University of Pittsburgh

Blog

Carpathian Music Ensemble with the Kyiv Ukrainian Dance Ensemble in World Premiere Folk Ballet

Submitted by Phil Thompson on January 26, 2010, 3:21pm
in

The Carpathian Music Ensemble, led by Assistant Professor of Music Adriana Helbig, will join the Kyiv Ukrainian Dance Ensemble for the world premiere of The Bayan Player on Saturday February 6, 2010, 3 p.m. at Andrew Carnegie Music Hall in Carnegie, Pennsylvania.

audio/mpeg icon
Pitt's Carpathian Music Ensemble performs music from "The Bayan Player."

Pitt Night at Heinz Hall with Honneck, Mutter, the PSO, and Dessert!

Submitted by Phil Thompson on January 26, 2010, 2:12pm

Our good friends from Pitt Arts will sponsor their next Pitt Night on Friday, February 5 at Heinz Hall. Legendary violinist, Anne-Sophie Mutter, who has captivated audiences with her virtuosic and mesmerizing performances, performs Brahms's Violin Concerto. And delight in Mahler's moving Symphony No.1, which depicts the awakening of nature. (Please note that the repertoire for this concert has changed from what was originally scheduled. Beethoven Symphony No. 3 has been replaced by Mahler Symphony No. 1.) Tickets are $12 Gallery, $17 Family Circle and $25 Orchestra for Pitt students, faculty and staff. Don’t miss the post-concert dessert reception with PSO musicians and artistic staff.

Those wishing to participate in the upcoming PITT NIGHTS can purchase tickets through PITT ARTS located at 929 William Pitt Union. Call 412-624-4498 for more information. Deadlines vary, so don’t wait!

Dr. Dr. E. Kwadwo O. Beeko (PhD 2005) will Lecture on African Musical Practices

Submitted by Phil Thompson on January 26, 2010, 12:04pm
in

Dr. E. Kwadwo O. Beeko (PhD 2005) will give a lecture for the African Studies program Thursday, January 28, 2010 for the African Studies Center  on African musical Practices: Journeying from the Traditional to the Global. The talk will take place in Room 4130 Posvar Hall from 5-7 p.m. According to Beeko,

"Many scholars have apparently embraced as almost obvious the standpoint that most of what is unique about African and African Diaspora musical cultures is credited to the persistence of an African heritage. This lecture discusses the conceptual approaches to the process of music making, and  shows how these elements can be identified, by examining and analyzing various forms or modes of cultural representation that are employed in the musical performances."

To find out more about this lecture visit the African Studies Center Events Page.

Previews of ICE

Submitted by Phil Thompson on January 7, 2010, 2:30pm
in

Music on the Edge presents ICE (International Contemporary Ensemble) this Saturday night at the Warhol and the crack new music group's program has attracted a lot of attention from local media. You can see Mark Kanny's preview in today's Pittsburgh Tribune Review and another by Aaron Jentzen in this week's Pittsburgh City Paper.

ICE performs on Saturday, January 9 at The Andy Warhol Museum at 8 p.m. Tickets are available through ProArts and at the door. Find out more about the concert here.

Music on the Edge, IonSound Project Praised in Local Media

Submitted by Phil Thompson on December 22, 2009, 3:21pm
in

The end of 2009 has brought much-deserved recognition to Music on the Edge and IonSound Project, the music department's most prominent contemporary music endeavors.

Wright's Rivermont Label Garners Grammy Nod

Submitted by Phil Thompson on December 22, 2009, 11:20am
in

A CD produced by musicology graduate student Bryan Wright has been nominated for a Grammy in the category of Best Album Notes. The notes for Dance-O-Mania: 1919-1923 - Harry Yerkes and the Dawn of the Jazz Age were written by Mark Berresford. Released earlier in 2009 on Wright's Rivermont Records label, the CD is a reissue of historic recordings by pioneering jazz band The Happy Six.

