Community Engagement

CU Boulder’s Grammy Award-winning Takács Quartet celebrates 50 years

Anonymous — Mon, 09 Sep 2024 06:00:00 +0000

CU Boulder’s Grammy Award-winning Takács Quartet celebrates 50 years Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 09/09/2024 - 00:00

Marc Shulgold + Sabine Kortals Stein

Photo: Ian Malkin, Transversales Verdun

Harumi Rhodes has mixed feelings about observing The Milestone. As second violinist of the world-renowned, Grammy Award-winning Takács Quartet, she understands the significance of the group’s founding a half-century ago.

“It’s a monumental moment and we’re approaching it with a sense of awe,” she admits. “I feel humbled. Yet, in another sense, for us it’s business as usual.” Much of that business takes place right here in Boulder.

Joining Rhodes in conversation is first violinist Ed Dusinberre, who’s also her husband. The English-born musician reflects on the group’s remarkable musical journey filled with loss, personnel changes and—most of all—brilliant music making.

“I find myself thinking about all our former quartet members—we wouldn’t be celebrating this milestone today except for them,” says Dusinberre, recalling that the original quartet was formed by students at the Music Academy in Budapest, Hungary, in 1975.

“They were so young, living behind the Iron Curtain, wondering how they could fulfill their musical aspirations worldwide,” he adds.

Hard work and winning prestigious awards in several European competitions led to an American tour in 1982 and—following several U.S.-based short-term residencies—the decision to permanently relocate their families to the United States in 1985-86. Soon after, the players accepted an invitation to become the resident quartet at the University of Colorado Boulder—and they’ve resided here ever since, though not without challenges. Gábor Takács-Nagy stepped down in 1993 and now enjoys a successful career as a conductor and teacher worldwide. The following year, violist Gábor Ormai was diagnosed with cancer and retired, passing away in 1995. The late Roger Tapping succeeded him, leaving to spend time with his family in 2005; in turn, he was succeeded by Geraldine Walther. Upon the retirement of founding second violinist Károly Schranz, Harumi Rhodes joined the quartet in 2018.

As the first new member in 1993, Dusinberre recalls the challenge of being a non-Hungarian. “It was a big adjustment for me, but I appreciated the welcoming, adventurous spirit of the players and the warmth of their collective sound,” he says. “The process was similar when Harumi and then Richard joined”—referring to current violist Richard O’Neill who succeeded Walther in 2020. Grammy-Award winner for Best Classical Instrumental Solo Performance in 2021, O’Neill is only the second person to receive an award for a viola performance in the history of this category.

Today, cellist András Fejér remains the sole original member of the Takács Quartet.

For Rhodes, becoming a member of the Takács was thrilling. “The College of Music is a musical home for us. We feel grateful to be embedded in this university and the community.”

Although the Takács maintain an international touring schedule that takes up about half of their time, the foursome prioritizes time with their students, working in partnership with Meta Weiss, the College of Music’s chamber music coordinator.

It may surprise some audience members who’ve been regulars at sold-out Takács Quartet concerts to learn that the group’s campus connection extends beyond Grusin Music Hall. As Dusinberre notes, their decades-long residency is centered around daily hands-on work with College of Music students.

“Our relationship with the college is the glue that keeps us together,” he stresses. “Our graduate string quartet program inspires us to think about future generations.” This two-year program consists of intense work with a promising ensemble, preparing and guiding the young artists into the demanding world of quartet playing.

“The newest quartet we’re working with is the Michigan-based Koa Quartet,” adds Rhodes. “We’ll listen to their interests and help them to develop a unique musical voice.”

The College of Music’s chamber music program has a long track record of success. The Brisbane, Australia-based Orava Quartet is a good example: Via email, first violinist Daniel Kowalik shared that his group met the Takács at a music festival in Sydney in 2011—at that time, the Orava had been together for five years. They soon came to CU Boulder to study with the Takács.

“We always worked with one member at a time,” wrote Kowalik. “They rotated, so we had time with each member. I asked lots of questions, from general well-being to dealing with the pressures of performing.”

Today, the Orava Quartet enjoys an active schedule and has been signed by Deutsche Grammophon. Their Boulder experience “really helped launch us into having a career,” Kowalik noted. “Our coachings were invaluable and absolutely essential to learning the craft. Being mentored by the Takács forever changed how I think about and approach music making.”

For many students at the College of Music, a career as a performer isn’t their only goal—and the Takács Quartet is sensitive to that, too. “It’s only partly about making music,” Rhodes emphasizes. “Much of what we focus on when we’re talking with students has to do with how to make a life in music.”

Dusinberre treasures those conversations. “I ask students to identify individual favorite moments in a piece and we explore different ways to heighten those moments. Hopefully they learn about each others’ musical tastes and how to use their individual ideas to shape a unified interpretation.”

