All concerts are FREE. Most are Fridays at 7pm in the David Greer Recital Hall, Bloomingdale School of Music, 323 West 108th Street, unless otherwise noted.
*Denotes BSM faculty member
BLOOMINGDALE SCHOOL OF MUSIC EMBARKS ON 2017-18 SEASON
Free Concert Series Features
* Bernstein at 100 * Women Composers * Jazz * Faculty Focus *
Beginning October 6, 2017 and running through to June 22, 2018 BSM’s efforts to reach its community with 26 performances that uplift and engage continues with its popular free concert series divided into smaller thematic “mini series”. These four series encompass the school’s participation in Bernstein at 100, the two-year global celebration of the life and career of the 20th century cultural giant, featuring more than 1,000 events on six continents; an exploration of under recognized women composers; a deeper focus on jazz; and a continued commitment to presenting our talented faculty in self curated programming.
10/6/17 Friday 7pm
David Greer Recital Hall
Series: Faculty Focus
Sounds of the City
With its shrieking sirens, honking horns, and prattling pedestrians, New York City can be an assaulting auditory experience. However, New York has also produced other kinds of sound. BSM faculty members Sara Sherman and Rebecca Steinberg present works for piano and trumpet by some of the city’s most gifted musical residents: George Gershwin, Aaron Copland, Edward MacDowell, and Eric Ewazen.
Sara Sherman, piano*
Rebecca Steinberg, trumpet*
Anne Marie Bermont, violin
10/13/17 Friday 7pm
David Greer Recital Hall
Series: Faculty Focus
Bach, Beethoven, Barber, & Fugues
One of the most exciting features of music for the piano is the combination of fugues with other compositional forms, the most notable being J.S. Bach’s preludes and fugues in The Well Tempered Clavier. By the early 19th century Beethoven began including fugues as final movements in his piano sonatas, a practice he continued and perfected throughout his life. The 20th century American composer Samuel Barber also included a fugue as the final statement in his celebrated “Piano Sonata” from 1949. This program illustrates the influence and treatment of fugue within a broader compositional spectrum by three masterful composers spanning 200 years.
Monica Verona, piano*
10/20/17 Friday 7pm
David Greer Recital Hall
Series: Faculty Focus
Restraint and Exuberance
BSM piano faculty member Roberto Hidalgo presents a program of works from France, Mexico, and Russia exploring the range of expression from neo-classical restraint to romantic exuberance. Works by Debussy, Sanchez-Gutierrez, and Scriabin will be performed.
Roberto Hidalgo, piano*
10/27/17 Friday 7pm
David Greer Concert Hall
Series: Jazz
A Tribute to Art Blakey
This concert is a tribute to the great drummer and bandleader Art Blakey (aka: Abdullah Ibn Buhaina) who was born in 1919 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and worked with great musicians all his life including Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker, and Dizzy Gillespie. BSM jazz faculty members present a concert honoring Mr. Blakey and the great performers that worked with him.
Michael Cochrane, piano*
Joe Ford, trombone*
Kevin Farrell, bass*
Jeremy Noller, drums*
11/3/17 Friday 7pm
David Greer Recital Hall
Series: Faculty Focus
Virtuosic Voice of the Violin – Fantastic Folk-inspired Fiddle-works
BSM violin faculty member Claudia Schaer performs a concert of works inspired by rich folk traditions from around the world. From Gypsy fiddlers in France to Hungarian peasant songs and dances, this concert includes virtuosic works by Bartók, Ravel, Rachmaninov as well as Andrew Thomas’ 2017 work Premonitions written for Claudia.
Claudia Schaer, violin*
Nuno Marques, piano*
Max Lifchitz, piano
11/11/17 *Saturday* 7pm
David Greer Recital Hall
Series: Bernstein at 100
BERNSTEIN BRASS BASH
BSM celebrates Leonard Bernstein’s 100th anniversary in a concert featuring rarely heard works for brass instruments including a brilliant arrangement of music from West Side Story.
