 |
|
Diller-Quaile String Quartet New York Public Library Classical Access Family Concert Series
As part of Diller-Quaile's music outreach programming, the Diller-Quaile String Quartet--through the School's Classical Access program--will be offering three chamber music presentations in May and June at NYPL Branch Libraries in the Bronx and Manhattan. These Classical Access Family Concerts will introduce school age children (and their parents) to works of the string quartet literature, as well as the instruments that make up the group: violin, viola, and cello. After a short performance, the members of the Quartet will engage the children by leading them in singing and rhythmic games, and exploring imagery related to the music. The session will conclude with the Diller-Quaile String Quartet playing a "mini-concert."
This series will feature selections from Joseph Haydn's "Sunrise" quartet and the "Slavonic" quartet by Antonin Dvorak. The Diller-Quaile String Quartet is comprised of Uli Speth and Philip Hough, violins; Jack Rosenberg, viola; and Tomas Ulrich, cello.
The Diller-Quaile String Quartet Classical Access Family Concert Series schedule for May and June is as follows:
Wednesday, May 12 at 4:00 pm: GRAND CONCOURSE BRANCH, 155 East 173rd Street, Bronx, NY
Wednesday, May 19 at 4:00 pm: 115TH STREET BRANCH, 203 West 115th Street, Manhattan, NY
Wednesday, June 16th at 3:30 pm: MORRIS PARK BRANCH, 985 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY
Diller-Quaile String Quartet Offers World Premiere of Benjamin Britten's "Three Poems"
On May 5, 2010, the Diller-Quaile String Quartet played the world premiere of Benjamin Britten's "Three Poems," written in 1927 when the composer was just 14 years old. The work was performed in The Diller-Quaile School of Music's Performance Space before a capacity crowd (and videotaped for archival purposes). Jonathan Manton, Technical Support Officer for the Britten Thematic Catalog project, spoke about Britten and this work prior to its premiere.
The performance of "Three Poems" was the result of Diller-Quaile String Quartet member Philip Hough's visit to the Britten Estate in Aldeburgh, UK in the summer of 2008. This led to the Diller-Quaile String Quartet being invited to record several sound samples of Benjamin Britten's quartet juvenilia for the Britten Thematic Catalog project (to find and listen to DQSQ's samples, go to www.brittenproject.org/ and type the Quartet's name in the search field).
Of the pieces they recorded, DQSQ found "Three Poems" in particular to be haunting and strikingly original, and asked permission from the Estate to play the complete work, which has never been performed privately or publicly in its entirety. This concert was a rare opportunity to experience the early flowering of arguably one of the greatest composers of the 20th century.
The Diller-Quaile String Quartet has been asked to record the remaining Britten quartet sound samples for the Britten Thematic Catalog project and will be doing so in the near future.
DQ Head of Piano Steven Graff Featured in Concert with The Canterbury Choral Society
DQ Piano Department Head Steven Graff will be playing Schumann’s Piano Concerto in A minor this coming Sunday, March 14th, at 4:00 PM at Church of the Heavenly Rest, located at Fifth Avenue and 90th Street in Manhattan. This concert is sponsored by The Canterbury Choral Society and Charles Dodsley Walker will be conducting. The orchestra is comprised of members of The New Haven Symphony. The second half of the program is the Brahms German Requiem. Tickets are available at the door, or in advance at www.canterburychoral.org.
Early Childhood Department Accompanist Craig Baldwin Short Musical Featured at York Theatre Company Show
"Let's Face It," a short musical piece composed by DQ accompanist Craig Baldwin, with book and lyrics by Kathy Lombardi, was recently featured at the York Theatre Company's "4@15: Four New Fifteen Minute Musicals" show, which was presented on January 23 and 24.
Diller-Quaile Voice Teacher Mary Thorne Performed at Trinity Wall Street's "Concerts at One" Series
On February 4th, Diller-Quaile Voice teacher and Soprano Mary Thorne offered a recital as part of Trinity Church Wall Street's "Concerts at One" series. The program titled "Virgil Thomson: A Portrait In Song" included songs by Thomson, his influences, his contemporaries, and composers he mentored.
