MasterVoices honored by the Martina Arroyo Foundation at 11th Annual Gala

MasterVoices, formerly The Collegiate Chorale, was honored at the Martina Arroyo Foundation's11th Annual Gala. MasterVoices was recognized along with American couture designer Joanna Mastroianni and The Michel Maurel award-winner Ernst Rieser. Brian Kellow and Terrance McKnight hosted the gala, with performances by the young artists of Prelude to Performance, Jennifer Rowley, Michele Angelini and Cecilia Violetta López (both featured in the October issue of Opera News), as well as other special guests.

The Martina Arroyo Foundation's 11th Annual Gala was held on Monday, November 16, 2015 at 6:30 pm at the JW Marriott Essex House, 160 Central Park South, New York, NY. The event was attended by more than 215 honored guests and raised nearly $300,000.

The Gala Dinner Program featured a Live Auction, and musical selections, including:

  • Michele Angelini: "Ah! Mes Amis" from La Fille du Régiment by Gaetano Donizetti
  • Jennifer Rowley: "Pace, pace mio Dio!" from La Forza del Destino
  • Brandie Sutton/Hyona Kim: Flower Duet from Madama Butterfly by Puccini (PTP 2015 summer production)
  • Karolina Pilou/Claire Coolen/Jacopo Buora: Lesson Scene and Trio from La Fille du Régiment by Gaetano Donizetti (PTP 2015 summer production)
  • Cecilia Violetta López: "Czàrdàs" from Die Fledermaus by Johann Strauss 

Gala Chair: Cecilia Teng

Gala Benefit Committee:  Joan Ades, Martina Arroyo, Page Ashley, John and Maggie Banks, Nancy and James Barton, Beth Chang, Lois Conway, Beatrice M. Disman, Donna and Richard Esteves, Ruth Finley, Peter F. Felfe, The Gerda Lissner Foundation, Inc., Beth Holland, Martin Jeiven, Kenneth F. Koen, Barbara and Paul Krieger, Andrew Martin-Weber, Richard J. Miller, Ernst Rieser, Leonard Rubin, Cecilia and Tian Lih Teng, Elizabeth Tunick, Frederick Wertheim and Angelo Chan;

2015 Gala Committee:  Martina Arroyo, Helen Chang, Erica Linden-Fineberg, Elizabeth Frayer, Claudie Harari, Shawn Milnes, Stephanie Reiss, Ernst Rieser, Edward Sadovnik, Michael Snider, Cecilia Teng; 

HonoraryGala Chairs: Donna & Richard Esteves, Andrew Martin-Weber;

Honorary Benefit Committee: Harolyn Blackwell, Stephanie Blythe, Tyne Daly, Paquito D'Rivera, Brenda Feliciano, Susan Graham, Marilyn Horne, Richard Leech, Audra McDonald, Jessye Norman, Eric Owens, Jennifer J. Raab, Ben Vereen, Frederica von Stade, Rufus Wainwright, Darren Walker;  

2015 Gala Producer:  Midge Woolsey.

The mission of the Martina Arroyo Foundation is to counsel young singers in the interpretation of complete roles for public performances. The Foundation guides each singer in the preparation of an entire operatic role through a formal educational process that includes the background of the drama, the historical perspective, the psychological motivation of each character, and language proficiency.

