It has been nearly three years since the Musikos Collective first hit the stage at Oberlin. Founded by three cello students in spring 2022, the collective has brought unique performances to the campus and town since its inception. Double-degree fifth-year Daniel Knapp and double-degree fourth-year Diana Reid work tirelessly to program, produce, and operate concerts, showcase students, and create a positive impact on Oberlin as a whole.
Musikos is an entirely student-led organization that engages art and music at Oberlin in a variety of ways, extending beyond the Conservatory into many corners of campus. From commissioning student composers, to collaborating with different student organizations across campus, to showcasing musicians in different areas of the greater community, Musikos has programmed an impressive breadth of musical exhibitions that display the creativity and passion of the Oberlin community. An independent organization, the collective has featured many students, Conservatory faculty, and guest artists.
The three founders — Knapp, Reid, and Aaron Lieberman, OC ’24 — brought different creative expressions and ideas for what Musikos ought to be, and the result is a multidisciplinary artistic organization that grew into a staple of Oberlin life over the years. Recent performances have included benefit concerts for nonprofits across the country, small ensembles at Slow Train Cafe, and a collaboration with Oberlin’s slam poetry organization OSLAM.
“We’ve worked with dancers, visual artists, filmmakers, musicians, [as well as] different departments across the campus, like the Astronomy and Physics departments,” Reid said. “I’ve been so excited about the range of people I’ve been able to meet and work with, and that people from all different walks of life and strengths and ideas are all really interested in this. The support from the administration has been really helpful as well.”
Knapp, who serves as the director of Musikos, is entering his last year at Oberlin and has found great pride and joy in the organization’s evolution. Over the years, he has worked with countless students, guest artists, and faculty — including Director of the Division of Conducting and Ensembles, Director of the Contemporary Music Ensemble and Oberlin Sinfonietta, and Professor of Conducting Timothy Weiss; Associate Professor of Percussion Ross Karre; Director of Conservatory Professional Development and Associate Professor of Contemporary Music and Improvisation Dana Jessen; and Ruth Strickland Gardner Professor of Conducting and Director of Oberlin Orchestras Raphael Jiménez. Knapp expresses his pride for how the Collective has developed and grown to embody the spirit of artistic expression on campus.
“I think our programming has evolved a lot,” Knapp said. “From the beginning, we always had our eye on creative programming, but it wasn’t really until some long conversations with Weiss, Ross Karre, Dana Jessen, and Raphael Jiménez — and I took two or three [programming] courses my second year — that it really changed. The biggest thing that has changed is making sure that when we are programming a series of concerts, we’re trying to find all the cool parts of Oberlin to highlight.”
Those parts have given countless showcasing opportunities and experiences for composers, musicians, and audience members alike. This year alone, Musikos’ expanse is impressive, with concerts set to include immersive stargazing, music by Dolly Parton, jazz and Performance and Improvisation ensembles, guest artists, string octets, and more. Their most recent concert featured silent film screenings accompanied by live music, including a commissioned piece by third-year Composition major Oliver Hecht.
Though both Knapp and Reid will be graduating soon, the Collective has hired new student producers for their team who will be trained to program concerts and help with other operations in order to carry on Musikos’ legacy.
“My hope is that this is something that continues for as long as Oberlin needs and wants it,” Reid said. “I would love it if I could come back for a reunion in 10 years and go to a Musikos concert, but I also think this is an organization that lends itself to evolution. Because we’re trying to make a space and opportunities for stories to be told, I think that whatever that looks like in the future is what Oberlin will need it to be. If it needs to transition in a certain direction, I trust that it’s because that’s what Oberlin is looking for.”
The Musikos Collective will present their next two concerts soon. Earlier today, New York-based duo Ayane and Paul held a chamber music master class and performance, as well as a cello masterclass from 2:30–4:30 p.m. in David H. Stull Recital Hall. The next, “Urania: Immersive Stargazing,” featuring the TIMARA department, will be held Oct. 11 at 8 p.m. at the Observatory and Taylor Planetarium. If you are interested in proposing a concert idea to Musikos or getting involved administratively, please reach out to [email protected].
