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Fall 2022

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Welcome to the Emory Friends of Music e-Newsletter!


Message from the President

Dear Friends,

 

The Fall Semester is underway and we are already starting to hear music again on campus. It will be a few more weeks before our student groups begin to perform, but I wanted to take this opportunity to welcome everyone to the new school year and to mention two upcoming special events.


Most of you are familiar with Timothy Albrecht and his many musical talents. Timothy retired in August, and in one of his first activities as Professor Emeritus he is presenting at the Emory University Emeritus College Lunch Colloquium on October 17. The Friends of Music are invited and information is below. Note that lunch is not provided and the colloquium is not at lunch time, but it promises to be a wonderful time to hear Timothy talk and play.


I also have information about a free livestream opportunity to hear Nathalie Stutzmann in her debut as Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Music Director conducting Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. If you are not able to attend live, and particularly if you live outside Atlanta, this will be a superb opportunity to experience the ASO. Our students benefit greatly from the ASO, as many of the ASO musicians are Artist Affiliates in the Music Department.


I also list some of the first student performances of this semester, and hope to have more information about those (and others) in the next newsletter.


Finally, I want to thank once again our many generous donors who contributed last year and made it possible for us to greatly increase our grants to music students and faculty.


With best wishes,

Gray

A Special Invitation from the Emory Emeritus College

Lunch Colloquium - Monday, October 17, 2022

The Emory University Emeritus College is issuing a special invitation to the Friends of Music for the following presentation.  Note that although it is billed as a "Lunch Colloquium" there will be no lunch and it is not at lunch time!  Note that this program will be in Alumni Hall (formerly Governors’ Hall) in the Miller-Ward Alumni House, so there will be free parking close by.  Also, if you would like to attend either in person or via Zoom, please use the reply information at the end of the article.

“Exploring the Magic of Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier

 

Timothy Albrecht

Professor Emeritus of Music

  

10:00 - 11:30 am

Monday, October 17

 

Zoom and in-person at Alumni Hall in the Miller Ward Alumni House

 

 

This past June, when Candler faculty members raised a glass to toast Timothy Albrecht’s retirement, the guest of honor couldn’t attend. He was on sabbatical in Vienna, finishing his latest book, Exploring the Magic of Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier, and preparing to lecture and perform at the Italian Bach Society Conference in Turin, Italy. He is home again now, and on October 17, in the lovely venue of Alumni Hall in the Miller-Ward Alumni House, he will lecture and perform for us, his Emory friends and colleagues. He will share his passion for this extraordinary collection of preludes and fugues, illustrating Bach’s pedagogical genius by playing some Well-Tempered selections and demonstrating and discussing the “magic” that has made them so much admired down through the ages since they were first composed.


About Timothy Albrecht:

 

The Candler faculty gathered in June to celebrate Timothy Albrecht's retirement and the four decades plus in which Emory has been blessed with the creative and scholarly contributions of this extraordinary man. Here we quote some excerpts from the article that Stacy Pelletier (98T, 07G) wrote about that occasion.

 

Ambidextrous and graced with perfect pitch, a young Albrecht first studied piano under Eastern European musician Eugenia Prekosh. He earned his undergraduate degree from Oberlin and his doctorate and performer’s certificate from the Eastman School of Music. In 1982, he joined Emory in a rare triple appointment, as assistant professor of music at Emory College of Arts and Sciences, assistant professor of church music at Candler School of Theology, and university organist.

 

Three roles in one would overwhelm most fledgling faculty members. Not Albrecht. He embraced the challenge, spending the next four decades enriching the Emory community while simultaneously carving out a formidable international reputation as an organist and composer/arranger. . . . Albrecht’s recitals have taken him from Alaska to the Andes, from Taiwan to Texas. He taught master classes for numerous chapters of the American Guild of Organists in multiple countries and at The Juilliard School. His playing has been featured many times on “Pipe Dreams,” a syndicated radio program that brought his singular style into the homes of classical music lovers around the country. . . . He wrote twelve volumes of Grace Notes for Organ and produced nine solo compact discs.

