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In Memoriam 2007
2
New World Symphony, America’s Orchestral Academy
3
Baton down the hatches
4
Baton down the hatches
5
Breaking the Sound Barrier: The Sphinx Organization and Classical Music
6
Elgin Symphony Orchestra
7
The NACOcasts: Podcasting is changing the way orchestras communicate with audiences
8
Spotlight on Australian Symphony Orchestras: the past, the present, the future
9
National Symphony Orchestra
10
Do As I Say: Music Conservatory Culture and its Contribution to Discontentment Among Professional Orchestral Musicians

In Memoriam 2007

Jan 02 2008
Browse archives for January 02, 2008
Robert Levine
Robert Levine

Robert Levine has been the Principal Violist of the Milwaukee Symphony since September 1987. Before coming to Milwaukee Mr. Levine had been a member of the Orford String Quartet, Quartet-in-Residence at the University of Toronto, with whom he toured extensively throughout Canada, the United States, and South America. Prior to joining the Orford Quartet, Mr. Levine had served as Principal Violist of The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra for six years. He has also performed with the San Francisco Symphony, the London Symphony of Canada, and the Oklahoma City Symphony, as well as serving as guest principal with the orchestras of Indianapolis and Hong Kong.

He has performed as soloist with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Oklahoma City Symphony, the London Symphony of Canada, the Midsummer Mozart Festival (San Francisco), and numerous community orchestras in Northern California and Minnesota. He has also been featured on American Public Radio's nationally broadcast show "St. Paul Sunday Morning" on several occasions.

Mr. Levine has been an active chamber musician, having performed at the Festival Rolandseck in Germany, the Grand Teton Music Festival, the Palm Beach Festival, the "Strings in the Mountains" Festival in Colorado, and numerous concerts in the Twin Cities and Milwaukee. He has also been active in the field of new music, having commissioned and premiered works for viola and orchestra from Minnesota composers Janika Vandervelde and Libby Larsen.

Mr. Levine was chairman of the International Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians from 1996 to 2002 and currently serves as President of the Milwaukee Musicians Association, Local 8 of the American Federation of Musicians, and as a member of the Board of Directors of the League of American Orchestras. He has written extensively about issues concerning orchestra musicians for publications of ICSOM, the AFM, the Symphony Orchestra Institute, and the League of American Orchestras.

Mr. Levine attended Stanford University and the Institute for Advanced Musical Studies in Switzerland. His primary teachers were Aaron Sten and Pamela Goldsmith. He also studied with Paul Doctor, Walter Trampler, Bruno Giuranna, and David Abel.

He lives with his wife Emily and his son Sam in Glendale.

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This is Polyphonic.org’s tribute to those of our colleagues and co-workers who left us in 2007. By its nature it is almost certainly not a complete list. We apologize for any omissions, and will make corrections if you post them in the “Comments” area.

New this year are hyperlinks to additional information; click on the name of the individual to find out more about them.

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New World Symphony, America’s Orchestral Academy

Nov 17 2007
Browse archives for November 17, 2007
Ann Drinan
Ann Drinan

Ann Drinan, Senior Editor, has been a member of the Hartford Symphony viola section for over 30 years. She is a former Chair of the Orchestra Committee, former member of the HSO Board, and has served on many HSO committees. She is also the Executive Director of CONCORA (CT Choral Artists), a professional chorus based in Hartford and New Britain, founded by Artistic Director Richard Coffey. Ann was a member of the Advisory Board of the Symphony Orchestra Institute (SOI), and was the HSO ROPA delegate for 14 years, serving as both Vice President and President of ROPA. In addition to playing the viola and running CONCORA, Ann is a professional writer and editor, and has worked as a consultant and technical writer for software companies in a wide variety of industries for over 3 decades. (She worked for the Yale Computer Science Department in the late 70s, and thus has been on the Internet, then called the DARPAnet, since 1977!) She is married to Algis Kaupas, a sound recordist, and lives a block from Long Island Sound in Branford CT. Together they create websites for musicians: shortbeachwebdesign.com.

