Edgewood voice students perform Icelandic repertoire
By Reid Kamhi
Staff Writer
April 20, 2022
Eight Edgewood College voice students of Prof. Cayla Rosché performed a collection of Icelandic pieces 8 in St. Joseph Chapel April 8.
Roshé, a leading expert on Icelandic Lyric Diction, collaborated with Carrie Firman, an associate professor of art at Edgewood College, to showcase Firman’s landscape photos of Iceland parallel to the performance. Additionally, the occasion served as an informal farewell to vocal instructor Kathleen Otterson, who will retire at the close of the semester.
Rosché recently received a Fulbright scholarship for her work in Icelandic music, and will spend four months in Iceland to continue the work she began for her dissertation.
Rosché explained that on a 2018 visit to Iceland, she happened upon a concert playing traditional soprano music. She was immediately drawn to it.
At the time, she was in search of a topic for her dissertation at UW-Madison, and found this genre was her calling. Her enjoyment for the music has since grown exponentially.
“I thought it was really interesting,” she said. “It has a huge foundation in folklore and storytelling and a very unique sound.”
Rosché received her Ph.D. in 2020, with a virtual lecture recital, leading to new connections and lecture opportunities.
“Virtual options offer a wider audience. So had I given the recital here in Madison in just a concert hall or something, folks around the world might not be hearing it,” Rosché said.
Since then, Rosché has been integrating Icelandic music into the lesson plans for her students.
“One of the things I bring to the table as a teacher is my passion for the music,” she says. “And if I care deeply about the repertoire I’m assigning to my students and can present it to them in a way that I think will draw them in, then they buy into the repertoire.”
Marcial Martinez, one of the performers, said that the opportunity to learn this music has exposed his true breadth of abilities.
“It’s opened doors to new types of sounds my voice can make,” Martinez said following the recital. “Icelandic really is something new.”
Shawn D. Padley, another performer, said that he has taken a lot away from working with her.
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