 

As university organist, he oversaw the permanent installation of three organs on campus—the Casavant organ in Glenn Memorial, the Taylor and Boody organ in the Little Chapel, and the Jaeckel organ in the Donna and Marvin Schwartz Center. Albrecht managed these multi-year projects with careful attention to detail, assiduously working with the organ builders to achieve perfection. Step into any one of these spaces on the Emory campus today, and you’ll be witnessing—and hearing—Albrecht’s meticulous legacy. He applied that same meticulous eye to advancing new programs. Over twenty-five years, Albrecht helped develop what came to be called Reformation Day at Emory, an annual scholarly and musical event drawing on the impressive holdings of the Kessler Reformation Collection at Candler’s Pitts Theology Library. Albrecht’s specific role entailed leading the Kessler Reformation concerts, gracefully weaving together Bach compositions, the theology of Martin Luther, and student choral engagement to widespread praise. 

 

[Generations of students have spoken feelingly of the transformative effects of studying with Albrecht, especially in his] signature course, “Bach for Pastors: Preaching Bach’s Musical Theology.” [Mark Johnson (22T) has said,] “His insights and, more importantly, his passion, utterly transformed the way I view Bach's work and the way it quite purposefully glorifies God.” Johnson describes Albrecht as a rare combination of extraordinary talent and unfailing kindness. [Albrecht’s colleagues have said much the same sort of thing, as, for example, in remarks Dean Jan Love offered at the conclusion of the Candler retirement party:] “What an honor and privilege I’ve had in being the dean of a school where one of the world’s finest musicians has served for 40 years,” she says. “Timothy Albrecht’s talent, accomplishments, generosity, and profound faith commitment have been remarkable gifts to us all and a deep well of inspiration.”

 

Additional Information:

 

Recordings of Timothy’s Well-Tempered Clavier sessions can be viewed on YouTube. 

To view, click on the links below:

 

Timothy Albrecht: Well-Tempered Clavier I (Part One) – September 27, 2020

Timothy Albrecht: Well-Tempered Clavier I (Part Two) – March 21, 2021

Timothy Albrecht: Well-Tempered Clavier II (Selections) – September 12, 2021


Timothy Albrecht, Professor Emeritus of Music, recently published the book, Exploring the Magic of Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier I and II: Short Notes for Performers and Listeners.

 

The book can be purchased through Amazon Kindle using this link.


If you would like to attend this event, either in person or via Zoom, please click this link to register. You will be asked for your name(s) and email address. All who register will be sent the Zoom information for the meeting. If you plan to attend in person, add (in person) to your name so that enough chairs will be set our for those who are present live.

ASO Livestream 8pm October 8

From the ASO website:


In her debut as Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Music Director, Nathalie Stutzmann wields the full might of the ASO and Chorus in the watershed Symphony No. 9 by Beethoven. A splendorous ode to the human spirit, Beethoven’s 9th inspires generations of creatives, from filmmakers to video gamers to pop stars. Hear the piece in all its glory performed by the world-renowned Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Chorus, and soloists. The concert begins with Beethoven's dramatic Ah! perfido, followed by Words for Departure, a new contemporary flavored choral piece by American composer Hilary Purrington. Words for Departure was commissioned by the League of American Orchestras with the generous support of the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.


To celebrate Stutzmann’s debut:


Enjoy the music of the ASO under the stars with a free livestream watch party of the October 8th concert on the Woodruff Arts Center's Sifly Piazza. The performance will also be livestreamed online at aso.org/livestream and the Orchestra's YouTube channel.

Upcoming Student Performances

Below are some of the first student performances of the year. I plan to have more information about these events in the next newsletter, but for now you can save the date. I am also listing the Masterclasses hosted by ECMSA because these masterclasses will feature Emory music students and Friends of Music are invited to attend.


ECMSA: Masterclass with Alec Chien, Piano. Saturday, October 15, 2022, 10am; Tharp Rehearsal Hall


ECMSA: Masterclass with Linda Rosenthal, Violin. Saturday, October 22, 2022, 10am; Tharp Rehearsal Hall


Emory Choirs: Fall Homecoming Concert Saturday, October 22, 2022, 8pm


Emory Wind Ensemble Sunday, October 23, 2022, 4pm


Emory University Symphony Orchestra Saturday, October 29, 2022, 8pm

Thank You from our Students!