American soprano Martina Arroyo has received numerous awards and accolades for her long-standing pre-eminence at the world's foremost opera houses and concert halls, including a 2013 Kennedy Center Honors and a 2010 Opera Honors Award from the National Endowment for the Arts. She continues to make an invaluable contribution to the art form through her teaching and her commitment to young artist development through the Martina Arroyo Foundation. Born in 1937 and raised in Harlem, Arroyo went on to conquer the opera world, from the Metropolitan Opera to the Vienna State Opera, Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires to La Scala in Milan, Paris Opera to the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden, and the great concert halls from Salzburg and Berlin to her hometown of New York. She has had the honor of three opening night performances at the Met, two of them in consecutive seasons. Few in her generation have been so fearless or so successful across the repertory, from Mozart, Verdi, Puccini and Strauss to Barber, Bolcom, Schoenberg, and Stockhausen. The New York Times once heralded her voice as "among the most glorious in the world." Her extensive recorded legacy reflects her inspired collaborations with conductors Leonard Bernstein, Karl Böhm, Rafael Kubelík, Zubin Mehta, Thomas Schippers, Colin Davis, and James Levine. Arroyo studied to be a teacher and graduated from Hunter College at the age of 19. In 1958, she auditioned for and won the Metropolitan Opera's Auditions of the Air, which gave her a chance to study both music and acting at the Met's Kathryn Long School. She made her Carnegie Hall debut in 1958 in the American premiere of Ildebrando Pizzetti's Murder in the Cathedral, and in 1965 stepped in as a last-minute replacement for an ailing Birgit Nilsson in Aïda at the Met, a career-changing moment. Over the years and in nearly 200 performances at the Met, Arroyo performed all the major Verdi roles that would be the core of her repertory, in addition to Mozart's Donna Anna, Puccini's Cio-Cio-San and Liù, Mascagni's Santuzza, Ponchielli's Gioconda, and Wagner's Elsa. Her 1968 London debut came in a concert version of Meyerbeer's epic Les Huguenots, followed the same year by her Covent Garden debut in Aïda. Her debuts at Paris Opera, La Scala and the Teatro Colón followed in close succession. In 2003, Arroyo established her own non-profit cultural organization. Now celebrating its tenth anniversary season, the Martina Arroyo Foundation provides new generations of emerging young artists with the tools to pursue careers in opera, by means of two intensive programs of study, coaching, and performance that focus on immersive preparation of complete operatic roles.

Brian Kellow is the author of Pauline Kael: A Life in the Dark, which was a 2011 New York Times Notable Book of the Year and also appeared on the Best of the Year lists of Entertainment Weekly, The New Yorker and the Chicago Tribune. He is also the author of Ethel Merman: A Life, The Bennetts: An Acting Family, and the coauthor of Can't Help Singing: The Life of Eileen Farrell. He is the features editor of Opera News. Kellow lives in New York City.

Terrance McKnight is the WQXR weekday evening host. He also hosts the Saturday evening program, All Ears with Terrance McKnight, a show about musical discovery, which was honored with an ASCAP Deems Taylor Radio Broadcast Award in 2010. McKnight's musical experiences - from glee club soloist and accomplished pianist, to professor at Morehouse College, and finally as producer and host of several music programs for public radio - have consistently juxtaposed the European Classical tradition alongside American classic traditions - jazz, gospel, African American spirituals and other musical genres. McKnight was first heard in New York in 2008 when he joined the staff of WNYC. He moved to WQXR in October 2009. Previously he worked at Georgia Public Broadcasting, where he was creator, producer and host of Studio GPB, a program that introduced a wide array of musical artists through interviews, live studios sessions and commercial recordings.

Joanna Mastroianni launched her signature collection with a clear vision of modern, fashion forward women. She has consistently created collections that reflect her innate sense for sophistication, elegance, and timeless beauty. While still a student at F.I.T, Mastroianni's vision and passion for beautiful   fashion raised the attention of Henry Bendel, giving her a first order. Bergdorf Goodman featured in their windows, her premier collection under her signature label. Her black matte jersey illusion dress, from her very first collection, made it into two movies; worn by Michelle Pheiffer in Tequila Sunrise and by Melanie Griffith in Bonfire of the Vanities.  Mastroianni's works in the tradition of Haute couture, each garment is engineered and constructed carefully using the finest of fabrics. Her original embroideries and imaginative accessories are modern and bold, creating versatile, wearable and luxurious collections that make women look and feel glamorous and feminine. Her inspirations are unpredictable, often starting with a minute detail that she develops and expands into a full-fledged collection that is shown on the runway. Passion is apparent in every detail she creates and in every project she is involved in. Joanna Mastroiani's audience is global, dressing some of Hollywood's elite: Eva Longoria, Christina Ricci, Beyonce, Alicia Keys, Panda LaKshmi, Carol Alt. From the Academy, Tony, and Grammy awards, to dressing Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis for Sex and the City.