When touring and recording sessions wind down, these beloved artists find a special joy in coming home to Boulder, visiting with faculty colleagues, and sharing their knowledge and experience with students. As Rhodes says, “The gritty and beautiful work of a string quartet happens offstage in the rehearsal room. We feel so grateful that—after many decades—this process continues in our home at CU Boulder.”

The Takács Quartet’s 50^th anniversary season is generously sponsored by Barbara and Chris Christoffersen.

“I find myself thinking about all our former quartet members—we wouldn’t be celebrating this milestone today except for them,” says first violinist Ed Dusinberre. Adds second violinist Harumi Rhodes, “It’s a monumental moment and we’re approaching it with a sense of awe. I feel humbled. Yet, in another sense, for us it’s business as usual.” And much of that business takes place right here in Boulder.

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Rudy Betancourt named director of CU Boulder Artist Series

Anonymous — Wed, 04 Sep 2024 14:48:48 +0000

Rudy Betancourt named director of CU Boulder Artist Series Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 09/04/2024 - 08:48

Clay Bonnyman Evans

After almost 15 years at the helm of Macky Auditorium at the University of Colorado Boulder, Rudy Betancourt has also been named the new director of the College of Music’s long-running Artist Series which has brought the finest jazz, classical, world music and dance performers to town for more than eight decades.

Betancourt—a native of Venezuela and an accomplished classical guitarist—will continue to serve as director at Macky which welcomes more than 100,000 people to over 100 events every season. He says adding the beloved series to the venue’s portfolio has the potential to turn over a new page for both.

“The Artist Series has been evolving for decades with an unparalleled cultural impact,” he says. “Having the Artist Series within Macky’s portfolio helps the venue to be a presenter as much as a facility for rent.”

Betancourt says the Artist Series will continue to delight long-time patrons as it also seeks to expand and diversify its programming.

“The series will still include dance, classical music, jazz, performing arts from all over the world, as well as new genres. Keeping true to its well-established mission while feeling the cultural pulse in Boulder will help determine its evolution,” he says. “There will be wonderful choices for our legacy and new audiences to enjoy.”

When CU Presents Executive Director Joan Braun retired at the end of June after 30 years, it was determined that it made sense to separate the curation of the Artist Series from the operations of CU Presents. Braun and CU Boulder College of Music Dean John Davis recommended Betancourt to be the Artist Series director as the most natural choice.

“Rudy is an excellent, accomplished musician and he has impeccable taste and awareness of the music scene,” Braun says. “As director of Macky, he also is very aware of audience tastes and preferences, and what they respond to. He can see some different pathways and possibilities and I’m excited to see what he does with it.”

“Joan’s legacy of innovation in the arts and securing the Artist Series’ place in the hearts of its audiences is a tall order—one that I am honored to continue. I am excited to work with the College of Music’s leadership and the Artist Series Advisory Board. It is a real privilege,” Betancourt says.

Betancourt will continue to work closely with the staff at CU Presents. “The CU Presents team brings unparalleled knowledge of how to reach our audiences and cultivate our relationship with them,” he says. “Continuing and deepening this collaboration will be paramount to the success of the series.”

CU Presents will continue to work with other College of Music programs as well as with the Colorado Shakespeare Festival and CU Theatre & Dance.

Tickets for the 2024-25 Artist Series are on sale now.

After almost 15 years at the helm of Macky Auditorium, Rudy Betancourt has also been named the new director of the College of Music’s long-running Artist Series which has brought the finest jazz, classical, world music and dance performers to town for more than eight decades.

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College of Music welcomes new executive director of CU Presents

Anonymous — Tue, 03 Sep 2024 06:00:00 +0000

College of Music welcomes new executive director of CU Presents Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 09/03/2024 - 00:00

Marc Shulgold + Sabine Kortals Stein

Andrew (“Metz”) Metzroth can’t contain his joy when he talks about his new job as executive director of CU Presents, effective since Aug. 5. “I’ve worked toward this for a decade—it’s truly exciting,” he enthuses. As part of the University of Colorado Boulder College of Music, CU Presents is the home of performing arts on campus annually presenting hundreds of events by CU Boulder students and faculty, as well as world-famous guest artists.

Overseeing CU Presents requires administrative skill, a steady hand and a cool head. Just consider the competition Metzroth had to contend with after longtime director Joan Braun retired at the end of last season.

“I’m happy that the College of Music conducted a national search,” says Metzroth. “I think there were about three dozen applicants.” But one look at his résumé and it’s not surprising that Metzroth landed the position. For starters, his years of experience in nearly every aspect of the theater—backstage, onstage, above-stage, you name it—is mind-boggling. As his local credits will attest, he’s been everywhere at CU Presents for decades. Plus, his enthusiasm is contagious.

