In Harmony: Winter 2008-09
Goodman House Renovation Continues with Second Floor Tune-Up
Kaufman Center’s recent Goodman House renovation—featuring upgrades to Merkin Concert Hall and the Lucy Moses School and Special Music School lobby as well as a brand new facade—has been a great success so far. The Center has never been better equipped to serve the community with arts education and performance programs.
New Gift Funds Pianos
Thanks to a generous $1 million gift from William and Karen Ackman and the Pershing Square Foundation, Kaufman Center has been able to purchase 19 new Steinway and Boston pianos for its studios and classrooms.
Omer Avital’s Middle Eastern Afro-Jewish Blend of Chamber Jazz
To say that the music of Israeli composer, arranger and bassist Omer Avital is Middle Eastern is limiting. Although he grew up in Israel, both his ethnic background (Yemeni and Moroccan) and his current home (New York) factor prominently in the curious diversity of his sound. Avital’s compositions for his new ensemble, the Omer Avital Ensemble, draw on elements as diverse as the Judeo-Arabic music of Spain, tribal music of North Africa and the European classical tradition.
Avital came to music as a child while studying classical guitar at a conservatory in Israel. In high school he fell in love with jazz––with both its free spirit and improvisational challenge. He began experimenting with other instruments, eventually settling on the upright bass as his primary outlet. He continued to study classical composition and spent most of his time inventing jazz pieces.
Tomorrow’s Stars Today: What Does it Mean to be an “Emerging Artist”?
For seven Tuesday afternoons during the 2008-09 season, Kaufman Center presents rising classical music stars at Merkin Concert Hall. Tuesday Matinees—Kaufman Center’s longest-running series— demonstrates Kaufman Center’s dual commitment to arts education and performance. Through this series, it helps to foster the careers of these “emerging artists” and bridge the gap between their formal education and their lives in performance.
Winter 2008-09 Newslwetter Download
Click on the link to print or save a copy of the printed version of the Winter 2008-09 issue of In Harmony.
