EQUINOX MUSIC FESTIVAL

MARCH 21, 2016

DIRECTED BY MOIRA LO BIANCO AND STEPHANY TIERNAN Te Equinox Music Festival is designed to demonstrate and explore the vitality of classical music and its connec- tion to the power and potential of improvisation. Featur- ing faculty, students, alumni, and guest artists afliated with Berklee and Te Boston Conservatory, this event— held on the frst day of spring—presents classical music through a lens of creativity and reinvention, ofering the music to the next generation as a source of inspiration and experimentation. A dynamic series of presentations, workshops, and performances will introduce new ways of listening, writing, improvising, and playing music derived from and fused with classical traditions. PROGRAM Over Tere C. Bley MORNING SESSIONS For Susanna Kyle Keyboard Instruments through the Ages L. Bernstein Arr. N. Zeltsman Steinway piano technician Mary Luisi explores how the When Nancy Zeltsman asked Carla Bley to compose a piece development of keyboard instruments infuenced com- for marimba, she learned that the celebrated jazz pianist posers’ musical styles. Tis session presents a timeline of and bandleader grew up with a marimba in her living room. the development of the most infuential kinds of keyboard In describing the 2009 piece, “Over Tere,” Bley wrote that instruments, focusing on what they look like, how they “(it) could be imagined as a tug between classical waltz feel sound, and how some of them function mechanically and and jazz waltz feel. Even rhythm and blues phrases pop up… tonally. one R&B inspiration was the Holland/Dozier/Holland song The Eclectic Language of Film Scoring recorded by the Supremes, “Where Did Our Love Go?” Te Claudio Ragazzi—flm composer, guitarist, and associate grace and springiness of the rhythms seem appropriate to professor of flm scoring at Berklee—will focus on the celebrate the lightness of early spring. infuence of classical music in flm scoring, improvisation in Leonard Bernstein wrote “For Susanna Kyle” (“V.” from Five the silent movie tradition, and how it remains alive today. Anniversaries for solo piano) for the daughter of his dear CONCERT FOR THE SUN friend and collaborator Betty Comden and her husband Steve Kyle. All that was necessary to adapt the piece to Hymn to the Sun marimba was the addition of rolls (to sustain the notes). Te G. Paradiso score suggests it is played “Peacefully”—a mood I hope may Italian drummer and percussionist Giuseppe Paradiso will breathe hope into the new season. premiere “Hymn to the Sun,” a work he composed under a Off Pist commission for the Equinox Music Festival. It is a part of S. Henryson his collection, “Essentia” Vol. 1, a project focusing on the Arr. R. Soto/K. Yuasa exploration of sounds in nature and the rediscovery of the Svante Henryson wrote “Of Pist” in 1996 for his friend most essential and primordial forms of human expression: and soprano saxophonist Anders Paulsson. Tey have percussion, voice, and movement. “Hymn to the Sun” is a common interest apart from music: alpine skiing and inspired by the cyclical movement of the sun. Its “constant especially of-piste, or of-the-beaten-path, skiing. “Skiing vibration in our universe,” as Paradiso states, manifests in is like dancing downhill very rhythmically in snow,” said this piece through the gong, an instrument that is believed Henryson. “Te music in ‘Of Pist’ goes a little out of the to not only represent the sound of the universe, but to mainstream, going a little ‘of piste.’ ” Cellist Roman Soto contain healing properties as well. and clarinetist Katsuya Yuasa will perform the contempo- Te six-section composition begins with “Origin,” stating a rary chamber jazz-funk piece, originally commissioned by fundamental vibration, represented by a tone that resonates Swedish National Television. throughout the piece. A shape is established in the second section, where a regular movement will lead into the third AFTERNOON SESSIONS section, titled “Te Rising of the Sun over Planets.” Tis Between West and East: the Concept of Microtonality section introduces a melodic pattern that derives its form Te universe of tones contains an infnity of colors, many from the juxtaposition of two diferent perceptions of time. more than the twelve equally tempered half steps of the Te fourth section—“Te Highest Point”—is where all of Western chromatic scale. Te “in-between” notes have the piece’s resonances reach a peak. In the ffth section, the fascinated musicians since the Middle Ages, and in this main melodic motif is repeated and leads