All Things Strings: News & Notes

Excerpted from Strings Magazine, November/December 1999, No. 82

People

Photo: cellist Jennifer Culp joins Kronos.

Movements

Cellist Joan Jeanrenaud has resigned from the Kronos Quartet after 20 years with the group. Since going on sabbatical in 1999, Jeanrenaud has decided that she no longer wants to cope with the Kronos’ rigorous performance and travel schedule, and also would like to pursue solo work and collaborations with other artists. "I have spent almost half of my life in Kronos, and it has been a privilege and a thrilling experience from the beginning," she says. "I am happy to leave them in good hands" with replacement cellist Jennifer Culp. Culp has been guest cellist with Kronos since January 1999 and is a former member of the Philadelphia String Quartet, Dunsmuir Piano Quartet, and Empyrean Ensemble.

In June 1999, the Tokyo String Quartet announced the departure of cellist and founding member Sadao Harada. Harada has been replaced by Clive Greensmith, formerly principal cellist of London’s Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

Cleveland Institute of Music graduate Amy Schwartz has been appointed concertmaster of the Florida Orchestra. San Francisco’s New Century Chamber Orchestra hired Krista Bennion Feeney as its new concertmaster and music director as of July 1999. She replaced Stuart Canin, who retired at the close of the 1998–99 season. The new principal conductor of the Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra is Michael Morgan, who has been music director of the Oakland East Bay Symphony for seven years; he will keep that position, as well as remaining music director of the Walnut Creek Festival Opera and artistic director of the Oakland Youth Orchestra. Bruce Coppock, vice president of the American Symphony Orchestra League, took the reigns as president and managing director of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra on September 1, 1999.

In June 1999, the Hartt School announced the appointment of British conductor Christopher Zimmerman as the new Mary Primrose Fuller professor of orchestral music. In July, the Eastman School of Music appointed Mendi Rodan as professor of conducting and ensembles, James Ripley as assistant professor of that department, and Gabriela Ilnitchi as assistant professor of musicology. In the same month, David Harding was appointed professor of viola at the University of British Columbia School of Music. July also saw the appointment of Robert K. Dodson as dean of the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music.

Leonard Slatkin, conductor and music director of the National Symphony Orchestra, announced in June 1999 his replacement of mentor and friend James Wolfensohn as chair of the Jacqueline du Pré M.S. Research Fund. "Jackie’s contribution to the world of music was phenomenal and as she fought her own M.S., she brought worldwide attention to the plight of everyone battling the devastating effects of this disease," he said. "I am very proud and truly honored to have this opportunity."

A flurry of major changes in the conducting world were announced this summer, although they won’t take effect for several years. First, the Cleveland Orchestra announced in early June that 38-year-old Franz Welser-Möst would succeed Christoph von Dohnányi as the orchestra’s seventh music director in September 2002. (Dohnányi announced his plans to resign two years ago, to allow the orchestra plenty of time to find a successor.) Welser-Möst has signed a five-year contract requiring that he devote 18 weeks annually to the orchestra. "In our search, [he] stood apart," said Richard Bogomolny, president of the orchestra board. "He represents a new generation of conductors and is equally at home with Classical and Central European repertoire as he is with innovative and unusual contemporary repertoire." Welser-Möst made his Cleveland Orchestra debut in February 1993 and in six years has conducted the orchestra in more than 30 programs. He is currently music director of the Zurich Opera, a post he will continue to hold beyond 2002.

Then, on June 23, the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra elected Sir Simon Rattle to succeed its chief conductor, Claudio Abbado, who also plans to step down in September 2002. Rattle, 44, made his name as chief conductor of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra in Britain. He will be only the sixth head of the Berlin Philharmonic in its 117-year history. He was chosen in a vote by the 112 full-time members of the orchestra, winning out over Daniel Barenboim, music director of the German State Opera and Chicago Symphony Orchestra, "by a great majority," according to the Philharmonic’s chair, Rudolf Watzel. "I have always believed trust to be the most important ingredient in musical collaboration," said Rattle. "The fact that the BPO has reached its decision through such a long, thoughtful, democratic process gives me immense optimism for our future together. It will be an honor and a privilege for me to take this journey with such a great orchestra."

