eNews: InterNetzo – January 2020

Message from Seth Brenzel, Executive Director

Greetings!

I'm glad to share with you the first InterNetzo of 2020. We started the year with an amazing Alumni Composers Forum in New York, and we are looking forward to another in San Francisco on February 22. It is application season for the Young Musicians Program and Creative Musicians Retreat--our next application deadline is February 21.

We caught up with Junior Conservatory Camp alumnus Larry Wetzler--read all about it in our "In the Spotlight" section. Walden holiday party season has come to a close, and we are looking forward to more exciting events this spring. Check out our Community News section to learn about your fellow readers and the goings on in their lives and careers throughout the year. I hope to see you at a Walden event soon, and until then, happy reading.

Best wishes,
Seth

Alumni Composers Forum in San Francisco

Join us for an Alumni Composers Forum in San Francisco! Del Sol String Quartet will be performing pieces written by our amazing alumni, all of whom will be present to discuss their works. This event is free and open to the public.

Saturday, February 22, 2020

Featuring Del Sol String Quartet
Moderated by past visiting artist Nathaniel Stookey

Holy Innocents Episcopal Church
455 Fair Oaks Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
4-6 pm

While there are no tickets and no requirement to RSVP, we'd love to know if you are planning to attend. Simply write to us at alumni@waldenschool.org with your plans and question you might have.

We hope you'll join us for this inspiring afternoon of music-making.

We had a fantastic Composers Forum in New York on January 19, with 13 wonderful alumni of the Young Musicians Program and Creative Musicians Retreat. Mivos Quartet performed 12 world premieres. After each piece, the composer took the stage to answer questions from moderators Joan Tower and Loretta Notareschi, as well as audience members.

by Noah Mlotek

eNews: InterNetzo – December 2019

Message from Seth Brenzel, Executive Director

Happy holidays from all of us at The Walden School!

The holiday season has arrived, and as the decade draws to a close, we have lots of exciting news. Walden community members have gathered for festive holiday potlucks in two cities, with six remaining. We're starting the new year with Alumni Composers Forums in New York and San Francisco so mark your calendars! We are now accepting applications for the Young Musicians Program and the Creative Musicians Retreat for summer 2020.

Our Walden administrative office is welcoming Elizabeth Susskind--get to know her in our "In the Spotlight" section. Check out our Community News section to learn about your fellow readers and the goings on in their lives and careers throughout the year. I hope to see you at a Walden event soon, and until then, happy reading.

Walden Holiday Parties

These are potluck-style events at private homes. When you RSVP, please let us know what you would like to bring (e.g. savory appetizer, dessert, beverages, other item to share) and we will send you the address.

by Noah Mlotek

eNews: InterNetzo – November 2019

Message from Seth Brenzel, Executive Director

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at The Walden School!

The holiday season has arrived. This edition of InterNetzo includes the cities and dates for our Walden holiday potlucks, as well as other community events coming up. Alumni Composers Forums are just around the corner in New York and San Francisco, so submit your scores and/or mark your calendars! Read our "In the Spotlight" section to hear from Dede Ondishko, Walden alumna, and a past faculty, staff, and Board member. Check out our Community News section to learn about your fellow readers and the goings on in their lives and careers throughout the year. I hope to see you at a Walden event soon, and until then, happy reading.

Featured Event: Walden alumni/teacher/student collaboration

On Thursday, December 5, 2019 at 7:30 pm, guitarist Giacomo Baldelli will present an electric guitar solo set featuring the world premiere of "Lost in Dull Time" by Young Musicians Program student Kayenne Charles-Pierre. The concert is at Areté Venue and Gallery in Brooklyn, New York.  The concert will also feature a 1981 David Byrne/Brian Eno work -  to be soon released as a single, and an improv set for electric guitar and electronics.

Kayenne Charles-Pierre attended the Young Musicians Program in 2018 and 2019, and received the 2019 ASCAP Irving Berlin Scholarship. She initially came to Walden with the recommendation and encouragement of her music teacher, Giacomo Baldelli.

Giacomo Baldelli is focused on exploring the 20th century, but also developing a new 21st century repertoire for guitar. Most recently, he has been interested in expanding the contemporary repertoire for electric guitar. He is an accomplished soloist and chamber musician, and has performed throughout Europe (Italy, Germany, France, England, Czech Republic, Poland), as well as the United States. In 2010, he attended The Walden School Teacher Training Institute, where he met pianist Laura Barger, to whom he is now married.

Walden Holiday Parties

by Noah Mlotek

eNews: InterNetzo – October 2019

Message from Seth Brenzel, Executive Director

Greetings!

Autumn is here--time to appreciate another wonderful Walden summer and turn our attention to the year ahead. This edition of InterNetzo offers a preview of winter events, with Walden holiday potlucks and Alumni Composers Forums just around the corner. Check out our Community News section to learn about your fellow readers and the goings on in their lives and careers throughout the year. I hope to see you at a Walden event soon, and until then, happy reading.

Walden Holiday Parties

Greenwich House
46 Barrow Street
New York, NY 10014
4-6 pm

San Francisco - Saturday, February 22, 2020
Featuring Del Sol String Quartet

Center for New Music
55 Taylor Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
4-6 pm

Walden 2020

Creative Musicians Retreat: June 13-21, 2020
Young Musicians Program: June 27 - August 2, 2020

Application materials will be available beginning in early November on our website, but you can make sure you receive application materials via email by signing up at: waldenschool.org/invite to apply/

Application deadlines (postmark):

January 3 (early)
February 21 (winter)
April 3 (spring)

In the Spotlight - Nate May

2019 was Nate's third summer on faculty at the Young Musicians Program. He has taught musicianship, composition, and specialty classes, and is our current Goodnight Music faculty leader. When not at Walden, Nate teaches at Thurnauer School of Music (along with faculty members Doug Hertz and Rebekah Griffin Greene) and at Montclair State University John J. Cali School of Music.

What is something about Walden you found surprising?

I heard about Walden from my friend Evan Williams, who had been on faculty, and it sounded awesome. In my head I imagined this utopic place, and Walden met that pretty well, which was surprising. Usually when I build castles in the sky, they come crashing down eventually. So I was surprised something like Walden can exist in the real world.

by Noah Mlotek

eNews: InterNetzo – April 2019

Message from Seth Brenzel, Executive Director

Greetings!

Summer is almost here, with wonderful Walden programs ahead. May 1 is the application deadline for our 2019 programs. This edition of InterNetzo offers a glimpse of the amazing projects our Walden community members are working on, and the delightful Walden events happening around the country. Stay tuned in May for our summer concert series lineup. Until then, happy reading.

Walden in Washington

Upcoming Events

Join us for celebrations to benefit Walden, featuring music, refreshments, and wonderful Walden community. We will be in San Francisco on May 11, and Dublin, New Hampshire, on August 3. We hope to see you there!

Walden in San Francisco

featuring Dave Eggar

 Saturday, May 11

Dave Eggar is regarded as one of the finest cellists performing today. A musical prodigy as a child, Dave began playing the cello and piano at age three, performed on Broadway and with the Metropolitan Opera at age seven, and debuted at Carnegie Hall at age 15. A virtuoso performer and improviser of many styles, Dave has appeared worldwide as a cellist and pianist, both as a soloist and as an ensemble musician. His work is Grammy-nominated, and he has performed, recorded, and arranged with and for artists in many genres, including Tony Bennett, Beyoncé, Harry Belafonte, Bon Jovi, Foreigner, Imagine Dragons, Talib Kweli, John Legend, Wynton Marsalis, Frank Ocean, Robert Redford, Pete Seeger, Paul Simon, Meryl Streep, James Taylor, The Manhattan Transfer, and Amy Winehouse, among many others. He has been a Fellow at the MacDowell Colony. He has been a visiting artist at The Walden School, was a member of The Walden School Players for two summers, and performs frequently at Walden events throughout the United States.

Walden in Dublin

Saturday, August 3

A Festival Week celebration in Dublin, New Hampshire, at the end of our 2019 Young Musicians Program. Artist to be announced.

In the Spotlight - Nnenna Ogwo

We are so grateful to our donors and the vital support they provide. Your generosity inspires us and ensures generations of musicians find a creative home and lifelong friends at Walden. Whether you are a member of our alumni community, a parent, a visiting artist, a faculty, staff, or Board member, or simply a friend who believes in our mission, thank you.

As we celebrate our donors, we asked Nnenna Ogwo to share with us some of what Walden means to her. Nnenna attended the Young Musicians Program for six summers, was a faculty member and visiting artist, served on Walden’s Board of Directors, and most recently returned to Walden as a Creative Musicians Retreat, and performed at Walden’s 2018 Alumni Reunion.

How and when did your relationship with Walden begin?

I was a student at Peabody Preparatory, and Lynn Taylor Hebden was the director of the Preparatory Department there. She was the one who had made it possible for me to attend Peabody, through scholarships and whatnot. She got talking to my mother, and suggested Walden. I spent six summers at the Young Musicians Program, 1982-1987. Once I got to Walden, it was significant because I had been on a very serious piano track, and so should have been at a more piano-focused camp such as Interlochen, but it wasn’t until my last year of high school that I did that. Walden didn’t take me away from piano, because I still went to Oberlin and majored in piano, got my masters in piano. But I’ve always had an inquisitive mind and been stimulated by different types of learning. That holistic approach to music, even if I wouldn’t have called it that then, was clearly something I was thirsty for. I was a kid who really liked to be challenged, so I loved finding out how music was built, and creating it myself. I had often been in conflict with my piano teacher because I didn’t like to practice the same things, until the summer at Walden I took Pam Quist’s class on Renaissance counterpoint, and after that, I came back from Walden, and my teacher was blown away. She said “This is what happens at Walden? You can go then.” Because normally a teacher won’t have the time to get a student to understand counterpoint.

What has been your involvement with Walden since then?

