Amy Catron

I am honored to join the distinguished music faculty at Mississippi State University as Assistant Teaching Professor of Cello!

https://www.music.msstate.edu/faculty/bio/catron/

Welcome to the gorgeous new facilities at the MSU Department of Music!

We welcome you to join us on campus and in the greater Starkville community for our varied and exciting MSU musical events!

https://www.music.msstate.edu/events/

Please join us for a free recital celebrating American composers on February 14, 2024

https://www.music.msstate.edu/events/2024-02/american-sonorities

Please join us for Music Discovery Day on November 6, 2023!

 

We are excited to launch Jacket Strings in the Starkville-Oktibbeha Schools! Please see the video:

https://youtu.be/LZhx7ahNFYg

Excellence in STRINGS… beginning in 2023-2024! SOSD is proud to announce the launch of our new program for beginning strings instruction in partnership with the MSU Department of Music and Mississippi State University College of Education!

Students in 3rd-6th grade can learn to play violin, viola, cello, or string bass taught by shared faculty in the MSU Department of Music. Instruction that will begin this school year at West Elementary, Henderson Ward Stewart, and Overstreet Elementary will grow over the next few years to include a comprehensive strings program for 3rd-12th grade students, enabling a Middle School and High School Orchestra to complement our excellent band and choral programs.

The future of music education is bright for the #JacketFamily! Take a look at this video to meet our new strings faculty, and stay tuned for more details about how your rising 3rd-5th grader can participate! #ExpectExcellence

Free Masterclass and clinic at Millikin on April 6, 2023, 2 pm, Kaeuper Hall

MTNA National Conference
Reno, Nevada, March 25-29, 2023
 Presentation: “Applying the NAfME Standards to the Studio to Empower and Sustain Learning”

Sinfonia da Camera, an homage to Mozart
Saturday, October 22, 2022, 7:30 pm
Smith Recital Hall, University of Illinois
https://www.sinfonia.illinois.edu/tickets
Haydn, Sinfonia Concertante in B-flat Major, Hob. I:105 
Michael Barta, violin
Amy Catron, cello
John Dee, oboe
Henry Skolnick, bassoon
Mozart, Piano Concerto No. 23 in A Major, K. 488
(Ian Hobson, piano) 

College Music Society 65th National Conference
September 21-24, 2022
Long Beach, California
Paper Presentation:
Community Music Catalyzing Democracy and Perforating Habitus

Sigma Alpha Iota 50th National Convention
July 28-August 1, 2022
Musicale Performer (works by Cassadó and Chumbley) and the world premiere of Amy Riebs Mills’ String Quartet

NEW EDITIONS OF WORKS BY DEGEN AND DOTZAUER FOR CELLO AND GUITAR (2021)

 

https://firststeprecords.bandcamp.com/album/particles-and-prayer

NEW CD RELEASE ANNOUNCEMENT

PARTICLES AND PRAYER, Silver Medal Global Music Award Winning Album

Amy Catron, Cello

http://firststeprecords.bigcartel.com

Amy Catron describes the cello as one of the most versatile instruments. She has established herself as one of the leading performers of her generation, currently serving as principal cellist for the Millikin-Decatur Symphony Orchestra (MDSO) and Sinfonia da Camera, as well as an instructor for the School of Music at Millikin University, where she teaches applied cello, music theory, ear training, lower string methods, and university studies.

Catron was recently honored for her incredible musicianship by receiving a silver medal from the Global Music Awards in March 2019 under the category of “Original Works for Cello. Established in 2011, the Global Music Awards is a well-known international music competition celebrating independent musicians. Past winners include jazz bassist Esperanza Spalding, blues rock band Alabama Shakes and singer Sara Bareilles.
Catron submitted a compilation of pieces she did over the past three to four years for the Global Music Awards. Among those projects was a world premiere of “Particle I,” written by Robert Chumbley. “I recorded ‘Particle I’ at Millitrax Studios with Millikin alum Megan Peterson (‘ 17), who helped produce the track,” said Catron. “Another piece of the compilation was ‘Particle II’ by Robert Chumbley, who composed the piece for the Millikin Symphonic Wind Ensemble and me after I premiered ‘Particle I.’ It was a large undertaking that encompassed the Millikin Wind Ensemble and students.” Catron saw this as a way to synthesize two world premieres, resulting in the perfect vehicle to underscore what Millikin is all about performance learning and collaboration.

Catron’s compilation has been produced and released by First Step Records, a Millikin student-run record label titled Particles and Prayer, consisting of pieces Particle I, Particle II, and Prayer.

Millikin University prides itself on using performance learning, or students learning by doing. Students were in charge of recording, mixing, and mastering the pieces featured on this album. From there, Professor Catron reached out to the student-run record label to produce the product through a company called Disc Makers. One student, senior music business major Rebecca Mendenhall, decided to take on the project. She was in charge of finding a graphic designer and coordinating communications between the artist, designer, and production services of Disc Makers.

“When Professor Catron first came to us with the idea of First Step Records producing the CD, I thought it would be a great project to take on to gain experience and would truly exercise performance learning in the way that Millikin University envisioned. There have been hurdles that we had to overcome. As we did, it was a learning experience for
everyone involved,” says Mendenhall. Catron hopes “this collaboration between faculty, students, and outside composers, marketing and other professionals is an experience that will serve as a model for future productions and performance learning ventures.”

Cd’s available at: https://firststeprecords.bigcartel.com 

First Step Records
Rebecca Mendenhall 618-554-1809
Press Release Date: January 20, 2020