Ann holds a BA in Music from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and an MA in International Relations from Yale University.

Read Ann Drinan's blog here. web.esm.rochester.edu/poly/author/ann-drinan

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The New World Symphony, a post-graduate orchestral academy located in Miami FL, is celebrating its 20th anniversary season. According to the NWS website, the mission of the New World Symphony is to prepare highly-gifted graduates of distinguished music programs for leadership roles in orchestras and ensembles around the world.

Currently celebrating their 20th anniversary, the NWS has come a long way in 20 years.

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Baton down the hatches

Oct 12 2007
Browse archives for October 12, 2007
Gaylon Patterson
Gaylon Patterson

Gaylon Patterson joined the Memphis Symphony Orchestra in 1985, where he is is currently acting principal second violin. He is very active in strategic planning and in developing community engagement initiatives with the MSO, and served as negotiation chair for the most recent contract renewal.

He spent seven years as ROPA delegate for the MSO and two years on ROPA’s executive board, and was the local host for ROPA’s 2003 conference in Memphis. He is still ROPA’s trustee for the AFM Strike Fund. Gaylon enjoys playing chamber music, and is regularly featured at Memphis Chamber Music Society concerts. He has taught violin and chamber music at the University of Memphis and the Tennessee Governor’s School for the Arts.

Gaylon’s day jobs before becoming a full-time musician ranged from retail sales through cotton marketing to ag-chem research, in keeping with his perplexing educational background. He studied electrical engineering at Washington University in St. Louis, and transited through the architecture and fine arts departments at the University of Arkansas before finally completing a B.A. in Music Performance. He also holds an M.M. in performance from the University of Memphis.

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A good rehearsal is… …well-planned. A rehearsal outline, with reasonably accurate time allotments, is step one. As a violinist, I pretty much play everything all the time, but it saves time and helps with pacing when I know what’s coming at me in the next two and a half hours. We also have a lot[…]

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Baton down the hatches

Oct 09 2007
Browse archives for October 09, 2007
Robert Levine
Robert Levine

Robert Levine has been the Principal Violist of the Milwaukee Symphony since September 1987. Before coming to Milwaukee Mr. Levine had been a member of the Orford String Quartet, Quartet-in-Residence at the University of Toronto, with whom he toured extensively throughout Canada, the United States, and South America. Prior to joining the Orford Quartet, Mr. Levine had served as Principal Violist of The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra for six years. He has also performed with the San Francisco Symphony, the London Symphony of Canada, and the Oklahoma City Symphony, as well as serving as guest principal with the orchestras of Indianapolis and Hong Kong.

He has performed as soloist with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Oklahoma City Symphony, the London Symphony of Canada, the Midsummer Mozart Festival (San Francisco), and numerous community orchestras in Northern California and Minnesota. He has also been featured on American Public Radio's nationally broadcast show "St. Paul Sunday Morning" on several occasions.

Mr. Levine has been an active chamber musician, having performed at the Festival Rolandseck in Germany, the Grand Teton Music Festival, the Palm Beach Festival, the "Strings in the Mountains" Festival in Colorado, and numerous concerts in the Twin Cities and Milwaukee. He has also been active in the field of new music, having commissioned and premiered works for viola and orchestra from Minnesota composers Janika Vandervelde and Libby Larsen.

Mr. Levine was chairman of the International Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians from 1996 to 2002 and currently serves as President of the Milwaukee Musicians Association, Local 8 of the American Federation of Musicians, and as a member of the Board of Directors of the League of American Orchestras. He has written extensively about issues concerning orchestra musicians for publications of ICSOM, the AFM, the Symphony Orchestra Institute, and the League of American Orchestras.

Mr. Levine attended Stanford University and the Institute for Advanced Musical Studies in Switzerland. His primary teachers were Aaron Sten and Pamela Goldsmith. He also studied with Paul Doctor, Walter Trampler, Bruno Giuranna, and David Abel.

