Bondari

In what seemed like a blink of an eye, summer came and went. What happened during those few, short months?

The main event was that I studied for (and passed!) my doctoral comprehensive exams. Yay! I still have many tasks left to complete at KU, but this major hurdle is now crossed, and it is a great relief to be done with them. I have some great study guides for musicology now. If anyone would like a copy, please contact me.

Also, I helped my good friend Dan Forrest move into his new house in South Carolina. We definitely miss him already, but he should be back for a visit in October.

Other than that, I took a few road trips, learned a lot of Greek, and generally enjoyed myself (once comps were over).

Now that fall semester is here, I’m teaching Theory III, which is a significant and welcome change from teaching Theory I the past two years. I’ve also written my dissertation proposal, which will be an upcoming post.

On the horizon I have oral exams, a composition recital, and a couple of theory papers to write. Of course, the dissertation is looming as well.

If I’m really lucky, I’ll get it all done by the end of spring. I shudder when I think of how much work that really is. Oh well. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.

Chomp !

Last Wednesday I had a realization: I was about to walk into my last day of regular, academic classes as a student… ever.

Classes ended this week at KU, which means I just finished my last semester of academic coursework. Of course, I still have finals to take, but it’s a great feeling to have completed this step. I started the “student” process when I was four or five, and now, over twenty years later, I’ve finished doctoral classes. Yay!

Here is what’s on the horizon:

• Comprehensive exams in July
• Oral exams and recital in the fall
• Work like crazy to finish the dissertation by end of spring

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Today I received notice that I won the 2006-7 Anthony B. Cius Award, given to the outstanding student composer at KU for the year. It’s a nice honor, and I’m deeply grateful. My good friend Dan Forrest won it last year, so I’m definitely in good company. Plus, I get to have my name engraved on a plaque inside Murphy Hall, which is nice.

As an added bonus, I found out that I won the award today, which is my birthday. How appropriate!

Kat surprised me with a great birthday present: a large, framed poster of J. S. Bach! (click the thumbnail for a full-size view)

Now whenever I look up from my monitor, Herr Bach will look down upon me and inspire me to keep working on my dissertation (or at least write a little counterpoint).

The end of my final semester of coursework is fast approaching, and I have much work to finish. Tonight, however, we are going to celebrate with a filling, out-of-this-world dinner at our favorite restuarant, India Palace. Yum!

It’s the end of the Fall 2006 at KU. Thus completes another semester and a couple more notches on the eventual graduation checklist. It’s been a busy semester. My first symphony had its world premiere, I received my first job invitation, and I attended the world premiere of an opera in Greenville, SC.

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I came across this unique video, and thought I would share it here. Hear the first movement of Mozart’s Symphony No. 40 like you’ve never heard it before! I can only imagine how much time it must have taken to prepare this stunt.

I’m flattered. Today I received my first “invitation” to apply for a significant job. Upon checking my KU mailbox I discovered a letter bearing the seal of prestigious college. I ripped it open and discovered to my delight that it was a letter inviting me to apply for a tenure-track position as “Professor of Composition” at a small, private, prestigious, liberal-arts college in Minnesota.

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As promised, here is an update after the dress rehearsal of Symphony No. I - “Persepolis.” The VSU Wind Ensemble is not tremendously large, but they are good. This was the first time I heard Persepolis live, and it was monumentally beneficial for me to hear what’s been in my head for a few years now.

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This morning Kat and I awoke, took a leisurly walk, then hopped on a plane to Atlanta. My good friend Daniel Swilley picked us up at the airport, and after a short 3-hour drive we made it to my hometown.

Tomorrow (Sunday) I’ll zip down to Valdosta for the dress rehearsal of Symphony No. I - “Persepolis.” As you can imagine, my excitement grows more every day in preparation for this performance. It’s quite a landmark in my career, and I’m truly grateful for this opportunity.

I’ll post again with an update after the dress rehearsal.

Good news: I will be studying abroad in Greece this summer as part of a theatre/classics program at KU. We will put on a production of The Bacchae by Euripides. My purpose, in addition to playing the role of Dionysus, will be to compose the music for the production. This is a joint collaboration:

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Earlier this week I had the great pleasure of meeting world-reknowned composer Morten Lauridsen. He came to KU last Monday (3-06-06) and departed Wednesday morning. While he was here, he met with students, rehearsed with ensembles, hosted discussions, and attended a choral concert that we put together of his music. However, my favorite part was having dinner with him before the concert, along with Dan Forrest and his wife. All five of us had a private booth together, and we had a delightful time dining and chatting with him. Click the picture to enlarge it.

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