Adjunct instructor performs in NYC concert honoring Debussy

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. -- As part of a celebration honoring French composer Claude Debussy's 150th birthday, Dr. Patricia Surman, an adjunct music instructor at Northeastern State University, performed at Symphony Space in New York City on Nov. 2.

The concert featured Surman on flute, Nelson Ojeda Valds and Christopher Bradshaw on piano, and baritone Luis Gonzalez. Works performed included Debussy's Syrinx and Claire de Lune. Other program inclusions were Images I, L'isle Joyeuse and Petite Suite.

"The performance was very special," Surman said. "Debussy's music has a transcendent quality to it and the audience was moved by the beauty of the music. It was truly an honor to be a part of this event."

Surman teaches flute and chamber music to NSU students, but also leads online courses in music appreciation and rock music history.

"I enjoy working one-on-one with my flute students and helping them cultivate their talents," she said. "I also enjoy the opportunities to share a love and understanding of all styles of music with non-music majors in a classroom setting."

As a child, Surman was always interested in music and began playing the flute when she was in fifth grade.

"Through a great deal of hard work and dedication, it has become my musical voice and I couldn't really imagine a better instrument for me," she said. "The orchestral, solo and chamber repertoire is so diverse and the tonal possibilities are endless. It is simultaneously a very expressive and virtuosic instrument."

In addition to her work at NSU, Surman is a freelance flutist who has performed around the world. She now performs regularly with regional orchestras including the Tulsa Symphony, Signature Symphony and the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas. She has previously taught at the University of North Texas, Southwestern Adventist, Tulsa Community College and Southwestern Oklahoma State.

Surman holds a bachelor's of music in performance from the University of Redlands in California. She earned her master's degrees in musical performance and musicology and doctor of musical arts from North Texas.

For more information about the music program at NSU call 918-444-2709.