We received this news from Ethnomusicology student Nolan Warden about an exciting performance in which he participated this month in the Canary Islands. He has also shared some photos of the experience.

Nolan says:

“In the first week of February, I traveled to the Canary Islands to perform in “La Pasion Segun San Marcos” by Osvaldo Golijov. I was one of four percussionists that performed in the piece, along with a string section (the “Knights”) from NYC, a massive rhythm section from various locales, a 50+ choir from Venezuela (Schola Cantorum de Caracas), and a number of soloists including Los Angeles-based soprano Jessica Rivera.

For anyone in HASOM who is not yet familiar with Golijov’s “La Pasion,” I highly recommend it. The LA Phil has announced that it will be bringing the piece to LA next year, so there will likely be a chance to see it soon enough. Seeing it live is essential to get the real significance of the piece. Like many Golijov works, it is semi-staged and dance is an essential part of the experience. I’ve included some photos of the incredibly impressive halls where we performed. The first, Auditorio Alfredo Kraus on the island of Gran Canaria, is located right on the shore. The large window behind the stage looks out over the Atlantic, providing a breathtaking backdrop for performances. The second performance was in the Auditorio de Tenerife (named after the island). In addition to its commanding architecture, the inside of the auditorium had some of the most well-integrated organ pipes I’ve ever seen.”.

Auditorio Alfredo Kraus (Las Palmas de Gran Canaria)

Inside the Auditorio Alfredo Kraus

Inside the Auditorio de Tenerife [notice pipes on left]

Auditorio de Tenerife (Santa Cruz de Tenerife)

We have just received the following review, written by Richard Scheinin of the Mercury News,mentioning UCLA voice major Khori Dhastoor with much enthusiasm.

Opera San Jose’s new production of “Cosi fan tutte” is a winner. It’s about love, lust and sexual manipulation: Mozart’s opera is a modern opera, and the new production gets that. It’s classy and outrageous, more than a little bit randy, while making the most of Mozart’s perfect, celestial music.

The pace never let up at Saturday’s opening at the California Theatre. The cast was enjoying itself; rarely has an OSJ production featured such breezily assured acting. Tenor Michael Dailey’s look of pure mirth as the despicably flip, dallying soldier Ferrando; mezzo-soprano Betany Coffland’s hormonal tantrums as Dorabella, a dumb blond who just wants to have fun — these bits were priceless.

Not to mention the form-shifting performance by soprano Khori Dastoor as the sex-obsessed chambermaid Despina and (in full-out Marx Brothers disguise) as a pandemonium-sewing doctor and justice of the peace: Who knew that Dastoor is a comedian at heart?

Often, it’s forgotten that opera is a form of theater; this was theater. Director Brad Dalton must be the wizard behind the curtain of this savvy production.

And what about the singing?

You go to “Cosi” for the ensembles, because they are so heavenly that they practically lift you out of your seat. The “Farewell” quintet, the trio known as “A Calm Sea and a Prosperous Voyage,” the “Toast” quartet and others, mixing buffa comedy and otherworldly beauty — it’s this audacious mix that makes “Cosi” special.

Saturday, the potions were mixed just right; the ensembles were as exquisite as the plot is raucous.

Here’s the story: Guglielmo and Ferrando, dashing soldiers, never doubt the fidelity of their fiancés until a creep named Don Alfonso draws them into a scheme to test the sisters Fiordiligi (engaged to Guglielmo) and Dorabella (to Ferrando).

It’s announced that the men are shipping off to war. But minutes later, they return — disguised as “Albanian” soldiers, hipsters from the East. Naturally, the sisters are swept off their feet by the imposters. (”Cosi fan tutte,” loosely translated, means “They’re all like that,” referring to women.)

This sexist romp was ennobled by fine performances. (I’ve seen only the first of two rotating casts). Special kudos go to soprano Rebecca Davis and mezzo-soprano Coffland as Fiordiligi and Dorabella. Their singing in close harmony was streaming, gleaming and lace-like.

Handed one of the most challenging arias for a dramatic soprano in pre-Wagnerian opera — “Come scoglio (Like a rock)” — Davis faltered a bit; her low chest notes weren’t squarely sung. For the rest of the night she was arresting: with clear, somersaulting lines, ringing high notes. And she is a strong dramatic actress: Watching ironclad Fiordiligi melt away was a blast.

