News Archives

Recently, the Democrat and Chronicle featured the UR Glee Clubs in an article announcing the groups' rebirth. View the story: here

Glee Clubs Return to Campus

There may be no poodle skirts or beanies, but glee clubs are being revived at the College. The Department of Music is bringing back this tradition of choral performance in the fall, with membership in the men's and women's clubs open to students, faculty, staff, and the community by audition. "This tradition dates back to the formation of the Men's Glee Club in 1876 and continued for more than 100 years, until the early 1990s, when the Glee Clubs were combined to form University Choir," explains Brett Scott, assistant professor of music and director of choral activities in the Music Department. "Bringing back the Glee Clubs allows students at the University of Rochester to once again experience this wonderful history of singing first hand." The ensembles are being offered as MUR 150, Women's Glee Club, and MUR 156, Men's Glee Club. Both groups will rehearse Tuesday nights in the Interfaith Chapel. Auditions will be held during the first week of classes. The glee clubs will each sing a wide variety of choral repertoire, ranging from large choral and orchestral works to classical standards and popular music. In addition, the two groups will regularly do joint rehearsals and concerts so that students can also sing mixed chorus repertoire.

Photo Essays Now Available

The University Public Relations office has made several photo essays available that feature Music Department activities. Click on the link and scroll to the bottom of the page to view the photo essays of Kim Kowalke's interview with Broadway producer Hal Prince and the UR Symphony Orchestra's 50th anniversary celebration. http://www.rochester.edu/aboutus/multimedia.htm

Music Major Wins Writing Award

Meghan Neall, a sophomore who will be majoring in music and political science, has won the Humanities Category of the College Writing Center Colloquium with her paper "Recitatives in Bach Cantatas: From Arnstadt to Leipzig," which was written for the course MUR 222, Music from 1600 to 1750. Ms. Neall will be honored at the awards luncheon on Thursday, April 28, where she will read a condensed version of her paper.

Musical Theater Workshop Article Featured in Currents

A recent article in the University publication Currents featured Prof. Kim Kowalke's Musical Theater Workshop students. Click on the link to view the article. http://www.rochester.edu/pr/Review/V67N4/inrev06.html

Meliora Weekend 2005

The world premiere of Eastman composer David Liptak's Three Dances for Orchestra is just one highlight of the upcoming concerts planned for Meliora Weekend 2005 on October 21st-23rd. The University Symphony Orchestra, which is celebrating its 50th year, will premiere the Liptak work and will also perform music by Borodin and de Falla on Saturday, October 22nd at 8pm in Strong Auditorium. On Friday the 21st, the Chamber Orchestra will feature guest clarinet soloist Kenneth Grant, an Eastman professor and RPO member, in the performance of von Weber's Concertino for Clarinet at 4pm in Strong. The rebirth of the University's Glee Clubs will be celebrated at 8pm on Friday the 21st with a short concert and reception in the Interfaith Chapel. There will be audience participation, and past members of the Glee Clubs are encouraged to attend this landmark event. The University Wind Symphony, led by William Tiberio, will perform wind masterworks at 3:15pm on Saturday the 22nd in Strong. For those looking for some lighter fare, two of the Music Department's sponsored a cappella singing groups, the Midnight Ramblers and After Hours, will be featured in an a cappella show at 10pm on Saturday the 22nd in the Palestra (admission TBA). Finally, the weekend will end on a uplifting note as the Undergraduate Christian Fellowship and the UR Gospel Choir combine for an afternoon of contemporary worship music on Sunday the 23rd in the Interfaith Chapel at 3pm. All events are free unless otherwise noted.

Noted Jazz Authority to visit UR for Clinics and Performance

Robert Washut, professor of music at the University of Northern Iowa, will conduct the jazz ensemble in the premiere of "Arenas" at 8 p.m. Thursday, April 14, in Strong Auditorium on the River Campus. The concert is free and open to the public. The piece, which translates from Spanish as "The Sands," combines Afro-Cuban jazz with some Middle Eastern influence. The work was commissioned by the University of Rochester Jazz Ensemble with support from the Department of Music and the Music Interest Floor. The jazz ensemble also will perform Big Band selections, jazz works by composers such as Thad Jones and Oliver Nelson, and other works either composed or arranged by Washut. Washut served as director of jazz studies at University of Northern Iowa for 22 years. Under his direction, the school's award-winning Jazz Band One toured Europe three times, received "Outstanding Band" recognition at collegiate music festivals in the Midwest, and was awarded three "Outstanding Performance" citations in Downbeat magazine's annual student music awards. Washut has recorded and released a jazz trio CD titled Sea Breeze Jazz. Washut will conduct a clinic on jazz improvisation at 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 13, in the May Room in Wilson Commons on the River Campus. A second clinic, on concepts and techniques of basic jazz arranging, is geared toward those with a basic knowledge of music theory and will be held at 1 p.m. on Thursday, April 14, in lower Strong Auditorium. The clinics are open to the public.

