photo credit: Ryan Handt

Harpist Brandee Younger is a versatile musician who defies genres and labels. She began her harp studies in 1995 under the tutelage of Karen Strauss. Three years later, as a high school sophomore, she began performing with the Long Island University Orchestra and The Lyric Opera Company.

Extending her musical education into her college years, Younger earned a bachelor's degree in Music Performance and Management from the Hartt School of Music at the University of Hartford.  There, she studied under Rebecca Flannery. Younger complemented her studies at the Hartt School with lessons from renowned harpists Susan Jolles and Karen Lindquist.

Spanning an array of orchestras from the Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra to the Red Bull Artsehcro, a "non-conformist" orchestra convened by the Austrian energy drink company, Younger's performance resume reveals her as a remarkably adaptable young harpist.  She is, however, not easily typecast as the harpist of yore. Working with jazz greats like bassist Nat Reeves and saxophonist Kenny Garrett, she has summoned an inner reservoir of sheer spunk on several lively occasions.

Bravely testing the limits of her art, yearning for a career 'outside of the box', Younger has worked with producer, Ryan Leslie and can be heard caressing chords for Bad Boy recording artist, Cassie on Just One Nite, track six of the pop star's newly released album.  She can also be heard on hip hop artist Common's album, Finding Forever.

Brandee Younger is currently on faculty at the University of Hartford and is soon to be a graduate of New York University.  She will also be featured on Ravi Coltrane's upcoming album. Stay tuned!

Attend all three of her public performances this month. (1) The CT Chapter of the American Harp Society presents a special program of the music and life of Harpist Marcel Grandjany on Sunday, November 4^th at 3:00 p.m. Free. Performances of his music for harp solos, duos and trios performed by professional harpists from across CT including Grace Cloutier, Wendy Kerner Lucas, Susan Knapp Thomas, Emily Oppenheimer, Megan Sesma and Brandee Younger. Plus performances by some of CT's finest harp students, a video of Marcel Grandjany performing and recollections of his extraordinary life. Reception Following. Stratford Public Library - Lovell Room, 2203 Main Street, Stratford, CT 05515; 203-385-4164. (2) Flute & Harp Recital with Nicole Camacho, Flute Saturday, November 10, 8pm; Christ First Presbyterian Church , 353 Fulton Ave., Hempstead, NY. (3) Graduate Harp Recital; Saturday, November 17, 4:00pm; Gott Harps' Salon, 311 West 138th St., New York, NY. Works by Faure, Grandjany, CPE Bach, Andres and Debussy.

For additional information on any of these events, email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

The International Creative Forum (ICF) is one of the highlights of the Freedom and Culture program.  An international, stellar cast of artists, thinkers and cultural commentators will gather to perform, display, discuss and share their ideas on the significance of the bicentenary of the Parliamentary abolition of the slave trade.    

Renowned international figures such as Professor Angela Davis, the American activist, academic, and writer and Nigerian playwright and Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka will be speaking at the ICF.   Audiences will have the opportunity to hear singing star Heather Small performing her own composition, especially commissioned by Freedom and Culture.  Talented composers Shirley J. Thompson and Philip Herbert have also been commissioned by Freedom and Culture to provide further dazzling musical contributions that reflect on the themes and issues raised by the bicentenary. 

Freedom and Culture will also be commissioning a spoken word artist to perform at the International Creative forum.  Visual artist Mary Evans has been commissioned to create an original, site-specific work for the ICF.  Other participants include multi-award winning author Andrea Levy as well as acclaimed filmmaker John Akomfrah.

photo credit: John Grigaitis/Courtesy of Michigan Opera Theatre

The Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, in association with Michigan Opera Theatre, proudly presents: MARGARET GARNER: A NEW AMERICAN OPERA IN TWO ACTS

Based on one of the most significant fugitive slave stories in pre-Civil War America. The production marks the Chicago debut of this controversial and acclaimed work, and the return of grand opera to the Auditorium Theatre. Although originally built as an opera house, the Auditorium has not hosted an opera in many years.  Librettist *Toni Morrison* weaves the epic story of Margaret Garner's decision in 1856 to flee with her children to Ohio in an attempt to escape their lives as slaves at Kentucky's Maplewood Farm. Upon facing recapture, Garner made the chilling decision to attempt to kill herself and her two children, rather than see them return to the bonds of slavery.  Margaret Garner's trial became the longest fugitive slave case of this era. An intense national debate  over whether Garner should be tried for "destruction of property" or murder  directly and blatantly addressed critical questions at the core of the causes of the Civil War.

This performance will feature mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves for whom the opera was originally written, libretto by Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison, music by Grammy Award-winning composer Richard Danielpour. It is directed by Kenny Leon, conducted by Stefan Lano and orchestrated by the Chicago Sinfonietta, an ensemble dedicated to inclusiveness and innovation in high quality classical music.

