Moores School of Music
Encyclopedia
The Rebecca and John J. Moores School of Music is the music school of the University of Houston
. The Moores School offers the Bachelor of Music
, Bachelor of Arts
in Music, Master of Music
, and Doctor of Musical Arts
degrees in music performance
, conducting
, theory
and composition
, music history
and literature, pedagogy
, and music education
. It is a component of the University of Houston College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences (CLASS)
. The Moores School is a fully accredited member of the National Association of Schools of Music
(NASM). Its namesake
s are UH alumni John Moores
(a businessman and philanthropist) and his former wife Rebecca. As of the 2011–2012 academic year, the Director of the Moores School is David Ashley White.
The University of Houston was founded in 1927, and the music department was formed in 1940. In 1969 the department was officially designated as the University of Houston School of Music. In 1972 the School of Music moved into the Fine Arts Building, a facility it shared with the Department of Art
. A multimillion-dollar gift in 1991 by UH alumni John and Rebecca Moores
led to renaming of the school in their honor (media references to the "Moores School of Music" appear as early as fall 1995) and to the construction of the present facility, which began operation in 1997.
Artistic directors of the school have included Bruce Spencer King, Earl Moore, Robert Briggs, Milton Katims
, David Tomatz, and David Ashley White.
Ensembles
at the Moores School include the Wind Ensemble (recipient of multiple Grammy nominations), the Moores School Symphony Orchestra, the Concert Chorale, AURA (a contemporary music ensemble), the Jazz Orchestra, the Spirit of Houston Cougar Marching Band, the Symphonic Winds, the Concert Band, the Cougar Brass, the Choral Artists, the Chamber Singers, the Concert Women's Chorus, the Houston Symphony
Chorus, the University Men's Chorus, the University Women's Chorus, the Moores School Percussion Ensemble, and Collegium Musicum (early music). The Edythe Bates Old Moores Opera Center presents productions consistently lauded as being of professional quality. As a component of the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts, the Moores School also collaborates for some events, programs, and productions with the School of Art
, the Creative Writing Program
, the School of Theatre and Dance, and the Blaffer Gallery
, the art museum of the University of Houston.
The Houston Opera Studio has provided dozens of world-class opera
singers with early professional training and experience. From its inception in 1977 until 1992, the Studio was a partnership between the University of Houston School of Music and Houston Grand Opera
; it is now administered solely by HGO.
The Moores School of Music Percussion Ensemble, under the direction of Dr. Blake Wilkins, has also performed at three Percussive Arts Society International Conventions. These showcase concerts were the result of winning three PAS "Call for Tapes" contests. The Moores School Percussion Ensemble is the second ensemble in history to achieve three PAS Showcase concerts. The group has recorded three commercially released compact discs: Surge, released in 2003 and Not Here, But There, released in early 2009, both on Albany Records. The third, currently untitled, was recorded in May 2011 and will be released in early 2012.
Data indicate that some 80 percent of Moores School graduates stay in the Houston area following graduation, so that a large proportion of the community's professional musical performers and educators are University of Houston alumni. Nevertheless, Moores School graduates in significant numbers can be found on concert stages, on college faculties, and in other leading professional musical roles worldwide.
In addition, the Moores School of Music is home to chapters of four collegiate music fraternities and one honor society:
The centerpiece of the $24 million Rebecca and John J. Moores School of Music Building is the 800-seat Moores Opera House, which features a ceiling mural by Frank Stella
, light fixtures by Isaac Maxwell, and a green room
displaying paintings by Ary Stillman
. The building contains 50 teaching studios and 60 practice rooms, a large library, state-of-the-art listening and composition facilities, a recording studio, four rehearsal halls for large ensembles, and a lounge. Some facilities in the "old" Fine Arts Building, such as the Dudley Recital Hall and the Organ Hall, are still used by the Moores School.
University of Houston
The University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...
. The Moores School offers the Bachelor of Music
Bachelor of Music
Bachelor of Music is an academic degree awarded by a college, university, or conservatory upon completion of program of study in music. In the United States, it is a professional degree; the majority of work consists of prescribed music courses and study in applied music, usually requiring a...
, Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in Music, Master of Music
Master of Music
The Master of Music is the first graduate degree in Music awarded by universities and music conservatories. The M.Mus. combines advanced studies in an applied area of specialization with graduate-level academic study in subjects such as music history, music theory, or music pedagogy...
, and Doctor of Musical Arts
Doctor of Musical Arts
The Doctor of Musical Arts degree is a doctoral academic degree in music. The D.M.A. combines advanced studies in an applied area of specialization with graduate-level academic study in subjects such as music history, music theory, or music pedagogy. The D.M.A...
degrees in music performance
Performance
A performance, in performing arts, generally comprises an event in which a performer or group of performers behave in a particular way for another group of people, the audience. Choral music and ballet are examples. Usually the performers participate in rehearsals beforehand. Afterwards audience...
, conducting
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
, theory
Music theory
Music theory is the study of how music works. It examines the language and notation of music. It seeks to identify patterns and structures in composers' techniques across or within genres, styles, or historical periods...
and composition
Musical composition
Musical composition can refer to an original piece of music, the structure of a musical piece, or the process of creating a new piece of music. People who practice composition are called composers.- Musical compositions :...
, music history
Music history
Music history, sometimes called historical musicology, is the highly diverse subfield of the broader discipline of musicology that studies the composition, performance, reception, and criticism of music over time...
and literature, pedagogy
Pedagogy
Pedagogy is the study of being a teacher or the process of teaching. The term generally refers to strategies of instruction, or a style of instruction....
, and music education
Music education
Music education is a field of study associated with the teaching and learning of music. It touches on all domains of learning, including the psychomotor domain , the cognitive domain , and, in particular and significant ways,the affective domain, including music appreciation and sensitivity...
. It is a component of the University of Houston College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences (CLASS)
University of Houston College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
The College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences is one of twelve academic colleges at the University of Houston. With nearly 10,000 students, CLASS is the largest college of the university, and was established in 2000 after the College of Humanities, Fine Arts, and Communication and the College...
. The Moores School is a fully accredited member of the National Association of Schools of Music
National Association of Schools of Music
The National Association of Schools of Music is an association of post-secondary music schools in the United States and the principal U.S. accreditor for higher education in music...
(NASM). Its namesake
Namesake
Namesake is a term used to characterize a person, place, thing, quality, action, state, or idea that has the same, or a similar, name to another....
s are UH alumni John Moores
John Moores (baseball)
John Jay Moores is an American entrepreneur and philanthropist, and the owner of the San Diego Padres.-Early years:...
(a businessman and philanthropist) and his former wife Rebecca. As of the 2011–2012 academic year, the Director of the Moores School is David Ashley White.
History
University of Houston School of Art
The University of Houston School of Art is a department of the University of Houston College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences .-Majors:The School of Art hosts 5 undergraduate and 4 graduate majors:...
. A multimillion-dollar gift in 1991 by UH alumni John and Rebecca Moores
John Moores (baseball)
John Jay Moores is an American entrepreneur and philanthropist, and the owner of the San Diego Padres.-Early years:...
led to renaming of the school in their honor (media references to the "Moores School of Music" appear as early as fall 1995) and to the construction of the present facility, which began operation in 1997.
Artistic directors of the school have included Bruce Spencer King, Earl Moore, Robert Briggs, Milton Katims
Milton Katims
Milton Katims was an American violist and conductor. He was music director of the Seattle Symphony for 22 years . In that time he added more than 75 works, made recordings, premiered new pieces and led the orchestra on several tours. He expanded the orchestra's series of family and suburban...
, David Tomatz, and David Ashley White.
Overview
Enrollment in the Moores School stands at nearly 600 music majors, who are instructed by a faculty of 80. Since 1997 the school has been located at the Rebecca and John J. Moores School of Music Building on the University of Houston campus. A large and varied schedule of concerts and recitals featuring students, faculty, and guest performers serves the concertgoing public of Houston throughout the year.Ensembles
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
at the Moores School include the Wind Ensemble (recipient of multiple Grammy nominations), the Moores School Symphony Orchestra, the Concert Chorale, AURA (a contemporary music ensemble), the Jazz Orchestra, the Spirit of Houston Cougar Marching Band, the Symphonic Winds, the Concert Band, the Cougar Brass, the Choral Artists, the Chamber Singers, the Concert Women's Chorus, the Houston Symphony
Houston Symphony Orchestra
The Houston Symphony is an American orchestra based in Houston, Texas. Since 1966, it has performed at the Jesse H. Jones Hall for the Performing Arts in downtown Houston....
