Thursday, November 17, 2022

MUSIC IN CULTURAL CONTEXTS Section celebrated its "first decade"

 We celebrated our tenth anniversary on November 16th 2022 with a wonderful group of friends, a delicious potluck, live in-person music, even dancing and singing. Here is a group photo of a subset of the attendees who were at the November "Gala" event.

Note: The artist of the paintings, drawings, and etchings that are displayed on the walls in this photo are by our hostess Jarka Wilcox, our multi talented music section member. Many of her pieces are inspired by her native city of Prague: the bridges, cobble stone streets, the River, beautiful architecture, and people.

Front row: Zorana (founder and chair) with Janice (our resident cellist, featured performer)
Standing from left: Mireya, June, Amelita, Jaime, Simone, Rochelle, Glorya
Standing 2nd row: Mary-Ann, Marianna, Tom, Madonna, and Jarka

Not included are: Joy and Gerry, Maria, and Roger 
Photo credit: Roger

Glorya and Roger, our newlyweds


Marianne (FWC president 2022-2023),  Joy, Rochelle ("zoomer" for music section)
& Jarka (hostess)



Our traditional potluck was delicious, as usual. Simone explains her dish: a brie cheese with cranberry top, very timely and festive. We had cheese, vegetable, arborio casserole (by Mary-Ann), a special purple yum pie (by Amelita), and many healthy platters, fruits, small bites, and cookies.

The music program was a special treat, performed by JANICE on cello and piano. The piano never sounded better!

We very much missed some of our regular music section members, from day #1. Debby Kennel has moved from LA to Richmond to be closer to her daughter. In her recent letter, she tells me about her new life and how much she misses so many of our fabulous faculty women! 

This holiday season draws away from us some of our dear friends: traveling and planning special visits with the family has been unique and worth enjoying. 

MAY THE YEAR AHEAD BRING YOU HEALTH, HAPPINESS, AND RENEWED HOPE 
TO LIVE AND DREAM TOGETHER

 

Wednesday, August 31, 2022

HINDUSTANI CLASSICAL SITAR with Professor RAHUL NEUMAN

Please join us for an hour of Hindustani Classical Sitar music, performed by Professor Rahul Neuman.

Prof. Rahul Neuman, Co-Director of the
MUSIC IN INDIA ENSEMBLE at UCLA

This 2022 inaugural concert, organized by the UCLA's Faculty Women's Club, Music in Cultural Contexts Section, will be our first in-person live music performance since the pre-Covid-19 era in 2020. To celebrate our new beginning, the concert will be held at the UCLA's newly renovated Faculty Club

The event will take place on OCTOBER 19th at 12:30 PM in the Cypress Lounge of the Club. To RSVP, please email to Chair of the Music Section: Zorana Ercegovac

As I spoke with Rahul about his October 19th performance at the Faculty Club, he informed me that his own teacher, Ustad Shujaat Khan will be performing on the October 7th at the Shoenberg Hall. You must register for this free of charge event here.

Ustad Shujaat Khan, to perform at the Schoenberg Hall
October 7th at 7 PM

Ustad Khan is one of the greatest North Indian classical musicians of his generation. He belongs to the Imdad Khan gharana of the sitar. His style of playing, known as the gayaki ang, imitates the range and subtleties of the human voice. Khan’s musical pedigree extends seven generations and includes some of the leading artists of their own generations. He has earned distinction for his unique style of sitar playing, exceptional voice, and intuitive and spontaneous approach to rhythm. Khan has been invited as a visiting professor at the Dartington School of Music in England, the University of Washington in Seattle, and the University of California, Los Angeles. 

(This paragraph and the photo of Ustad Khan are copied from the UCLA Web site giving a brief biographical note, and announcing his concert).

This information is remarkable, and happily, we will be able to witness the artistic mastery and pedagogical thread from Ustad Khan to Prof. Neuman, and on to Neuman's students at UCLA. 


Below you will find a floor map of the Faculty Club venues. The Cypress Lounge is located at the lower level (upper right corner) of the Club.