This show is not to be missed. Saturday, Nov. 1, 2008 at 6:00 p.m.*: Opening night gala, Sunday, Nov. 2, 2008 at 2:00 p.m., Friday, Nov. 7, 2008 at 7:30 p.m.*, Saturday, Nov. 8, 2008 at 7:30 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 9, 2008 at 2:00 p.m.* Call for ticket prices: 312.431.2357.

"When I sing in Europe they treat me in the opera houses the same way they treat Placido Domingo in this country. I'm not going to say that racism does not exist in Europe, but it exists far less than in my own country.When I sing in Hamburg, Berlin, Paris the people don't care about my skin color. They engage me because I can do the part. When I sing Don Carlo, I made myself light. They only care is he qualified. Can he sing, can he act."

Simon Estes, Bass

(compiled and submitted by Lisa Bryce) 

Hailed as a child prodigy, violinist Tai Murray is leading the rising young stars within the world of classical music. Known for her beautiful, mature phrasing and graceful bow work, Murray has received critical acclaim from coast to coast. Murray began to take lessons at the Sherwood Conservatory of Music in Chicago at the age of five. Within a few years she was drawing attention for her exceptional ability and by the age of nine, she made her debut with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Even at a young age, Murray practiced her instrument between three and four hours every day. At the beginning of her fifth-grade year of school, she began being homeschooled to allow more time for her to practice, which she stepped up to five hours a day. She also began to travel to performances on a more regular basis.

At the age of 16, Murray was invited to perform as soloist with the Utah Symphony.  In 2001 Murray made her debut in San Antonio, Texas, as guest soloist with the San Antonio Symphony. In his review in the San Antonio Express-News, Mike Greenberg wrote, "Murray impressed immediately with her depth of tone, mature phrasing and steely sweetness....In temperament, she was more like a chamber musician than the typical concert artist. Though she projected a big assertive sound, she also melded into the orchestral backdrop with uncommon grace." She returned to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra to perform once again when she was 21 years old. 

Murray studied music at the University of Indiana and graduated with honors from the school's Artist Diploma program. Following her tenure at the University of Indiana, she enrolled in a three-year program at New York's Juilliard School of Music to study under Joel Smirnoff. After a performance with the Juilliard Orchestra in 2002, Dennis Rooney wrote in The Strad, "Displaying sophisticated bowing and vibrato, her performance was at times deliberate but never stolid. It was enhanced by a warm tone that easily soared above the orchestra...." She graduated from the Juilliard School in the spring of 2004.

By 2004 Murray stage appearances included the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra, the St. Ambrose Chamber Orchestra, and the Oakland-East Bay Symphony, as well as the symphonies in St. Louis, San Antonio, Greensboro, North Carolina, and Washington, D.C. Her performance with the Sacramento Philharmonic in 2002 was named the classical performance of the year by the Sacramento Bee. Her awards include top honors in the Indiana University Concerto Competition, the Sphinx Competition, and the Juilliard School Concerto Competition. She also earned a Certificate of Honor for musicianship by the Accademia Chigiana in Siena, Italy. In 2004 she was awarded a career grant from the Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Artist Program.

In the fall of 2004, 22-year-old Murray earned a spot in a two-year professional residency program at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. She currently performs regularly with chamber ensembles in New York, Philadelphia, and Jacksonville, including the Ritz Chamber Players.

Support this incredible performer when she appears with the Santa Barbara Symphony: November 10 & 11 at the Arlington Theatre at 8p.m. Program: John Corigliano - Elegy for Orchestra, Barber - Violin Concerto, Gershwin - An American in Paris and Bernstein - West Side Story Symphonic Dances. 

photo credit: John Clark

Althea Ifeka is a solo oboist specializing primarily in the performance of works from the Baroque period and the twentieth century. Based in London, England, she performs widely as a concerto soloist, duo recitalist and chamber ensemble player, and is also the Artistic Director of Orchestra 18/20.

Born in Nigeria of Nigerian and English parentage, Althea grew up in Canberra, Australia, read Social Anthropology at Girton College, Cambridge, where she was also a University Choral and Instrumental Scholar, and completed her education at the Royal Academy of Music in London and the Banff Centre for the Arts in Canada. After winning prizes at the RAM for the interpretation of eighteenth-century chamber music, and for orchestral playing, she reached the class finals of the 1992 Tunbridge Wells International Young Concert Artists Competition. Scholarships awarded during her studies include those from the Countess of Munster Musical Trust, the Ian Fleming Awards, and the U.S. Government Fulbright-Hays programme.

Since entering the music profession in 1994, Althea has met with considerable critical acclaim for her performances. She has played concertos at major venues such as the Purcell Room, St John's Smith Square and the Proms at Marble Hill Park, with orchestras including the Milton Keynes and Bath City Orchestras and the Belmont Ensemble of London. In July 1996 she gave the British premiere of The Songs of the Magi by the African-American composer Adolphus Hailstork. As a former scholar on the Countess of Munster Musical Trust Recital Scheme, she has given numerous recitals at music clubs and universities throughout the UK and EIRE, in addition to radio broadcasts for Radio 3, RTE Fm3 and Classic Fm. Althea performs in duo partnership with Katharine May, harpsichord - with whom she featured in the 2003/4 season as a Concert Promoters Network recommended artist - and Dominic Saunders, piano. She is also a founder member of The Blake Ensemble (tenor, oboe, cello and harpsichord).