Chorus, the University Men's Chorus, the University Women's Chorus, the Moores School Percussion Ensemble, and Collegium Musicum (early music). The Edythe Bates Old Moores Opera Center presents productions consistently lauded as being of professional quality. As a component of the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts, the Moores School also collaborates for some events, programs, and productions with the School of Art
University of Houston School of Art
The University of Houston School of Art is a department of the University of Houston College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences .-Majors:The School of Art hosts 5 undergraduate and 4 graduate majors:...
, the Creative Writing Program
University of Houston Creative Writing Program
The University of Houston Creative Writing program is a graduate fiction and poetry program located in Houston, Texas. It was rated second in the nation by U.S. News & World Report in its first annual ranking of writing programs in 1997. It rated 26th in the nation in Poets & Writers and its PhD...
, the School of Theatre and Dance, and the Blaffer Gallery
Blaffer Gallery
Blaffer Gallery is the art museum of the University of Houston. It was founded in 1973 and has won several awards, including the Coming Up Taller Award as part of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities.-History:...
, the art museum of the University of Houston.
The Houston Opera Studio has provided dozens of world-class opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
singers with early professional training and experience. From its inception in 1977 until 1992, the Studio was a partnership between the University of Houston School of Music and Houston Grand Opera
Houston Grand Opera
Houston Grand Opera Houston Grand Opera was founded in 1955 through the joint efforts of Maestro Walter Herbert and cultural leaders Mrs. Louis G. Lobit, Edward Bing and Charles Cockrell...
; it is now administered solely by HGO.
The Moores School of Music Percussion Ensemble, under the direction of Dr. Blake Wilkins, has also performed at three Percussive Arts Society International Conventions. These showcase concerts were the result of winning three PAS "Call for Tapes" contests. The Moores School Percussion Ensemble is the second ensemble in history to achieve three PAS Showcase concerts. The group has recorded three commercially released compact discs: Surge, released in 2003 and Not Here, But There, released in early 2009, both on Albany Records. The third, currently untitled, was recorded in May 2011 and will be released in early 2012.
Data indicate that some 80 percent of Moores School graduates stay in the Houston area following graduation, so that a large proportion of the community's professional musical performers and educators are University of Houston alumni. Nevertheless, Moores School graduates in significant numbers can be found on concert stages, on college faculties, and in other leading professional musical roles worldwide.
Extracurricular programs and activities
The Moores School hosts a number of musical activities outside the scope of its basic program of university instruction. These include the following:- a Division of Preparatory and Continuing Studies, which offers throughout the academic year private and classroom music instruction to the community at large, especially geared to children and adults
- the Texas Music Festival, an annual month-long summer program of concerts with intensive instruction and coaching for young professionals and highly talented students
- the Cougar Band Camp, a week-long summer program
- the International Piano Festival, an annual weekend of concerts and master classes with world-renowned keyboard artists
- an annual Moores School of Music Jazz Festival
- Floot Fire, an annual five-day festival for flutists
In addition, the Moores School of Music is home to chapters of four collegiate music fraternities and one honor society:
- The Beta Sigma chapter of Kappa Kappa PsiKappa Kappa PsiKappa Kappa Psi is a fraternity for college and university band members. It was founded on November 27, 1919 at Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College in Stillwater, Oklahoma. William Scroggs, now regarded as the "Founder," together with "Mr. Kappa Kappa Psi" A...
, National Honorary Band Fraternity, founded January 21, 1950 - The Tau chapter of Tau Beta SigmaTau Beta SigmaTau Beta Sigma is a co-educational national honorary band sorority dedicated to serving college and university bands. The Sorority, headquartered at the historic Stillwater Station in Stillwater, Oklahoma, numbers over 3,500 active members in 145 active chapters, and over 40,000 alumni...
