The Well-Tempered Ear
The UW-Madison Symphony Orchestra will provide a welcome break on Election Night
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By Jacob Stockinger
If you find yourself needing some relief or a short break from vote counting and the barrage of election news this coming Tuesday night, Nov. 3, the masked and socially distanced UW-Madison Symphony Orchestra (below) fits the bill.
The group’s refreshingly short, one-hour and intermission-free online video premiere begins at 7 p.m. CST on YouTube. There is no fee for watching the event in the Mead Witter Foundation Concert Hall in the Hamel Music Center, although donations are welcome.
No in-person attendance is allowed.
The program features “Strum” (1981) by Jessie Montgomery (below, in a photo by Jiyang Chen); the famous and familiar Adagietto from the Symphony No. 5 by Gustav Mahler (which you can hear with conductor Claudio Abbado in the YouTube video at the bottom); and the youthful Sinfonia No. 7 in D minor by Felix Mendelssohn, who wrote 13 of the string symphonies between the ages of 12 and 14.
Here is a direct link to the UW-Madison music school’s YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/TMNCy9qooCM
Just a personal note of appreciation and encouragement from The Ear: If you are a fan of orchestral music and pay attention to the Madison Symphony Orchestra, the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra and the Middleton Community Orchestra, for example, then you owe to it yourself to become acquainted with the UW-Madison Symphony Orchestra if you don’t already know it.
It is that good, as you can hear for yourself in this virtual concert during the pandemic. You will probably find yourself wanting to hear more.
The programs are outstanding and often feature neglected, modern and contemporary music as well as classic repertoire, and the playing is usually first-rate.
The orchestra sounds exceptionally good, often even professional, under its new conductor Oriol Sans (below), a native of Spain who arrived here last season from a post at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor.
Sans has provided remarkable leadership both in the orchestra’s programs and in accompanying the University Opera productions and the UW Choral Union.
For more information, including the names of the orchestra’s members, go to: https://www.music.wisc.edu/event/uw-madison-symphony-orchestra-video-premiere/
If you listen to it, please let us know: What did you think?
Did the performances please or impress you?
Did you like or dislike the scheduling on Election Night?
The Ear wants to hear.
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Classical music: Joel Thompson’s “The Seven Last Words of the Unarmed” is an eloquent and timely testament to Black victims of racism. It deserves to be performed in Madison and elsewhere
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By Jacob Stockinger
A reader recently wrote in and suggested that fellow blog fans should listen to “The Seven Last Words of the Unarmed” by the Atlanta-based American composer Joel Thompson (below).
So The Ear did just that.
He was both impressed and moved by the prescient piece of choral and orchestral music. It proved both powerful and beautiful.
The title alludes to the Bible’s depiction of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, but also to the musical setting of it that was composed by Franz Joseph Hadyn in the 18th century. But it stands on its own as a much needed and very accomplished updating, especially with the “last word” or phrase “I can’t breathe.”
It is hard to believe the work was written five years ago, and not last week or last month. But it couldn’t be more relevant to today.
It shows how deeply artists have been engaging with the social and political issues of the day, particularly the role of personal and structural racism in national life, and the plight of young Black men and women who face discrimination, brutality and even death at the hands of the police and a bigoted public.
The work was premiered by the Men’s Glee Club at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor in 2015. This performance comes from the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra.
The SSO and featured guest University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Men’s Glee Club, led by conductor Eugene Rogers (below) – who directs choral music and teaches conducting at the UM — premiered a 2017 commissioned fully orchestrated version of “The Seven Last Words of the Unarmed.” You can hear it in the YouTube video below.
It is an eminently listenable and accessible, multi-movement work honoring the lives, deaths and personal experiences of seven Black men.
The seven last words used in the work’s text are: “Why do you have your guns out?” – Kenneth Chamberlain, 66; “What are you following me for?” – Trayvon Martin, 16; “Mom, I’m going to college.” – Amadou Diallo, 23; “I don’t have a gun. Stop shooting.” – Michael Brown, 18; “You shot me! You shot me!” – Oscar Grant, 22; “It’s not real.” – John Crawford, 22; “I can’t breathe.” – Eric Garner, 43.
The Ear thinks that once live concerts begin again after the coronavirus pandemic is contained, it should be programmed locally. It could and should be done by, among others, the Madison Symphony Orchestra and Choir; or the UW-Madison Symphony Orchestra and Choral Union; or the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra with the Festival Choir of Madison; or the Wisconsin Chamber Choir.
They have all posted messages about standing in solidarity with Black Lives Matter and the protesters against racism. But will words lead to commitment and action?
It will be interesting to see who responds first. In addition to being timely, such a performance certainly seems like a good way to draw in young people and to attract Black listeners and other minorities to classical music.
Here is a link if you also want to check out the almost 200 very pertinent comments about the work, the performance, the performers and of course the social and political circumstances that gave rise to the work — and continue to do so with the local, regional, national and international mass protests and demonstrations.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdNXoqNuLRQ&app=desktop
And here is the performance itself:
What do you think of the work?
How did you react to it?
Would you like to see and hear it performed live where you are?
The Ear wants to hear.
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Classical music: Members of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center will give two concerts this week as part of the centennial season of the Concert Series at the Wisconsin Union Theater
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By Jacob Stockinger
Think of it as one anniversary celebrating another anniversary.
This week, four members of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center in New York City will be giving two concerts as part of the Concert Series at the Wisconsin Union Theater (below).
The Chamber Music Society is marking its 50th anniversary and is in town this week to help the WUT’s Concert Series celebrate its 100th anniversary.
Here is a link with more background about the special programming for the anniversary season: https://welltempered.wordpress.com/2019/03/30/classical-music-personal-experience-artistic-excellence-and-historical-importance-drew-pianist-wu-han-and-cellist-david-finckel-into-planning-next-years-centennial-season-at-the-wisconsin-u/
The first concert is tomorrow — Thursday night, March 5 — at 7:30 p.m. in Shannon Hall at the Memorial Union. The program features two piano quartets and a violin sonatina.
The Ear has seen the Society players before in Madison and has never heard them give anything short of a first-rate performance.
The piano quartets are the Piano Quartet in A Minor, Op. 1, by Czech composer Josef Suk; the Piano Quartet No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 25, by Johannes Brahms; and the Violin Sonatina in G Major, Op. 100, by Antonin Dvorak. (You can hear Chopin Competition winner and South Korean pianist Song-Jin Cho, play the Gypsy Rondo finale from the Brahms piano quartet in the YouTube video at the bottom.)