Althea, together with Katharine May, harpsichord, recently produced album From Leipzig to London: Duo Sonatas from the 18th and 20th centuries by J.S. Bach and modern British composers. This album is receiving glowing criticism.

From the web site:
This CD explores the innovative role of J.S. Bach in creating the earliest duo sonatas, by presenting three sonatas now known to date from his Leipzig period performed on the oboe, oboe d'amore and cor anglais and harpsichord. The demise of the oboe as a solo instrument and the complete demise of the harpsichord during the nineteenth century were overturned in the twentieth as both instruments made impressive comebacks. The four modern pieces were inspired by the duo partnership of Evelyn Rothwell (Lady Barbirolli), oboe and Valda Aveling, harpsichord, and form a powerful overview of the different compositional styles at work in London in the mid to late twentieth century.

The CD contains a 24-page booklet which includes a history of the instruments and the two time periods, composer and artist biographies, photographs, and original interview quotes from Lady Barbirolli and Stephen Dodgson.

There is an underrepresentation of works for oboe by composers of color. Althea Ifeka is one more reason for composers to get excited about writing for this instrument.  Buy the album and find out.

A:  The following is extracted from a forthcoming publication, but it is only a start and must be subject to corrections and additions.  It does not appear that any of these works are specifically for boy's voices, but that at the time of the LP recording his [Amu] school was not co-ed. 

Click on the composers' names for their biography, a listing of their works and their discographies. If you have additions or corrections, please reply to this newsletter.

simón bolívar youth orchestra of venezuela

© Christina Körte / DG

The Orquesta Sinfónica Simón Bolívar (Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra) is the Venezuelan youth orchestra established by economist José Antonio Abreu on 12 February 1975. The orchestra is sponsored by Fundacion del Estado para el Sistema Nacional de las Orquestas Juveniles e Infantiles de Venezuela, known colloquially as El Sistema. The orchestra is based at the Teresa Carreño Cultural Complex in Caracas and is considered the apex of the nation's system of 220 youth orchestras.

The Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela is conducted by the internationally-acclaimed vibrant Gustavo Dudamel who assumed the position as artistic director in 1999. The orchestra and Dudamel have made two recordings for Deutsche Grammophon, of symphonies of Ludwig van Beethoven and of Gustav Mahler. In August 2007, the orchestra and Dudamel made their first appearance at the BBC Proms, to critical acclaim and an enthusiastic reception from the audience: the concert was broadcast live on BBC4 TV. The orchestra has previously released other recordings, including several ballet pieces in the early 1990s on the 'Dorian Recordings' Label.

See them live on their US tour from California to Boston. International Youth Orchestra Festival: Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela, International Youth Orchestra Festival IYOF2; Walt Disney Concert Hall; Thursday, November 1, 8:00 PM; 111 S. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, CA (323) 850-2000. Program: Bernstein: Symphonic Dances from West Side Story  Mahler: Symphony No. 5. San Francisco Symphony; BBC Proms in London; Program: Shostakovich: Symphony No. 10; Bernstein: Symphonic Dances from West Side Story; Various Works from Latin America. Sunday, November 4, 7:00PM, Davies.  Boston Symphony Orchestra, Symphony Hall, Wednesday, November 7, 8:00 PM; Program: Bartók: Concerto for Orchestra, Bernstein: Symphonic Dances from West Side Story; Selection of South American works.

Marlon Daniel conducts the Ensemble Orchestra of Prague in a concert that celebrates the genius of Norway's greatest composer Edvard Grieg (1843-1907) in honor of the 100th anniversary of the composer's death. Salle Martinu, Praga Academy, HAMU, Malostranské nám. 13, 118 00 Praha 1. Saturday, November 17 at 7:30pm.

Chicago Sinfonietta and the National Museum of Mexican Art present the 2007-08 Chamber Music Series, showcasing traditional and symphonic music influenced by the cultures of Mexico and Central and South America. Friday November 16 at 7:30pm soprano Irasema Terrazas and the women of the Chicago Sinfonietta in a tribute to Sor Juana at the National Museum of Mexican Art.

WOODWIND QUINTET RECITAL features works by composers of color. A quintet of CSO woodwind musicians will perform William Grant Still's Miniatures for Woodwind Quintet, Jan Bach's Skizzen and Paquito D'Rivera's Aires Tropicales at First Scots Presbyterian Church (53 Meeting Street, Charleston, South Carolina, 29401) on Sunday, November 4 at 4:00 pm.

André Raphel Smith conducts the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra Post-Standard Classics Series: RODEO featuring Lianne Coble, soprano, Syracuse University Oratorio Society, Elisa Dekaney, director. Friday, November 2 & Saturday, November 3 at 8:00 p.m.