back to the initial workshop presented by cellist and Berklee faculty member vibration, or source of creation, reappearing in the last sec- Arnold Friedman, there will be an opportunity to expe- tion, also titled “Origin.” Te piece’s unconventional score rience the unique and ravishing colors in works of some combines traditional music notation with images, words, modern and contemporary classical composers. and unique directions, as well as elements of aleatoric music and improvisation. Tradition of Maqam Toxic/Come as You Are Tis workshop, presented by violinist Layth Sidiq, will C. Dennis/H. Jonback/P. Winnberg and K. Cobain/ ofer explanations and demonstrations on the tradition D. Grohl/K. Novoselic of the maqam, a system of melodic modes that hails from Arr. M. Lo Bianco the Middle East. It will cover the music of Egypt, Turkey, Te Dancing Cat Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq. Sidiq will discuss topics such as M. Lo Bianco composition, improvisation, the language of the music, and Pianist/composer Moira Lo Bianco performs music from how it can be used in the world of music today. her latest release, Imago. Her arrangement of “Toxic/Come The Multidimensional Life of a Professional Musician as You Are” reimagines and combines Britney Spears with Tis panel discussion features four multifaceted and Nirvana. Her original suite, “Te Dancing Cat,” uses odd accomplished musicians representing an eclectic mix of meters and draws upon the Middle Eastern maqamat to careers, including composer, director, performer, educator, inform its modal harmonic twists. and author. Panelists: Stephany Tiernan, Chrystos Vayenas, Allegro Moderato and Nancy Zeltsman. N. Paganini Arr. A. Watters Colors of Vernazza A. Watters August Watters, mandolinist and Berklee associate professor of ear training, presents his arrangement of “Allegro Moderato” in a performance that will include improvisational approaches typical of Paganini’s era, such as ornamentation and variation. Watters will then apply the same improvisational techniques to his original composi- tion, “Colors of Vernazza.” CONCERT FOR THE MOON BIOGRAPHIES Selkie and Dragon Talk jimena bermejo-black, born in Mexico City, holds an S. Tiernan/J. Brackeen M.F.A. in Studio for Interrelated Media from the Massa- Using a variety of musical parameters such as infection, chusetts College of Art and Design and a B.F.A. in Dance timbre, dynamics, and rhythm, these two “witches” will from Te Boston Conservatory. She has performed with concoct a musical brew with ingredients from three Spencer/Colton, Marcus Schulkind, Lorraine Chapman languages: Italian, Chinese, and Irish. Te improvisational Te Company, Caitlin Corbett Dance Company, Sarah materials have been distilled from these very diferent Slifer, and as a guest dancer with David Parker and the Bang languages by extracting the music directly from the sounds Group, among others. Bermejo-Black continues to teach, of the languages and using it as a source for improvisation choreograph, and create video/performance pieces. She on two pianos. has shown her work at Le Lieu in Quebec; 808 Gallery in Boston; Gowanous Guest Room in Brooklyn; and Mobius Suite in D Gallery, Green Street Studios, the Multicultural Arts Center, I. Swoop (M. Rabson) II. Kat Kopanica (H. Sherrah-Davies) and the Dance Complex in Cambridge. She is a member of III. Marking Time (M. Rabson) Mobius Artists Group, and she teaches dance at the College IV. Nirvanky (M. Rabson) of the Holy Cross, Berklee, Boston Arts Academy, and at Violinist Mimi Rabson and her Strings Teory Trio, featur- Mass Art. • ing Helen Sherrah-Davies (fve-string violins) and Junko the boston conservatory contemporary ensemble Fujiwara (cello), supercharges the intimate atmosphere of is a fexible ensemble composed of students in the chamber music with a triple dose of edgy, daring improvi- Contemporary Music Performance program and other sation. Today’s performance will contain infuences ranging Boston Conservatory students. It specializes in contem- from Bulgarian music to the rock band Nirvana. porary music from classics of the 20th century to the most Corvus Corax 11 avant-garde and experimental music being written today. Plsek/Bermejo Duo Commissioning and interdisciplinary work are a hallmark of Tis performance—featuring trombonist Tom Plsek and the group as it seeks to engage audiences in experiences that dancer/artist Jimena Bermejo-Black—derives from the are new, fresh, and current. • behavior of raven pairs. Both mythologically and ornitho- Grant Bingham, bassoon