May and June 2023 on the stage

 As we come to the end of our Music in Cultural Contexts year, we wrap-up our successful music programming with several events as well as with a few announcements for the Fall of 2023.

           THANK YOU ALL FOR THE MEMORABLE MUSIC SEASON 2022-2023

Our May 2023 concerts highlighted the season with NIKKA GERSHMAN and VIVIAN FAN at the Faculty Club. The event was sold out in the first week of our published announcements. Here are a few moments from that outstanding program with brilliant artists, NIKKA and VIVIAN at the piano.

NIKKA GERSHMAN, flute, with VIVIAN FAN, piano

The program was advertised to the Faculty Club, The EMERITI & RETIREES, and the UCLA's Faculty Women's Club memberships; the interest has exceeded our expectations, so that every chair was used. The program followed a lively QA interaction. 

The audience was super engaged as active listeners, admirers, and
supporters to the artists and the selection of their music pieces 

The program included DOPPLER, GLUCK, TAFFANEL, MENDELSSOHN, WETZGER, and a surprise piece composed by NIKKA for this special event, May 17th 2023 at the Sherie Bar & Lounge. The Morrisons, who have been big supporters of the Faculty Club, were grateful to be in the audience, and enjoyed the concert as well as the interaction with the artists.

Vivian, NIKKA, and Zorana who invited Nikka and Vivian
to be our special guests -- before Nikka leaves for the Juilliard in Fall 2023

Robert Shlyakhtenko will be the pianist on June 11th 2023 in a recital at the Palisades Lutheran Church. He will be playing a movement of Edvard Grieg's piano concerto in A minor. Grieg composed this piece in 1868 in Denmark during one of his visits there. We will hear some of his interest in Norwegian folk music, his native country. 

We remember Victor Shlyakhtenko who performed for us as early as 2016-2017 when  he was 15 years old, and in May of 2018 during our Centennial General Meeting. On June 11th, we will hear Victor's younger brother Robert Shlyakhtenko with the Pacific Symphony. Details are below. The place is the Palisades Lutheran Church, 15905 Sunset Blvd, at the corner of El Medio and Sunset Blvd.

            Let's keep in touch, wishing you a healthy, cool, safe, and adventurous summer months. 

Here are a few beats from June 8, 2023 UCLA Afro Latin Jazz music by The Benjamin Dabiri's Afro Latin Ensemble.  The place, as always, at the Kerckhoff Coffeehouse Patio. Wonderful time to listen and interact with our undergraduates, all working with Prof. Arturo O'Farrill Valero. Joe (JOE'S OASIS) is drumming (in the photo above) and organizing Thursday lunchtime events.

   Please let me know your ideas for the next season 2023-2024: 

Music from your journeys, movies and plays, we want to be connected

Giovanni Segantini, 1858-1899 THE ITALIAN ALPS
Getty Museum (Brentwood)

SPRING IS IN THE AIR

Spring is just several weeks away, so let's start planning for our March 15, 2023 Music Section Meeting.

The March meeting will be zoom hosted by Rochelle and programmed by Zorana with your contributions.

Our March 15th meeting will be organized around the theme of SPRING: all about colors, light, birds, blooms, renewed HOPE, and relationships between music and poetry, dance, cinema, and creative thoughts. This is also WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH.

For March 15th, please "adopt" your favorite FEMALE ARTIST and say a few words about her contributions to the world; examples: artist, scientist, humanist, inventor, activist, poetess, composer, conductor, vocalist, actress, your mother -- and WHY.

March 12, 2023

Also, by March 15th, we will all know about OSCAR awards and the power of MUSIC in CINEMA. You may want to share your favorite film music with the group. 

MAY 17th is our last in-person concert in the 2022-2023 music season.
Our featured guest is NIKKA GERSHMAN.  At 15, she is an accomplished flutist, and among the youngest freshmen at the Juilliard School, a private performing arts conservatory in New York City. The recital will be held at the UCLA's Faculty Club -- Sherie Lounge  & Bar venue.
Nikka will be accompanied by Prof. Vivian Fan on a newly purchased piano, a generous gift by the Professors Sherie and Donald Morrison.

NIKKA GERSHMAN

I am sharing some of my favorite "spring" inspired art pieces, all from the J. P. Getty Museum where I spend considerable time in their Research Library, the gardens, galleries, fountains, and other spaces. 

A few of these pieces are posted here for you.