Branford Marsalis Quartet will be featured with North Carolina Symphony on their 2007-08 Moore County Series. Program: Michael Daugherty: Sunset Strip, Ned Rorem: Lions (A Dream) and Mussorgsky/Ravel: Pictures at an Exhibition. Featuring: Grant Llewellyn, Music Director. Thursday, November 1 at 8:00PM.

"William Grant Still: Celebrating An American Master Composer" is a 5-city tour of Mississippi by the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Maestro Crafton Beck, in honor of the African American composer who was a native of the State. Attend the concerts: Friday, November 9 8:00PM at Riley Center, Mississippi State University, Meridian, MS; Sunday, November 11 at 3:00PM at Bennett Auditorium, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS; Thursday, November 15 at 7:30PM at Bologna Performing Arts Center, Cleveland, MS.

Courtesy of Arts Management Group, Inc.

Pianist Terrence Wilson is a graduate of The Juilliard School, where he studied with Yoheved Kaplinsky. A Bronx native, Wilson has established a reputation as one of today's most gifted instrumentalists.

He has appeared with many prestigious ensembles, including the symphony orchestras of Atlanta, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Washington, DC (National Symphony), San Francisco and St. Louis, as well as with the orchestras of Cleveland, Minnesota and Philadelphia. Among the conductors with whom he has worked are Marin Alsop, Christoph Eschenbach, Neeme Jarvi, Yoel Levi, Andrew Litton, Jesus Lopez-Cobos Robert Spano, Yuri Temirkanov, Stanislaw Skrowaczewski and Gunther Herbig.

Terrence Wilson is also active as a recitalist, having made his New York City recital debut at the 92nd Street Y, and his Washington, DC recital debut at the Kennedy Center. In Europe he has given recitals at the Verbier Festival in Switzerland, and at the Louvre in Paris. In the United States, he has given recitals at the Ravinia Festival in Chicago, the Caramoor Festival in Katonah, NY, San Francisco's Herbst Theatre, and for the La Jolla Chamber Music Society. An active chamber musician, Mr. Wilson performs regularly with the Ritz Chamber Players. Terrence Wilson has also appeared at the Mann Music Center and at the Blossom Festival, Tanglewood, and Wolf Trap in recitals and performances of concerti and chamber music.

Terrence Wilson has received numerous awards and prizes, including the SONY ES Award for Musical Excellence, an Avery Fisher Career Grant, and the Juilliard Petschek Award. He has also been featured on several radio and television broadcasts, including NPR's "Performance Today," WQXR radio in New York, and programs on the BRAVO Network, the Arts & Entertainment Network, and public television.

Terrance Wilson proves to be the hardest working man in classical music this month. Check out all of the opportunities to see him perform. Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, The Eastman Kodak Company and Bausch & Lomb Philharmonics Series. Thursday, November 1 and Saturday, November 3 at 8:00PM. Christopher Seaman, conductor. Program: Tobias Picker: Old and Lost Rivers, Michael Daugherty: Deus ex Machina (Piano Concerto) (Consortium commission; Rochester premiere) and Brahms: Symphony No. 4. New Jersey Symphony, Neeme Jarvi, conductor. Program: Beethoven: Fidelio Overture; Respighi: Ancient Airs and Dances Suite No. 3; Daugherty: Deus ex Machina for piano and orchestra and Beethoven: Leonore Overtures Nos. 1, 2 and 3. Thursday, November 15 at 8:00PM; Bergen Performing Arts Center (PAC) in Englewood; Friday, November 16 at 8:00PM; New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) in Newark; Saturday, November 17 at 8:00PM; NJPAC in Newark, Sunday, November 18 at 3 pm: State Theatre in New Brunswick. *Pre-concert Classical Conversations an hour before the performance November 16-18.

Courtesy of Liegner Management

Also much interested in orchestral repertoire, Ms. Jackson has appeared numerous times with the New Haven Symphony in Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, Mahler's Second Symphony, the role of Marzelline in a concert performance of Fidelio and in Rachmaninoff's Vocalise in a concert commemorating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. With the Aspen Chamber Orchestra she performed Beethoven's Egmont Incidental Music and with the Charlotte Symphony Beethoven's Missa Solemnis. After winning Yale's prestigious concerto competition, she sang Berg's Sieben Frühe Lieder with the late Eleazar de Carvalho and in 2001 made her debut in the Verdi Requiem with the Lithuanian National Symphony. Last season Ms. Jackson appeared with the Bridgeport Symphony in Richard Strauss's Four Last Songs and with the New England Symphonic Ensemble at Carnegie Hall. She has worked with such noted conductors as Christoph Eschenbach, Patrick Summers, John DeMain, Laurence Foster, Gustav Meier and Sebastian Lang-Lessing, also with pianist Roger Vignoles, with whom she appeared at the Bath Festival and on the BBC in England.

Read her full bio. 