logically, the raven is an intriguing source of inspiration. Joshua Scheid, voice Te common raven, Corvus corax, is a member of the crow Felicia Chen, voice family, the Corvidae, and has approximately 3-4 times the C. Neil Parsons, trombone mass of the American crow. It has far diferent behaviors Dan DeSimone, percussion from the crow as well. In virtually all mythologies of north- Dillon Robb, violin ern cultures, the raven has assumed a position of major Emily Wiebe, French horn importance. Tese include those of the Nordic peoples Michael Norsworthy, clarinet/director (Odin’s two ravens are Huginn and Muninn, whose names Described as “a visionary of extraordinary depth” by Tony translate to Tought and Memory, respectively), the ancient Bennett, and “a pianist-composer of phenomenal capacity” Irish (to whom the phrase “raven’s knowledge” means to by the late Bill Evans, joanne brackeen is consistently see and know all), the Vikings (their battle bird), the English ranked by critics and jazz magazines as one of the best (numerous references in Shakespeare and Beowulf), and jazz pianists in the world. Her writing is remarkable for its even the ancient Hebrews (Noah sent a raven from the ark creativity, stylistic range, emotional depth, and whimsical frst, but it did not return). It is perhaps in Native American spirit. Her storied career does indeed invite parallels to cultures that the raven attains the pinnacle. To the Koyukon, Picasso; like the great visual artist, she has consistently Kwaikiutl, Haida, and other northern tribes, the raven was defed convention, remaking herself and her art many times no less than the creator of the world, including man, as over. Her playing is virtuosic and wholly unpredictable, well as the greatest trickster. To ornithologists it is no less dense and richly detailed, rhythmically advanced and deserving of respect and wonderment. While most of the consistently, efortlessly swinging. “Outrageous,” “charm- other Corvidae—including crows, jays, and magpies—have ing,” “classic,” “awesome,” and “phenomenal” are some of behaviors that are codifable and relatively predictable and the oft-repeated adjectives chosen by critics and fans to simple, ravens exhibit some of the most complex behaviors describe Brackeen’s music. • and highly developed intelligence of all animals. moira lo bianco studied at F. Torrefranca Conservatory Improvisations based on Tendrils II and the University of Tor Vergata and completed her B.A. Bruno Råberg Trio with an ethnomusicology thesis on Calabrian folk music and Tis trio features three Berklee faculty members—bassist its traditions. Under the tutelage of Oscar award-winning Råberg, David Tronzo on guitar, and David Wallace on composer Luis Bacalov, she studied flm scoring at Siena’s violin—and will explore improvisations that are based on Accademia Chigiana. She received a scholarship to pursue Råberg’s piece, “Tendrils II.” Te compositional ideas are not further studies at Berklee, graduated Summa Cum Laude completed in the composition process but rather through in 2012, and recently joined Berklee’s Piano faculty. She has the members’ improvisations. Some compositional elements collaborated with oud and violin virtuoso Simon Shaheen, are derived from traditional South Indian music, mainly in Berklee Global Jazz Institute managing director Marco Pig- the form of rhythmic concepts. nataro, and clarinetist Kinan Azmeh (Silk Road Ensemble), Tirteen Changes: For Malcolm Goldstein among many others. Her performance credits include Roma Jazz Festival, Newport Jazz Festival, and Steinway Hall. She P. Oliveros released her debut album Lunaria in 2013, and issued her Pauline Oliveros’s “Tirteen Changes” (1986) is among her follow-up, Imago, in March 2016. Her workshop series, numerous intuitive scores. Te directions provide a series of Classical Chords: Improvisation for Classical Pianists, images, some of them rather whimsical, such as the eighth focuses on improvisation in classical music. In 2013, Lo change, “Rollicking Monkeys Landing on Mars,” allowing Bianco received a Boston Music Award nomination for Jazz musicians the opportunity for sonic exploration. Te Boston Artist of the Year, and recently was appointed as Young Conservatory Contemporary Ensemble is directed by Steinway Artist and Steinway Educational Partner. • Michael Norsworthy. arnold friedman, Berklee’s chair of Composition, has bruno råberg is an internationally renowned bass player premiered microtonal compositions with the Boston and composer. Since coming to the United States from his