The floor plan gives a rendition of the Cypress Lounge 

Spacious venues provide a unique place on the UCLA campus where its membership (e.g., faculty, staff, alumni, and guests) has enjoyed their meals (with no need to make reservation), meet socially, hold symposia and conferences, listen to music programs and scholarly presentations, and celebrate special family events.

While this is not the first time our Music in Cultural Contexts Section organizes our live programs at the Club (last time was in Fall of 2019), this is the first time we will invite membership from sister organizations, including Emeriti, Retirees, the Faculty Club attendees, and their guests. 


Thursday, July 28, 2022

MUSIC IS in the AIR, IN-PERSON, and FABULOUS

Welcome to the 34th season of The H. J. BRUMAN Summer Chamber Music Festival (2022) at UCLA. The full program 2022 is given at their cite above.

Let us celebrate in-person events with live music at the historic Powell Library Rotunda, 12 noon to 1 PM.

Today's live concert, Tuesday, August 2nd, was a treat for all of us in attendance who had the opportunity to spend one hour with the COLON DUO, Emilio and Cara Elise Colon. 



Cellists Emilio and Cara Elisa Colon 
at the Powell Library Rotunda, UCLA
The Henry J. Bruman Summer Chamber Music Festival 2022

The Program consisted of a wonderful mix of pieces ranging from F. J. Haydn (1732-1809) to
David Popper (1843-1913) Hungarian Rhapsody, op. 68, arranged by Emilio Colon.

Personally, I admire the Colon Duo, remembering their performance via zoom during the Summer 2021.
The duo is on the faculty at the Indiana University, Bloomington. In addition, they are invited to teach, and to perform with well known symphonies, chamber orchestras, and as soloists. We hope they visit us in the Summer of 2023.



Here are the dates for specific programs during the
2022 H J Bruman Summer Chamber MUSIC FESTIVAL

All five BRUMAN's concerts are held at the UCLA's Powell Library Rotunda. It was constructed from 1926 to 1929, in the romanesque revival architecture design. In 1951, Ray Bradbury wrote an early draft of his Fahrenheit 451 using typewriters that were available for rent.

Thee next concert is on Tuesday, August 2, with COLON DUO

This is a part of the Rotunda where all concerts are performed



We recognize the Playa Cafe where we sip, meet, and greet our friends. 
Today, a few of us in the FWC Music Section enjoyed the art, curated by Victoria Steele, 
new landscape, and delicious scones and coffee. Highly recommended!

The Cypress Bar & Lounge, located on the lower level of the Faculty Club,
has been known as the hub for socializing with live music

The redwood panel, designed in 1964 by Evelyn Ackerman (1924-2012), is one among the special features of the Cypress Bar & Lounge. This will be the place for our October 19th Music Section gathering. We will welcome the Music Section members in addition to everyone else from the Club. The program will be announced in the Faculty Club Newsletter.

Monday, May 16, 2022

HONORING all our MEMBERS in MUSIC IN CULTURAL CONTEXTS

 Here are a few photos from the last night's closing LACO performance for the 2021-2022 Season

The iconic UCLA's Royce Hall at night

We came to celebrate the closing LACO event and the graduation gala of UCLA's class of 2022 students


J. Brahms' Concerto for Violin and Cello
Margaret Batjer and Andrew Shulman gave a superb performance

From the very first sound of the Brahms' concerto, you could tell that Batjer and Shulman were not only superb artists, but also great musicians who have worked together at LACO for many years. Batjer has been Concertmaster and director of chamber music; Shulman has been Principal cellist with LACO.

Ellen Reid, LACO's Composer in Residence
introducing her piece FLOODPLAIN, commissioned by LACO

Milos Ercegovac enjoying the pre-concert time at the 
West Terrace of the Royce Hall


Powell Library dominates the campus and makes it a great space
for commencement ceremonies and gala events



Monday, March 21, 2022

HAPPY SPRING Bright HOLIDAYS

Happy Easter, Happy Passover, Sretan Uskrs,  Joyeuses Paques !!

