Guest Artist Recital
Nov
21

Guest Artist Recital

Join us for a Guest Artist Recital featuring:

  • Isaac Ripple, oboe

  • Meng Yuan, piano

In the Farrell Recital Hall on Friday, November 21, at 6 p.m.

Program:

Pranayam for Oboe and Piano, Reena Esmail (1983 - )
Meng Yuan, Piano

Threnody for English Horn and Piano Op. 74, Ruth Gipps (1921 –
1999)
Meng Yuan, Piano


Threnody for Oboe and Piano, Jeffrey Rathbun (1959 - )
Meng Yuan, Piano


Memoriam for Oboe and Piano, M. Isaac Ripple (1998 - )
Meng Yuan, Piano

View Event →
Savannah Philharmonic Orchestra: The Best of John Williams
Dec
20

Savannah Philharmonic Orchestra: The Best of John Williams

The music of John Williams has transported us beyond our imagination. To new worlds. Through heart-pounding adventures. Be there as Savannah Philharmonic performs all your John Williams favorites: Superman, Jurassic Park, Schindler’s List, Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T., and of course, Star Wars. Plus, a 50th anniversary salute to Jaws. The force is with you for this celebration of cinema’s symphonic master.

View Event →
Savannah Philharmonic Orchestra: The Best of John Williams
Dec
20

Savannah Philharmonic Orchestra: The Best of John Williams

The music of John Williams has transported us beyond our imagination. To new worlds. Through heart-pounding adventures. Be there as Savannah Philharmonic performs all your John Williams favorites: Superman, Jurassic Park, Schindler’s List, Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T., and of course, Star Wars. Plus, a 50th anniversary salute to Jaws. The force is with you for this celebration of cinema’s symphonic master.

View Event →
with abundance we breathe
Apr
23

with abundance we breathe

Inspired by Suchitra Mattai’s with abundance we meet, this singular musical performance offers a vibrant tribute to the voices and visions of South Asian composers within the classical tradition. Drawing on the themes of migration, domesticity, and fertility that permeate Mattai’s visual work, the concert presents a sonic landscape that is equally expansive and boundary-defying.

View Event →
Voices of the Delta
Apr
25

Voices of the Delta

This concert creates a dialogue between literary and musical voices, allowing audiences to experience how both art forms capture the Delta's unique character - its struggles and triumphs, its deep roots and soaring aspirations. Through carefully curated pairings of poetry and music, Voices of the Delta reveals the common threads that connect all artistic expression from this culturally rich region.

The evening unfolds as a journey through different moods and themes - from contemplative reflections on place and identity to celebratory expressions of community and resilience. Each poem and musical work illuminates different facets of the Delta experience, creating a multi-dimensional portrait of a region that has and continues to profoundly shape American culture.

View Event →
The Art of Joy
May
23

The Art of Joy

Saturday, May 23, 2026 – 7:00 PM

The Art of Joy

Matthew Salvaggio, conductor
M. Isaac Ripple, oboe


Location: Rocky River Presbyterian Church, 21750 Detroit Rd., Rocky River

Program:

Zhou Tian: Joy

Jennifer Higdon: Oboe Concerto

M. Isaac Ripple, oboe

Christopher Theofanidis: Chamber Symphony No. 1 (After P.I. Tchaikovsky’s String Quartet Op. 11)

This concert is generously sponsored by Rocky River Presbyterian Church as part of their Artist Concert Series.

View Event →

American Resonance
Nov
15

American Resonance

From Samuel Barber's luminous art songs that capture the soul of American poetry, to Aaron Copland's expansive harmonies and melodies that echo vast landscapes, this program traces the evolution of American classical music across generations. Harry Burleigh, the father of the art song spiritual, preserves and uplifts the African American musical heritage, juxtaposed by Joan Tower's bold contemporary voice which brings us into the present moment, while Florence Price's groundbreaking compositions honor the African American musical traditions that form the bedrock of our cultural identity.