“I’ve always had a love for the theater,” he says. As for his relationship with CU Boulder, he became box office manager in 2007, handling ticketing for campus performing arts events for nine years. That’s no small task, he emphasizes: “The ticketing software [Tessitura] goes incredibly deep, and takes a long time to learn and teach.” Moving further up the ladder, he became director of operations at CU Presents in 2017.

Today, Metzroth’s responsibilities entail close involvement in managing the Artist Series in Macky Auditorium and Takács Quartet concerts in Grusin Music Hall. But there are more shows to handle—a lot more. “There are some 450 on-campus events including about 350 College of Music events, 50 Theatre & Dance Department events and 50 Colorado Shakespeare Festival performances,” he explains. “I’ll be involved in strategy, ticketing, and marketing and communications for all our series, particularly College of Music events. You have to know what’s important to all of them, to know their goals.”

Not that he intends to remain invisible. “I never want this to be a desk job,” stresses the four-time CU Boulder alumnus. “I see myself as a community ambassador—I want to bring audiences into performing arts experiences.”

In previous years, you could usually find Metzroth behind a box office window handling ticket sales. With a laugh, he says those days may not be entirely behind him. “Yeah, I might have to work there some nights, if we’re short-staffed.”

But as long as there’s a show going on, CU Presents’ new executive director is happy. “We’re performance- and outreach-oriented,” he adds. “An example of upcoming outreach opportunities are student matinees of [Engelbert Humperdinck’s] ‘Hänsel und Gretel’ in October. We’ll be bringing in students from kindergarten through second grade. That will take some coordinating with a number of schools.”

Sounds like a lot of work for “Metz”—but it’s a good bet he’ll be as excited as all those kids when the school buses arrive.

Andrew (“Metz") Metzroth can’t contain his joy when he talks about his new job as executive director of CU Presents. “I want to bring audiences into performing arts experiences,” he says.

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The (musical) kids are back in town

Anonymous — Fri, 28 Jun 2024 06:00:00 +0000

The (musical) kids are back in town Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 06/28/2024 - 00:00

Marc Shulgold

SPA participants reap the benefits of the College of Music’s Musicians’ Wellness Program.

Last summer, the College of Music and Sphinx Performance Academy (SPA) kicked off a new partnership to welcome 22 talented string students—ages 11-17—to our campus for an intensive scholarship program emphasizing cultural diversity.

Associate Professor of Double Bass Susan Cahill coaches an SPA participant.

This month, June 20-30, it’s déjâ vu as auditioned youths engage in lessons, master classes and performances with their instructors and guest teachers—all under the auspices of the Sphinx Organization and thanks to a DEI Impact Grant from the CU Boulder Office of the Senior Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

Associate Professor of Cello David Requiro (left) with other SPA participants.

That’s a lot to plan and implement. Yet for Alex Gonzalez—returning SPA faculty member and College of Music assistant professor of violin—it’s all a joy. “It’s wonderful to see how the SPA gives the kids space to grow, presenting them options as they pursue music,” he says.

In between, Gonzalez explains, the students do more than improve their skills on violin, viola, cello and bass: “For example, Jim Brody, who runs the College of Music’s wellness program, instructed them in healthy playing habits. It’s so important for them to learn how to prevent injury and avoid poor practice positions.” Gonzalez also notes a master class by violinist Andrea Segar who’ll join the College of Music faculty as assistant professor of violin this fall.

Success stories are many. Among the 22 students who’ve flown in from around the country, a few are returning from last summer’s inaugural SPA on our campus; and, according to Gonzalez, three students from the first cohort have applied for admission to CU Boulder and were accepted—including SPA alum Ryannah Blackman who will join Gonzalez’s violin studio as a freshman performance major this fall. “She told me, ‘The SPA made me want to settle here,’” he says.

A member of the Sphinx Virtuosi where he’s concertmaster, touring extensively with the group across the country and abroad, Gonzalez understands first-hand that the road to success in music isn’t without its challenges. But programs like the Detroit-based Sphinx Organization, established in 1997 to focus on “increasing representation of Black and Latinx artists in classical music,” have done much to ease and advance that journey.

Intense teaching and motivation are valuable, of course, but the SPA provides something else, Gonzales discovered: “There’s a sense of community here, friendships have developed,” he says. “These kids are sharing their love of music, of being together. I think it lifts them up.

“They’ve worked hard but they got Sundays off, so they went on field trips. They went to the Pearl Street Mall and they took hikes. They got to see Boulder.”

See you next year, SPA!

SPA faculty and students will perform free, public concerts in Grusin Music Hall tonight and this weekend.

