Department of Music Blog

Richard Teaster led the Men’s Glee Club in a performance at First Baptist Church of Pittsburgh. The group was in top form having recently performed at the Men’s Chorus International Seminar (an adjudicated event). The first excerpt from their concert is a a John Dowland madrigal, Come, Come Again.

The second excerpt is a Pater Noster by Franz Liszt.

This view from the balcony highlights the beauty of the First Baptist Church sanctuary.

The Pitt African Music and Dance Ensemble was on hiatus last fall and gave an open house this semester rather than a full-fledged concert, but what a night it was. Sister Marie Agatha Ozah (who recently completed her PhD in ethnomusicology), directed the ensemble and got the audience involved in a big way. (more…)

A $5,000 scholarship will be awarded to a full-time undergraduate student who will be enrolled at the University of Pittsburgh in September of 2008. To apply, you are asked to submit a completed application and an audition tape/CD (one well-recorded cassette tape or CD) with examples of various styles of music.

DEADLINE: May 12, 2008.

Download the application.

This year’s Gamelan Ensemble concert presented a broad range of traditional and popular Indonesian music.

The first excerpt, Sampak, is an example of traditional Gamelan music.

The second excerpt features the Dangdut Cowboys performing Jablai Jam with singers Rita Tila and Ening Rumbini. Dangdut is a form of popular Indonesian music.

Or you could just call it a “spective” since, starting from early in the month we’ll be sharing some highlights from the musical feast provided by our ensembles and outstanding soloists.

The first two excerpts are from the Honors Recital helf on April 7 in Bellefield Hall Auditorium. Kaitlin Mitchell, who just completed her freshmen year, performed Medelssohn’s Rondo Capriccioso.

The second excerpt, performed by graduating senior Anne Kamarchik, is of Arnold Schönberg’s Sechs Kleine Klavierstücke (Six Little Piano Pieces). Though beautiful and provocative, the Schönberg pieces are rarely heard, so Anne’s performance was a treat for any that admire Schönberg’s music.

Both Kaitlin and Anne are students of Natalie Phillips.

Since my first première two years ago—a breakneck performance by Rob Frankenberry of my piano solo My Green Malady II—I’ve had over a dozen works (and over two hours of music) performed at Pitt. For my senior project in music, then, it seemed natural to organize a full-length concert of my own works, and with the help of Phil Thompson and Roger Zahab, this event—which I wouldn’t have considered possible three years ago—is actually happening.

The concert, entitled “A Love Affair with Sound,” will take place on Sunday, April 20 at 2 p.m. in Bellefield Hall Auditorium, Oakland. It will be free and open to the public. Performers will include Sarah Albani, Callah Antonetti, Ben Harris, Emily Hawkins, Dave Hidek, Jess Hohman, Joe Liu, Kaitlin Mitchell, Roger Zahab, and myself.

Three of the nine works will be premières, while another three are revised versions prepared for this event:

• Flurries† for string quartet
• Bean Sprouts for marimba
• New Harmony Sweet† for piano
• SummerSet* for ’cello
• Epistemology Wars for violin and vibraphone

{intermission}

• Same Seats (2^nd semester) for marimba, four hands [co-written and choreographed with Dave Hidek]
• Fushicho, Mvt. III† for string quartet
• Chivalry Timbers* for flute
• Colla Viola* for viola and piano

* première performance
† première of revised version

If finals have you all worked up, you can come and relax with my music at Bellefield Hall. (And if that doesn’t apply to you, you’re certainly welcome to attend as well.) My housemate and I will be baking homemade vegan cookies, too, so you can get music, a break from studying, and some snacking in on a Sunday afternoon.

For slightly abridged program notes—written in a fairly informal style, somewhat like my pieces—continue below.

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This year’s Gamelan Ensemble concert covered a wide range of Indonesian music, from traditional gamelan to Indonesian pop. The above photo shows singer and instrumentalist Rita Tila performing on the kacapi (zither). In the background Samantha Swami plays the peking.

