Dr. Ron Brendel and Dr. Cahill Smith
Lee University will host School of Music faculty members Dr. Ron Brendel and Dr. Cahill Smith on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. The faculty recital will be held in Squires Recital Hall, in Lee’s Humanities Center.
The recital includes dramatic settings of poems adapted to songs from three romantic composers, Schumann, Liszt, and Medtner. “Subjects range from romance to adventure to the supernatural,” said Dr. Smith.
Dr. Brendel, professor of voice, has been a faculty member at Lee University since 2005. Dr. Brendel’s tenor voice has been described as “effortlessly professional… strongly lyric…[and] memorable” in opera, oratorio and recital. As an opera singer, Dr. Brendel excels in the Mozart tenor roles of Cosi fan tutte, Die Zauberflöte, and Der Shauspieldirektor. In 2006, he debuted at Carnegie Hall as tenor soloist in Mozart’s Coronation Mass. Additionally, Dr. Brendel has appeared with the Treasure Coast Opera, Peach State Opera, South Florida Opera, and others.
Outside performance, Dr. Brendel presents at national and international conferences, usually on topics related to the British composer, Benjamin Britten. He maintains a full studio of voice students at Lee.
Dr. Brendel holds the Doctorate of Musical Arts and Master of Music in voice performance from Temple University, Philadelphia, and a Bachelor of Music Education from Evangel University.
Dr. Smith, associate professor of piano, joined Lee University’s faculty in 2014. Dr. Smith began playing at age 10, and by 16, he made his orchestral debut with a local orchestra. In the United States and abroad, Dr. Smith has performed recitals in major venues including three programs at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, the PolyTheater in Chongqing, China, and Kilbourn Hall.
Dr. Smith received his DMA from Eastman School of Music, his Master of Music from the University of Michigan, and his Bachelor of Music from Samford University.
While completing his education at Eastman, Dr. Smith was inducted into the honor society Pi Kappa Lambda for his academic achievements and contributions to the musical community, won the Eastman Concerto Competition, held three graduate teaching assistantships, and was awarded the Prize for Excellence in Teaching.
“One thing we love about this program is that it pushes both the singer and the pianist to extremes of technical virtuosity and dramatic expression,” said Dr. Smith. “Getting to collaborate musically for a performance here on our home turf is a rare and treasured experience. We are looking forward to sharing this beautiful program with our community.”
The recital is free and open to the public.
For more information, contact the School of Music at 614-8240 or music@leeuniversity.edu.