Biography: Curriculum Vitae for Dr. Jasmin Cowin, Ed.D.

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Profile

A talented educator and lecturer in music history and appreciation with more than fifteen years of experience, and a recent recipient of the distinguished William C. Musham Award for Excellence in teaching at Marymount Manhattan College. Created a unique and popular opera lecture series that is much in demand and often sold out. A distinguished ensemble and orchestral player, who frequently performs in the metropolitan area and abroad. Co-founder of the New York Harp Duo, a multi-faceted harp duo, performing in New York State.

Professional Experience

Teaching Experience

2006-present: Hunter College, Continuing Education Department, Lecturer Courses include:: Mozart, His Life and His work

2000-2006: Marymount Manhattan College, Center for Living and Learning New York, NY: Adjunct Lecturer
Courses include: The Story of Opera, Opera and Tragedy, History of the Harp, 800 Years of Western Music, Opera Demystified, Opera through Five Centuries, Opera Rara, Viva Verdi, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, and Brahms—The Story of the Symphony, History of Western Music, Music of the Baroque and Classical Periods, Opera and the Seven Deadly Sins, Fallen Female or Femme Fatale? Opera and Tragedy, Grand Opera Discovered, Romanticism in Music.

2003-2005: German-American School, New York, NY: German Instructor (part-time) for grades 11 through 12, Advanced Level 2; German Teacher for High School Regents Exam

1999: The Philip H. Sheridan School, P.S. 21, New York, NY: Substitute Homeroom Teacher for grade 4

1998-1994: Innovative Community Enterprises (an educational not-for-profit organization), New York, NY: Director of Education
Developed, coordinated, and taught varied curricula for New York City public and private schools and Long Island school districts. Oversaw staff of 14 facilitators who instructed teachers on how to implement courses including: Multicultural Music, Intergenerational Oral History “Building Bridges” (received the 1995 and 1998 New York State Department of the Aging Outstanding Program award), Business Skill Development, and Second Language Teacher Workshops. Program Grant Director: received $250,000 from the New York City Board of Education for program design and delivery, as well as a multi-year grant from the New York Department of the Aging.

1992-1994: Notre Dame Academy, Staten Island, NY: Music Teacher (part-time) for grades 1 through 12
Duties included general music instruction and choir preparation.

1992-1994: The Learning Place, Staten Island, NY: Music and Piano Instructor for grades 1 through 12

1989-1992: Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY: Teaching Assistant specializing in harp and piano

Select Lectures

2006 (January-June):

New York City Library: “Viva Verdi”, a celebration of Verdi’s life, love and operas.

Marymount Manhattan College, New York, NY: Mozart, Weber, and Verdi: Operatic Traditions Discovered.

Opera Company of Brooklyn, Brooklyn, NY: L’Elsir d’Amore–Relationships in Flux.

German Embassy, Washington, D.C.: Oper und Die 7 Todsuenden.

City University of New York (Jewish Studies Department), New York, NY: The Jewish People in Opera.

2005:: German Embassy, Washington, D.C.: Deutsche Oper-Eine Kurzreise; Marymount Manhattan College, New York, NY: Fallen Females and Suicides (roundtable discussion with Diva Soprano Aprile Millo about her Tosca debut); The New York Public Library (Yorkville branch), New York, NY: Opera and the Seven Deadly Sins; Opera Company of Brooklyn, Brooklyn, NY: Pre-performance lecture for Tosca, La Rondine, La Divina—An Introduction, Cosi fan Tutti—Insights and Thoughts, Don Giovanni—Evil or Possessed?

2003-present:: Ongoing Lecture Series at the Easthampton Public Library, Easthampton, NY and Quogue Public Library, Quogue, NY: Musical Portraits: Giuseppe Verdi: The Man, his Life, his Music, Richard Wagner: The Mythical World of the Der Ring des Nibelungen, Puccini Love Scenes, Who is Leonora?, Mozart’s String Quartets, Opera and the Seven Deadly Sins, Fallen Female or Femme Fatale?

Select Performances

Co-founded "The New York Harp Duo" with Liza Jensen

2006: “Music of the Green Isles”, The New York Harp Duo, New York Public Library, 67 th Street Branch Churchservice, Evangelische Landeskirche, Karlsruhe, organ-harp music together with Kantor Christian-Markus Raiser "Harfenweisen und Klangraeume", Concert featuring a Clarsac and medival Flute "Harfenmusik fuer Gross und Klein" Musical journey on the harp, catholic library, Bretten “Ein musikalisches Portrait von Jerusalem", a musical portrait of Jerusalem with Hazan Moshe Hayoun, Jewish Community in Karlsruhe, "Harfenklaenge aus aller Welt", musical journey into the world of harp music, Hotel Traube, Tonbach ( Web site)

2005: Temple Emanu-El, New York, NY: King David and his Harp (concert with discussion); harp accompaniment for Passover service; Solo Harpist, The Healing Harp, and Children’s Voices, with the Temple’s children’s choir, at the Jewish Home and Hospital, New York, NY

1997: Gracie Mansion, New York, NY: Solo Harpist for German-American Friendship Week

1995: Stein Senior Center, New York, NY: Harp Concert-Lecture Five Centuries of Harp Music

1993: Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY: Harp Concert-Lecture Contemporary Harp Music from Germany

1992: Lyra Music residence (sponsored by the New York Chapter of the American Harp Society), New York, NY, Harp Concert-Lecture Contemporary Harp Music

1991: Broadway Bach Ensemble, New York, NY: Guest Harpist St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, New York, NY: Solo Harpist for the world premiere of Frank Poindexter’s Missa Brevis in Eb and Magnificat in C major

1987-1992: First Harpist, The New York Symphonic Arts Ensemble, New York, NY
Solo Harpist, American premiere of Harald Heilman’s Concerto for Harp and Cello
Solo Harpist, Marcel Grandjany’s Aria in Classic Style
Solo Harpist, G. F. Haendel’s Concerto in Bb

1987-1988: Principal Harpist, The Shepherd School Symphony Orchestra, Rice University, Houston, TX

Recordings and Articles

The New York Symphonic Arts Ensemble, New York, NY CDs: Magnificat in C-Major: The Divine Liturgy (with harp solos) and Missa Brevis in Eb (harp solos and duos)

The Opera Company of Brooklyn, Brooklyn, New York CD (Albany Records, released in Spring 2006): Thomas Pasatieri’s La Divina and Signor Deluso

Wrote program notes, synopsis, and biographies.

Several lecture topics are being developed into articles for publication:
Fallen Female or Femme Fatale?: A Close Look at Female Protagonists in Opera, Opera in the Classroom: A Cross-curricular Approach, Opera and the Seven Deadly Sins: An Operatic Portrayal.

Education

Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY
Doctorate of Education, 1992 (dissertation: Contemporary Harp Music); Masters of Education, 1988-1989

Rice University, Houston, TX
Orchestral and Ensemble Scholarship, Graduate Studies in Music, 1987-1988

University of Houston, Houston, TX
Fulbright Scholarship, Music Program: Specialized in American contemporary harp music and orchestral performance, 1985-1986

Staatliche Hochschule fuer Musik, Karlsruhe, Germany
Diploma for Education and Orchestra Harpist, 1982-1986

Awards and Memberships

2002 William C. Musham Award for Excellence in Teaching, Marymount Manhattan College, New York, NY

American Harp Society (New York Chapter), former Vice-President

Music Committee Member, Temple Emanu-El, New York, NY

Rachmaninoff Society, New York, NY