He lives with his wife Emily and his son Sam in Glendale.

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I’m supposed to be helping to moderate this discussion, not participate in it. But I found my own questions too tempting not to answer. So here are my five ways to have your orchestra not hate working for you: Don’t talk so much. No one became a musician because they wanted to hear conductors talk.[…]

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Breaking the Sound Barrier: The Sphinx Organization and Classical Music

Oct 08 2007
Browse archives for October 08, 2007
Aaron Dworkin
Aaron Dworkin

Aaron P. Dworkin is the Founder and President of the Sphinx Organization, a national arts organization that focuses on youth and minority involvement in classical music. An accomplished electric and acoustic violinist, he received his Bachelors of Music and Masters of Music in Violin Performance from the University of Michigan School of Music, graduating with high honors. A member of the Golden Key, Phi Kappa Phi and Pi Kappa Lamda National Honor Societies, Mr. Dworkin is a recipient of the MLK Spirit Award. He previously attended the Peabody Institute, the Philadelphia New School and the Interlochen Arts Academy, and has studied with Vladimir Graffman, Berl Senofsky, Jascha Brodsky, John Eaken, Renata Knific, Donald Hopkins and Stephen Shipps. Additionally, Mr. Dworkin studied piano with Robert Alexander Böhnke in Tübingen, Germany.

In addition to his academic credits, Mr. Dworkin has produced and recorded two CDs entitled Ebony Rhythm and Bar-Talk. He has also transcribed works for electric strings and developed Electric String 201, a college-level preparatory course in electric string performance. In addition, he has authored a collection of poetry entitled They Said I Wasn't Really Black and produced and directed a movie entitled Deliberation.

Given his extensive artistic background, Mr. Dworkin has been an invited lecturer on the topic of career development in classical music at the University of Michigan's School of Music. He is also an active keynote speaker for arts and community organizations, and has been invited to speak on the topic of diversity in the arts at numerous events, including national conferences for the American Symphony Orchestra League, National Suzuki Association, National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts, and National Association for Negro Musicians. His writings have been featured in various publications, including Andante, an on-line music industry magazine. In addition, Mr. Dworkin has served as a panelist on various arts committees, including the Arts Organization Development Committee of the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, the MetLife Awards for Excellence in Community Engagement, the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies and Arts Presenters. Mr. Dworkin's expertise in the arts field has resulted in board membership with various organizations, including the University Musical Society in Ann Arbor, MI, the Board of Visitors of Walnut Hill School, the Advisory Board of the ASTA 2003 Alternative Strings Awards, the Advisory Board of the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum, and the Board of Directors of ArtServe Michigan. Finally, Mr. Dworkin was recognized by SBC Ameritech as a recipient of their Excellence Awards for his accomplishments in the field of education, by the University of Michigan's African-American Alumni Council as a recipient of the 2002 5 Under 10 Award, and by the Detroit News as one of the 2003 Michiganians of the Year.

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Polyphonic.org – The Orchestra Musician Forum – Afa Sadykhly Dworkin to Become President of Sphinx Organization

[…] a focus on inclusion.” (For a fascinating look at Aaron Dworkin’s background, read a lecture he gave at the…

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“The latest Sphinx Organization newsletter contained a link to a video of Aaron Dworkin, President and Founder, delivering a speech at the Chautauqua Foundation this past August. I watched the speech and was so moved by Aaron’s personal story and by his poems that I asked him to let us publish a shortened version of the speech here at Polyphonic.

To watch the entire speech, go to the FORA.TV website.”

