The Well-Tempered Ear
The famed International Tchaikovsky Competition has been expelled from the World Federation of International Music Competitions
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By Jacob Stockinger
One of the granddaddies of all international music competitions — probably the best known and most prestigious — has been disowned.
The International Tchaikovsky Competition — the one that catapulted the young American pianist and first winner Van Cliburn (below, during the competition) to worldwide fame during the height of the Cold War, for which he received the only ticker tape parade in New York City ever given to a musician — has been expelled from the World Federation of International Music Competitions, which was founded in 1957 and represents 110 music competitions and programs to help young musicians build a career.
The move comes in response to recent events in Ukraine — including alleged Russian war crimes during its brutal, deadly and unprovoked invasion.
The famed Tchaikovsky Competition — which started in 1958 and is now for pianists, violinists, cellists, vocalists as well as woodwind and brass players — is held in Moscow and St. Petersburg and is financed and organized by the Russian government. It has launched the careers on many great musicians.
It is co-chaired by the discredited Russian conductor Valery Gergiev (below right, in 2014), a close friend and avid supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin (below left) and of the conflict in Ukraine.
The expulsion came about because the Tchaikovsky Competition refused to condemn the Russian invasion, as the federation requested.
Here is a link to the story that was published on the website Classical Music, an online publication of the BBC Music Magazine. It contains background on both the competition and the current state of affairs regarding Russian musicians and the Russian conflict in Ukraine. It has a lot of noteworthy links:
And here is the response from the organizers of the Russian competition, which takes place every four years. The 16th competition was held in 2019, and the 17th is still scheduled for 2023. (The announcement of the 2019 piano winners — by the Russian former piano winner Denis Matsuev, who has been boycotted because of Ukraine — is in the YouTube-Medici.TV video at the bottom.)
The response — which accuses the federation of “persecuting” Russian musicians and promises that it will be held as usual and remain open to contestants worldwide — is posted on the competition’s website:
https://tchaikovskycompetition.com/en/news/415.htm
It makes one wonder what the effects on the next Tchaikovsky competition will be.
Will potential jurors outside Russia boycott the competition?
Will non-Russian contestants — with the exception perhaps on Chinese and Belarusian performers — avoid participating?
And what will be the effect on the inaugural Rachmaninoff Competition for pianists, composers and conductors that is scheduled to take place this June in Moscow?
What do you think?
Is it the right call by the international federation?
Or the wrong call?
Why do you think so?
The Ear wants to hear.
Tags: #AnnaNetrebko, #ArmedConflict, #BBCMusicMagazine, #BestKnown, #BlogPost, #BlogPosting, #BrassMusic, #ChineseMusicians, #ColdWar, #DaniilTrifonov, #DenisMatsuev, #DublinIreland, #DublinPianoCompetition, #FacebookPost, #FacebookPosting, #GidonKremer, #InternationalTchaikovskyCompetition, #JacobStockinger, #NewYorkCity, #PeterIlyichTchaikovsky, #PianoConcerto, #RussianFederation, #SergeiRachmaninoff, #SergeiRachmaninov, #StringMusic, #TheEar, #UniversalMusic, #ValeryGergiev, #VanCliburn, #VictoriaMullova, #ViolinConcerto, #VladimirAshkenazy, #VladimirPutin, #VocalMusic, #WarCime, #WoodwindMusic, #WorldFederationofInternationalMusicCompeititions, #YouTubevideo, accuse, Anna Netrebko, announcement, armed conflict, Arts, audience, authoritarian, background, BBC, BBC Music Magazine, Belarus, Belarusian, best-known, blog, Blog post, blog posting, boycott, brass, brutal, build, career, cellist, Cello, China, Chinese, Classical music, classicalmusic, close, Cold War, composer, Concert, concerto, condemn, conductor, conflict, contestant, Daniil Trifonov, deadly, deffect, democracy, Democratic, Denis Matsuev, discredited, Dublin, Dublin Piano Competition, exception, expel, expulsion, Facebook, fame, federation, founded, friend, funance, Gidon Kremer, government, grandaddy, great, hear, International Tchai, International Tchaikovsky Competition, invasion, Jacob Stockinger, June, juror, jury, launch, link, medici.tv, Moscow, move, Music, Musician, New York City, next, now, online, Orchestra, parade, participate, persecute, pianists, Piano, Piano concerto, President, prize, program, publication, publish, Putin, Rachmaninoff, Rachmaninoff Competition, Rachmaninov, represent, response, right, Russia, Russian, Russian Federation, schedule, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Sergei Rachmaninov, share, sing, singer, Singing, St. Petersburg, story, string music, supporter, symphony, tag, Tchaikovsky, The Ear, think, Ukraine, Ukrainian, United States, Universal Music, Valery Gergiev, Victoria Mullova, video, Violin, Violin concerto, violin music, violinist, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Vladimir Putin, vocal music, war, war crime, Website, why, win, winner, Wisconsin, wonder, woodwind, world, World Federation of International Music Competitions, worldwide, wrong, year, young, YouTube
Classical music: In 2019 who died? What recordings won prizes? What music had its premiere? Here is a comprehensive and detailed worldwide retrospective from Wikipedia
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By Jacob Stockinger
A new year is always a good time to do a review and take a look backward to assess the previous year.