, National Honorary Band Sorority, founded March 25, 1950. - The Beta Pi chapter of Sigma Alpha IotaSigma Alpha IotaSigma Alpha Iota , International Music Fraternity for Women. Formed to "uphold the highest standards of music" and "to further the development of music in America and throughout the world", it continues to provide musical and educational resources to its members and the general public...
, International Music Fraternity, chartered March 28, 1953. - The Omicron Upsilon chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity of America.
- The Zeta Tau chapter of Pi Kappa LambdaPi Kappa LambdaPi Kappa Lambda is an American honor society for undergraduate students, graduate students, and professors of music. There are currently 205 active chapters and approximately 64,500 individual members....
, National Music Honor Society, chartered 1989.
Facilities
Frank Stella
Frank Stella is an American painter and printmaker, significant within the art movements of minimalism and post-painterly abstraction.-Biography:...
, light fixtures by Isaac Maxwell, and a green room
Green room
In British English and American English show business lexicon, the green room is that space in a theatre, a studio, or a similar venue, which accommodates performers or speakers not yet required on stage...
displaying paintings by Ary Stillman
Ary Stillman
Ary Stillman was a representational and abstract Russian-American painter born in Gresk near Slutsk, Belarus. He excelled in art as a youth, and after graduating from school he was accepted into the Imperial School of Art in Vilna.- Immigration to the United States :Stillman immigrated to the...
. The building contains 50 teaching studios and 60 practice rooms, a large library, state-of-the-art listening and composition facilities, a recording studio, four rehearsal halls for large ensembles, and a lounge. Some facilities in the "old" Fine Arts Building, such as the Dudley Recital Hall and the Organ Hall, are still used by the Moores School.
Noted alumni
Some of the Moores School's most accomplished alumni are listed below (HOS = Houston Opera Studio):- Michelle Reed Baker, horn - Metropolitan OperaMetropolitan OperaThe Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
Orchestra; faculty, Manhattan School of MusicManhattan School of MusicThe Manhattan School of Music is a major music conservatory located on the Upper West Side of New York City. The school offers degrees on the bachelors, masters, and doctoral levels in the areas of classical and jazz performance and composition... - Shelly BergShelly BergShelton Glen Berg is a jazz pianist from Cleveland, Ohio. His father was trumpet player Jay Berg. At the age of six Shelly Berg entered the Cleveland Institute of Music studying classical piano...
, piano - jazz pianist, composer, arranger, recording artist; deanDean (education)In academic administration, a dean is a person with significant authority over a specific academic unit, or over a specific area of concern, or both...
of University of MiamiUniversity of MiamiThe University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
Frost School of MusicFrost School of MusicThe Phillip and Patricia Frost School of Music or Frost School of Music of the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida, known from 1926 to 2003 as University of Miami School of Music, is a music school in the United States....
; former chair of jazz department at USC Thornton School of MusicUSC Thornton School of MusicThe University of Southern California Thornton School of Music, founded in 1884 and dedicated in 1999, is one of the premier music schools in the United States... - Andrew Brownell, piano - silver medalist, Leeds International Pianoforte CompetitionLeeds International Pianoforte CompetitionThe Leeds International Piano Competition informally known as The Leeds takes place every three years in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It was founded in 1961 by Marion, Countess of Harewood and Fanny Waterman, who is today its Chairman and Artistic Director. The competition was first held in 1963...
- Marcelo BussikiMarcelo BussikiMarcelo Bussiki is a Brazilian director and conductor. He currently works with the Brazos Valley Symphony Orchestra in Bryan, Texas. Each year, he conducts a variety of classical concerts of universal appeal in several locations...
, conducting - music director, Brazos Valley Symphony Orchestra - Carolyn Hendershot Clark, horn - co-founder and Executive Director, Staten Island Philharmonic
- Richard Dowling, pianist - concert artist and owner of Dowling Music in Houston and New York (at Steinway Hall)
- Bruce Ford (HOS), tenor - lead roles with Metropolitan OperaMetropolitan OperaThe Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
, Covent GardenRoyal Opera HouseThe Royal Opera House is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply "Covent Garden", after a previous use of the site of the opera house's original construction in 1732. It is the home of The Royal Opera, The...