As Guglielmo and Ferrando, baritone Daniel Cilli and tenor Dailey were swashbuckling enough. Cilli sang with suave gravity; Dailey was sweet-toned, but needed pop. As Don Alfonso, bass-baritone Joseph Rawley was terrific, resounding and funny, too — a neat foil to Dastoor, a versatile, vaulting singer.

The chorus was first-rate, while conductor David Rohrbaugh led the orchestra in a fine-spun, spirited performance, topping off this most successful night at the opera.

Khori Dastoor as Despina in the Opera San Jose production of Mozart’s “Cosi fan tutte” at the California Theatre. (Pat Kirk)

Graduate composition student Kevork Andonian shared this news with us when we sent out a request for blogging materials–it may be a little bit late, but is still great news!

On May 30th, 2008, Kevork Andonian’s piece entitled A Longing For Joy was premiered by world-renowned flutist Marc Grauwels and virtuosic marimbist Sarah Mouradoglou at a private concert in Waterloo, Belgium. This is the first piece Kevork wrote while a UCLA Ph.D. student in music composition. Kevork received a scholarship from the Herb Alpert School of Music Student Opportunity Fund to attend the premiere performance in Belgium. The concert was a great success.

A Longing For Joy will be recorded on the Naxos record label by the same performers later in 2009.

photo from Belgium premiere of Andonian’s piece.

Recent graduate composition student (who has also been helping out the music department as a lecturer Fall and Winter quaraters) Joseph Trapanese, has shared a few of his recent (and impressive) composing and arranging credits.

He orchestrated the third season of Showtime’s hit series DEXTER, and appeared as the trombonist in the wedding band in the season finale. Picture is attached below. He orchestrated Led Zeppelin’s song KASHMIR for a Seattle Seahawks NFL Halftime show, performed by Alice in Chains and the Northwest Symphony Orchestra. Picture also below. Then, he orchestrated and co-produced the music for Victoria’s Secret 2008 Holiday Ads, as well as recently scoring his first feature film. COUNTDOWN: JERUSALEM will be available on DVD Feb. 24. Check it out at: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1353014/. Last year he was an orchestrator the films TRAITOR, WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS, THE MEMORY KEEPERS DAUGHTER, and BEETHOVEN’S BIG BREAK. Joe has been pretty busy!

From left to right: Joe, music supervisor Gary Calamar, music editor Marc Bensi, saxophonist Danny Pelfrey, actor Michael C. Hall, composer Daniel Licht, and composer assistant Jonathan Licht

Joe with composer/conductor Mateo Messina=–at the Seattle Seahawks game.

And last but not least Joe sent a link for a commerical he did worked on as orchestrator / co-producer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5aKWoCyWew

Professor Lysy sent us the photo below of himself and Canadian pianist Jane Coop perform in Victoria, British Columbia , as a part of a seven concert tour of the province, playing the complete cycle of the sonatas by Beethoven. This particular concert occurred last week on January 29th.

Professor Ian Krouse from the Music Department has announced that his composition, Cantar de los Cantares, will be performed by soprano Jessica Rivera, Todd Palmer, clarinetist, and Maryanne Kim, pianist at Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York on March 13th. The US release of this CD will occur in February. For more information on recent concerts and CD releases of Krouse’s work, please visit his website at www.iankrouse.com

Professor Gary Gray–Area Chair for Winds in the Department of Music, has forwardedd this early notice of a unique upcoming concert:

THE UCLA HERB ALPERT SCHOOL OF MUSIC will present it’s Woodwind Faculty and special guest Professor Neal Stulberg plus outstanding Music Department students… In CONCERT!

