Prof. Mark Carlson, founder and Director of Pacific Serenades, shared the following today:

“I was in NYC for the New Music USA awards ceremony, at which Pacific Serenades was being honored with a Letter of Distinction. The Founders’ Award winner was Meredith Monk, and besides Pacific Serenades, the other Letter of Distinction winners were William Kraft (composer, former tympanist of the LA Phil, first composer-in-residence of the LA Phil), composer John Luther Adams, John Kander (composer of Cabaret and Chicago, et al.), and Anthony Braxton (jazz composer and performer). Also honored were the Jack Quartet, a young string quartet which specializes in new music, and the Grand Canyon Music Festival, which runs the Native American Composers Apprentice Project.

The ceremony involved the presentation of each award, followed by a brief speech by each recipient, and then an amazing dessert and champagne reception afterwards on the top story of the New Museum on the Bowery, which has a beautiful view of the city.

The Letter of Distinction recognizes those who have made a significant contribution to the field of contemporary American music. Previous recipients include George Balanchine, Leonard Bernstein, Joan Tower, John Cage, Merce Cunningham, Morton Feldman, Laurie Anderson, Dizzy Gillespie, Michael Tilson Thomas, Virgil Thomson, Joan La Barbara, Randy Weston, the Kronos Quartet, Bang on a Can, Dawn Upshaw, Jack Beeson, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Copland House, William Bolcom and La Monte Young.”

https://www.newmusicusa.org/blog/new-music-usa-announces-2013-award-recipients/

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We have just received this news from Prof. Antonio Lysy regarding last summer’s festival, which he organizes every year, in Tuscany–Incontri in Terra di Siena. La Foce is the location of this annual festival and there is a lovely article from The Guardian/Observer describing the locale, the history and last yeawr’s festival. Please read the entire article at:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2013/may/12/classical-music-festivals-in-tuscany

The approach to La Foce

We have just found out that our talented 2008 MA grad in Composition, Joseph Trapanese, who has been very busy with film composing both before and after his graduation, has another feather in his cap. He has had a major triumph in Hollywood: the feature starring Tom Cruise, which is doing incredible sales internationally. OBLIVION is one of his first major movie scores. It also stars Morgan Freeman, and has been generating much enthusiasm among film and music lovers. Five years after leaving UCLA, Joe has already become a brilliant emerging star on the Hollywood horizon. As Prof. Paul Chihara says, he makes us realize that there is life after UCLA!

Joe Trapanese came to UCLA from the Manhattan School of Music, which august institution has recently sent us three more great talents (Fernando Arroyo, Daniel French, David Utzinger), and yet another brilliant composer beginning next fall (Jonathan Koch) — all students of the great composer Richard Danielpour.

Contributed by Prof. Paul Chihara

More good news from Opera UCLA Director Peter Kazaras:

From the Chicago Sun-Times review of the Chicago Opera Theater of MARIA DE BUENOS AIRES:

The strong cast also carries over from Long Beach (and all are acceptably amplified). Young California contralto Peabody Southwell is Maria in spirit, body and deep, dark voice. Mexican-American baritone Gregorio Gonzalez uses his spectacular voice to offer all shades of Maria’s lover/husband/widower. Lecturer-actor Gregorio Luke of Mexico City is a strong presence in the speaking role of the older, recollecting lover. Eight dancers from Chicago’s Luna Negra Dance Theater, choreographed by their Spanish artistic director Gustavo Ramirez Sansano, move atmospherically behind a scrim.

And from the review in the Chicago Tribune:

Peabody Southwell turns in a brave and what must be physically exhausting performance, using her smoky mezzo-soprano along with her acting and dancing skills to make Maria a heroine whose fate we really care about. Gregorio Luke is equally strong in the spoken role of the Older Payador, and Gregorio Gonzalez brings an impassioned baritone to the Younger Payador. The Luna Negra dancers are wonderful, too, especially at the end when they bear Maria’s lifeless body in a solemn ritual no doubt meant to suggest the deposition of Christ from the Cross. The singers are amplified, discreetly and effectively.

Peabody Southwell received her MM in Voice from UCLA in 2009, and Gregorio Gonzalez is currently enrolled as an Undergraduate Voice major.

