Everything Nac

Twelve-year-old Nacogdoches pianist Antonio “Nio” Ajero has been invited to perform on “From The Top” with host Christopher O’Riley when it comes to LeTourneau University’s Belcher Center in Longview on Saturday, March 25.

“From the Top” is considered America’s largest and most prestigious national platform dedicated to celebrating the stories, talents and character of classically trained young musicians. The show, distributed by National Public Radio, has an audience of more than a half million listeners tuned into more than 220 radio stations nationwide. Red River Radio and The Belcher Center are sponsoring the Longview performance. The show is at 7:30 p.m., and Nio will perform Caprice á la Scarlatti in G major by Ignacy Jan Paderewski.

Although Nio is no stranger to performing before large audiences – he has performed a solo recital annually since he was 6 years old at Stephen F. Austin State University where his father is a piano professor – NPR’s “From The Top” is probably his most high-profile performance to date, according to his dad, Dr. Mario Ajero.

“Nio started piano lessons with me when he was about 3 years old,” Ajero said, “and it was a great learning experience, both from his perspective as a student and with my dual role of parent/teacher, to have untethered access to each other throughout the week rather than just the traditional weekly piano lesson meeting.

“That allowed us to move at an accelerated pace and make piano study a central component of his educational development,” he said. “Both he and his younger sister, Olivia, have served as sort of ‘experimental students’ in my research interests in incorporating technology in piano pedagogy, and they both have reaped the benefits of that.”

Nio has been a featured performer at conferences in which Ajero presented, ranging from the TEDx Conference hosted at SFA to the Australasian Piano Pedagogy Conference in Australia. These opportunities built up his confidence, leading him to win the Red River Radio Young Artist Competition multiple times. He received first prize at the Southern Methodist University Institute for Young Pianists Competition and, most recently, first prize at the Baylor/Waco Piano Competition earlier this year. Nio’s most notable achievement was when he was awarded the National Gold Medal from The Royal Conservatory Music Development Program last year for earning the highest score in the United States in their Level 9 Piano Exam.

In addition to studying with his father, Nio takes piano lessons with Linda Parr in SFA’s Music Preparatory Division, which, with Parr’s “meticulous attention to details in performance,” has further prepared him for this opportunity to perform for a national audience, Ajero said.

“Nio has an outstanding pianistic talent with an innate ability and confidence to communicate what he believes to be the strongest interpretation of whatever he is playing” Parr said. “I’ve discovered countless times that he ‘gets’ and retains both subtle and the more complex musical and artistic ideas. He has perfect pitch, memorizes quickly, and is truly excited to perform at each lesson.

“Nio constantly surprises and even overwhelms me with his live performances in both recitals and competitions,” she added. “He is growing quickly as a musician and a pianist, and is now growing into a young man, as well. He communicates beautifully, more consistently, and I believe the ongoing ‘musician’ part will include future experiences with chamber music, accompanying, probably conducting and composition, as well.”

Nio has his eyes on “the big name schools,” like Juilliard, the Curtis Institute and New England Conservatory, to name a few. But he and his parents try to stay grounded in understanding that it is a highly competitive field, and there are countless other pianists out there who seek similar opportunities.

“He definitely sees music as the focus of his future career,” Ajero said. “We’ll see how far he can go on the concert stage, but I was flattered to learn that he hopes to teach and maybe run his own studio or music school one day and perhaps with his sister!”

Performing on “From The Top” also involves a three-day commitment where Nio and the other performers will receive training through the initiative’s Arts Leadership Program and will prepare an outreach musical program for one of the local Longview schools.

“I’m optimistic that the experience will help inspire him to get involved with doing more outreach programs in our own community and others to encourage more young people to get involved with piano and other musical studies,” Ajero said.

Parr sees the NPR performance as a possible gateway to future opportunities, as well as a confidence builder.

“I suppose that this could be a pivotal moment for him in that it may reinforce his desire to become the best pianist and musician possible,” she said. “Such a public forum may connect Nio with many wonderful future contacts and opportunities for performance. I have high hopes for him to continue developing in a healthy way with many new friends, mentors and creative outlets to share his love of music. Nio has a wonderful family – hardworking, but also fun-loving. He is the sweet guy he is because of that constant support.”

Both Nio’s father and mother, Gina, are obviously proud of their son’s accomplishments, but the national NPR performance holds “particular significance.”

“We’ve listened to the show for years now, and it feels unreal that Nio will be a part of it,” Ajero said. “It is a tremendous honor for Nio and might give him hope to attain similar accolades in the future. At the same time, we are also delighted that, despite all these successes, Nio remains a down-to-earth, nice and compassionate person. I don’t think many parents could ask for more than that.”

Tickets to the performance are available for purchase at the Belcher Center website: https://belchercenter.ticketforce.com/eventperformances.asp?evt=159

The recording of the show will be broadcast the week of May 29 on NPR and also on “From The Top’s” website and podcast. Additional details are available on the website at: https://www.fromthetop.org/musician/antonio-nio-ajero

East Texas opera lovers will see a first when they attend the Stephen F. Austin State University School of Music’s performance of Otto Nicolai’s “The Merry Wives of Windsor” to be presented March 30 through April 1 on the SFA campus.