Personal ties link all three works. Brahms greatly admired Dvorak and helped launch his career. And Dvorak was both the teacher and father-in-law of Suk.
The performers (below, from left) are violinist Arnaud Sussmann, pianist Wu Han, violist Paul Neubauer; and cellist David Finckel.
The wife-and-husband team of Wu Han and David Finckel are the co-music directors of the Chamber Music Society and also the artistic advisors who helped the Wisconsin Union Theater put together its centennial season.
Says Han: Chamber music is a form of music that has the ability to provide comfort in difficult times, escape and inspiration for all. The Musical America’s Musician of the Year award winner adds that it’s those very things that drive her to continue to make music.
The performance is part of the new David and Kato Perlman Chamber Music Series. More information about the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center can be found on their website.
There will also be a pre-concert performance by students of the Suzuki method in Sonora Strings (below) beginning in Shannon Hall at 7 p.m.
For more background as well as how to purchase tickets ($10-$50), go to: https://union.wisc.edu/events-and-activities/event-calendar/event/chamber-music-society-of-lincoln-center/
SATURDAY NIGHT
On Saturday night, March 7, at 7:30 p.m. in the Mead Witter Foundation Concert Hall of the new Hamel Music Center, 740 University Ave., pianist Wu Han (below top) will perform with the UW Symphony Orchestra under the baton of its director and conductor Oriol Sans (below bottom).
The program is the Suite No. 1 from the chamber opera “Powder Her Face” by the contemporary British composer Thomas Adès; the Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 37, by Beethoven; and the Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 73, by Brahms.
Tickets are $30 for the public, $25 for Union members and UW faculty and staff; and $10 for UW students. For more information about Wu Han and to purchase tickets, go to: https://union.wisc.edu/events-and-activities/event-calendar/event/wu-han-with-uw-symphony/
“Wu Han brings to the Wisconsin Union Theater not only a passion for music, but also authentic excitement about inspiring a love of music in others,” said Amanda Venske, Concert Series coordinator of the Wisconsin Union Directorate (WUD) Performing Arts Committee.
The students of the UW-Madison Symphony Orchestra (below, with the UW Choral Union in the background) will have the opportunity to learn from Han as they prepare for the Saturday performance.
Patrons can purchase tickets online or at the Memorial Union Box Office. The Wisconsin Union Theater team offers discounted tickets for University of Wisconsin-Madison faculty, staff and students as well as Wisconsin Union members.
Other upcoming Concert Series performances are by violinist Gil Shaham with Akira Eguchi on March 28, and superstar soprano Renée Fleming on May 2. The Concert Series is the longest running classical music series in the Midwest.
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Classical music: The UW Schubertiade last Sunday afternoon explored the influence of Beethoven on Schubert with insight and beauty
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ALERT: In early editions of my last post, I mistakenly said that the UW Choral Union and the UW Symphony Orchestra will perform the Verdi Requiem on May 25 and 26. The correct dates are APRIL 25 and 26. The Ear regrets the error.
By Jacob Stockinger
One of the most informative and enjoyable events of the Beethoven Year – 2020 is the 250th anniversary of the composer’s birth – came early.
It took place last Sunday afternoon in the Collins Recital Hall of the new Hamel Music Center at the UW-Madison.
It was the seventh annual Schubertiade, and its theme was “Schubert and Beethoven: Influences and Homages.” A classic contrast-and-compare examination of two musical giants who lived and worked in Vienna in the early 19th century, the concert took place for almost three hours before a packed house. (Schubert is below top, Beethoven below middle, and the sold-out audience below bottom)
The annual event is organized by co-founders and co-directors UW piano professor Martha Fisher and her pianist husband Bill Lutes (below, greeting the crowd), who also perform frequently, especially as outstandingly sensitive and subtle accompanists.
They make the event, with audience members sitting onstage, look easy and informal. But it takes a lot of hard work.
The two sure know how to choose talent. As usual, all the singers and instrumentalists – UW alumni and faculty members (below) — proved very capable. The concert cohered with consistency.
Nonetheless, The Ear heard highlights worth singling out.
Baritone Michael Roemer (below) sang exceptionally in “An die ferne Geliebte” (To the Distant Beloved) by Beethoven (1770-1827). His voice brought to mind the young Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau in the inviting tone and direct delivery of the first song cycle ever composed. It was also the one that inspired the younger Schubert (1797-1828) to compose his own song cycles, and you could hear why.
Soprano Jamie Rose Guarrine (below right), accompanied by Bill Lutes and cellist Karl Knapp (below center), brought warmth, ease and confidence to the lyrical beauty of “Auf dem Strom” (On the River).
Tenor Daniel O’Dea (below) showed how Schubert’s setting of Friedrich Schiller’s “Ode to Joy” – the same Romantic poem made famous in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony “Choral” – ended up much more lighthearted than the more familiar, serious and intense symphonic version.
Martha Fischer and Bill Lutes, who also sang as well as narrated and accompanied, showed complete blending and tightness in Schubert’s first published composition: “Eight Variations on a French Song.” It was for piano, four-hands – a sociable genre that Schubert favored and wrote a lot of.
Soprano Jennifer D’Agostino (below) sang Schubert’s song “Elysium” in which it is unclear whether it is a pastiche or a parody of Beethoven, who remained a mentor until Schubert died at 31. Could that ambiguity point to Schubert’s maturing sense of himself and his own art as compared to Beethoven’s?
One year after Beethoven’s death – Schubert was a pallbearer — Schubert put on his only formal public concert of his own work. That was when he premiered his Piano Trio No. 2, the bravura last movement of which was played by Bill Lutes with cellist Parry Karp and first violinist David Perry (below), of the UW’s Pro Arte Quartet.
Then all four members of the Pro Arte Quartet (below) – with violist Sally Chisholm and second violinist Suzanne Beia – played the last two movements of Beethoven’s late String Quartet in C-sharp Minor, Op. 131, the work that Schubert requested to hear performed as he lay on his death bed in his brother’s Vienna apartment.
Of course there were other moments that pleased and instructed. There was a set of four songs – one coupling sung by mezzo-soprano Allisanne Apple (below) — in which the same texts were set to music by both Beethoven and Schubert.
We got to hear Beethoven’s final song, “Abendlied unterm gestirnten Himmel” (Evening Song Beneath the Starry Firmament).
Then there was the heart-wrenching “Nachthymne” (Hymn to the Night) by Schubert, again beautifully performed by Jamie Rose Guarrine. (You can hear “Hymn to the Night,” sung by Elly Ameling, in the YouTube video at the bottom.)
So in the end, what were the big lessons, the takeaways from this year’s Schubertiade?