Pianist Vladimir Viardo Presents a Series of Master Classes

Vladimir Viardo, an acclaimed Russian pianist whose global career was halted during the Soviet era, will meet with students from the University of Rochester in master class style coaching sessions that can be observed by the public. Students from the College of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering and from the Eastman School of Music will work with Viardo starting at 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 2, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 3, in lower Strong Auditorium on the River Campus. Student participants were selected by their teachers. Viardo received his doctorate from the Moscow Conservatory and was tenured as a soloist by the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra. In 1971, he was awarded the Grand Prix and the Prix du Prince Rainier in the Marguerite Long-Jacques Thibaud Competition of Paris. Two years later, he won the top prize at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition and subsequently received more than 70 contracts for appearances throughout the United States. However, Viardo's travel visa was revoked and for 13 years he worked solely behind the Iron Curtain. With loosening restrictions made possible by "Glasnost" and "Perestroika" in the Soviet Union, Viardo was allowed to accept engagements abroad. Viardo's tours have taken him to leading North American and European cities as well as to Asia, South Africa, Israel, and Central and South America. He is on the faculty of the University of North Texas College of Music as artist-in-residence and is highly sought after for his master classes, concerts, and recordings. Viardo's visit was arranged by Zora Mihailovich, an internationally renowned pianist who is artist-in-residence in the Department of Music at the College. For more information, contact the music department at (585)275-2828.

The Millenium Collective Presents a Free Concert in the Interfaith Chapel

Millennium Collective, an ensemble whose concerts feature improvisations, will play at 8p.m. Friday, March 18, in the Interfaith Chapel on the University of Rochester's River Campus. The event is free and open to the public. Formed in 1999, the group is composed of musicians who have backgrounds in jazz, rock, and classical music. Millennium Collective's concerts include free improvisation as well as original compositions that involve some improvisation, with and without electronic effect.

The ensemble consists of four members who hold advance degrees from or are graduate students at the University's Eastman School of Music. Anton Machleder, assistant professor of guitar at Houghton College, is an award-winning musician who has performed extensively throughout the United States and is an authority on 20th century Cuban music for guitar. He is currently exploring Middle Eastern percussion. Keyboardist Peter Silberman, a founding member of the Millennium Collective, is a visiting instructor of music theory at the University of Rochester. He has performed throughout the Northeast as a French hornist, pianist, and conductor. Jason Titus, bass, plays bass and guitar in Rochester bands and is keyboardist for the Brooklyn-based band Low Water. A visiting instructor of music theory at the University, Titus is writing his doctoral dissertation on the music of Miles Davis. Percussionist Colin Tribby has worked as a percussionist, writer, and vocalist with several rock groups. His compositions and arrangements have been featured in the film "The Rough South of Larry Brown" and the documentary "Gatewood: Facing the White Canvas." Most recently, Tribby's work "Let Freedom Ring" was performed during Rochester's Martin Luther King, Jr., celebration. For its performance on the River Campus, Millennium Collective will be joined by guest artist Sundar Viswanathan, a saxophonist and vocalist considered one of Canada's rising young jazz musicians.

Opera Master Class to be Held in Strong Auditorium

On Saturday, November 13th, Joshua Greene of the Metropolitan Opera in New York City will present an opera master class in Lower Strong Auditorium. Mr. Greene has been a guest conductor at the Sarasota Opera and served as the music director of the New York City Opera National Company. Several students from both Eastman and the River Campus will take part in the master class. A reception will follow at the Inter-Campus Music Center.

Viennese Ball 2004

One of the University of Rochester's most popular and exciting social traditions, the Viennese Ball transports revelers to another time and place. Under the theme of "old Vienna," the Ball takes place in Wilson Commons, the student union on the River Campus, to the accompaniment of music from the University Chamber Orchestra and Choir. Students, faculty, and community members are invited to participate in this once-a-year, black-tie event.

The Ball is being held from 9pm until midnight on Saturday, October 30th. Light refreshments will be served throughout the night. Proceeds from the Viennese Ball benefit the event's sponsors, the University Choir and the University Chamber Orchestra.

The Viennese Ball is open to the public. Tickets are $10 in advance, available at the Common Market in Wilson Commons. Tickets will also be sold at the door for $13. For more information, contact the Department of Music, (585)275-2828.

Eastman student and College Music Department instructor Dalton Ridenhour was selected to participate in Betty Carter Jazz Ahead Institute at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. He will be performing in several concerts at the Kennedy Center and in Wilmington, Delaware. The Jazz Ahead program identifies outstanding, emerging artists and brings them together under the tutelage of experienced artist-instructors. Ridenhour teaches MUR 202 "Basic Jazz Theory and Improvisation" on the River Campus.

