In late November, the West University of Timisoara, Romania, presented an honorary doctorate to BGSU faculty member Dr. Marilyn Shrude.
The honor was presented to Shrude in recognition as a composer, pianist, educator, promoter of new music, and role model for female composers. She is the first woman to receive the honor.
Shrude has taught the BGSU College of Musical Arts since 1977.
Her former student Dr. Mihai Popean, who received his master’s and doctoral degrees from BGSU, stated: “Dr. Shrude’s journey as a composer is a story of unparalleled artistic excellence. Her music transcends boundaries , speaking to the mind and the heart with equal clarity, weaving intricate textures with vibrant emotional depth while balancing intellect with intuition, and innovation with tradition, a true testament to her mastery of the craft, and her deep understanding of the human spirit.”
Popean now a professor at West University of Timisoara advocated for Shrude to be honored studied with Shrude at BGSU for nine years, from 2006 to 2015. “Her guidance is not prescriptive but collaborative, empowering her students to take risks, embrace vulnerability, and push beyond their perceived limits.”
Popean also cited her work as woman in a field dominated by men, leading the way for female composers. “She has shown us that music is a universal language, one that is enriched by a diversity of voices that contribute to its creation.”
Shrude and her husband and musical collaborator, saxophonist John Sampen traveled to Romania to accept the honor. They had previously traveled to the country in 2014 to hear BGSU graduate Ioana Galu perform Shrude’s Violin Concerto with the Sibiu Philharmonic Orchestra. Shrude in her acceptance remarks that students from Romania have “enriched” BGSU.
She concluded her remarks by addressing the importance of the arts in the contemporary world. Art helps people “make sense out of the confusion, to sort things out, to prioritize,” she said. “Those of us who make our living as artists must secure its place in the future. We should embrace the responsibility of protecting and nurturing the artistic soul of our society. It would be wrong to watch to idly watch the arts dwindle to a state of non-existence.”
In closing, she said she would never trade her career in music.
“It has given me the opportunity to meet wonderful people, to see the world, and to share on a personal level which is almost impossible in most professions today.”
