer, Speer’s work is published in the Journal of Research in Music Education, the Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, the Bluegrass Music News, and Spotlight on Teaching Chorus.
  ALYSSA MORRIS (b. 1984)
FOUR PERSONALITIES for Oboe and Piano (2008)
Yellow
White
Blue
Red

SUSAN KANDER (b. 1957)
POSTCARDS FROM AMERICA for Oboe and Piano (2009)
Greetings from the Empire State Building!
Greetings from the Statue of Liberty!
Greetings from the Brooklyn Bridge!

GILLES SILVESTRINI (b. 1961)
THREE DUOS for 2 Oboes (2008)
Scène de Plage – Ciel d’Orage, Eugène Boudin (1864)
Boulevard des Capucines, Claude Monet (1873)
Le Ballet Espagnol, Edouard Manet (1862)

BEVERLY LEWIS (b. 1958)
FUNDY TEMPERAMENTS for English Horn and Piano (2009)

THERESA MARTIN (b. 1979)
PEACHES AT MIDNIGHT for Oboe and Piano (2010)

ERIN GOAD (b. 1986)
OVERHEARD ON A SALTMARSH for Oboe, English Horn and Piano (2008)

MARK W. PHILLIPS (b. 1952)
ELEGY AND HONK for English Horn and Electroacoustic Music (2001)
Elegy
Honk



MSR Classics