http://kaufman-center.org/ Kaufman Center News and Articles from the In Harmony Newsletter en info@kaufman-center.org Copyright 2008 2008-08-14T19:58:01-05:00 #When:19:58:01Z New York Festival Of Song (NYFOS, http://www.nyfos.org), co-founded and directed by pianists Steven Blier and Michael Barrett, who “reinvented the song recital during the 1990’s with daring and dramatic programming” (The New Yorker), announces its 21st season (2008-2009). The company’s New York City concerts begin on September 23 at the newly renovated Merkin Concert Hall at Kaufman Center, with A Bernstein / Bolcom Celebration. The concert pays tribute to two of NYFOS’s guiding lights, Leonard Bernstein and William Bolcom; Bolcom and his wife, mezzo-soprano Joan Morris, will cap the evening with a selection of songs from their vast repertoire. The program also celebrates the ninetieth birthday of NYFOS’s Founding Advisor, Leonard Bernstein, who bestowed the American premiere of his last work, Arias and Barcarolles, to the newly-formed company. Their subsequent recording of the work in 1989, with Judy Kaye and William Sharp, earned the composer a posthumous Grammy Award for Best New Composition. 2008-08-14T19:58:01-05:00 #When:15:20:00Z August 13, 2008, New York – Kaufman Center presents the opening concert of its longest-running series, Tuesday Matinees, with 22-year-old French pianist Jean-Frédéric Neuburger. The young pianist received rave reviews following his debut recital in the Young Concert Artists Series at the Kennedy Center and has already performed extensively as a soloist with orchestras to international acclaim. In addition, he is winner of the 2006 Young Concert Artists International Auditions and the 2005 Young Concert Artists European Auditions, among other prestigious awards.Born in 1986, Jean-Frédéric Neuburger began studying the piano with Claude Maillols at a young age, developed a passion for the organ and, encouraged by Émile Naoumoff and Jean-François Zygel, composition. Deciding to focus on the piano, he entered the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris in 2000. Since receiving the Académie Maurice Ravel’s top accolade at the age of 15, he has been given numerous other awards. Most recently he was awarded first prize at the 2006 Young Concert Artists International Auditions, under whose auspices he made his debut performances in the United States. As a soloist, Jean-Frédéric Neuburger has appeared with the Baden-Baden Philharmonic, Danish National Orchestra, London Philharmonic, and Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France. In 2006 he made his debut with the Shanghai Philharmonic in Shanghai. Jean-Frédéric Neuburger currently studies with Reiko Hozu and Vladimir Krainev and is, above all, dedicated to discovering new repertoire — whether for solo piano or chamber ensemble — from Bach to contemporary composers. In 2003 he recorded the complete Chopin Études for the Disc’Auvers collection. A second Chopin CD was released in March 2006. Tuesday Matinees, Kaufman Center's longest-running series, showcases tomorrow’s stars today, presenting young classical artists in the early stages of what are sure to be long and successful careers. With pianists, violinists, string quartets, cellists and everyone in between, these afternoon concerts highlight the best new talents throughout the classical music world. The 2008-09 season will also include Jasper String Quartet on November 4th; Alturas Duo on December 16th; iO Quartet on February 10th, 2009; Amstel Quartet on March 24th, 2009 and Sasha Cooke on May 12th, 2009. Listings Information: Kaufman Center presents Merkin Concert Hall at Kaufman Center presents Tuesday Matinees Jean-Frédéric Neuburger Tuesday, September 23, 2008 at 2:00pm 129 West 67th Street (between Broadway and Amsterdam) Tickets at 212 501 3330 or http://www.kaufman-center.org 7-concert subscription: $84 Single tickets: $15 Students: half-price EDITORS: Please refer to the series by its name, Tuesday Matinees, and its location, Merkin Concert Hall at Kaufman Center Press Only: Hi-res photos for download at http://kaufman-center.org/press/image-library About Merkin Concert Hall Renowned for its acoustics, accessibility and innovative programming, Merkin Concert Hall is the recipient of multiple awards for adventurous programming, most recently from ASCAP/Chamber Music America in 2002–03. The