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Musical talent appearing on campus

By September 26, 2013College of Arts and Sciences
Dr. Jackie McIlwain

The Delta State University Department of Music will present a guest recital on Oct. 2 by clarinetist Jackie McIlwain and pianist Ellen Elder. The recital will be held in the Recital Hall in the Bologna Performing Arts Center at 7:30 p.m. Admission is free.

Dr. Jackie McIlwain, a Chicago native, has earned degrees from Middle Tennessee State University (B.M.), Indiana University (M.M.) and Florida State University (D.M.).  She has taught at Southeastern Louisiana University and Florida State University.

Dr. McIlwain’s diverse performance experience includes numerous recitals in a variety of styles from the standard repertoire of Debussy, Brahms, and Mozart to Scott McAllister’s X Concerto and world premieres of Daniel Whaley and Kristy Adams. Along with these solo performances, Dr. McIlwain has played with the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, Meridian Symphony Orchestra in Mississippi, Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra in Florida and Murfreesboro Philharmonic Orchestra in Tennessee, among others. Since 2000, she has been fortunate enough to travel and perform in over half a dozen countries in Europe and the Far East serving the role of principal clarinetist.

Dr. Ellen Price Elder

Dr. Ellen Price Elder is Assistant Professor of Piano at the University of Southern Mississippi, where she is the coordinator of the piano accompanying program, teaches applied piano and class piano, and collaborates with faculty and guest artists.  In 2011, Dr. Elder founded the Southern Mississippi Piano Institute, which offers private lessons to pre-college students and adults in the community.  Her college and pre-college students receive numerous awards and honors for their performance.

Price holds a D.M.A. in Piano Pedagogy and Performance and a M.M. in Piano Performance and Literature from the University of Michigan.  Her primary instructors included Louis Nagel, John Ellis, and Joanne Smith.  She did additional study in vocal accompanying with Martin Katz and fortepiano with Penelope Crawford.  She received her B.M. in Piano Performance from the University of Southern Mississippi as a student of Stanley Waldoff.  She has served on the faculties of the University of Michigan, the University of Michigan-Dearborn, Eastern Michigan University, Schoolcraft College, and William Carey University.  She has taught on the summer piano faculties of the University of Michigan All-State Program at Interlochen and the University of Michigan Summer Arts Institute.

The Department of Music offers programs leading to bachelor’s degrees in Performance, Music Education, and Liberal Arts. It provides supportive instruction to both majors and non- majors in music theory, music history, music education, and performance to cultivate the development of musical skills, knowledge, and appreciation. For more information, contact the Department of Music at (662) 846-4615.