Recent Grads Sweep American Bach Soloists’ Competition by Marci Janas '91
			Bach to the future? A Bach’s-ed set? Bach to Bach wins? With three consecutive, top prizes for Oberlin-trained musicians at the American Bach Soloists’ (ABS) competition, held biennially at the Berkeley Festival and Exhibition in Berkeley, California, the puns are irresistible. On June 6, two recent graduates of the Conservatory, baroque flutist Amy Guitry (B.Mus.’98) and baroque oboist Debra Nagy (B.Mus.’00; M.M.’02), shared the top prize at the ABS’ International Oboe and Flute competition. Another Oberlin graduate, baroque oboist Kathryn Montoya (B.Mus.’99), performed in the semifinal round of the competition. The ABS awarded a third but not a second prize. "Having our students win the top prizes in this competition every time it has been held is extremely exciting for us," says Michael Lynn, an associate dean of the Conservatory and professor of recorder and baroque flute; Amy Guitry was one of his students. "The fact that we have now won in harpsichord, violin, flute, and oboe shows the breadth of our program and the excellence of our students." For those who have not been keeping score, here is a brief history: In 2000, violinists Simos Papanas, a 1999 Oberlin graduate; Heidi Powell, who earned a master of music degree at Oberlin in 2001; and Emily Fowler, who holds bachelor of music and master of music degrees from Oberlin, won the three top prizes in the ABS’ International Violin Competition. Two years earlier, harpsichordist Michael Sponseller, who received a bachelor of music degree from Oberlin in 1997 and an artist diploma in 2000, won the top prize. In addition to studying with Michael Lynn, Guitry also studied flute with Professor of Flute Michel Debost. Nagy, a student of Professor of Oboe James Caldwell, began her studies of baroque oboe at Oberlin’s Baroque Performance Institute with Gonzalo Ruiz. Judges for the ABS International Oboe and Flute competition included members of the ABS Orchestra and its music director, Jeffrey Thomas; Marc Schachmann, principal oboist of the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and a faculty member of Vassar College; and Stephen Schultz, principal and solo flutist of the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra. The Oberlin Conservatory of Music is a pioneer and leader in the field of historical performance. The Oberlin Baroque Ensemble--composed of historical performance faculty--was one of the first in the nation to specialize in early music on original instruments. Through its teaching and its critically-acclaimed concerts and recordings, the ensemble has already influenced an entire generation of young performers. The Conservatory boasts one of the nation’s finest collections of early music instruments. The string collection contains violas da gamba, baroque violins, an 18th-century viola, baroque cellos, vielles, a rebec, lutes, and a gothic harp. Winds include a Renaissance recorder consort by Bob Marvin and baroque consort by Von Huene, Renaissance and baroque flutes, baroque oboes, a baroque bassoon, shawms, sackbuts, and a pair of baroque hand horns. The historical keyboard collection comprises eight harpsichords in a variety of styles, a virginal, a clavichord, three replicas of Viennese fortepianos, a restored 1853 Erard grand piano, and 15 organs.
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