One lesson is that for all his more familiar symphonies and concertos, his string quartets and piano trios, his piano sonatas and his sonatas for cello and violin, Beethoven was also a much more accomplished song composer than the public generally knows.
But for The Ear, the biggest lesson of all is that despite Beethoven’s deep influence, Schubert retained his own special voice, a voice full of unforgettable melodies and harmonies, of lyricism and empathy.
And using a mentor to find, refine and retain one’s own identity is the highest homage any student can pay to a teacher.
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Classical music: What concerts or performances in 2019 did you most like, and do you most remember and want to praise?
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By Jacob Stockinger
The concert season’s winter intermission will soon draw to a close.
So this is a good time to recall favorite concerts and performances of last year.
But let’s be clear.
This is a not a request to name “The Best Concerts of 2019.”
Calling them the most memorable concerts doesn’t necessarily mean they were the best.
Perfection or “the best” sounds so objective, but can really be quite personal and subjective. So much can depend not only on the music and the performers, but also on your own mood and your taste or preferences.
So please share the concerts or performances that you most liked and enjoyed, the one that most still linger in your mind. And, if you can pin it down, tell us why you liked them so much and why they linger for you.
There are so many excellent groups and concerts, so much fine classical music, in the Madison area that there should be lots of candidates.
Here are several performances or complete concerts that The Ear remembers with special fondness.
The MADISON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA (below, in a photo by Peter Rodgers) held a season-long celebration of the 25th anniversary of John DeMain’s tenure as its music director and conductor. The big event came at the end: Mahler’s massive Symphony No. 8 – the so-called “Symphony of a Thousand” – that brought together the MSO and the MSO Chorus as well as the Madison Youth Choirs and the UW-Madison Choral Union.
It proved an impressive, overwhelming and moving display of coordination and musicianship, a testament to how far DeMain (below, in a photo by Prasad) has brought the orchestra.
(Also memorable on the MSO season were pianist Marc-Andre Hamelin in Ravel’s jazzy Piano Concerto in G Major and UW-Madison pianist Christopher Taylor in the Leonard Bernstein’s “Age of Anxiety” symphony during the MSO tribute to Bernstein, with whom DeMain worked closely.)
The WISCONSIN CHAMBER ORCHESTRA (below, in a photo by Mike Gorski), under its veteran music director Andrew Sewell, continues to test its own limits and surpass them. Particularly impressive was the last concert of the winter season with Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 14 featuring two outstanding soloists: soprano Mary Mackenzie and bass Timothy Jones.
The playing of the difficult score was precise but moving, and the singing blended beautifully. It made one understand why during this season – when the orchestra marks 60 years and maestro Sewell (below, in a photo by Alex Cruz) marks his 20th season — the WCO has deservingly graduated to two performances of each Masterwork concert (one here on Friday nights followed by one in the Milwaukee suburb of Brookfield on Saturday night).
Also memorable was an impressive concert by the mostly amateur but critically acclaimed MIDDLETON COMMUNITY ORCHESTRA. The Ear likes amateur musicians, and for their 10th anniversary concert they really delivered the goods in Dvorak’s famous Symphony No. 9 “From the New World” and, with fabulous guest soloist J.J. Koh (below — principal clarinet of the Madison Symphony Orchestra — in Mozart’s sublime Clarinet Concerto.
But it wasn’t only large-scale works that The Ear remembers.
Three chamber music concerts continue to stand out.
During the summer, the WILLY STREET CHAMBER PLAYERS and guest UW-Madison pianist Christopher Taylor (both below) delivered a performance of Dvorak’s Piano Quintet in A Major that would be hard for any group to match, let alone surpass, for its tightness and energy, its lyricism and drama.
The same goes for the veteran PRO ARTE QUARTET at the UW-Madison, which this fall started its complete cycle of Beethoven’s 16 string quartets in the new Hamel Music Center to celebrate the Beethoven Year in 2020 when we mark the 250th anniversary of the composer’s birth.
The quartet played early, middle and late quartets with complete mastery and subtlety. Treat yourself. Don’t miss the remaining five concerts, which resume in February and take place over the next year at the Hamel center and also at the Chazen Museum of Art, from where they will also be live-streamed.
Finally, The Ear will always remember the wholly unexpected and thoroughly captivating virtuoso accordion playing he heard last summer by Milwaukeean Stas Venglevski (below) at a concert by the BACH DANCING AND DYNAMITE SOCIETY. Venglevski performed music by Johann Sebastian Bach, Igor Stravinsky and Astor Piazzolla in a new and enthralling way.
Unfortunately, for various reasons The Ear missed many other concerts – by the Madison Opera and the University Opera among others – that promised to be memorable performances.
But perhaps you can fill him in as we start 2020 concerts next weekend.
What concerts in 2019 did you like most and do you most remember and praise? Why?
The Ear wants to hear.