See Ms. Jackson perform with the Akron Symphony Orchestra on American Reflections conducted by Christopher Wilkins on Saturday, November 17 at 8:00 p.m., E.J. Thomas Hall. Program: Copland - Billy the Kid Suite, Barber - Knoxville: Summer of 1915, Sung - Rockwell Reflections+ and Copland - Appalachian Spring.

Sonia Marie De Leon de Vega, noted symphony and opera conductor has achieved distinction as a creative and consummate musician, as a woman in a groundbreaking career role, and as a leading influence in the growing Latino culture in the United States.  Her musical talents have inspired a large following in Southern California through live orchestral presentations, as well as an international audience through televised performances in the United States, Latin America and Europe. 

She was the first woman in history to receive a Vatican invitation to conduct a symphony orchestra at a Papal Mass.  Univision, Mervyns, and Target named her Outstanding Latina of the Year in 2000.  Hispanic Business Magazine voted her one of the 100 most influential Hispanics in the United States in 2001 and 2005. In April 2005 Hispanic Business Magazine named her in their "80 Elite Women" list. In 2005 she was named "Business Woman Of The Year in Arts And Entertainment" by Senator Jack Scott and Assemblywoman Carol Liu. In September 2006 she was awarded the "Local Hero" award by KCET. She and 5 other "Local Heroes" had a mini-profile aired throughout the month of September 2006 on KCET and its' affiliates. September 2006 also brought Ms. De Leon de Vega her first national award from the prestigious organization Dialogue In Diversity in Washington D.C.  Most recently she is being featured internationally on the Spanish network Univision on a profile titles "Orgullo Hispano" (Hispanic Pride) an honor reserved for the most well known Hispanic artists in the world. She becomes the first classical artist ever featured in Orgullo Hispano. 

De Leon de Vega is most closely associated with the Santa Cecilia Orchestra. She is also the Producer and Music Director for the annual Opera Under the Stars concert in Los Angeles, a venue credited with launching the careers of many young operatic vocalists.  And she is celebrated in educational circles for creating the dynamic Discovering Music program that takes orchestra members into elementary schools in underserved Latino neighborhoods to introduce children to classical music and the instruments of the orchestra. This program also includes a choral component with weekly choral rehearsals with three community children choirs and two yearly presentations in such venues as Thorne Hall at Occidental College.

Read her full bio.

See the Santa Cecilia Orchestra strings in "Another Musical Feast" featuring music of Vivaldi and the virtuostic Vitali chaconne. The second half of the program is dominated by expressive and beautiful music that is based on folk tunes. Enjoy the rarely performed exotic and imaginative Tzaikerk for violin, flute, string orchestra and timpani. Performance is on Sunday, November 18 at 4pm in the Occidental College, Thorne Hall (1600 Campus Road, Los Angeles 90041). Prices: $24. $18, $5 (youth).

The three-volume Encyclopedia of African American Music is scheduled to be published by Greenwood Press in 2008. The editors and advisory board seek writers for remaining unassigned entries.

Among the remaining entries are:
African American Professional Choirs, Chorales and Choral Ensembles
African American Folk Music
African American Marching Band Tradition
African American Music and Migration from the South
African American Music and Music Videos
Black Conductors & Performers of Concert Music
Brass Bands, Orchestras & Dance Bands
Music of the Black Church
Rhythm & Blues
Training of Black Musicians
Music of Northern and Southern Slaves
Music of Minstrelsy

A special feature of this encyclopedia will be entries that focus on geographic centers of African American Music. Among the remaining entries in this category are: Los Angeles, Detroit, Philadelphia, New Orleans, New York, and Chicago.

Deadline for submissions is January 20, 2008. The deadline is firm, so please be confident that you can complete assigned entries by that date. If you are interested in writing for this important reference, please send a brief C.V. (2-page maximum) along with your preferred e-mail, affiliation, and postal address to: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

For more detailed information and the complete list of entries visit http://www.eoaam.org

EDITORS:
Emmett G. Price III, Ph.D., Northeastern University
Tammy L. Kernodle, Ph.D., Miami University
Horace J. Maxile, Jr., Ph.D., Center for Black Music Research

Plainfield, New Jersey native Lisa Daltirus, soprano, has performed the title role in Tosca Il trovatore with the Seattle Opera, Boston Lyric Opera, Minnesota Opera, Carolina Opera, Michigan Opera Theatre, Opera Company of Philadelphia, and New York Grand Opera. Recent roles for the American soprano have been the title role of Verdi's Aida in Detroit, West Palm Beach, and Hartford, her first Leonora in Verdi's Trovatore in Hartford, and Serena in Gershwin's Porgy and Bess in Philadelphia. In Europe, her roles include Lia in Debussy's Enfant Prodigue for her debut at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and Rosalinde in Johann Strauss Jr.'s Fledermaus in Thessaloniki, Greece. Daltirus has appeared as a soloist in Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 with Philadelphia Orchestra, sung in Verdi's Messa da Requiem at the Aspen Music Festival, and made her Avery Fisher Hall debut at the Richard Tucker Foundation Gala. She has performed as Cilla in Margaret Garner with the New York City Opera. Daltirus has received awards and recognition from the NJ State Opera Vocal competition, the Joy of Singing competition, The Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, The Liederkranz International Vocal Competition and the New York Vocal Artists Competition.