Photos: Kathryn Bistodeau, Sphinx Organization

Last summer, the College of Music and Sphinx Performance Academy kicked off a new partnership to welcome talented string students—ages 11-17—to our campus for an intensive scholarship program emphasizing cultural diversity. This month, it’s déjâ vu as auditioned youths engage in lessons, master classes and more, culminating in public performances tonight and this weekend.

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Remembering Fauré—a century later

Anonymous — Tue, 13 Feb 2024 07:00:00 +0000

Remembering Fauré—a century later Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 02/13/2024 - 00:00

Marc Shulgold , Sabine Kortals Stein

Professor of Musicology Carlo Caballero remembers when he fell in love with the music of Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924): “It was when I heard his ‘Requiem’ as an undergrad at Pomona College [in southern California].

“I was so taken by the harmonies and I started looking at scores. I didn’t realize then that my career would become centered on Fauré.”

Pursuing a PhD at the University of Pennsylvania, Caballero’s graduate dissertation was on Fauré. From there, his love and admiration for the Frenchman’s music continued to grow. He’s since written books about Fauré and edited critical editions of the composer’s two piano quintets for “The Complete Works of Gabriel Fauré.” Yes, he’s also published studies on ballet music of the 19^th and 20^th centuries, and social continuities in French music from the 18^th to the 20^th centuries. But one composer remains close to his heart and his academic pursuits. Particularly these days.

This year marks a milestone for Caballero who—along with his academic partner Stephen Rumph, professor of music history at the University of Washington—will co-host the Fauré Centennial Festival in Boulder, Feb. 27-March 3. All festival events comprising this major, global gathering of CU Boulder faculty and student musicians alongside panelists from France, Canada, Israel, Brazil, the United Kingdom and the United States are free and open to the public although registration is appreciated from those who plan to attend the conference.

Self-caricature by Gabriel Fauré—under his signature at the end of a letter to Elizabeth Swinton—circa 1898. Private archive, with permission.

Before enumerating the impressive number of papers to be presented, concerts to be held and new works to be premiered, Caballero shares how the whole project began. “I visited Stephen in Seattle in the summer of 2021,” he recalls. The two men had worked together previously, co-editing “Fauré Studies” for Cambridge University Press. “We were strolling on the beach—talking about how 2024 was the 100^th anniversary of Fauré’s death—and Stephen said, ‘Why don’t we do a festival?’ That’s how it all started.”

In retrospect, Caballero points out, Rumph’s casual suggestion proved advantageous. Getting the ball rolling, and planning and sending out all the invitations and calls for papers so early, resulted in strong interest and a healthy number of acceptances.

There was much to do in the months that followed: Grants to write and submit, campus facilities to secure and—here’s a surprise—composers to commission. “The four festival recitals [including a Faculty Tuesdays recital on Feb. 27] will offer a kaleidoscopic experience, not just a look back,” Caballero explains. In addition to chamber music by Fauré in diverse instrumentations, the festival will feature works by his contemporaries—like Maurice Ravel, Mel Bonis and Cécile Chaminade—as well as nine new commissions by both professional composers and students.

“It was Stephen’s idea to connect these new works to the legacy of Fauré, but in the composers’ own style,” says Caballero, who further notes that 16 academic papers will be presented as part of the festival, including one of his own—“The Smith’s Harmonic Forge: Voice-Leading in the First Movement of Fauré’s Second Piano Quartet.”

Caballero is optimistic that the Fauré Centennial Festival will continue to raise appreciation of Fauré’s music. For him, the attraction is singular: “My academic career is fueled by the beauty of his music.”

The Fauré Centennial Festival—held on campus at the Imig Music Building and Macky Auditorium, and at Boulder’s First Congregational Church—is supported by the Dr. C. W. Bixler Family Foundation, the CU Boulder College of Music, the Center for Humanities & the Arts and the Research & Innovation Office.

This year marks a milestone for Professor of Musicology Carlo Caballero who—along with his academic partner Stephen Rumph, professor of music history at the University of Washington—will co-host the Fauré Centennial Festival in Boulder, Feb. 27-March 3.

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Grad student brings first statewide Jamaican Choral Music Symposium to Boulder

Anonymous — Fri, 09 Feb 2024 07:00:00 +0000

Grad student brings first statewide Jamaican Choral Music Symposium to Boulder Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 02/09/2024 - 00:00

Marc Shulgold + Sabine Kortals Stein

Mention Jamaican music to most Americans and the pop sounds of reggae usually come to mind. But there’s much more—the wonderfully rich harmonies of choral music, hundreds of rarely heard sacred songs and folk songs that deserve more exposure.

O’Neil Jones—a third-year DMA student in choral conducting and literature at the College of Music—is bringing those sounds to Boulder.