Tags: #AccordionMusic, #AgeofAnxiety, #AmateurMusicians, #AmericanJazz, #AndrewSewell, #AntoninDvorak, #AstorPiazzolla, #BachDancingandDynamiteSociety, #BassSinger, #BeethovenYear, #BlogPost, #BlogPosting, #BrookfieldWisconsin, #ChamberMusic, #ChamberOrchestra, #ChazenMuseumofArt, #ChoralMusic, #ChoralUnion, #ChristopherTaylor, #ClarinetConcerto, #CriticallyAcclaimed, #DmitriShostakovich, #FacebookPost, #FacebookPosting, #FromtheNewWorld, #GustavMahler, #HamelMusicCenter, #IgorStravinsky, #J.J.Koh, #JacobStockinger, #JazzMusic, #JohannSebastianBach, #JohnDeMain, #LeonardBernstein, #LudwigVanBeethoven, #MadisonOpera, #MadisonSymphonyChorus, #MadisonSymphonyOrchestra, #MadisonWisconsin, #MadisonYouthChoirs, #MaryMackenzie, #MasterworksConcerts, #MauriceRavel, #MeadWitterSchoolofMusic, #MiddletonCommunityOrchestra, #MusicDirector, #MusicReview, #NewWorldSymphony, #OrchestralMusic, #PianoConcerto, #PianoQuintet, #PrincipalClarinet, #ProArteQuartet, #SopranoSinger, #StanislasVenglevski, #StasVenglevski, #StringQuartet, #SymphonyofaThousand, #TheEar, #TimothyJones, #UniversityofWisconsin-Madison, #UniversityOpera, #VocalMusic, #WillyStreetChamberPlayers, #WisconsinChamberOrchestra, #WolfgangAmadeusMozart, 2019, 2020, accordion, Age of Anxiety, amateur, Andrew Sewell, anniversary, Antonín Dvořák, area, Arts, attract, audience, Ástor Piazzolla, Bach, Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society, bass, Beethoven, Beethoven Year, Bernstein, best, birth, blog, Brookfield, candidate, captivating, celebrate, celebration, Chamber music, chamber orchestra, Chazen Museum of Art, choral music, Choral Union, chorus, Christopher Taylor, clarinet, clarinet concerto, clarinetist, Classical music, comment, complete, composer, Concert, concerto, conductor, critically acclaimed, cycle, dance, deliver, deserving, difficult, Dmitri Shostakovich, drama, drive, Dvorak, early, end, energy, enjoy, enthralling, Facebook, favorite, February, fond, fondness, forward, From the New World, good, goods, graduate, group, Gustav Mahler, Hamel Music Center, help, Igor Stravinsky, impressive, intermission, Jacob Stockinger, Jazz, Johann Sebastian Bach, John DeMain, last, late, Leonard Bernstein, like, limits, linger, link, live-stream, live-streamed, Ludwig van Beethoven, lyricism, Madison, Madison Opera, Madison Symphony Chorus, Madison Symphony Orchestra, Madison Youth Choirs, Maestro, Mahler, Mary Mackenzie, masterwork, mastery, Maurice Ravel, Mead Witter School of Music, member, memorable, memory, middle, Middleton Community Orchestra, Milwaukee, mind, mood, Mozart, Music, Music director, music review, Musician, new, New World Symphony, objective, opera, Orchestra, orchestral music, outstanding, Overture Center, overwhelming, past, perfection, performance, performer, personal, Pianist, Piano, Piano Quintet, Piazzolla, post, posting, praise, precise, preference, principal, Pro Arte Quartet, quintet, Ravel, reader, score, Season, Sewell, share, Shostakovich, society, soloist, soloists, soprano, Stas Venglevski, Stravinsky, stream, String quartet, subjective, sublime, subscriber, subtlety, suburb, summer, surpass, symphony, Symphony of a Thousand, tag, tang, taste, tenure, test, testimonial, The Ear, tightness, Timothy Jones, tribute, unexpected, United States, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, University Opera, UW, UW Choral Union, UW-Madison, Veteran, virtuoso, vocal music, WCO, Willy Street Chamber Players, winter, Wisconsin, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, year, you, your
Classical music: UW-Madison’s first countertenor Gerrod Pagenkopf returns to perform on Sunday night as a member of the acclaimed choral group Chanticleer. Here’s how he got from here to there. Part 1 of 2
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ALERT: Madison Symphony Orchestra organist Greg Zelek did not announce his encore after he received a standing ovation at the MSO concert Sunday afternoon. It was the final movement from the Organ Symphony No. 1 by Louis Vierne.
By Jacob Stockinger
This coming Sunday night, Oct. 6, at 7:30 p.m. in the inaugural concert in the new Hamel Music Center’s main concert hall, the critically acclaimed a cappella singing group Chanticleer (below) will kick off the centennial anniversary celebration of the Concert Series at the Wisconsin Union Theater.
Tickets are $45 for the public; $40 for faculty staff and Union members; and $10 for students. For more information about the performers and the “Trade Winds” program, go to: https://union.wisc.edu/events-and-activities/event-calendar/event/chanticleer/
Among the 12 members of the San-Francisco-based Chanticleer is Gerrod Pagenkopf, who is in his fifth year with the group as both a countertenor and the assistant music director. (You can hear Pagenkopf singing music by Henry Purcell in the YouTube video at the bottom.)
For a biography of Gerrod Pagenkopf, go to: https://www.chanticleer.org/gerrod-pagenkopf
Pagenkopf (below) is a graduate of the UW-Madison. When he performed here as a student, his high, clear countertenor voice was a new experience and made those of us who heard him sit bolt upright and take notice. “He is going places,” we said to each other. And so he has.
But Pagenkopf’s story is not only about him. It is also about the rediscovery of countertenors, about the changing public acceptance of them, and about the challenges that young musicians often face in establishing a professional performing career. So today and tomorrow, The Ear is offering a longer-than-usual, two-part interview with Pagenkopf.
Here is Part 1:
When were you at the UW-Madison?
I was a student at the UW-Madison from the fall of 1997 until I graduated in May of 2002. Although I received a bachelor’s degree in music education, performing ended up being a huge part of my last few semesters.
Growing up in rural Wisconsin about 30 miles north of Green Bay, I always thought that if you liked music and were good at it, you were supposed to be a teacher. It wasn’t until I was a junior that my voice teacher, the late Ilona Kombrink, and I discovered that I had a viable solo voice. Although I received the music education degree, embarking on a solo career became more important to me.
What did you do and how well did your studies and performances here prepare you for the life of a professional musician?
I was very lucky to have ample opportunities for performing during my time at the UW. Singing in choirs was very important to me. For many years I sang in the Concert Choir under Beverly Taylor (below top) as well as in the Madrigal Singers under Bruce Gladstone (below bottom,, in a photo by Katrin Talbot). I think there was one semester where I sang in just about every auditioned choir.
Beverly Taylor also gave me a lot of solo opportunities in the large-scale works that the Choral Union performed: Bach’s “St. John” and “St. Matthew” Passions, and Handel’s “Israel in Egypt.” For a 23-year-old to have those masterworks, along with the B Minor Mass and “Messiah,” on his resume was very impressive.
I was also lucky enough to perform with University Opera, singing in the chorus at first, but then singing a solo role in Handel’s “Xerxes” my final semester, and then returning as an alumni artist to sing Public Opinion in Offenbach’s “Orpheus in the Underworld” and several years later Polinesso in Handel’s “Ariodante.” Director Bill Farlow took a lot of chances on my young, “raw” countertenor voice and gave me several opportunities to succeed.
I should also note the importance of the guidance and mentorship of Professor Mimmi Fulmer (below, performing at Frank Loyd Wright’s Hillside Theater at Taliesin in Spring Green) after I graduated from UW. She afforded me the opportunity to sing in recital with her numerous times — usually Brahms and Mendelssohn duets. But she also was a catalyst in bringing me back to Madison several years later to sing with the Wisconsin Baroque Ensemble. Our continued relationship is actually the primary reason Chanticleer is singing in Madison this fall.
How do you feel about returning to perform at your alma mater with Chanticleer?
I’m over the moon about it. It still feels like a dream that I’m singing in Chanticleer. To be able to bring a group that I’m so proud to be a part of back to Madison feels like a great personal triumph. And to be the opening performance in the new Hamel Center (below) is such an honor!
