Laven Sowell

Laven Sowell, a Tulsa, Oklahoma musician [ [http://www.tulsalibrary.org/research/tulsa/musicians.php Tulsa Musicians ] ] was born on January 9, 1933 in Wewoka, Oklahoma. He grew up in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and graduated from the Classen High School Class of 1951. His first voice teacher was Clark Snell, whom Mr. Sowell attributes to having a profound influence on his sense of purpose, discipline, and musical values.

Education

After high school, he received a Bachelor’s degree in music from the University of Oklahoma where he studied voice with the distinguished and well known American tenor Joseph Benton, also known as Joseph Bentonelli in Europe. During this collegiate period he spent three summers at the Aspen Institute of Music, where he studied with the famous French baritone Martial Singher.

In 1955 and 1956, Laven Sowell was selected to sing baritone roles with the Wagner touring group after auditioning for opera impresario Charles L. Wagner. This occurred during his Senior year at the University of Oklahoma. This allowed him to work with great and well known opera, singers, including the world-renowned stage director Désiré Defrère and Ruth and Thomas Martin, who are world-famous for their English translations of operas . Following this tour, he settled in New York City, where he continued his vocal studies at the Manhattan School of Music with the distinguished Metropolitan Opera baritone, John Brownlee.

He received his Master of Arts degree at Columbia University. While attending Columbia, Laven Sowell also received private voice lessons from Samuel Margolis. Samuel Margolis’ students included the legendary baritone Robert Merrill and bass Jerome Hines . Laven Sowell began to teach voice lessons himself soon after.

Teaching

He returned to Oklahoma where he continued teaching private voice lessons. Soon, he received an offer to teach in Tulsa, Oklahoma at Thomas A. Edison High School. During his career at Edison, his choirs quickly established a regional reputation and were rewarded with many important engagements. Several invitations were received where the chorus performed as Honor Choir for the Oklahoma Music Educators Association.

The Edison Concert Chorus was invited to sing full concerts for the national conventions of the Music Teachers National Association in St. Louis (1966) and the Music Educators National Conference in Chicago (1970). The group was also invited to sing at prestigious concert series in Houston, Texas (1966), Fort Wayne, Indiana (1969), and New York City’s Riverside Church (1968) with a live radio broadcast.

During this period Laven Sowell spent another summer of “continuing education” studying with famous French pedagogue Nadia Boulanger at the renowned Conservatoire Américain de Fontainebleau in France.

In 1970, Laven Sowell accepted an invitation to join the Music faculty at the University of Tulsa. He began teaching there in the fall of 1970 for more than twenty years. His first position was Director of the Opera Theater program, and later became Director of Choral Activities. He served for several years as Chairman of the Voice Department. His University of Tulsa Modern Choir was celebrated for its excellence, appearing as Honor Choir at the Oklahoma Music Educators Association in 1975, and was invited to represent the State of Oklahoma with a thirty-minute pre-worship concert at the National Cathedral in Washington D.C. in 1982.

Tulsa Opera

Many Tulsans realize that in addition to his “day job” as an educator, Laven Sowell occupied two challenging positions in the community during these years. First, he was engaged for an amazing thirty-four seasons as Chorus Master for Tulsa Opera , Inc. where he had the opportunity to work with some of the world’s leading opera stars and prestigious conductors. Some include famous and easily recognized opera stars as Beverly Sills and Richard Tucker. Tulsa Opera patrons were also exposed to his resonant baritone voice and artistry on the stage as he performed twelve secondary roles.

Other activities

Laven Sowell also served for seventeen years as Choirmaster of the First Presbyterian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Under his direction the Chancel Choir made several recordings and appeared frequently on radio and television. In June,1979 the Choir presented a full concert for the Southwest Regional Convention of the American Guild of Organists .Laven Sowell has been honored over the years with many awards and citations. A few of these stand out and include: the Distinguished Service Award from the Oklahoma Congress of Parents and Teachers (1970); the designation of the T.U. Modern Choir as “Official Ambassadors of Good Will” by Mayor James M. Inhofe (1982), (now U.S. Senator); a citation from the Oklahoma Arts and Humanities Council during Art Activities Week (1985); and theGovernor’s Arts Award for Excellence in the Arts (1991).

Most recently the Tulsa Hyechka Club, Oklahoma’s oldest music organization, honored Laven Sowell at its Silver Brunch in the Great Hall of the Bernsen Center at the First Presbyterian Church in Tulsa.Miriam Spindler Lynch gave a special reading “in honor of this exceptional Tulsa musician and his contribution to the arts.”

Since his retirement from choral conducting, Laven Sowell has continued a private voice studio, which he says gives him fixity of purpose as he prepares promising students for further study in voice. He has been active in Tulsa Accredited Music Teachers’ Association(TAMTA), where he has underwritten a scholarship for high school seniors.

Many of his private students have gone on to become music majors in their universities. Laven Sowell has slowed down his pace to include more relaxation and visiting with friends at Inverness Village in Tulsa. He is thus enjoying the best of both worlds – the world of music and the world of friendship.

Publications

Laven Sowell has written and published Tulsa Opera Chronicles (with Jack Williams) [http://pocketknowledge.tc.columbia.edu/home.php/browse?search=Laven+Sowell&searchtype=all&browseby=chart&sortfiles=volume&optdisplay=0&searchdisplay=1] , MyMusic Notebook [http://pocketknowledge.tc.columbia.edu/home.php/browse?search=Laven+Sowell&searchtype=all&browseby=chart&sortfiles=volume&optdisplay=0&searchdisplay=1] , Con Affetto (With Affection) [http://pocketknowledge.tc.columbia.edu/home.php/browse?search=Laven+Sowell&searchtype=all&browseby=chart&sortfiles=volume&optdisplay=0&searchdisplay=1] and many essays. His books, many essays, and sound recordings are found at his web site, http://www.lavensowell.com. In retirement he enjoys to actively participate in the musical life of Tulsa, the city he calls home.

References