I was on faculty. I joined the Board while I was still in grad school. I’ve sent students, and I went to the Creative Musicians Retreat in 2014. In July I attended the reunion and performed on the alumni concert. I remember being part of Board conversations, and I was in the board room when we were saying “Why can’t there be a Walden for adults?” so it was amazing to be at CMR as a participant.

What is your favorite Walden memory?

I have to really think about this, because there are so many great Walden memories. My last summer there, I think the guest artist was the New England Brass Quintet. I wasn’t normally down to the wire with scores, but I had worked a lot on the first movement, still had a lot to do, and they were going to be reading my score the next day. That was also the year the older girls were living in the attic floor of the Main House. There were five of us, Kate Hollander, Sarah Brown, Leila Ellis, Rachel Burdick, and me, and we had all known each other a long time. We were realizing that we had all come to Walden at 11 or 12, and we’d heard these amazing pieces and thought we could never write like that, and suddenly here we were writing on that level. It was a really dark and stormy night, and we pulled all our desks into the main foyer, put our desks together, and kept each other company as we did our work. I’d never had that before, people working together like that. If someone finished early, they might take a nap and then they’d come back and help us copy parts. It was really stormy, thunder and lightning, and the lights went out. We were wondering what we would do, and then Lynn Taylor Hebden (aka Mrs. H) came up with a plate of snacks and candles and we got back to it. Most of us were up most of the night. And that moment bonded us. I’m sure we all remember it. My piece that year won an MTNA award and was a runner-up for a national award, but whenever it was acknowledged, I’d think “This was really a team effort.” It takes a village. It was the first time I ever experienced that sort of communal support. It was extraordinary.

Why do you give to Walden?

I was the recipient of scholarships that made it possible for me to experience something musically transformative in the summer. Everything that I contribute to Walden, whether by sending students, giving concerts, past service on the Board or donating is simply about helping to realize that possibility for others.

When you graduate college and get your first real job, your first paycheck, there are all these little indicators that you’re an adult. I sat down with my mom to talk about financial planning, and she said ‘I know you’re not making a lot, but you need to calculate how you want to give.’ And I said, “I’m giving to Walden.” You give to what has impacted you, because you have an intimacy with certain issues. People don’t make consistent gifts to things they’re not deeply emotionally connected to. My time at Walden included some of the most transformative musical experiences I’ve ever had. Because of that, Walden will always be on my list for giving.

Tell us about the roles music and creativity play in your life now.

I’m still a pianist and a teacher, I make my living that way. I started taking jazz piano lessons recently. I realized and had to laugh that I know a lot, but a lot of it is frozen on paper. That often happens with classically trained musicians. Jazz forces you to have working harmonic knowledge in real time. Walden teaches that, even if they don’t put it quite that way, and it’s one of the few places that does. It’s not tied only to jazz. I feel like a real student again, my brain freezes, and it’s funny. Once we’re teaching, we forget, we start to take knowledge for granted where it doesn’t exist yet. It’s good to be reminded how bewildering things were at age 11. In piano, I like to boldly try new things. I’m a pretty good improviser, but then because I’m highly technically trained, I can be very facile, watch my fingers fly and think, ah, that’s what all that training was for.

What would you want to tell a first-time Walden student before they arrive at camp?

I don’t think I would have anything to say. When I send my students, I tell them things to pack on a very pragmatic level. But students normally decide to go because they’ve heard my story. Students get anxious about “Will there be people who look like me? Will I fit in?” and they’ve heard music coming out of Walden and they’re intimidated. But I tell the story of feeling those things, of finding my place, of making lifelong friends.

It’s built into the ethos of the institution—good, decent-hearted people who are also very interesting and creative people. That checks a lot of boxes for who you want to surround yourself with for your life in general. So I just tell students, you will meet some of the most interesting people you’ll ever meet. You will grow in ways you couldn’t have imagined, no matter what people have told you, and your experience will be uniquely your own. You will grow and thrive in ways you can’t elsewhere, you can’t in a year-round school, no matter how good a school you attend. Go forth with an open heart, and see what happens.”

Community News

Shawn Crouch and Splinter Reeds
Stained Glass, a piece for reed quintet written by YMP alumnus and former faculty member Shawn Crouch, was performed by Splinter Reeds on April 13. Splinter Reeds was the Ensemble-in-Residence for Walden's 2017 Faculty Commissioning Concert, and bassoonist Dana Jessen is a member of the 2019 Walden School Players. The concert was at Maurice Gusman Concert Hall at the University of Miami.

New work by Michael Daugherty
Past CMR Composer-in-Residence Michael Daugherty's new work, To the New World, was premiered April 11, 12, and 13 in Costa Mesa, California. To the New World is an orchestral work composed in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission, and the first step on the moon by astronaut Neil Armstrong on July 20, 1969. The piece was commissioned and premiered by the Pacific Symphony, under the direction of Jean-Marie Zeitouni.

Jasmine Galante studies composition at Peabody
Jasmine Galante is currently studying composition at the Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University. Jasmine spent three summers at YMP, and is a pop music artist, singer, songwriter, classical pianist, and actress. Jasmine's debut EP, "The Moon Also Rises", was released in January of 2017.

Francesca Hellerman and PRISM Quartet
This June, PRISM Quartet will present a program of world premieres, featuring work by YMP alumna Francesca Hellerman. She composed From Here to There as the winner of the PRISM Quartet/Walden School for Young Composers Student Commissioning Award. The piece plays with different iterations of a single musical idea, challenging the listener to consider how the material moves from one world to another. This marks the 19th consecutive year of longtime collaborator PRISM Quartet premiering Walden student pieces. The concert will be performed in Philadelphia on June 2 and New York on June 3.

Ruby Landau-Pincus and Ensemble Dal Niente
Thanks to the Evanston In-School Music Association, Ensemble Dal Niente brought its unique musical interpretation to the Evanston community with a concert on March 17, with music for flutes, oboe, clarinet, harp, and voice. They premiered a piece by YMP alumna Ruby Landau-Pincus, which she wrote through Walden's Dal Niente Commissioning Award. Dal Niente will perform the piece again on Sunday, May 5, at a concert premiering Undersea, a a new work for piccolo, English horn, and bass clarinet by Walden alumna Victoria Cheah

Vivian Adelberg Rudow among Johns Hopkins Distinguished Alumni 2018
JCC alumna Vivian Adelberg Rudow is among the 2018 recipients of the Johns Hopkins Distinguished Alumnus Award. In 1982, Vickie was the first Maryland-based composer to have an orchestral piece premiered in Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall by the Baltimore Symphony Orechestra. Vickie was founder and Artistic Director of Res Musica Baltimore/Res MusicAmerica, Inc., and produced concerts of music composed mostly by American living composers, from 1980-91 including 52 concerts, 26 symposia, and 22 youth concerts for the Baltimore City Public Schools.

Pamela Z awarded Rome Prize in Musical Composition
Pamela Z, a past visiting artist at the Young Musicians Program, has been awarded the Rome Prize in Musical Composition. Pamela Z is a composer/performer and media artist who works primarily with voice, live electronic processing, sampled sound, and video. A pioneer of live digital looping techniques, she processes her voice in real time to create dense, complex sonic layers. This year, Rome Prizes were awarded to thirty American and six Italian artists and scholars.

We want to hear from you!
What's been going on? If you have a recent or upcoming premiere, publication, award, new job or program, or a celebratory life event, please share the news. Email your news to alumni@waldenschool.org.

Stay in Touch
You can like The Walden School page on Facebook and join The Walden School private group to hear about events and opportunities throughout the year, including upcoming regional alumni Composers Forums and Holiday Parties. You can also find us on Instagram, Twitter, and at waldenschool.org.

2019 Peter Carpenter Fellowship
Applications Open
The BMI Foundation is pleased to announce the opening of this year's Pete Carpenter Fellowship, a competitive residency for aspiring film, television, and video game composers. The program will award a $2,000 stipend for four to five weeks of intensive mentorship with award-winning BMI composers Christopher Lennertz and Timothy Wynn at their Sonic Fuel Studios in Los Angeles, CA. The 2019 fellowship begins in October and also includes opportunities to consult with other distinguished composers and leaders in the entertainment industry. The Fellowship is open to U.S. citizens or residents who are 21 years of age or older pursuing a career in film, TV, and/or gaming composition.
Deadline: June 30
For other upcoming deadlines and competitions, check out our resources page.

by Noah Mlotek

eNews: InterNetzo – December 2016

Alumni – Hand Over Hand

We were thrilled to see familiar faces join us in Dublin over the summer. Who visited?

• Marguerite Ladd
• Montana Rogers
• Noah Mlotek
• Sophie Coran (performed a concert of original songs for Festival Week!)
• Emil Margolis
• Solomon Ge
• and Bob Weaver (who attended a YMP Composers Forum this summer, exactly 60 years after his first summer at the Junior Conservatory Camp!)

CALL FOR SCORES! Attention Walden & Junior Conservatory Camp (JCC) program alumni! We want your music. We are announcing two exciting opportunities to have your works performed. Questions? Please write to us at alumni@waldenschool.org.

• January 21, 2017, 3:00 – 5:00 pm – Alumni Composers Forum in San Francisco. Featuring Wild Rumpus (with alumna Sophie Huet), moderated by Walden faculty members Emil Margolis and Alex Ness. Location: Holy Innocents Episcopal Church.

Walden program alumni (any program/any age) may submit scores for consideration. Scores are due to Walden by Wednesday, December 21, 2016 (email: scores@waldenschool.org). Pieces scored for a combination of piano, double bass, cello, clarinet, flute, and conductor will be considered for performance by Wild Rumpus. Composers may also submit scores for pieces to be presented by other performers (arranged for by the composer). Selected participants must be present in San Francisco at the event. Preference is given to works not having been previously performed.