Throughout my studies at UW-Madison, I was torn between the solo performance track and the choral career. I managed to straddle both, but my dream was always to make ensemble singing my career. Way back in the early 2000s, I heard Chanticleer sing at Luther Memorial Church, and I thought, “That’s what I want to do!”
I went down several other paths since that concert — mostly in the realm of solo, operatic singing — but it’s incredibly rewarding to be able to say I achieved my dream, and I’m coming back to place where the seed of that dream was planted almost 20 years ago.
Tomorrow: How countertenors re-emerged and were treated, the “Trade Winds” program and Pagenkopf’s future plans
Tags: #ACappella, #ACappellaMusic, #AlmaMater, #AppletonWisconsin, #Bachelor'sDegree, #BaroqueMusic, #BeverlyTaylor, #BillFarlow, #BlogInterview, #BlogPost, #BlogPosting, #BMinorMass, #BruceGladstone, #ChoralMusic, #ChoralUnion, #ChristianChurch, #ConcertChoir, #CriticalAcclaim, #CriticallyAcclaimed, #FacebookPost, #FacebookPosting, #FelixMendelssohn, #FrankLloydWright, #GeorgeFridericHandel, #GerrodPagenkopf, #GreenBay, #GregZelek, #GrowningUp, #HamelMusicCenter, #Handel'sMessiah, #HandelOpera, #HenryPurcell, #HillsideTheater, #IlonaKombrink, #IsraelinEgypt, #JacquesOffenbach, #JohannesBrahms, #JohannSebastianBach, #Large-scale, #LouisVierne, #LutherMemorialChurch, #MadisonSymphonyOrchestra, #MadrigalSingers, #MessiahOratorio, #MimmiFulmer, #MusicCritic, #MusicDirector, #MusicEducation, #OperaChorus, #OperaMusic, #OrpheusintheUnderworld, #PublicOpinion, #SanFrancisco, #SchoolofMusic, #SpringGreen, #St.JohnPassion, #St.MatthewPassion, #StandingOvation, #Sundayafternoon, #SundayNight, #Taliesincompound, #UniversityofWisconsin-Madison, #UniversityOpera, #VocalMusic, #WisconsinBaroqueEnsemble, #WisconsinUnionTheater, #YouTubevideo, a cappella, acceptance, acclaim, achieve, alma mater, alumni, alumnus, anniversary, artist, Arts, assistant, audience, audition, B Minor Mass, Bach, Bachelor's degree, Baroque, Beverly Taylor, Bill Farlow, biography, blog, Brahms, Bruce Gladstone, career, catalyst, celebration, centennial, cetennial, challenges, chance, chances, Chanticleer, Choir, choral music, Choral Union, chorus, Christian, church, Classical music, clear, composer, Concert, Concert Choir, concert series, countertenor, critically acclaimed, dream, duet, Early music, encore, experience, face, Facebook, faculty, fall, Felix Mendelssohn, final, forward, Frank Lloyd Wright, future, George Frideric Handel, Gerrod Pagenkopf, graduate, Green Bay, Greg Zelek, growing up, guidance, Hamel Music Center, Handel, Handel opera, Henry Purcell, high, Hillside Theater, Ilona Kombrink, impressive, interview, Israel in Egypt, Jacob Stockinger, Jacques Offenbach, Johann Sebastian Bach, Johannes Brahms, like, link, Lord, Louis Vierne, luck, lucky, Luther Memorial Church, Madison, Madison Symphony Orchestra, madrigal, Madrigal Singers, mass, masterwork, member, Mendelssohn, mentor, Messiah, Mimmi Fulmer, moon, movement, Music, music critic, Music director, Music education, new, night, Offenbach, opera, opinion, opportunities, oratorio, organ, organist, Orpheus in the Underworld, ovation, part, Passion, perform, performances, performer, performing, personal, plan, prepare, primary, program, public, public opinion, Purcell, raw, reason, reception, recital, rediscovery, relationship, resume, role, rural, Saint Matthew Passion, San Francisco, School of Music, seed, semester, share, sing, singer, Singing, solo, song, Spring Green, Spring Green Wisconsin, St Matthew Passion, St. John Passion, standing ovation, Student, studies, succeed, success, Sunday, Sunday afternoon, tag, Taliesin, Teacher, time, today, tomorrow, TradeWinds, triumph, United States, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, University Opera, UW Choral Union, UW-Madison, UW-Madison School of Music, viable, vocal music, voice, Wisconsin, Wisconsin Barque Ensemble, Wisconsin Union Theater, work, Xerxes, young, YouTube
Classical music: Here is a year-long list of concerts at the University of Wisconsin Mead Witter School of Music. They start Tuesday night with the 40th annual Karp Family Labor Day Concert
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By Jacob Stockinger
Get out your datebooks and calendars.
Here is a complete listing for major concerts and events at the University of Wisconsin Mead Witter School of Music during the new 2019-20 season.
The calendar starts with the FREE season-opening 40th annual Karp Family Labor Day Concert this coming Tuesday night, Sept. 3, at 7:30 p.m. in Mills Hall. The program features chamber music by Mozart, Beethoven, Schumann and Dvorak. For more information about the program and performers, go to: https://www.music.wisc.edu/event/40th-karp-family-concert/
Using the search engine on this blog, you could also consult whenever individual or group you want. You could print it out and have it in hand instead of the usual brochure, which will not be printed this year. See a previous blog post: https://welltempered.wordpress.com/2019/08/19/classical-music-the-uw-madison-school-of-music-will-not-have-a-complete-brochure-for-the-new-season-go-to-the-website-and-sign-up-for-an-email-newsletter-the-30th-karp-family-labor-day-concert-is-s/
Most concerts this season will take place in the new Hamel Music Center (below), which has a three-day opening celebration Oct. 25-27.