Many local publications – newspapers and magazines — do Best of the Year round-ups.
But The Ear has never seen a more comprehensive list with major news and almost daily entries around the world than he found in Wikipedia, which has retrospectives going back to 2009 and looking forward to 2029.
In short, all the reviws are well worth exploring for the reminders they hold that, as the proverb goes, “Ars longa, vita brevis” or “Art is long, life is short.” (It is usually quoted in Latin translation from the original ancient Greek that was written by Hippocrates.)
There are seven different categories to click on, each with long entries. If you hover the cursor over the names or words that are spelled in blue, you will see more text and often a photograph. The categories are:
EVENTS
NEW WORKS
NEW OPERAS
ALBUMS
DEATHS
MAJOR AWARDS
REFERENCES
There are so many details that you may want to check out just one or two categories at a time over several days.
Here is a link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_in_classical_music
Do you know of someone or something – especially of local importance, such as the death in October of longtime Madison music critic John W. Barker (below, in a photo by Mark Golbach) – that did not make the list? Please leave word in the Comment section.
And here’s hoping that 2020 brings us even more important and memorable new and old music, but less loss.
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Classical music: This week brings three period-instrument concerts — two of them FREE — of early music from the Baroque and Classical eras including works by Bach, Telemann and Haydn
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CORRECTION: The concert listed below by Sonata à Quattro on Thursday night at Oakwood Village West, near West Towne Mall, is at 7 p.m. — NOT at 8 as erroneously first listed here. The Ear regrets the error.
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By Jacob Stockinger
This week features three concerts of music from the Baroque and early Classical eras that should attract the attention of early music enthusiasts.
WEDNESDAY
This Wednesday, April 24, is the penultimate FREE Just Bach concert of the semester. It takes place at 1 p.m. in Luther Memorial Church, 1021 University Avenue.
This month’s program, featuring the baroque flute, presents the program that was canceled because of the blizzard in January.
First on the program is the Trio Sonata in G Major, BWV 1038, for flute, violin and continuo, a gorgeous example of baroque chamber music.
Following that comes the Orchestral Suite No. 2, BWV 1067, for flute, strings and harpsichord, really a mini flute concerto.
The program ends with Cantata 173 “Erhoehtes Fleisch und Blut” (Exalted Flesh and Blood), scored for two flutes, strings and continuo, joined by a quartet of vocal soloists: UW-Madison soprano Julia Rottmayer; mezzo-soprano Cheryl Bensman-Rowe; tenor Wesley Dunnagan; and UW-Madison bass-baritone Paul Rowe.
The orchestra of baroque period-instrument specialists, led by concertmaster Kangwon Kim, will include traverse flutists Linda Pereksta and Monica Steger.
The last Just Bach concert of this semester is May 29. For more information, go to: https://justbach.org
THURSDAY
On Thursday night, April 25, at 7 p.m. — NOT 8 as mistakenly listed here at first –at Oakwood Village West, 6209 Mineral Point Road, the Madison group Sonata à Quattro (below) will repeat the Good Friday program it performed last week at a church in Waukesha.
