WINTER 2010 The News Magazine of the University of Illinois School of Music Pacifica: an Exhibition of Musical Exhilaration From the Dean On behalf of the College of Fine and Applied Arts, I want to welcome you to this issue of WINTER 2010 sonorities, the news magazine of the School of Published for alumni and friends of the School of Music at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Music at the University of Illinois at Urbana- The School of Music is a unit of the College of Fine and Applied Champaign. As you will see in the pages that Arts at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and has been an accredited institutional member of the National follow, the faculty and students have been win- Association of Schools of Music since 1933. ning prestigious awards and gaining world-wide Karl Kramer, director Edward Rath, associate director recognition, and the School is brimming with significant new initiatives even Paul Redman, assistant director, business as it preserves the great traditions of the past. The Arts at Illinois proudly Joyce Griggs, assistant director, enrollment management and public engagement David Allen, coordinator, outreach and public engagement celebrate these triumphs with everyone in the School of Music. Michael Cameron, coordinator, graduate studies B. Suzanne Hassler, coordinator, alumni relations and development Daniel Hassler, coordinator, enrollment management and For the next several years, the School of Music—along with the College and student services Tracy Parish, coordinator, outreach programs the University—will be facing tight budgets that impact day-to-day operations. Ruth Stoltzfus, coordinator, music events Rex Anderson, director, audio services Changes are inevitable, but our commitment to the highest standards of teach- Marlah Bonner-McDuffie, director, development, College of Fine and Applied Arts ing and performing, the arts in general, and music in particular remains as Philip Yampolsky, director, Robert E. Brown Center for World Music strong as ever. I want to assure you of that. B. Suzanne Hassler, editor-in-chief I also want to thank the many loyal alumni and dedicated friends of the School Brendan Frank, student news and band notes editor Anne Mischakoff Heiles, features writer of Music who contributed to the School’s programs and ambitious priorities John Wagstaff, book news editor Contributing Writers: Adriana Cuervo, Brendan Frank, Suzanne Hassler, Edward Jacobi, Rebekka Kaupat, Julie Kostrey, Melissa this past year. Many of the School’s successes would not have been accom- Mitchell, Daniel Neuman, Tracy Parish, Edward Rath plished without the generous private support of the friends of music at Illinois. Special thanks to Christina Bashford, Shelli Drummond- Stine, David Gunderson, Bruno Nettl, Edward Rath, Nicholas Even in a climate of economic uncertainty, a truly bright spot is the impact of Temperley, Matthew Thibeault, John Wagstaff, and Philip Yampolsky individual gifts, as they motivate our faculty, staff, and students to achieve the Graphic Design: Bonadies Creative Inc. highest levels of excellence within their disciplines. Feature Photos: Chris Brown Photography UI School of Music on the Internet: www.music.illinois.edu I hope you enjoy this edition of sonorities and find yourself newly inspired by Share your good news! Send photos and submissions to: the accomplishments of the faculty and students of the School of Music. Sonorities, UI School of Music 1114 W. Nevada, Urbana, IL 61801 or [email protected], by September 8, 2010. Robert Graves Dean, College of Fine and Applied Arts in this issue From the Director Winter 2010 CAMPUS NEWS Complicated financial times require a thoughtful, dynamic approach to maintaining the quality of higher education. For this reason, the University of Illinois School of Music is continually evolving to 2 Bruno Nettl Honored in meet its financial challenges without compromising its standards of excellence. U.S. and Czech Republic For example, we recently: 2 Audio Upgrade for Smith • Adopted an electronic steno process to eliminate paper copies Hall and Music Building • Began training our faculty to use the Web-based classroom program, CompassSM, which allows 3 William Kinderman electronic access to syllabi, lectures, and handouts Receives Humbolt Award • Implemented the sharing of network printers to reduce maintenance costs 3 Elliot Chasanov and IBQ • Optimized our faculty teaching workloads Perform in Poland • Consolidated certain classes 4 Jeffrey Magee Uncovers • Partnered with Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, the Theatre Department, and the Dance Irving Berlin’s 50 Years Department to share administrative services in Theater As always, we continue to raise funds to purchase instruments and music as well as support scholarships and graduate fellowships. To date, we have successfully secured funds to support our COVER STORY current needs. For a comprehensive report, please read the development update in this issue. 