MasterVoices is continuing The Collegiate Chorale's preeminent reputation for its performances of the traditional choral repertoire, rarely heard operas in concert, unusual music theatre pieces and commissioned works.  The chorus has worked with the great luminaries of the music world, singing under conductors such as James Levine, Alan Gilbert, Zubin Mehta and Riccardo Muti.  MasterVoices has performed in recent seasons with renowned vocal artists, including Stephanie Blythe, Victoria Clark, Bryn Terfel, Thomas Hampson and Deborah Voigt.  Highlights of recent seasons have included Arrigo Boito's Mefistofele, David Lang's battle hymns, Not the Messiah (He's a Very Naughty Boy) with Eric Idle and the U.S. premiere of Kurt Weill's The Road of Promise.  MasterVoices is committed to fostering the talents of the next generation of artists and audiences through its Side-by-Side mentoring program, student masterclasses, Faith Geier Artist Initiative and most recently with the launch of Bridges, its outreach program creating new works in collaboration with communities throughout New York City. 

The company's 2015-2016 Season included: 

The Pirates of Penzance; or, The Slave of Duty

By Arthur Sullivan and W.S. Gilbert

Featuring Deborah Voigt, Phillip Boykin, Douglas Hodge, Hunter Parrish, Julia Udine, David Garrison, Betsy Wolfe, Montego Glover and Zachary James

Directed and Conducted by Ted Sperling with Orchestra of St. Luke's

Choreography and Associate Direction by Gustavo Zajac

Scenic Design by David Korins

Lighting Design by Frances Aronson

Sound Design by Scott Lehrer

Costume Consulting by Tracy Christensen

October 15-16, 2015 at 8pm at New York City Center

 

The Life and Death(s) of Alan Turing

An Evening Exploring the Creation of a New American Opera by Justine F. Chen and David Simpatico

Presented by the American Lyric Theater

October 17, 2015 at 7pm at Merkin Concert Hall

 

And continues with:

 

Mahler's Symphony No. 2

Conducted by Zubin Mehta, presented by the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra

November 5, 2015 at Carnegie Hall

 

Dido and Aeneas

By Henry Purcell and Nahum Tate

With a World Premiere companion work by Michael John LaChiusa

Featuring Kelli O'Hara and Victoria Clark

Conducted by Ted Sperling with Orchestra of St. Luke's

April 28, 2016 at 7pm at New York City Center

April 29, 2016 at 8pm at New York City Center

 

Mahler's Symphony No. 2

Conducted by Joshua Gersen, presented by the New York Youth Symphony

May 29, 2016 at Carnegie Hall

 

"Bridges"

The 2015-2016 season will conclude in June with a program featuring a World Premiere work composed by Marisa Michelson developed for the launch of MasterVoices' new community outreach program, "Bridges". The location and date of this program will be announced at a future date.


Major funding for MasterVoices' 2015-16 season has been generously provided by The Geier Foundation, the Howard Gilman Foundation, and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.

For more information, visit mastervoices.org.

Music: A Week in the Life of New York City

Creativity Is Risky: Free Speech in a Charlie Hebdo World is an interactive and multimedia magazine published at sallyodowd.com. It is a tribute to the French satirical magazine attacked by terrorists in January and a celebration of the universal human right to free expression. Please support writers and artists by commenting or sharing.

Introducing a group of young musicians at Carnegie Hall last week, Danny Glover made it clear that performer and listener alike were there to call for peace.

“Music tears down the walls of misunderstanding,” he said on the eve of the General Debate of the 70th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, which took place between September 28 and October 6.

Music is a unifying force, an art form that everyone understands regardless of language or country, said Glover, noting that more than 100 musicians from more than 70 countries were part of the International Youth Philharmonic Orchestra, created by the New York-based Turken Foundation. Even though many of them did not speak each other’s language, they would make perfect harmony under the guidance of conductor Jose Luis Gomez.