Rebecca Steinberg, trumpet*
Lisa Pike, horn*
Jack Gale, trombone
Nick Finzer, tuba*
Judith Olson, piano*
11/17/17 Friday 7pm
David Greer Recital Hall
Series: Women Composers/Jazz
Roots and Branches: Jazz explorations on World Music Traditions
BSM voice faculty member Jocelyn Medina presents a diverse program of music from India, Africa and Brazil, with the integration of these styles into her jazz-based compositions. Listeners will be taken on a cross-cultural, auditory journey through Hindustani ragas from Northern India, Ewe polyrhythms from Ghana, and Brazilian Maracatu from Fortaleza, pairing each musical form with original songs inspired by these world traditions. The ensemble will feature BSM percussion faculty member Eric Phinney on traditional Ghanaian percussion and Indian tabla.
Jocelyn Medina, voice*
Art Hirahara, piano
Evan Gregor, bass
Mark Ferber, drums
Eric Phinney, tabla & percussion*
12/1/17 Friday 7pm
David Greer Recital Hall
Series: Faculty Focus
The Viola: From Paris to London
BSM faculty members Aundrey Mitchell and Tim McCullough will present a concert featuring works for viola and piano composed during the 19th to early/mid-20th century. The music performed will demonstrate the distinctive styles of the French and English schools of viola playing.
Aundrey Mitchell, viola*
Tim McCullough, piano*
12/8/17 Friday 7pm
David Greer Recital Hall
Series: Jazz
True, Part 2: Electric
True: Part 2 features BSM faculty member Mark Mollica in works influenced by blues, rock, jazz, world music, and electronica. The musicians in his ensemble will use jazz language and technique to play across these different styles which value simplicity and emotional directness, groove, and accessibility.
Mark Mollica, electric guitar*
Nate Radley, electric guitar
John Ellis, tenor saxophone
Ike Sturm, bass
Jared Schonig, drums
12/15/17 Friday 7pm
David Greer Recital Hall
Series: Faculty Focus
Guitar & Piano Duo: Italian Composers
BSM guitar faculty member Jose Maldonado and piano faculty member Tim McCullough perform a concert of rarely heard works for guitar and piano including the composers Carulli, Giuliani, and Lagnani.
Jose Maldonado, guitar*
Tim McCullough, piano*
1/12/18 Friday 7pm
David Greer Recital Hall
Series: Women Composers
Chartreuse String Trio: By The Water
String trio Chartreuse, featuring BSM violin/viola faculty member Carrie Frey, explores music about water and life by women composers. From the dark murmurs of Bethany Younge’s trio, written at a New Hampshire lake, to Kaija Saariaho’s musical portrait of clouds in the French Alps, this program reflects on water in its various forms around the world. The set features two pieces commissioned by Chartreuse: Bethany Younge’s trio, and Leah Asher’s Let me know what you find, alongside works by well-known composers Kaija Saariaho, Rebecca Clarke, and Pauline Oliveros.
Carrie Frey, violin*
Myra Hinrichs, violin
Helen Newby, cello
2/2/18 Friday 7pm
David Greer Recital Hall
Series: Faculty Focus
Haydn: The father of the string quartet
Join BSM violin faculty member Jessica Park for an evening of Haydn string quartets performed on period instruments. In these works Haydn experimented with new compositional techniques that stretched the bounds of the string quartet genre. Experience the genius of one of music’s great creators and innovators.
Jessica Park, violin*
Ravenna Lipchik, violin
Stephen Goist, viola
Shirley Hunt, cello
2/9/18 Friday 7pm
David Greer Recital Hall
Series: Faculty Focus
The Dancing Master: English Folk Music of the 17th Century
BSM cello faculty member Margalit Cantor returns for another fascinating program of rarely heard English baroque music performed on original instruments. This concert will feature a charming collection of tuneful ayers, ballads, and fantasias from the 17th Century English countryside.
Marina Fragoulis, baroque violin
Margalit Cantor, baroque cello*
Adam Cockerham, lute
2/16/18 Friday 7pm
David Greer Recital Hall
Series: Faculty Focus
French music for winds and piano
BSM bassoon faculty member Gili Sharett performs a concert of French music for winds and piano featuring members of the Ariel Winds quintet and BSM piano faculty member Tania Tachkova. Composers will include Debussy, Faure, and Pierne.