hall is a division of Kaufman Center, which also includes Lucy Moses School (a community arts school) and Special Music School (a New York City public school for musically gifted children). A not-for-profit organization founded in 1952, Kaufman Center occupies its own facility, the award–winning Goodman House, located in Manhattan’s Lincoln Square arts district. The Center is an unsurpassed cultural resource where people of all ages can experience the joy of artistic creation, expression and appreciation. Kaufman Center’s Tuesday Matinees presentations are made possible in part with support from The Starr Foundation, with additional support from the Edward T. Cone Foundation, Aaron Copland Fund for Music, Barbara Bell Cumming Foundation, The Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation and with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a State agency. Merkin Concert Hall receives support from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, the Ann & Gordon Getty Foundation and Herman Goldman Foundation. 2008-08-13T15:20:00-05:00 #When:15:13:00Z August 5, 2008 – In the first of three concerts in celebration of Israel’s 60th birthday, Merkin Concert Hall presents two of the best examples of the new face of American/Israeli music. Trumpeter Frank London recovers the lost sounds of klezmer, taking the music back to its 19th-century roots with the Klezmer Brass All Stars. Pianist Omer Klein, a rising star in the Israeli/New York jazz movement, will offer a program of his deeply melodic, utterly original compositions, tinged with the sounds of the Middle East. Joining Klein will be bassist Omer Avital and Ziv Ravitz on drums, and a special piece with string quartet commissioned specifically for this performance. 2008-08-13T15:13:00-05:00 #When:15:00:01Z August 4, 2008, New York – The opening concert of Merkin Concert Hall’s 2008-09 season, and the first full season of music since the hall’s recent renovation, A Singular Voice: Joan Tower Celebrates 70! features an all-star lineup paying tribute to Ms. Tower, plus a special presentation by The American Music Center to our lady of the hour with the prestigious Letter of Distinction Award. 2008-08-13T15:00:01-05:00 http://kaufman-center.org/news/newsletter/graduating-seniors-represent-kaufman-community-in-harmony/ http://kaufman-center.org/news/newsletter/graduating-seniors-represent-kaufman-community-in-harmony/#When:02:30:00Z Spring was a time of passage at Kaufman Center as Lucy Moses School seniors and––for the first time––Special Music School seniors took their next steps. For the Center, the 2008 graduation proceedings were a significant milestone in the evolution of its arts education mission––both within the Center and in the larger community. Special Music School senior Anna Huettel with Music Director Jenny Undercofler at the June graduation ceremony As a leader in community arts education through its Lucy Moses School, Kaufman Center has offered a range of educational options for beginners, casual learners and serious students since its founding in 1952. In 1996, the Center took its dedication to arts education to the next level by establishing the Special Music School (P.S. 859)––the only public school for musically gifted children in New York City, indeed in the nation. Says Kaufman Center Executive Director and Special Music School President Lydia Kontos, “Graduating this year’s Special Music School seniors has brought the Center full circle as a provider of music education in New York City. When we founded the Special Music School we were breaking new ground and now, looking back, I can’t imagine it not being there for New York City students. We answered a need and, in so doing, extended the range of services offered by the Center. Literally, anyone seeking a program of study in the performing arts––adults and kids, beginners and advanced students, even professionals––can find something here.” While it might be the reputation of the Center that attracts students, it’s the community within that holds their interest. Theater Wing Director Sean Hartley describes the Center as “a place where children learn how much they can do and develop the confidence to follow their own path, whatever it is. Though we are a large Center, we get to know each student individually and try to keep in touch even after they leave the Center.” Seven students