Dr. Sunny Zank performing a piano duet with Virginia Campbell, then NLAPW National President
On March 7, 2021, Dr. Sunny will share with us her inspiration and methods for composing a recent commissioned “march” for a friend and officer of the Ohio Chapter of the Eastern Star, the women’s branch of the Masons.
Dr. Zank is past chair of the ONU University Council (the Council consists of the ONU President, all ONU Vice-Presidents, all College Deans, and elected representation from each of the five Colleges.). She served on the Board of Directors for Japan Studies Association, National American Schools of Music (NASM) Region 5 secretary, and the ONU Board of Trustees. She served CMS as a site host, program chair, and frequently as speaker and poster session presenter (Japanese music).
Her compositions (orchestral, choral, chamber music) have been performed across the U.S. and Canada. She served as adjudicator for the National American Pen Women music composition scholarship. As an active scholar she has presented papers at meetings of the American Musicological Society, the Sonneck Society, the College Music Society, and the Japan Studies Association. She has published over twenty prefaces to scores, of little known compositions, for Musikproduktion Hoeflich (Germany), and writes book and music reviews for the ASTA Journal.
Her teaching specialties are music theory/composition, music history and ethnomusicology (music of East Asia) and violin/viola and string ensemble. Dr. Zank holds degrees from the University of Oregon (B.A., M.A.) and the University of Northern Colorado (D.A.). She has been the recipient of awards from the Freeman Foundation and the Henry Luce fund, to study the music of East Asia at the East West Center of the University of Hawaii and Tokai University. Following her undergraduate work she did additional studies at the Franz Liszt Academy (Budapest), Mozarteum (Salzburg), and Trossingen Hochschule (Germany).
While “retired” Dr. Sunny accepted an invitation, from Virginia Campbell, to be the National Music Chair for the National League of American Pen Women from 2016-18. Dr. Sunny runs a small violin/piano studio in the greater Lima Ohio area. This involves writing music for students and creating Musical Recitals/shows. A number of her students are Suzuki Violinists though her college preparation program is more traditional in focus.
