Katzen honors violist Kivrak

Media Credit: Courtesy of CHAD EVANS WYATT Turkish native Osman Kivrak has played the viola for 40 years and has inspired AU students to practice music for 20.

Musician in Residence Osman Kivrak will celebrate his 20-year anniversary at AU this weekend with a performance Friday night at the Katzen Arts Center. The idea for the concert came from his colleague, Nancy Jo Sneider, the Music Programs Director in the Department of Performing Arts, who describes Kivrak as "one of the most creative artists I have ever met. He is a treasure, and we are so lucky to have him."

"When I first came to AU, he told me I played the viola as if I were playing football," John Harrison, a former student and AU alumnus, said. "I have since remedied that problem, and Osman was the cure. He has the ability to teach the unteachable."

This praise is no surprise given that Kivrak has devoted his life to music. His first instrument was the mandolin, but almost 40 years ago his older brother convinced him to switch to the viola, and Kivrak found something he loved.

Kivrak said AU has changed a lot since he came to the campus 20 years ago, especially since the construction of the Katzen Arts Center.

"I think putting together the various departments of a fine arts school in the same building increased the interaction between them," Kivrak said. "An artist who is drawing a violin will have more insight about it because they will be seeing it; they will be hearing it. A pianist will be more inspired to play a Debussy piece when they walk by a beautiful impressionistic painting."

Kivrak said that he loves teaching almost as much as he loves playing.

"My favorite part of teaching is the seeing the difference I intended to make in the playing of my students occur," he said.

"Osman was the best teacher I have ever had, in any subject," Katherine Littlefield, a former student and AU alumna, said. "While past teachers were always bogged down with the technical corrections, his approach is more focused on the music you are making. It was so refreshing, but also enabled me to become a much better musician because I was having fun instead of worrying about minute details."

A native of Turkey, Kivrak came to the United States in 1977 when he received a scholarship from the Turkish government to study abroad. He chose Catholic University.

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