MacPhail Presents: Piano Tapestry: A Quarter Century of Original Compositions by Sarah Miller
Celebrate 25 Years of Musical Mastery
Join us for a one-of-a-kind concert featuring MacPhail’s esteemed composition faculty, Dr. Sarah Miller. Hear her original works, crafted over her 25-year tenure, performed by a stellar ensemble of MacPhail faculty members, including James DeVoll, Dr. Sara Langmead, Caitlin Lucic, Sarah Hruska Olson, and Nina Olsen.
Join us as we commemorate Women’s History Month by celebrating the significant contributions of Dr. Miller’s musical journey.
Curator, Composer, & Performers
Sarah Miller has been an instructor of composition, theory, and piano at MacPhail since 1996, and our composition coordinator since 2001.
Her teaching starts by connecting with her students through their mutual love of music. From that base, she helps each student create an individual plan, setting realistic goals that they are eager to pursue.
Sarah has received numerous grants and commissions. Her most recent commission was from MacPhail and the resulting piece, “Clouds” premiered at a faculty recital in February 2020. It was performed by Nina Olsen, Clarinet, Chi-Chi Bestman, viola with Sarah at the piano. Her most recent State Arts Board Grant featured pieces inspired by works of art at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Seven of the pieces are available at the MIA website, Plays Well with Art: Compositions by Sarah Miller –– Minneapolis Institute of Art (artsmia.org). Those pieces plus several more were performed at MIA in April, 2022. This is the third State Arts Board Grant that Dr. Miller has received.
Sarah developed the composition program at MacPhail which features two recitals a year and a summer camp. Her students have won many prizes in various composition contests including the Junior Composers Contest, the Minnesota Music Teachers Association Composition Contest, the Sinfonia Orchestra Composition Contest and the Eric Stokes Song Contest. She has taught composition to classes through residencies in public schools as well as arranging to GTCYS students. She is also involved with the National Federation of Music Club’s Composers Institute.
She holds a PhD in Music Composition as well as a Master’s of Music in Piano Performance, a Bachelor’s of Music in Piano Performance, and a Bachelor’s of Arts in Humanities, all from Michigan State University.
James DeVoll, flute has performed on recitals and concerts throughout the United States and Europe. Recent projects have included concerts in Germany and collaboration with composer Steve Reich and conductor Ransom Wilson at Yale. He is principal flutist of the Wayzata Symphony Orchestra and has performed with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. Additionally he has worked with several composers on the premiering of dozens of works with groups such as the American Composers Forum, the Contemporary Music Workshop, and New Music New Haven. James is on the faculty at Gustavus, where he teaches flute and directs the flute choir. As a teacher he was recently a clinician for the Minnesota All-State Band and has adjudicated many Solo and Ensemble Contests. He currently serves as Vice President of the Upper Midwest Flute Association.
James earned a Bachelor of Music in flute performance from the University of Cincinnati–CCM and a Master of Music and Artist Diploma in flute performance from Yale. Additional studies were in France, where he obtained a diplôme from the Conservatoire Internationale d’Été in Nice. He is currently completing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Minnesota.
A Minnesota native, Dr. Sara Langmead made her orchestral debut at age 16 with the 3M Symphony Orchestra. She won first prizes in the MN Schubert Club and UW-Madison Concerto competitions at the collegiate level, studied with György Sebők for two summers at the Banff Centre, and in 1997 won first prize at the international SAI Competition. Dr. Langmead earned her Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees from the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University where she studied piano for seven years with Yoheved Kaplinsky (current chair of the Juilliard Piano Department). Dr. Langmead taught piano at St. Mary’s College-MD, the University of Missouri-Columbia, and at Mercyhurst University-PA as Assistant Professor of Piano and Piano Department Director. Returning to Minnesota in 2004, Dr. Langmead built and operated a successful piano studio in Circle Pines.
Dr. Langmead has been a Teaching Artist in Piano at MacPhail since January 2022. Two months later, her roster was full with a long wait list. Since then, she has consolidated her students into one, making MacPhail-Minneapolis her home for teaching and creative work. She teaches individual piano lessons to students ages five through seventy, from pre-readers to conservatory bound highschoolers and competition winners. Many of her students have participated in numerous recitals through the Minneapolis Music Teachers Forum, the St. Paul Piano Teachers Association, and the MacPhail Performance Festivals and studio recitals. She had first place winners in the Minnesota Music Teachers Association State Contest and Winners Concert, the MacPhail 2022 and 2023 Senior Honors Competitions and Recitals, and the MacPhail Concerto Competition, and a second place winner in the MMTF Mozart Competition. In group instruction, Dr. Langmead teaches seven levels of weekly online theory classes, monthly in person studio performance classes, and mentors and guides students in the rigorous MMTA Theory and Piano Exam processes. Starting in September 2023, almost 100% of her students will participate in the MacPhail Crescendo Program. New this year is her one year appointment at Saint Cloud State University as Adjunct Piano Faculty, teaching applied piano and piano pedagogy.
Caitlin Lucic (she/her) has taught at MacPhail since 2013. She is a Sing, Play, Learn with MacPhail®, School Partnerships, and MacPhail Music for Life™ instructor. She utilizes The Kodály Method and the Orff-Schulwerk in her teaching to provide joyful, multi-sensory learning experiences for her students.
Caitlin’s instruction integrates music with other disciplines, helping children to discover the multitude of ways music connects humanity throughout history and across the globe. Caitlin is a frequent children’s music presenter; her in-demand percussion class Tap-Shake-Scrape: It’s Only Natural blends world music, literacy and environmental stewardship together in an engaging manner for participants of all ages. Caitlin is also a member of the children’s band The Rosie Posies. Learn more...
Sarah Hruska Olson holds a Bachelor of Arts in music and English from Lawrence University, a Master of Music in vocal performance from the University of Michigan, and a Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Minnesota. She teaches classes for children and older adults in the Sing Play Learn, School Partnerships, and MacPhail Music For Life departments at MacPhail Center for Music. Although teaching is Sarah’s primary occupation and passion, she loves to sing music of all kinds whenever she has the opportunity.
Recent projects include various MacPhail Faculty recitals, A “Fridays in the Valley” recital collaboration, and a duet project with classical guitarist, Jean Seils. Sarah has also enjoyed singing various roles for readings with Opera Reading Project, including the 2nd lady/2nd spirit role in “The Magic Flute,” Dido in Purcell’s “Dido and Aeneas,” and Gertrude in Humperdinck’s “Hansel and Gretel”.
Nina Olsen joined MacPhail’s clarinet faculty in 1991. Music is her source of expression and the place where she learned to achieve excellence. She loves working with a wide variety of students and hope to help each one teach themselves to achieve excellence.
Currently, Nina teaches at Carleton College, and previously at St. Cloud State and St. Olaf College.
She is a member of the Minnesota Opera Orchestra, an artist member of Thursday Musical, and an active freelance musician in the Twin Cities area. Nina is a frequent performer on faculty recitals at MacPhail Center for Music, Carleton College and the International Music Camp in North Dakota. She is co-president of the Minnesota chapter of the International Clarinet Society. She holds a DMA in Clarinet Performance from the University of Minnesota, a
Master’s of Music in Woodwinds, Clarinet Specialist from the University of Michigan, and a Bachelor’s in Clarinet Performance from the University of Denver.