The Ohio State University School of Music

31st Annual Music Celebration

31st Annual Music Celebration

Friday, Dec. 5, 2025  •  7:30 p.m.

The Ohio State University School of Music
Mershon Auditorium


WELCOME

Season’s greetings and a warm welcome to the 31st Annual Music Celebration Concert!

It brings us great pleasure to host this beloved event once again on our campus. This unique concert provides an opportunity for our students, the heart of the School of Music, to showcase their passion. We come together to share, express and celebrate joy together. Your presence makes it all the more meaningful and delightful.

This evening's program — celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the School of Music at Ohio State — is a vibrant tapestry of music, illustrated with broad strokes of diverse musical expressions and emotions. From love to laughter, from melancholy to optimism, and from festivity to contemplation, each piece is intricately woven in the spirit of the season.

I extend my deepest gratitude to the dedicated students, faculty and staff whose collective talents have made this evening's performance possible. A special thanks to Eric Gibson, director of opera, whose coordination has seamlessly blended elegance and efficiency. To all of you gracing us with your presence, your friendship and support of the School of Music continues to inspire us. We eagerly look forward to your next visit and wish you a holiday season brimming with cheer.

Sincerely,

Michael Ibrahim's signature

Michael Ibrahim
Director, School of Music


PROGRAM

Rosters


ACT ONE


Bring A Torch, Jeannette, Isabella

Gary Fry, arr. R. C. Mikkelson

Wind Symphony
Russel C. Mikkelson, conductor


Exsultate, justi

Lodovico da Viadana

Chorale
Robert J. Ward, conductor


Stac-Flat

Roger Bourdin

Flute Troupe
Katherine Borst Jones, director

With Jazz Ensemble rhythm section


Carmen Ohio

arr. Jerrod Shackelford

Golden

arr. Ava Gilley

Women’s Glee Club
Jordan Saul, conductor


Quando me'n vo'

(Musetta's Waltz) 

from La Bohème

Giacomo Puccini

Skye Johnson, soprano
Diana Chubak, piano


Quartet, Mvt. 2: Gently — With Motion

Elliot Del Borgo

Saxophone Quartet


Geistliches Wiegenlied, Op. 91, No. 2

Johannes Brahms

Sophia Haws, voice
Aidan Dever, cello
Emily Foster, piano


Clarinet Candy

Leroy Anderson, arr. Clarence Barber

Clarinet Choir
Caroline Hartig, conductor


Kyoto

arr. John Psathas

Percussion Ensemble
Susan Powell and Joseph Krygier, directors


Os justi! Chorale

Anton Bruckner

Low Brass Ensemble
James Akins, conductor


Winter Wonderland

Felix Bernard and Robert Bernhardt Smith
arr. Alyssa Hartman

Art Blakey Combo
Kevin Turner, director


Will the Circle Be Unbroken?

J. David Moore

Men's Glee Club
Robert J. Ward, conductor


The Night Before Christmas

Randol Alan Bass

Wind Symphony
Russel C. Mikkelson, conductor

David Hedgecoth, narrator


— Intermission —


ACT TWO


Great Gate of Kiev

from Pictures at an Exhibition

Modest Mussorgsky, arr. Maurice Ravel

Symphony Orchestra
Miriam Burns, conductor


Brothers, Sing On!

Edvard Grieg

Men's Glee Club
Robert J. Ward, conductor


Summertime

from Porgy and Bess

George Gershwin and DuBose Hayward

Sadiyah Babatunde, guest vocalist
Diana Chubak, piano

A TRIBUTE TO RUBY ELZY

“Summertime” is included on our program as part of our 100th Anniversary celebration and in honor of Ruby Pearl Elzy (1908–1943), Ohio State alumna and trailblazing soprano of the 1930s. Elzy headlined at the Apollo, entertained First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt at the White House, and was hand-picked by George Gershwin to create the role of Serena in his masterpiece Porgy and Bess.  Ohio State Professor C. C. McCracken discovered Ruby Elzy in 1927 at Rust College in Mississippi. He brought her to Columbus to study at the university's new Department of Music, founded two years earlier. She studied with its founder and chair, Royal D. Hughes, who guided her musical development during her three years on campus. After graduation, she moved to Juilliard for further refinement before launching an illustrious career that led to performances on Broadway and in Hollywood. Tragically, Elzy died suddenly at the young age of 35, just as she was about to fulfill her dream of singing the role of Aida on the opera stage. Read more in this October 2025 article in The Lantern: 
Rust to Broadway: Celebrating a Century of Ohio State's School of Music and the Lasting Legacy of Alumna Ruby Elzy.

Alumna Sadiyah Babatunde (BA in Music/Voice Performance 2022; BS in Business Administration/Marketing 2022) joins us to perform "Summertime." She is a dynamic and versatile performer equally at home in opera, concert, and genre-crossing repertoire. She is currently pursuing her master’s degree at the Manhattan School of Music under Cyndia Sieden. Recent performances include Miss Wordsworth in Albert Herring, Act II (MSM) and Lady Capulet in Roméo et Juliette (MSM). She will perform the role of Zina in Dark Sisters, in April 2026. Additional credits include Casilda in The Gondoliers (Ohio Light Opera) and Sister Sophia in The Sound of Music (OLO).


O Christmas Tree

Traditional, arr. Jon Lampley and Chris Ott

Jazz Ensemble
Mike Smith, conductor 


Barso Re

A. R. Rahman, arr. Ethan Sperry

Women's Glee Club
Jordan Saul, conductor 


Carol of the Bells

arr. Will Fisher

Trumpet Ensemble
Timothy Leasure, conductor


Conservatory Garden

Daniel Levitan

Percussion Ensemble
Susan Powell, and Joseph Krygier, directors


Tuttarana

Reena Esmail

Chorale
Robert J. Ward, conductor


Finale: JOY


Joy to the World

arr. Whitney Houston

Gospel Choir
Milton V. Ruffin, director

Joy Trio

Ricky Ian Gordon

Skye Johnson, Xiao Liu, Paige Strassel, sopranos
Diana Chubak, piano

Joy to the World

arr. Three Dog Night

Art Blakey Combo
Kevin Turner, director


Hallelujah Chorus (from Messiah)

G. F. Handel, arr. W. A. Mozart

Symphony Orchestra with combined choirs
Miriam Burns, conductor

Rosters

Join us...

School of Music 100th Anniversary badge

The Timashev Family Music Building is your destination for free concert experiences. Our students and faculty value your presence as supportive and enthusiastic audience members and look forward to your return. Visit Events.

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Name a seat in the new Recital Hall

Celebrate 100 years of music at Ohio State by naming a seat in the new Recital Hall. With a gift of $2,500, honor someone special and secure your place in our history, helping ensure the next century of extraordinary music. give.osu.edu/SOM100


Educate • Enrich • Inspire

The School of Music offers numerous outreach events for young musicians, including the popular Youth Summer Music Programs. Visit Outreach.

Interested in lessons? Our Community Music School offers opportunities for all ages and ability levels.


Concerts at Ohio State

Join WOSU Classical 101 host Christopher Purdy, Sundays at 1 p.m. in early 2026 for the Concerts at Ohio State series featuring performances by School of Music students and faculty. Listen on-air, online, or on the WOSU Public Media mobile app.


Opus 88

Did you know? Ohio has 88 counties, just as a piano has 88 keys. A musical inspiration!

Follow our progress as we trek the state to connect with Buckeyes, engage with communities and share the joy of music through each of Ohio's 88 counties.