Concert Program
Guest Artist Recital Series
Dr. Lara Dahl, oboe
Georgia State University
Saturday, January 17, 2026
3:00 p.m. Recital
3:45 p.m. Masterclass
Recital Hall
Vincent Fuh, piano
Madison, Wisc.
Dr. Laura Medisky
NIU Oboe Faculty
Concert Program
Program
| Lara for Two Oboes and Piano (2025) | Nicole Chamberlain (b. 1977) Midwest Premiere |
| In the words of Nicole Chamberlain: “In this work, Lara, the ancient myth of Lara—also known as Dea Tacita, the silent goddess—serves as both muse and metaphor. According to Roman mythology, Lara was once a talkative nymph who revealed Jupiter’s infidelities to his wife, Juno. As punishment for her truth-telling, Jupiter tore out her tongue and banished her to the underworld. This composition reimagines Lara not as a minor mythological footnote, but as a central figure—a woman punished not for lies, but for speaking truth. In doing so, she becomes a powerful allegory for the suppression of free speech, the silencing of dissent, and the costs of bearing witness. Lara was commissioned by Dr. Lara Saville Dahl, whose name—serendipitously or prophetically—connects her to the mythic figure at the heart of this work. Her advocacy for artistic expression and education gives this piece a deeper resonance: a tribute not only to myth and music, but to the power of voice, even in its absence.” |
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| Lara Dahl and Laura Medisky, oboes Vincent Fuh, piano |
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| Incantation and Dance (1941) | William Grant Still (1895-1978) |
| Lara Dahl, oboe Vincent Fuh, piano |
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| Pastorale for Oboe and Piano, op. 38 (1949) | Howard Hanson (1896-1981) |
| Laura Medisky, oboe Vincent Fuh, piano |
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| The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba | G. F. Handel (1685-1759) Arranged for two oboes and piano by J. Lanning |
| Lara Dahl and Laura Medisky, oboes Vincent Fuh, piano |
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Masterclass
The class will start with a short group playing activity, and all attendees are encouraged to bring their oboes! NIU oboe students and guest performers will then perform solos for Dr. Dahl; program TBA.
Performer Biographies
Dr. Lara Dahl is Principal Lecturer at Georgia State University where she teaches oboe and serves as Graduate Director and Woodwind Coordinator for the School of Music. A passionate advocate for inclusivity and equality for faculty, she was appointed the Non-Tenure Track Faculty Advocate for the College of the Arts in 2022 and is president of the Non-Tenure Track Faculty Affinity group for the university. She plays with the Atlanta Symphony, Atlanta Opera Orchestra and Atlanta Ballet Orchestra and is an active freelance musician in Atlanta. She has performed several artist recitals at International Double Reed Society conferences and is an invited guest clinician at universities in the southeast region. Dr. Dahl frequently offers masterclasses and sectionals at Atlanta’s publics schools, and she organizes and runs an annual Double Reed Day open to double reed players of all ages at Georgia State University every fall. For more information on the Georgia State University Oboe Studio, follow “GSU Oboes” on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
Pianist Vincent Fuh has performed with the Madison Symphony Orchestra, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, Bach Dancing Dynamite Society, Oakwood Chamber Players, Sound Ensemble Wisconsin, Madison Chamber Choir, Madison Choral Project, Isthmus Vocal Ensemble, LunART Festival, Fresco Opera, and Opera for the Young. He was writer/arranger for salsa band Madisalsa and contemporary Afro-Cuban quintet El Clan Destino. He has joined University of Wisconsin Mead Witter School of Music professors on five CDs, one each with Marc Vallon (bassoon) and Tom Curry (tuba), and three with Mark Hetzler (trombone), including his electro-acoustic ensemble Sinister Resonance, which ventures from the music of Henry Cowell through jazz, dub, and heavy metal.
Dr. Laura Medisky is in her second year as Instructor of Oboe at Northern Illinois University. She performs regularly with the Madison Symphony Orchestra and the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra and has also played with the Elgin and Dubuque Symphonies, Con Vivo! chamber ensemble, Fresco Opera, Capital City Theatre, Wisconsin Chamber Choir, and Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society. Medisky served as Acting Principal Oboe in both the Rockford Symphony (2021-2024) and the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra (2016-2022). She has presented artist recitals at several International Double Reed Society conferences, and has performed concertos with ensembles in Wisconsin, Illinois, Nebraska, and Idaho. Her solo album Personalities: 21st-century American Music for Oboe was released in 2012 on the Centaur Records label. Medisky is an AmSAT-certified teacher of the Alexander Technique of nearly 30 years. An engaging guest artist and clinician, Dr. Medisky presents oboe masterclasses and Alexander Technique workshops at music institutions, festivals, and conferences throughout the United States. For more information visit lauramedisky.com.
Tickets
Tickets for School of Music concerts are available online only. There are prices for adults, seniors, faculty and staff and non-NIU students. NIU students are admitted free of charge to all performances with pre-reserved tickets. Most recitals are not ticketed.
Livestream
Most NIU concerts and recitals are available to watch on our livestream.
Upcoming Events
The NIU College of Visual and Performing arts puts on more than 200 live performances and exhibitions every year. See what’s coming up next in the School of Music, School of Art and Design, School of Theatre and Dance and the NIU Art Museum.