Faculty Recital Press Release April 5

Dr. Tham shines during faculty recital
http://www.cowley.edu/news/releases/2009_10/04052010.html

Cowley College Humanities instructor, Dr. Gloria Tham, presented her first faculty recital Thursday in the Robert Brown Theatre on the Arkansas City campus. The piano recital featured solo pieces by Handel, Brahms and Chopin. In addition, Dr. Tham performed two Chinese-inspired pieces by Tcherepnin and Stephen Hough.

Those in attendance were moved by the music on display.

“The evening was absolutely beautiful,” said Slade Griffiths, Cowley College vice president of academic affairs. “I am proud and honored to have Dr. Tham on the faculty here at the college. She is passionate about her music and about student learning – a true professional.”

Dr. Tham was joined by Connie Donatelli, director of vocal music, during a duet sonata by Mozart.
“It was a great experience to work with my colleague, Connie Donatelli,” Dr. Tham said. “We had to make adjustments to our individual playing styles to create this ensemble experience.”

This was the first recital that Dr. Tham has played that was not required of her. That freedom allowed her to experiment with different interpretations, sound colors and technical approaches to the recital.

“I remember that it was in the second half of the recital that it really dawned on me that this recital I'm playing solely because I love performing and I chose to bask in the spotlight at that moment,” Dr. Tham said. “I really wanted to communicate to the audience that classical piano is an art form, a demanding one.”

Dr. Tham said the concert would not have been such a success without the nine-foot Steinway concert grand piano, the wonderful acoustics in the Robert Brown Theatre, and the technical equipment that were necessary for the performance.

“Even the simple items like flowers on stage, make a huge difference in setting the mood for the recital,” Dr. Tham said.

Having graduated from Southwestern College in Winfield summa cum laude in 2002, with a degree in piano performance, Dr. Tham went on to Wichita State University where she finished her masters of music degree in piano performance.

In August 2009, Dr. Tham graduated with a doctorate in piano performance from the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. She also studied abroad as a Chinese language student at the Central University of Nationalities, in Beijing, China in the fall of 2008.

Dr. Tham was thankful to have the opportunity to perform her first recital in Cowley County.

“I am overjoyed to play my first recital after my doctorate as a piano faculty person back here in Kansas,” Dr. Tham said. “A different place would not have been as sweet to mark an important milestone in my musical journey.”

Guests at the recital also had an opportunity to view the Sophomore Art Show in the Earle N. Wright Community Room before and after the performance. A reception was held following the recital in celebration of both events.

Faculty Recital Press Release March 24

Dr. Tham to perform faculty recital on April 1
http://www.cowley.edu/news/releases/2009_10/03242010_2.html

Cowley College Humanities instructor, Dr. Gloria Tham, will be presenting her first faculty recital at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 1 at the Robert Brown Theatre on the Arkansas City campus. The piano recital is open to the public and is free of charge.

Selections for the recital include solo pieces by Handel, Brahms and Chopin. In addition, two Chinese-inspired pieces by Tcherepnin and Stephen Hough will be performed. Dr. Tham will be joined by Connie Donatelli, director of vocal music, to perform a duet sonata by Mozart.

“I am very excited to feature Cowley’s Steinway concert grand in a solo piano recital setting,” Dr. Tham said.

Guests are also invited to view the Sophomore Art Show in the Earle N. Wright Community Room before and after the recital. A reception will be held following the recital in celebration of both events.

SC Graduate to Perform Doctoral Recital

Gloria Tham, a 2002 Southwestern College graduate, is returning Monday, April 13, to present her third and final doctoral recital titled “Chinoiserie at the Piano.” The recital will be in Messenger Auditorium in Darbeth Fine Arts Center and there is no admission charge.

The recital will trace the history of the piano in China and relate to current events concerning China. The recital is an eclectic mix of miniatures, Western and Chinese-themed pieces ranging from the standard composers of Beethoven, Schumann, and Chopin to Lin Yuepei, a Hong Kong composer. There will also be a display of concert programs, playbills, and scores collected by Tham when she was in Beijing last fall.

Born in Kampar, Malaysia, Tham started piano lessons at age five. She graduated summa cum laude from Southwestern College with a degree in piano performance. Her teacher was Timothy Shook, chair of the division of performing arts at SC. Following a year of graduate work at Kansas State University as a student of Virginia Houser, Tham transferred to Wichita State University. She finished her master of music degree in piano performance, studying under Andrew Trechak, in 2005. She taught class piano and applied piano at Wichita State. Besides being an active performer, Tham was also involved in music ministry, accompanying, teaching, and adjudicating.

“At age 18, Gloria came halfway around the world to Southwestern College,” Shook says. “She had such a fear of performing back then. It is magnificent to see how she has grown.”