• March 11, 2017, 2:30 – 6:30 pm – Boston Philharmonic Young Composers Initiative

Walden is thrilled to have been selected again this year to participate in this exciting orchestral reading/recording session. Preference given to composers 21 years of age or younger. Scores are due to Walden by Friday, January 6, 2017 (email: scores@waldenschool.org). If selected, parts are due no later than February 8. Pieces must be less than 6 minutes in length. Instrumentation not to exceed 3.3.3.3 (standard doublings), 4.3.3.1, Timp+3, harp, strings. Composer must be present in Boston on March 11.

CALL FOR NEWS – We want to hear from you! What’s been going on? If you have a recent or upcoming premiere, publication, award, new job or degree program, or a celebratory life event, please share the news.

1. Send us your news in an email.
2. Make sure we have your updated contact information.
3. Connect with the Walden community on Facebook by joining our private group page.

We want to stay in touch with you, especially about the upcoming regional Composers Forums and Holiday Parties.

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2016 Young Musicians Program

by Seth Brenzel, Director, Young Musicians Program

So many thrilling concerts and collaborations came to life during the 2016 Young Musicians Program. Our stellar faculty and staff served as caring teachers and mentors to 57 young students (ages 9-18) from around the world. They demonstrated how to be goofy, sophisticated, creative; how to be excellent musicians as well as confident, accomplished communicators. There were 100+ new musical works debuted by both faculty and student composers. We enjoyed weekly hikes, dances, open mics and swimming at the lake. We even were treated to visits by a large bouncy house, popcorn and snowcone machines, and a giant inflatable water slide on the lawn.

The opening weekend featured a marvelous concert by harpist Ben Melsky. In that first week we started in on classes, singing together in chorus, under the direction of Sarah Riskind, and we enjoyed the first of eight Composers Forums. After lots of learning and fun activities, Aurora Nealand & the Mississippi Gipsy thoroughly entertained us on a lovely evening outside the Fountain Arts Building.

 

Five members of the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE) again joined us for a week of open rehearsals, coachings, and two public concerts. They commissioned and performed eight works from returning students: Francesca Hellerman, Theo Trevisan, Max Chung, Jane Lange, Ruby Landau-Pincus, Alex Colon, Jack Whitelaw, and Max Zelle. These new works got to have another debut in New York City during August as part of Lincoln Center Mostly Mozart’s 50^th Anniversary Celebration. Read more about it below. In addition, six Walden faculty members (Katherine Balch, Alex Christie, Terry L. Greene, Sky Macklay, Osnat Netzer, and Moshe Shulman) wrote new pieces for ICE. The four students (Eva Montgomery-Morrison, Sam Thorpe, Charley Costantino, and Ionas Finser) from Dana Jessen’s Contemporary Performance class had the opportunity to share the stage with ICE, as well.

 

These giants of new music are such an inspiration, and we are honored to continue this partnership with them. ICE pianist Jacob Greenberg said, “Walden is a uniquely intense and encouraging environment. It’s not every day that we’re able to collaborate with students as engaged, curious, and gung-ho as the ones we meet here.”

On the third weekend we enjoyed an Open House for friends and neighbors, including class demonstrations and a concert by Quince Contemporary Vocal Ensemble. These virtuoso singers wowed us all. Their program included works by Walden faculty members Ted Moore, Cara Haxo, Evan Williams, Rebecca Griffin Greene, D.J. Sparr, and Sarah Riskind. Violinists Josh Modney (ICE) and Austin Wulliman (JACK Quartet) joined us for this week, too, performing new student works during Composers Forums. We also enjoyed a wonderful Musicianship Frolic during the 3^rd week, during which students and faculty showed off their musicianship drill and improvisation skills for one another during a fun, celebratory evening.

 

Walden was so fortunate to be joined again by our “house band,” The Walden School Players. This season’s excellent ensemble included Laura Cocks, flutes; Katie Schoepflin, clarinets; Dana Jessen, bassoon; Erica Dicker, violin; Tawnya Popoff, viola; Chris Wild, cello; Eric Wubbels, piano; and Bonnie Whiting, percussion. They played for our three Festival Week Composers Forums as well as their own superb concert, which included works by Katie Schoepflin, Walden Faculty member and Academic Dean Sam Pluta, and our guest Composer-in-Residence Paula Matthusen, Professor of Music at Wesleyan University.

Paula kicked off Festival Week with a lecture, sharing stories and examples, speaking candidly about developing her musicianship and her experiences as a composer. During Festival Week, we were visited by many Young Musicians Program students’ families. They joined us for the final Composers Forums, class demonstration, and Walden’s Choral Concert at All Saints’ Church in Peterborough.

 

All of this fun and learning wouldn’t be possible without the immensely important, talented, and beloved Walden School Staff. Kittie Cooper, Charlie Dees, Doug Friedman, Maddy Greenfield, Julie Kaplan, Elliott Nguyen, and Dean of Students Sara Riddington made all of the magic happen behind the scenes. So many rich memories and true friendships were formed at The Walden School’s 2016 Young Musicians Program.

Walden Alumnus and Faculty member Meade Bernard shares his good advice on keeping in touch with creativity, “When I need that extra spark of creativity I like to visualize the moment when I sit down at the piano in the Goodnight Music circle. The only thoughts in my head are the sounds I’ve just heard and the possibilities laid out on the instrument in front of me. The only expectation is that I should ignore expectations; I can filter out the noise of what music should be or should sound like, and just take a deep breath and play. I think we all face creative challenges all the time – musical or not – that can benefit from channeling that very Walden-y sort of free thinking.”

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Student Commissions receive New York City debuts!

by Rita Mitra, Board Member

CE’s August performances of works by some of Walden’s young composers at Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart Festival were truly inspiring, highlighting the special collaboration that has developed over the years between ICE and Walden. As the performers-in-residence at Mostly Mozart, ICE premiered eight Walden young composers’ pieces on two programs at the festival enthusiastically and with perfection.

The first performance was at Lincoln Center’s outdoor plaza and featured four compositions in one of ICE’s mini-concerts (ICE Performs Music by Young Composers from the Walden School). Several people in the area were drawn to the performance as they wandered by during lunch hour on a gorgeous summer day, and although Walden was, at the time, fully immersed in its own festival week, a few Walden supporters were in attendance, including the grandfather of one of the composers who happened to be visiting New York City that week.

The second event was a fun-filled “trivia” night with a jam-packed audience (A New York Public Library/Mostly Mozart Trivia Concert). The evening included a fun-filled mix of friendly competition between the audience and ICE members, historical tidbits curated by the New York Public Library, and a sprinkling of premieres, four of which were composed by Walden participants in this year’s Young Composer’s Program. ICE pianist Jacob Greenberg graciously introduced The Walden School and its “whiz” kids at both programs. Cheers to ICE for its extraordinary support of new music education and for its ongoing collaboration with Walden!

Learn more about the extraordinary partnership between The Walden School and the International Contemporary Ensemble.

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Creative Musicians Retreat 2016 – What an amazing week!

by Caroline Mallonée, Director, Creative Musicians Retreat

The opening concert, performed by resident artists Carlos Cordeiro (clarinet) and Steven Beck (piano), kicked off the Creative Musicians Retreat (CMR) with some serious fun. (Have you ever heard someone put both halves of a clarinet in his mouth at the same time? We have. Incredible!) University of Michigan Professor Michael Daugherty was our Composer-in-Residence. He inspired us with stories from his exciting life, gave composition lessons, and moderated each of the three Composers Forums.

The Mivos Quartet was our Ensemble-in-Residence. They presented a stunning concert that included Georg Friedrich Haas’s quartet performed in complete darkness and played many of the 35 new works heard on the Composers Forums. Their prowess and musicianship were tremendous.

This year’s participants came from across the nation and beyond, comprising working professionals, university students, and devoted amateurs—creative musicians of all levels. These talented and busy adults retreated from the demands of daily life and threw themselves wholeheartedly into their music.

 

Participants came from near and far: William Appleton came from Keene, Damjan Jovičin flew from Serbia, and singer-songwriter Hannah McPhillimy joined us from Northern Ireland. Kevin Kelly drove with his family all the way from Los Angeles to make a vacation of it! I believe this may be the farthest anyone has driven to get to Walden.

We got to know college seniors Jack Langdon from St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota and Richard An, a Young Musicians Program alumnus who joined us from the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California. (He didn’t drive.)

Walden’s Composers Forums are always refreshingly varied, and this year’s were no exception. New music written for our artists-in-residence, faculty performers and chamber choir was presented and discussed. We heard microtonal music by Noah Kahrs; we listened to music from a spread-out quartet by Meade Bernard; we were treated to a theatrical piece by Dylan Richards. Charmaine Lee shared her fluent vocal improvisations, and Ayanna Woods returned for her second summer at CMR, bringing along her clever choral work on tweets by Jaden Smith.

 

While Steve Messner’s career is in finance, he looks forward to creating music at Walden each summer. True fact: Steve has been to every CMR session since we started in 2011! Former Young Musicians Program faculty member Bob Crites is a data scientist who returned to Walden to renew his love for composing, first encouraged when he was a student at ‘camp’ in the 1970s!

Our outstanding faculty led classes and improvisation workshops. Osnat Netzer, Renée Favand-See, Ted Moore, Sam Pluta, Nicholas DeMaison, D. J. Sparr and I taught composition lessons, musicianship classes and weeklong seminars on contemporary topics, including in-depth studies of electronic music, orchestration, spatial music, conducting, sound masses and the music of Unsuk Chin. We couldn’t have done any of this without plenty of coffee from Prime Roast, delicious food and our amazing staff – Seth Brenzel, Juliet Kaplan, Doug Friedman, Ted Moore, and Kittie Cooper.

 

Our participants challenged and inspired each other in classrooms, on the quad, in the dining hall, at the lake, even while hiking Mt. Monadnock. It is safe to say that all participants emerged with renewed creative energy, new friends, and exciting plans for the future.

A wonderful mix of program participants who were new to Walden, alumni from Walden’s programs, and former faculty members came together for the The Walden School 2016 Creative Musicians Retreat to form a warm and creative musical community and to share music and ideas with each other. The open mic on the final night was one of the most varied and exhilarating displays of creativity I have witnessed in a long time. Walden magic!