The one-hour concert – featuring “The Seven Last Words of Christ” by Franz Joseph Haydn — is FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. (You can sample the first part of the Haydn work in the YouTube video at the bottom.)
Commissioned by the southern Spanish episcopal city of Cadiz, this piece was originally scored for orchestra, but it enjoyed such an immediate, widespread acclaim, that the publication in 1787 also included arrangements for string quartet, and for piano. In nine movements beginning with an Introduction, Haydn sets the phrases, from “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” to “Into Thy hands I commend my spirit,” concluding with one final movement depicting an earthquake.
Performers for this program are: Kangwon Kim, Nathan Giglierano, Marika Fischer Hoyt and Charlie Rasmussen. Modern string instruments will be used, but played with period bows.
The period-instrument ensemble Sonata à Quattro was formed in 2017 as Ensemble-In-Residence for Bach Around The Clock, the annual music festival in Madison.
The ensemble’s name refers to baroque chamber music scored for three melody lines plus continuo. The more-familiar trio sonata format, which enjoyed great popularity in the 17th and 18th centuries, employs a continuo with only two melody instruments, typically treble instruments like violins or flutes.
In contrast, a typical sonata à quattro piece includes a middle voice, frequently a viola, in addition to the two treble instruments and continuo; this scoring has a fuller, richer sonority, and can be seen as a precursor to the string quartet. For more information, go to: https://www.facebook.com/sonataaquattro/
SATURDAY
On Saturday, April 27, at 7:30 p.m. at Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 1833 Regent Street, the veteran Wisconsin Baroque Ensemble (below) will perform a concert of baroque chamber music.
Tickets are at the door only: $20 for the public, $10 students.
Performers are: Brett Lipshutz, traverse flute; Sigrun Paust, recorder; Monica Steger, traverse; Anton TenWolde, baroque cello; and Max Yount, harpsichord.
The program is:
Johann Baptist Wendling – Trio for two flutes and bass
Johann Pachelbel – Variations on “Werde Munter, mein Gemuethe” (Be Happy, My Soul)
Friedrich Haftmann Graf – Sonata or Trio in D major for two German flutes and basso continuo
Daniel Purcell – Sonata in F Major for recorder
INTERMISSION
Georg Philipp Telemann – Trio for recorder, flute,and basso continuo TWV 42:e6
Franz Anton Hoffmeister – Duo for two flutes, Opus 20, No. 1
Joseph Bodin de Boismortier – Trio Sonata, Op. 37, No. 5
Telemann – Trietto Methodicho (Methodical Sonata) No 1. TWV 42: G2
After the concert, a reception will be held at 2422 Kendall Avenue, second floor.
For more information, go to: https://wisconsinbaroque.weebly.com
Tags: #17thCentury, #18thCentury, #AntonTenWolde, #BachAroundtheClock, #BachCantata, #BaroqueCello, #BaroqueChamberMusic, #BaroqueEra, #BlogPost, #BlogPosting, #BrettLipshutz, #CadizSpain, #CharlieRasmussen, #CherylBensman-Rowe, #ChristianMusic, #ChristianReligion, #Classicalera, #CommissionedMusic, #CriticalAcclaim, #DanielPurcell, #DuetMusic, #FacebookPost, #FacebookPosting, #FacultyMember, #FleshandBlood, #FluteConcerto, #FranzAntonHoffmeister, #FranzJosephHaydn, #FriedrichHartmannGraf, #GeorgPhilippTelemann, #GoodFriday, #HistoricallyInformedPerformancePractices, #JesusChrist, #JohannBaptistWendling, #JohannPachelbel, #JohannSebastianBach, #JosephBodindeBoismortier, #JuliaRottmayer, #JustBach, #KangwonKim, #LindaPereksta, #LutherMemorialChurch, #MarikaFischerHoyt, #MaxYount, #MeadWitterSchoolofMusic, #Mezzo-sopranoSinger, #MonicaSteger, #Musicfaculty, #NathanGiglierano, #OakwoodVillageWest, #OrchestralSuite, #PaulRowe, #PeriodInstrument, #PeriodInstruments, #PianoMusic, #ProtestantReligion, #SevenLastWordsofChrist, #SigrunPaust, #SonataaQuattro, #SopranoSinger, #St.Andrew'sEpiscopalChurch, #StringInstruments, #StringQuartet, #TenorSinger, #TheCrucifixion, #ThemeAndVariations, #TraverseFlute, #TrioSonata, #UniversityofWisconsin-Madison, #ViolaMusic, #VocalMusic, #WaukeshaWisconsin, #WesleyDunnagan, #WestTowneMall, #WisconsinBaroqueEnsemble, #YouTubevideo, 