graduated from Special Music School this spring, including cellist Valeriya Sholokova (student of Vladimir Panteleyev) and pianist Elina Akselrud (student of Irina Morozova). Akselrud, who will attend the Mannes School and continue her piano studies, had some advice to offer to younger students that speaks to the supportive community that exists at the Special Music School: “Believe in yourself. Don’t hesitate to be happy for your friends and always help each other.” Sholokova will attend The Juilliard School in the fall on a full cello scholarship. She credits her Special Music School music training with teaching her to think critically. Special Music School Music Director Jenny Undercofler says, “There is a natural connection between sharing music and creating community. Through chamber groups like our contemporary teen ensemble Face the Music, Special Music School fosters the urge students naturally have to share when it comes to music. We instruct students to develop a sense of personal excellence when it comes to their music, but in the end they probably learn the most from playing with each other.” The Center’s Young Artist Program––an alternative course of study for highly motivated young musicians from both the Lucy Moses and the Special Music Schools––is a prime example of this community of learning. Says Lucy Moses School Director Igal Kesselman, “With the Young Artist Program, Kaufman Center has created an opportunity for older kids to play chamber music together regardless of which school they attend. Whether or not these young musicians go on to use music professionally, most of them will carry their interest in music with them through life. The Center has not only given them musical skills, but also outlets to explore their talents and develop their confidence.” Violinist Peter Robertson is one of this year’s Lucy Moses School graduates. Robertson studied violin with Nurit Pacht and also participated in a chamber ensemble, coached by Kesselman. “Playing music with the students at the Lucy Moses School made me want to continue music at college because I enjoyed the connection with people that happened when I played. That connection is sort of regardless of talent, but it is something you can learn and get better at with practice. The Lucy Moses School provided me with the opportunity for such connection, and for that I am very grateful,” says Robertson. As we say farewell to Lucy Moses School and Special Music School graduates, we know it’s not goodbye. Executive Director Lydia Kontos says, “I expect to see many of these students from time to time as their paths cross with the Center, either as mentors to younger students, as alumni performers or––some day––as performing adults on the stage of Merkin Concert Hall.” In Harmony, Summer / Fall 08 2008-07-20T02:30:00-05:00 http://kaufman-center.org/news/blog/thoughts-on-musically-speaking/ http://kaufman-center.org/news/blog/thoughts-on-musically-speaking/#When:18:28:01Z Musically Speaking is the beginning of many sentences in my day to day.Very often musicians find themselves having to explain what it is they do. In general, people are so busy that music exists on the periphery for them, as something to pass the time in the car, on the train or while working out. Music for use has been a concept for as long as there has been music. What began as a way to move together then became a way to worship together which then became a way to enjoy others singing poetry, etc. Somehow after the Romantic era there came this notion of music not needing to mean anything. How then would it have any relevance to anyone’s life with no charm whatsoever to recommend itself to a listener’s attention, let alone their rapt contemplation on the psyche, the world, etc. Music has been used to keep people in step or make them look good and show off at parties, to scare people, make sure brides and grooms don’t rush down aisles. The main ingredient in a good piece of music for me is the direction it’s going in, if any. I find myself listening for where the thrust of the music might be headed. When I hear something ear-catching I wait in patience for that part to recur. This is not to say that I have no affection for non-repetitive music made up of novel sounds that may refer to something else. If I can discern a language either of context within or reference to some story or structure