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Elgin Symphony Orchestra

May 21 2007
Browse archives for May 21, 2007
Ann Drinan
Ann Drinan

Ann Drinan, Senior Editor, has been a member of the Hartford Symphony viola section for over 30 years. She is a former Chair of the Orchestra Committee, former member of the HSO Board, and has served on many HSO committees. She is also the Executive Director of CONCORA (CT Choral Artists), a professional chorus based in Hartford and New Britain, founded by Artistic Director Richard Coffey. Ann was a member of the Advisory Board of the Symphony Orchestra Institute (SOI), and was the HSO ROPA delegate for 14 years, serving as both Vice President and President of ROPA. In addition to playing the viola and running CONCORA, Ann is a professional writer and editor, and has worked as a consultant and technical writer for software companies in a wide variety of industries for over 3 decades. (She worked for the Yale Computer Science Department in the late 70s, and thus has been on the Internet, then called the DARPAnet, since 1977!) She is married to Algis Kaupas, a sound recordist, and lives a block from Long Island Sound in Branford CT. Together they create websites for musicians: shortbeachwebdesign.com.

Ann holds a BA in Music from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and an MA in International Relations from Yale University.

Read Ann Drinan's blog here. web.esm.rochester.edu/poly/author/ann-drinan

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The Elgin Symphony is a suburban orchestra 40 miles NW of Chicago with a budget of $3 million. Yet they just made a Copland recording for Naxos, the city of Elgin is planning to build them a new hall, and they operate in the black. Read about their success and listen to an excerpt of their new recording.

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The NACOcasts: Podcasting is changing the way orchestras communicate with audiences

May 20 2007
Browse archives for May 20, 2007
Christopher Millard
Christopher Millard

In 2004, on the invitation of Pinchas Zukerman, Christopher Millard joined the National Arts Centre Orchestra as Principal Bassoon. He previously served 29 seasons as the principal bassoon for the Vancouver Symphony and the CBC Radio Orchestra.

A regular guest artist and teacher at the Scotia, Orford, Vancouver, and Ottawa Festivals, Domaine Forget, the Banff Centre, Sante Fe Chamber Music, and Chamber Music Northwest, Mr. Millard has also appeared in concert and recordings with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the Marlboro Festival, The World Orchestra for Peace, and as principal bassoon for the Grand Teton Festival Orchestra.

A student of the legendary Sol Schoenbach at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia, he also studied with the great French flutist Marcel Moyse. Mr. Millard, a long time faculty member of the University of British Columbia Music Department, now serves on the faculty of the University of Ottawa. He was bassoon professor for the National Youth Orchestra of Canada where for 20 years he helped to nurture many of the best of the new generation of Canadian wind players. In September 2007, Mr. Millard will join the faculty of Northwestern University in Chicago.

Christopher Millard has received wide praise for his solo recordings, which include several discs for Summit Records, a CBC records disc of Italian concerti with Mario Bernardi and the CBC Radio Orchestra. His most recent recordings include a new Schubert Octet with the Canadian Chamber Players, and the Hetu Bassoon Concerto, which was awarded a 2004 Juno. The peer journal, The Double Reed, in a recent review of his CD Duos, called Mr. Millard “one of the great bassoonists of the 20th century.”

Christopher Millard is the host of the National Arts Centre’s [i]NACOcast[/i], a podcast for classical music fans. He is also an expert woodwind technician and operates a repair shop for bassoonists and clarinetists in Ottawa.

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Orchestras are constantly exploring new technologies that can enhance the audience’s appreciation of their concerts, from multi-media concert experiences and digital program notes to new web experiences. Since February 2006, the National Arts Centre Orchestra of Ottawa Canada has been producing bi-monthly 30-minute podcasts featuring their upcoming programs. Polyphonic has been featuring the NACOcast of Gustavo Dudamel on our home page for the past month.

I recently had a fascinating conversation with Chris Millard, host of the NACOcasts and principal bassoon of the NAC Orchestra, and Maurizio Ortolani, NAC’s New Media Producer. They discussed the origins of the podcasts, how they put them together, and the technology they use. Thus far they’ve produced about 30 podcasts on a wide range of topics; click here to explore their offerings and listen, and read on to experience a behind-the-scenes view of the NAC studio.

