Prof. Russell McCutcheon, director of bands in the Sunderman Conservatory of Music, has been awarded the 2024 American Prize in Conducting, music theater division, for his collaborative and innovative work on the Gettysburg College musical “The Prom” last November.
The American Prize National Nonprofit Competitions in the Performing Arts operates the nation’s most comprehensive series of contests in the performing arts. This nonprofit annually recognizes the nation’s best performing artists, directors, ensembles, and composers at professional, college/university, community, and high school levels.
This is McCutcheon’s first top award from the organization after being named a finalist in the conducting-university and college bands division in 2016 and a runner-up in musical theater in 2020.
“It was very gratifying to be a finalist previously and I was surprised and excited to learn I’d been named a winner this year,” McCutcheon said. “I really need to thank the creative team I worked with on the show, including director Chris Kauffman, music director Susan Hochmiller, the incredible staff at the Majestic Theater, and of course Gettysburg College for supporting our music and theater productions.”
Debuting on Broadway in 2018, “The Prom” features music by Matthew Sklar and lyrics by Chad Beguelin. It’s based on an original concept by Jack Viertel that was also adapted into a film starring Meryl Streep and Nicole Kidman. A multi-time Tony Award nominee, the Broadway production won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical in 2019.
Gettysburg puts on a musical every two years with Kauffman, Hochmiller, and McCutcheon collaborating to find the right fit for their musicians and actors. The process takes months of work and coordination between campus partners and the Majestic Theater before dress rehearsal week right before the live performance.
Guided by their faculty mentors, students step onto the stage and into the pit prepared to not only put on a great show for waiting audiences, but also armed with the knowledge and enduring skills that will propel them into their educational and professional pursuits after Gettysburg. The experience provides a professional learning opportunity that goes above and beyond a standard school theater production, and is a testament to the College’s unique approach to education—The Gettysburg Approach.
“From a pedagogical point of view, we're here for the students. My goal is the teaching and learning that goes along with the performance.”
– Prof. Russell McCutcheon
“My real audience are the people on the stage—the students,” McCutcheon stated. “If the audience out in the house likes what we do, that's great and I want them to enjoy the production. From a pedagogical point of view, we're here for the students. My goal is the teaching and learning that goes along with the performance. We're not just learning about notes and rhythms; we're learning about the composers; and we're learning about the background of the music and how it fits with other musical pieces throughout history and across different cultures around the world.”
In addition to his work with theater productions, McCutcheon conducts the Wind Symphony and administers the band program including the Symphony Band and Bullets Marching Band. He teaches courses in music education, conducting, and music technology. McCutcheon also founded the Atlantic Chamber Winds, a flexible ensemble comprised of professional musicians including Sunderman Conservatory faculty and students.
McCutcheon and his fellow faculty scholars continue to create new and innovative ways to provide students with the means to make musical discoveries across campus. Devoted to the development of the art of music in the lives of campus and the broader community, the Sunderman Conservatory of Music welcome students from all academic disciplines and backgrounds to engage in impactful learning opportunities.
“About 17 percent of all Gettysburg College students participate in Conservatory ensembles and classes, and while many of them are music majors and music minors, many more are students from across our campus,” McCutcheon noted. “That's exactly who and what we want to be when we're talking about a conservatory grounded in a liberal arts environment. We want to have opportunities for all students. We're really glad to be able to offer that here at Gettysburg.”
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By Corey Jewart
Photos by Eric Lippe ’23
Posted: 09/26/24