The Well-Tempered Ear

Classical music: Three upcoming UW events –- two focusing on racial diversity and one on Latin American classical guitar music -– merit your attention. Plus, classical guitarist Christopher Allen gives a FREE recital at noon on Friday.

ALERT: This week’s FREE Friday Noon Musicale, from 12:15 to 1 p.m. at the First Unitarian Society of Madison, 900 University Bay Drive, features classical guitarist Christopher Allen performing music by Abel Carlevaro, Leo Brouwer, Manuel Ponce and Federico Moreno-Torroba.

By Jacob Stockinger

Three upcoming events at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music merit your attention and maybe your attendance.

Two concern racial diversity and the role of African-American composers and performers. It is an issue here and at many music schools around the country.

The third involves a concert by Javier Calderon of Latin American composers who wrote for the classical guitar.

All events are FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.

THURSDAY

On Thursday night at 5-6 p.m. in Room 1351 of the Mosse Humanities Building, baritone Emery Stephens of Wayne State University in Detroit will present a lecture-recital titled “African American Voices in Classical Music,” with UW-Madison collaborative pianist Martha Fischer, along with an interactive component for audience members.

Stephens will share brief histories of the composers and their music. The program will include unaccompanied spirituals, spiritual arrangements and art songs by African-American composers.

Works will be by Harry Burleigh (1866-1949), Edward Boatner (1898-1981), Hall Johnson (1888-1970), Margaret Bonds (1913-1972), Charles Brown (b. 1940), and Betty Jackson King (1928-1994). Sorry, specific titles have not been mentioned.

For more about Stephens and his subject, visit:

http://www.music.wisc.edu/event/beyond-race-with-emery-stephens/

FRIDAY

On Friday afternoon from 3:30 to 5 p.m. in Room 1351 of the Mosse Humanities Building Stephens will present a master class on his Beyond Race Project.

SATURDAY 

On Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. in Mills Hall, UW-Madison School of Music professor Javier Calderon will give a FREE faculty concert of guitar music by music of Eduardo Caba (Bolivia), Manuel Ponce (Mexico), and Heitor Villa-Lobos (Brazil).

Sorry, The Ear has received no word on individual works on the program. But at bottom is a YouTube video of Calderon playing a work by Isaac Albeniz at a UW Varsity Band Spring Concert in 2010.