Our wonderful professor of piano, Professor Vitaly Margulis, passed away in his sleep on the morning of May 29th. He was at home and surrounded by his family. We will miss his kindness, his wonderful talent, and his generosity. His passing is a great loss to the Department of Music and to UCLA.

Following is a short biography:

VITALY MARGULIS, pianist, pedagogue, writer and author of music philosophy studies, was born on April 16th 1928 in the Ukrainian City of Charkov.

He received his first piano lessons from his father, whose teacher, Alexander Horowitz, studied with the composer Alexander Scriabin. Vitaly Margulis continued his studies at the renowned Leningrad Conservatory under Professor Samarij Sawshinskij where, from 1958 until his emigration to the west in 1974, he had his own piano class. During this time, Vitaly Margulis triumphed in more than one thousand concerts throughout Russia.

In 1975, Vitaly Margulis became a full Professor at the esteemed Musikhochschule in Freiburg, Germany. In 1994, he accepted the post of Professor of Piano at the University of California in Los Angeles.In addition, he holds piano seminars in Germany, Switzerland, Greece, Belgium, Portugal, Holland, France, Japan, Russia, and America.

His concerts over the years in cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Rome, Berlin, Salzburg, Amsterdam, Tokyo, Moscow, and Saint Petersburg, his numerous recordings were received with great enthusiasm.German critics spoke of him as a “secret genius” (Joachim Kaiser, Süddeutsche Zeitung), a “world class pianist” (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung), and one of the foremost pianists of our time.The Salzburg News hailed his performance in the 1991 Salzburg Festival as “an event of outstanding significance.” A review of his 1996 recital in Santander, Spain said: “The three sonatas of Ludwig van Beethoven, Moonlight, Les Adieux, and the colossal Op. 111 were in quality and maturity unique and irreproducible. Certainly his Beethoven interpretation was a very personal one and set an unsurpassable standard.”

In a 1994 review of Margulis’ Chopin CD, Musica Italia raved: “Here I found an exciting and fantastic recording with two interpretations, the Chopin Etudes Op. 10 #2 and #9, which, in my opinion, enter straight into the history of art.” In a review of Margulis’ recording of Scriabin’s Sonata No. 3, La Disque Ideal, Paris, 1993, wrote: “Despite the existence of such acclaimed records of Horowitz and Sofronizky, in my opinion, Margulis exceeds the standards set by these masters. His CD is a true masterpiece.”

In his teaching, Professor Margulis prioritizes the study of the works of Bach and Beethoven. His book “Johann Sebasatian Bach’s Symbolic Language and The Well Tempered Clavier” points to new ways of understanding the religious symbolism and spirituality in Bach’s music. In his publication “Formula for Timing Relationship and Beethoven’s Timing Principles,” Professor Margulis explores new concepts in musical architecture.His book“Bagatelles”, translated and published in seven countries, describes principles of piano pedagogy in an aphoristic manner. His book “Paralipomenon,” published in Moscow in 2006, met with enthusiastic delight. In a Moscow news paper, it is praised: “To those who consider themselves aficionados of literature, I highly recommend the book of Vitaly Margulis. It is without a doubt a fine specimen of amazing literary style, and refined Jewish humor—sometimes sparkling and light as air, sometimes bitterly poignant and devastating.”

Professor Margulis has become a very fortunate teacher. His students have won more than a hundred prizes at international competitions over the last decades, twenty-eight of which were grand prizes.

To enjoy a performance of Professor Margulis–please CLICK HERE to visit an earlier blog with a recording of Professor Margulis playing Chopin’s Nocturne No. 8, Opus 27-2.