Currently, she is a doctoral candidate in piano performance at the University of Alabama, studying with Noel Engebretson. She teaches music appreciation and music in world cultures, and maintains a private teaching studio. She is writing her dissertation on the influence of socialist realism in Chinese piano music during the Cultural Revolution under Chinese history professor, Anthony E. Clark. She expects to graduate in June this year.

For more information about the recital, call (620) 229-6272.

Asia Interest Week at UA Presents Film, Music and Scholarship

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Films, lectures and cultural programs highlight Asia Interest Week at The University of Alabama.

This series of six events, stretching from Saturday, March 28, to Tuesday, April 7, celebrates the diversity of Asia and Asian Studies scholarship at UA.

Matsuri at the Mall kicks off the events from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, March 28, with a range of performances from Japanese drumming and dance to Japanese swordsmanship at the Center Court of McFarland Mall. This annual celebration concludes the Sakura Festival and is sponsored by UA’s Capstone International Center.

“Master Killer (36th Chamber),” a critically acclaimed Kung Fu film about the famed Shaolin temple, will be shown at 6 p.m. Monday, March 30, in 205 Gorgas Library. Dr. Anthony Clark, assistant professor of history, will introduce the film with a discussion of martial arts in China. The history department has assisted with this event.

“Hindu God or Muslim Saint? Creating a Public Identity with a Contested Figure in India,” a public lecture by Dr. Steven Ramey, assistant professor in the department of religious studies, will be presented at 3 p.m. Wednesday, April 1, in Smith Hall 205.

Ramey will highlight Jhule Lal, a god whom Sindhi Hindus credit with saving their ancestors in Sindh (now in Pakistan). Sindhi Muslims, however, recognize him as a Sufi master. Ramey will use this example to analyze the ways Jhule Lal’s contested identity intersects with Sindhi Hindu efforts in India to maintain a collective identity outside of Sindh. This lecture is a part of the “Religion in Culture” series of the religious studies department.

“Kundun,” the Martin Scorsese film depicting the story of the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet, will be shown at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 2, in Alston Hall, room 30. Dr. Amy Holmes-Tagchungdarpa, an assistant professor of history who specializes in Tibetan history, will give introductory remarks before the viewing of the film.

Combining pieces of Chinese and Western music, Gloria Tham, a doctoral candidate in the UA School of Music, will present “Chinoiserie at the Piano,” her doctoral recital, at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 4, in Moody Music Building.

A photographic exhibition featuring images taken during the UA in China Study Abroad Program will open with a talk at 5 p.m. Tuesday April 7, in the Ferguson Center. This event will feature students who spent the Fall 2008 semester in China and is presented by Crossroads Community Center.

All events are free and open to the public. The Chinese Culture Club organized Asia Interest Week with assistance from Creative Campus, Crossroads Community Center, the Asia Studies Program, the department of history, the department of religious studies, and the Student Government Association.

Asian Interest Week

Chinese Culture Club to present Asian Interest Week

Jessie Gable

Staff Reporter, Crimson White (University of Alabama)

Published: Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Updated: Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Due to a growing interest in Chinese culture by the students at the University, the Chinese Culture Club has decided to host the first Asian Interest Week from March 28 through April 7 on the UA campus and several nearby locations. All events are open to all UA students and the public. The week will showcase cultural events from China, Japan, Tibet and India.


Susan Gorin, a junior majoring in history and president of the Chinese Culture Club at the University, came up with the idea for Asian Interest Week after studying abroad in Beijing in 2008. Crossroads Community Center, Creative Campus, SGA, Steven Ramey of Religious Studies, Gloria Tham of the Music School and. Anthony Clark of the history department will also be contributing to the events of the week, Gorin said.


The number of students enrolled in Asian language and culture classes at the University and the number of students interested in the UA study abroad program in China has grown to the point where additional majors and minors are being considered.


“This semester, 70 students are enrolled in Chinese, 94 in Japanese, 15 in Korean, and seven in Thai,” Gorin said. “There are also numerous classes offered throughout the year on Chinese and Tibetan History, Japanese film and literature, Chinese art and Asian religions. In fact, there are so many classes pertaining to Asia that Dr. Steven Ramey of the religious studies department is in the process of establishing an Asian studies minor.”


In addition, the number of Asian exchange students at the University continues to grow.

Gorin said after her study abroad, she realized just how much help students need getting acquainted with the United States and the UA campus.


“When I lived in Beijing, all the students at my university went out of their way to help me get adjusted. I just want UA students to show the same initiative,” Gorin said.


Katie Barzler, a senior majoring in journalism and minoring in Chinese, said Asian Interest Week will be a good opportunity to bring a little piece of Asian culture to the students at the University.


“If you see a lecture that sounds interesting, go to it. You have nothing to lose. In a way, it’s just bringing a little piece of their culture here,” Barzler said.