“We have many armed conflicts around the world…people are fleeing their homes and dying,” Glover said. “But the more contact with life, the more compassion for life around us.”

Echoing the thoughts of Pope Francis who had just completed his first visit to the U.S., Glover asked the audience to remember other people’s pain. “With young musicians from Iran to Israel to Russia, the philharmonic shows that peace can overcome.”

The musicians, aged 18 to 26, played a program by composers Shostakovich (Festive Overture), Mendelssohn (Violen Concerto) and Faruk Kanca (Turken Foundation Symphonic Suite of Voices of the World).

Much of the Suite of Voices contained suspenseful, heart-racing sounds serving as a metaphor for our perilous times. Notes echoed shrieking, feet sneaking around so as to hide, running, and clapping — so as to say, “Hurry Up!”

It was a strong message to the world’s leaders to act swiftly.

Music: An Emotional Sherpa, A Point of View

While foreign dignitaries grappled with world problems at the UN, business executives met on the other side of town for Advertising Week to discuss issues affecting their industry. Several themes echoed those being discussed at the city’s other humanitarian gatherings.

“Music is an emotional sherpa,” said Pandora CMO Simon Fleming-Wood during an hour-long session at the Times Center entitled. “Millennials listen to it four hours a day, and it is the most talked-about topic among them.”

He added: "Music provides a connective power not only to each other but to humanity.”

Spotify CMO Seth Farbman shared the stage with Fleming-Wood in a lively and candid exchange on their respective business models and growth plans for connecting the world via music. “Music is how you badge yourself,” said Spotify CMO Seth Farbman. “It gives you a voice and point of view.”

The World’s Most Important Campaign

A Friday afternoon session entitled, The World’s Most Important Campaign, served as Advertising Week’s grand finale and certainly came full circle.

Daniel Thomas, director of communications for the UN General Assembly; Jason Hall, CEO of of ad agency Mekanism; and other ad executives discussed a 15-year global campaign launching in January to support The 17 Global Goals for Sustainable Development. The campaign seeks to engage volunteers and organizations around the world to meet goals such as ending injustice and poverty, and providing universal access to clean water by 2030.

Offical Love Song To The Earth Lyric Video directed by Jerry Cope and Casey Culver produced by Jerry Cope & Toby Gad, Nature Cinematography by Louie Schwartzberg Featuring Vocal Performances by Paul McCartney, Jon Bon Jovi, Sheryl Crow, Fergie, Colbie Caillat, Natasha Bedingfield, Sean Paul, Leona Lewis, Johnny Rzeznik, Krewella,

The campaign features music as a battle cry for good. Love Song to the Earth, featuring Sir Paul McCartney, Jon Bon Jovi and UN Ambassador Angelique Kidjo “reminds us to take care of the things we love,” according to the UN website.

Co-writer Natasha Bedingfield said: “Many people turn a blind eye arguing that everything is ok environmentally. The song reminds us that having ownership of our world means taking care of it. With this song we wanted to talk about the environment in a way that would help people feel empowered to do something rather than be paralyzed by fear.”

Out of Brooklyn: Love Song to Free Expression

Likewise, an American-British-French team has come together around words, art and music to support Article 19 of the U.N. General Assembly’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states:

“Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.”

Our support for this right is manifested in the e-magazine Creativity Is Risky: Free Speech in a Charlie Hebdo World as a tribute to the 11 French journalists murdered in January by two Al Qaeda terrorists for their political cartoons. The interactive and multimedia work also celebrates the fundamental right through the healing power of music.

Accompanying the magazine is a video featuring “Here With You” by Brooklyn resident and singer-songwriter Chaz Langley.

We hope you will enjoy and share it to support our Free Speech Movement.

As Glover said in closing the Carnegie Hall performance, “Leave this evening with our minds and hearts on global peace.”

Note: By Sally O'Dowd; originally published on sallyodowd.com

 

The Power of Super-Music: A brief history on superhero film soundtracks

Most films on superheroes owe part of their success to enticing soundtracks...