Steven Graff Performed with The New York Symphonic Arts Ensemble
Diller-Quaile Piano Department Head Steven Graff performed Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A minor on Sunday, December 6th at 3:00 p.m. with Kyunghun Kim, conductor, and The New York Symphonic Arts Ensemble. This concert took place at The Julia Richman Auditorium, 317 East 67th Street (at 2nd Avenue). For details, please visit www.nysae.net.
DQ Piano Faculty Member Maxim Pakhomov Performed at Lincoln Center Atrium
On November 19, 2009, Diller-Quaile Piano Teacher Maxim Pakhomov and cellist Teresa Kubiak performed the Rachmaninoff Sonata for Cello and Piano at the newly-renovated David Rubenstein Atrium of Lincoln Center (it was noted in the New York Times). Both performers are BRIO (Bronx Recognizes Its Own) award winners--one of the longest standing individual support mechanisms for artists in the country that recognizes the creative excellence of Bronx Artists in all media. This event was part of BX Indie progamming (a NYC Cultural Innovation Fund project funded by the Rockefeller Foundation) sponsored by the Bronx Council on the Arts.
Diller-Quaile Students Perform in Opera Productions at Lincoln Center
Voice and violin student William Nederlander sang with the Metropolitan Opera Children's Chorus for this season's opening night gala performance of Puccini's Tosca. This fall, William is also heard in Carmen, Suor Angelica, and Hansel and Gretel.
Cello student Sylar Thomas sang with the New York City Opera's Children's Chorus in their production of Hugo Weisgall's opera Esther.
DQ Accompanist Sarah Silverman Featured in Artist Performance Series at Third Street Music School Settlement
Diller-Quaile pianist/accompanist Sarah Silverman was a featured musician in the 2009-2010 Third Street Music School Settlement Artist Performance Series. On November 13, Ms. Silverman played works by Bach, Chopin, and her own compositions, and was joined on-stage by a string quartet and jazz trio. For more information about this performance and Ms. Silverman, please visit her MySpace page.
EC Head Erin Langston and IV Head Kathy Yiannoudes Interviewed for NY Magazine Article on Music Education
Diller-Quaile Early Childhood Department Head Erin Langston and Instrumental and Vocal Department Head Kathy Yiannoudes were extensively quoted in an article on music education for children titled "Music for the Ages," which was published in the November 2009 issue of New York Family. To read a copy of the article, click here.
Steven Graff Recital at Hunter College
Diller-Quaile's Head of Piano Steven Graff presented a recital at Hunter College's Lang Recital Hall (695 Park Avenue) on Thursday, November 5th. Mr. Graff performed works by Mozart, Chopin, Albeniz, Muczynski, La Montaine, and Ramey--as well as a piece written by Mallory Miller, Diller-Quaile's Head of Piano Admissions and Director of the Summer Music Study Outreach Program, titled Prelude in E minor.
Early Childhood Department Accompanist Craig Baldwin Performed Music Written for Tolerance Workshops
EC accompanist Craig Baldwin has composed the music for "We're All the Same Inside," a doll making workshop created by T.I.M.M.-E Company, Inc. (Tolerance in Multi Media Education), an educational company that teaches diversity and tolerance in NYC area schools. "The Inside Story – A Celebration in Song, Commemorating the 10th Anniversary of 'We Are All The Same Inside'" made its debut at Don't Tell Mama on Monday, November 2. Craig accompanied the singers on piano at this performance.
DQ Early Childhood Consultant Dr. Elaine Heffner Pens Articles for PBS Parents Website
Diller-Quaile's Early Childhood consultant, Elaine Heffner, CSW, Ed.D., has written two terrific articles for the PBS Parents website that will be of interest to all mothers and fathers: one on what it really means to be a "Good Enough Mother," and another titled "Children: When Expectations Don't Meet Reality."