My favorite Easter inspired music:

J S Bach: St Matthew Passion with  J Eliot Gardiner & Monteverdi's Choir

N. Rimsky-Korsakov: Russian Easter Festival Overture

G. Mahler: Symphony No. 2 "Resurrection"

F. Poulenc: Quatre motets pour un temps de penitence

I just read an article by Simon Callow, "Portrait of the Artists as a Young Pianist," in the April 21, 2022 issue of The New York Review of Books https://www.nybooks.com/issues/2022/04/21/

I strongly recommend reading Jeremy Denk's book EVERY GOOD BOY DOES FINE (e g b d f). You will also find details about Denk's recorded catalog, including piano pieces that are composed anywhere between c. 1300 to c. 2000. You will recognize many pieces and composers' names that we covered in our Music in Cultural Contexts section. Will talk more at our next zoom meeting -- APRIL 20th.

The blooms, colors, "sounds," and the Jasmin scent from my garden. Let the Healthy Season Begin !

Spring is in the air: new blooms, fresh colors



A subset of our Music Section joined the celebration of the LACO performance of Richard Wagner (1813-1883), Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847), and Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) on March 19th 2022, at the UCLA's Royce Hall. The group gathered at the West Terrace Lounge to meet, greet, sip, and chat. Wonderful beginning of in-person socializing while supporting LACO's young generation of brilliant musicians.

From left: Anne-Marie, Ross, Rochelle, and Milos
Photo credits: Zorana Ercegovac

The performers included the LACO chamber orchestra musicians, in addition to Guest conductor Roderick Cox, and American violinist Randall Goosby, both of whom will be performing with the LA Philharmonic.

From left: Margaret Batjer, Violin I, Concertmaster & Director of Chamber Music;
Randall Goosby, Violinist; Roderick Cox, guest conductor
Photo credits: Zorana Ercegovac

See you at the April 24th LACO concert, with another great program and soloist, Nemanja Radulovic.

The program includes works by: 

Scott Joplin (1868-1917) -- a father of RAGTIME. Treemonisha Overture (1911)

Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) -- MaMere l'Oye (Mother Goose, 1910) 

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)  -- Violin Concerto in D, 1878 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

April 20th will be our regular MUSIC SECTION IN CULTURAL CONTEXTS gathering.

The zoom venue for the 20th of April will be provided by our hosts Rochelle and Ross Caballero.

One of the features of the music program will be the life and works by medieval woman composer

The presenter is our music section member Lorraine

Debby Kennel will be providing a brief historical overview of that time in Europe.

Enjoy the spring (2022) sounds, colors, reads, hikes, trips, spring festivities, and friendships.

Our April and May Music Section events are rich, and we have started to attend in-person concerts. 

Let us know what you have been up to, and which trips you've taken. 

                                                            STAY IN TOUCH :-) 

                                                   Here are the marzipans from my kitchen




Wednesday, February 16, 2022

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

 

Climate change is an aspect of all possible changes happening around us right now, so our forthcoming 2022-2023 Music in Cultural Context year will be representing all these evolutionary lines we must address and think about through timelines across multiple cultural and geopolitical boundaries. 

Today's Music in Cultural Contexts celebrated VALENTINE'S DAY and the Black History Month.

                                                        OUR NEXT DATES:

                                                        March 19th at Royce Hall -- Saturday at 8 PM

                                                        April 24th at Royce Hall -- Sunday at 7 PM

                                                        Tickets: 213.622.7001 x221


We will also have, by popular demand, another zoom music gathering in April -- April 20th at 12:30

We started off by listening to W.E.B. DuBois CREDO, and then on to the Georgetown University choir.

"I believe in" also knowns as CREDO by Du Bois and the
Georgetown University Choir 

Next we visited early African American artists who were trained in Germany in the 30s. "Black voices in the land of Bach, Beethoven, and Brahms", was an article published in New York Review of Books (February 2022). Marian Anderson (1897-1993), at the request of First Lady Eleanore Roosevelt and FDR, performed on the Lincoln Memorial steps on Easter Sunday in 1939. Ella Fitzgerald (selected by Joanie) as well as Roberta Flack (selected byLorraine) were the pieces chosen by our own members of the FWC Music Section.