8 Pacifica Quartet: In addition to changes that conserve our resources and economize our finances, the UI School An Exhibition of of Music is partnering with OJC Technologies to develop our first commercial, stand-alone iPhone Musical Exhilaration application for performance times, dates, locations, and programs. We will share the technology with the dance and theatre departments, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, and Krannert Art FEATURES Museum. In recent faculty news, the Pacifica Quartet earned a 2009 Grammy Award for its compact disc of 14 Dan Neuman: Elliott Carter’s First and Fifth String Quartets. Musical America named Pacifica the 2009 Ensemble Being in the Groove, of the Year. In addition, we will welcome Robert Rumbelow, DMA, as our new band director on Being in a Rut January 1, 2010. A graduate of Eastman School of Music, Dr. Rumbelow joins us from Columbus State 31 Legacy of Illinois Bands University in Columbus, Georgia, with innovative ideas to energize and engage our more than 9,000 band alumni worldwide. FACULTY FEATURE I’m pleased to announce that the UI School of Music now boasts a new online Media Center at www.music.uiuc.edu/media, which will house an archive of audio and video performances of faculty 18 Piano Pedagogy members, students, and guest artists. When you log on, you also can enjoy hearing the UI bands, orchestras, choirs, and operas as well as performances from the Allerton Music Barn and Summer DEPARTMENTS Jazz Festivals. 6 Development Update On a personal note, my daughter, Sara, earned her DMA in oboe performance at UI last May. She is now principal oboist for the Tucson 7 Upcoming Events Symphony Orchestra. Her success is an example of the magic that 16 New Appointments a dedicated student and the UI School of Music can make together. 23 Faculty News Sara and I are deeply grateful for the outstanding education and training she received here. Like you, she carries the message of her 28 Student News extraordinary experience at UI wherever she goes. 38 Book News & Reviews As always, I thank my colleagues for their progressive, generous 40 Alumni Notes approach to working with our students. Their eagerness to share Band Notes their experience and knowledge is an inspiration that is among the 43 many assets that distinguish the UI School of Music from other music 46 Alumni News w i schools. 52 Partners in Tempo n t e r Karl Kramer 2 Director, School of Music 0 1 0 Campus News Eminent Ethnomusicologist Recognized in U.S. and Abroad history of ethnomusicology, the field in which he has taught and in which he has done re- B. Suzanne Hassler, Editor-in-Chief, sonorities search since coming to the University in 1964. On June 3, 2009, at a special According to the Mellon Foundation, ceremony held in the office of the “Emeritus Fellowships are intended to support president of the Academy of Sciences, the scholarly activities of outstanding faculty Nettl, a native of Czechoslovakia, members in the humanities and humanistic was cited for his contributions to social sciences who, at the time of taking up the ethnomusicology by Dr. Jarmila fellowships, will be officially retired but continue Gabrielova, Professor of Musicology to be active and productive in their fields. In at Charles University in Prague. The addition, the program provides institutions with Patočka Memorial Medal—named for resources to defray incremental costs associated a distinguished philosopher who op- with the fellows.” The Mellon Foundation awards posed the communist regime, was a approximately 20 emeritus fellowships annually. signer of the human-rights document Charter 77, and died, while impris- oned, in 1977—is given to scholars Dr. Bruno Nettl, Professor Emeritus of Music who are Czech citizens or to foreigners who and Anthropology at the University of Illinois, have some association with the Czech Republic. was recognized by peers—nationally and in- Professor Nettl is the first American and the first ternationally—through two major honors this music scholar to be a recipient. year: he was awarded the Jan Patočka Memorial Candidates for Mellon Fellowships are nomi- Medal by the Academy of Sciences of the Czech nated by their institutions. Dr. Nettl, who retired Republic and received an emeritus fellowship for in 1992 but has continued teaching part-time, is the year 2009–2010 from the Andrew W. Mellon the second recipient of such an award at the Professor Bruno Nettl is applauded in Prague after receiv- Foundation. U of I since the program began in 2003. He will ing the Jan Patočka Memorial Medal from Professor Jiří Drahoš, the President of the Academy of Sciences of the use it to continue his studies in the intellectual Czech Republic. SMITH MEMORIAL HALL AND MUSIC BUILDING GET AUDIO UPGRADES Rebekka Kaupat, Alumni Relations and Development Staff During the past year the audio facilities in Smith Memorial Hall and in the Music Building have been vastly improved. A much-needed new P.A.