DANIELA GOMEZ | Special to The Denisonian

The first Vail Series performance of the season on Denison University’s campus packed the house.

The Queen’s Cartoonists took old cartoons, projected them on a theater-sized screen and set them to music in ways that had the audience in stitches – laughing, cheering and clapping. The ages of those filling the pews in Swasey Chapel on Oct. 6 ranged from elementary school age to senior citizens. And many of them – all of the Denison students, faculty and staff in attendance – attended at no charge.

That’s one of the enduring gifts of the Vail Series, which was endowed with a gift from Mary and Foster McGaw in honor of Jeanne Vail, a member of the Denison Class of 1946. Another part of that gift is that the musicians are on campus for more than their performance. The endowment pays for them to spend time in classrooms and workshops, sharing their knowledge and talents with Denison students.


The latest Vail Series concert in Swasey Chapel was on Oct. 27, when Fazil Say  performed on the piano with Jamal Aliyev, who plays the cello. Now in its 44th season, the Vail Series is directed by Ching-chu Hu, a Denison professor of music. The assistant director is Marla Krak. And they are assisted by Denison student interns and an advisory council of Denison faculty, staff and alumni.

Dr. Hu is a composer whose music has been performed all over the world. He was born in Iowa City, Iowa, and has a master’s degree in music composition. He studied at Yale University, The University of Iowa, and the University of Michigan, where he earned a doctorate in musical arts in composition. He has written the scores for many short award-winning films and continues to work on various projects to this day. He has been at Denison since 2000 and, in addition to directing the Vail Series, he is a professor of music, director of music theater. When Dr. Hu first came to Denison, Lorraine Wales, the first director of the Vail Series, approached him about bringing Vail Series musicians to his classes.

Through this first interaction, Dr. Hu met artists like Bobby McFerrin, and slowly he was
able to start organizing music festivals.

“I’ve always been a person who has been putting together festivals and concerts; I did that even in grad school,” he said. “So, when I came to Denison, I started the TUTTI Arts Festival, by doing that, and then being part of the coordinator for the ensemble and residence program, that sort of gave me a lot of different entry points to The Vail Series.” (“TUTTI” is a musical term, taken from the Italian for “all together,” an expression of the depth and richness of the artistic offerings of the event.)

Meanwhile, Dr. Hu worked closely with Michael Morris, the past Vail Series Director, and when he retired, Dr. Hu was offered the position of the new director. Krak is the Denison arts engagement coordinator, in addition to being the Vail Series assistant director. She has a degree in marketing and has been at Denison for seven years.

“When I love something, I just want to share it,” said Krak, talking about promoting the Vail Series. Her role is “advancing the show,” which includes logistics for the artists – ordering food, transportation, workshops, and the artists’ stay.

She also works with a staff of 35 to 40 students, including the six interns. “I love seeing students be amazed that they like something that they might not have liked,” Krak.

Emma Phoenix, the lead intern for the series, said she appreciates Dr. Hu’s perspective in directing the series. “He is bringing a lot of new ideas and is making The Vail Series appealing to several audiences,” Phoenix said.

Hu explained by saying, “I see my position as one that programs for the whole community. Before, with festivals and concerts, the primary focus was with the Music Department and the Fine Arts Department,” he said. “This is why the 44th season of The Vail Series is so varied.”

Phoenix, 21, a senior from Sacramento, California, who is majoring in anthropology, sociology and Black Studies, started working with the Vail Series in her sophomore year as an usher.

“It is very easy, on this campus, to feel in a bubble,” she said. “With the Vail Series, it is nice to take an hour and a half of your day and listen to music.”

Hu’s work to book artists is made easier by the longevity of the series and the strength of both the endowment and the big-name artists who have been part of the series.

“We are very lucky with this endowed series that we can bring the caliber of artists, and compared to other places, the Vail Series is free for all students, staff, and faculty, which I find to be very lucky and unique,” Dr. Hu said. “A lot of the time, students don’t realize how cool it is, how special it is, and what a unique opportunity they have here when the artists come in because you won’t be able to see them for free anywhere else.”

And that the artists also hold workshops with students takes the program a step further than most.

“I think what is amazing is that artists here are all willing to meet with students, and meet with students in other departments, and be open to conversations and do workshops,” Dr. Hu said.

“We’ve done things where athletics and music get together because of performance anxiety, and/or communication. Non-verbal communication is a good example as a basketball team has to communicate without speaking sometimes, and so does a quartet on stage.”