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ON THE BEAT (To other
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Greetings from the Chair!Congruatlations to our graduates!
Moravian College Music InstituteUpcoming: Piano Masters Series
The Bach Walk
Notes from the Music Alliance
Choir Notes
Music Education News
Faculty Notes
Notes From Alumni
Submit ON THE BEAT Material
GREETINGS FROM THE CHAIR
Greetings from the Music Department!
The pools and parks are closing, the temperature is starting to cool as summer
begins to come to an end and we prepare to start another academic year. We
are looking at a record number for our incoming class. Not only are they the
largest class we have had in years – over 30 students – but they
are also very talented musically and academically!
We start the year on a strong footing with a new Steinway L piano for one
of our teaching studios, new orchestra chairs for our instrumental ensembles,
new risers for the choir, and a new sound system for use in Foy Concert Hall.
We have the busiest concert season to date, filled with student and faculty
recitals, as well as guest artists from many different genres, including Teresa
Inès, a Brazilian jazz guitarist and vocalist; Angela Brown, a rising
operatic soprano; and the Marcus Roberts Trio, a New Orleans style jazz group.
I hope you will be able to come and enjoy some of the many musical offerings
this year. Or become part of the Music Alliance, which not only supports the
department financially, but members are also able to get to know students
and faculty and are invited to special events throughout the year.
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR GRADUATES, Class of 2005
• Sarah Baer, B.M, Performance.
• Bonnie Banks-Beers, B.A.
• Erin Barr, B.A.
• Laura Crouthamel, B.M., Music Education
• Nathan Diehl, B.M. Music Education
• Heather Longden, B.M. Performance
• Kirsten Ostrander, B.A.
• Kyle Slemmer, B.M. Independently-designed major
• Matthew Smyth, B.M. Performance
MORAVIAN COLLEGE MUSIC INSTITUTE
The Upcoming: Piano Masters Series
During the 2005/6 season, Moravian College in conjunction with the Lehigh Valley Piano Society, will launch a new series, “Piano Masters at Moravian”. This series will include keyboard virtuosos from the classical and jazz field such as Renee Rosnes and Cyrus Chesnut, respectively. All of the Piano Masters concerts will be taped for future broadcast on NPR (National Public Radio). So don’t miss the opportunity to become a part of radio history, just by being a member of the audience.
For three memorable, drizzly days in March, Dr. Hilde Binford
and her Senior Seminar students trekked 33 miles from New Brunswick, New Jersey
to Lincoln Center to hear a New York Philharmonic Concert. Why? In the words
of Judith Green, who covered the event for Moravian’s Online magazine,
In Common:
Dr. Binford, Assistant Professor of Music, asked her senior music history
seminar on Bach how it might celebrate Bach’s birthday (March 21).
This year happens to be the 300th anniversary of Bach’s 10-day, 250-mile
walk from Arnstadt, where he was a 20-year-old church musician, to Lübeck
in North Germany to hear the great Danish organist Dietrich Buxtehude. So
the students, delighted that Bach was just their age, decided to walk to a
concert.
Bach did not leave many historical markers in the Colonies, so the class set
a route, instead, that paid tribute to their Moravian heritage.
Their walk—three days, covering about 30 miles—began on a rainy
Sunday, March 20, in New Brunswick, N.J., where they toured a historic village
with buildings not dissimilar to what the Moravian colonists built. The next
day they explored Staten Island, visiting two historic Moravian churches.
On Tuesday, March 22, they reached their goal, Lincoln Center in Manhattan.
After adjourning to a hotel room to clean up, they spent the evening at Avery
Fisher Hall, hearing the New York Philharmonic play music by Mendelssohn.
(He also ties in with Bach, having led in 1829 the first performance of the
St. Matthew Passion since Bach’s day.) The group got its picture taken
with the conductor of the concert, Sir Neville Marriner.
Their story was covered by the New York Times, the Newark (N.J.) Star-Ledger,
and the Allentown Morning Call.
The students included Sarah Baer ’05, Erin Barr ’05, Marissa Iezzi
’07, Heather Longden ’05, Kyle Slemmer ’05, Matthew Smyth
’05, Rachael Stapleton ’06, Robert Valente ’07, and Amberly
Williams ’07. They were joined by Linda Lipkis and Rory Lipkis, wife
and son of Dr. Lipkis. History Department faculty member Dr. Heikki Lempa
also joined the group for the first day of walking.
NOTES FROM THE MUSIC ALLIANCE
Great Artist Series: Ruth Ann Swenson
Metropolitan Opera star Ruth Ann Swenson gave a memorable
performance of concert arias and art songs in Foy Hall on Wednesday evening,
January 26th. On the following day, she presided over a master class featuring
students Matthew Smyth ('05), Kelly Schmidt ('06), Lisa Toth ('07)
and Kristen Ostrander ('05).
