Composition by Frederick Evans Wins Second Prize in OFMC Contest

Winning work by College of Wooster sophomore to be performed April 28

WOOSTER, Ohio — Frederick Evans, a sophomore music composition major at The College of Wooster, has been awarded second prize at the Ohio Federation of Music Clubs Student/Collegiate Composers Composition Contest.

Evans’ award-winning entry, “Cello Sonata (in one movement),” which is approximately seven minutes in duration, will be performed by sophomore music major Aimon Dwan and Wooster Music Professor Peter Mowrey on Thursday, April 28, at 11 a.m. in Gault Recital Hall of Scheide Music Center.

Evans, a resident of Clinton, N.Y., and a graduate of Clinton Senior High School, composed “Sonata for Cello” during the current academic year, following the completion of his three-movement trio for violin, cello, and piano. The new work was submitted to the competition in February and was one of three pieces by Ohio college composers chosen to receive a prize in the contest.

One of the judges praised the sonata as “beautiful and exciting” and noted “I loved the passion in this wonderful piece. This piece could easily fit into the standard (cello) repertoire.”

Jack Gallagher, the Olive Williams Kettering Professor of Music at Wooster and Evans’ adviser, said, “’Derick’s’ Sonata is beautifully written, displaying to fine advantage his striking lyricism and deeply expressive musical imagination. Seeing his distinctive achievement recognized and rewarded in this respected statewide forum is testimony to his dedication and ability.”

“Orange Wind,” another newly completed work by Evans to a text of his own devising, will be performed by the Wooster Chorus under the direction of Lisa Yozviak as part of the ensemble’s forthcoming concert on Sunday, May 1, at 3 p.m. in Gault Recital Hall. Admission to both events is free and open to the public.

At Wooster, Evans studies composition with Gallagher, piano with Peter Mowrey, and upright and electric bass with Jack Steward. A member of the Wooster Jazz Ensemble and Combo in addition to the Wooster Singers, Evans has also performed one of his own compositions with the Wooster Jazz Combo. He hopes to continue composition studies through graduate school and to teach at the college level.