without, I’m happy. So, Musically Speaking is just that to me, Music that speaks. With all of the signals we learn how to decipher in our lives, it’s only fair that a composer use as many as necessary to get an audiences attention. A blues tune can be imbedded in a string quartet just like a folk inspired melody can be the starting point for a serious piece of new music. A different setting for a certain “sign sound” can find its way into many forms of music. Some of the most beloved music of all time refers to other sounds found in nature or made by man. Handel’s Water Music isn’t about the water and contains no water sounds, it’s enough to listen to the majestic strains and envision yourself watching the great spectacle on the water that the music was commissioned for. Birds have had a great part in the history of music. There’s a certain drama in the repetitiveness of birds. You don’t know what they’re saying, but it’s compelling. I like this as an element in all kinds of music. If it’s not telling a specific story like “A Hero’s Journey” or some such thing, I’ll add one as I’m listening to it. I used to do this endlessly when I was in school and we would all be in stitches over it. People need drama and action in their music just like they do in their movies and there’s plenty of that in all kinds of music. Another interesting part of the music we listen to is the idea of music to relax to. Quiet, consonant music is generally thought of as something to sleep to but I find that dissonant music if presented correctly, in a language that can be understood can be just a soothing. Just listen to Giacinto Scelsi, Cage, Brown, Takemitsu, Glass, or Feldman to name a few who use systems of their own to write music that speaks a language all its own. Come to concerts with an open mind, but demand that there be some sort of discourse coming from the stage to you. And please, please never come just because it’s all familiar music. Art can’t hurt you.   News Blog, Merkin Concert Hall News, Greg Evans' Blog 2008-07-19T18:28:01-05:00 http://kaufman-center.org/news/newsletter/musically-speaking-at-merkin-concert-hall/ http://kaufman-center.org/news/newsletter/musically-speaking-at-merkin-concert-hall/#When:12:39:01Z When Merkin Concert Hall opened in 1978, The New York Times exclaimed, “New York has long needed a truly intimate concert hall . . . and the answer may be on West 67th Street.” The past 30 years have seen a lot of change for the Hall and for the New York City performing arts community as a whole. The landscape of classical music has shifted, making way for the tremendous growth of contemporary classical, pop and jazz offerings. The way in which music is articulated–– from composition to performance––is constantly evolving.With its stellar acoustics and numerous awards for adventurous programming, Merkin Hall has been a leader in this growth since its inception. And so it is appropriate to celebrate the Hall’s 30th year with a focus on the language of music in all its forms. The inspiration for the 2008–09 season––the first full season in the newly renovated space––is Musically Speaking. Both literally and stylistically, the way in which music communicates with and influences listeners and artists––how it is written, interpreted and exchanged––is at the heart of this exploration. The nucleus of the season will be a series of concerts under the umbrella title of Musically Speaking––each concert a mini-dialogue on this theme. We’ve invited musicians who straddle the genres of jazz, pop and classical music. We’ll pay homage to the work of such visionaries as Joan Tower, Elliot Carter and the late Olivier Messiaen. To mark the 60th anniversary of Israel’s independence we will savor Israeli and Jewish music of all kinds—cantorial, contemporary classical, jazz. We welcome back John Schaefer and WNYC’s New Sounds® Live, as well as the popular Tuesday Matinees and Broadway Close Up series, and we celebrate the return of the New York Festival of Song. Our musical theater programming for families has expanded––a total of six delightful Sunday mornings featuring the Broadway Playhouse cast and the Poppy Seed Players. For a taste of what’s to come this fall, here is a sneak peek at three shows, narrated by Merkin Hall Director Greg Evans. Join us for these and many other concerts that celebrate music in all its glory. Dialects: Israeli Jazz & Klezmer Greg Evans: “25-year-old pianist Omer Klein and 25-year veteran trumpeter Frank London present two of the best examples of the new face of American/ Israeli music. While London recovers the lost sounds of Klezmer, taking the music back to its 19th-centuryroots with the Klezmer Brass All Stars, Klein, a rising star in the Israeli/ New York jazz movement, offers a program of his deeply melodic, utterly original compositions. These two artists areagreat combination, both exploring what it is that makes Israeli music unique. Jazzed up Middle Eastern melodies will share the stage with rocked out Klezmer brass strains from a cast of hot newcomers and seasoned pros.” WHEN: Thu 09/18/2008 at 8:00 pm Translating ‘Trane: A Love Supreme GE: “Turtle Island String Quartet takes a classic––John Coltrane’s groundbreaking 1964 album, A Love Supreme––and recasts it into an entirely different language, not harmonically but stylistically. No one can hear the string quartet version of this music and not recognize the tunes. The texture of the strings at once smooths out and makes even more clear Coltrane’s ear for the entire sweep of his music. This Grammy Award-winning translation of an iconic jazz masterpiece is highlighted and deepened in its impact by this change.” WHEN: Sun 11/09/2008 at 8:00 pm Elliott Carter’s First Hundred Years GE: “Composer Elliott Carter set an independent course early on in his career after mastering the language of the day, Neo-Classicism; all this while absorbingthe truly American spirit in music on this continent. His knack for putting instruments into a discernable dialogue with each other has given him a distinctive voice that has its beginnings in the experiments of Charles Ives, Carl Ruggles and the other firebrand individualist composers who came before him. In honor of Carter’s 100th birthday, the New York Woodwind Quintet and Ursula Oppens will perform works that span his entire career, including his complete works for winds. The program will demonstrate how Carter’s musical language evolved, resulting in the vibrant, unique voice of his maturity.” WHEN: Sun 11/23/2008 at 8:00 pm Join us! Merkin now offers memberships valid for most Kaufman Center presentations.* Purchase any four tickets to concerts from the Musically Speakingseries and pay only $20 per ticket. Better still, you can choose your four events now or wait until later. Membership allows you to select what you want to hear––and try something new––with maximum savings and flexibility. *Some exclusions apply. In Harmony, Summer / Fall 08 2008-07-18T12:39:01-05:00 http://kaufman-center.org/news/blog/face-the-music-at-wordless-music-series/ http://kaufman-center.org/news/blog/face-the-music-at-wordless-music-series/#When:14:55:00Z On May 2, 2008, the Special Music School's new music ensemble, Face the Music, shared the stage of Good Shepherd Faith Church in Manhattan with itsnotyouitsme and Stars of the Lid as part of the Wordless Music Series. The series has become a favorite of music connoisseurs in New York and is now broadcast on WNYC. Click here to hear the show. What's New at Kaufman Center, Home Page Headlines, News Blog, Special Music School News 2008-07-17T14:55:00-05:00 http://kaufman-center.org/news/newsletter/help-make-wishes-come-true-kaufman-center/ http://kaufman-center.org/news/newsletter/help-make-wishes-come-true-kaufman-center/#When:13:15:01Z Leave Your Mark On Merkin Leave a lasting impression in the Merkin Concert Hall lobby by purchasing a plaque on our new donor wall, located in the center of the south wall in the ground floor Merkin lobby. The plaque can be engraved with a name of your choosing. Honor a loved one or show others your personal commitment to the Kaufman Center.Kaufman Campaign Update Additional opportunities remain to support The Kaufman Campaign, including named spaces and gifts to endow the Center’s programs for generations to come. We have now raised $16,646,000 toward our $17 million goal. Annual Wish List Campaign Our season may be over, but our wish list campaign is just beginning! Make a gift before August 31, 2008, to help finish out the Kaufman Center’s 2007–08 fiscal year. Some Kaufman Center wishes: Perfect Pitch: Help tune a hardworking piano––$100 Notable Achievement: Sponsor the program notes about the artist and music for a concert produced by Merkin Concert Hall––$250 Singing Your