Jones has created the first statewide Jamaican Choral Music Symposium, Feb. 22-25, to elevate the history, language and musical elements of Jamaican choral music through direct interaction with natives of the country. A highlight of the symposium will be a Sunday concert by the University Singers who are based at the Mona campus of the University of the West Indies in Kingston, Jamaica. The group, now led by Franklin Halliburton, will appear here thanks to a $25,000 Roser Visiting Artists Program grant awarded to Jones. Halliburton is a key figure in furthering Jamaican choral music as a genre, having worked with choral conductor-composer Noel Dexter over some 20 years prior to his passing.

“This music is a major part of who we are,” stresses Jones. “Jamaicans know this music, but they don’t know who wrote it.” A native of Montego Bay, he grew up singing those songs in church, noting that Jamaica has 1,600 churches, the largest per-capita number of any country in the world. “The music was not being preserved, beyond simply being performed,” he explains. Indeed, while there were sacred songs being sung all over the island, most were never written down or were notated in different versions.

Today, Jones—who’s also the 2023-24 recipient of the Susan L. Porter Memorial Fellowship—is advancing one of the goals of our American Music Research Center by bringing the choral music and culture of his island home to a wider audience this month, including the participation of area high schools and the CU Boulder University Singers, Chamber Singers and Treble Chorus. He also hopes to publish the music of Jamaican choral composers.

Primary among those is a major force in Jamaican choral music—and a pivotal figure in the lives of both Jones and Halliburton: Noel Dexter (1938-2019). “He’s the reason I’m here,” says Jones. “He was my mentor, he gave me my first voice lesson and he taught me how to conduct.” Their bond began in 2009 and continued until Dexter’s death.

More than a teacher, Dexter influenced his protégé with his humble approach to life. “He was so modest,” recalls Jones. “When he was near the end, he told those gathered around him, ‘Just let people know that I tried.’ All Jamaicans know of him.”

Dexter sent Jones on a journey of discovery that led him to Boulder. Since Jamaica had no serious conducting program, he encouraged his young student to enroll at Mississippi’s Alcorn State University where another of Dexter’s former students had been teaching. Jones obliged, then continued his studies at the University of Southern Mississippi. Eventually, he met Assistant Professor of Voice Andrew Garland at a national singing competition at CU Boulder. “CU allowed me to accept Professor Garland’s invitation to continue studying voice while actively pursuing a career in conducting,” Jones says.

In 2021, he settled in Boulder, although Jamaica remained close to his heart. “In preparing my conducting recitals, I included one song by Mr. Dexter to honor his memory—from there, the zeal to bring more of his music to the world was ignited,” he adds.

The CU Boulder College of Music presents the University Singers, Mona in concert—as part of the Jamaican Choral Music Symposium—at Macky Auditorium on Feb. 25, 2024.

Photos: O’Neil Jones (top); Noel Dexter (right).

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Upholding the impact and legacy of composer George Crumb

Anonymous — Tue, 06 Feb 2024 07:00:00 +0000

Upholding the impact and legacy of composer George Crumb Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 02/06/2024 - 00:00

Marc Shulgold

Photo: Bruns and Crumb at a recording session of “Metamorphoses, Book II” at Swarthmore College in 2021.

Writing music can be a lonely occupation—very private, very demanding. So it’s no surprise that most composers come across as intimidating individuals. Not so with an affable gentleman like George Crumb, although you’d never expect it from listening to his complex, often transcendent music.

“My mom connected with him,” recalls CU Boulder College of Music Associate Professor of Music Theory Steven Bruns, who will retire in May. “She always said George seemed like a nice fellow from down the street.” Anyone who spent some time with the late composer (including this writer) walked away amazed at how instantly likable he was. Yet, as Bruns is well aware, when Crumb died on Feb. 6, 2022, at age 92, the world lost one of its most brilliant and influential music makers.

Bruns and Crumb each served as faculty members at the College of Music—Crumb, from 1959 to 1964 and Bruns from 1987 to his pending retirement. But they shared more than that: A close, long-lasting professional relationship and a deep friendship that began in 1992. “I first met George in Prague, where I was lecturing on his music at a week-long Crumb Festival,” Bruns recounts, “I wrote my dissertation on Mahler and later published an article that traced the many connections between his music and Crumb’s. George wrote to express his delight with my perspective.

“That whole experience changed my life. I continued to write about Crumb’s music and eventually became his archivist.”

In fact, the professor’s work continued to involve more than organizing Crumb’s papers and manuscripts. “I’ve had access to an amazing amount of material,” Bruns says. “I was able to scan so much—his sketches, his letters, photographs, almost everything.” He’s still working on this massive project and there’s more: Bridge Records, the label run by Crumb’s devoted friends David and Becky Starobin, recently released the complete works of the composer on 22 CDs—Bruns was a key participant, attending recording sessions and writing liner notes.