Composer Nano S. (playing the suling) and Rita Tila perform a duet with the Gamelan Ensemble accompanying. Members of the ensemble pictured above are Andrew Weintraub, kendang (Professor of ethnomusicology and director of the Gamelan Ensemble); Ben Pachter, jengglong; Richard Winkler, gong; Kim Frost, peking; Ben Rainey, bonang; and Yuko Eguchi, panerus. (more…)

Pitt’s own Indonesian rock band the Dangdut Cowboys will perform tonight and Saturday night with the University Gamelan. The band is seen here during a performance last weekend in Washington, D.C. at the Indonesian Embassy. The Cowboys include music department faculty Andrew Weintraub, (guitar and vocals) and Mathew Rosenblum (soprano sax). The band was in D.C. playing on behalf of Indonesia Relief USA. Don’t miss your chance to see the Dangdut Cowboys during their performances this weekend at Bellefield Hall Auditorium! You can find out more about the entire Gamelan program here.

Each spring the music department’s ensembles offer an embarrassment of musical riches with a flurry of concerts at the end of the semester. This semester is no different with some exciting highlights for all our events. First of all, you can download a quick summary of music department events from now until the end of the semester in pdf format here (3.5 MB). Second, check back at our blog frequently for updates and follow-up posts with audio excerpts. Now here are some highlights to expect over the next ten days or so. Click the links for details about each concert.

First up is the University Gamelan Ensemble. The Gamelan concert will feature outstanding Indonesian guest artists including contemporary composer Nano Suratno, dancer Ening Rumbini, singer Rita Tila and a special performance by Pitt’s own Indonesian rock band the Dangdut Cowboys. When’s the last time you heard Your Cheatin’ Heart in Indonesian? As a bonus, you’ll also find out that Bellefield Hall Auditorium is one of the best small rock venues in Pittsburgh (not to brag or anything).

UPDATE: Read Ashlee Green’s preview of the Gamelan concert in the Pitt News.

Heinz Chapel Choir has a large and dedicated following and as usual, their spring concert is free to the public, so no scrambling to get tickets the way we do for the holiday concerts. The choir will perform an eclectic program of sacred and secular music that includes selections such as Flanders Fields by Paul Aitken, Cantate Domino (Lithuania) by Vytautas Miskinis, Certain’y Lord (spiritual), arranged by Stacey Gibbs; Beautiful Dreamer by Foster/Shaw-Parker; The Shadow of Your Smile by Mandell/Shaw; O Danny Boy (Ireland) and With a Little Help From My Friends (The Beatles), arranged by Peter Gritton.

Pitt’s Symphony Orchestra has been on semester-long journey through Mahler’s massive and massively difficult sixth symphony. Having performed the first movement in February and the second and third movements in March, the orchestra will perform the work in its entirety for their April 16 concert along with the premiere of graduate composer Benjamin Harris’ Cartoon Landscape.

Pitt’s Jazz Ensemble will give its annual concert on Friday, April 18, and please note that this is a DATE CHANGE from what we published in the spring brochure. The concert will feature trombonist Curtis Fuller and trumpeter Michael Mossman along with outstanding student musicians.

The Men’s Glee Club, fresh from their performance at the 43rd Intercollegiate Men’s Chorus National Seminar in Vienna, Virginia, will give a concert that features a newly commissioned work by composer David N. Childs along with music by Liszt, Hummel, and Morley, plus spirituals and barbershop classics.

And last but not least, our African Music and Dance Ensemble, on hiatus during the fall term, will hold a free, open house on Saturday, April 19th at Bellefield Hall Auditorium at 8 p.m.

During the last weekend in March the Men’s Glee Club performed in the 43rd Intercollegiate Men’s Chorus National Seminar in Vienna, Virginia. In this photo, the Glee Club can be seen performing in the beautiful Vienna Presbyterian Church.

The trip also afforded members of the Glee Club an opportunity to visit Washington, D.C. Pictured below are Glee Club members (L-R) Eric Bishop, Matt Keeny, Mike Pollock, Geoff Arnold, and Hari Venkatachalam.

Congratulations to the the Men’s Glee Club and director Richard Teaster!