Berklee Today

JUN 2012

Berklee today is the official alumni publication of Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. It is a forum for contemporary music and musicians.

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A Berklee Rhapsody by Mark Small H.S. Jazz Fest Marks 44 Years by Liz Burg Classical piano star Kirill Gerstein was the featured soloist in Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue and premiered pieces he commissioned from Chick Corea and Brad Meldau on March 30. In late March, celebrated classical piano virtuoso Kirill Gerstein '96 returned to Berklee for a concert that drew the classical and jazz worlds closer together. Gerstein's program seamlessly integrated selections by György Ligeti, George Gershwin, and Earl Wild with premieres of new works by Brad Mehldau, and Chick Corea before a full house in the Berklee Performance Center. Also spotlighted during the con- cert were vibraphonist Gary Burton, clarinetist Anat Cohen '98, and cel- list Eugene Friesen. Burton joined Gerstein to premiere the new Corea piece "The Visitors," and Cohen played with an ensemble perform- ing pieces from her Noir CD, and playing the famous clarinet part in Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, for which Gerstein was the soloist and Friesen the conductor. For Gerstein, who is featured regularly as a soloist on concert stag- es with the world's top orchestras, this was a homecoming of sorts. It was his first concert appearance at Berklee since he left in 1996 and his first opportunity to share the stage with Burton. Gerstein became the young- est student ever to enroll at Berklee when he left his native Russia at 14 to explore jazz at Berklee with Gary Burton, Phil Wilson, and others. After finishing his jazz studies, he returned to his classical roots earning bach- elor's and master's degrees from Manhattan School of Music and pur- From the left: Gary Burton, Kirill Gerstein, Anat Cohen, and Eugene Friesen receive a vigorous standing ovation after a concert featuring classical and jazz music. suing directed piano studies in Spain and Hungary. He subsequently won international piano competitions as well as the prestigious Gilmore Artist Award. Gerstein used a portion of the Gilmore prize money to commis- sion the new works by Mehldau and Corea heard at the Berklee concert. Gerstein opened with a set of four solo pieces juxtaposing the counterpoint and piquant disso- nances of Ligeti's études 4 and 5 with pianist Earl Wild's virtuosic études based on the Gershwin songs "Somebody Loves Me" and "I Got Rhythm." Cohen took the stage next with a 16-piece ensemble to play Oded Lev-Ari's Latin-jazz arrange- ments of music by Ernesto Lecuona, Pixinguinha, and Pedro Rodríguez. Friesen's elegant cello figures on "La Comparsa" (Lecuona) and "Ingênuo" (Pixinguinha) supported Cohen's melodies and fluid improvisations. Gerstein opened the second half with the premiere of Brad Mehldau's substantial piano composition Variations on a Melancholy Theme. In the 30-minute work, Mehldau's 14 variations on a chromatic theme con- trasted somber moments of classical chordal density with jazzy improvi- satory flights. After much harmonic exploration, the piece came to a sat- isfying end on a major triad. Chick Corea's "The Visitors" featured Gerstein and Burton play- ing a mix of complex written pas- sages, improvised solos over notat- ed vamps, and segments of free improvisation. The two effortlessly swapped roles of accompanist and soloist cycling through the work's alternating rhythmic and introspec- tive portions. Afterward, Gerstein took the mic to thank President Roger Brown for creating the oppor- tunity for him to return and play with jazz musicians and reunite with his former mentors and friends. Burton confided to the audience that in recent years he hadn't practiced any piece as much as he had Corea's new opus. The duo then played a thoughtful rendition of the jazz stan- dard "Blame It on My Youth." The concert finale was Gershwin's famous piano con- certo Rhapsody in Blue in its origi- nal 1924 version scored for Paul Whiteman's jazz band. Anat Cohen began the piece with the iconic wail- ing clarinet intro. A minute later, Gerstein entered with the dazzling piano exposition of the themes. Throughout, the piece sparkled with Gerstein's crisp rhythms and clean ensemble work by the orchestra led by Eugene Friesen. After the con- cluding notes, the audience erupted with a long and vigorous standing ovation. The concert offered a look backward and forward at a century of classical and jazz music and gave a glimpse of the divergent musical trib- utaries that have shaped Gerstein's remarkable artistry. For more on Gerstein, visit www. berklee.edu/bt/222/coverstory.html. This March, Berklee's High School Jazz Festival marked its 44th year and attracted more than 3,000 stu- dents comprising 200 bands and vocal ensembles from 13 states and Ontario, Canada. In addition to awarding $175,000 in scholarships to Berklee's Five-Week Summer Performance Program, prestigious honors were given to a student and a band director for their achieve- ments. Frank Rein, a high-school student from Princeton, NJ, won the Herb Pomeroy Jazz Composition & Arranging Contest and Ferdinand Pasqua, the director of bands for New York's Harrison Central School District, received the Take Note Award for innovation in contempo- rary music education. Pasqua directs a program with 120 students performing in a marching band, wind ensemble, and two jazz groups. "We're very fortunate to be in an area where people understand the importance of an arts education for every student no matter what their future endeavors may be," Pasqua says. With support from parents and local businesses, Pasqua has offered his students professional-level perfor- mance opportunities. His ensembles played at the Miss America parade, a New York Giants football game, and at Yankee Stadium. The jazz band turned its spring concert into a gig at a local restaurant. "Authentic per- formance opportunities before a live audience teach students to be respon- sible and prepared," Pasqua says. Despite the size of his program, he offers his students personal atten- tion, "I try to work with them indi- vidually to assess their needs and talents," he says. "At the end of the school year, I give them things to work on over the summer. I've also established a buddy system where band members contact incoming band members and tell them what to expect and about the importance of practicing." Dedicated music teach- ers inspired Pasqua's own musical journey. "My love for music and music education is due to many excellent teachers," he says. "They cared and are my inspiration to act in the best interest of my students." Spring 2012 5 Photos by Phil Farnsworth

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