Next year's Great Artist will be Angela Brown, soprano, a
rising star with the Metropolitan Opera. Her appearance, in November, will
span three days of activities: Tuesday, November 8 - daytime school performance
“Opera from a Sistah's Point of View”. Created and performed by Ms. Brown,
“Opera from a Sistah's Point of View” is a witty, musical, interactive, educational,
live presentation about opera and how it relates to a diverse population.
(This special performance for grades 4-8 is sold out).
Wednesday, November 9 - 7:30PM - Recital
Ms. Brown will perform opera arias, art songs by African-American
composers, and a selection of spirituals form her “MOSAIC” CD. $50 Reserved
seating
Thursday, November 10 11:30 AM - Vocal Master Class
Ms. Brown will coach Moravian College vocal students during
a voice lesson that is open to the public. As a footnote, the Opera Company
of Philadelphia will present the east-coast premiere of MARGARET GARNER from
February 10 - 26, 2006 with two of Moravian's Great Artist stars - Denyce
Graves '02 and Angela Brown '05.
Moravian Choir had a busy year with a performance at New York City's Merkin Hall in February, and two performances of Haydn's Creation in April with the Pennsylvania Sinfonia Orchestra. This year we're very excited about our Vespers concerts, as they will be taped this year for the creation of our third DVD as well as for future airing on NBC networks. The choir also is planning a tour to Winston-Salem this March, along with exciting performances in the spring: The Fairy Queen with the College Orchestra and Beethoven's 9th Symphony with the Muhlenberg College Choir and the Lehigh Valley Chamber Orchestra.
MUSIC EDUCATION NEWS!
News from Dr. Barbara Liebhaber, Director of Music Education:
- Attended the CMS chapter conference in Las Vegas, Nevada.
- Reviewed a new book, Musical Meaning in Beethoven, by Robert Hatten, for the American Music Teacher Association magazine.
- Became the Educational Consultant to the ensemble, Satori. I will be designing their children's concerts and assemblies and perform as a pianist during these events.
Performed in three concerts in April 2005:
- April 14 with Neil Wetzel for the Alumni luncheon
- April 28 with Nora Suggs for the Arts Ovation ceremony
- April 29 with Yvonne Robinson and Debra Torok - composers concert at Moravian
FACULTY NOTES!
Neil Wetzel, Director of Jazz Studies reports:
Jazz Combo I toured several high schools during spring break. The group visited
and performed at five different schools throughout Eastern Pennsylvania and
New Jersey. The tour (which occurred on March 7, 8, 9th) took our students
to Freedom HS, Dieruff HS, North Penn HS, Stroudsburg Jr. HS and Phillipsburg
HS. The students were well received and generated lots of interest in the
music and jazz programs at Moravian College. The students who participated
were Keith LaBar, Kyle Slemmer, Marissa Iezzi, Joel Mikulyak, Greg
Lissauer, Mike Lorenz and alum Bob Stevens. They
were accompanied by faculty members Neil Wetzel and Tony
Gairo.
The jazz faculty of Moravian College is in the process of producing a CD featuring
the group and faculty jazz compositions. They recorded the CD this past January
(2005) in Foy Hall and are in the process of mixing it for release. It will
feature compositions by jazz faculty members Tony Gairo, Bill Washer,
Frank Giasullo, Al Gaumer and Neil Wetzel. Look
for the CD to be released sometime in the next few months.
Neil Wetzel did quite a bit of traveling with jazz groups
this spring and summer. He toured with the Eric Mintel Quartet in April in
New Hampshire; July took them to Colorado, and in August they did their annual
tour of New England. Wetzel also played with Rob Stoneback’s
jazz ensemble as they traveled to Italy for a series of concerts and clinics
in the Italian Alps.
Dr. Larry Lipkis was quite active with the Baltimore Consort
this past spring. Highlights included performances at the Cloisters in New
York City in March, the National Gallery in Washington D.C. in May, preceded
by a week long residency in Pittsburgh, an NEH-sponsored conference at the
Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, and another week-long residency at the
Madison (WI) Early Music Festival in July. On a more local level, Dr.
Lipkis has been performing at area schools with his 8-year old son
Rory in a show entitled, “The Ice Cream Rondo and Other Musical Treats.”
The program raises money for Satori’s Gift of Music program, which purchases
musical instruments for needy children in area schools.
* * * * * *
NOTES FROM ALUMNI
Jeremy Sawruk (’03) has graduated from the North Carolina School of the Arts with an MFA in Film Music Composition. He now works for VirtuosoWorks, Inc. in Greensboro, NC, makers of music notation software called Notion.
END NOTES
SUBMIT!
The next issue of ON THE BEAT will be released in Spring of 2006. If you are
an alum, faculty member, current student, or supporter of the Moravian College
Music Department and would like to contribute articles, information, recipes,
or photos, please e-mail Dr. Larry Lipkis (melal01@moravian.edu) or send a
note to:
Dr. Larry Lipkis
Moravian College Music Department
1200 Main Street
Bethlehem, PA 18018