SOSU Musical Arts Series Presents October 17 Concert
Press Release Date: 10-09-2006
Southeastern Oklahoma State University's Musical Arts Series will present Soprano Loraine Sims with pianist Jan Grimes in recital on October 17 at 7:30 PM in the Fine Arts Recital Hall. Dr. Sims will conduct a masterclass for SOSU voice majors on October 18, also in the Fine Arts Recital Hall.
The Musical Arts Series concerts are offered without admission charge.
Loraine Sims
Loraine Sims has achieved critical-acclaim for her “vibrant, bell–like soprano” as well as her “warm intimacy, engaging passion and casual artistry.” Recent performances include appearances as Soprano Soloist with the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra, Handel Messiah, the Southeast Kansas Symphony, Brahms Requiem, and the Louisiana Sinfonietta, Berlioz “D’amour lardente flamme.” Other engagements have included appearances with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, Johnstown (Pennsylvania) Symphony Orchestra, and the Lake Charles Messiah Orchestra. Ms. Sims is an active recitalist whose voice has been described as “remarkably versatile, ranging from delicate lyricism to dramatic power,” and her repertoire includes a broad range of songs and arias from the Baroque through Contemporary periods as well as a variety of selections from the American Musical Theater tradition.
Honors for Ms. Sims include the national finals in the National Opera Association Vocal Competition and the international semifinals in the prestigious Concert Artist Guild Competition. Her early vocal training is from Southeastern Oklahoma State University and Southwest Texas State University, and she holds the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Vocal Performance from Louisiana State University.
Dr. Sims continues a successful teaching career as an Assistant Professor of Voice at Louisiana State University. Her prior faculty positions were at Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kansas, Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana, and Southeastern Oklahoma State University in Durant, Oklahoma. She is a member of the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA), the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), and the current Louisiana Governor of NATS.
Recent performances include recitals and/or masterclasses at the Royal Irish Academy of Music in Dublin, Ireland, the Conservatory of Music and Drama at the Dublin Institute of Technology, Minnesota State University, Gustavus Adolphus College (Minnesota), and Drury University (Missouri), and the University of Southern Mississippi. Upcoming performances include recitals and masterclasses at Southeastern Oklahoma State University and the University of Mississippi.
Dr. Sims is a graduate of SOSU in vocal performance. Her recital is presented in honor of her late instructor at SOSU, Pablo F. Pedraza.
Jan Grimes, Accompanying
Jan Grimes (Professional–in–Residence, Piano and Coordinator of Collaborative Activities). Grimes holds degrees from the University of Cincinnati College–Conservatory of Music and Louisiana State University. Her collaborative performances have taken her to Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and Constitution Hall, as well as concert stages at universities and community centers across the United States and Canada. She has served as accompanist for clinics and master classes of world renowned teachers such as Josef Gingold, Philip Farkas, Bonita Boyd, and Camilla Wickes. As an official conference pianist of the International Tuba and Euphonium Conference, the International Clarinet Association, and the North American Saxophone Alliance, she has performed with artists from around the world.
Grimes specializes in contemporary solo and chamber music and has performed the Schnitkke Piano Concerto (U.S. premier), Takamitsu’s Riverrun, and John Cage’s Concerto for Prepared Piano and Orchestra. As a recording artist, her work can be heard on the Centaur, Mark, Vestige Worldwinds, and Capstone labels.
