When a person with an impactful presence on campus leaves for a sabbatical, that absence is noticed. During the Spring 2025 semester, Adrian College’s very own Dr. Kristin Clark spent a sabbatical away from campus with one goal: to produce an album of mythological Schubert songs. While her presence was missed last semester, Dr. Clark completed her goal, releasing her very first album, Fate and Fury: The Mythological World of Franz Schubert, on August 27.
Dr. Clark is a Michigan native, born and raised in the Ypsilanti/Ann Arbor area. Growing up, she was surrounded by music, though it wasn’t until her sophomore year of college that she discovered she wanted to pursue a music career. After making the daring decision to drop all her classes in her fourth semester and enroll in music courses, Dr. Clark went on to pursue and earn a Bachelor’s of Music Education, a Master’s of Choral Conducting, a Master’s of Vocal Performance, and then a Doctorate in Vocal Performance. With these degrees, Dr. Clark has had the extraordinary opportunity to perform as a soloist twice in Carnegie Hall, with symphonies across the country, as well as in Canada and Europe. She was also a featured soloist on another album, which received a Grammy nomination for Best Opera Performance. In her interview, she stated, “That 19-year-old choir-loving version of me never could have imagined that decision could lead to all of this.”
Dr. Clark’s fascination with classical mythology began in high school, which later led her to devote one of her dissertation recitals entirely to mythological works. Mythology has long inspired composers and artists, and Schubert was no exception. Franz Schubert has been one of Dr. Clark’s favorite composers of art songs. Although he died at the age of 31, Schubert composed over 600 songs, in addition to symphonies, chamber music, and sacred works. Among those works, he wrote more than 30 songs on mythological subjects, portraying gods and heroes not as distant figures but as deeply human characters. From those 30 songs, Dr. Clark chose 13 pieces based on their variety, drama, and relative obscurity.
When Dr. Clark was asked about balancing teaching and performing, she said, “The important thing is to always leave time for my own artistry, while spending much of my time focused on developing skills and artistry in my students. I feel that it is very important that I always demonstrate a pursuit of excellence for my students.” With the release of her album, Dr. Clark has surely achieved her goal in the pursuit of excellence. But when it comes to the production of an album, a new level of expertise is required, as the process can be quite tedious. After months of rehearsal with pianist Dr. Michael Boyd, the recording took place with the help of Chris Momany and Pete Bishop. The album was then sent to a mastering engineer in Nashville, and then finally off to distribution.
While there are no current plans for another album, Dr. Clark stated she hopes it will not be her last, and she is curious to see what people want her to record. You can find Dr. Clark’s album, Fate and Fury: The Mythological World of Franz Schubert, on music streaming platforms anywhere.