Connecticut Opera, Mortensen Hall, The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts, Thursday, November 1 at 7:30 pm and Saturday, November 3 at 8:00 pm. Before each performance, General and Artistic Director Willie Anthony Waters, who became the first African-American Opera Director in 2001, will give a free pre-opera lecture at the theater. Come and learn a little more about Tosca! 

The Puffin Foundation makes grants to emerging artists in the fields of art, music, theater, dance, photography, and literature whose works due to their genre and/or social philosophy might have difficulty being aired.

Grants from the Puffin Foundation can only be awarded to permanent residents and citizens of the United States. U.S. citizens whose projects encompass work in other countries are still eligible to apply. The foundation does not have the means to fund large film/documentary proposals, grants for travel, continuing education, or the writing or publishing of books.

Average grant awards are $1,000 to $2,500 each. Deadline: December 30, 2007. Visit the foundation's Web site for information on requesting an application and for descriptions of funded projects. Request For Proposal  For additional RFPs in Arts and Culture

photo credit: Joy von Tiedemann

Noted by the San Francisco Chronicle as "a singer of rare gifts and artistic intensity" and by the Miami Herald for possessing "a superb voice capable of just about everything," Canadian soprano Measha Brueggergosman has emerged as one of the most magnificent performers and vibrant personalities of the day.  She is critically acclaimed by the international press as much for her innate musicianship and voluptuous voice as for a sovereign stage presence far beyond her years.  Her extraordinary versatility, intuitive musicality, and radiant star quality have yielded an exclusive recording contract with Deutsche Grammophon.  Her first recording on the label, Surprise, will be released in North America in autumn 2007.

A dynamic scope of repertoire coupled with a profound depth of artistic commitment bring Measha Brueggergosman together with many of the finest international orchestras and most esteemed conductors of our day.  During the 2007-08 season performances include Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 with Pinchas Zukerman and the National Arts Centre Orchestra and with Leonard Slatkin and the National Symphony Orchestra, JanaAek's Glagolitic Mass with Michael Tilson Thomas for her London Symphony Orchestra debut, Berlioz's Les nuits d'été with Vasily Petrenko and the NDR Hannover Orchestra, and Messiaen's Poèmes pour Mi with David Robertson and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.  She also makes her Philadelphia Orchestra debut as soloist for the 2007 Marian Anderson Award Gala concert honoring Richard Gere and his humanitarian leadership.

Read her full bio. 

"The Philadelphia Orchestra honors actor Richard Gere, the 2007 recipient of the Marian Anderson Award. Leading classical, jazz, and popular musicians -- including rising opera star Measha Brueggergosman -- join them in this annual tribute named for one of Philadelphia's great artist humanitarians."

Come see the stars on Monday, November 12 at 8:30pm, The Philadelphia Orchestra at Verizon Hall. Thomas Wilkins, conductor. Measha Brueggergosman, soprano. Jon Faddis, trumpet. Miss Patti LaBelle, vocalist. Dr. Helene Gayle, speaker. Diane Lane, speaker.

Presented in partnership with the Marian Anderson Award. Proceeds from the performance support the Marian Anderson Award and Young Artist Study Grant.

Acclaimed throughout the United States, Canada, South America and Europe, Timothy Jones is rapidly emerging as one of the leading bass-baritones of his generation. His eagerly anticipated performances combine intelligent musicianship, commanding vocal technique and a unique ability to connect with audiences. He is a champion of opera, the concert stage, chamber music, solo recitals and the premieres of contemporary works.

In the 2006-2007 season Mr. Jones sings Handel's Messiah with The Cleveland Orchestra, Jake in Porgy and Bess with Opera Pacific, Alidoro in La Cenerentola with the Opera Birmingham, Eight Songs for a Mad King with the Utah Symphony, Haydn's Lord Nelson Mass with the Jacksonville Symphony, the St. John Passion with the Florida Bach Festival, concerts at the Cactus Pear Festival, a gala concert with the Marshall Symphony, Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 with the Wichita Symphony, and performances at Michigan State University and the University of Houston.

In the 2005-2006 season Mr. Jones sang Bach's St. Matthew Passion with the Cleveland Orchestra, Tippett's A Child of our Time with the Dallas Symphony, Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 with the Jacksonville Symphony, Verdi's Requiem with the Portland Symphony (Maine), Jake in Porgy and Bess with Mobile Opera, returned to the Pittsburgh New Music Festival, and performed solo recitals at the University of Houston.

Read his full bio.  

