Congratulations to Benet Casablancas The Foundation for Iberian Music would like to congratulate Benet Casablancas for winning the Spanish National Music Prize in Composition! Casablancas completed the 2012 composer’s commission for the Foundation, and is considered one of the leading Spanish composers of his generation.We are looking forward hearing more of his excellent work in the time to come.
A Third Successful Lecture 15 October 2013: The most recent Music in the 21st Century Society lecture featured acclaimed composer Phillip Glass in conversation with flautist Claire Chase, a 2012 MacArthur Fellow who also gave a masterful performance at the event. This series, curated by Antoni Pizà, the director of the Foundation for Iberian Music, has so far presented three lectures. The first was given by the late Charles Rosen in 2012, who discussed the challenges faced by modernist music. The second featured Paul Griffiths, a prominent music critic and writer.
Remembering Charles Rosen 16 October 2013: The late Charles Rosen (1927-2012) was honored in a concert held at the Elebash Recital Hall at the CUNY Graduate Center. In 2012, the distinguished music writer gave the inaugural address for the Lloyd Old and Constance Old Lectures, a series of talks curated by Antoni Pizà, director of the Foundation for Iberian Music. In addition being a renowned pianist, Rosen was known for his book The Classical Style, as well as his frequent contributions to the New York Review of Books. He was also a recipient of the National Humanities Medal in early 2012. The concert featured pianist Jeremy Denk, cellist Fred Sherry, violinist Rolf Schulte, and tenor Nicholas Phan.
The New York Andalus Ensemble in the City of the World 5 November 2013: Several members of the New York Andalus Ensemble, one of the Foundation’s ensembles in residence, will perform this year in the City of the World series. The musicians will accompany Hazzan Yohai Cohen, who will perform piyyutim (sacred poetry) from the Middle East and Northern Africa. Samuel R. Thomas, director for the New York Andalus Ensemble, is curating the event. For more information, click here.
New York Andalus Ensemble Performance 3 December 2013: The New York Andalus Ensemble will soon be performing in concert at the Elebash Recital Hall. Directed by Samuel Thomas, this multilingual group (they sing in Arabic, Hebrew, Spanish, and Ladino) is known for their skillful performances of music from the Iberian Peninsula, as well as Northern Africa. The concert will begin at 7:30pm. Tickets are on sail now. Click here to buy online, and here for the facebook event. For more information about the ensemble, see their website, or check out their facebook page.
Palestrina & the Missa Laudate Dominum: a Preconcert Lecture by Antoni Pizà 20 February, 2014: Antoni Pizà, director of the Foundation for Iberian Music, will be giving a pre-concert lecture at the Church of St. Luke of the Fields this coming winter. The program features choral works by G.P. Palestrina, including the brilliant Missa Laudate Dominum motet, performed by the Choir of St. Luke in the Fields.
Call for Applications 10 September 2013: The Foundation for Iberian Music is now accepting applications to the visiting scholars program for the 2014-15 academic year. This program provides research support for scholars studying music of the Spanish-speaking world. Please requests for information about applying to iberianmusic@gc.cuny.edu. For more information about the program, or previous visiting scholars, please click here.
Success in Besalú This past July (6-14), the 2nd International Course on Medieval Music, supported by the Foundation for Iberian Music, was held in the scenic and well-preserved medieval city of Besalú, Catalonia. The course offered a unique nine-day immersion in medieval music performance, designed for both singers and instrumentalists. Attendees learned an array of monophonic and polyphonic music repertories spanning from the 12th to the 14th century. Specifically, the course involved: Two days of Gregorian chant with Juan Carlos Asensio Five days of secular music from the twelfth and thirteenth centuries Two more days of Ars nova with Cristina Alís Raurich. This year’s course was attended by over thirty students, hailing from such countries as Russia, England, Belgium, France, Norway, Mexico, and Poland. For more information about the course see their website, or their Facebook page.
The Creative Pulse: A Conversation with Philip Glass 15 October 2013: The Fall 2013 Music in 21st-Century Society lecture will feature composer Philip Glass discussing his music and how the process of artistic collaboration with exceptionally creative minds (including Robert Wilson, Allen Ginsberg, Ravi Shankar, and Godfrey Reggio, among many others) has shaped his musical output. These artistic partnerships have undoubtedly had an impact on New York’s cultural landscape and, in the process, have contributed noticeably to the creative economy of the city. Glass will be in conversation with MacArthur Prize-winning flutist Claire Chase, director of the International Contemporary Ensemble, who will also perform. More here.