“It’s a Woodwind World III”
Wednesday March 4, 2009
8:00 PM Schoenberg Hall

The Program will be:

Bernhard Heiden…………..”Intrada” for flute/oboe/clarinet/bassoon/horn/saxophone (1970)

David Gillingham…………..”American Counterpoint” for flute/clarinet/saxophone

Camille Saint-Saens………”Caprice on Danish and Russian Airs” for flute/oboe/clarinet/piano Op. 79

INTERMISSION

Bill Dobbins “Meet Me at Dreamland” for saxophone trio
Dr. Douglas Masek plus Music Department alumnus David Brennan
and MM saxophonist Ryan Weston

Bruce Broughton “Hudson River Valley” Octet for 2 oboes/2 clarinets/2 bassoons/2 horns
(Los Angeles Premiere)

SHERIDON STOKES….our flute instructor for many years who is an icon of the studio recording world and recently received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Flute Society.

JONATHAN DAVIS…..Dr. Davis is our oboe instructor and he graduated from Juilliard and the Yale School of Music and has performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Pacific Symphony and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra.

GARY GRAY……… our full time Professor of Clarinet and Chair of Woodwind Studies @ UCLA was a Grammy Nominee for his solo concerti CD with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and a founding member of the Pacific Serenades chamber ensemble here in Los Angeles.

JOHN STEINMETZ…our bassoon instructor is also an accomplished composer and is Principal Bassoonist of the Los Angeles Opera Orchestra and winner of Chamber Music America Awards.

BRIAN O’CONNOR….our horn teacher for the past 10 years, has done the studio recording for over 2,000 Hollywood Films and was featured at the International Horn Symposium in 2008.

DOUGLAS MASEK…. Dr. Masek is our saxophone instructor and is a well recognized virtuoso who performs regularly with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Opera Orchestra as well as traveling internationally as a soloist.

NEAL STULBERG…..Head of Orchestral Studies @ UCLA and Conductor of the UCLA Philharmonia…who also has an internationally acclaimed conducting career.

UCLA Music Students included in this performance will be:
Theodosia Roussos….oboe
Virginia Figueiredo…..clarinet
Justin Takamine……..bassoon
Jacqueline Hancock..french horn
Ryan Weston………..saxophone

UCLA ALUMNUS
David Brennan……….saxophone

The variety of styles goes from a French romantic masterwork by Saint-Saens to a brand new work by American film composer, Bruce Broughton. The connecting thread through the whole concert is that each work has it’s own unique “story” attached to it…also with the addition of saxophone(s) the repertoire can naturally tend toward jazz-influenced works..i.e. “American Counterpoint” and “Meet me at Birdland”.

However, the opening piece by Bernhard Heiden, adds saxophone to the WW5 but is in a contrmporary style more akin to Hindemith.
So DO come and be surprised by this year’s special issue of “It’s a Woodwind World”!

Ticket Information $15 General Admission
Seniors and Students $7
UCLA Central Ticket Office (310) 825-2101

www.cto.ucla

Wind faculty left to right: Douglas Masek, Gary Gray, Sheridon Stokes

Peter Yates, Professor of guitar in the Department of Music, will show some of the results of his recent investigations into the arpeggione (19th-century bowed guitar) in a concert at 4pm on Sunday Feb. 1st in the organ studio. He has had to build his own instrument (cruelly sacrificing a beautiful baby cello and a serviceable guitar) to do this. The result has been an instrument capable of playing items from the viola-da-gamba repertoire (featured will be a Bach sonata and a solo piece from the Dutch Baroque), as well as bowed versions of works for guitar (in this case, two pieces by 20th-century-Mexican composer Carlos Chavez).

We are delighted to announce that HASOM has hired Cheri Quinto as Assistant to Professor Tim Rice, the Director of the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music. Her office is in Room 2554, across from the Music and Ethnomusicology Department offices. Please drop in and introduce yourself when you have a chance.

Cheri’s duties will include not only helping the Director with scheduling and with School functions but also accounting and order processing for Ethnomusicology; facilities requests and purchasing; chair-assistant support for Music and Ethnomusicology; and special projects assigned by MSO Martha Rider.

Before taking this position Cheri was Assistant to the Director of the UCLA/Getty Master’s Program in Conservation. During her college days at Cal State Northridge (CSUN) she majored in music (piano, harpsichord, and voice with a special interest in electronic music).

UCLA Music Department graduate in Composition, Jake Heggie, has a new production coming next month–”For a Look or a Touch.” Rumers are that emeritus faculty member John Hall has a small role in this production.