Summer Carillon Recital Series 2004

The distinctive sounds of the Hopeman Memorial Carillon at the University of Rochester will ring out this summer in a series of four free concerts for the public beginning Thursday, July 8th. Located in the landmark tower of Rush Rhees Library on the River Campus, the carillon consists of 50 stationary cast bronze bells, weighs almost three-and-a-half tons, and is Rochester's largest musical instrument. An electronic clock controls the bells to automatically sound a chime every quarter hour, but a manual playing mechanism allows musicians to perform in recital or for special events like Commencement. The Hopeman Memorial Carillon Summer Recital Series features four internationally known carillonneurs: Gijsbert Kok, organist of the American Protestant Church in The Hague and carillonneur for three cities in The Netherlands, who will perform on Thursday, July 8; Elizabeth Berghout, assistant professor and carillonneur at the University of Kansas, on Thursday, July 15; Marcel Siebers, composer and carillonneur for Aldegundis Church in Emmerich, Germany, on Thursday, July 22; and Stephen Schreiber, organist and choirmaster at Trinity Episcopal Church in Ambler, Pa., and a carillonneur member of the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America, on Thursday, July 29. Each concert will begin at 7pm, rain or shine, and will last about an hour. The carillonneurs will perform works composed specifically for the carillon as well as standard works by Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, and other composers. Concertgoers can sit anywhere on the Eastman Quadrangle in front of the library and are encouraged to bring blankets, lawn chairs, picnic suppers, or even a book to read to enjoy the peaceful mid-summer ambience of the riverside location.

Seniors and Commencement 2004

General Information: 7 graduating seniors, 2 of whom have won prestigious student leadership awards, 3 of whom have graduated with highest distinction in the music major, and 4 of whom have graduated with Latin honors. Two were accepted into the 3+2 program for a Master of Arts degree in Music Education at Eastman and have been working for a year already on the Master's degree. One has completed a double major in music and history; two have earned B.S. degrees--one in Biochemistry and one in Computer Science--in addition to the B.A. in Music.

Graduates:

Michael Aronson, B.A. in Music, B.S. in Computer Science
Stephen P. DiGiovanni, B.A. in Music, cum laude
Amanda Jean Gau, B.A. in Music
Kary Thomas Haddad, B.A. in Music with highest distinction, magna cum laude
Ian M. Harwood, B.A. in Music with highest distinction, B.S. in Biochemistry, magna cum laude
Theresa Johnson, B.A. in Music with highest distinction, cum laude
David J. Marvin, B.A. in Music and in History

The Ward Woodbury Prize is given each year in honor of the first director of music at the River Campus. This year's winners are Ian M. Harwood and Theresa Johnson.

Alice DeSimone Student Life Award winners from the Music Department are Stephen P. DiGiovanni and Ian M. Harwood. A description of the award can be found at http://www.rochester.edu/student-srvcs/DOS/awardwinners2004.html

Each year the graduating class selects from its classmates to present a "valedictory" for the class. Reprinted below is Ian Harwood's:

"I am not a music major. (pause) This was my initial thought when I first arrived at the University of Rochester. When I came here, I knew I wanted to study biological sciences and music. I knew I could "do" biology. I knew that I would graduate with a golden hood for science. But in the beginning, I was unsure if I could "make it" as a music major. I had not had any formal musical training other than how to play tuba. My initial learning curve was steep. I had to adjust to college, to the large science classes, to the labs and recitations. Yet, despite my lack of training and insecurities, no matter the initial difficulties and many erasers thrown at me by Dr. Harrison, my studies of music always seemed to sit well, with no adjustment needed. It took me very little time to realize that I am a music major. It is not the labs and organic chemistry classes that I will remember years to come. I will remember my music peers, instructors, and staff, a family unlike any other on this campus. I will remember playing with Michael and Theresa in the symphony orchestra under Dr. Harman's baton. I will remember learning intervals and basic chord progressions with Amy in Dr. Harrison's Theory I, as well as that it's "B-flat" in the key of F Major. I will remember singing and dancing in Renaissance styles with Dave and Dr. Brown. I will remember panicking, um, studying with Kary and Stephen for the first Kowalke music history listening exam. Just in case anyone is wondering, organic chemistry is not the most difficult course offered here. I will remember all of my incredible peers, as well as the faculty and staff that made all of us graduates feel at home and welcomed here. I hope for all of us, whether we pursue careers in biochemistry or music, whether our hoods are golden or white, that our friendships and passion for music do not fade away. Faculty, staff, families and friends, on behalf of us music majors, thank you all for all that you have done."

A series of successful early spring tours led various College Music Department groups up and down the eastern United States. The UR Chamber Singers embarked on a six day performance tour encompassing New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. Numerous well-received performances took place at New York's St. Paul the Apostle Church, First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia, The Kimmel Center of Philadelphia, Washington's Church of the Epiphany, and various high schools. This was the Chamber Singers' first major tour, and is sure to be followed by many more!

Meanwhile, the University of Rochester Midnight Ramblers opted for some warmer weather as they travelled through Baltimore, MD to sunny Florida. As fun-loving ambassadors of the College Music Department and the University, they shared their a cappella talents with more than 20,000 people in appearances at high schools, public and private events, and spring training baseball games. A highlight of the trip was the singing of the National Anthem at the opening Yankees/Red Sox spring training game! Congratulations to all tour participants.