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 41st 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 42ndseason 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!
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.
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.
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…
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!
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!
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/.
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!
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.
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!
…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!
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.
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!
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.
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.