Later that same day, Seiji Ozawa, the sometimes controversial music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra since 1973 and artistic director of the Tanglewood Music Center since 1970, announced that he would resign at the close of the 2002 Tanglewood season to assume the music directorship of the Vienna State Opera. Currently the longest-tenured music director of a major orchestra anywhere in the world, Ozawa has signed a three-year contract with the Vienna State Opera and will be in residence in that city five months a year. "I would never leave the Boston Symphony for another orchestra," declared Ozawa in a letter to the members of that group. "However, in my own growth as a musician, I increasingly have come to love the operatic repertoire. It is with great mixed emotion that I have decided to accept the position with the Vienna State Opera . . . this has been one of the most difficult decisions of my life." A search committee composed of trustees, orchestra members, and staff has been formed to find Ozawa’s successor.

At a weekend event called Extreme Strings, sponsored by ASTA with NSOA last spring, jazz violinist Matt Glaser was awarded that association’s first Stéphane Grappelli Memorial Award (a cash award and a plaque). "It shows that ASTA knows it’s in everyone’s interest to acknowledge other [than classical] styles," says Glaser. "I’m deeply grateful, and especially touched that it bears Stéphane Grappelli’s name."

The Jerusalem Trio (Roy Shiloah, violin; Arield Tushinsky, cello; and Yaron Rosenthal, piano) won the Osaka International Chamber Music Competition in May, taking home $30,000 and a gold medal in addition to winning a ten-city Japanese tour. It was the first time in the history of the competition that the first prize was not shared with another ensemble. The Jerusalem is touring the U.S. this November and releasing a new CD on the Doremi label. Second place was taken by the Elm City Ensemble (Ingrid Sweeney, violin; Rebecca Patterson, cello; Garrick Zoeter, clarinet; and Cristina Valdes, piano) of New Haven, Connecticut. Also in May, the Corigliano Quartet (Michael Jinsoo Lim and Sujean A. Kim, violin; M. Melia Watras, viola; and Jeffrey Zeigler, cello) of Indiana University, Bloomington, won the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition’s First String Prize ($3,000), as well as the Fischoff Grand Prize (another $3,000). Second prize in the Senior String category went to the Basmati String Quartet, of Rice University, and third was taken by Flight 3, from Michigan State University.

Frank Huang, a 20-year-old violinist from Houston, Texas, won the $10,000 first prize at the 14th annual Irving M. Klein International String Competition held at San Francisco State University in June. The prize includes performances with the Peninsula and Santa Cruz Symphonies and a recital at Kohl Mansion in California, as well as a performance at the Chamber Music Festival at San Miguel de Allende in Mexico. Second prize ($2,000) was awarded to Madeline Adkins, 22, from Denton, Texas; third ($1,000) went to Lucia Micarelli, a 15-year-old violinist from New York City. "This is one the finest groups of semifinalists and finalists that we’ve ever had," said Competition Director Mitchell S. Klein.

In July, Pittsburgh Symphony Music Director Mariss Jansons was presented with an honorary membership of the Royal Academy of Music by the Duchess of Gloucester at the school’s graduation ceremony. Such honorary memberships are limited to 300 living musicians who have distinguished themselves within their profession.

The Washington Chamber Symphony is once again accepting applications for Viva Vivaldi, its annual recreation of Vivaldi’s all-girl orchestra. Last year, the 45-piece orchestra performed for a standing-room-only crowd of 2,500 at the John F. Kennedy Center Concert Hall. This year’s concert will be held on May 21, 2000, and applications are welcome from young women who will be age 18 or younger on that date. Applications must be postmarked by November 15, 1999, and be accompanied by a tape; for more information, write to Viva Vivaldi, Washington Chamber Symphony, 1099 22nd St. NW, Suite 602, Washington, DC 20037; call (202) 452-1321; or e-mail wcsymphony@aol.com.

The Sphinx Competition, which is open to all junior-high, high-school, and college-age African-American and Latino string players, will be held in March 2000 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The competition culminates in a Finals Concert, during which the three finalists from the senior division perform and compete, accompanied by the Ann Arbor Symphony, in front of a large live audience and a jury panel. The winner of the junior division, determined earlier, will also perform with the symphony. The concert is audio- and videotaped for national release on public television, radio, and other media outlets. All of the semifinalists receive full-scholarship slots in the top summer music institutions in the country, and the finalists receive performance opportunities with the National Symphony Orchestra and other high-visibility professional appearances. The deadline for entry is December 1, 1999; for details, write to 1607 Anderson, Ann Arbor, MI 48104; call (734) 994-7264; or point your browser to comnet.org/sphinx/.

The fifth international Premio Paolo Borciani String Quartet Competition will be held June 11–18, 2000, in Reggio Emilia, Italy. Prizes are awarded on very strict criteria (only two first-place winners have been declared in the past four competitions); first prize is 36,000,000 lire ($20,000) and concert tours in Europe and the U.S. Applications must be received by January 31, 2000. For more information, write to Teatro Municipale Valli, Piazza Martiri del 7 luglio, 42100 Reggio Emilia, Italy; call (39) 0522-458811; or e-mail direzione@i-teatri-re.it.