The Wichita Symphony Orchestra presents CLASSICS: Behold, The Sea!
Julia Broxholm, Soprano; Timothy Jones, Bass-Baritone
The Wichita Symphony Orchestra Chorus, Friends University Singing Quakers
Andrew Sewell, Conductor

Showtimes are Saturday, November 17 at 8:00 pm and Sunday, November 18 at 3:00 pm, Century II Concert Hall. Program: Mozart: Symphony No. 39 in E-flat Major, k. 543 and Vaughan Williams: Symphony No. 1, A Sea Symphony.

Ultimate Soprano, Inc. has been in existence since August of 2000. Since its existence, Founder/CEO Kenneithia Mitchell, through the umbrella of ULTIMATE SOPRANO, has gone to numerous predominately African American schools and churches in the state of Maryland and given workshops promoting Opera and all that it entails. She has also given musical showcases performing works by African American composers. She has worked collectively and directly with students on improving technique, placement, and form for the purposes of a more professional aesthetic and pleasing quality of sound with confident expectation that through her instruction and motivation more African American individuals who otherwise would not have pursued a career in opera would be inspired to develop their talent and embark upon their dreams, whether it be to sing, direct, teach, produce or manage. Ms. Mitchell is a well trained classical singer who has traveled the world abroad performing operas and classical works. She holds a Bachelors degree from Morgan State University and a Masters degree from the Juilliard School.

Mission   
* To employ aspiring classical artists in an effort to elevate and educate the urban community on the art form known as "Opera" by teaching and motivating individuals in their intended concentration.   
* To provide professional performance opportunities and or showcase venues for artists to create, interpret, present, and perform artistic work.   
* To create a genuine interest and appreciation for Opera and the Classical Music genre among urban citizens in the Baltimore Washington Metropolitan area.   
* To teach, motivate and inspire young American artists to promote themselves and generate income.   
* To present a recital series inclusive of workshops and excerpt showcases to various attending Churches, Universities, Institutes and Conservatories.

From Kenneithia Mitchell:
It gives me great pleasure to announce the first annual benefit fundraiser and concert of the Ultimate Soprano Recital Series to showcase Baltimore's own up and coming new talent, featuring former Ms. Morgan and current reigning Miss Maryland Shana Powell, Bass-Baritone Soloman Howard recording artist Jacqueline Anderson and many more.

Support "A Diamond in the Rough" Friday, November 30 at 8:00 pm at Gilliam Concert Hall Morgan State University Carl J Murphy Fine Arts Center (2201 Argonne Dr. Baltimore, MD 21251).

photo credit: Welton Doby

Pianist Marcus Roberts first performed as a soloist with symphony orchestra in 1992 and since that time, he has performed often with orchestras all over the world. In the summer of 2002, Roberts was honored to participate with his trio in the gala farewell weekend of concerts with Maestro Seiji Ozawa and the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Tanglewood. In 2003, Roberts premiered his new arrangement of Gershwin's Concerto in F for Piano and Orchestra in Japan with the New Japan Philharmonic and then in Europe, with the Berlin Philharmonic for their annual Wäldbuhne concert. The performance with the Berlin Philharmonic was recorded and released (A Gershwin Night) in DVD format. In 2005, Roberts and his trio traveled to Matsumoto, Japan to perform and record the concerto (Decca Records, 2006) with the world-renowned Saito Kinen Festival Orchestra once again under the direction of Maestro Seiji Ozawa. During that recording session, Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast of the U.S., leaving his Louisiana-based trio members in limbo. Drummer Jason Marsalis has still be unable to return to his home in New Orleans. After returning to the U.S., Roberts and Marsalis along with bassist Rodney Jordan flew to New York to perform at the televised hurricane benefit concert and DVD recording session ("Higher Ground") to help other Louisiana musicians to get back on their feet. 

See the Marcus Roberts Trio perform with the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra on Saturday, November 3 at 7:30 pm, Macky Auditorium. Re-Creative Fusion conducted by Michael Butterman. Program includes the world premiere of a work by Luis GonzálezMarcus Roberts, perhaps the pre-eminent jazz pianist on the scence today, and his trio have re-imagined Gershwin's Concerto in F in a way that will leave you breathless. Brahms commissioned to celebrate the BPO's 50th anniversary. Then we explore how music itself can inspire music. Haydn Variations and Hindemith Symphonic Metamorphoses are also featured.

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, College of Arts and Sciences invites applications for a senior tenured faculty appointment, with the possibility of an endowed chair, in Latina/o Studies, to start as early as July 1, 2008. This search is multi-disciplinary within the Humanities and Social Sciences including but not limited to African and Afro-American Studies, American Studies, Anthropology, History, Political Science, and Sociology. The appointment will be made in one or more relevant departments. Competitive candidates will have strong records of research and teaching.

The African American Studies Program at University of North Carolina at Greensboro invites applications and nominations for the position of Program Director. This University-wide interdepartmental program is housed in the College of Arts & Sciences, and the Program Director reports to the Dean of the College. Candidates at any professorial rank (Ph.D. required) will be considered; in the case of a tenured appointment, tenure will be held in the African-American Studies Program. The appointment will be effective August 1, 2008. The Program, with two instructors and one staff member, offers an undergraduate degree and a minor. Enrollments are strong with approximately 60 declared first majors. The Program also administers the annual Conference on African American Culture and Experience (CACE).