Microtonal Society at MIT in Cambridge, with Dinosaur native Sweden in 1981, he has made eight recordings as Annex at Boston University, and at other concert series in a leader, about 30 as a sideman, and has performed with Boston. He lectures frequently on world tuning systems, numerous world-class artists. Some of the distinguished including microtonality. He has performed as cellist with the musicians Råberg has performed or recorded with include Dallas Opera Orchestra, Honolulu Symphony, and Rhode George Garzone, Sam Rivers, Donny McCaslin, Chris Island Philharmonic. He has had composition commissions Cheek, Ben Monder, Ted Poor, Bob Moses, Mick Goodrick, from the Cleveland Duo and James Umble, ExtensionWorks, Ben Monder, Bruce Barth, Jim Black, and Matt Wilson. and the University of North Texas Dance Department. • Råberg has toured throughout Europe, the U.S., Japan, Afri- Cellist junko fujiwara earned a B.M. from Lawrence Uni- ca, India, and Central America. He is leading several groups versity and a M.M. from Northwestern University. She holds of his own: the Lifelines Quartet with Chris Cheek, Ben faculty positions at Boston College, Governor’s Academy, Monder, and Ted Poor; the Bruno Råberg Nonet featuring Masconomet Regional Schools, and Ipswich Public Schools. Allan Chase, Phil Grenadier, Jef Galindo; and others. Råberg She is also afliated with the Northeast Massachusetts Youth is a professor of Ensemble at Berklee. • Orchestra, where she coaches chamber groups. • Combining idiomatic fexibility, a deep wellspring of mary luisi is a registered piano technician with the Piano creativity, and world-class virtuosity, violinist mimi rabson Technicians Guild and works as a full-time piano technician is one of the Boston area’s most valuable for Steinway & Sons in New York City. She holds a bachelor’s musical resources. Her new recording with her Strings degree from the University of Indianapolis in Music and Teory Trio is a compelling synthesis of classical chamber Business Administration; a certifcate in Piano Technology music and directed improvisation, bringing together some from Western University in Ontario, Canada; and an M.A. of Rabson’s most important infuences and inspirations. in Piano Technology from Florida State University. Luisi also Listeners will experience Western classical tradition anew studied at the Sauter Piano Factory in southern Germany as the surging counterpoint and crystalline instrumental and has completed several training programs with Steinway sonorities gain new resilience and allure from their origin in & Sons and Shigeru Kawai. She has worked at the Sarasota the inspiration of the moment. Simultaneously delicate and Music Festival since 2013; for a piano dealership in Carmel, dangerous, the Strings Teory Trio’s music is richly nuanced Indiana; and as an independent piano technician in Indiana, and deeply satisfying. Florida, and New York City. She has taught piano technology Rabson is a frst-prize winner of the Massachusetts Cultural as an instructor for classes at Florida State University, the Council Fellowship in composition, was a founding member 2013 PTG National Convention, and most recently, the New and former director of the Klezmer Conservatory Band, York City chapter of the Piano Technicians Guild. • and has recorded with Itzhak Perlman, among others. Her giuseppe paradiso started his musical studies on drums performance credits include work with Robert Plant and at the age of fve. He graduated from Berklee and from the Jimmy Page, Stevie Wonder, Meatloaf, Kristin Chenoweth, Italian conservatory of music, N. Piccinni, in Bari, where the Boston Gay Men’s Choir, the Boston Camarata, the New he studied piano and composition. His performances at England Ragtime Ensemble, and Deborah Henson-Conant. multiple festivals, major venues, and universities include She is associate professor of Strings at Berklee. • Les Journee de la Percussion at Conservatoire Superior de Film composer and guitarist claudio ragazzi has written Paris, Newport Jazz Festival, Panama Jazz Festival, Festival award-winning music for flm and television, scoring Duni (Matera, Italy), Festival Paleariza (Reggio Calabria, hundreds of projects and performing with some of today’s Italy), Northeastern University, Isabella Stewart Gardner most respected musicians at renowned concert halls in Museum of Boston, and the Austrian-Canadian Cultural the world. After graduating from Berklee, he went on Centre (Calgary, Canada). In 2012, he recorded his album, to compose music for feature flms, documentaries, and