The Curtis Institute of Music, the renowned Philadelphia conservatory that has turned out some of this century’s great musicians and composers, is celebrating its 75th anniversary during the 1999–2000 season. Special events to mark the milestone include a 13-city tour of Europe, three fully staged operas, and concerts at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia on October 17, 1999, and at Carnegie Hall in New York on March 30, 2000. Curtis alumni Daron Hagen and Jennifer Higdon have each been commissioned to compose a work to be premiered this season. Curtis is also producing an anniversary book filled with historic photos, as well as a CD featuring Gary Graffman, Rudolf Serkin, and Josef Hofmann. For more information about performances, call the Curtis ticket office at (215) 893-7902; for general information, go to www.curtis.edu.

The Dallas Symphony Orchestra is celebrating its 100th anniversary with the 1999–2000 season. Centennial celebrations include several world premieres, among them Michael Hersch’s Symphony No. 1 in November, Lowell Liebermann’s Symphony No. 2 in February, and Cindy McTee’s Timepiece, also in February. Major soloists are slated to appear this year, including Midori, Itzhak Perlman, Hilary Hahn, and Pinchas Zukerman. The grand finale of the concert season will be a performance of Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 with more than 350 musicians, including an expanded orchestra, full chorus, boys’ choir, and eight soloists on an extended stage. A centennial dinner will be held on May 22, 2000, the actual birthday of the orchestra: 200 people will dine on the concert stage. And on May 29, the symphony celebrates with a free outdoor concert, fireworks, and a huge cake. For ticket information, call (214) 692-0203; for other centennial information, call (214) 871-4075.

Music-publishing firm Boosey & Hawkes has joined forces with New York’s City Hall to announce Copland 2000, a celebration marking the 100th anniversary of American composer Aaron Copland’s birth. The worldwide celebration will include more than 200 concerts, festivals, and related events over the next two seasons. "We celebrate with pride the contributions of one of New York’s most distinguished residents," declared Linda Golding, president of Boosey & Hawkes. "His work and his example have come to represent the innovation, inclusiveness, and optimism of American culture at its best."

A wide range of events has already been organized. On November 27, 1999, the New York Philharmonic launches "Completely Copland," a three-week retrospective of Copland’s entire orchestral and chamber catalog. The Philharmonic is also collaborating with the Museum of Modern Art on a festival of Copland’s compositions for film. The New York Pops will feature Copland’s music in programs all season. The Eos Orchestra plans a four-day series in March, "Celluloid Copland," featuring Copland-scored films and their music. The Sylvia and Danny Kaye Playhouse will focus on Copland’s stage works in May and June 2000.

New York is not the only site of such celebrations. The Minnesota Orchestra plans to salute Copland, beginning in January 2000 with a semistaged version of The Tender Land, conducted by Eiji Oue. In Hartford, Connecticut, the Hartford Symphony, Bushnell Theater, Hartt School of Music, and Wadsworth Atheneum have joined forces for a 15-month, citywide celebration beginning in March 2000. The Seattle Symphony has programmed a number of Copland works this season and plans an evening entitled "Tribute to Aaron Copland." Violinist Mark O’Connor will tour the U.S. this season and next, pairing his own music with Copland’s in performances with the Florida Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, and others.

If you can’t make it to a live performance, BMG is issuing a two-CD set, Historic Copland Recordings, of mono recordings made in the mid-1950s. As part of its Masterworks Heritage Series, Sony is planning to reissue a historic 1951 recording of the complete Old American Songs, sung by baritone William Warfield and accompanied by Copland himself. Michael Tilson Thomas is slated to lead new recordings of Copland’s ballets. And Koch is issuing a new recording of The Tender Land in November 1999. Furthermore, Northwest Airlines is devoting an audio channel to Copland works for all flights from Minneapolis to London.

For more information, go to the Boosey & Hawkes Web site, www.ny.boosey.com. It offers a multimedia presentation, Retrospective, that highlights Copland’s life and work through audio clips of interviews, graphics, and music; a guide to Copland’s music; a complete listing of publications; and a calendar of events.