The following are some of the Thank You notes we have received recently from students we support.  

I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing to thank you and the Friends of Music for your generosity in funding the music education of me and my fellow music students at Emory.


Having played the piano since the age of 5, music has maintained a steady role in my life ever since then. Coming to college, I wasn’t even sure if I wanted to continue my musical studies out of fear that it would be too much of a burden. However, the support from faculty, peers, and of course your generous contribution has confirmed to me that this is where I belong. Knowing that there are so many other worthy causes to support, I am humbled and incredibly grateful to receive this scholarship. I am truly thankful for you and the Friends of Music for helping music students like me further our education.


Because of your generous contribution, music at Emory flourishes. Thank you again for your support.


Best wishes,

Athena Grasso

Thank you so much for your generous grant that will help cover costs of my voice lessons! Being a music major here at Emory is such a wonderful opportunity, and year by year, I am able to grow as a musician. As a second-year student, I have been able to extend my musical involvement to many groups here at Emory, such as Concert Choir, Dooley Noted a Cappella, and Mu Phi Epsilon (professional music fraternity).


Thank you again for your generosity!

Greta Franke

I would like to thank you and the Friends of Music for granting me a scholarship for my applied music lessons. I am excited to use this money to further my music education. I have been singing since I was seven and plan to continue my vocal performance studies throughout college. It is an absolute honor to receive this award and I greatly appreciate your support in my future and your continued support in the Emory music department. Thank you again.


All the best,

Alexa Schwartz

Thank You to our Members!

A big Thank You to those who contributed in the 2021-2022 year, and especially to those of you who have even increased your level of support or are new supporters! There is no way to thank you enough. It was the strong level of giving last year than enabled us to substantially increase our grants to music students and faculty for this year.


Much of our support for students and faculty is through grants to provide scholarships for students to help pay for required music fees, to help fund undergraduate research projects, and to provide enhancements for classes. You can see the grants we have awarded for this school year by clicking here.


A special thanks to those of you who are sustaining members, either through payroll deduction, or a continuing contribution on your credit card. After two years of asking, our donations page is finally updated to make it easy to choose to give a one-time gift or a monthly gift.


The list of members can be seen by clicking here.

 

Please Note: It is surprisingly difficult to generate a list of members who are current in their giving. We measure our giving year from the start of our annual campaign, which is usually in July of each year. Some members give through payroll deduction or give more than one gift per year (thank you to both!) and we want to make sure we correctly acknowledge the level of giving. We don't have a set format for how names are listed and depend on member's preference. Sometimes we make mistakes. Please let us know if you find any errors in the list of members above. You can just reply to this newsletter and we will be glad to correct any mistakes. The date that the list was updated is given at the bottom. Among other problems, we are finding that it can take several weeks for us to get news of gifts.


You can make a contribution online by clicking here.


Livestream and Recorded Music

There is literally nothing like attending live music performances! Many of us are so grateful that we can once again hear so many outstanding performances at Emory and around Atlanta. One of the unanticipated consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic is that when it was not safe to gather in concert halls to hear music, music organizations spent much time and resources to make music performances available online. Those resources are continuing to be used in many cases to make livestream and recorded performances available to those who are not able to attend the performances in person.


Who are those who can benefit from livestream/recorded performances? I would say most, if not all of us can benefit. There are certainly instances in which we have wanted to attend a concert but were unable to because of various conflicts. As we age, it can become more difficult to attend concerts at night, or drive long distances. The livestream/recorded option also gives us the option of hearing music performed in distant venues.


This last point is particularly important in the Emory context. Our Emory music students come not only from all over the United States, but from many other countries as well. Their parents, friends, and relatives would certainly love to be able to hear these students perform in person, but for most of them, it is not possible to be able to come to Atlanta to hear these performances. For them, the livestream/recorded option is the only way to hear the students' performances.