The African American Studies Program seeks a leader with administrative experience handling budgets, bureaucracies, and personnel. The successful candidate will have a scholarly, teaching, and service record commensurate with the professorial rank at which she or he seeks to be hired have a historical and strategic understanding of African American Studies, including competing approaches to the field and knowledge of contemporary developments with respect to gender, class, and globalization. "be able, in conjunction with the Development Office, to develop external funding for programs and initiatives be able to lead the Program through skillful communication, mentoring, and advising.

Review of applications will begin on Thursday, November 1, 2007, and will continue until the position is filled. Applicants should submit a cover letter, detailed curriculum vitae, and the names, addresses, telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses of four professional references. In the cover letter, or as a separate attachment, a candidate should articulate her or his administrative philosophy and vision for the field of African American Studies. Applications will be kept confidential on request. Submit applications or inquiries to William D. Hart, Chair of the African American Studies Search Committee. Submissions of application materials should by made by e-mail to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Project STEP, Inc. (String Training and Education Program), sponsored by the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the New England Conservatory, and the Boston University School of Music, is an independent, non-profit organization. Its mission is to identify, train, and guide exceptional young Black and Latino string players for careers in the classical music profession as soloists, teachers, chamber music performers and orchestra members.   

Project STEP is accepting applications for the position of Artistic Director, who will report to the President of the Board and is responsible for all aspects of the students' musical training and enrichment.  Job duties for this position include, but are not limited to: the establishment of program artistic standards that support the program's mission, student selection and monitoring, teacher selection and monitoring, communication with parents, the supervision of the Assistant Artistic Director and the FOCUS program (Project STEP's program for kindergarten students from which the first students are selected), the supervision of the Project STEP instrument collection, and the coordination of performances.  The Artistic Director works closely with the Board President, the Executive Director and the Program Coordinator to implement the program. 

This part time is available starting Spring 2008 with the possibility of increasing to full time depending on the qualifications and availability of the candidate. Qualifications: Minimum Bachelor's degree in string instrument performance, music education, or related field. 5 years of relevant job experience. Ability to relate to diverse constituencies.  

Send resume, cover letter and names of three references to: Artistic Director Search, Project STEP, Inc., Symphony Hall, 301 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA 02115-4557. Or e-mail your submission to: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it   with "Artistic Director Search" in the subject line. Applications will be read until the interview process is closed.

Tenure-track appointment in Composition. UC Berkeley seeks an emerging or established composer with clear potential for ongoing national and international recognition. Duties include teaching in the graduate composition program and at the undergraduate level, including subjects involving the candidate's expertise. We welcome applicants with areas of specialization including, but not limited to: music theory, performance, improvisation, electro-acoustic and computer music, and the digital arts. Rank: Assistant Professor. Doctorate or equivalent experience required. Candidates who are close to completing their terminal degrees are welcome to apply.

Please submit your application by mail (no electronic applications) and include: a cover letter describing your creative trajectory and educational philosophy, a curriculum vitae (include web link where available), one compact disk or CD-ROM of sample compositions which will not be returned, the names and addresses (with e-mail) of three referees or dossier. Additional materials including scores and recordings may be requested at a later date. Please do not send scores at this stage.

Application deadline: November 27, 2007. Applications will be reviewed as they are received. Preferred start date: July 1, 2008. Send all materials to: Composition Search Committee, Department of Music, 104 Morrison Hall #1200, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-1200.

Applications are invited for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position for a scholar specializing in African American music or in another area in American music studies that contributes to the diversity of the Department's offerings. If African American music is not the primary specialization, the candidate must be capable of conveying the historical importance of African American music in American culture and beyond. We seek a scholar whose research, theoretical perspectives, and experience will broaden the department's critical dialogue and who will contribute to the department's mentorship of student research and undergraduate and graduate teaching through a variety of courses, including Music in American Cultures (MU 26).

The Jean Gray Hargrove Music Library houses one of the largest and most distinguished collections of its kind in the U.S. Our programs benefit from and contribute to the rich and varied cultural life of the San Francisco Bay Area, including the extensive collection of materials on African American music built up by Professor Olly Wilson, the Earl "Fatha" Hines Archives, nearly 500 reissues of vintage jazz and blues on the Document Records label, and a subscription to Alexander Street Press's online African American Song database.

We welcome applications from scholars in music or related disciplines whose work encompasses both musical and socio-cultural study. The position will begin in July 2008. Except under unusual circumstances, applicants should have a Ph.D. degree or expect to receive one by the starting date.

With the cover letter that describes research and teaching interests, applicants should submit a curriculum vitae and three letters of recommendation. Writers of letters of recommendation should consult http://apo.chance.berkeley.edu/evalltr.html for information on the confidentiality of evaluation letters. We will request writing samples at a later date.