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Now Hear This! New Music by 2016 YMP Students

The 2016 Young Musicians Program saw the world premieres of more than 100 compositions, including this one:

Temporal Illusions by Theo Trevisan.

Listen carefully for the Schoolhouse bell that mysteriously begins and ends the experience. It was performed on the final Festival Week Composers Forum (August 3) by The Walden School Players.

Tawnya Popoff, viola; Chris Wild, cello; Eric Wubbels, piano; Bonnie Whiting, percussion; Sasha Paris-Carter (YMP), bell; Evan Williams, conductor

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Development Corner – At Walden, we make fundraising fun!

by Jonathan Thomas, Development Manager

Most supporters of The Walden School are aware of the wonderful programs, staff, artistry, and creativity that happen every summer in Dublin, New Hampshire. Did you know that the Walden community gets together throughout the year to celebrate and raise awareness for these programs in different areas of the country? Walden’s two most recent fundraisers in Boston and Dublin were inspiring, successful, and a lot of fun!

On May 7^th, 2016, nearly 50 people gathered at the Sloane Merrill Gallery in Beacon Hill for Walden’s first ever fundraiser in the Boston area. Many of the attendees were friends and colleagues of Walden faculty, staff, parents, and board members, learning about Walden’s mission and vision for the first time. Cellist Dave Eggar and guitarist Phil Faconti gave a memorable performance to a packed room. Remarks by Walden parent and board member Rebecca Hawkins spoke to the impact Walden has on participants and families. The event succeeded in raising more than $5,500 for Walden’s programs, and we made many new friends in Boston.

Unlike our first trip to Boston, the August 6^th event in Dublin was a familiar part of the Walden summer and Festival Week. Susan and Loring Catlin once again opened their beautiful home, Red Top, on Dublin Lake to celebrate the close of another wonderful Walden season. More than 100 people enjoyed a beautiful, sunny afternoon reception with refreshments and a recital. Austin Wulliman, a member of the JACK Quartet and a Young Musicians Program visiting artist, played an exciting program of contemporary and traditional pieces for violin, including a piece by Margaret Taylor, a current Walden student, that fit seamlessly with the other diverse works on the program. More than $7,500 was raised for Walden’s programs at this event.The Walden development team is so appreciative of the generosity of our supporters. Our programs simply could not continue without your gifts. Thanks to your generous support we surpassed our Annual Fund goal!

Thank you for being a part of Walden, and please join us at our next celebration! Speaking of celebrating… HOLIDAY PARTIES are happening in January in six cities! Join us in Chicago, San Francisco, Boston, New York City, Washington, D.C., or Baltimore. For more information, please write to us: events@waldenschool.org.

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by Matthew Klahorst (WP)

November 2013 eNews: InterNetzo

Table of Contents

Message from the Executive Director
Now Hear This! Work by 2013 Walden Participants
Send Us Your Scores! Face The Music to Perform at April Alumni Composers Forum
Tiiiiiiiii…Do! (We Made It!)
Administrative Comings and Going
An Eventful Summer
An Update on Walden’s Board of Directors
Why Wait? Request An Application Today!
Jazz Musicianship Now Available Online
A Fall Walden Gathering…
…and a Holiday Party Coming to a City Near You
The Walden School Honored by Great Nonprofits
Join HandOverHand.org, Walden’s alumni website
Opportunities & Organizations Listing
Community News & Goods

Message from the Executive Director

While the past summer is fading into our memories, the experience at Walden in New Hampshire made an indelible impression on our students, parents, faculty, staff and artists, as you can read a bit from their own words, expressed in their evaluations of the summer:

“As a parent, it is exciting to see your child in an environment that is on the one hand very sophisticated in what it offers students, and at the same time very warm and encouraging so the students feel comfortable exploring their creativity and skills away from home.”

“The program choices and the staff were superb. What my son learned was life changing. He has been enlightened by the Walden School experience. Walden is a parents’ dream for their children! It is priceless! We are very grateful to you, and we thank you!”

“I would use the following words to describe our residency: productive, creative, challenging, positive, meaningful, mutually beneficial.”

“I loved working here this summer, and I am so thankful for the opportunity to be a part of the Walden experience.”

“I loved the setting, I loved the food, I adored the dances and the hikes, but what I loved best of all were the people — the wonderful ‘faculstaff’ and the great friends I made among the students.”

In 2013, Walden’s Young Musicians Program was offered for the 41^st time. During the five-week program, we had exciting residencies with composers George Lewis and Joan Panetti (a Junior Conservatory Camp alumna), The Walden School Players, Aurora Nealand and the Royal Roses, Dal Niente, Phyllis Chen, Anne LaBerge and Peter Evans, among others. Our faculty, composed of a majority of returning faculty members, offered classes in musical theater, the music of Debussy, film scoring, computer musicianship, jazz improvisation, and of course, our core curriculum of musicianship and composition. Choral director Alysoun Kegel, ably supported by a crackerjack team of assistant conductors (Sam Pluta, Sarah Riskind and Peter Thompson) led The Walden School Chorus. The entire community presented a beautiful choral concert at the end of Festival Week at the Peterborough Town House, attended by more than 200 parents, friends, and local community members.

Amber Rubarth, Dave Eggar and Chuck Palmer made a special appearance on one of our Open Mics, and Walden alumna Hilary Kole gave a surprise performance during Festival Week for parents, students, faculty and staff. More than 100 compositions were given their first hearing this summer at Walden, as young musicians from around the world gathered with talented faculty and staff for a summer of musicianship, community, and creativity.

During the fall, we in Walden’s administration and faculty make our way through the dozens of pages of written evaluations from all of our summer program constituents. This process allows the board, administration and faculty to continually evaluate the markers and measures of Walden’s success while at the same time work to improve the experience for all of Walden’s future program participants.

And while we are in the midst of looking back at a fantastic Summer 2013 at Walden, we are busily making preparations for Walden 2014. I am delighted to announce that in 2014, from June 14-22, Walden will reprise the successful Creative Musicians Retreat that the School offered in both 2011 and 2012! Wet Ink Ensemble will be in residence, and we will be making additional announcements about the program’s faculty, staff and composer-in-residence in the coming weeks. This program is open to any adult musician seeking a ‘Walden’ experience – complete with singing, hiking, Composers Forums, chorus, musicianship, a concert and of course, the creative community that is a hallmark of Walden. For more information, please visit waldenschool.org/creative-musicians-retreat.

Our five-week flagship summer Young Musicians Program will commence its 42^ndseason on Saturday, June 28, 2014. We’ll be mailing applications in the next few weeks, and we’ll be making announcements about artists who will be in residence and faculty who will be teaching over the coming months. Aakash Mittal will be in residence for several days with a quintet performing a compelling program of North Indian-inspired jazz music. Enrollment is limited to 50 students, and our first application deadline will be in December. Financial aid in the form of tuition assistance is available to qualified families.

In addition to all of our plans for next summer, we are busy making plans for holiday parties in 5 different cities: the San Francisco Bay Area, New York City (December 8), Washington, DC, Philadelphia and Boston. Watch HandOverHand.org and Walden’s Facebook page and group for more information about dates and locations!

We have also announced an exciting collaboration with Face the Music of New York City, the nation’s only new music ensemble composed entirely of top-notch teen performers. On the evening of April 5, 2014, players from Face the Music will perform on a Walden/Junior Conservatory Camp Alumni Composers Forum in New York City to be moderated by past Walden visiting composer Eve Beglarian. We are delighted about this upcoming event. If you’d like to submit your score for consideration to be performed or have questions about the event, please write to us at events@waldenschool.org.

Finally, I hope you will take time to read the rest of this issue of InterNetzo. There’s lots of information about staff and board transitions, alumni & friends’ news and goods, a wrap-up of our summer events, and of course, a musical offering in the form of a recording of one of our 2013 YMP program participant’s compositions. None of what we do at Walden could happen without the generous contributions from our more than 350 donors – foundations, corporations and individuals like you. On behalf of everyone at Walden, thank you for your support!

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Now Hear This! Works by 2013 Walden Participants

The 2013 Young Musicians Program saw the world premieres of more than 100 student works, including “That’s So Metal” by Brooke Adams. Click here to listen to Brooke’s piece, performed by Jane Cords O’Hara on cello and Brooke herself on electronics.

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Send Us Your Scores! Face the Music to Perform at April 2014 NYC Alumni Composers Forum

Walden is excited to announce that this year’s annual New York City Alumni Composers Forum will feature the ensemble Face the Musicand will be moderated by recent Walden School Composer-in-Residence, Eve Beglarian. Selected compositions will be performed by members of Face the Music on the April 5th Alumni Composers Forum.

This opportunity is open to all Walden and Junior Conservatory Camp alumni and current students. We are seeking scores that are no longer than eight minutes (preference will be given to new works) and the composer must be present at the Composers Forum in New York City, on April 5th, 2014. Instrumentation can include any combination of the following: alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, upright bass, electric bass, electric guitar, drumset, piano/keyboards, violin(x2), viola, cello. If you would like to include electronics please email us with details. If you are interested in submitting a score please email us at events@waldenschool.org – all submissions are due by December 16th, 2013.

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Tiiiiiiiii…Do! (We Made It!)

Wow! A BIG thank you to all of our supporters who helped us meet and surpass our fundraising goal for our 2013 fiscal year – because of your help we raised more than $400,000 to support creative music education from October 1, 2012 to September 30, 2013. You’ve empowered Walden to maintain the superlative caliber of our faculty and staff, to keep bringing world-class artists to campus for exciting residencies, and to provide vital financial aid to talented students.

A special thanks and congratulations to one mystery donor, whose donation brought us over the $400K mark. That generous person has won a weekend visit to the 2014 Young Musician’s Program.