Spring by Lawrence Alma-Tadema

Spring by Manet

Another reminder that we are upon the spring season of 2023, here are the 

birds enjoying sun -- Santa Monica Beach

Watch the 95^th Academy Awards nominated TAR with Cate Blanchett and enjoy Mahler and Elgar! Calendar the OSCARS' night for Sunday March 12th.

Cate Blanchett has been nominated for the BEST ACTRESS in the film TAR

Question: You know the actor and film on the right?

May 17th will be our closing in-person concert at the Faculty Club≥

PREPARE FOR LOTS OF SURPRISES!! Also let me know if you wish to join in for a pre-concert lunch at the Club. Reservations are required. The event will be widely announced and seats are limited. So calendar the event for MAY 17th, Wednesday at 12 noon.

Planning ahead, please consider attending the 77th OJAI MUSIC FESTIVAL from June 8 to 11, 2023. I will remind you again and publish in the May-June issue of UPDATE.

What a great way it wold be to celebrate our tenth anniversary with music, fellowship, just 75 m NW of LA. Visit their website and let me know if you will be attending the Festival.

HAPPY NEW YEAR -- HAPPY MUSIC MADE BY HAPPY PEOPLE

May we all together enjoy wonderful music, continued fellowship, and talented our own members!

WISHING YOU ALL A HEALTHY, HAPPY, MUSIC-FILLED, PEACEFUL & PROSPEROUS YEAR

HAPPY HOLIDAYS
HAPPY NEW YEAR 2023

WHAT'S ON

Our first concert is on Friday, January 20, 2023 at the BroadStage in Santa Monica. The concert starts at 7:30 PM and tickets starting at $45.00 (310.434.3200). So hurry to get the best seats. 

Last night was another outstanding performance and the program of the TAKACS QUARTET.

Edward Dusinberre, first violin, Harumi Rhodes, violin, Richard O'Neill, viola, and Andras Fejer, cello -- the original one since 1975. The special guest was Jeremy Denk at the piano.

The Takacs Quartet is based in Boulder at the University of Colorado. Here is a photo of their rockies in the background.

Edward, Andras, Harumi, and Richard
What a treat to hear them perform the Program for us

The program included outstanding two string quartets, by J. Haydn (1732-1809) in F major Op. 77 no. 2., and another by Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel (1805-1847)  in E-flat major. After the intermission, we were delighted with a piano quintet in E-flat major, op. 44 by Robert Schumann (1810-1856).

The Takacs Quartet

Details are here https://broadstage.org/performances/2022-23/classical/takacsjeremydenk

Let us meet in the foyer of the BroadStage for CHEERS, CHAT, small bites, say around 6:30 PM.

Jeremy Denk, pianist, is winner of a MacArthur "Genius" Fellowship
and the Avery Fisher Prize
https://jeremydenk.com

Denny's book, just published in 2022, is titled EVERY GOOD BOY DOES FINE B G B D F

Penguin Random House. 2022 packs lots of information
about the pianist, his music and piano education
annotated music pieces, and much more
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

SEE YOU THERE

Looking Back at 2022 -- Read our top stories from the last year

WE LOOK FORWARD TO MANY MORE MEMORABLE MOMENTS in 2023 and HOPE TO SEE YOU HERE: in-person, via zoom, at our members' residences, & concert halls DURING THE YEAR.

In anticipation to our February 15th zoom meeting, here's a poem by Carolyn Marie Rodgers (1940-2010) reminding us to think of love poems as evoking the passion of youth. Rodgers makes us think again.

NOTE: The poem SOMETHING INSIDE is perfect introduction to our month of February music gathering (via zoom); we will combine the BLACK HISTORY MONTH with Valentine's musical postcards.

I read this poem (Jan 5th 2023) at the Open Mic, the Playreading Section chaired by Rochelle Caballero

Some of the participants at the "Open mic" chaired by
Rochelle Caballero's Playreading Section

Something Inside 

Something inside doesn't get too old, to love

So, when I look at you, I still have to watch the catch in my breath.

Something inside still inside of me, 

hasn't gotten too old to love

a certain smell or smile,

or grab a certain look or laugh for my heart’s sake.

 

Something inside my heart gets glad

when I hear your voice, or sad, if sad is what you are.

 

When I think about you, 

I can still feel the way I did when I first met you,

almost fifteen years ago. 

 

Something inside people 

doesn’t get too old for love.

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

 

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. 

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.

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