Gili Sharett, bassoon*
Tania Tachkova, piano*
Erin Gustafson, oboe
Anthea Jackson, clarinet
3/9/18 Friday 7pm
David Greer Recital Hall
Series: Women Composers
The Music of Rebecca Clarke
Join BSM piano faculty member Tim McCullough in a concert of music of the English/American composer Rebecca Clarke. The concert will feature vocal settings of poems by William Shakespeare and William Blake, as well as the epic Viola Sonata.
Lara Nie, mezzo soprano
Ann Roggen, viola
Tim McCullough, piano*
3/16/18 Friday 7pm
David Greer Recital Hall
Series: Faculty Focus
The Great Pianist/Composers
BSM piano faculty member Nuno Marques presents a program devoted to the works of the great pianist/composers Chopin, Granados, and Rachmaninov. Their music for piano, as well as their own virtuosity at the instrument, influenced generations of composers and pianists.
Nuno Marques, piano*
3/23/18 Friday 7pm
David Greer Recital Hall
Series: Bernstein at 100
Leonard Bernstein’s Chamber Music
Join BSM faculty members Naho Parrini, Eric Phinney, and Marc Peloquin, as well as BSM Executive Director Erika Floreska, in a special concert celebrating the genius of Leonard Bernstein’s chamber music. Each piece represents important aspects of the composer’s life, including Halil (Hebrew for flute), Three Meditations from Mass, and the exciting final movement of his major violin work, Serenade.
Erika Floreska, flute
Naho Parrini, violin*
Eric Phinney, percussion*
Marc Peloquin, piano*
3/30/18 Friday 7pm
David Greer Recital Hall
Series: Faculty Focus
Serenade
BSM flute faculty member Kaoru Hinata performs a program of three classics from the flute repertoire by Bach, Beethoven, and Copland. The centerpiece of the program is the beautiful and unusually scored Beethoven Serenade for Flute, Violin, and Viola. The Duo for flute and piano is one of Copland’s late works, but incorporates some of the most appealing elements of his earlier style. The J.S. Bach Sonata in E major is an elegant example of his galante style, with dance-like movements and lyric slow movements.
Kaoru Hinata, flute*
Junko Ichikawa, piano
Naho Parrini, violin*
Aundrey Mitchell, viola*
4/13/18 Friday 7pm
David Greer Recital Hall
Series: Faculty Focus
Three Voices of Passacaglia
BSM violin faculty member Naho Parrini performs a concert exploring the fascinating passacaglia form with music from the 18th to the 20th centuries. From Bach’s masterful Chaconne for solo violin to Shostakovich’s haunting Piano Trio No.2.
Naho Parrini, violin*
Alberto Parrini, cello
Tim McCullough, piano*
4/20/18 Friday 7pm
David Greer Recital Hall
Series: Faculty Focus
Keyboard Masters
BSM piano faculty member Amy Gustafson performs a recital of works by some of the greatest keyboard masters of all time, from the Baroque master Padre Antonio Soler to the Romantic giants Johannes Brahms and Frederic Chopin.
Amy Gustafson, piano*
4/27/18 Friday 7pm
David Greer Recital Hall
Series: Faculty Focus
The Lyrical Brahms
Violinist Rolf Schulte and faculty pianist Judith Olson perform two lyrical Brahms works: the Sonata in G Major. Op. 78, known as Regensonate, and the Sonata in E-flat Major, Op. 120, No. 2, originally written for clarinet.
The Sonata in G Major, Op. 78, Regensonate (Rain Sonata), is one of Brahms’s most lyrical instrumental works. The third movement, whose minor key is unusual in such a sunny and radiant work, explicitly uses material from two of his songs. Clara Schumann wrote to Brahms of this Sonata, I wish the last movement could accompany me in my journey to the next world.
The Sonata in E-flat Major, Op. 120, No. 2, written for clarinetist Richard Mühlfeld, was the composer’s last published chamber work. His arrangement for viola is a staple of the repertoire but the violin version is seldom performed.
Rolf Schulte, violin
Judith Olson, piano*
5/4/18 Friday 7pm
David Greer Recital Hall
Series: Faculty Focus
Variations
BSM piano faculty member Anna Khanina explores the variation form in works by great composers of the romantic era. One of the most imaginative musical forms, variations are similar to improvisation in that a main idea is presented then reshaped and embellished while never losing its relationship to the original theme. Works by Schubert, Mendelssohn, Rachmaninov and Chopin.