Otherness Collection, with his international band Meridian television commercials as well as undertaking commissioned 71, based in Boston. Te recording features Paradiso’s works for plays and ballets. Film scores include Next Stop original music. In 2013, he cofounded the In Momentum Wonderland, Te Blue Diner, and many more. Ragazzi’s work Concert Series, a monthly series focused on improvisation, can also be heard in Something’s Gotta Give. He has scored involving multiple collaborations in a growing and evolving hundreds of TV productions for the Discovery Channel, community, and promoting a unique environment fostering Animal Planet, National Geographic, Telemundo, Univision, freedom in music creation. • and PBS, including American Experience, NOVA, Sesame Trombone explorer tom plsek has been stretching trom- Street, Arthur, and Postcards from Buster. He has performed bones and our concepts of them for years. His compositions at leading venues around the world, including Carnegie Hall, include pieces for ensembles and solo trombone and often the Hollywood Bowl, the Blue Note Jazz Club, and Lincoln incorporate improvisation, technology, and performance art. Center. • He has performed with such artists as Jerry Hunt, Malcolm Five-string violinist, pianist, and composer Goldstein, Phill Niblock, the Merce Cunningham Dance helen sherrah-davies has made music that fddler Company, Joe Morris, Marjorie Morgan, and the Outsider Darol Anger describes as “so strong, it approaches the status Quartet. He performed at New Music America in 1983 and of a new sentient being.” She earned an M.M. in Contempo- 1986. He is a member of the Mobius Artists Group and chair rary Improvisation from New England Conservatory after emeritus of the Berklee Brass Department. Te Gu series, a completing undergraduate studies at Cambridge University monthly performance series created with Marjorie Morgan, and Berklee. Sherrah-Davies has released one album as a was selected by the Boston Globe as one of the top 10 dance leader, StarStuf, and appeared on 12 other recordings. She is events in Boston in 2002. More recently he collaborated an assistant professor of Harmony at Berklee. • with Joanne Rice in 2006 to present Styx for the Mobius International Festival of Performance Art in Boston. In 2007 he performed in Seoul, Korea at SOMA and at Festival Forfest, Kromeriz, Czech Republic. He is featured on several recordings, including Firehouse Futurities, Jump or Die; 21 Braxton Compositions 1992, and MVP LSD. • Born in Baghdad and raised in Amman, Jordan, august watters is a multi-stylistic, improvising mando- layth sidiq is a leading Middle Eastern violinist on the linist, composer, and arranger whose work bridges contem- world music stage. Trained classically under Timur Ibra- porary classical music, jazz, folk music traditions, and the himov at the National Music Conservatory in Amman, he historical concert mandolin repertoire. He is the founder of went on to study with Adrian Levine at Chetham’s School the New England Mandolin Ensemble, Boston Mandolins, of Music in Manchester, England. After graduating from the Festival of Mandolin Chamber Music, and Cape Cod Berklee with the highest honors, Sidiq has worked often as Mandolin Camp. As an international clinician and soloist, a soloist, chamber musician, and recording artist, including Watters has performed in Europe and North America. performances or recordings with Javier Limón, Simon He is also an Emmy-winning arranger, with dozens of Shaheen, Ron Carter, Lalah Hathaway, Jack DeJohnette, studio credits as arranger, orchestrator, and conductor for Jorge Drexler, Ivan Lins, and Alejandro Sanz. He is a student television and flm music. Watters holds a master’s degree in in Berklee’s graduate program in Performance in Boston. • from Boston University in music education, and a bachelor’s Cellist roman soto—who is pursuing a B.M. in Contem- from Berklee in Jazz Composition and Arranging. He is an porary Writing and Production at Berklee—and clarinetist associate professor of ear training at Berklee. • and Yamaha Young Performing Artist katsuya yuasa— nancy zeltsman is a leading marimba performer, who earned a master’s degree at Te Boston Conservatory recording artist, teacher, author, and festival director who and is currently pursuing a prestigious artist diploma has premiered over 125 solo/chamber marimba works, there—formed a duo seeking opportunities to actively some of which are cornerstones of the literature. Tese perform jazz, classical, and contemporary music across the include pieces