Which is better, classical or jazz? Cellist Yo-Yo Ma and saxophonist Joshua Redman help kids realize that there’s room for all types of music in an October 18, 1999, appearance on the PBS cartoon series Arthur, winner of two Emmy Awards. Arthur, a young aardvark, gets Redman (portrayed as a bear) to perform at a school event—not knowing that his sister D.W. has already enlisted a tuxedo-clad, rabbit-eared Ma to bring his cello. A highlight of the program comes when Arthur fantasizes a World Wrestling Federation–style battle between the two musicians in which Ma whips out a cello and almost succeeds in boring Redman to death with his playing. However, when the two players actually meet, their mutual respect saves the day. For more information, go to www.pbs.org/arthur.

Looking for a computer game that raises philosophical questions about the birth of the cosmos, the complexity of the human soul, and the very essence of human nature? Load up Mindscape Entertainment’s new adventure game Ring: The Legend of the Nibelungen, based on Richard Wagner’s Ring cycle. Released under the Red Orb Entertainment label, which produced the popular Myst and Riven games, Ring began shipping in June.

No mere piece of fluff, the software features a soundtrack of Wagner’s original music performed by the Vienna Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Sir Georg Solti, in addition to detailed "immersion" graphics to provide a 360-degree point of view. The player selects one of four characters from the Nibelungen mythos—Brunnhilde the Valkyrie, Loge the Fire Spirit, Siegmund the Man-Wolf, or Alberich the Dwarf Tyrant—for the epic quest, which follows a multipath, non-linear storyline. Each character wields unique powers that can help the player reach the opera’s final act and "put an end to tyranny and madness," as the instructions explain.

"If you have seen The Ring at the opera, you will have an advantage over someone who has not," says Ring producer Dan Irish. "That’s not to say a good gamer won’t enjoy it." Players can choose from English, German, or French for a plot that is closely based on the classic opera but includes elements of science fiction: the action begins in a post-apocalyptic future and travels back and forth through time. The game is divided into chapters that help keep the complex storyline organized but can be played in any order. For more information, point your Web browser to www.redorb.com/Ring/index.html.

The International Society of Bassists has created a monthly calendar for 2000 that’s perfect for the bass player on your Christmas list. Filled with unique, often humorous photos of bass personalities from around the world, including Ray Brown and Charlie Haden, the calendar also lists many events of interest to bass players and enthusiasts. The cost is $14.95 postage paid (overseas addresses, add $3). To order, call (972) 233-9107, ext. 204, or send a check or money order to ISB, 4020 McEwen #105, Dallas, TX 85244.

Khan Management in Los Angeles is seeking new artists for its 2000–01 artist roster. If you’re a string soloist, ensemble, or early-music group interested in U.S. representation, send a resumé and CD to 11615 Missouri Ave., Suite 6, Los Angeles, CA 90025; or for more information, call (310) 477-6612 or visit www.khanmusic.com.

A survey conducted by the British magazine Hospital Doctor found that despite what is played in the operating rooms on television shows such as ER and Chicago Hope, surgeons and their staffs prefer classical music to rock ’n’ roll. Vivaldi’s Four Seasons was the top choice, followed by Beethoven’s Violin Concerto, Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos, Saint-Saëns’ "The Swan" from The Carnival of Animals, and Wagner’s rather less soothing "Ride of the Valkyries."

Violin maker and repairer Kurt Neufeld, of Mission Viejo, California, was looking for a way to come to the attention of directors of school music programs. Finally he was inspired to turn to his knowledge of professional puppetry and create a 30-minute program, "Stradivari’s Secret," to explain his craft to schoolchildren and introduce them to that giant of violin making, Antonio Stradivari.

Neufeld goes into classrooms and starts the program by showing the kids how he constructs a violin with special tools and woods. He then pulls out Tony Strad, a soft-sculpture puppet, with whom he engages in humorous banter ("Tell me about your son, Omobono." "I told him that I would like to go through one day without scolding him." "What did he say?" "He say, ‘You have my permission.’"). They sing a song together and Neufeld plays tunes on his violin. Finally, he holds a question-and-answer period.

"This show is especially popular with music students," says the Viennese-born Neufeld, who takes seriously his mission to educate kids about lutherie and strives to achieve a convincing Italian accent for Tony Strad. He charges no fee to perform his show in schools. "My real purpose in doing this show is to pay back," he explains. "I know how lucky I and my parents were to come to this wonderful free country!" To invite Neufeld to your school, write to 23393 El Greco, Mission Viejo, CA 92692, or call (949) 586-2814.

News, from the U.S. or abroad, is always welcome. Please mail to Jessamyn Reeves-Brown, News & Notes, Strings, PO Box 151049, San Rafael, CA 94915; fax to (415) 485-0831; or e-mail to jessamyn@stringletter.com.