Roberta Flack sings the iconic 
"THE FIRST TIME EVER I SAW YOUR FACE"

Our special guests Kathryn and Elin Burgess performed Elin's and Chris's Welsh song from her first album, released in January 2022. They read a poem both in Welsh and in English. It was an outstanding performance and a special treat for us all to hear the sounds and the words of the lovely song in both languages: "Dacw Mghariad," with opening line, "There is my sweetheart down in the orchard."
We wish Elin and her fiancé Chris good luck!


Maria Penedo, aka LOLO, read "Madness", a fado song both in English and Portuguese. Several photos from our own trip to Lisboa's famous fado club in the Alfama district were shared with the audience. 

Several other poems were set to music by F. Liszt, A. Dvorak, and E. Elgar.

The program was conceptualized around LOVE and Black History Month, the house was full and happy, and our special guests were an outstanding addition to the progra. 

                            Here are those smiles at the end of the event, some had to leave earlier.

From left top row: Rochelle (zoom host), Zorana (Founder and chair), Amelita
Middle row: Roma, Glorya, Jarka and Debby
Bottom row: Lolo, Lorraine
Several attendees left earlier, including Joy, Jarka, Marion, Kathryn, and Milos
Debby Kennel was with us as well

We started with The KISS (a painting by Gustav Klimt), and
finished with a lovely poem "Jenny kiss'd me" read by Amelita



 

Thursday, January 20, 2022

Wishing you all a HAPPY and HEALTHY New Year 2022 -- with great music gatherings

We started off the New Year with our January 19th special celebration. The gathering, well attended, was hosted by our zoomer Rochelle Caballero. We celebrated Glorya Dixon's 90th birthday (see a three-part program, below). We also announced Glorya's recent wedding to Roger, who was there to greet us.

MUSIC SECTION in CULTURAL CONTEXTS is among several sections of the Faculty Women's Club which have remained active during the pandemic era, now for the past two years (2020-2022).

The Club used to enjoy many of the social gatherings in-person. An example is PLAY READING Section, described in Daily Bruin in 2013

Zubin Mehta conducts the Berlin Phil with M. Glinka's overture
RUSLAN and LUDMILLA (based on A. Pushkin's poem)

The program included a presentation about Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, LACO, by Anne-Marie Spataru. She is LACO's board member as well as our own Faculty Women's Club member and VP for programs. Anne-Marie has been nominated for our next President-Elect.

Anne-Marie Spataru speaks about LACO: its history, the orchestra,
the future of programming, and about the newly re-appointed conductor Jaime Martin

Glorya Dixon, 80th FWC President during the 2002-2003 academic year, enjoyed the collage of music birthday cards. We sang along Beatles, danced along Natasha Rostova and Andrei Bolkonsky in Shostakovich Second Waltz, and listened to other music pieces especially chosen for this celebration.


Glorya with friends -- virtual gathering;
others sent out their birthday wishes

Our next music section meeting is VALENTINE inspired: 

Feb 16, 2022 at 12:30 PM -- with our zoom hostess Rochelle


PLEASE SEND ME YOUR FAVORITE MUSIC PIECES FOR THE VALENTINE GATHERING.
Our Valentine February gathering will be an outstanding program featuring music, poetry, and performance. Many of our members have already contributed their favorite pieces. However, there is always room for an exceptional contribution. We want to be surprised, engaged, teased, and more.

SO, DO SEND ME YOUR FAVORITES!! The Program is evolving beautifully.

The program is very diverse, incorporating jazz, fado essentials with the Portuguese guitar, and many more surprises. Poetry reading is as relevant, performance is important, a particular version makes a difference, your get a picture. 

Our March 19 and APRIL 24 will take us to UCLA's ROYCE HALL. Tickets are available at LACO

                         See you all February 16th virtually

Looking forward to YOUR Valentine inspired music around the world