Praises: Purchase much-needed sheet music for the Special Music School student choirs––$300 Hello, Dolly!: Help produce the family-friendly Broadway Playhouse series, which introduces families to musical theater classics through sing-alongs, games, a summary performance of a highlighted show, and interviews with lyricists and composers––$1,000–$30,000 Log-in with the Kaufman Catalog: Help update the cataloging software used in the Kaufman Center’s Birnbaum Music Library and make its contents available on the Kaufman Center’s website - $1,400 (one-time cost of $1,000 for software updates; $400 annual contribution to maintain the Catalog on kaufman-center.org) Star Power: Contribute to the artist fund for the Merkin Concert Hall Tuesday Matinees series, which highlights up-and-coming classical musicians and ensembles––$1,500 Summer Singin’: Send a disadvantaged child to the Summer Musical Theater Workshop, a five-week theater camp that culminates in three performances of an original work––$1,800 Face the Music: Commission a professional composer to create an original work for the Face the Music ensemble, a performance group comprising students from the Special Music School––$2,000 Musical Muse: Provide a scholarship for a disadvantaged child (and parent) to study a full Suzuki violin program at the Lucy Moses School––$2,300 Real Mitzvah: Reach out to two deserving inner-city children by providing them with a full year of instrumental lessons at the Lucy Moses School––$4,000 Orchestrate the Future: Sponsor a year of music study for a gifted Special Music School student, which includes intensive musical training and personal coaching––$6,000 Get it in Writing: Be a sponsor of the Merkin Concert Hall 2008–09 season and have your name or company logo prominently printed on all 80,000 season catalogs––$7,500 Going for Gold: Sponsor the Lucy Moses School and Special Music School Concerto Competition–– $10,000 To learn more or to make a gift, please contact Development at 212 501 3350 or eraven@kaufman-center.org. In Harmony, Summer / Fall 08 2008-07-17T13:15:01-05:00 http://kaufman-center.org/news/newsletter/2008-kaufman-center-honors/ http://kaufman-center.org/news/newsletter/2008-kaufman-center-honors/#When:13:31:00Z The 2008 Kaufman Center Honors gala raised more than $650,000 and drew more than 350 guests for an evening of entertainment and fun honoring the achievements of former Board Chairman Phyllis Feder, prestigious architect Robert A.M. Stern and real estate leader Joseph A. Cabrera—all of whom have made significant contributions to the Center and to the arts community.Vice President and Distinguished Service Award Honoree Phyllis Feder with her husband Sam and daughters Robin Copeland and Jody Greason Dr. Martin Herman, Sydney Herman and Steve Friedlander Special Music School 4th grader Amory Benjamin talks about his solfege piece with Host Liz Callaway At the Robert A.M. Stern Architects table (L to R). Seated: Graham Wyatt, Muriel Mechling, Robert A.M. Stern, Joy Wyatt, Gary Brewer. Standing: Peter Dixon, Tom Lewis, Kevin Fitzgerald, Holly Horn, Alexander Lamis Corporate Leadership Award Honoree Joseph A. Cabrera with his co-award presenters: Lucy Moses School students Kai Dorsey and Charlotte Mosler, and Vice President Wendy Mosler Chairman Bethany Millard with Creative Arts Award Honoree Robert A.M. Stern Treasurer Emmanuel Genauer with his wife Ellen, Vice President Rosalind Devon and Sandy Batkin Lori and Glenn Kaufman Bob Bailey and Helen Cabrera Joe and Katie Fishman with Vice President Irving Sitnick Lee Feld and past honoree Bruce Mosler Special Music School students in The Wolfgang Quartet: Cleo Nevakivi Callanan (8th grade), Mofan Sun (8th grade), Kaitlin Cullen-Verhauz (7th grade) and Rosemary Nelis (8th grade) accompanied flutist Luis Diaz (9th grade). Annaliese Wee (Special Music School, 1st grade) Lucy Moses School students Brian Ge (age 11) and Alice Ivy Pemberton (age 10) Performer Philip Glass entertained the crowd L to R. Seated: Bernice Cummings, Arthur and Elaine Bienenstock, Leonard Goodman, Rita Singer. Standing: Eugene Cummings, Frances Martinson, Robert and Harriet Friedlander, Jocelyn and Robert Goldman, Connie Goodman Vice President Phyllis Feder hugs Oliver Betz (Special Music School, 3rd grade) after Oliver sang a song written in her honor In Harmony, Summer / Fall 08 2008-07-16T13:31:00-05:00