Susan Milan to Give Talk and Concert for SHE Festival

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Susan Milan

As part of the inaugural SHE Festival of Women in Music, the Department of Music is honored to host Susan Milan for a week of classes, talks, and a guest artist recital. Milan is a world-renowned flutist whose career has seen the growth and prominence of women in orchestras around the world. She has over a dozen albums to her credit, authored numerous articles on technique and flute repertoire, and is Professor of Flute at the Royal College of Music in London. 

Ms. Milan's residency will include two featured events for the SHE festival, both taking place in the Faulkner Performing Arts Center: 

Guest Lecture — 6 p.m. Thursday, March 7

Milan's talk will draw on her experiences as the first woman to hold a principal spot in the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra as a jumping off point to consider how gender shapes the professional lives of orchestral musicians. She will address changes in orchestras with regard to gender over the past few decades, and offer insights from her efforts to navigate the competing demands of professional and family life.

Guest Recital — 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 8 (tickets)

Multi-album recording artist and world-renowned flutist Susan Milan will perform a selection of pieces that express a myriad of emotions. Milan will include works by Gaubert, Telemann, Bennett and Muczynski with featured composers Anne Boyd, Katherine Hoover and Cécile Chaminade. Milan's musicality will shine in these expressive pieces highlighting the complexity of the music and the evocative stories portrayed. Milan will be joined by UAMusic faculty member Dr. Hyun Park on piano. Tickets are $10 for general admission; $5 for faculty, staff and students; and $5 for seniors.

ABOUT THE FESTIVAL

In conjunction with Women's History Month, the Department of Music in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences will host an inaugural, month-long festival from March 5-30 highlighting the major role that women have played in the art of music.

SHE, A Festival of Women in Music will recognize women across the field with an array of music featuring women composers and performers.

"Music often breaks down the barriers that separate us," said Ronda Mains, the Department of Music's chair.

Mains said that in a time when society often strains to listen, "SHE makes room for audiences to hear new sounds, to feature composers of fame and lesser-known stature, and to amplify exceptional stories—all drawing attention to compositions by women, works inspired by women, and music for women."

Mains said that SHE also crosses borders, intends to evoke an emotional response, and will prompt historical and cultural memories for all who attend.

With guest lectures, performances of Western art music and contemporary music, and a one-woman play, the festival is filled with events that will spur thought and excite audiences.

SHE is sponsored by Adventure Subaru of Fayetteville and presented in partnership with the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences Humanities Program, the Jim and Joyce Faulkner Performing Arts Center, and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Arkansas.

More information about this event can be found on the Department of Music's website.