We applaud our Bruin singers who are out in the world doing what they do best! Gregorio Gonzalez is on the left in the above picture from the Chicago production. Peabody Southwell is in the picture on the right.

We have heard from the Director of Opera UCLA regarding the performance of our own grad Tracy Cox, winner of last year’s Marilyn Horne competition for voice, and Maureen Zoltek, winner of the piano prize, in recital at the Broad Theater on April 21st. He says:

“Yesterday afternoon, Tracy Cox, MM in Voice 2010, appeared in recital at The Broad Stage in Santa Monica, accompanied by pianist Maureen Zoltek. Tracy and Maureen are both winners of the 2012 Marilyn Horne Song Competition at the Music Academy of the West.

In a demanding recital including works by Giuseppe Verdi, Richard Strauss, Francis Poulenc and Gabriel Kahane, the pieces which demanded attention as the heart of the program were the stunning Cuatro sonetos de amor by Mark Carlson, set to texts by Pablo Neruda.

During the emotionally intense performance of this cycle, the house was rapt and attentive — you could hear audience members choking back tears. This was artistry at the highest level.

Here is a link to a performance by Tracy and Maureen of the 3rd song of the cycle, “Cuando yo muero.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiHwlD8wHPk ”

Tracy Cox, left; Maureen Zoltek, right

Music Department Prof. Lefkowitz and student Jamie Thierman recently traveled to Russia to hear their compositions performed on January 28th at the Moscow Concert Hall. The original concert was advertised at this website.

Professor Lefkowitz has followed up on this exciting trip and performance with more information on interviews conducted while they were in Moscow. He writes:

“More from Russia!

For those who might be interested, here is a link to an interview that Jamie Thierman and I had with Anastasia Federova of Voice of Russia (note – there are some inaccuracies in the male-voice introduction and conclusion to the interview). http://voicerussia.com/radio_broadcast/58461471/103859283.html

A strange translation of an interview with Fedor Vyazemsky of Live Journal can be found here.”

In addition, he says:

“Here is a link to the “Dozhd” TV Interview I had in Moscow with composition student Jamie Thierman. Dozhd is the “Optimistic Channel”!
CLICK HERE FOR LINK. (Russian may be required here.)

Congratulations to Prof. Lefkowitz and Jamie Thierman for their Russian successes!

From Prof. Jens Lindemann, who shared this nationally televised video clip of some virtuoso trumpet playing by music students.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7f96gg6oVA&feature=youtu.be

The students playing with Prof. Lindemann are:

Jon Bhatia
Erick Jova
David Pittell
Forrest Powell

The arrangement is by one of our own grads, Kenny Wood

We have a quick post from Music Professor Paul Chihara, who is in Dalian, China for the premiere of his ballet “Yulan.” The ballet premiered November 27, 2013. He reports that it was a “very fine success!” Below is a photo of the finale of Act 2.

UCLA Contempo Flux Fall 2012 Chamber Music Recital
Sunday, December 9th, 2012 – 2 PM
Jan Popper Theatre, UCLA Schoenberg Music Building
FREE -Reception to follow-

Parking available in Lot 2 ($3/hour; $11/day)

David Lang, Gravity
Hojoon Kim, piano
Sanaz Rezai, piano

David Lang, Sweet Air
Elizabeth Melnikas, flute
Antonio Pina, clarinet
Simone DeLeon, violin
Kate Deffebach, cello
Howard Chen, piano
Jason Hong, rehearsal conductor

David Lang, Orpheus Over and Under
Hojoon Kim, piano
Zach Neufeld, piano

Steven Stucky, Meditation and Dance
Antonio Pina, clarinet
Michael Aspinwall, piano

Louis Andriessen, Workers Union
Jason Hong, alto saxophone
Antonio Pina, tenor saxophone
Elizabeth Melnikas, baritone saxophone
Mariam Kaddoura, percussion
Albert Law, percussion
Jay Johnson, string bass
Hojoon Kim, piano
Michael Aspinwall, piano
Ryan Dudenbostel, rehearsal conductor

Gloria Cheng, advisor