KINGSTON, R.I. – April 9 – Two University of Rhode Island Department of Music alumni will have work featured in a concert at the Fine Arts Concert Hall on April 16 at 7:30 p.m. Jon Howe ’20 wrote the composition for the show as part of his dissertation for his Doctor of Musical Arts in Composition at the Hartt School of Music. The work will be premiered by The American Band and feature mezzo-soprano soloist, Isobel McCullough ’22. 

“I wanted to have a piece that, if I was going to invest the time in it, would have a performance,” Howe said. “I had already talked to Dr. Cardany about potentially doing something with maybe the American Band. Since we had discussed that prior, I reached out and asked, and from there it kind of grew into what it is now.”

The piece is an adaptation of The Tale of Cú Chulainn, an epic from Irish mythology. Irish scholar Elisedd Knapp-McGinley worked alongside Howe to turn the myth into what is known as a cantata, a vocal composition with instrumental accompaniment.

“He was this major figure in what’s called the Ulster Cycle. And if you read his story, it is something that is very ripe for adaptation. But there haven’t been a lot of musical adaptations of it, to my knowledge.”

Graduating from URI with a Bachelor of Music in composition, Howe originally applied and was accepted to the university as a computer science major. As the end of his senior year of high school approached, he affirmed his desire to pursue music and walked through the audition process for the program, soon finding himself in the music department. 

“A lot of the courses I took kind of prepared me for eventually going through my graduate program and graduate studies, and showed me the breadth of what was available in music studies,” Howe said. “So I kind of went from there outwards and really started pursuing different things, which is kind of how I ended up where I am now.”

To complete the cantata, director of bands Brian Cardany  turned to Music department graduate Isobel McCullough to be their soloist. Howe and McCullough worked together in their time as undergraduates, with McCullough singing Howe’s original works. 

“I’m the soloist, but I really see it as assisting Jon in this massive undertaking of writing a new piece, getting it performed, [and] attaining his doctorate,” McCullough said. “It’s a huge amount of work, so I’m feeling really honored to be a part of it.”

Graduating with three majors in French, Film/Media, and Music History and Literature, McCullough did not originally plan to sing professionally. With her broad humanities experience,she has worked in the nonprofit sector, including at the University of Rhode Island Foundation, while utilizing the ProTools license she attained while at URI to freelance as a podcast producer. Recently, she was accepted to a prestigious program at the University of York, where she will pursue an MA in Solo Voice Ensemble Singing. 

“I knew that no matter what, having kind of a broad humanities experience would really prepare me for any number of creative careers,” McCullough said.  “[And] I am actually now pursuing professional singing again.”

Throughout their different tracks and experiences, the URI Music Department has prepared Howe and McCullough for this next exciting step in their creative endeavors. As McCullough prepares to study in England, Howe aims to teach at a collegiate level.

“I’ve gotten to that point where I feel comfortable with myself, going off and doing what I need on my own,” Howe said. “So right now, [I’m] mostly looking for employment in higher education, continuing down my path as a composer…which this piece kind of is the culmination of and looking for opportunities here and there.”

For tickets and more information, please visit the College of Arts and Sciences events page.