Two Glenn Korff School of Music professors will present two of composer Franz Schubert’s great song cycles consecutive days on Feb. 14-15.
On Saturday, Feb. 14, Professor of Voice and Voice Pedagogy Kevin Hanrahan will perform “Die schöne Müllerin” with guest artist Gabriel Dobner of James Madison University on piano, at 3 p.m. in Westbrook Music Building Performance Hall Rm. 130. The concert is free and open to the public.
On Sunday, Feb. 15, Richard H. Larson Distinguished Professor of Music (Voice) and Director of Opera William Shomos will perform “Winterreise” with senior piano major Luke Eckles at 3 p.m. in Westbrook Music Building Performance Hall Rm. 130. The concert is free and open to the public.
“This is a remarkable opportunity for audiences to hear both of Schubert’s great song cycles sung live in two consecutive days,” Shomos said. “Each cycle is set to poetry by Wilhem Müller. ‘Die schöne Müllerin’ (The lovely Miller-Maid) takes the wandering protagonist from the search for love to the discovery of love, and ultimately to the loss/rejection of love. ‘Winterreise’ (Winter’s Journey)—a sequel to ‘Die schöne Müllerin’—explores the search for meaning in the face of rejection through a metaphoric winter’s journey. These are monuments in the history of artsong and the history of classical Western music.”
Shomos said he performed “Winterreise” 16 years ago with his mentor and internationally acclaimed accompanist John Wustman.
“On the eve of my 2026 retirement as I conclude my professional career, I wanted to perform the cycle with Luke Eckles, a student just beginning his life’s musical profession,” he said.
Hanrahan said “Die schöne Müllerin” is a story of unrequited love.
“The poems were originally meant to make fun of the ‘country folk’ and their overt emotionalism, but Schubert decided to use the poems more genuinely,” he said.
He is performing with Dobner, who is an expert in German Lieder.
“I met Gabe while I was a faculty member at the American Institute of Musical Studies,” Hanrahan said. “Given his expertise, I thought it would be a great experience for me to perform ‘Die schöne Müllerin’ with him and have him come to campus to work with our students.”