You’d think that digging through Crumb’s library of papers and collaborating with the Starobins on the Bridge recordings would keep the professor busy enough in his upcoming retirement. Well, guess again. Bruns has also been involved in a film project about the late composer.

“The film is built around a concert that was held in May 2022 of Crumb’s ‘Ancient Voices of Children’ [1970], three months after George died,” explains Bruns. Among the performers at this program by the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center in New York were soprano Tony Arnold, pianist Gilbert Kalish and percussionist Daniel Druckman. “That performance is the point of departure for a one-hour documentary that will include various interviews,” adds Bruns. “I’m one of the talking heads.” Directed by Tristan Cook, “Ancient Voices: A Film for George Crumb” will have its world premiere at the Big Ears Festival in Knoxville, Tennessee, in late March.

The point of the film—and the theme of his continuing post-academic labors on behalf of the late composer—is simple: “I want to tell people who he was, to keep his music alive.”

That goal may sound puzzling, knowing how brilliant a composer Crumb was, knowing the praise his works consistently received, the well-attended performances in concert halls around the world and the awards he won—the Pulitzer Prize in 1968 and a Grammy in 2001, among many other honors. But that’s no guarantee of a permanent place in the consciousness of a fickle public.

“George was extremely self-critical and very humble. He never engaged in catty talk about his composer colleagues,” adds Bruns. In other words, he kept a low profile and was hardly the self-marketing sort. So, what does the future hold for his music now that he’s gone? Where does one look for Crumb’s works and what role will Bruns play in that search?

“I’ll do all I can to invite new listeners into the sound world of George Crumb,” Bruns replies. He’s working on a book about the composer, hoping to educate a wider audience about the impact of the man’s music. Meanwhile, the collected compositions are not gathering dust, he reports. “There are at least a half-dozen works that are solidly in the repertoire. In addition to regular concert performances, there are multiple recordings of nearly every composition. For example, more than 20 pianists have released recordings of ‘Makrokosmos, Volumes I & II’ [1972 and 1973]. A good starter piece is ‘Vox Balaenae’ [‘Voice of the Whale’], Crumb’s dream-like trio for flute, cello and piano.”

Those who experience Crumb’s music are in for an amazing surprise, Bruns promises. “Every piece creates a powerful connection with an audience.”

Associate Professor of Music Theory Steven Bruns and the late, renowned composer George Crumb shared a close, long-lasting professional relationship and a deep friendship that began in 1992. As Bruns nears retirement this spring, he reflects on his role as Crumb’s archivist and biographer.

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Alumnus Dylan Fixmer—composer with a cause

Anonymous — Wed, 29 Nov 2023 07:00:00 +0000

Alumnus Dylan Fixmer—composer with a cause Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 11/29/2023 - 00:00

Marc Shulgold

Not one to mince words, College of Music alumnus Dylan Fixmer gets right to the point: “I want music to have a purpose,” he says. But finding his purpose didn’t come right away.

Fixmer earned a bachelor’s degree in music education in 2010 and went straight into teaching. Which was fine. Still, he admits, “I’d been composing my whole life. I was always noodling on some sort of piece.

“Five years ago, my mom showed my wife [alumna Sarah Off] and me a song I’d written many years ago. I guess I’ve always been a composer.”

But first things first: With an undergrad diploma from CU Boulder in hand, he spent a decade teaching in small Colorado towns such as Hotchkiss and Rifle, also serving as a counselor at the YMCA of the Rockies. Along the way, he earned a master’s in music education from Indiana University. Truth be told, Fixmer got his biggest kick out of time spent in Hotchkiss, population 875.

“I put together a little 8^th-grade jazz band,” he reminisces, somehow managing to keep a straight face as he listed the instrumentation: “We had two tubas, a bass clarinet and drums. I played piano and there were some other instruments. But the best part was, they played my compositions.”

Are we starting to see a pattern here? Fixmer, 35, recalls that, yes, while pursuing his degree at our College of Music, he studied composition and theory with noted Professor of Composition Carter Pann. Even as he pursued his graduate degree in music education and found work in the classroom, life as a composer continued to beckon. “I was always going through textbooks on composing,” says Fixmer, exemplifying the college’s universal musician mission. “I wanted to expand my vocabulary.”

And so it came to pass, in a big and meaningful way. Fixmer not only found life as a composer, but he found a way of writing music with a purpose. “I’m not sure I’d ever want to write a piece of absolute music,” he admits, referring to a composition that is simply a collection of melodies with no storyline or subtext. Instead, Fixmer creates for a reason.

