Women and Minorities in the VPO

CUBE The Latest Buzz from CUBE Contemporary Chamber Ensemble Winter–Spring 2007 Women and Minorities in the VPO By William Osborne DECEMBER 12, 2006 As is now well-known, racial minorities—though here too Radio, the orchestra’s principal flutist, the Vienna State Opera Orchestra/ the orchestra is at least nominally Dieter Flury, strongly defended the Vienna Philharmonic nominally addressing these practices. The policy Vienna Philharmonic’s exclusion ended its long tradition of excluding of whites-only has been directed mostly of women and people of color (these women on February 27, 1997. These toward Asians, since many study in sentiments have been echoed by many changes were made one day before Vienna where they have reached the of the string players as well). “From the orchestra traveled to Carnegie Hall, highest professional standards. In the beginning we have spoken of the where it was facing large protests by the last ten years, the orchestra has special Viennese qualities, of the the International Alliance for Women hired its first two people of color, way music is made here. The way we in Music, The National Organization but one of them was fired, the tubist make music here is not only a technical of of Women, and a great deal of Yasuto Sugiyama. Mr. Sugiyama is ability, but also something that has Mark your negative negative press coverage. a world-class musician who soon a lot to do with the soul. The soul does calendars for The orchestra began by allowing Anna afterwards won the tuba position in not let itself be separated from CUBE! Lelkes—their woman harpist who the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra. the cultural roots that we have here had already performed with them in This leaves serious questions about in central Europe.” “Sounding the Sacred III” Sunday, February 18, at 4:00 PM an “associate status” for 26 years— why he was fired in Vienna. In November, 2006, a journalist Augustana Chapel to become an official member of the Seiji Ozawa is the General Music working for Der Spiegel and a journal- Lutheran School of Theology Vienna Philharmonic. Ms. Lelkes Director of the Vienna State Opera, but ist working for a very large daily in 1100 E. 55th St. Chicago was forced into retirement four years the conductors there are appointed Helsinki, contacted me because they later, even though she wanted to by the house’s administration, not the were planning articles about women Program • Beverly Grigsby, Fragments from Augustine continue working. orchestra. The Vienna Philharmonic in orchestras. Both journalists began the Saint for tenor, oboe/english horn, harp, There has been no change in is a private enterprise the musicians interviewing musicians and admin- percussion the male/female ratios in the Vienna run on the side. (Ozawa has been istrators in the Vienna State Opera. • Victoria Bond, Sacred Sisters for violin and harp Philharmonic in the last ten years. bedridden in Japan for months fight- (Their stories have not yet appeared.) • Judith Shatin, Fasting Heart for solo flute They still have only one woman mem- ing serious illness, so he has little or • Ruth Lomon, Ceremonial Masks for solo ber. And she is still a harpist, Charlotte no knowledge of the situation.) NOTE piano Composer William Osborne lives in Germany Balzereit. And the orchestra’s opera It should be mentioned that a with his spouse, virtuosic trombonist Abbie Guest performers: Kenneth Gayle, tenor; formation has fared little better. The screen is used during the orchestra’s Paul Hurst, harp; David Volfe, violin; Vance Conant (both were featured on a CUBE Okraszewski, percussion m/f ratio for the Vienna Philharmonic auditions, but that it is removed concert in 2000.) He and Ms. Conant founded is 136 to 1. The m/f ratio for regular during the last round. The ensemble The Wasteland Company in 1984 to explore women’s roles in music theatre; they tour Special free preview performance of contracts in the Vienna State Opera believes it is important to see what regularly in the US and Europe. Fragments from Augustine the Saint and Orchestra is 141 to 4. musicians look like while they play. In 2000 MSNBC published a major selected works for solo harp, Saturday, article about his work on their new website, February 17, 2007, at 1pm, Columbia College Women are not the only people The visual criteria are very undefined. Concert Hall, 1014 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago “Taking On the Vienna Philharmonic.” who face exclusion in the Vienna State The motives for these rather gener- http://www.osborne-conant.org/index.html Opera Orchestra/Vienna Philharmonic. alized criticisms might deserve closer The full-length article printed here and The ensemble’s traditions also include examination. In an interview in 1996 many others appear on their website: the exclusion of visible members