School Notes: School of Music
January/February 2009

Schools collaborate to create music theater institute

The School of Music has joined forces with the School of Drama to establish the Yale Institute for Music Theatre, which seeks to identify distinctive and original music theater works by emerging writers and composers and to serve those writers by matching them with directors, music directors, and actors/singers who can help them develop their work. Under the leadership of artistic director Mark Brokaw ’86MFA and producer Beth Morrison ’05MFA, the Yale Institute for Music Theatre will select three original music theater works to receive a two-week workshop in New Haven in June.

School mourns longtime professor

Jesse Levine, professor in the practice of viola and chamber music and coordinator of the string department since 1983, died in November after a long fight with pancreatic cancer. In addition to his teaching he was an accomplished violist and conductor, and performed in Europe, South America, Israel, Australia, Mexico, and throughout the United States. At different times he was principal violist or music director of several symphony orchestras, and served as guest conductor of numerous other ensembles in the United States and abroad. Dean Robert Blocker said of Levine, "His major contribution to the School of Music was inspiring his students to discover their distinct musical voice, and his influence will be felt for generations."

Alumnus wins prestigious conducting competition

Shizuo Kuwahara ’01MusM has won first prize in the fourth Sir Georg Solti International Conductors' Competition, which was held in Frankfurt, Germany, last November. The 32-year-old Kuwahara was awarded a cash prize and received invitations to conduct the Frankfurt Museum Orchestra and other German and international orchestras. More than 500 young conductors from 70 countries applied to participate in this year's competition; 24 were chosen to perform in Frankfurt and three finalists were selected from the group.