Consider his Violin Concerto, premiered by the Greeley Philharmonic in September 2022—in partnership with the Greeley Family House and other homelessness assistance organizations to increase support for the unhoused. This work has such an extraordinary backstory that it deserves a movie treatment. Off performed the premiere on an instrument once owned by Terri Sternberg—an accomplished musician who had fallen on hard times, became homeless and died in 2013. Learning her story propelled Fixmer to create a heartfelt concerto that generated critical raves, a radio broadcast on Colorado Public Radio and eventually helped bring attention to the cause of homelessness as far away as London and Paris.

His deep concern about people goes beyond writing a thoughtful piece of music, he stresses. “In Greeley, I’m on a homelessness task force. That’s part of my desire in identifying topics to write about—ones that focus on human connections.”

Those connections now include some of Fixmer’s neighbors in Northern Colorado. Recently, another of his orchestral works was premiered by the Greeley Philharmonic where he now serves as composer-in-residence and where he’s created an impactful education outreach program. His “Seven Symphonic Portraits: A Weld County Reflection”—commissioned by the Greeley Philharmonic and the Weld Community Foundation—was unveiled in October at the Union Colony Civic Center. “It’s for the people of Weld County,” he says, “to describe the experience of living here, of what brings people to this county.”

There’s not enough space to cover all that the JW Pepper Editor’s Choice Award recipient has to offer. No space to discuss his children’s Spanish-language opera, “Clara y los Cuarto Caminos” (“Clara and the Four Ways”). Nor to get around to his side career in a guitar-fiddle duo with his wife, appearing at folk festivals playing bluegrass and traditional foot-tapping Irish tunes. No time to write about a commissioned work aimed at increasing interest in mental illness.

Once again, Fixmer—with recent commissions and premieres under his belt from UC Health, Opera Guanajuato and the Crested Butte Music Festival, among others—doesn’t mince words. “I don’t want to be typecast,” he says.

Alumnus Dylan Fixmer’s variegated and prolific career aims to inspire empathy and advance community engagement.

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Senior House Manager Rojana Savoye named 2023 Chancellor’s Employee of the Year!

Anonymous — Thu, 09 Nov 2023 07:00:00 +0000

Senior House Manager Rojana Savoye named 2023 Chancellor’s Employee of the Year! Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 11/09/2023 - 00:00

Sabine Kortals Stein

We’re proud and delighted that longtime Senior House Manager Rojana Savoye is one of just four recipients of the Chancellor’s 2023 Employee of the Year award!

Savoye—who manages all front-of-house operations at Macky Auditorium and within the College of Music, including Artist Series, Takács Quartet, Eklund Opera and other College of Music performances—was nominated for the award by CU Presents Executive Director Joan Braun, Operations Director Andrew Metzroth and Box Office Manager Adrienne Havelka.

“For so many people in our community, Rojana is literally the face of the college when they attend our events—of which there are hundreds each year,” says College of Music Dean John Davis. “The moment they walk in the door to one of our venues, they see her—and she sees them. Her heart is so huge, she makes sure everyone feels attended to.

“Rojana is eager, willing and quick to solve problems, and we all love working with her. She’s so deserving of this award for her important role that is sometimes overlooked. I couldn’t be happier for her.”

Agrees Braun, “Rojana is a true professional and invaluable representative for the College of Music, CU Presents and the University of Colorado. She has worked in a tough job for over 20 years, and I have total respect and gratitude for her work.

“As the senior front-of-house manager for all College of Music and CU Presents events at Macky Auditorium, Grusin Music Hall, the Music Theatre and other venues in our Imig Music Building, Rojana acts as the primary PR representative for these entities as well as the University of Colorado in general. Not only does she provide invaluable service in solving problems, she is responsible for our patrons’ safety should there be a medical emergency, fire or other life-safety event.

“Rojana consistently goes above and beyond her duties in solving patron conflicts and enforcing the university’s safety policies. And she does it in such a way that there is learning rather than animosity as a result. As warm and kind as she is, she has a backbone of steel.”

“I am beyond humbled and honored,” says Savoye. “I’m part of the best team I could imagine working with, and my work is and always has been for the greater good. Receiving this award is so meaningful to me—I can’t begin to express my gratitude for the recognition.”

According to Metzroth, “It’s an honor to work with Rojana. Her job on campus is already very specialized, but her unique approach and unflappable character put her well above any other house manager I’ve worked with.

“Rojana’s mentorship and high standards have created a roster of compassionate and proactive employees. Her leadership has not only taught them how to be good ushers, but also how to take responsibility, troubleshoot problems with independence and analyze complex problems for the betterment of all parties. Many of these ushers have gone on to careers in other arts organizations including the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, the Colorado Symphony and more.”