Interview with Jesse Sachs (B.A. ’11 Ethnomusicology) JazzReggae Fest Producer

Jesse Sachs is a 4th year Ethnomusicology major, world music concentration, and producer of the JazzReggae Festival 2010 and 2011. He also produced a short documentary about the 25 years of the JazzReggae Festival, A Celebration of 25 Years: A Review of the JazzReggae Festival at UCLA. Jesse says, “This festival is a monumental achievement of UCLA students for the past 25 years presenting a wide arrange of Jazz, Soul, Hip Hop, Reggae and World Music….I think this is very relevant to the ethnomusicology community, being that UCLA is home to the largest student run music festival of this kind in the country. ” A link to the documentary is: http://vimeo.com/23837535.

Donna Armstrong interviewed him about his experience producing the festival.

The 25th Annual JazzReggae Festival 2011 will take place on Sunday, May 29 and Monday, May 30, Memorial Weekend, on the UCLA Intramural Field. For information go to: http://jazzreggaefest.com

Q: How did being an ethnomusicology student prepare you for producing the JazzReggae Festival?

Jesse Sachs: Studying ethnomusicology has allowed me to think about music in deeper ways then most programmers or promoters do. Having a deep understanding of the music you work with is important if you are going to present it and spread it to the public. Not only has it refined and broadened my taste, but it has given me a greater knowledge of the cultural implications of music. My study of ethnomusicology has given me an intellectual and ethical foundation on which to promote the music I do to the world. Anthony Seeger also gave me some great wisdom as my advisor for Ethno 195 course.

Q: What things were you not prepared for? What things did you have to learn on your own?

Jesse Sachs: When you first take on a position of producing an event of this size, you basically have to give up the idea that you can be prepared for everything. There are constant surprises and challenges that come along with concerts, but that’s also why the work is fun and dynamic. To many people’s surprise the JazzReggae Festival actually is all produced by students. Both CSP and ASUCLA provide advising and some guidance, but decision making mostly comes down to the student producers. Because of this, there is a lot that you have to learn on your own, often times the hard way. The biggest learning experience one gets working on the festival is how to deal with many different personalities. We have to deal with a vast array of people, from the diverse vendors, to eccentrics and egos in the music industry, to the many fans that call into the office every day. There is no better way how to learn how to deal with different people than to get out into the world and do it.

Q: What do you plan to do when you graduate?

Jesse Sachs: I do not have any set plans yet, but I intend to help build innovative projects in music and art. At UCLA, I have definitely found that my passion is to facilitate the spreading of music that I love.

Q: Do you have any advice for other ethnomusicology students who might be interested in this type of work?

Jesse Sachs: I did not think that I would have gotten the experience that I have from UCLA when I came in as a freshman. I couldn’t have imagined putting on a 25,000 person festival, or working with my musical heroes. My advice to other students is to take advantage of all that UCLA and Los Angeles have to offer. If you love music, you are in the right place to make things happen.

From UCLA Magazine, April 1, 2011
By Adriana Tang

photo courtesy of the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music

It’s a rare opportunity for any musician to perform at L.A.’s prestigious Walt Disney Concert Hall. It’s even more exceptional when the performance is given by student musicians playing in a university orchestra. But on April 16, Bruins will make history both ways when the UCLA Philharmonia performs at the Hall by invitation of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra.

As the flagship orchestra for the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, the 75-year-old UCLA Philharmonia is composed primarily of music majors interested in a career in musical performance. Each year, these student musicians perform a full spectrum of symphonic, operatic and music-theater repertoire.

Founded in 1936, Philharmonia’s music directors have included Lukas Foss, Richard Dufallo, Mehli Mehta, Samuel Krachmalnick, Alexander Treger and Jon Robertson. This year marks the sixth season under dynamic music director and conductor Neal Stulberg.
Also director of orchestral studies, Stulberg observes that Philharmonia has emerged “as one of the finest training ensembles in Southern California.”

Before the honor of playing Disney Hall, the orchestra had performed at high-profile venues such as Royce Hall, the Getty Center’s Harold Williams Auditorium and the L.A. County Museum of Art’s Bing Theater. Since 2005, the Philharmonia has also accompanied staged UCLA Opera productions, including Falstaff, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Threepenny Opera and Carousel.

