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BLODGETT:
CHAMBER MUSIC SERIES
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DISTINGUISHED ARTISTS
Neba Solo, master balafon player from Mali, brought his musicians and dancers to Harvard for a week's residency as a Blodgett Distinguished Artist.
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The Blodgett Chamber Music Series produces several concerts each year featuring the artists-in-residence. These concerts are free and open to the public, and take place in John Knowles Paine Concert Hall.
The Blodgett Artist-in-Residence Program
The Blodgett Artist-in-Residence program is made possible through a gift from Mr. and Mrs. John W. Blodgett, Jr. The program provides for distinguished artists and ensembles to spend four weeks each year in residence at the Harvard University Department of Music offering workshops, coaching, and lessons to Harvard students. The Blodgett artists are also available to read undergraduate and graduate student compositions, and to perform a composition by the winner of the annual Blodgett Composition Competition. Each visit culminates with a free public performance.
Additionally, the music department invites Blodgett Distinguished Artists to lecture and perform in a variety of musical disciplines. Recent artists have been Koo Nimo (Ghanaian music), Sir Harrison Birtwistle (composer), and Neba Solo (Malian balafon musician) and jazz pioneer Geri Allen. |
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photo: Christian Steiner
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2008-2009 Blodgett Artists-in-Residence:
The Chiara String Quartet
The Chiara (“clear, pure, or light” in Italian) will be in residence at Harvard for four one-week periods each academic year beginning in October 2008. Recently awarded with the Guarneri Quartet Residency Award for artistic excellence by Chamber Music America, the Chiara Quartet’s other honors include a top prize at the Paolo Borciani International Competition, winning the Astral Artistic Services National Audition, and winning First Prize at the Fischoff Chamber Music Competition.
During their time on campus at Harvard, the Chiara Quartet (Rebecca Fischer, violin; Julie Yoon, violin; Jonah Sirota, viola; and Gregory Beaver, cello) will perform free public concerts and work directly with Harvard students by providing lessons, coachings, and readings of student compositions.
In addition to performing in major halls such as Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall, Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall, the American Academy in Rome, and Philadelphia's Kimmel Center, the Quartet currently devotes much of its performance season to concerts in alternative venues. In recent months they have performed at clubs including New York’s Caffe Vivaldi in the West Village, Kansas City’s The Brick, Houston’s Mucky Duck, Lincoln’s The Chatterbox, Wichita’s The Artichoke, and Chicago’s The Hideout.
The Chiara trained at The Juilliard School, mentoring for two years with the Juilliard Quartet as recipients of the Lisa Arnhold Quartet Residency, at the Yellow Barn Music School and Festival, and at the Aspen Music Festival, working with some of the most inspiring luminaries in the chamber music world.
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FROMM PLAYERS AT HARVARD
Gil Rose, conductor, Boston Modern Orchestra Project; Fromm Players concert
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The Fromm Players at Harvard give a series of concerts in Paine Hall which are devoted to new music. The concerts are sponsored by the Department and the Fromm Music Foundation at Harvard.
The Fromm Foundation at Harvard is the oldest foundation in the country devoted exclusively to the support of new music. From 1972 through 1987 the Fromm Music Foundation was partially administered by the Music Department. Beginning in the fall of 1987, it was moved entirely here. The Foundation grants commissions annually to young composers, sponsors an annual composition award and contemporary music concert at Tanglewood, and has recently helped to establish a composer residency at the American Academy in Rome. In addition, the Foundation has supported a variety of concerts and festivals of new music throughout the country. |
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HARVARD GROUP FOR NEW MUSIC
 Performance at Midway Studios, 2005
Photo: Tolga Yayalar
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HGNM is comprised of Harvard University Music Department graduate students, including composers from the composition, theory musicology and ethnomusicology programs. The primary purpose of HGNM is to perform works by its membership, to foster a sense of community among the resident composers and to develop musical and professional relationships beyond the group. HGNM presents four concerts a year including the Thelma E. Goldberg Concert and the FROMM residency. In addition, members of HGNM collaborate with HUSEAC (Harvard University Studio for Electroacoustic Composition) to concerts of
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THELMA E. GOLDBERG CONCERT |
The Thelma E. Goldberg Concert was established by Professor Ray Goldberg in honor of his wife. The concert is meant to encourage performances of contemporary music by current Harvard student composers. All Harvard students, from first-year undergraduates to Ph.D. candidates, are eligible to submit works for consideration. |
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WORLD MUSIC AT HARVARD
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This is a series of concerts and lectures given by significant performers of world music from outside Harvard. Events are free, open to the public, and generally held in John Knowles Paine Concert Hall. Concerts have included Zimbabwe Mbira, a Mbira Music Lecture Demonstration, Turkish classical musicians Reha and Selma Sagbas, and a concert of music from South Asia.
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PERFORMANCE COURSES
Harvard's Gamelan Si Betty
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The Department offers a wide range of music courses each semester. The following courses in chamber music may be taken for academic credit:
- Music 180r. Chamber Music Performance and Analysis. An audition is required. Consult the course catalog for scheduling and possibilities for concentration credit.
- Music 182r. 18th-Century Performance Practice. Permission of the instructor is required. This course is not given every year. Consult the course catalog for scheduling and possibilities for concentration credit.
- Music 183r. 19th- and 20th-Century Performance Practice. Permission of the instructor is required. This course is not given every year.
- 187r Chamber Music Performance. An audition is required (Students may either be considered based on HRO auditions or by separate audition for the course.) May not be counted for concentrationi credit.
- Courses in Gamelan and other music such as South Indian music, music from the Silk Road, and others are often offered. Check course schedules and descriptions for current offerings.
9999x Independent Study. For upperclassmen only. Credit for music lessons must be applied for through the Music Department. Forms are available in the front office of the Music Building and the Senior Tutor's Office. Prior approval is required, and no credit will be given unless all guidelines are strictly adhered to. Independent Study is not available to Freshman.
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