Gustavus Adolphus College boasts an impressive collection of faculty. With every department full of professors that excel both in their fields and their mentoring, students receive support in all interests they pursue. Dr. Karrin Meffert-Nelson is an Associate Professor of Music teaching clarinet, courses in the music education program and a first term seminar course titled ‘Arts in Community’. Additionally, Meffert-Nelson is Principal Clarinet with the Minnesota Opera Orchestra and an active freelance musician in the Twin Cities.
Dr. Meffert-Nelson worked closely with composer Oscar Navarro when he visited Gustavus Adolphus College in the Fall of 2023 and has since formed a connection with him and his compositions.
Speaking of her time working with him, Dr. Meffert-Nelson said “to get to play a concerto conducted by the composer is a real treat and his concertos have caught my attention for a long time so I was starstruck. To get to play with the composer who created such beauty – there was an instant connection. Our connection was immediate, and part of it is because Oscar was a clarinetist himself. When we started talking about our concepts of music, we learned we have a common background in our teachings. We had a lot in common, and to have him conduct and talk with him about inspirations for the piece was just a huge gift.”
Dr. Meffert-Nelson has since been in contact with Oscar Navarro to create a Sonata for clarinet and piano students to perform, as his work has long served as an inspiration. As she put it, “it has been a world of working with a living composer that was born out of a Gustavus connection that will bring another piece into the repertoire, and it makes me excited because people will notice that piece and it will get played. It makes me excited that I can give that gift and make that happen.”
This also speaks to the positive experience that Oscar Navarro has had with the Gustavus community, as he was overjoyed to collaborate on a piece for the Gustavus students to perform. Dr. Meffert-Nelson remarked “[Navarro] genuinely enjoyed his experience here and it is fun to see those connections continue and that partnership blossom.”
The connection between Dr. Meffert-Nelson and Oscar Navarro speaks to the community that Gustavus Adolphus College fosters and the importance of a liberal arts education.
“When it comes to the liberal arts experience, Gustavus embodies the liberal arts. That means you can be curious about music and all the things that intersect with it. You could be a music major and study something in psychology or history that intersects with music. I am so excited about each individual’s pathway and we can chart that path forward. To me, our faculty are authentically out there performing dn can model that for our students. For me to be an authentic teacher, it is important to me that teachers be authentic performers. Also to me the way that I am approaching music and lessons is seeking out that deeper connection. At Gustavus, it sets students up to be curious and to pursue their curiosities.”