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Spotlight on Australian Symphony Orchestras: the past, the present, the future

Mar 26 2007
Browse archives for March 26, 2007
Leila Kelleher
Leila Kelleher

Violist, Leila Kelleher, is building an international reputation for her energy and versatility as a performer. She has appeared as a soloist with the Elder Conservatorium Chamber Orchestra, the Norwood Symphony Orchestra, and the Melbourne String Ensemble, with whom she was the soloist for their German tour of 2005. Leila is also a committed chamber musician, and has performed with numerous groups, including the electro-acoustic Zephyr Quartet for their inaugural tour to South Korea. Ms Kelleher also performs on the Baroque Viola, and is an active orchestral musician.

Leila is a graduate of the Elder Conservatorium where she studied with renowned pedagogue, Keith Crellin, and is currently completing her Masters at the Eastman School of Music with Phillip Ying and her Orchestral Studies Diploma through the Eastman Arts Leadership program.

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American orchestral musicians usually have some bits of information and notions about orchestra life in Europe, but what’s going on in Australia? Leila Kelleher gives us a glimpse at the past, present and future with her spotlight on Australian orchestras. So that you don’t have to look it up, the Australian Dollar is currently trading at about .81 vs. the US Dollar, and “loading” is a term describing a bonus payment such as doubling on a second instrument.

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National Symphony Orchestra

Mar 14 2007
Browse archives for March 14, 2007
Ann Drinan
Ann Drinan

Ann Drinan, Senior Editor, has been a member of the Hartford Symphony viola section for over 30 years. She is a former Chair of the Orchestra Committee, former member of the HSO Board, and has served on many HSO committees. She is also the Executive Director of CONCORA (CT Choral Artists), a professional chorus based in Hartford and New Britain, founded by Artistic Director Richard Coffey. Ann was a member of the Advisory Board of the Symphony Orchestra Institute (SOI), and was the HSO ROPA delegate for 14 years, serving as both Vice President and President of ROPA. In addition to playing the viola and running CONCORA, Ann is a professional writer and editor, and has worked as a consultant and technical writer for software companies in a wide variety of industries for over 3 decades. (She worked for the Yale Computer Science Department in the late 70s, and thus has been on the Internet, then called the DARPAnet, since 1977!) She is married to Algis Kaupas, a sound recordist, and lives a block from Long Island Sound in Branford CT. Together they create websites for musicians: shortbeachwebdesign.com.

Ann holds a BA in Music from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and an MA in International Relations from Yale University.

Read Ann Drinan's blog here. web.esm.rochester.edu/poly/author/ann-drinan

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There are several things that make the NSO unique among American orchestras. You might have seen us on TV for our annual Memorial Day concert at the Capitol, or our annual 4th of July concert, our most visible national presence. You might not have heard about our yearly American Residency, sponsored in part by the US Department of Education.

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Do As I Say: Music Conservatory Culture and its Contribution to Discontentment Among Professional Orchestral Musicians

Mar 05 2007
Browse archives for March 05, 2007
Sloan Hoffmann
Sloan Hoffmann

Sloan Hoffmann is a musician, artist and writer who creates and teaches from her studio in Ventura, California. She founded Thirty 3 and a Third, an education company that provides innovative, hands-on and experiential music, art and science programs to schools and communities.

She earned her DMA from the University of Southern California in 2010 after receiving her MM from the Eastman School of Music. She earned her undergraduate degrees in music and English from the University of Denver and Tufts University.

When not surfing or exploring Ventura's dynamic coastline, Sloan can be found hiking and swimming with her pal Dolce Dog and enjoying the peace of her backyard gardens.

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Polyphonic.org – The Orchestra Musician Forum – Our conspiratorial industry

[...] reasons for this conspiratorial bias remain difficult for me to figure out. Years ago, in an article I co-wrote…

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Orchestras have institutional cultures that can vary from one another, but there are some issues that seem to be universal. In this article Sloan Hoffmann looks down the orchestral food chain to music schools and their conductors and applied music teachers. She posits that attitudes are shaped in music conservatories and are then carried forward into the profession. For those of us who teach this article will have us looking inward.

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