Now, on to 2014! Whether giving for the first time or renewing your generosity, it’s never too early to change a life forever…

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Administrative Comings and Goings

By Seth Brenzel

It is with incredible gratitude and sadness and excitement – all at the same time – that we bid farewell to Esther Landau, Walden’s Director of Development since September of October 2004. She has accepted a position as the Director of Development at the Pomeroy Recreation & Rehabilitation Center (http://www.prrcsf.org) here in San Francisco, California, and the staff and community at Pomeroy are certainly fortunate to have lured her away from Walden! For nine years, Esther has partnered with me, Walden’s Board of Directors, volunteers, parents, alumni and donors to grow our annual fund to unprecedented levels, launch and sustain our alumni relations programs (including two wonderful Alumni Reunions and our annual regional Composers Forums), and to be one of the fiercest advocates around for Walden’s programs and mission. Her accomplishments have been multitudinous and have enabled Walden to expand beyond offering our flagship camp program to being able to offer programs for adult creative musicians, as well as year-round events and gathering for alumni, faculty and friends.

I have especially appreciated the opportunity to work with Esther, and I have learned so much from her. I cherish her collegiality, determination, wit and warmth. This past summer, Esther joined the ranks of Walden parents: her daughter Ruby was a first-time “camper” in 2013. I am excited that Esther and her wife Caroline will continue to stay close to Walden through their new relationship as Walden parents, and I know that their entire family will remain connected to Walden. In Esther’s own words, “I have to go, but I don’t want to leave.” There simply are not enough ways for Walden to express its gratitude to Esther for her service over this past near-decade.

Esther will be staying on through the end of December in a part-time capacity as she begins her new adventures at Pomeroy and helps us transition to our new Director of Development, a search for whom is currently in its final stages. If you’re interested in learning more about the search and what we’re looking for in Esther’s successor, you can check out the employment section of Walden’s website. And of course if you have any questions about this transition, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Walden also reluctantly said ‘arrivederci’ to Jefferson Packer, Director of Administration, last month, as he transitioned to a new position as Director of Marketing and Development at the California Symphony in Walnut Creek, California, where Jefferson has the opportunity to work with this important Bay Area institution in helping launch Donato Cabrera’s inaugural season as its new Music Director and Conductor. Jefferson worked with Donato at the SF Symphony Youth Orchestra, where prior to Walden, Jefferson served as the Orchestra’s Manager. Coincidentally, the California Symphony is the orchestra at which Walden alumnus and faculty member D. J. Sparr has been serving as Composer-in-Residence since 2011.

Even before joining our staff, Jefferson raised $1,250 for Walden’s programs through his generous and enthusiastic participation in Walden’s Compose-a-thon. I am most grateful for Jefferson’s work at Walden in the administrative side of Walden’s operations, helping us streamline our database processes, office operations, financial management, and launching our new website, over these past three years. Jefferson is also active as a wonderful professional baritone and collaborative pianist here in the Bay Area, and we trust that it won’t be too long before we see him again, on or off stage.

Walden staff member and alumnus Peter Thompson, who recently completed his undergraduate degree from Yale University in Music, has joined the Walden staff as our new Administrative Manager. We are thrilled to have his program experience, passion for Walden’s mission and programs and people, and his enthusiastic can-do attitude to help us fill Jefferson’s shoes. Peter has relocated to San Francisco from the East Coast and will also be present at Walden’s programs in 2014, joining the ranks of bi-coastal Walden faculty and staff.

And finally, returning from his too-early retirement as Walden’s Office Manager, Drew Thams has stepped into the role of Walden’s bookkeeper, working remotely as a contractor from his home in San Diego. We are delighted to welcome Drew back into service to Walden, and we know that Walden’s financial management and record keeping continue to be in excellent hands.

Welcome Drew and Peter – we are so glad you are here!

Good luck and farewell and THANK YOU to Esther and Jefferson – we wish you the very best on your new adventures and count on staying in touch!

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An Eventful Summer

Tawnya PopoffIn mid-July, the lucky attendees at Walden’s annual Open House on the campus of the Dublin School were treated to a special performance by the Treble Chorus, along with engaging demonstrations of musicianship, computer musicianship, and musical theater.

A few days later, alumni were guests at an online event, a webinar in real time featuring a mid-summer report from Director Seth Brenzel, as well as a mini-Composers Forum. Young Musicians Program students Alice Faye Kincade and Jack Whitelaw presented recordings of their newly premiered works, discussing their compositions with faculty moderator Sam Pluta. Attendees at the webinar were able to submit questions for the young composers. Discussion was lively and the event was a success. If you’d like to listen to the archived recording, write to us at alumni@waldenschool.org.

On a glorious day in early August, Walden parents and friends gathered at the home of Susie and Loring Catlin in Dublin, New Hampshire, to celebrate the close of another successful summer at the Young Musicians Program. Violinist Jane Chung and violist Tawnya Popoff performed a delightful program of duos against the backdrop of Dublin Lake. And on an equally glorious day in mid-September, Bay Area friends enjoyed a party at the home of Teresa McCollough in Menlo Park. The musical program featured our host, Teresa, along with tenor Brian Thorsett, performing works by Britten, Schubert, Foster, and Walden Co-founder David Hogan, including Hogan’s arrangement of Bach’s Bist du bei mir. Attendees at both events were generous, encouraged by the knowledge that their donations would be matched by a challenge from Walden’s Board of Directors.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to our event hosts, host committees, performers, volunteers, board members, and supporters for making all these events tremendously successful!

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Update on Walden’s Board of Directors

By Seth Brenzel

Walden’s dedicated Board of Directors met in Dublin, New Hampshire, for two days in July. As part of the annual meeting, faculty, staff and administration met with the board and consultant Shannon Ellis of CompassPoint, jointly discovering common language to discuss Walden’s enduring core values. On Saturday, relevant to the Board’s attention to long-range planning, the Board and administration focused on identifying and evaluating criteria to help the School better define and communicate its organizational impact – on its participants and on the broader world. It was a successful meeting, capped by a festive celebratory dinner at the home of Emeritus Director Charlie MacVeagh and his wife, Dede.

As happens each July, there were new additions to the Board of Directors as other Directors’ terms were ending. Joining the board in 2013 are Ellen Bernard (returning to the Board after previously serving most recently as Board Chair), Jamie Hamilton, Amelia Lukas, and Steve Messner.

Ellen Bernard and her husband Ed are long-time Walden friends, and parents of Walden alumni, staff and faculty Meade and Whit Bernard. Ellen serves on a number of Baltimore-based non-profit boards, including Baltimore Choral Arts and the Walters Art Gallery. Jamie Hamilton joins Walden after having served from 1996-2011 as the Priest-in-Charge at Emmanuel Church, the summer Episcopal church that is next-door to the Dublin School. She is the Associate Dean of Students at Phillips Exeter Academy, serving also on the faculty as a teacher of religion.

Amelia Lukas is a former member of Walden’s SF-based administrative team, of Walden’s summer program staff, and of The Walden School Players, and she is a Walden Teacher Training Institute alumna. She is active as a professional flutist in New York City, leads the new music organization Ear Heart Music, and manages the chamber and dance catalogues for music publisher G. Schirmer. Steve Messner is a two-time Creative Musicians Retreat participant and has served as a member of the Board of Trustees for the Levine School of Music in Washington, DC, since 2003. He works with the top management of small and medium-sized companies as a financial advisor or part-time CFO or COO to help them increase profitability and cash flow and improve operations.

In July, we bid farewell to three outstanding members of Walden’s Board of Directors, who between the three of them, served 21 years as members of Walden’s Board. To Todd Cleary, John O’Meara, and Molly Pindell, all of us at Walden offer you our heartiest appreciation and most heartfelt gratitude for all that you have done to sustain and strengthen Walden over the last number of years. Thankfully for Walden, Todd, John and Molly have each agreed to ongoing service on Board committees as non-director members, and I know that each of them and their families will remain close members of the Walden community.

For more information about the School’s Board of Directors, visit https://waldenschool.org/about-us/board-of-directors/.

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Why Wait? Request an Application Today!

Applications for The Walden School’s 2014 Young Musicians Program (June 28-August 3) and Creative Musicians Retreat(June 14-June 22) will be available soon. Sign up to have them delivered to your mailbox! Would you or someone you know benefit from Walden’s renowned creative pedagogy, inspiring teachers, and collaborative community? Teachers, students, parents, children, teenagers, composers, conductors, pedagogues, performers, professionals, and beginners: we can’t wait to hear from you!

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Jazz Musicianship Now Available Online

Bill StevensJazz Musicianship: A Guide for Integrated Learning Vol. 1, written by Bill Stevens (YMP ’92-’94, YMP Faculty ’00-’10, TTI Faculty ’06-’11, CMR Faculty ’12), is hot off the presses and now available for purchase directly online! Click hereto order your copy. The book is also available directly through The Walden School office. A portion of your purchase of this book benefits the Walden School. Junior Conservatory Camp alumna and Walden visiting artist, Marilyn Crispell states, “I think that Jazz Musicianship is an incredibly thorough, very well done, approach to learning jazz from the bottom up, laying strong foundations for further explorations and understanding of the jazz idiom. I am very impressed.” If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us.

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A Fall Walden Gathering…

On October 13, about twenty recent alumni of the Young Musicians Program gathered for pizza at Johnny’s in New York City with ‘faculstaff’ members Marguerite Ladd, Sam Pluta, Sky Macklay, and Seth Brenzel. The gathering included a third of the 2013 YMP student body, as well as a few slightly less recent and equally beloved alumni. Students flew in from as far away as Philadelphia, Chicago, and San Francisco for hugs, jokes, memories, and a LOT of cheese. Thanks to all of you for making the event such a success!

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…and a Holiday Party Coming to a City Near You

Alumni at
NYC holiday
party, 2012It is never to early to start planning your busy holiday season. Make sure you leave room for a Walden holiday party! Currently we are planning holiday parties in the following cities: Boston, New York, San Francisco, Washington D.C., and Philadelphia. Register at handoverhand.org or join Walden’s facebook group to get the latest on these events. We would love to help facilitate holiday parties all over the world, so, please contact us if you are interested in attending or hosting a party this season!