“The Merry Wives of Windsor” is rarely performed outside of German speaking countries unless a university opera program performs it in English, according to Dr. Deborah Dalton, associate professor of voice at SFA and the opera’s director.

“This is an SFA Opera Theater premiere,” Dalton said. “This will be the first performance of this opera in East Texas!”

Based on William Shakespeare’s play of the same name, “The Merry Wives of Windsor” is about the escapades Falstaff, an old and decidedly rotund knight, who still believes that he is irresistible to women, Dalton explained.

“When he is in need of funds, he writes letters to a couple of merchants’ wives so that he may woo one of them and gain access to her husband’s purse,” she said. “Unfortunately, these two wives are neighbors and friends. When they discover that Falstaff has written identical letters to each of them, these merry wives decide to have some fun and exact their revenge.”

When they encourage Falstaff under the nose of one very jealous husband, Falstaff ends up being dumped in a cold river along with the dirty laundry, dressed as a woman, beaten and chased out of the house and, finally, tormented and frightened by elves, spirits and insects under a magical oak tree.

“The jealous husband is tricked a few times, and the merry wives have a high old time laughing at them all,” Dalton said.

The opera is selected each year to specifically fit the voices and experience of current SFA voice students. This year’s opera has nine major roles. All, with the exception of one, are double cast, with students performing on alternating nights.

“This gives 17 students the opportunity to learn, rehearse and perform an opera role,” Dalton said.

The audience may recognize the overture, which is popular on orchestral concerts, and the soprano aria, “Nun eilt herbei” (Come to my aid), is well-known for its beauty and its difficulty, Dalton explained.

“All of the music is very Italianate and beautiful, and the SFA singers are up to the challenge,” she said.

Several SFA theatre students are assisting with the production. Kathleen Easterling, senior theatre major from Central Heights, is costume coordinator. She has measured all 45 cast members in order to determine which costumes must be rented. Others will be pulled from the SFA costume shop stock. The set is more representational than realistic, Dalton said, and sophomore Isabel McNeil of Katy is designing and supervising its construction. The lighting design is by Katy junior Travis Wilson, who recently co-designed the Mainstage production of “Intimate Apparel.”

“The Merry Wives of Windsor” is an opera everyone will enjoy, Dalton said.

“It is a comedy with plenty of physical ‘bits’ and, of course, the music, the singing, and the orchestral playing are all gorgeous,” she said.

The opera will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday in W.M. Turner Auditorium in the Griffith Fine Arts Building. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for seniors and $7.50 for students and youth. For tickets or more information, visit www.finearts.sfasu.edu or call the SFA Fine Arts Box Office at (936) 468-6407.
Cutline: The Stephen F. Austin State University School of Music will present Otto Nicolai’s opera “The Merry Wives of Windsor” at 7:30 nightly Thursday through Saturday, March 30 through April 1, in W.M. Turner Auditorium on the SFA campus.

Dr. Deb Scott, professor of trombone at Stephen F. Austin State University, will release a newly recorded CD during a recital and reception Friday, March 24, at Christ Episcopal Church.

“Playing Favorites” features Scott on trombone, accompanied by Dr. Ron Petti, director of accompanying for the SFA School of Music, on piano. Scott and Petti have been touring to promote the release of the CD with recent performances at Texas Tech University, Texas Christian University, the University of Oklahoma and, forthcoming, the University of Alabama.

In a review of the CD, Colin Clarke with Fanfare Magazine writes, “There is absolutely no doubt as to the sheer eloquence of Deb Scott’s trombone playing,” and that Scott is “an astonishingly talented brass player; one awaits her next release with anticipation.”

The CD, released by Navona Records, features a collection, as the title suggests, of Scott’s favorite works. One piece specifically composed for her by SFA Professor of Composition Stephen Lias is among the selections. “River Runner” sets to music a three-day trip by Lias, Scott and their spouses through Big Bend’s Santa Elena Canyon. Derek Bourgeois’s Trombone Concerto, William Goldstein’s “Colloquy,” and Jean-Baptiste Arban’s variations on “The Carnival of Venice” are also featured.

The first woman to attain a doctorate in trombone performance at the University of North Texas, Scott was a featured soloist and faculty member last year at Trombonanza in Santa Fe, Argentina. She has performed with the Shreveport Symphony, Shreveport Opera, Longview Symphony, the Twentieth Century Unlimited Orchestra in Santa Fe, the New Mexico Music Festival Orchestra in Taos, the Orchestra of the Pines, the Lubbock Symphony Orchestra, the Greeley Philharmonic, and the Barnum and Bailey Greatest Show on Earth Circus Band. She has performed with such artists as J.J. Johnson, Louis Bellson, Diane Reeves, Frank Mantooth, Phil Woods, Lee Greenwood, the Mills Brothers and the Ink Spots.

The mini recital will be at 6 p.m. in the church sanctuary followed by a reception at 6:30 p.m. in the parish hall with refreshments provided by Newk’s Eatery. Admission is free. CDs and downstream cards will be available for purchase. Christ Episcopal Church is located at 1430 N. Mound St.