UCLA Philharmonia: Sounds About Town
Saturday, April 16 at 8 p.m. Walt Disney Concert Hall. Tickets: $36, $31, $27, $15 @ UCLA Central Ticket Office. Visit the School of Music website for more information.

As Part One of a concert series titled “Sounds About Town,” the orchestra’s performance celebrates the 50th anniversary of UCLA’s Ethnomusicology Department. The cross-cultural presentation will notably feature Danzón No. 4, one of several works inspired by the dancing of Mexico’s Veracruz region, composed by Regents’ Lecturer Arturo Márquez. The performance will journey around the world to include Middle Eastern, Chinese and American jazz pieces.

While the program’s main purpose is to showcase the Ethnomusicology Department, Stulberg also emphasizes its significance to the musicians.

“The orchestra has risen to every challenge I’ve put before them, including concerts with world-class, internationally renowned conductors and performances in remarkable off-campus venues like the Getty Center,” he says. “But playing a concert at Disney Hall represents an even higher pinnacle of achievement.”

We just heard this week about Brian Vu’s win at the Mondavi competition.

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE COMPETITION WEBSITE

Congratulations, Brian!

In February, 2011 Kevork Andonian’s new piece for piano entitled “Echoes from a Distant Land” was performed in three European cities at concerts and masterclasses spearheaded by “Young Music Project”, a new music organization founded by composers Hervé Legrand and Thomas Malarbet. Kevork received funding from the Herb Alpert Student Opportunity Fund to attend the concerts and masterclasses.

“Echoes from a Distant Land” will be recorded in Paris by “Young Music Project” in the very near future for commercial release.

The mandate of the “Young Music Project” is to promote the creation of new music through concerts and the commercial distribution of scores and recordings. The organization is interested in commissioning new compositions from three North American as well as two European composers.

For more information please visit http://www.youngmusicproject.com

Principal Guest Conductor Nipatdh Kanchanahuta joined the UCLA Wind Ensemble on March 2, 2011, performing “Chakra” by Narong Prangcharoen in Schoenberg Hall on the UCLA campus. Nipatdh Kanchanahuta is the Conductor of the Wind Symphony at Kasetsart University in Bangkok, Thailand.

Composer Narong Prangcharoen has taught in the Western Music Department of Srinakharinwirot University, Bangkok, Thailand, and has served as an Instructional Assistant Professor of Music in Composition at Illinois State University. In addition to working as a freelance composer, he is currently teaching at the Community Music and Dance Academy of the Conservatory of Music, University of Missouri in Kansas City. Prangcharoen is the founder of the Thailand Composition Festival in Bangkok, Thailand, now in its fifth year.

UCLA Wind Ensemble performing \"Chakra\" by Narong Prangcharoen <

We have heard this morning from Antonio Lysy, Professor of cello, that two UCLA students have won top prizes at the local Edith Knox Competition. He says “I wanted to bring your attention to some excellent news about two of our students being prize winners in the finals of the recent Edith Knox Performance Competition. Let’s congratulate them collectively!

1st prize shared by Stephanie Ng, piano

3rd prize, Eunice Heo – cello

Congratulations, Stephanie and Eunice!

[CLICK HERE TO VIEW CONCERT POSTER]

We’ve recently heard from Voice grad Doug Carpenter that he has had a string of excellent successes. He writes:

“Hello Everyone!

Last week I won 1st place and the people’s choice award at the Long Beach Mozart Festival Competition. Yesterday was even better… I won the gold medal at the America Traditions Competition in Savannah, Georgia. Along with the cash prize, I will also be spending 3 days in a world-class recording studio in NYC making my CD.

Thats not all…
I also was cast as the lead in Roger Bean’s new 60′s jukebox musical “Summer of Love” opening down at Musical Theatre West in Long Beach on April 1-17. Just wanted to share with you all and thank you for all the support you given me. You can catch a bunch of videos from the competition of me singing at my new Youtube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/Carpenterdouglas”

Congratulations, Doug!

