Ron Carter on the Power of the Bass, and the Onstage Moment He’s Been Waiting For
(Strings 04/14/2017)
When did you transition to jazz?
Before I went away to Eastman, my friend who lived down the street put together a little quartet for the summer, playing for fraternity and sorority parties at the University of Detroit or Wayne State University. He said, do I want to play with him? I said yeah, but I don’t know any of the songs. He said, “We’ll sit down with some tunes. I’ll show you basic, real general harmony and theory lessons.” I always had a pretty good ear. I could hear what was going on; I just had to understand how it got there.
I probably didn’t understand the power of the bass until I got to New York. In Rochester, I was playing with a house band. I got a chance to listen to bass players who came in this club and see how they manipulated the information . . . . The more I began to understand how important the role of the bass was—and, if you could make it affect the music to a great extent, how necessary it was—I said, “Wow, how about that ladies and gentlemen? I can make the bass do all these things. My job is to make the bass make the music do something that maybe nobody else thought of before.”
Violist Masumi Per Rostad joins Eastman School of Music string faculty
(The Strad 04/19/2017)
The University of Rochester’s Eastman School of Music has announced the appointment of Pacifica Quartet violist Masumi Per Rostad to its string faculty. . . . A graduate of the Juilliard School in New York, where he studied with Karen Tuttle, Rostad has performed as a member of the Grammy-winning Pacifica Quartet since 2001, and has toured extensively as a soloist. He and his Pacifica colleagues have served on the faculties of the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the University of Chicago, and Northwestern University. (Also reported by The Violin Channel)
Art song festival takes on French theme this year
(Albuquerque Journal 04/23/2017)
The Eighth Annual Vocal Artistry Art Song Festival: Mélodies Français will open at Albuquerque Academy with 50 to 75 singers competing for more than $8,000 in prizes. The final awards concert is scheduled for the Simms Auditorium on Sunday, April 30. All performances are free. . . . This year’s guest faculty list includes Sylvie Beaudette from the Eastman School of Music, Amy Pfrimmer from Tulane University, Brent McMunn from the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music, Jeanne-Michele Charbonnet from Texas Christian University and Martha Rowe, retired New Mexico State University professor, pianist and singer.
Interview: Soprano Nicole Cabell on Mimi, Boheme, and More
(Twin Cities Arts Reader 04/22/2017)
Two weeks from today, Minnesota Opera opens the last production in its 2016-2017 season: Giacomo Puccini’s classic opera La Bohème. . . . Soprano Nicole Cabell has played both Mimì and Musetta onstage, and spoke with the Arts Reader‘s Basil Considine about returning to Minnesota Opera to sing Mimì.
I first listened to La Bohème when I was a student at the Eastman School of Music. Initially, I wasn’t as taken by the music as I had been with Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, Tosca, and Turandot, but that is simply because I responded to darker, more dramatic music at the time.
Common Ground: 17 local bands to perform in benefit for In My Father’s Kitchen
(Syracuse.com 04/21/2017)
After a year of planning, rehearsing, rewriting and recording, the “Common Ground” album is about to drop. The album, featuring 17 bands and 35 Upstate New York musicians, is an unprecedented effort to aid Syracuse’s chronically homeless through a charity album and concert.
Rob Bridge: Rob has studied and performed music around the world as well as locally with groups including the Society for New Music and Symphoria. His current focus is on small hand-held percussion instruments from a variety of cultures. Rob is a Professor of Music at Onondaga Community College, where he chairs the music department. His degrees include a doctorate in music from the Eastman School of Music.
Eastman School announces 2017-2018 Eastman Presents series
(Rochester City Newspaper 04/20/2017)
The Eastman School of Music this morning announced its 2017-18 Eastman Presents Concert Series, with seven Kodak Hall performances planned, including a collaboration between Chick Corea and Steve Gadd and a Broadway show by Patti LuPone. All shows will be in Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre (60 Gibbs Street) and start at 8 p.m. The full list of concerts is below.
The school’s Eastman Opera Theatre also announced its 2017-18 season this morning. The program — which has been well-regarded in its previous seasons for its quality and willingness to tackle contemporary works — will stage three works: the 17th century “L’incoronazione di Poppea” (November 2 through November 5); Philip Glass’s and Susan Marshall’s “Les EnfantsTerribles” (February 1 through February 4); and “The Light in the Piazza,” which premiered on Broadway in 2005 (April 5 through April 8). More information on admission and times will be released in the fall. (Also reported by Rochester Democrat and Chronicle)
South Shore Chorale of Fond du Lac to hold spring concert April 29 and 30
(Fond du Lac Reporter 04/20/2017)
This year’s concert will feature the 150-voice chorale, chamber orchestra, and guest organist David Heller, from San Antonio, Texas. . . . A native a Fond du Lac, Heller holds degrees from Lawrence University and the Eastman School of Music, which awarded him the prestigious Performer’s Certificate in organ.
Hearing Aide: Talking Under Water ‘Talking Under Water’
(NYS Music 04/20/2017)
Talking Under Water takes us on a journey that some of us know too well: the winding path to recovering a broken heart. At times achingly candid, the overall tone of the album is triumphant, featuring big choruses and soulful vocals that stir the intricate songwriting. Talking Under Water is a five-piece outfit hailing from Rochester. Their namesake debut LP is a great premise for what we can expect from this promising group.
After Dave Chisholm received his Doctorate of Musical Arts from Eastman School of Music for jazz trumpet in 2013, he found himself returning to his roots of singer-songwriter. The project began to take on life when he decided to put together a band. He elicited help from fellow former Eastman students Elise Hughey (cello), Alex Patrick (guitar) and Joe Parker (drums).
Eastman school announces finalists in Lotte Lenya Competition
(FoxRochester 04/17/2017)
The Eastman School of Music has reached the finals of the annual ‘Lotte Lenya’ competition that features 14 international music theater talents. Musicology professor Kim Kowalke joined Good Day Rochester this morning to tell us about how the talented students involved in this spectacular run.
‘Music at Cherry Hill’ Presents Arsenal Duo in Concert
(Dearborn Patch 04/17/2017)
The Arsenal Duo is composed of Pittsburgh musicians, pianist Nathan Carterette and organist Edward Alan Moore. . . . Moore received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in organ performance from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. He is organist and music director at East Liberty Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh, Penn.
Classical guitarist to perform April 28
(Seacoastonline.com 04/20/2017)
Classical guitarist Peter Fletcher will return to the Lane Memorial Library for a concert celebrating his upcoming appearance at Carnegie Hall, presenting a program filled with music by Bach, Albéniz, Satie and other composers who wrote or have been transcribed for 6-string guitar. . . . In 1990, the Music Teacher’s National Association (MTNA) awarded Fletcher a prize at its National Level Competition, and in 1995 he received the Master of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music under Nicholas Goluses, and was twice the recipient of an Eastman Graduate Award.