It is important to understand that even with enhanced recording equipment in place, there is a significant cost in providing livestream/recordings of performances due to the resources of staff, etc., involved. Because of the excellence of the Emory performances and the benefit to the friends and supporters of Emory music, the Friends of Music is doing all we can to encourage livestream/recorded options for Emory events.



How best to view Livestream/Recorded Music


One note about these performances: One generally accesses the programs via a computer. It is likely that many of us have been watching more movies at home during the pandemic, and it is generally preferable to watch those movies on our TVs rather than on some type of mobile device. Similarly, it is much preferable to watch music programs on a large screen with good sound. The most reliable way to connect your device to a TV is via an HDMI cable (perhaps with an adapter) if both your device and the TV supports such a connection. Another method is to mirror your device screen onto your TV. There are many ways to do that. Clicking on this link will take you to an article that describes various ways to do that screen mirroring.

The Schwartz Center

The Schwartz Center is the hub of most musical performances at Emory. Emerson Hall in particular has greatly enhanced capabilities for livestreaming and recording. However, the decision on what performances will be livestreamed or recorded is made individually for each performance.


Schwartz Center Virtual Stage


The Schwartz Center Virtual Stage is then entry point for livestream/recorded performances at the Schwartz Center. The WATCH AGAIN link on the page leads to a listing of recorded events that were not ticketed. At this point, it is not clear how many events during the coming year will be on this page.


Another link on the Virtual Stage link leads to a login for paid ticketed events. This includes the concerts for the Atlanta Master Chorale (see below); it is not clear what others will be included in this option.

PAS Virtual Stage

Many student performances take place in the Performing Arts Studio and last year there was a masterful job in making many of those performances available via livestream/recording.  We hope that it will be possible to do the same this year.  The PAS Virtual Stage is the place where these recordings are posted and some from last year are still available (and worth viewing again!).

 

PAS Virtual Stage

 

 

One useful hint is that program booklets for both Schwartz and PAS performances are available at the same site.  Click here to access the program booklets.

Organizations with Strong Emory Affiliations

The following organizations all have strong Emory affiliations. Their programs will generally not be listed in this newsletter, but most of them, with the exception of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, are listed in the Music at EmoryCalendar.

ECMSA

I assume that all of our readers are familiar with ECMSA, whose Artistic Director is Professor William Ransom. ECMSA is celebrating its 30th season this year and all of their concerts are free. I am listing them separately because ECMSA has a variety of music series, only some of which are at the Schwartz Center. The full array of their concerts can be seen on the ECMSA website.


Notes about two of the series:


Most of the Bach's Lunch Series are part of the Concerts@First series held in the sanctuary of First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta. These concerts are livestreamed and are usually available for listening later.


The Masterclass Series, is back this year and is an incredible gift for our students. These masterclasses feature outstanding musicians who will teach Emory students in these classes. Moreover, our members are invited to attend these masterclasses. There are twelve masterclasses planned for this year, with an impressive array of artists involved.

Atlanta Master Chorale

The Artistic Director of the Atlanta Master Chorale is Professor of Music Eric Nelson, and the chorale is one of the finest in the country. All of their local performances are in the Schwartz Center, and there is a livestream option for concert tickets.  All purchased tickets include a link to the livestream recording for one week after the concert.  I usually view the recording at least once after attending the concert, surely a form of having one's cake and eating it too! 

Atlanta Symphony Orchestra

Not only is the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra a great orchestra, but our students benefit greatly from the ASO, as many of the Music Department Artist Affiliates are ASO musicians.


The ASO responded to the pandemic in a very creative way, beginning a series of "Behind the Curtain" performances featuring musicians playing without an audience. The "Behind the Curtain" series has continued, featuring a selection of recorded performances from previous weeks.  


The entire ASO concert series is detailed on the ASO website. There is a lot of excitement this year as the ASO welcomes its new Music Director Nathalie Stutzmann.  Information about virtual memberships for the "Behind the Curtain" series will also soon be on the website.

Emory Friends of Music
Schwartz Center for Performing Arts
1700 N. Decatur Rd, Suite 206
Atlanta, GA 30322