Composer/conductor Dwayne Milburn

Dwayne Milburn, a Ph.D. graduate of the Music Department’s composition program, has premiered a new work with the local chamber music program Pacific Serenades, directed by Professor Mark Carlson of the UCLA Music Department

They were both interviewed recently by John Rabe for KPCC. Listen to the entire interview (not long) at:

http://www.scpr.org/programs/offramp/2011/01/22/pacific-serenades-celebrates-25-years-of-music/

We’ve just received the following press release from the National Lutheran Choir–congratulations Josh!:

NATIONAL LUTHERAN CHOIR
ANNOUNCES CHORAL COMPETITION WINNER
JOSHUA FISHBEIN

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota . . . The National Lutheran Choir (“NLC”) is pleased to announce that May the Words of My Mouth by Joshua Fishbein has been chosen as the winner of the NLC’s 25th Anniversary Choral Competition. One aspect of the NLC mission is to support choral composers and the art of sacred choral music. In keeping with its mission, the NLC sponsored this Choral Composition Competition in celebration of its 25th season.

At age 26 and entering a PhD program, Joshua Fishbein is in the early stages of what looks to be a very promising career as a composer and musician. Although the adjudicators of NLC’s choral competition did not have any information about the age, gender, or religious background of Mr. Fishbein or any of its contestants, it is a significant career boost to a young composer and a triumph for the sacred choral community and the National Lutheran Choir, that Mr. Fishbein’s heritage and work draws from both the Jewish and Christian traditions.

Fishbein’s work, representing the future of sacred choral music, was selected from a field of 80 entries from composers around the world who participated in NLC’s choral competition contest. Fishbein’s work, May the Words of My Mouth, is a three-minute work scored for SAATBB, with text from the Hebrew Scriptures which is sung in a mixture of Hebrew and English. The new composition will be performed by the 64-voiced National Lutheran Choir on May 21 and 22, 2011, in St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota respectively. The concert program, Re-Member the Future, is the final offering of NLC’s celebratory 25th Anniversary season and is designed to give audiences a taste of sacred choral music from its deepest roots to its newest branches.

An accomplished singer and pianist, Joshua Fishbein (b. 1984), is a native of Baltimore, Maryland. Fishbein studied piano performance and music theory at The Peabody Preparatory where he won three awards of achievement in theory. He holds undergraduate degrees in Psychology and Music Composition at Carnegie Mellon University, and completed his Master’s degree in Music Composition from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Fishbein has also held Graduate Assistantships in Musicianship and Theory at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and at UCLA’s Herb Alpert School of Music, where he is currently a PhD student in Music Composition. As a singer, Fishbein has sung baritone with such professional choral ensembles as Volti, the Artists’ Vocal Ensemble, and the Grace Cathedral Choir of Men and Boys. Mr. Fishbein has also studied in master classes, workshops, summer programs and privately with John Adams, Roger Bourland, Robert Beaser, Libby Larsen, Philip Lasser, David Lefkowitz, Lawrence Moss, Stephen Paulus, Steven Sametz and Chen Yi.

Joshua Fishbein has family in the Twin Cities area and will return to the state to participate in public activities related to the premiere of his work and performances of Re-Member the Future. These include a pre-concert panel discussion featuring composers Daniel Kallman, Craig Carnahan (from the American Composers Forum) and Dale Warland, one of the country’s leading champions of and foremost authorities on new choral music. The panel discussion will take place prior to each concert and will include opportunities for audience questions and involvement. In addition to the pre-concert discussions, Mr. Fishbein is available for interviews with the local arts press.

For more information about Joshua Fishbein, the National Lutheran Choir, or other 2010-2011 anniversary performances and workshops, please call 612-722-2301 or visit www.nlca.com.