The first event will be the Sakura Festival of “Matsuri in the Mall” to be held at McFarland Mall in the center court from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 28. The festival will include different Japanese cultural exhibits and performances.


On Monday, March 30 at 6 p.m., Anthony Clark, history professor at the University, will be presenting the film, “Master Killer: 36th Chamber” and a lecture following the movie. This will be shown in 205 Amelia Gayle Gorgas Library.


‘“Master Killer: 36th Chamber’ is considered by many to be the greatest Kung Fu cult film ever produced,” Gorin said. “This 1978 movie about the famed Shaolin Temple was produced by the Shaw Brothers tycoon, Sir Run Shaw, at his Hong Kong studios, and is set during the fall of the Ming dynasty. One critic said that Master Killer contains ‘the most exciting training sequences ever committed to film.”’


On April 2, the Chinese Culture Club will continue Asian Interest Week by presenting a lecture titled “Hindu God or Muslim Saint? Creating a Public Identity with a Contested Figure in India” at 3 p.m. in 205 Smith Hall. Ramey has researched contemporary Sindhi Hindus and other communities whose stories and practices do not fit the standard definitions of Hinduism, Gorin said.

On April 2 at 7 p.m., the club will be showing the film “Kundun,” directed by Martin Scorsese and based on the life and writings of the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibet.

Then, on April 4, Gloria Tham will be presenting a piano recital, “Chinoiserie at the Piano,” at 2 p.m. at the Moody Music Building.

The last event will take place on April 7 when Crossroads Community Center presents the UA in China Photography Exhibit and talk. This event will take place in 232 Ferguson Center at 5 p.m. and will show photos from some of the 21 students who traveled abroad to China in the fall 2008.

Graduate Recital Press Release

Tham to Present Piano Recital at SC


Graduate Recital Poster

Winfield, Kan., March 19, 2004 — Pianist Gloria Tham will return to her alma mater when she presents a recital at Southwestern College Tuesday, April 13. The free concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. in Messenger Recital Hall of Darbeth Fine Arts Center.
Tham has chosen a varied program for the evening including Bach’s “Italian Concerto,” Beethoven’s “Pastorale Sonata,” and Grieg’s “Holberg Suite for Piano.” The recital also will explore the use of Chinese music by Western composers and Chinese music for Western instruments. Two pieces are based on the Chinese folksong “Jasmine Flower” by Percy Grainger and Anton Arensky. The recital will close with “The Moon Reflected Over Second Springs,” Chu Wanghua's piano transcription of a Chinese erhu piece by blind Chinese composer Abing.
Born in Kampar, Malaysia, Tham started piano lessons at age five. She graduated from Southwestern summa cum laude in 2002, with a degree in piano performance. Her teacher was Tim Shook. She holds the Performer's Certificate in Piano from Trinity College – London.
Following a year of graduate work at Kansas State University as a student of Virginia Houser, Tham now is a graduate teaching assistant at Wichita State University. She is pursuing a master of music degree in piano performance, studying under Andrew Trechak. Tham’s duties at WSU include teaching applied piano and class piano. She is state secretary for the Student Music Teacher's Association and is active as both accompanist and in music ministry.
In addition to her Southwestern College recital, Tham will perform at Emporia State University (lecture/performance), College Avenue United Methodist Church in Manhattan (recital), and at Cowley County Community College (lecture/performance). She will present her graduate recital April 30 at 7:30 p.m. in Wiedemann Recital Hall on the campus of Wichita State University. All performances are free and open to the public.
Southwestern College is a private institution granting undergraduate and graduate degrees and is affiliated with the United Methodist Church. More than 1,400 students attend classes at the main Winfield campus, professional studies sites in Winfield and Wichita, or online.

Senior Recital Press Release

Winfield, Kan., Monday, April 29, 2002 — Southwestern College students Morlin Jonatan and Gloria Tham will perform senior piano recitals at the college next week. Both recitals are open to the public without charge.
Jonatan, a music performance major with a minor in art, will perform at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 8, in Messenger Recital Hall. She is originally from Jakarta, Indonesia, and began playing piano at age nine.
Tham, a music performance major studying under Timothy Shook, will perform at 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 10, in Messenger Recital Hall. A reception will follow.
From Kampar, Malaysia, Tham began playing piano at the age of five and holds the Performer’s Certificate in Piano from Trinity College, London. She will perform an arrangement of Chinese opera songs as well as pieces by Bach, Mozart, and Schubert.
An active performer in the Winfield area, Tham serves as music director at Winfield First Christian Church and accompanist for Winfield High School A Cappella Choir and Soundsations. She is listed in the 2002 edition of “Who’ s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges.” Tham hopes to pursue graduate studies in the United States.