Please note that just a few programs are listed. For other programs, and for information about any admission charge, you can go to the School of Music’s home website closer to the event and click on Concerts and Events: https://www.music.wisc.edu/events/
|
Tuesday, Sep 3, 2019 |
Karp Family Concert |
7:30 PM |
Mills Hall |
|
Sunday, September 29, 2019, |
Jessica Martin & John O’Brien – Nordic song recital |
4:00 PM |
Morphy Hall |
|
Monday, Sept. 30, 2019 |
Beth Wiese, Tuba, Guest Artist Recital |
7:30 PM |
Morphy Hall |
|
Friday, October 4, 2019 |
Pro Arte Quartet |
8:00 PM |
Mills Hall |
|
Sunday, Oct. 6, 2019 |
Chanticleer |
7:30 PM |
Mead Witter Hall |
|
Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2019 |
Wind Ensemble |
7:30 PM |
Mead Witter Hall |
|
Friday, October 11, 2019 |
UW-Madison Symphony Orchestra |
8:00 PM |
Mead Witter Hall |
|
Sunday, October 13, 2019 |
University Bands |
2:00 PM |
Mead Witter Hall |
|
Tuesday, October 15, 2019 |
Contemporary Jazz & Blue Note Ensemble |
7:30 PM |
Collins Hall |
|
Wednesday, October 16, 2019 |
Wisconsin Brass Quintet – Faculty Concert Series |
7:30 PM |
Mead Witter Hall |
|
Thursday, October 17 |
Jazz Faculty Quintet with special guest Michael Dudley, trumpet |
7:30 PM |
Collins Hall |
|
Monday, October 21, 2019 |
Afro-Cuban Jazz Ensemble and UW Jazz Orchestra |
7:30 PM |
Play Circle |
|
Tuesday, October 22, 2019 |
Concert Band |
7:30 PM |
Mead Witter Hall |
|
Wed, October 23, 2019 |
Jazz Composers Group & Jazz Standards |
7:30 PM |
Collins Hall |
|
Thu, October 24, 2019 |
Parry Karp with Eli Kalman, piano |
7:30 PM |
Collins Hall |
|
Friday, October 25, 2019 |
Opening Celebration Weekend: Hamel Music Center. Please check our website for details. |
All Day |
740 University Avenue |
|
Saturday, October 26, 2019 |
Opening Celebration Weekend: Hamel Music Center. Please check our website for details. |
All Day |
740 University Avenue |
|
Sunday, October 27, 2019 |
Opening Celebration Weekend: Hamel Music Center. Featured Event: Collins Fellows Concert |
1:00 PM |
Collins Recital Hall, Hamel Music Center |
|
Wed, October 30, 2019 |
Master Class with Violist Nobuko Imai |
6:30 PM |
Collins Hall |
|
Thu, October 31, 2019 |
Violist Nobuko Imai with Pro Arte Quartet |
12:00 PM |
Collins Hall |
|
Fri, November 1, 2019
|
Madrigal Singers |
8:00 PM
|
Mead Witter Hall |
Sat, November 2, 2019 |
Alicia Lee, faculty clarinet |
8:00 PM |
Collins Hall |
|
Sun, November 3, 2019 |
Wind Ensemble |
2:00 PM |
Mead Witter Hall |
|
Fri, November 8, 2019 |
Wingra Wind Quintet |
8:00 PM |
Collins Hall |
|
Sat, November 9, 2019 |
UW Chorale |
8:00 PM |
Mead Witter Hall |
|
Thu, November 14, 2019 |
UW-Madison Symphony Orchestra |
7:30 PM |
Mead Witter Hall |
|
Fri, November 15, 2019 |
University Opera: Benjamin Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream |
7:30 PM |
Music Hall |
|
Sun, November 17, 2019 |
University Opera: Benjamin Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream |
2:00 PM |
Music Hall |
|
Tue, November 19, 2019 |
University Opera: Benjamin Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream |
7:30 PM |
Music Hall |
|
Sat, November 16, 2019 |
Low Brass Ensemble |
4:00 PM |
Collins Hall |
|
Sat, November 16, 2019 |
Combined Choirs |
8:00 PM |
Mead Witter Hall |
|
Sat, November 16, 2019 |
Timothy Hagen, faculty flute |
8:00 PM |
Collins Hall |
|
Fri, November 22, 2019 |
UW Concert Choir |
8:00 PM |
Mead Witter Hall |
|
Fri, November 22, 2019 |
Pro Arte Quartet |
8:00 PM |
Collins Hall |
|
Fri, November 22, 2019 |
UW Jazz Orchestra |
5:00-7:00 PM |
Rathskeller |
|
Saturday, Nov 23, 2019 |
Undergrad Audition Day |
All day |
|
|
Sat, November 23, 2019 |
World Percussion Ensemble |
12:00 PM |
Music Hall |
|
Sat, November 23, 2019 |
Brass Ensembles |
1:00 PM |
?? |
|
Sun, November 24, 2019 |
UW Concert Band with Winds of Wisconsin |
5:00 PM |
Mead Witter Hall |
|
Mon, November 25, 2019 |
Chamber Percussion Ensemble |
7:30 PM |
Mills Hall |
|
Tue, November 26, 2019 |
Opera Scenes |
7:30 PM |
Music Hall |
|
Mon, December 2, 2019 |
Piano Studio Recital |
6:30 PM |
Collins Hall |
|
Tue, December 3, 2019 |
Jazz Composers & Contemporary Jazz Ensembles |
7:30 PM |
Collins Hall |
|
Wed, December 4, 2019
|
Jazz Standards Ensemble & Afro-Cuban Jazz |
7:30 PM
|
Collins Hall |
Thu, December 5, 2019 |
UW-Madison Symphony Orchestra & UW Wind Ensemble |
7:30 PM |
Mead Witter Hall |
|
Fri, December 6, 2019 |
Saxophonist Greg Ward with the Blue Note Ensemble and UW jazz faculty |
8:00 PM |
Collins Hall |
|
Sat, December 7, 2019 |
UW & Madison Metropolitan Jazz Festival |
Final Concert, 3:00 PM |
Mead Witter Hall |
|
Sat, December 7, 2019 |
Choral Union: Ralph Vaughan Williams’s “A Sea Symphony” |
8:00 PM |
Mead Witter Hall |
|
Sun, December 8, 2019 |
University Bands |
2:00 PM |
Mead Witter Hall |
|
Sun, December 8, 2019 |
Choral Concerts at Luther Memorial Church |
2:00 PM |
Luther Memorial Church |
|
Sun, December 8, 2019 |
Choral Concerts at Luther Memorial Church |
4:00 PM |
Luther Memorial Church |
|
Sun, December 8, 2019 |
All-University Strings |
4:30 PM |
Mead Witter Hall |
|
BEGIN 2020 |
|||
|
Sun, January 26, 2020 |
Annual Schubertiade |
3:00 PM |
Mead Witter Hall |
|
Sat, February 1, 2020 |
Christopher Taylor and Friends — Beethoven Symphony Extravaganza |
8:00 PM |
Mead Witter Hall |
|
Wed, February 5, 2020 |
Daniel Grabois, horn |
7:30 PM |
Collins Hall |
|
Thu, February 6, 2020 |
UW Symphony Orchestra |
