Olivia DrakeQ: Alec, when were you hired as Wesleyan's music librarian? A: I came in the summer of 1998 to interview for the position, and started work that Fall semester. Q: Do most universities have a music librarian? Like other librarians, are you involved in cataloging, organizing, acquisitions and assisting patrons? A: Large universities with separate schools of music often have a branch music library with one or more librarians staffing it. Institutions of Wesleyan’s size vary somewhat, usually according to the relative importance of the music department within the school. In our case, with graduate programs in composition and ethnomusicology,…
Ronald Ebrecht, university organist, created a festival featuring modern works for organ and percussion. He was joined by Wesleyan organ students and faculty in four concerts, "Hearts Pounding and Skins Taut" Oct. 25 to 31. He then performed his solo and ensemble pieces during a third concert trip to Minsk, Belarus. A guest of the Belarus National Philharmonic Society and the Belarusian State Academy of Music, Ebrecht gave a lecture/demonstation of modern composition at the conservatory Nov. 4. In concert on Nov. 5 at Philharmonic Hall, he performed as soloist in the Poulenc Concerto in addition to the modern works, including…
Cem Duruöz, guitar private lessons teacher, will present the music of his native country, Turkey, in a CD release event at 5 p.m. Nov. 15. at the Milford Center for the Arts, 40 Railroad Avenue South in Milford, Conn. The CD is titled "Treasures of Anatolia: Guitar Music from Turkey" and is released from Tutti Music. The program includes a guitar recital with Turkish Music, discussion of the origins and styles of Turkish Music, selections from the CD with historical and stylistic information about the pieces, a short Turkish Folk Dance class and a reception and refreshments. Tickets are $20 by…
Angel Gil-Ordóñez, director of private lessons, chamber music and ensembles, adjunct professor of music and Wesleyan Orchestra and Wesleyan Concert Choir music director, is mentioned in the October 2009 issue of Gramophone, the world's leading classical music magazine. Gil-Ordóñez directed the Washington D.C.-based Post-Classical Ensemble, which performed a newly-recorded soundtrack to Aaron Copland's 1939 documentary film, The City. The article says, "In what can only be called a spectacular improvement from the original monaural recording (which is included on the DVD as an extra), the newly performed score showcases every aspect of Copland's Americana style, from majestic splendor accompanying wide-angle…
Corrina KerrNeely Bruce, professor of music, directed The Mitchell College Singers & Friends Oct. 20 in New London, Conn. The Mitchell College Singers performed The Bill of Rights: Ten Amendments in Eight Motets, one of the more notable musical works created within Connecticut in the past decade. This unique program was presented in New London's historic Pequot Chapel. Prior to the concert, Bruce spoke on "Why I Set the Bill of Rights to Music," and led a recitation of the Preamble to the Bill of Rights. This was the fourth complete performance of The Bill of Rights. The song's premiere was…
David LowSteve Lehman ’00 is an alto and soprano jazz saxophonist who continues to receive praise from jazz critics across the country for performing music on the cutting edge. He is one of several graduates who studied jazz at Wesleyan and have gone on to notable music careers. Lehman is currently a doctoral candidate in music composition at Columbia University. Travail, Transformation & Flow (Pi Recordings), his latest CD with his octet, was recently reviewed on NPR’s Fresh Air. NPR describes Lehman as “an explorer in the esoteric compositional realm labeled ‘spectral harmony,’ and perhaps his most ambitious innovation is that…
Alvin Lucier, the John Spencer Camp Professor of Music, is featured in an Oct. 23 article titled "Alvin and the experimentals: Alvin Lucier comes to town as a Queen’s visiting artist and special guest for Tone Deaf 8" published by The Journal of Queens University. According to the article, Queen's Tone Deaf 8 festival "brings an experimental sound adventure to campus through the genius of experimental composer Alvin Lucier and some of his critically-acclaimed students." Lucier teaches music composition, an experimental music course, as well as a freshman course on the Orpheus Myth at Wesleyan, where he’s been teaching for…
The following is the second installment of The Wesleyan Connection's new feature, "5 Questions." This issue, accomplished composer and Wesleyan Professor of Music Neely Bruce is our guest. Q: I see your piece Vistas will be performed at the "Hearts Pounding and Skins Taut" concert in late October at Wesleyan. For what instrument was this piece originally composed? NB: Vistas at Dawn is a short (approximately three minute) piece for organ and vibraphone. Q: For what musician did you compose this piece? NB: I wrote it for Ronald Ebrecht, Wesleyan University Organist, to play. Over the years I’ve written two…
The 33rd annual Navaratri Festival, a celebration of Indian music, dance and food, was held on campus Sept. 30-Oct. 4. Navaratri, one of India's major festival celebrations, is a time to see family and friends, enjoy music and dance and seek blessings for new endeavors. Wesleyan's 33rd annual festival celebrated traditional music and dance while giving audiences a glimpse at the contemporary arts scene. Exciting pre-festival activities extend the festival into nine (nava) nights (-ratri), featuring performances by some of India's leading artists, a film screening, Dandiya Raas dance parties and an honoring of Navaratri's religious traditions; it culminated with…
Drummer/composer Tyshawn Sorey will take an extended break to study composition with "avant-garde avatar" Anthony Braxton, professor of music, in a master’s program at Wesleyan. According to a July 2009 article in Time Out New York, Sorey shares an earnest, seeking quality with Braxton, who also has upset convention, particularly in terms of what kind of music African-Americans schooled in jazz are supposed to make. “Quiet as it’s been kept,” Sorey says, “people would tell me to my face that this is not like ‘real’ black music. To me, it’s a very serious problem.” Sorey has had stints with headstrong…