New York City has often been the hub of fans’ favorite superhero stories. Some locations have acquired popularity also for being shown on the big screen. All boroughs have a touch of legend to them, from Forest Hills in Queens (where Peter Parker aka the Amazing Spider-Man was born and grew up in), to Manhattan’s Lower East Side (where Steve Rogers who is better known as Captain America was born), or even the Brooklyn Bridge (that is saved by the Fantastic Four). 

All these stories probably wouldn't be as heroic without the grand scenery of the Big Apple, but a very effective component that has made them stick to our minds - and very often is neglected - is the music score. Ever since the early forms of cine-comics in the 1970s, when the art of comic strips and movie-making came together giving birth to one of the most extraordinary forms of pop-culture, music enhanced majestically the universal themes embodied by superheroes, as underlined by film critics Massimo Privitera and Maurizio Giovanni Caschetto of Colonnesonore.net. 

The first example is with the New York composer John Williams, who composed some of the most recognizable film scores in cinematic history (Star Wars, E.T., Indiana Jones). When it comes to superheroes he created the soundtrack of the 1978 Superman, with some references to Strauss, Wagner and Mahler, transforming that score almost in an alternative U.S.A. hymn, evoking the spirit of patriotism interpreted by Christopher Reeve.

In the course of the 80s someone who managed to give a strong depiction of a darker and multifaceted hero is composer Danny Elfman, who put in music Tim Burton’s Batman through a symphonic orchestration, introducing the “Bat Theme”, to signal to audiences when the Bat-hero is about to arrive. His music somehow evokes the great themes by Bernard Hermann, who wrote several soundtracks for Alfred Hitchcock’s movies and have a noire 1940s twist to them, with a strong use of brass instruments.

In the year 2000 the era of Marvel takes over the silver screen and movie stereo sound. Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man is paced with a heroic major scale music, composed by Elfman that allows to bring out both the arachnid hero and the naïve Peter Parker. The use of electronic sounds and percussions give you the feeling that the notes are actually composing Spiderman’s cobweb.

The music changes in 2005 when the new Batman Trilogy is initially set to music by Hans Zimmer. The soundtrack of Batman Begins is very crepuscular and grim, adding a touch of Sturm Und Drang to comic strips. This becomes the new reference in the way of making superhero soundtracks: the hero no longer has a melody to identify him.

In the following years soundtracks become more hypertrophic, in order not to succumb to the loud special effects within the superhero action films. This is evident when Marvel starts producing movies independently in 2008, starting with Iron Man, entrusting the soundtrack to Ramin Djawadi (Pacific Rim, Game of Thrones, Person of Interest), who choses guitar-driven scores to evoke the hero’s metallic armor, with his “Driving With The Top Down” Theme.

The Incredible Hulk in 2008 has the Scottish composer Craig Armstrong (Romeo+Juliet, Moulin Rouge, Great Gatsby) use the electric cello and percussions to represent Hulk’s fury and his mighty stride. But the element of poetry is exemplified by how Armstrong manages to insert a vintage theme “Bruce Goes Home”, of the 1978 series by Kenneth Johnson, to connect the old with the new.

In 2010 Iron Man 2’s soundtrack by John Debney (The Scorpion King, The Passion of The Christ, Sin City) opts for an orchestral symphonic score; but the true revelation is Alan Silvestri (Back To The Future, Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, Forrest Gump), in 2011, who gives to Captain America a heroic leitmotiv of national pride with a warlike pace, a great use of horns and winds and triumphant brasses.

Kenneth Branagh, brings his habitual composer, Patrick Doyle (Henry V, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Cinderella), on board of the soundtrack for Thor in 2011, yet the outcome is lukewarm. The only moment where sound makes action truly emotional is at the very end with the theme “Thor Kills the Destroyer.”

In 2012 all the Avengers (Thor, Iron Man, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Captain America, Hulk) are united in one movie and Alan Silvestri’s return is epic. The Avenger’s score is massively pompous and thematically connotative of the team of superheroes. 