DQ Faculty Member Jonathan Bell Composes Music for New Broadway Play
Early Childhood and Instrumental and Vocal accompanist Jonathan Bell has written original songs for the new Broadway play "In the Next Room," by Sarah Ruhl. The play--starring Michael Cerveris and produced by Lincoln Center Theater--will run for 11 weeks at The Lyceum Theatre; previews started on October 22.
EC Faculty Member Caroline Moore Performed with Meredith Monk at BAM's Next Wave Festival
For the week of October 21-25, Diller-Quaile Early Childhood Department Music teacher Caroline Moore performed in the chorus of Meredith Monk's Songs of Ascension at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), as part of their 2009 Next Wave Festival. These multi-media performances--which explored the theme of spiritual attainment through ascent--featured Meredith Monk, The Todd Reynolds String Quartet, and video projections created by video artist Ann Hamilton.
More New CD Releases from Diller-Quaile Faculty: Alfrida Tozieva
Recently, Alfrida Tozieva (Viola, EC Department) and Tristâme released their debut CD entitled "Unraveling Horizons." The album is a journey into the thoughts and emotions of a "passive explorer," one who is carried through their life without even truly living it, engaged in the world only through their dreams and unfulfilled aspirations. Musically, the album spans different styles and moods from the dreamlike melancholy of "Passive Explorer," to the heavy guitar-oriented "Support System," to the indie pop "With the Flow" and the dark atmospheres of "Inertia" and "The Beginning." More information about this release and the group may be found at www.myspace.com/tristame.
Diller-Quaile String Quartet Britten Recordings Included in Britten-Pears Library Catalogue
The Diller-Quaile String Quartet (DQSQ) has recorded several examples of Benjamin Britten’s unpublished student works for the Thematic Catalogue Project at the Britten-Pears Library in Aldeburgh, England. Three of DQSQ’s audio incipits may be heard at www.brittenpears.org (they are BTC305, BTC473, and BTC535).
New CD Releases from Diller-Quaile Faculty: Steven Graff, Jonathan Newell
Steven Graff (Head of the Piano Department) has just released a new solo CD on Centaur Records titled Music from America's First and Second Cities. It is a collection of contemporary piano music by composers from New York (Barber, Gershwin, and Del Tredici) and Chicago (Muczynski, Sowerby and La Montaine). For more information, please visit www.centaurrecords.com.
In addition, Jonathan Newell (Piano Faculty) plays several of his own piano compositions, as well as works by Bach, Chopin, and Stravinsky, on his new self-titled album. Please go to www.jonathannewellmusic.com for more details.
DQ Faculty Member's Ensemble Performs at the Library of Congress
Instrumental and Vocal (cello) faculty member Leigh Stuart's group, Fireworks Ensemble, recently gave a concert at the Library of Congress, which was reviewed by Stephen Brookes in The Washington Post (on 10/31/08):
If there's a patron saint of chamber music, it's undoubtedly Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge, whose support of this neglected genre was so strong she even built the Library of Congress an auditorium to play it in. Coolidge would have turned a sprightly 144 on Thursday, and the library marked the occasion with a performance by the Fireworks Ensemble -- a young octet every bit as adventurous and ahead of the curve as the revered lady herself.
The classically trained Fireworks players say they're out to "redefine the chamber music experience for a new generation of listeners" by expanding the repertoire into new areas, and this we can only applaud. The world of chamber music can feel airless, smothered in the kind of tonier-than-thou connoisseurship that makes sensible people flee for the hills, but the Fireworks players threw open the windows and let the air in. Playing everything from electric guitars to an orange kazoo, they romped through Norwegian folk songs, a Bollywood film score, some baroque dance music and a Duke Ellington classic, even taking a stab at the dance club electronica of Aphex Twin -- cleverly reverse-engineered for acoustic instruments.
It was as fresh and fun as it sounds, and when it worked, it worked beautifully. You lose a certain authenticity when, for instance, you arrange a Haydn string quartet for electric guitar and soprano saxophone, but it's well worth hearing at least once. And there were some fine solos, particularly by violinist Kathryn Eberle. Chamber music may not have been "redefined," but it definitely got a kick in the pants -- and Coolidge herself would probably have enjoyed the party.