Also noting that Savoye goes “above and beyond” in her role, Havelka further sheds light on Savoye’s active participation and engagement in the College of Music’s staff council: “Rojana regularly volunteers and contributes great ideas on what we can do for our staff. She is involved in almost all of our community and engagement events, and she regularly participates in extracurricular activities with both staff and faculty.

“Rojana has taken the time to get to know the staff and faculty at the College of Music and has created wonderful relationships. There isn’t one person at the College of Music who would speak poorly of Rojana. She is a woman of many talents and continually puts those to work.

“It’s staff members like Rojana who keep our department running, and her smiling face and great attitude keep people coming back to our events.”

Thank you, Rojana, and congratulations!

On Tuesday, Dec. 12, 3:30-5 p.m., Savoye and her co-award winners will be honored at a reception with Chancellor DiStefano [Chancellor’s Auditorium, CU Boulder Center for Academic Success and Engagement (CASE) building].

For more than two decades, Rojana Savoye has maintained positive public relations with CU Boulder patrons, presenters and co-workers; managed and enforced operational policies and procedures within the College of Music; and hired, supervised and mentored student ushers.

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A harmonious blend of music + film: November residency with Alicia Svigals, Donald Sosin

Anonymous — Fri, 03 Nov 2023 02:39:07 +0000

A harmonious blend of music + film: November residency with Alicia Svigals, Donald Sosin Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 11/02/2023 - 20:39

College of Music

In a collaboration among the CU Boulder College of Music and Program in Jewish Studies—as well as the Boulder Jewish Film Festival, Boulder Jewish Community Center and Congregation Har HaShem—renowned klezmer violinist Alicia Svigals and celebrated silent film pianist Donald Sosin will present a “cine-concert” as part of a three-day residency, Nov. 7-9.

A “cine-concert” is a unique experience where a silent film comes to life with live music, all composed and performed by Svigals and Sosin. This main residency event—“The Man Without A World”—will be held Thursday, Nov. 9, at 6:30 p.m. at the Dairy Arts Center.

The residency includes two additional public events:

Tuesday, Nov. 7, 7:30 p.m.: Community klezmer workshop with Svigals at Congregation Har HaShem.
Wednesday, Nov. 8, 7:30 p.m.: CU Boulder SoundWorks will present Svigals and Sosin on a program including two of Svigals’ works arranged by composition alumnus Max Wolpert, and featuring an ensemble of CU Boulder string players directed by graduate student Enion Pelta-Tiller … and more.

As part of their residency, Svigals and Sosin will further present lectures, demonstrations and workshops for our string studios and composition seminar, and the Music in Jewish Cultures and Musical Styles & Ideas courses.

Svigals is returning to Boulder following several previous visits, including a 2017 screening of the silent film “The Yellow Ticket” with live music composed and performed by herself and pianist Marily Lerner; and the 2019 Archive Transformed residency, which included performances with Associate Professor of Music Theory Yonatan Malin and jazz pianist Uli Geissendoerfer, led by the late Professor of History and Jewish Studies David Shneer.

Violinist/composer Svigals is the world’s leading klezmer fiddler and a founder of the Grammy-winning Klezmatics. She has performed with and written for violinist Itzhak Perlman and has worked with the Kronos Quartet, playwrights Tony Kushner and Eve Ensler, poet Allen Ginsburg, Robert Plant and Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin, Debbie Friedman and Chava Albershteyn. Her newest CD—“Beregovski Suite: Klezmer Reimagined” with jazz pianist Uli Geissendoerfer—is an original take on long-lost Jewish music from Ukraine.

Pianist/composer Sosin received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Denver Silent Film Festival and the Best Original Film Score award from the 2022 Mystic Film Festival. He has performed his scores for silent films—often with his wife, singer/percussionist Joanna Seaton—at Lincoln Center, MoMA, BAM and the National Gallery; and at major film festivals in New York, San Francisco, Telluride, Hollywood, Yorkshire, Pordenone, Bologna, Shanghai, Bangkok, Berlin, Vienna, Moscow and Jecheon, South Korea … as well as many college campuses. Sosin has worked with Alexander Payne, Isabella Rossellini, Dick Hyman, Jonathan Tunick, Comden and Green, Martin Charnin, Mitch Leigh and Cy Coleman, and has played for Mikhael Baryshnikov, Mary Travers, Marni Nixon, Howie Mandel, Geula Gill and others.

Supported by the Roser Visiting Artist Program and the Sunrise Foundation for Education and the Arts.

In a campus and community collaboration, we’re looking forward to an exciting residency featuring two outstanding artists–renowned klezmer violinist Alicia Svigals and celebrated silent film pianist Donald Sosin.

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