Northern Michigan University music senior Martin Suring and associate professor of piano Dr. Theresa Camilli joined host Kurt Hauswirth in our studios to highlight Suring’s capstone project, scheduled for Friday, November 13 at 1:00 p.m. in Reynolds Recital Hall. The presentation represents nearly ten months of research into an unpublished manuscript by the late Marquette piano pedagogue and composer William Weber. Originally preserved in the NMU archives through a donation by Weber’s former student, Daniel Rydholm, the composer's expansive Lake Superior Piano Suite remained largely unperformed for decades until Dr. Camilli premiered the work and then recruited Suring to analyze, edit, and re-engrave the score for publication.
The partnership between student and mentor quickly evolved into an interactive workspace bridging high-level music theory with live performance. Using notation software alongside real-time editing sessions where Dr. Camilli played the score at the piano, Suring systematically resolved ambiguous notation, double voicings, and harmonic nuances, using compositional conventions from masters like Brahms and Debussy as editorial guides. In addition to fulfilling his degree requirements, Suring emphasized that the hands-on project sharpened his time-management skills and reaffirmed his professional ambition to pursue a career centered on music preservation and regional heritage.
Weber's "Lake Superior Suite" premieres in honor of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church anniversary
Public Radio 90's Kurt Hauswirth spoke with Suring and Camilli about the upcoming presentation:
For Dr. Camilli, bringing Weber’s music to life (which included performing on the composer's own instrument at the Women’s Federated Clubhouse) proved to be an inspiring experience in student-faculty collaboration. Recital attendees will have the opportunity to examine manuscript comparisons while picking up a CD copy of Dr. Camilli's initial recording of the suite, which will later be re-recorded to integrate Suring's score corrections. Titled To Be Known and Loved, the joint effort stands as both an academic milestone for Suring and a dedicated restoration project intended to solidify William Weber's legacy within the Marquette arts community.
Visit the NMU Department of Music website for more information.