17th century, 18th century, acclaim, Anton TenWolde, Arts, audience, Bach, Bach Around the Clock, Baroque, Baroque cello, baroque era, bass-baritone, blog, blood, bow, Brett Lipshutz, BWV, Cadiz, cancel, Cantata, Cello, Chamber music, Charlie Rasmussen, Cheryl Bensman Rowe, choral music, Christ, Christianity, church, Classical, Classical music, composer, Concert, concertmaster, concerto, continuo, correction, cross, crucifixion, Daniel Purcell, door, duo, Early music, earlymusic, employ, ensemble, era, error, exalted, Facebook, faculty, festival, flesh, flute, Franz Anton Hoffmeister, Franz Joseph Haydn, free, Friedrich Hartmann Graf, Georg Philipp Telemann, German, Good Friday, happy', harpsichord, historically informed performance practices, instrument, Jacob Stockinger, Jesus Christ, Johann Baptist Wendling, Johann Pachelbel, Johann Sebastian Bach, Joseph Bodin de Boismortier, Julia Rottmayer, Just Bach, Kangwon Kim, like, Linda Pereksta, line, link, Luther Memorial Church, Lutheranism, Madison, Madison Symphony Orchestra, Marika Fischer Hoyt, Max Yount, May, Mead Witter School of Music, melody, member, methodical, Mezzo-soprano, mistake, modern, Monica Steger, movement, Music, Nathan Giglierano, open, Orchestra, orchestral, Paul Rowe, performer, period instruments, phrase, Piano, piece, popularity, Protestant, public, publication, Quartet, reception, recorder, Retirement, Saturday, semester, Seven Last Words, share, Sigrun Paust, Sonata, Sonata à Quattro, soprano, soul, Spain, Spanish, specialist, St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, String quartet, strings, Suite, tag, tenor, Thursday, ticket, traverse, treble, trio sonata, United States, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, University of Wiscosnin, variations, Veteran, Viola, Violin, vocal music, voice, Waukesha, Wednesday, Wesley Dunnagan, West Towne Mall, Wisconsin, Wisconsin Baroque Ensemble, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, word, You Tube, YouTube
Classical music: A solo marimba concert this Friday night features Bach transcriptions and holiday favorites
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By Jacob Stockinger
Marimbist Matthew Coley (below), who plays in the Madison-based percussion group Clocks in Motion, will give a solo recital this Friday night at 7 p.m. in the Landmark Auditorium of the First Unitarian Society of Madison, 900 University Bay Drive.
The program features transcriptions of Preludes and Fugue Nos. 1-6 of Book II of “The Well-Tempered Clavier” by Johann Sebastian Bach. Coley plans on eventually performing all of Book II.
Holiday music on the concert will include “Sleigh Ride,” “Jingle Bell Rock,” “Frosty the Snowman” and more.
Admission is free with a suggested donation of $15.
For more information about Matthew Coley, go to the website: www.hearMatthewColey.com
Coley regularly tours the nation and abroad, offering solo concerts and master classes. He has performed in more than 35 states in the U.S. and in 10 countries. (You can hear Coley performing his own composition “Circularity” in the YouTube video at the bottom.)
He is the founding executive director of Heartland Marimba with five affiliate initiatives under the organization: the Heartland Marimba Quartet, HMFestival, HMEnsemble, HMPublications, and SoundWAYS.