by Michael Tilson Tomas, Paul Simon, Gunther globe. With the Berklee/Boston Conservatory merger, they Schuller, Carla Bley, and Lyle Mays. She has performed strive to represent and share dynamic creative work that throughout the U.S. and Europe, and in Mexico, Japan, and mixes original sounds from diverse felds. • China as a soloist and chamber musician. Since 1993, she stephany tiernan is chair of the Piano Department at has taught marimba at Te Boston Conservatory (where she Berklee. She is a performer, composer, teacher, author of is chair of the Percussion Department) and Berklee where Contemporary Piano Technique, and a Steinway artist. She she is a professor of Percussion. In 2013, she was appointed has performed and recorded duets for many years with regular guest professor of marimba at Conservatorium van pianist JoAnne Brackeen, including a CD, Which is Which, Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Since 2001, she has been that was recorded in 2006. Tiernan’s own compositions are artistic director of Zeltsman Marimba Festival, a summer available on the recording, Hauntings: Scream of seminar and concert series. She has recorded three solo Consciousness. • marimba CDs; three with her former marimba/violin duo Marimolin; a disc with Boston Modern Orchestra Project david tronzo has been voted to be among the Top 100 (W.T. McKinley’s marimba concerto); and a duo marimba Guitarists of the 20th Century and the Top Ten Jazz Guitar- project with Jack Van Geem. She authored a marimba ists by Musician magazine and Best Guitarist in NYC by the method, Four Mallet Marimba Playing: A Musical New York Press. Tronzo was one of 30 musicians worldwide Approach for All Levels. to receive a nomination for the CalArts Alpert Award in the • Arts for music. Tronzo’s unique playing style has resulted in an innovative body of extended techniques for the slide guitar: fuid single lines; fnger-behind-the-slide chords; and harmonic slaps, using plastic cups, rags, pencils and wires. He has recorded and toured with Wayne Horvitz and the President, John Cale, Marshall Crenshaw, Mike Manieri, David Sanborn, Hassan Hakmoun, Foday Suso, the Tronzo Trio, the Tronzo/Herbert Duo, Spanish Fly, Namshub with David Fiuczynski, Club d’Elf with Mike Rivard, and John Medeski. • christos vayenas is a pianist, composer/improviser, author, and personal development educator. He is the director of the Autumn Salon, a nonproft performance and education organization dedicated to pioneering a new and integrated vision for the professional, cultural, and social dimensions of the arts. His work encompasses a wide range of felds, including musical performance practices, philosophy and developmental psychology, meditative and movement disciplines, and the history of myth, culture, and ritual. • Chair of Berklee’s String Department, david wallace has performed in concert with the New York Philharmonic, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, his fute-vio- la-harp trio Hat Trick, and his Texas-style swing band, the Doc Wallace Trio. Te New York Times compares his solo improvisations to “Jimmy Page fronting Led Zeppelin.” An award-winning composer, Wallace has received commis- sions from Carnegie Hall, the New York Philharmonic, the Juilliard School, violinist Rachel Barton Pine, and the Marian Anderson String Quartet. • SCHEDULE

10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m. Keyboard Instruments through the Ages Presentation by Steinway piano technician Mary Luisi

11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. Te Eclectic Language of Film Scoring Presentation by composer/guitarist Claudio Ragazzi

1:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m. Concert for the Sun Featuring Giuseppe Paradiso, Moira Lo Bianco, August Watters, Nancy Zeltsman, and the Katsuya Yuasa/Roman Soto Duo

3:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m. Between West and East: Te Concept of Microtonality Workshop presented by composer/cellist Arnold Friedman

4:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m. Tradition of Maqam Workshop presented by violinist and Berklee graduate student Layth Sidiq

5:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m. Te Multidimensional Life of a Professional Musician Panel discussion, Stephany Tiernan, Chrystos Vayenas, and Nancy Zeltsman

8:00 p.m.–10:00 p.m. Concert for the Moon Featuring the Tiernan/Brackeen Duo; Mimi Rabson Strings Teory Trio; Bruno Råberg Trio; Plsek/Bermejo Duo; and Te Boston Conservatory Contemporary Ensemble, directed by Michael Norsworthy