Libby Clark and Chiaoyu Lin are shown here performing at the CollabFest masterclass with Dr. Alan Smith
Lee University School of Music students Libby Clark and Chiaoyu Lin were invited to perform at the University of North Texas CollabFest “TeamWork makes DreamWork.”
“Both students performed beautifully and received lots of great compliments from the attendees at the conference,” said Dr. ChoEun Lee, assistant professor of collaborative piano and vocal coaching at Lee University. “It was a great opportunity for Libby and Chiaoyu to meet the professional musicians and work with them.”
Ms. Clark is a senior music education major and a soprano. Lin is a senior music performance major and pianist. Both were invited to perform in the masterclass with Dr. Alan Smith, chair of keyboard studies at the University of Southern California. Dr. Smith is one of the United States’ most highly regarded figures in the field of collaborative piano.
“CollabFest was an incredible experience that helped me understand the value of artistic partnerships and allowed me to grow both musically and professionally,” said Ms. Clark.
Ms. Clark and Ms. Lin sang and played two songs from “Three Dickinson Songs” by André Previn.
"I was so inspired during the three days I participated in CollabFest,” said Ms. Lin. “I for sure want to go back in the future.”
CollabFest is a national conference in which professional singers, instrumentalists, and pianists gather for an enriching and stimulating symposium. This was the fourth year of CollabFest, which is committed to nurturing a collaborative culture in the world by fostering the collaborative ideals of partnership, participation, and presence.
Dr. Smith, an internationally recognized pianist from the University of Southern California, was the keynote speaker, master clinician, and composer-in-residence for this year’s CollabFest. Faculty members from Eastman School of Music, Peabody Institute, and the University of Michigan also held workshop sessions and masterclasses on performance, career development, vocal coaching, and orchestral piano playing, among others.
For more information about CollabFest, visit https://collaborativepiano.music.unt.edu/collabfest.
From left, are Chiaoyu Lin, Libby Clark, Dr. Alan Smith, and Dr. ChoEun Lee at CollabFest