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Honored by Great Nonprofits

Thanks to the rave reviews of supporters like you, The Walden School has earned a spot on Great NonProfits 2013 Top Rated List! Walden is one of the first nonprofits to be honored this year and is now listed as a winner on their leaderboard. We are so grateful to all of you who helped us achieve this honor! It makes a big difference. If you’d like to write your own review or see what others have said about us, click here.

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Join HandOverHand.org, Walden’s alumni website

Did you attend a program at The Walden School? Are you a parent of a child who has attended Walden?
Register at Walden’s alumni website, handoverhand.org!

Features include:

• Program pages for JCC, YMP, TTI and CMR
• Personal profiles, photo albums, blogs and links to personal sites
• An events calendar
• Opportunities Center listing calls for scores and competitions
• An Alumni Forum for discussing topics of interest
• Links to sites of interest

As a registered member, you’ll be able to search for friends by the year they attended, send internal emails to other members, upload your own photos, post events to the calendar, and more. Go to: http://handoverhand.org and register!

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Opportunities & Organizations Listing

An opportunities listing for composers of multiple levels and age ranges, as well as organizations that provide services to composers, performers, music teachers, improvisers, and experimental musicians, is available here.

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Community News and Goods

The Walden School welcomes news and information from members of the Junior Conservatory Camp and Walden School communities to include in our print and online newsletters. News may be sent via mail or email. We will publish your contact information only if you specifically request that we do so. Please contact us on-line or send info to The Walden School, 31A 29th St., San Francisco, CA 94110. We reserve the right to edit submissions and regret we cannot publish all information provided. For upcoming event listings, go to the Walden and JCC alumni website, handoverhand.org. (Note: YMP=Young Musicians Program; TTI=Teacher Training Institute; CMR=Creative Musicians Retreat; JCC=Junior Conservatory Camp).

Hannah Addario-Berry (Visiting Artist ’06) performed the Sonata for Solo Cello by György Ligeti on May 6 at ODC Theater in San Francisco as part of BAASICS.3: The Deep End, an exploration of neurodiversities, mental disorders, and creativity, presented by the Bay Area Art and Science Interdisciplinary Collaborative Sessions (BAASICS).

Ethan Borshansky (YMP ’98-01, Staff ’05) has joined the faculty of Bergen Community College, where he teaches electronic music. His most recent release, Iselin Aerial EP, currently holds a place on the Thema label’s top ten Most Popular Releases.

Alan Chan (TTI ’04, ’06; YMP Faculty ’10-’11) and the Alan Chan Jazz Orchestra have released their first albums, the Rancho Calaveras EP and the ACJO Album. In other news, Alan’s piece Winter News received a New Music USA’s Composer Assistance Award.

Claire Chase (Visiting Artist ’05-’09; ’11) was featured on The Street, talking about the beginnings of International Contemporary Ensemble and her work in building community around new music. She also just dropped a new album, Density.

In September, Alex Christie (YMP ’02-04, TTI ’10-11, YMP Staff ’09, YMP Faculty ’10-13) made a homecoming to Oberlin Conservatory, where he recorded a new piece with pianist Tom Rosenkranz and presented a guest lecture/demo on electro-acoustic improvisation, joined by bassoonist Dana Jessen (YMP Faculty ’13). He also worked with Oberlin students individually, including no fewer than five recent Walden alumni: Sam Phillips-Corwin (YMP ’08-11), Kaeli Mogg (YMP ’08-11), Emma Eisenberg (YMP ’08-’12), Sarah Snider (YMP ’07-12), and Nicole Gutman (YMP ’11-12).

In September, Skyler Chu (YMP ’12) played a Beethoven Sonata for Emmanuel Ax at a master class hosted by the San Francisco Community Music Center. Mr. Ax was mighty impressed with Skyler’s performance!

Andrea Clearfield‘s (Composer-in-Residence, ’06) December 16th Holiday Salon in Philadelphia featured Nigel Armstrong (YMP ’00).

David Conte’s (Visiting Composer ’99, ’02) Three Poems of Christina Rosetti was performed as a part of the Old Firsts Concerts series on September 15th, by Kindra Scharich, mezzo-soprano and John Boyajy, piano.

Marilyn Crispell (JCC ’60-’64; Visiting Artist ’04, ’07-‘08) has been invited to lead a three-week residency at the Atlantic Center for the Arts in Florida. See their website for an application to work with her.

Shawn Crouch (YMP ’93-’96; YMP Staff ’97, YMP Faculty ’02 and ’05-’07, TTI ’08, YMP and CMR Choral Director) has stepped down as the director of the Miami Choral Academy to pursue doctoral composition studies at University of Miami, where his sextet Adolescent Psychology was performed on October 8.

Miranda Cuckson (YMP Visiting Artist ’08, ’11) had a slew of exciting October concerts, including on October 17 with Guy Barash and Rinat Shaham, on October 19 with composer/pianist Michael Hersch, and on October 24 with pianist Yegor Shevtsov, the last of which celebrates her successful first year as a Mannes College faculty member. She also is unveiling two solo CDs, including Melting the Darkness, an October release featuring microtonal and electro-acoustic works; and a January release of works by Sessions, Carter, and Eckardt.

Ensemble Dal Niente (YMP Visiting Artists ’13) kicked off the Liquid Music concert series in St. Paul on November 5, at the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra Center. The set featured world premieres and synched video.

Del Sol String Quartet (Visiting Artists ’06) explore the works of Robert Erickson in a pair of Bay Area concerts this month, including a concert at the Center for New Music on November 7 accompanying the visual art of Kimetha Vanderveen, and at the Hillside Club in Berkeley on November 17 presenting Erickson’s complete string quartets.

Nick DeMaison (YMP Faculty ’04-’07) began work this fall as the Director of Orchestras and Choirs at Rensselear Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York.

The Kronos Quartet just released Aheym, Bryce Dessner’s (Visiting Artist ’03) first full album of string quartets. His percussion quartet Music for Wood and Strings will be premiered by So Percussion at Carnegie Hall on November 23.

Ruth Franklin (YMP ’84-’89; Board Member ’03-’08) married Joseph Braude this summer. Congratulations Ruth and Joseph!

Stacy Garrop (YMP ’87-’88, YMP Faculty ’96) had Give Me Hunger, her new setting of Carl Sandburg’s poem, premiered by Chanticleer on September 20th in San Francisco. The concert, entitled She Said/He Said, was performed five times around the Bay Area.

Michael Gilbertson (YMP Faculty ’13) will join his old teacher Joan Panetti (YMP Visiting Artist ’13, JCC) as a professor at the Yale School of Music in January, teaching a section of Joan’s renowned musicianship class, “Hearing”. He currently teaches composition and music tech at the Educational Center for the Arts, a performing arts charter high school in New Haven.

Mark Greenwald, Ph.D., (YMP ’75-‘78) has been appointed to the National Institutes of Health Study Section. Study Sections review grant applications and survey the status of research in their respective fields.

Sophie Huet’s (TTI ’09) Wild Rumpus New Music Collective opened their third season in September with a Nicolas Tzortzis world premiere, along with pieces by Reich, Feldman, and Takemitsu. The will premiere a work by Eliza Brown (YMP ’00-’02, YMP Staff ’04-’05, TTI ’07 and ’10, YMP Faculty ’08-’09) in Spring 2014.

Work is underway for Andrew Jamieson (YMP ’05-06) on Heaven Down Here, a new experimental/gospel chamber opera based on the Jonestown massacre. For more information, including how you can support his project, click here for updates.

Dana Jessen (Faculty ’13) is settling into her new home in Oberlin with a full slate of out-of-state performances, including the successful San Francisco debut of her newest ensemble, Splinter Reeds; and a two-day residency at the University of Michigan with the Rushes Ensemble. You also may have heard Dana’s collaboration with Michael Straus EAR Duo perform on NPR’s All Things Considered, as part of a story on EMMI’s musical robots.

Todd Lerew (CMR ’12) unveiled a pair of exciting works for new instruments in the Bay Area in October. Todd reprised a piece he wrote at CMR at the Music for People and Thingamjigs Festival, in which he dropped wax onto a drum head so that its timbre and pitch slowly changed. The Now Hear Ensemble also premiered his piece written for custom-built monochords.

Sky Macklay (YMP Faculty ’09-’13, TTI ’09, CMR ’11, CMR Staff ’11-12) began doctoral studies in composition at Columbia University this fall.

Teresa McCollough (Visiting Artist ’01) teams up with Michael Boyd to perform Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring for 2 Pianos on November 8 at Santa Clara University’s Music Recital Hall.

Melody of China (Visiting Artists ’08) will play a blowout 20th Anniversary Concert on November 24th in San Francisco, featuring a fusion of jazz and Chinese traditions with a stellar list of guest performers. You can reserve tickets for the concert here.

On August 26th, Brendan Milburn (YMP ‘88) and Valerie Vigoda of the theatrical power-pop trio GrooveLily performed as a keyboard and violin duo at the MET Theater in Hollywood, CA.

Gary Monheit (JCC, YMP Faculty ‘75) performed a concert of originals and jazz covers at Yoshi’s San Francisco on June 28.

Osnat Netzer (YMP Faculty ’08-09, ’11, ’13) moved over the Charles River to Cambridge, Massachusetts, where she now teaches composition and music theory as a Preceptor at Harvard.

Nathaniel Osborne (YMP ’00-’03) and the Nat Osborne Band opened for the Dave Matthews Band at Jones Beach in Wantagh, New York, before kicking off their US tour in July.

Jefferson Packer (TTI ’09-’10, Director of Administration ’11-’13) performed as a member of the San Francisco Renaissance Voices in The Play of Daniel this past June. Click here to request a copy of the write up in Early Music America.