This program will feature musicians Horizon Chamber Collective Artists in a reflection on the voices that have created our American musical landscape - composers who found their inspiration in everything from Shaker hymns to urban rhythms, from prairie winds to spiritual traditions. Each piece resonates with the stories of who we are and where we come from.

View Event →
Recital 4.0
Sep
29

Recital 4.0

Recital 4.0

Join me for an extraordinary evening of compelling works for oboe, featuring a program that spans centuries and continents while showcasing the remarkable versatility of the instrument, in collaboration with Shannon Burr, soprano, and Meng Yuan, piano.

Program

The recital opens with Ralph Vaughan Williams' Ten Blake Songs, performed alongside soprano Shannon Burr. This collaboration sets William Blake's mystical poetry to Vaughan Williams' distinctively English musical language, creating an intimate dialogue between voice and oboe that explores themes of innocence, experience, and spiritual transcendence.

Reena Esmail's Pranayam for Oboe and Piano explores the Sanskrit concept of breath control, finding natural expression through the oboe's breath-centered technique. The work fuses Western classical tradition with Indian musical elements in a meditation on breathing as both musical and spiritual practice.

The program's emotional core features two contrasting threnodies: Jeffrey Rathbun's Threnody for Oboe and Piano and Ruth Gipps' Threnody for English Horn and Piano. These emotionally charged works offer strikingly different approaches to musical lamentation, with Rathbun's contemporary language confronting modern grief, while Gipps employs the English horn's darker timbre to explore more introspective mourning. Together, they create a powerful juxtaposition that moves from the life-giving breath of Pranayam into profound explorations of loss.

The solo spotlight falls on Dirk-Michael Kirsch's Ganymed for Solo Oboe, which strips away accompaniment to reveal the oboe's pure voice while exploring mythological themes of transformation.

The recital concludes with the premiere of my new work, Memoriam for Oboe and Piano. This is an efficient and poignant work which I composed during a time of recent change, partially in sorrow, but mostly in tenderness and love.

This program demonstrates the oboe's range across musical traditions and emotional landscapes in pieces which are simultaneously introspective and gazing forward.

7:00 PM, CST

Harris Hall, University of Memphis, Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music.

Livestream link will be available closer to date and will be posted here.

View Event →
Vibrant Sounds of Latin Islands and Cultures, Apothix Trio
Jun
14

Vibrant Sounds of Latin Islands and Cultures, Apothix Trio

Vibrant Sounds of Latin Islands and Cultures

This recital will feature new works by Margaret Griebling-Haigh and Johanny Navarro. Each piece will be an aural color palette of features of the composers’ hometown.

Trocadillos
II. Silvacanción (9:00)
III. Burlesco (6:49)

Margaret Griebling-Haigh (b. 1960)

Arboles y sombras

Johanny Navarro (b. 1992)

View Event →
Recital 3.0
Apr
25

Recital 3.0

Please join me for my first doctoral recital here at the University of Memphis on April 25, 2025 at 7:30 PM CST in Harris Concert Hall. A livestream link is available here.

Each program I present is special and carries some sort of extramusical emphasis, and this one is no different. This performance aims to span eras and generations with music of Eleanor Alberga, J.S. Bach (arr. Heyder), Benjamin Britten, Bozza, and yours truly. While each composer utilizes aspects of the oboe in a way that is not entirely different from another, the language employed is diverse.

I hope to see you there!

View Event →
Soli Deo Gloria
Apr
24

Soli Deo Gloria

Celebrate J.S. Bach’s 340th birthday at "Soli Deo Gloria," a concert honoring his musical genius and enduring legacy! Experience the beauty of his works performed by students, Conservatory faculty, and area professionals. Join us for an evening of music, history, and reflection on Bach’s faith-driven artistry. This free community concert takes place on April 24 at 7 p.m. in the Music Hall of Germantown Baptist Church—don’t miss it!

View Event →