February 5: Mary Vanhoozer and Josh Rodriguez Guest Recital

On February 5th, College of the Ozarks had the honor of welcoming Dr. Mary Vanhoozer, a professional concert pianist, chamber musician, and pedagogue. Dr. Vanhoozer, who received her Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music, performed works by Scarlatti, Chopin, Debussy, and her husband, Dr. Josh Rodriguez. She also took time to discuss the pieces, helping the audience to understand the story of each composer and their music. We are thankful that she shared her musical talents with us!

Mary Vanhoozer is a sought after chamber musician and soloist, with a passion for live music making in her local communities. An active performer, she has played solo recitals at numerous institutions, including Oakland University, Biola University, and Wheaton College. She released her debut solo piano album this past fall, which features the complete keyboard partitas of J. S. Bach, and a newly commissioned work by composer Josh Rodriguez. Dr. Vanhoozer received her BM from Wheaton College Conservatory, her MM from the Eastman School of Music, and her DMA from the Cleveland Institute of Music. Her music mentors are Daniel Shapiro, Daniel Paul Horn, Douglas Humpherys, Paul O’Dette, and Peter Slowik. Currently, Mary serves as adjunct professor of piano at the Collinsworth School of Music at California Baptist University in Riverside, CA. 

On February 6, 2019, guest composer Dr. Josh Rodriguez gave a presentation to College of the Ozarks students on the topic of graduate school. Dr. Rodriguez is a professor at California Baptist University along with his wife, Dr. Mary Vanhoozer, who performed a piano recital at College of the Ozarks the night before.   

Dr. Rodriguez gave wisdom to students considering applying to graduate school and spoke of his personal journey through grad school.  At the end of the presentation, Dr. Rodriguez opened the floor to questions from the students in attendance, which both he and Dr. Vanhoozer answered. 

As a scholar, his research at UCLA culminated with his dissertation ("Tiemble y estalle la fiesta:" Toward Understanding Alberto Ginastera’s Musical Language in the Final Decade of his Neo-expressionist Phase Through Analysis of the Cello Concerto No. 2 with a Focus on Symmetrical Structures and Symbolism). Rodriguez’s further research post-graduation continues to explore Ginastera’s late works, and his relationship with North American orchestras and universities.