7:30 PM |
Mead Witter Hall |
|
Sat, February 8, 2020 |
The Knights |
8:00 PM |
Mead Witter Hall |
|
Sun, February 16, 2020 |
UW Wind Ensemble |
2:00 PM |
Mead Witter Hall |
|
Monday, February 17, 2020 |
Chamber Percussion Ensemble |
7:30 PM |
Mills Hall |
|
Tue, February 18, 2020 |
Concert Band |
7:30 PM |
Mead Witter Hall |
|
Thu, February 20, 2020 |
Parry Karp, faculty recital |
7:30 PM |
Collins Hall |
|
Fri, February 21, 2020 |
Marc Vallon & Friends |
8:00 PM |
Collins Hall |
|
Sunday, Feb 23, 2020 |
Les Thimmig, faculty recital |
2:00 PM |
Collins Hall |
|
Sat, April 18, 2020 |
Low Brass Ensemble |
4:00 PM |
Mead Witter Hall |
|
Fri, February 28, 2020
|
Pro Arte Quartet |
8:00 PM
|
Collins Hall |
Sat, February 29, 2020 |
Wingra Wind Quintet |
8:00 PM |
Collins Hall |
|
Fri, February 28, 2020, |
University Opera – Mozart’s Così fan tutte |
7:30 PM |
Music Hall |
|
Sun, March 1, 2020 |
University Opera – Mozart’s Così fan tutte |
2:00 PM |
Music Hall |
|
Tue, March 3, 2020 |
University Opera – Mozart’s Così fan tutte |
7:30 PM |
Music Hall |
|
Sun, March 1, 2020 |
Winds of Wisconsin |
5:30 PM |
Mead Witter Hall |
|
Wed, March 4, 2020 |
Afro-Cuban Jazz Ensemble & Jazz Composers Group |
7:30 |
Collins Hall |
|
Thu, March 5, 2020 |
Blue Note Ensemble & Jazz Standards Ensemble |
7:30 PM |
Collins Hall |
|
Sat, March 7, 2020 |
UW-Madison Symphony Orchestra with guest pianist Wu Han |
8:00 PM |
Mead Witter Hall |
|
Sun, March 8, 2020 |
University Bands |
2:00 PM |
Mead Witter Hall |
|
Tue, March 10, 2020 |
Percussion Department Recital |
7:30 PM |
Collins Hall |
|
Weds March 11, 2020 |
UW Jazz Orchestra |
7:30 PM |
Play Circle |
|
Wednesday, March 11, 2020 |
Wisconsin Brass Quintet – Faculty Concert Series |
8:00 PM |
Mead Witter Hall |
|
Thu, March 12, 2020 |
UW Wind Ensemble |
7:30 PM |
Mead Witter Hall |
|
Fri, March 27, 2020 |
Le Domaine Musicale with Marc Vallon and Friends |
8:00 PM |
Collins Hall |
|
Sun, March 29, 2020 |
Concert Band |
2:00 PM |
Mead Witter Hall |
|
Sun, April 5, 2020 |
Beethoven Competition Winners’ Recital |
3:30 PM |
Collins Hall |
|
Sun, April 5, 2020 |
“Symphony Showcase” Concerto Winners’ Solo Concert |
7:00 PM |
Mead Witter Hall |
|
Sat, April 11, 2020 |
Chorale |
8:00 PM |
Mead Witter Hall |
|
Fri, April 12, 2019 |
Perlman Trio Chamber Concert |
3:00 PM |
Collins Hall |
|
Tue, April 14, 2020 |
Opera Scenes |
7:30 PM |
Music Hall |
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Wed, April 15, 2020 |
Contested Homes: Migrant Liberation Movement Suite |
7:30 PM |
Mead Witter Hall |
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Thu, April 16, 2020 |
Pro Arte Quartet |
7:30 PM |
Collins Hall |
|
Fri, April 17, 2020 |
Combined Choirs |
8:00 PM |
Mead Witter Hall |
|
Sat, April 18, 2020 |
Low Brass Ensemble |
4:00 PM |
Mead Witter Hall |
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Sat, April 18, 2020
|
UW-Madison Choral Reunion concert featuring Concert Choir, Madrigals and alumni |
8:00 PM
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Mead Witter Hall |
Mon, April 20, 2020 |
Afro-Cuban Jazz Ensemble & Blue Note Ensemble |
7:30 PM |
Collins Hall |
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Tue, April 21, 2020 |
Jazz Standards Ensemble & Jazz Composers Group |
7:30 PM |
Collins Hall |
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Wed, April 22, 2020 |
Chamber Percussion Ensemble |
7:30 PM |
Mills Hall |
|
Thu, April 23, 2020 |
UW Jazz Orchestra with the UW Honors Jazz Band |
7:30 PM |
Music Hall |
|
Fri, April 24, 2020 |
Concert Band and Wind Ensemble |
7:30 PM |
Mead Witter Hall |
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Sat, April 25, 2020 |
All-University Strings |
2:00 PM |
Mead Witter Hall |
|
Sat, April 25, 2020 |
Choral Union: Giuseppe Verdi’s “Requiem” |
8:00 PM |
Mead Witter Hall |
|
Sun, April 26, 2020 |
Choral Union: Giuseppe Verdi’s “Requiem” |
7:30 PM |
Mead Witter Hall |
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Sun, April 26, 2020
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University Bands | 2 PM | Mead Witter Hall |
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Classical music: This afternoon is the last performance by the Madison Symphony Orchestra of Mahler’s “Symphony of a Thousand.” The critics and public agree: “Don’t miss it!”
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By Jacob Stockinger
This afternoon at 2:30 p.m. in Overture Hall is your last chance to hear the Madison Symphony Orchestra (below, in a photo by Peter Rodgers) perform Gustav Mahler’s monumental Symphony No. 8, called the “Symphony of a Thousand.”
The big work celebrates a big event: The closing of the 25th anniversary season of music director and conductor John DeMain (below, in a photo by Prasad), who discussed the Mahler symphony and played recorded excerpts with radio host Norman Gilliland on last Thursday’s edition of The Midday on Wisconsin Public Radio:
https://www.wpr.org/shows/symphony-thousand
The critics are unanimous in their praise.
Sure, they voice a few minor quibbles here and there.
But mostly they agree: This is a must-hear performance of an epic and complex 90-minute work by Mahler (below) that is rarely heard live because it requires such massive forces and such accomplished performers. (In the YouTube video at the bottom, you can hear Klaus Tennstedt, the London Philharmonic and soloists perform the finale to the rapturous “Symphony of a Thousand.”)