Anna Khanina, piano*
5/11/18 Friday 7pm
David Greer Recital Hall
Series: Faculty Focus
Les Vents du Poulenc
Francis Poulenc’s extraordinary chamber music is celebrated in a concert performed by BSM faculty and MAP students, including the masterful Sextet for Piano and Winds. Also performed will be the lyrical Sonata for Flute and the witty Duo for Clarinet and Bassoon.
Lisa Pike, horn*
Judith Olson, piano*
Gili Sharett, bassoon*
David Valderrama, flute
Magdalena Garandza, clarinet
5/18/18 Friday 7pm
David Greer Recital Hall
Series: Jazz
Into the Future! Modern Jazz + Avant Pop
BSM Jazz faculty member Daniel Bennett presents a concert of original modern jazz works fused with elements of surf rock and avant-pop. Bennett is joined by renowned guitarist Nat Janoff and fusion drummer Matthew Feick in music they recently recorded and performed at the Blue Note. Join us for a program that will surely look into the future.
Daniel Bennett, alto saxophone/flute/piccolo/oboe*
Nat Janoff, electric guitar
Matthew Feick, drums
6/1/18 Friday 7pm
David Greer Recital Hall
Series: Bernstein at 100/Jazz
A Jazz Tribute to Leonard Bernstein
Join BSM piano faculty member Zach Lapidus as he performs jazz re-imaginings of Leonard Bernstein’s music. Arrangements by the members of Zach’s trio adapt Bernstein’s songs to an improvisational context and reimagine them in a different stylistic lens in keeping with the ways that jazz has evolved since they were originally composed.
Zach Lapidus, piano*
Peter Brendler, bass
Aaron Seeber, drums
6/10/18 *Sunday 3pm*
David Greer Recital Hall
Series: Bernstein at 100/Jazz
The Sounds of Nature: Piano Miniatures
Join BSM piano faculty member Judith Olson and her students in a concert exploring the sounds of nature. The enormous range of colors and effects on the piano has inspired composers to imitate the sounds of nature: birds, insects, animals, water, landscapes and atmospheric conditions. A featured work will be Bela Bartok’s Diary of a Fly, a whimsical and empathetic work depicting the frantic movements of a fly caught in a spider web. Works by Edvard Grieg and Tan Dun will also be performed.
Judith Olson, piano*
Students of Judith Olson
6/22/18 Friday 7pm
David Greer Recital Hall
Series: Faculty Focus
Transcendental Heart Strings
BSM faculty members Margalit Cantor, Katherine Copland, and Marc Peloquin collaborate on a concert showcasing repertoire written specifically to compliment the duo of cello and voice with piano. Featuring the works of great composers from Tosti to Previn, the recital will highlight compositions through the ages written for this stunning combination. We hope you can join us for a transcendent program that aims to pull on the listener’s heart-strings.
Margalit Cantor, cello*
Katherine Copland, soprano*
Marc Peloquin, piano*
Bloomingdale School of Music is grateful to the following donors:
Foundations: Associated Chamber Music Players, Columbia Community Service, D’Addario Foundation, Jarvis and Constance Doctorow Family Foundation, The Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation, Libby Holman Foundation, The Hyde and Watson Foundation, The New York Community Trust, Exploring the Metropolis Con-Edison Composers’ Residency Program, The Pinkerton Foundation, Morris and Alma Schapiro Fund
Corporations: Colgate-Palmolive Inner-City Education Fund
Public: New York State Council on the Arts with Support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, New York State Assembly Member Daniel J. O’Donnell, and New York City Council Member Helen Rosenthal
About Bloomingdale School of Music
Founded in 1964, Bloomingdale School of Music is a thriving musical environment where students of all ages, backgrounds, and income levels learn and perform music, develop life skills, and participate in a diverse community committed to access and excellence. Fifty-three years later BSM upholds it’s deep belief that an inclusive community music school can be a force for positive change in the world. With accessibility central to its mission, more than 20% of Bloomingdale’s student body receives financial aid and scholarship assistance annually.