Wright founded Rivermont Records in 2004 as a way of preserving music for the first half of the 20th century. He selects the recordings for each CD, transfers from analog to digital domain, designs the cover art, and edit the notes. Wright also produces new recordings of vintage music.

Congratulations to Bryan Wright and Grammy nominee Mark Beresford for their work on Dance-O-Mania: 1919-1923 - Harry Yerkes and the Dawn of the Jazz Age!

Adriana Helbig and the Carpathian Ensemble Featured in Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Submitted by Phil Thompson on December 4, 2009, 8:58am
in

Pitt's Carpathian Music Ensemble, founded and directed by Professor of Ethnomusicology Adriana Helbig, is featured this week in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. It's an extensive article and you will want to read the whole thing, but here's a snippet that provides good insight into what the Carpathian Ensemble is all about. According to Helbig,

"[The music school] said I could start whatever ensemble I wanted. I looked at what I knew, and what would fit with Pittsburgh — there are so many Eastern European immigrants in this area — and instead of going country by country, I decided to choose the name 'Carpathian' which is regional. It includes Hungary, Slovakia, Ukraine and Poland, so I can focus on ethnicities from that region."

As the Ensemble congealed, however, Helbig realized that there's already a strong Balkan music scene in Pittsburgh, so now they play music from that area of Europe as well. "We seem to have developed a genre that people like. Instead of doing it traditionally like you'd hear it in a village, we play the instruments in our own interpretative way, like a fusion approach."

Pitt's Carpathian Music Ensemble is throwing a dance party on Saturday, December 5 at 8 p.m. in the Willliam Pitt Union Assembly Room. The party is free (but donations will be accepted) and will include regional food and lots of great music.

Composer Kerrith Livengood Wins Inaugural APS Award

Submitted by Phil Thompson on December 3, 2009, 9:34am

Kerrith Livengood, a PhD candidate in composition and theory, was awarded the American Philosophical Society's inaugural Musical Composition Award for Persiflage, a trio for flute, harp, and viola. Livengood received the award of $2,000, a premiere performance, and a handsome certificate signed by APS President Baruch Blumberg during the Society's annual meeting on November 13, 2009. Livengood describes Persiflage as,

“a kind of study in dense textures and colorful timbral effects; it has a sort of overall quality of busyness and almost nervousness to it. It's called Persiflage because it seems to be constantly humming and chattering, but not necessarily about anything important, although there are some moments of solidity and clarity.”

Kerrith Livengood is currently working on her dissertation and is an Andrew W. Mellon Fellow for the 2009–10 academic year. She also remains active as a flutist with new music group Alia Musica Pittsburgh and recently formed an ensemble with fellow grad student Ben Harris called The Outer Circle. Oriented toward improvisation and open works, The Outer Circle will give its first concert in Pittsburgh on December 4.

PhD Candidate Colter Harper on Tour with Rusted Root

Submitted by Phil Thompson on December 3, 2009, 9:18am

Colter Harper has remained an active performer during his graduate studies at the University of Pittsburgh. In Pittsburgh, Harper has worked as a guitarist in the jazz community and contributed to a number of locally produced recordings including the Emmy Award-winning soundtrack of the documentary Fly Boys. Harper has also toured extensively with the Pittsburgh based group Rusted Root, a multi-platinum selling band known for their fusion of World beat and rock 'n' roll. Harper is on Rusted Root's latest album Stereo Rodeo, and has since been touring the U.S. performing material from the album. Harper is in the final stages of writing his dissertation, which examines the history of jazz and race in Pittsburgh's Hill District during the 1940s, 50s, and 60s.

Order Tickets Through ProArts and Save

Submitted by Phil Thompson on December 3, 2009, 9:07am

If you are planning to come hear the Men's Glee Club (Dec. 4), African Music and Dance Ensemble (Dec. 11), or the Women's Choral Ensemble (Dec. 12), remember that you can save significantly on the door price by ordering in advance through ProArtsTicketService.

Copyright 2009 | Site by UMC Web Team