This year’s holiday tour will also take Matthew to Chicago; Cedar Falls, Iowa; Mount Pleasant, Iowa; Quincy, Ill.; St Paul, Minn.; and Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Tags: admission, Arts, Bach, Baroque, Bell, Cedar Falls, Cedar Rapids, Chamber music, Chicago, Christmas and holiday season, class, Classical music, Clocks in Motion, composer, donation, Early music, ensemble, festival, First Unitarian Society of Madison, free, Frosty the Snowman, fugue, group, Heartland Marimba, Holiday, ILLINOIS, information, Iowa, Jacob Stockinger, jingle, Jingle Bell Rock, Johann Sebastian Bach, Madison, marimba, master class, Matthew Coley, Minnesota, Music, percussion, Prelude, program, publication, Quartet, recital, Rock, sleigh, Sleigh Ride, snowman, solo, St. Paul, The Well-Tempered Clavier, tour, U.S., United States, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Website
Classical music: Here are lists of the Best Classical Recordings of 2017 as named by The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, Forbes magazine and Gramophone magazine
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By Jacob Stockinger
Just in time for last-minute holiday shopping and streaming – whether by others or yourself – some major publications and critics have published their lists of the top classical recording of 2017.
Personal preferences and taste matter, to be sure. So opinions inevitably differ.
But in some cases, the verdicts seem close to unanimous.
Take the case of some pianists.
You can, for example, find overlapping agreement on the merits of the 24-year-old Italian pianist and Cliburn Competition silver medal laureate Beatrice Rana playing the famed Goldberg Variations by Johann Sebastian Bach.
Same for the 33-year-old Icelandic pianist Vikingur Olaffson who gives revelatory readings of works by contemporary American Minimalist composer Philip Glass.
And many critics give raves to acclaimed Norwegian pianist Leif Ove Andsnes playing neglected piano miniatures by Finnish symphonic titan Jean Sibelius. (See Andsnes discussing Sibelius in the YouTube video at the bottom.)
The various lists cover all genres from solo piano music to songs, chamber music to symphonies, oratorios to operas.
You can find lots of neglected repertoire — both early and new — unknown artists and small labels.
But there are also major stars, tried-and-true repertoire and large vintage or heritage labels.
In short, both beginners and experienced classical listeners and players can find plenty to please them.
In addition, some of the lists for the past year include links to lists from previous years. And those lists too still have some excellent choices that hold up.
Here is a link to the 2017 list in The New York Times, which was compiled by several critics:
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/13/arts/music/best-classical-music-recordings-2017.html
Here is a list by a critic and columnist for Forbes magazine:
Here is the list from John von Rhein for the Chicago Tribune:
And here is a list from the British Gramophone magazine, which often favors artists and groups located in the United Kingdom:
https://www.gramophone.co.uk/feature/the-best-new-classical-albums-december-2017
And in case you missed it before, here are lists from other sources that this blog has posted and linked to:
From famed WQXR-FM radio in New York City:
And here are the classical nominations for the 2018 Grammy awards:
Tags: "Goldberg" Variations, artist, Arts, award, Bach, Baroque, Beatrice Rana, Beethoven, beginner, best, Cello, Chamber music, Chicago Tribune, choral music, Classical, Classical music, columnist, Compact Disc, composer, concerto, contemporary, critic, Early music, experienced, expert, Forbes, Franz Schubert, George Frideric Handel, Grammy, Gramophone, group, guide, Holiday, Iceland, Icelandic, Italian, Italy, Jacob Stockinger, Johann Sebastian Bach, Johannes Brahms, label, laureate, Leif Ove Andsnes, list, listener, Ludwig van Beethoven, Madison, magazine, medal, miniature, minimalism, New Music, New York, New York City, New York Times, nomination, Norway, Norwegian, opera, Orchestra, personal, Philip Glass, Piano, player, preference, publication, Radio, reading, recording, repertoire, reveal, revelatory, shopping streaming, Sibelius, silver, small, Sonata, star, symphonic, symphony, taste, The New York Times, top, UK, United Kingdom, United States, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, unknown, Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, Vikingur Olafsson, Viola, Violin, vocal music, Wisconsin, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, work, WQXR-FM, YouTube
Classical music: Get the new UW-Madison brochure for the School of Music concerts, faculty and students. It’s a MUST-HAVE and a MUST-READ, and it is FREE to anyone
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By Jacob Stockinger
Although the UW-Madison officially opened yesterday, today is the first day of instruction. And this weekend will see the beginning of the new concert season at the Mead Witter School of Music.