For more information, call the SFA Fine Arts Box Office at (936) 468-6407 or (888) 240-ARTS or visit www.finearts.sfasu.edu.

The exhibition “Andy Warhol: Art Is Anything You Can Get Away With,” showing in The Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House, will close with an open house from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 25.

The exhibition features a small slice of the renowned artist’s enormous oeuvre, in particular, his “Silver Clouds” – helium-filled silver clouds that drift in the air. The exhibition also includes three of his large screen prints and several of his Polaroid photos.

The open house coincides with Stephen F. Austin State University’s next Showcase Saturday and Nacogdoches Main Street’s Shop & Stroll, also on March 25. Showcase Saturdays bring hundreds of prospective SFA students and their parents to Nacogdoches to tour the campus, meet faculty and staff and attend campus and community events. Shop & Stroll boasts special savings, prizes and more at downtown shops and businesses.

The Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House is SFA’s historic downtown art gallery.

“We want to encourage all prospective students, but especially prospective art students, and their parents to come see our facility,” said John Handley, director of SFA galleries.

The Cole Art Center is located at 329 E. Main St. For more information, call (936) 468-1131.

The Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House, Stephen F. Austin State University’s historic downtown art gallery, will be open regular hours during spring break.

Currently showing is the exhibition “Andy Warhol: Art Is Anything You Can Get Away With.” The show features a small slice of the renowned artist’s enormous oeuvre, in particular, his “Silver Clouds” – helium-filled silver clouds that drift in the air. The exhibition also includes three of his large screen prints and several of his Polaroid photos.

Making the exhibition possible are The Andy Warhol Museum, The Andy Warhol Foundation and Texas Christian University. It is sponsored in part by the SFA Friends of the Visual Arts, Nacogdoches Junior Forum and the Texas Commission on the Arts, which is the state affiliate the National Endowment of the Arts.

The Cole Art Center is located at 329 E. Main St. Regular hours are from 12:30 to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. The art center will observe regular hours March 22 through March 25 but will be closed the following two weeks for the installation of Texas National 2017, which opens Saturday evening, April 8.

Griffith Gallery in the Griffith Fine Arts Building on the SFA campus will be closed during spring break and will reopen Tuesday, March 21. Showing is “The Collector Collects: Art from Private Nacogdoches Collections.” Regular hours are from 12:30 to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday during fall and spring semesters.

For more information, call (936) 468-1131.

Stephen F. Austin State University students and faculty members in the James I. Perkins College of Education’s Department of Human Services recently presented research at the National Association of School Psychologists Conference in San Antonio.

During the four-day conference, participants attended workshops and events, including featured, practitioner conversations and interest group networking sessions, mini-skills, papers, symposiums and poster presentations, and a keynote address.

“This conference is essential to ensuring students develop as future school psychologists,” said Dr. Nina Ellis-Hervey, director of SFA’s School Psychology Assessment Center and assistant professor. “Students gain the opportunity to engage in professional discussions about their research and work with one another and their professors. They also network with other graduate-level students and professionals in the field from across the United States.”

SFA doctoral student Roselia Juan was a first-time participant and said the experience was memorable.

“This conference provides an opportunity to listen to inspirational stories and testimonies,” Juan said. “It highlighted the importance of working with integrity and learning up-to-date techniques about how to appropriately execute our profession.”

Juan presented a poster detailing the role of bias in school discipline with Juan Chen, an SFA doctoral student in school psychology from Shanghai, China. Their research showcased results that indicated significant differences in the preferred method of disciplinary actions among teacher candidates upon diverse students. The study’s results spotlighted the importance of diversity and cultural education in teacher-preparation programs.

“During our poster presentation, we had several people from all across the nation stop and ask questions about our study,” Juan said. “The experience was humbling and exciting, as we had several people comment positively on our research.”

Additionally, Dr. Daniel McCleary, SFA assistant professor of human services, and Chen presented a poster titled “Building math fact fluency in China through adapted cover-copy-compare.”

“This research is about how adapted cover-copy-compare procedures helped a Chinese student in Shanghai improve her math fluency,” Chen said.

SFA doctoral student Ashley Doss and McCleary presented a study titled “Implications of the Impact of Parent Perceptions on Military Children,” which was based on Doss’ thesis. This presentation informed practitioners how parental perceptions of the military lifestyle may affect adolescents.

“This is a great conference to attend for graduate students, because many of the sessions and outings are planned and designed to assist graduate students in networking,” Doss said.

Ellis-Hervey, Doss and DeShae Davis, also an SFA doctoral student, conducted a mini-skills workshop where they discussed the development of school psychology assessment centers.

Ellis-Hervey also presented a mini-skills workshop with McCleary titled “How to design, create and implement four math fluency interventions.”

The NASP is a professional association representing more than 25,000 school psychologists, graduate students and related professionals throughout the U.S. and 25 other countries. The world’s largest organization of school psychologists, NASP works to advance effective practices to improve students’ learning, behavior and mental health.