Alumna begins study at Eastman School of Music

RELEASED: Nov. 16, 2006

DANVILLE, KY—When Korin Kormick '00 first came to Centre, she hadn't even considered a career in the performing arts. These days, with a music degree from Centre College as her foundation, Kormick stays busy as a sought-after operatic vocalist.

"The impact that Centre, and the music program in particular, has had on my life is immeasurable," she says. "When I arrived, I wasn’t planning to major in music. I wasn’t even intending to take voice lessons. It was the encouragement of Dr. [Barbara] Hall and Daniel Weeks [former Centre voice faculty member] that made me think about singing—something I had always loved to do—as a professional aspiration."

Kormick recently began doctoral studies at the acclaimed Eastman School of Music in New York, after completing her Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance at the University of Louisville School of Music in May of 2006. Since her graduation from Centre with a double major in music and French, Kormick has sung frequently with the Kentucky Opera, including creating the title roles in their world-premiere operas about the lives of Helen Thomas and Dian Fossey. She also performed several leading roles with the U. of L. Opera Theatre, including Ma Moss in "The Tender Land" by Aaron Copland and Katisha in Gilbert and Sullivan’s "The Mikado." Earlier this year Kormick advanced to the Regional Finals of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.

In addition to her operatic pursuits, Kormick regularly performs in recitals and recently appeared as a soloist with the Louisville Youth Choir and Orchestra in a concert featuring Beethoven’s "Choral Fantasy," which was broadcast on Kentucky Educational Television (KET). She is a sought-after interpreter of new music, and within the past year has premiered several compositions ranging from solo voice with piano to chamber music to opera.

Kormick says she as especially thrilled to be invited back to her alma mater as a guest artist to perform Vaughn Williams’ "Magnificat" with the Centre Women’s Voices and again as a soloist for Williametta Spencer’s Christmas cantata "Make We Joy" at the Presbyterian Church of Danville. She credits the College with providing a strong foundation for her musical and academic career.

"The music department at Centre is unique because it combines the broad perspective of a liberal arts education with a wide range of performance opportunities that are often unavailable to undergraduates at other schools," she says. "I vividly remember one of my music theory courses in which we composed pieces in the style of different historical periods, learning the genres from the inside out, and then we performed our new works for the class. That, to me, really represents both the thoroughness and the innovation that characterizes the classes at Centre.”

While a student here, Kormick was able to participate in a variety of solo and ensemble settings. She was a member of Centre Singers for three years, including their European concert tour; she sang three times as a featured soloist with the combined orchestras of

Centre and Asbury College in the annual Concerto competition; and she played the role of Desirée Armfeldt in Drama Centre’s production of Sondheim’s "A Little Night Music." Kormick was also a founding member of the Gamma Psi chapter of Delta Omicron (an international music fraternity) and served as their first-vice-president for two years.

"The musical experiences I had at Centre were incomparable," she reflects. "At many other institutions, it’s unthinkable that an undergraduate student would have the chance to sing with an orchestra in a 1,500-seat auditorium or to have a leading role in a major piece of musical theatre. At Centre, those experiences are not only possible, but are encouraged.  I was even able to continue my vocal study during a semester abroad in France, at the Conservatoire National de Région de Strasbourg.

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Founded in 1819, Centre College is ranked among the U.S. News top 50 national liberal arts colleges. Centre alumni, known for their nation-leading loyalty in annual financial support, include two U.S. vice presidents and two Supreme Court justices. For more, visit http://www.centre.edu/web/elevatorspeech/

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