Alicia Jo Rabins (YMP ’88-’93) spent a week teaching art and Torah at the Contemporary Jewish Museum for Studio G-dcast, performed at K Records’ Helsing Junction Sleepoverin Rochester, Washington, and performed again at Fairfield University in Connecticut on October 15th. She has also announced a February run of her one-woman-show A Kaddish for Bernie Madoff at the Portland Playhouse.

Brendon Randall-Meyers (TTI ’10, Development Assistant ’10-’12) continues to flourish at the Yale School of Music, where Indefatigable Optimism, his first piece for orchestra, premieres on December 12.

Jessica Rudman (CMR ’11) married Jeffrey Paternostro on June 23. Congratulations Jessica and Jeffrey!

Vivian Rudow (JCC ’50-‘53) had her piece Rebecca’s Song performed at the Hong Kong Space Museum Lecture Hall by pianist Stanley Wong.

On August 13th, Matt Siffert (CMR ’12) curated a concert entitled “New Songs New Sounds” spotlighting composer-songwriters at CultureFix on the Lower East Side. He also performed his new EP “Rise”.

Kate Soper (Visiting Artist ’09, ’12 as part of Wet Ink) will premiere her vocal monodrama at Zankel Hall in New York City on January 18. Ably assisted by her Wet Ink colleagues, composer/singer/actor/performance artist Kate will bring Madame Bovary, Clytemnestra, and Daisy from The Great Gatsby to life.

Freya Waley-Cohen (YMP ’00-’07) continues to pursue her Masters in Composition at the Royal Academy of Music. The pianist Nadav Hertzka will perform Five Breaths, the piece he commissioned from Freya, at five concerts over the next year.

Tamsin Waley-Cohen (Visiting Artist ’10) just signed with Ikon Arts Management, and will be playing two all-Schubert programs with the London Bridge Ensemble in November.

Wet Ink performed with the Evan Parker ElectroAcoustic Ensemble on September 30th at Roulette in Brooklyn. They also played with Yarn/Wire (Visiting Artists ‘12) in Chelsea on October 1st.

Yarn/Wire (Visiting Artists ‘12) threw their annual season kick-off party in New York City featuring works by Laura Barger (TTI ’09) and others. Learn more about their 2013-14 season with three diverse concerts in their home city of Chicago.

On November 20th in Brooklyn, Pamela Z (YMP Visiting Artist ’11) will premiere Carbon Song Cycle, her new collaboration with video artist Christina McPhee.

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by Matthew Klahorst (WP)

June 2013 eNews: InterNetzo

Table of Contents

Message from the Executive Director
2013 Concert Series Announced
Still a Few Places Remaining in Our 2013 Young Musicians Program — Apply Today!
Walden Events in Baltimore and Los Angeles; Upcoming Open House in Dublin
Walden publishes Jazz Musicianship
Join HandOverHand.org, Walden’s alumni website
Community News & Goods
Opportunities & Organizations Listing
Now Hear This! Work by 2012 Walden Participants

Message from the Executive Director

Greetings from Walden!

I hope this newsletter finds you doing well and enjoying the start of summer. This month’s newsletter is chock-full of updates, information and news about Walden, and I hope you’ll enjoy reading it all.

Seeing as we are a summer music camp, festival and school, the period leading up to summer is one of Walden’s busiest times of year, as we prepare for the arrival of faculty, staff, guest artists and students at Walden later this month. Many of my colleagues in the educational world talk about how things are winding down for them at this time of year (summer vacation on the way, etc.)…but not for us here at Walden. We’re just winding up, and what an exciting time it is!

For the 2013 Young Musicians Program, we have assembled a crackerjack faculty and staff team, consisting of many returning members and a few new faces. Returning on faculty and staff this summer are Erica Ball, Alex Christie, Rebekah Griffin Greene, Marguerite Ladd, Sky Macklay, Caroline Mallonée, Emil Margolis, Ian Munro, Osnat Netzer, Loretta Notareschi, Sam Pluta, Peter Thompson, Ann Goehe, Sarah Riskind and Meade Bernard! New additions to the faculty staff team this summer are Alysoun Kegel, who will be our choral director and teach one course in the curriculum; Michael Gilbertson, composer and pianist; Josie Kovash and Joshua Clampitt, both Young Musicians Program alumni, who will join the staff this summer; and William Kelly from California, who will also join the staff. You can read more about each of them on our website.

We are super excited about Alysoun Kegel joining the Walden team, taking over the reins of the choral program this year. She comes to us most recently from earning her Masters in conducting at Carnegie Mellon, where she was one of American choral luminary Robert Page’s final students. Prior to receiving her Masters, she gained experience working with young voices, having been the Artistic Director at PALS Children’s Chorus for several years. This fall she will become the choral director at Rosemary Choate Hall in Connecticut. She also has studied Dalcroze, and holds a Masters from Longy in that subject. We look forward to her artistry and leadership this summer!

With Alysoun’s arrival, we say farewell to longtime Walden choral director Leo Wanenchak. I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge the tremendous and innumerable contributions Leo has made over the years to The Walden School, and particularly, to Walden’s choral program. His are big shoes to fill to be sure! All of us at Walden express our gratitude for his teaching and choral leadership over these past many years, and we all wish Leo the very best in his new endeavors. Thank you, Leo!

With this issue of InterNetzo, we also announce the 2013 Walden School concert series. Commencing this year’s series on June 30 is Phyllis Chen, composer and pianist, who will be performing a concert that features her collection of toy pianos, piano music inspired by toy pianos and more; it promises to be a stupendous evening of sound. Joan Panetti, a Junior Conservatory alumna and faculty member at Yale University, will co-moderate a Composers Forum with her former student, Caroline Mallonée. Ms. Panetti will be in residence for several days, mentoring and training Walden faculty. George Lewis, our composer-in-residence, will have a new work of his featured on the July 26 concert given by The Walden School Players. In addition, the Walden School Chorus is going to give the world premiere of his first-ever choral piece on Friday, August 2nd at Walden’s annual choral concert, which will feature all of Walden’s students, faculty and staff in concert performing for the Monadnock Region community at the Peterborough Town House. Chicago-based Dal Niente will perform the world premieres of eight new works written for the July 12 concert by eight Walden faculty members. And to celebrate the excitement and joy of musical improvisation, along with 15 years of electronic music at Walden, Sam Pluta has organized a concert on July 19 featuring Anne LaBerge, Peter Evans, Sam himself, Alex Christie and a sound installation designed by Ian Munro.

I am also excited to welcome both Caroline Mallonée and Loretta Notareschi as faculty mentors this year. Carrie and Loretta, in addition to leading teacher-training sessions for our faculty members, will be assisting Sam Pluta in his role as Academic Dean this summer. The team of Drs. Mallonée, Notareschi and Pluta will provide our curriculum, faculty and students with wonderful academic leadership. I am grateful to them for their work this spring in planning summer 2013 and for their many contributions in the days and weeks ahead!

In other news, The Walden School is excited to announce the publication of Walden alumnus and faculty member Bill Stevens’ Jazz Musicianship, available for purchase for $29 (including tax and shipping) from The Walden School office. While Walden is not primarily a book publisher, when Bill brought the project to me 5+ years ago, I embraced his vision enthusiastically and thought the Walden community could ably assist Bill with the work of layout, editing and production/publication. He had been teaching material in the jazz idiom that was an extension of Walden’s Musicianship Course, and it seemed like Walden could be a valuable partner to him in helping bring his book to life. And so now here we are, with many people from Walden contributing materially to making this happen over the last number of years.

First of all, many thanks are owed to Walden faculty members Whit Bernard and Tony Makarome, who worked with Bill in editing his text. And then the team of Walden faculty, staff and alumni who helped with layout, book design, project management, graphic creation and more all deserve a hearty round of applause: Marguerite Ladd, Meade Bernard, Noah Mlotek, Marshall Bessières, and Ben Aldridge. And finally, several people have helped bring the book to life as readers: Ian Munro, Andrea Grody, Peter Thompson and Peter Krag. Thanks to this giant team of Walden faculty, staff and alumni, as well as Bill’s initial brilliant vision and his own hard work, Bill now has a wonderful new book that you can order here. I hope you’ll order yourself a copy and help Bill and Walden spread the word about the book’s availability.

And another item of note that I wanted to share with you is a project that The Walden School and Youth Radio in Oakland, California, are collaborating on. Walden alumnus and faculty member Alex Christie is working with a group of five student interns at Youth Radio to create sonic postcards to share with Walden Young Musicians Program students. A group of Walden students will then create responses to these “postcards” during the Young Musicians Program. Then there will be performances in New Hampshire and Oakland over the summer, and in all likelihood, a podcast containing all of the music so that all of you can share in the fruits of this exciting project. We are grateful to Kurt Collins and his colleagues at Youth Radio for working with us on this project, and we look forward to sharing the results with all of you in the fall.

Thanks for reading! If you’re any where near Dublin, New Hampshire, this summer, I hope you will come and visit – taking in a concert, attending our Open House on July 17th, joining us for a meal, or participating in one of our seven Composers Forums, during which the creativity of Walden students are showcased. Have a wonderful weekend and a terrific summer!

Best wishes,

Seth Brenzel
Executive Director
sbrenzel AT waldenschool DOT org
(603) 563-8212

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2013 Concert Series Announced

This summer brings another eclectic mix of artists to Dublin School Campus for weekly concerts, including Phyllis Chen, composer and toy pianist, the return of Aurora Nealand’s Royal Roses with New Orleans-style jazz, world premieres of works written by Walden Faculty members and performed by members of Chicago’s Dal Niente Ensemble, an evening celebration of improvisation and electronic music, featuring Peter Evans and Anne LaBerge, as well as the perennial Walden School Players residency, the beloved choral concert, and composers forums, moderated by Composer-in-Residence George Lewis. All events are free and open to the public. Learn more about Walden’s 2013 Concert Series.

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Still a Few Places Remaining in Our 2013 Young Musicians Program — Apply Today!