The following year, the  Marvel sequels Iron Man 3 and Thor: The Dark World are set in music by Brian Tyler (Fast & Furious, The Expendables), who is so good at translating muscularity into music that Marvel asks him to create the score of its 30 minute logo, where pages flip to the imposing drum roll.

The choice of handing to Henry Jackman (Kick-Ass, Wreck-It Ralph, Big Hero 6) the soundtrack 2014’s sequel Captain America: The Winter Soldier does not fulfill the expected expectations and his notes becomes a dull wallpaper to the action-drenched images. That same year Tyler Bates (300, Sucker-Punch, Killer Joe) conquers audiences with his incredibly bombastic, rambunctious and resonating score of Guardians of the Galaxy.

But  for the latest Marvel flick -  Avengers: Age of Ulton - there’s a comeback to Marvel’s darling composers Danny Elfman and Brian Tyler, who have proved to compose the catchiest and most enthralling sounds for superhero motion pictures.

This quick historical superhero soundtrack scan brings to light how the phenomenology of a film can utterly change our perception towards our beloved characters. Hence let’s stay tuned for the next heroic music scores.

Alex Bugnon Is Playing Home, In Harlem at the Apollo-January 31

By Lapacazo Sandoval and Bill  Myers-special to myNewYorkeye

Influential jazz musician Alex Bugnon pays homage to his adopted community with his new CD appropriately titled, HARLEM.  And on Friday, January 31 he brings his brand of funk/R&B and soul inspired playing to the historic Apollo stage, joined by Grammy-Winner Ms. Regina Belle, Grammy-Nominated Lalah Hathaway and Valerie Simpson.

Bugnon hails from the picturesque town of Montreux, Switzerland – site of the world famous Jazz Festival. No doubt, the annual convergence in his hometown (and his own home), of some of music’s most illustrious names, played a role in his decision to pursue a musical career -- as did his early friendship with Herbie Hancock. The fact that his uncle was the legendary Donald Byrd only served to further his decision.

I make a Herculean effort not to write about music because I love it and can't find the right combination of adjectives to describe my sincerity.

So, I reached out to Bill C. Myers, one of my oldest friends, who recently tendered his post as President of the African-American Jazz Caucus.

An experienced jazz musician, educator and force behind "Bill Myers Inspires" (a new series that highlights good acts-by-good people), I thought it would be enlightening to bring these two passionate professionals together for a dialogue.

Here is an excerpt from our hour long interview with jazz great Alex Bugnon.

myNewYorkeye: You grew up in Switzerland in the small town of  Montreux which is home to the world renowned international jazz festival. What inspired your relocation to the US?

Alex Bugnon: When I first came to the USA I lived in Boston but after six years I moved to New York City and have lived there ever since. The music scene has always been vibrant and, as I see it, although on the west coast it's often about the image, here it's more about the music.

Bill Myers: What advice would you offer to young  inspiring jazz  musicians seeking a career?

Alex Bugnon: Stay away from extremes.  Right now,  jazz seems polarized into two camps.  On one side there is smooth jazz that has become watered down beyond recognition. On the other, there is a resurgent straight ahead movement.  Yet between these extremes, there is an abundance of great music, full of light and shade and very much what I play on the road.

myNewYorkeye: How do you pay homage to the art form and stay connected?

Alex Bugnon: I tour extensively.  It's about taking the music to the grass roots, to the people who want to hear it.

myNewYorkeye: Do you shy away from connecting with younger audiences that are social media focused?

Alex Bugnon: No. Of course I use social media; Facebook, Twitter and all the places people now go to get their musical knowledge.

Bill Myers: What are your thoughts on how can jazz survive and thrive in the current market place?

Or is jazz simply stuck?

Alex Bugnon: Smooth jazz radio simply got ran into the ground by sticking too closely to a format it believed would work forever and by lacking innovation.

Now innovation is found elsewhere. It's found via the internet and on the live music scene.

To listen to a section of the new album HARLEM visit here.