On Sunday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. in Morphy Hall, faculty soprano Mimmi Fulmer and alumnus pianist Thomas Kasdorf will kick off the season with a FREE concert of music and songs celebrating the 100th anniversary of the independence of Finland.
But that’s just the beginning to an event-filled school year that includes mostly free solo recitals, chamber music, orchestral music, opera, choral music and more.
And this year, there is a new guide to the concert season and the School of Music itself.
The short and usual glossy brochure of listings has given way to a booklet guide. It is 8-1/2 by 11 inches big and has 24 well-filled pages. It is printed on regular paper and has much more information about the events and the people who make them happen. It takes you behind the scenes as well as in the hall and on the stage.
It is less showy, to be sure, but so much more readable and informative. And it feels great in your hands.
On the right hand margin, you’ll find concerts with performers and programs. To the left and in the center, you will find news, biographies and other information about musicians, donors and an update about the new concert hall building.
The new guide, which you can get for FREE, is the brainchild of Kathy Esposito (below), the music school‘s publicist and concert manager.
Here is what Esposito has to say:
“Our School of Music website, which debuted in 2014, required resources that previously had been devoted to multiple print publications.
“So we dropped back to only one, a printed events calendar.
“I’m happy to say that for the 2017-18 academic year, we finally found time to enlarge the printed concert calendar into a true newsletter as well.
“We certainly have enough news to share. Much of what’s in there had not been, or still is not, placed on the website at http://www.music.wisc.edu.
“My personal favorites are the stories from students, both undergrad and grad. As a mom of two young musicians, I can, to some degree, understand both the challenges and the thrills of their careers. Learning about their lives is the best part of my job. Occasionally I can help them, too.
“A couple of other things to give credit where credit is due.
“My assistant, Brianna Ware, who is a graduate student in piano, caught and corrected many errors.
“The brochure was designed by Bob Marshall of Marshall Design in Middleton. He did a masterful job. Bravo!
“Printing was coordinated by the fabulous Sue Lind at DoIT (Division of Information Technology) Printing and Publishing, who helped me to choose a new paper stock, a lightweight matte.
“Lastly, upon request from our older readers, we increased the font size slightly.
“We mailed the brochure to all alumni, national and international. That also was new. And our feedback has been quite positive.
“I’m happy to send readers a FREE copy of this fall’s brochure – with the somewhat humdrum title “Concerts, News and Events” – to those who email their postal addresses to me. I’ll place you on the list for next year, too. Send your name and postal address to kesposito@wisc.edu
About twice a month, we also publish an e-newsletter in the form of a blog, which I also paste into an email for those on a Wisclist, who don’t get the blog. It is the same information, but I think the blog is prettier.
That’s available via this link: https://uwmadisonschoolofmusic.wordpress.com/
Tags: academic, alumni, anniversary, Arts, assistant, Bach, Baroque, Beethoven, behind the scenes, biographies, biography, blog, brochure, calendar, career, Cello, center, Chamber music, choral music, Concert, concerto, correct, design, donor, Early music, errors, feedback, Finland, Franz Schubert, George Frideric Handel, graduate students, guide, hall, independence, information, informative, instruction, international, Jacob Stockinger, Johann Sebastian Bach, Johannes Brahms, left, lives, Ludwig van Beethoven, Madison, Madison Symphony Orchestra, manager, Mimmi Fulmer, mom, Mozart, Music, Musician, national, news, newsletter, opera, Orchestra, paper, performer, performers, Pianist, Piano, print, Pro Arte Quartet, program, publication, publicity, readable, recital, right, schedule, school, school year, Sonata, song, soprano, stage, story, Student, symphony, technology, Thomas Kasdorf, undergraduate, United States, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, update, UW School of Music, UW-Madison Mead Witter School of Music, Viola, Violin, vocal music, web, Website, Wisconsin, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, year
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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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