Kaufman Center News Blog
Carter’s First Hundred Years
I particularly like the title above because at 99 Elliott Carter doesn’t seem to be slowing down. In fact, he has written more and varied works (an opera, more symphonic works, etc.). There is an embarrassment of riches in his output for winds. His chamber music has been where most of his watershed works have come from, and the opportunity for Elliott’s orchestration to really shine comes from the unusual combinations of wind music that can be heard throughout his career. In the charming and slightly challenging Quintet for Winds (1948) we hear a young voice aligning himself with what’s come before by marrying elements of both American and European sensibilities. This was de rigueur for much of the new American composers, especially those who studied abroad in Nadia Boulanger’s Paris studio (Carter, Copland, Thomson and many others). The forms are classical for the most part with a nod to American popular dance music in the rondo that is the last movement.
Kaufman Center Students perform at Winter’s Eve, Dec. 1
On Monday, December 1 beginning at 5:30 pm, The Lincoln Square Business Improvement District will again sponsor the Winter’s Eve neighborhood holiday festival featuring live performances, tastings at local restaurants and family activities. Kaufman Center will showcase student chamber ensembles, which will perform at TD Bank (formerly Commerce Bank) on Broadway at 68th Street from 5:30 to 7:30 pm.
Lucy Moses School Student featured on From the Top
Click here to hear Lucy Moses School student, Alice Ivy-Pemberton, on the popular show From the Top. From the Top celebrates the passion, dedication and personal stories of the nation's outstanding young classical musicians.
Dialects: Thoughts on Crossover Jazz
Omer Klein gave us a new piece on September 18 that really went beyond my expectations of what a young composer might come up with for jazz combo plus string quartet. It was a wonderful mixture of instruments but not a huge glut of styles as many “crossover” pieces often become. Nor was it an extension of either his keyboard or the rhythm section. Rather, it was an engaging, very tightly composed work of about ten minutes that featured a lively dance-like theme with some nice improvised solo passages for piano and bass most prominently.
Special Music School’s Face the Music at Le Poisson Rouge
On September 23, Special Music School's new music ensemble, Face the Music, wowed the crowd at New York's newest downtown venue, Le Poisson Rouge. The show was part of the critically-acclaimed Wordless Music Series.
Joan Tower Celebrates her 70th!
Joan Tower celebrates her 70th birthday at Merkin Concert Hall on the actual date. Her output after a successful career on the piano lead her to the heights of Grammy, Gravemeyer, etc. and she adds yet another feather to her cap with the American Music Center’s Letter of Distinction to be presented by their board president, Ed Yim.
My Thoughts on Musically Speaking
Musically Speaking is the beginning of many sentences in my day to day.
Face the Music at Wordless Music Series
On May 2, 2008, the Special Music School's new music ensemble, Face the Music, shared the stage of Good Shepherd Faith Church in Manhattan with itsnotyouitsme and Stars of the Lid as part of the Wordless Music Series. The series has become a favorite of music connoisseurs in New York and is now broadcast on WNYC.
Click here to hear the show.
First Special Music School Graduating Seniors Choose their Next Steps
Spring was a time of passage at Kaufman Center as Lucy Moses School (LMS) seniors and—for the first time—Special Music School (SMS) seniors took their next steps.
Welcome Veronica Volpert
Meet Veronica Volpert, our new Coordinator of Young People’s Programs at the Lucy Moses School. Veronica will be responsible for classes, lessons and performances for children and teens.