Specifically, that means that if you go, you will hear more than 500 performers who include: the symphony orchestra; the concert organ; eight highly acclaimed guest vocal soloists; and three choirs, including the University of Wisconsin Choral Union.
But you can see and judge for yourself.
Here is a link to a posting last week on this blog with more information about the concert, the performers and other tickets:
Here is a link to the review of the opening night that John W. Barker wrote for Isthmus:
https://isthmus.com/music/monumental-closer/
Here is a link to the review that Matt Ambrosio wrote for The Capital Times:
And here are some reviews on Facebook by ordinary listeners and concertgoers:
https://www.facebook.com/pg/MadisonSymphony/posts/
You can also leave your opinion in the comment section of this blog.
The Ear wants to hear.
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Classical music: The amateur Middleton Community Orchestra performs a non-traditional “holiday” concert of Mahler and Kodaly this Wednesday night
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By Jacob Stockinger
During the holiday season, many — maybe even most — classical music groups program music that goes with the theme of the holidays from Christmas and Hanukkah to Kwanzaa and the New Year.
But some groups wisely give listeners a respite from holiday fare.
That happened one week ago when the University of Wisconsin-Madison Choral Union and the UW Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Beverly Taylor, performed a memorable program that featured the brassy “Te Deum” by Zoltan Kodaly and especially the calming Requiem by Maurice Duruflé.
Something similar will happen again this Wednesday night, Dec. 19, at 7:30 p.m. in the comfortable Middleton Performing Arts Center, attached to Middleton High School, 2100 Bristol St.
That is when the mostly amateur but critically acclaimed Middleton Community Orchestra (below, in a photo by Brian Ruppert) will perform its “holiday” concert that is holiday-ish more as a matter of timing than of content or theme, since you won’t hear any carols or sing-alongs or the usual or traditional holiday fare. The Ear thinks it’s a smart approach and a welcome break.
The non-holiday “holiday” program includes “Songs of a Wayfarer” by Gustav Mahler, sung by UW-Madison baritone Paul Rowe (below).
Also on the program is “Le Boeuf sur le Toit” (The Steer on the Roof) by Darius Milhaud with violinist soloist Naha Greenholtz (below, in a photo by Greg Anderson), who is the concertmaster of the Madison Symphony Orchestra.
Matthew Coley (below top), a member of the acclaimed Madison-based percussion group “Clocks in Motion,” will perform two pieces of Hungarian music that use the rarely heard cimbalom (below bottom): the “Czardas” by Vittorio Monti and the “Hary Janos Suite” by Kodaly. (You can hear Monti’s familiar “Czardas” in a version for violin and piano in the YouTube video at the bottom.)
Kyle Knox (below), who is the new music director of the Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras and the new associate conductor of the Madison Symphony Orchestra, and who is also the husband of Naha Greenholtz, will once again be the guest conductor.
Admission is $15 for the general public with students and young people getting in for free. Tickets can be bought at the Willy Street Co-op West and at the door. The box office opens at 6:30 p.m. and doors to the hall open at 7 p.m.
As usual, there will be a meet-and-greet reception (below) – complete with Christmas cookies, you can be sure – at the end of the concert.
For more information about future MCO concerts, reviews of past concerts and details about how to join the orchestra or support it, go to: http://middletoncommunityorchestra.org/home
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The Well-Tempered Ear 
Classical music: Meet Mariana Farah, the new choral director at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
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By Jacob Stockinger
Following a national search, Mariana Farah (below) has been chosen to succeed Beverly Taylor as the new director of choral activities at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Mead Witter School of Music.
Due to prior commitments, Farah cannot start her duties until the fall of 2021. But the delay is understandable given that the coronavirus pandemic continues and group singing remains a particularly hazardous or high-risk activity during the public health crisis. (See her comments about choral singing during Covid-19 in the YouTube video at the bottom.)
(In case you are wondering, Taylor, who retired from the UW-Madison last spring, will continue as director of the Madison Symphony Chorus. One wonders if she will still have a chance to do performances of the requiems by Verdi and Dvorak, both of which were canceled due to Covid-19.)
At a time when more focus is being placed on diversity, the Brazilian-born Farah (below) seems an especially apt choice.
Here is the official UW press release about Farah’s appointment along with much biographical material:
“Mariana Farah is the Associate Director of Choral Activities at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas, where she teaches courses in graduate choral literature and conducting, directs the university’s Concert Choir and Women’s Chorale (below bottom), and helps oversee all aspects of the choral program.
Born in Brazil, Farah received her Bachelor of Music degree from the Universidade Estadual de Campinas; her Master’s degree from the University of Iowa; and her Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
Her choirs have successfully performed at the Missouri and Kansas Music Educators Association conventions and at the 2008 and 2018 Southwestern ACDA conferences.
Farah’s research focuses on Brazilian choral music, particularly the a cappella choral works of Ernani Aguiar (b. 1950, below). Her edition of Aguiar’s “Três Motetinos No. 2” has been published by Earthsongs, and she expects to introduce more of his music to the United States through performances, recordings, editions and future publications of his unknown choral literature.
In addition to her work at KU, Farah (below) maintains an active schedule as a clinician for festivals in Brazil and in the U.S., where she is often sought out for her expertise in Brazilian choral music.
Farah has presented at several conferences for the National Association for Music Education and the American Choral Directors Association.
Recent engagements include appearances as a conductor at the 2019 Northwest Kansas Music Educators Association High School Honor Choir; the 2018 Southwestern ACDA conference, 2016 and 2014 Kansas Music Educators Association Convention; Universidade de São Paulo-Ribeirão Preto; Universidade Estadual de Campinas; Universidade Estadual de Maringá; Festival de Música de Londrina; Adams State Honor Choir Festival; the 2015 Kantorei Summer Choral Institute, a residency with the Harvard-Radcliffe Collegium Musicum; and the 2014 Idaho All-State Treble Choir.
Farah is the music director at First Presbyterian Church in Lawrence, Kansas, where she directs the Chancel Choir and oversees a thriving music program. She also serves as the interim 2019-20 conductor for the Wichita Chamber Chorale (below) and as a board member of the National Collegiate Choral Organization.
She has served as the president elect (2018-2020) and R&R Chair for Ethnic and Multicultural Perspectives (2014-2018) for the ACDA Southwestern Division.
As a singer, Farah performed with the Kansas City Te Deum Chamber Choir (2015-2018) and participated in their 2016 recording of Brahms’ “A German Requiem” (Centaur Records). The recording was recognized by The American Prize, naming Te Deum a semi-finalist for best Choral Performance (community division) for the 2019-20 contest.
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