School Notes: School of Music
September/October 2010

YSM students perform at the Kennedy Center

The Yale Percussion Group performed on the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage on March 1 as part of the “Performing Arts for Everyone” initiative at the center in Washington, DC. The YPG, directed by Robert van Sice, performed music of Thierry de Mey, James Wood, Astor Piazzolla, and Mauricio Kagel. Percussionists Yun-Chu Candy Chiu ’11, John Corkill ’11, Leonardo Gorosito ’11, and Michael Zell ’09MusM, ’10ArtA, were joined by flutist Dariya Nikolenko ’11. View video of the YPG’s performance atwww.kennedy-center.org/explorer/videos/?id=M4181.

In May, student bassoonist Scott Switzer ’10MusM represented the School of Music in the Conservatory Project Chamber Ensemble’s performance of John Adams’s Chamber Symphony. The National Symphony Orchestra invited a student from each of the 15 Conservatory Project institutions to be a part of John Adams: Perspectives, the Kennedy Center’s residency with the composer. Adams himself conducted the May 17 performance. View video of this concert at www.kennedy-center.org/explorer/videos/?id=M4297.

Yale quartets share first prize in competition

The Amphion String Quartet and the Linden String Quartet were jointly awarded first place in the 2010 Hugo Kauder Competition, held at Sprague Hall on June 11. The members of the Amphion String Quartet are three YSM alumni—Katie Hyun ’09ArtA, violin; Mihai Marica ’04CertPF, ’08ArtA, cello; and David Southorn ’09MusM, ’10ArtA, violin—as well as violist Wei-Yang Andy Lin, a DMA candidate at Stony Brook University. The Linden String Quartet is the incoming fellowship quartet-in-residence at the School of Music. The members of the ensemble are Sarah McElravy and Catherine Cosbey, violins; Eric Wong, viola; and Felix Umansky, cello (all ’12ArtA).

The outgoing fellowship quartet-in-residence, the Jasper String Quartet, has moved on to Oberlin Conservatory, where its members (J Freivogel and Sae Niwa, violin; Samuel Quintal, viola; and Rachel Henderson, cello, all ’10ArtA) will perform and coach chamber ensembles. The quartet was also invited by the Caramoor Center for Music and Arts for an unprecedented second year as the Stiefel Quartet-in-Residence.

Morse summer music academy

The Morse Summer Music Academy, a new program to encourage and develop talented young musicians from New Haven public schools, made its debut from July 26 to August 20. Funded by Enid and Lester Morse ’51, the academy provides comprehensive music instruction to accomplished scholar-musicians in grades 6–10, and requires involvement from their parents or guardians. “We are hoping these kids’ musical lives will be changed,” says associate dean Michael Yaffe. “The program is for students who are really talented and committed but who can’t afford to participate in special summer music programs.” With the Music in Schools Initiative in place during the academic year, the summer academy provides year-round activities for these young musicians. The Morses were especially excited about a program that relied on the critical element of parental involvement for its success. “After all,” says Dean Blocker, “the key to the development of a young musician is support at home for what they do.”