of with the West German State http://www.osborne-conant.org/index.html CUBE Circuits • Winter-Spring 2007 Point Counterpoint by Patricia Morehead CUBE Annual On March 30 in the Columbia College Concert Hall CUBE will premiere Joe Cerqua’s Point for flute, oboe, cello, Spring Festival 2007 bass clarinet and piano in collabora- tion with dancers from the Cerqua- Rivera Dance Theater, commissioned Sounding the Victoria Bond’s Sacred Sisters for harp for Betty Xiang, guest performer. by CUBE. Other works on the program and violin, played by guest artists Ms. Xiang will also perform Bruce are a work for piano and electronics Sacred Paul Hurst and David Volfe. Saylor’s work for solo erhu, Whispers. by Timothy Edwards, recent music by by Philip Morehead Grigsby’s monodrama will have Doug Brush will be premiering a new Erdem Helvacioglu, Chihchun Chi-Sun On February 18 an open preview performance, along work, Poem for Hafiz, for reed flute, Lee, and Witold Lutoslawski, and at the Lutheran with solo harp works, in the Columbia oud, cello and percussion. The work was Patricia Morehead’s The Handmaid’s School of Theology College Concert Hall on Saturday, created from his travels in India last Tale for two pianos based on the Mar- CUBE will present February 17, at 1PM. Admission to this year; the piece evokes music of “samai,” garet Atwood book of the same name. a concert of works performance is free. classical music of Arabic origins, and Kenneth Gayle by women com- elements of Indian music—thus posers, featuring CUBE Goes for Silk Road & Beyond moving along the Silk Road from West a semi-staged performance of to East. Tenderness of Cranes, by Brecht Fragments from Augustine the Saint, by Janice Misurell-Mitchell Shirish Korde is based on the style of On Monday, by Janice Misurell-Mitchell a monodrama by California composer music of the Japanese shakuhachi, “CUBE Goes for Brecht” will take place Beverly Grigsby based on the writings March 26 from a bamboo flute, in its treatment of 8:00–10:00pm on on Thursday, May 3, 2007 at 8:00pm of St. Augustine, with guest artists breath, rhythm, and elastic time. The in Fulton Recital Hall, Goodspeed Kenneth Gayle, tenor, Paul Hurst, harp, WFMT, 98.7 FM, composer is an Indian born in Uganda. CUBE will per- Hall, 1010 East and Vance Okraszewski, percussion. Taiwanese composer Chihchun Chi-sun th form music from 59 Street at the The text of the work is taken as Betti Xiang Lee will be represented by her work University of Chi- fragments from nine major writings countries that for flute and cello, Politics: Struggles of were part of the Silk Road and those cago. The concert of the saint. The instrumentation Civility; the piece references charges is co-sponsored by employs the beyond the famed route, including of election fraud in 2004 between the new works inspired by the theme of the Renaissance ancient doctrine formerly dominant Chinese Nationalist Sharon Society, Germanic of the trifold interconnections of East and West. party and the current party in power, Quattrin The program features Moments Studies and the nature of man the Democratic Progressive Party. Department of Music, University of and, in the classic of the East for solo oboe by Agnes There will be interviews with the Bashir, an Iraqi composer and pianist Chicago and the Elizabeth F. Cheney Greek tradition, composers, stories of contemporary Foundation. Admission is free and Paul Hurst living in Jordan, and a work for piano employs the oboe, travel along the Silk Road and CUBist open to the public. A reception at the harp and percussion as secular, sacred and electronics by Erdem Helvacloglu, musical commentary. an award-winning electronic music Renaissance Society, also on campus, and emotional forces (the body, the follows the concert. soul and the mind). The work will be composer from Istanbul. An example of music based on relationships High Winds of CUBE The concert features eight North conducted by Philip Morehead. American premieres of the works The program will also offer Ruth between the Eastern aesthetic and by Patricia Morehead the Western is Mandala #2 for solo This free program, presented in the written for the Brecht project that Lomon’s Ceremonial Masks for solo piano, was created jointly played by Lawrence Axelrod; Judith piano by Lawrence Axelrod, which Columbia College Concert Hall on takes its name from the sacred March 27 at 12:30pm, features the high by CUBE and Shatin’s Fasting Heart for solo flute, Ensemble Junge- played by Janice Misurell-Mitchell; and circular artwork found throughout winds of CUBE—flutes, oboe, clarinet, the Buddhist and Hindu worlds; the and electronics—in the music of Mary Musik in Berlin. piece uses the image of concentric Gardiner, Julian Harvey, Thea Musgrave Readers may circles of symbols and colors as a basis and Ramon Zupko.

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