There are just a few places remaining in Walden’s 2013 Young Musicians Program. Click here to download new student application materials — returning students, contact us if you need yours. We look forward to another wonderful summer — the Young Musicians Program will run on Dublin School campus in Dublin, New Hampshire, from Saturday, June 29 to Sunday, August 4, 2013.
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Walden Events in Baltimore and Los Angeles; Upcoming Open House in Dublin

Guests at the home of Jack and Lucy Henningfield in Baltimore were treated to an afternoon of delicious food, wine and music on April 7th, a benefit for Walden’s scholarship program. Cellist and Walden favorite Dave Eggar (Visiting Artist ’06-’07, ’11) performed and spoke eloquently about the value of Walden’s offerings. He was joined by award-winning singer-songwriter Amber Rubarth and acclaimed hammer dulcimer virtuoso Max ZT. The artists hit it out of the park, and so did the guests at the party, contributing more than $2,500 toward financial aid. Thank you, everyone!

Alumni and friends in the Los Angeles area enjoyed a casual gathering in Studio City on Thursday evening, June 13, complete with dinner and swimming!

If you will be in the New Hampshire area on Wednesday, July 17th, we hope you’ll join us for Walden’s second annual Open House, taking place on the campus of the Dublin School from 5 to 6:30 p.m. This event offers attendees a great behind-the-scenes view of what happens at Walden, complete with a demonstration by faculty and students of musicianship drills and other course activities. Do join us, even if you attended last year, as the presentation will be different – and invite your friends! Let us know if you’d like to be on the invite list. Hope to see you there!

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Walden publishes Jazz Musicianship

It has arrived! Jazz Musicianship, written by Bill Stevens(YMP ’92-’94, YMP Faculty ’00-’10, TTI Faculty ’06-’11, CMR Faculty ’12), is hot off the presses and ready to be ordered by you! It costs $29.00, including shipping and handling within the U.S.

To purchase the book, fill out our order form and send with your payment to our San Francisco address: The Walden School, 31 A 29th St., San Francisco, CA, 94110. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us.

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Join HandOverHand.org, Walden’s alumni website

Did you attend a program at The Walden School?
Register at Walden’s alumni website, handoverhand.org!

Features include:

• Program pages for JCC, YMP, TTI and CMR
• Personal profiles, photo albums, blogs and links to personal sites
• An events calendar
• Opportunities Center listing calls for scores and competitions
• An Alumni Forum for discussing topics of interest
• Links to sites of interest

As a registered member, you’ll be able to search for friends by the year they attended, send internal emails to other members, upload your own photos, post events to the calendar, and more. Go to: http://handoverhand.org and register!

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Community News and Goods

The Walden School welcomes news and information from members of the Junior Conservatory Camp and Walden School communities to include in our print and online newsletters. News may be sent via mail or email. We will publish your contact information only if you specifically request that we do so. Please contact us on-line or send info to The Walden School, 31A 29th St., San Francisco, CA 94110. We reserve the right to edit submissions and regret we cannot publish all information provided. For upcoming event listings, go to the Walden and JCC alumni website, handoverhand.org. (Note: YMP=Young Musicians Program; TTI=Teacher Training Institute; CMR=Creative Musicians Retreat; JCC=Junior Conservatory Camp).

Hannah Addario-Berry (Visiting Artist ’06) performed the Sonata for Solo Cello by Gyögy Ligeti on May 6 at ODC Theater in San Francisco as part of BAASICS.3: The Deep End, an exploration of neurodiversities, mental disorders, and creativity, presented by the Bay Area Art and Science Interdisciplinary Collaborative Sessions (BAASICS).

Blair McMillen, Steven Beck, Eric Huebner, and Cory Smythe backstage at Avery Fisher Hall
Steven Beck (Visiting Artist ’09-’11), Eric Huebner (Visiting Artist ’04-’08, ’11), and Blair McMillen (Visiting Artist ’01-’02) were three of four keyboardists in performances April 17-20 of Charles Ives’ Symphony No. 4 with the New York Philharmonic in Avery Fisher Hall.

A “re-imagined [Stephen] Sondheim piece” by Eve Beglarian (YMP Composer-in-Residence ’12), Perpetual Happiness, was performed as part of the Tribeca New Music Festival on May 12. Upcoming concerts of her work include June 8 at the Town Hall in Brandon, Vermont, and a performance by the International Society of Contemporary Music of Eudora Welty: Waiting for Billy Floyd on June 17.

Shawn Crouch (YMP ’93-95,’96, TTI ’08, Staff ’97, YMP Faculty ’99-00,’02,’05-07, CMR Faculty ’12) premiered his Firewind, a choral setting of three California texts by American poets Virginia Hamilton Adair, Carl Sandburg, and Walt Whitman, in Palo Alto, California on April 28.

Violinist Miranda Cuckson (Visiting Artist ’08, ’11) joined pianist Blair McMillen (Visiting Artist ’01-’02) on a program at Columbia University in New York City on May 8. The program included the world premiere of Strömkarl, written for the duo by Jason Eckardt.

Florilegium, the chamber choir directed by Nicholas DeMaison (YMP Faculty ’04-07), gave a concert of Gesualdo madrigals on June 2 in New York City in commemoration of the 400th anniversary of the composer’s death.

The Oakland East Bay Symphony will feature a new work (currently titled Songs) by Mary Fineman (JCC ’68) on their February 21, 2014, subscription concert.

In honor of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Ginsburg’s 80th birthday, her children commmissioned Stacy Garrop(YMP ’87-’88, YMP Faculty ’96) to compose My Dearest Ruth on a text by Ginsburg’s husband, for voice and piano. The work had its premiere on April 6 at the United States Supreme Court in Washington, DC.

Wild Rumpus, a new music ensemble founded by member clarinetist Sophie Huet (TTI ’09), performed their final concert of the season on May 11 in San Francisco, California with works by Julian Day, Ruben Naeff, Jonathan Russell, Jeffrey Treviño, and Dan VanHassel.

Amelia Lukas (TTI ’05-’06, YMP Visiting Artist ’10, Administration ’05-’07) and Brendon Randall-Myers (TTI ’10, Administration ’10-’12) participated together recently in a performance of the opera Three Truths by Matthew Welch at Symphony Space on June 4 in New York City.

Whistler Waves for cello and string orchestra by Caroline Mallonée (YMP ’87-’92, TTI ’07, YMP Faculty ’98-’12, CMR Faculty ’11-’12) was given its world premiere in Buffalo on April 14.

Kate (Davis) Mathews (Administration ’08-’11) has had a busy spring, with a recital of Emily Dickinson settings on April 14 and performances of Mark Adamo’s opera, Little Women throughout the month of May at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

John McGinn (YMP ’79-’80) has just been granted tenure and promoted to Associate Professor of Music at Austin College.

Following a successful debut at Yoshi’s jazz club in San Francisco by pianist Gary Monheit (YMP ’72, YMP Faculty ’75-’78, ’80, ’97, Board of Directors ’99-’00) and bassist Dan Krimm on April 24, the duo has been invited for a return appearance at the club on June 28.

Giorgio Moroder, father of Alex Moroder (YMP ’00-’03), talks about his work on the new Daft Punk album in this video on YouTube.

Nat Osborn‘s (YMP ’00-’03) and his band showcased their recently-released debut album, “The King and the Clown”, at concert on a May 7 concert at Mercury Lounge in New York City. The band also made their TV debut on May 31 as part of the Artie Lange Show.

A Kaddish for Bernie Madoff by Alicia Jo Rabins (YMP ’88-’93) continued its robust performance life in Washington, D.C., on May 4 as part of the Washington Jewish Music Festival. You can watch a trailer of the piece.

The world premiere of A Universal Prayer For Peace And Reflection by Vivian Adelberg Rudow (JCC ’50-’51) will be performed by the American BoyChoir on June 9 in Princeton, NJ. On July 7, her work, Rebecca’s Song, in memory of Rebecca Blackwell, will be performed in the Hong Kong Space Museum Lecture Hall.

Matt Siffert (CMR ’11-’12) performed with his “steady ensemble” at The Bowery Electric’s Map Room on May 14.

Peter Thompson (YMP ’03, YMP Staff ’12) presented his senior conducting recital on April 27 in New Haven, Connecticut, in Dwight Chapel at Yale University.

The Journal, a British newspaper, interviewed Freya Waley-Cohen (YMP ’00-’07) about the world premiere of A Pyrrhic Smile at the Northern Chords Festival in Tyne, England. Read the article, in which Freya talks about Walden and the opportunity it provided her. On June 19, Freya’s Ascension for solo cello by will be premiered at a concert in London’s Rada Bar.

A hymn tune and setting by Bob Weaver (JCC ’56-’63, CMR ’11) was performed on April 14 at an American Guild of Organists Hymn Festival.

Yarn/Wire (Visiting Ensemble ’12), whose members include pianist Laura Barger (TTI ’10) and percussionist Ian Antonio (Visiting Artist ’12) presented a concert as part of the University of California, Santa Cruz Contemporary Music Festival on April 26. On the program was Meanders by Paul Nauert (YMP ’82-’83, YMP Faculty ’87-’94, ’98).

Transitions

Singer Rob Morsberger (YMP ’76-’77) passed away on June 2. In September of 2011, Morsberger was diagnosed with grade 4 Glioblastoma. In the months following, Morsberger was determined to release a series of new albums, as his battle with terminal brain cancer was documented by USA TODAY, WBUR/PRI’s Here & Now and numerous other outlets. Read his full obituary.

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Opportunities & Organizations Listing

An opportunities listing for composers of multiple levels and age ranges, as well as organizations that provide services to composers, performers, music teachers, improvisers, and experimental musicians, is available here.

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Now Hear This! Works by 2012 Walden Participants

The 2012 Young Musicians Program saw the world premieres of more than 100 student works, including Zikra Jameela (A Beautiful Memory) by Tyson Laa Deng. Click here to listen to the performance by Reiny Rolock, French horn; Jane Chung, violin; Jane Cords-O’Hara, cello; and Tony Makarome, double bass.

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by Matthew Klahorst (WP)