, La ScalaLa ScalaLa Scala , is a world renowned opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as the New Royal-Ducal Theatre at La Scala...
, etc.; numerous recordings - David Garrett, cello - Los Angeles PhilharmonicLos Angeles PhilharmonicThe Los Angeles Philharmonic is an American orchestra based in Los Angeles, California, United States. It has a regular season of concerts from October through June at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, and a summer season at the Hollywood Bowl from July through September...
- Denyce GravesDenyce GravesDenyce Graves is an American mezzo-soprano opera singer.-Early life:Graves was born on March 7, 1964, to Charles Graves and Dorothy Graves-Kenner. She is the middle of three children and was raised by her mother on Galveston Street, S.W., in the Bellevue section of Washington...
(HOS), mezzo-soprano - lead roles with Metropolitan OperaMetropolitan OperaThe Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
, Vienna State OperaVienna State OperaThe Vienna State Opera is an opera house – and opera company – with a history dating back to the mid-19th century. It is located in the centre of Vienna, Austria. It was originally called the Vienna Court Opera . In 1920, with the replacement of the Habsburg Monarchy by the First Austrian...
, Covent GardenRoyal Opera HouseThe Royal Opera House is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply "Covent Garden", after a previous use of the site of the opera house's original construction in 1732. It is the home of The Royal Opera, The...
, etc. - Keith GrimwoodTrout Fishing in America (band)Trout Fishing in America is a musical duo which performs folk rock and children's music. The duo is composed of Keith Grimwood and Ezra Idlet...
, string bass - Trout Fishing in AmericaTrout Fishing in America (band)Trout Fishing in America is a musical duo which performs folk rock and children's music. The duo is composed of Keith Grimwood and Ezra Idlet... - Martin Hackleman, horn - principal, National Symphony Orchestra, Washington, D.C.; former member, Canadian BrassCanadian BrassThe Canadian Brass is a brass quintet founded by Dr. Charles Daellenbach and Gene Watts in 1970. In addition to maintaining a heavy international touring schedule, the Canadian Brass have recorded over 80 CDs and DVDs...
- Karen Hall, soprano - faculty, Berklee College of MusicBerklee College of MusicBerklee College of Music, located in Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known primarily as a school for jazz, rock and popular music, it also offers college-level courses in a wide range of contemporary and historic styles, including hip...
, Boston ConservatoryBoston ConservatoryThe Boston Conservatory is a performing arts conservatory located in the Fenway-Kenmore region of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It grants undergraduate and graduate degrees in music, dance and musical theater... - Joyce Hammann, violin - former member, Metropolitan OperaMetropolitan OperaThe Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
Orchestra - Charles Jacot, cello - former assistant principal, Dallas Symphony OrchestraDallas Symphony OrchestraThe Dallas Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra. It performs its concerts in the Meyerson Symphony Center in the Arts District of downtown Dallas, Texas, United States....
- Kim Josephson, baritone - lead roles with Metropolitan OperaMetropolitan OperaThe Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
- Diane Kesling (HOS), mezzo-soprano - formerly of Metropolitan OperaMetropolitan OperaThe Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
- Glenn Langdon, conducting, piano - Principal Conductor for The Phantom of the OperaThe Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical)The Phantom of the Opera is a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the French novel Le Fantôme de l'Opéra by Gaston Leroux.The music was composed by Lloyd Webber, and most lyrics were written by Charles Hart, with additional lyrics by Richard Stilgoe. Alan Jay Lerner was an early collaborator,...
national tour for 15 years; Music Director, Houston BalletHouston BalletThe Houston Ballet, operated by the Houston Ballet Foundation, is the fourth-largest professional ballet company in the United States, based in Houston, Texas. The foundation also maintains a ballet academy, the Ben Stevenson Academy, which trains more than half of the company's dancers... - Elyane Laussade, piano - concert artist; Head of Keyboard Studies, Melba Memorial Conservatorium of MusicMelba Memorial Conservatorium of MusicThe Melba Memorial Conservatorium of Music was a school of music located in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. During its early days it was closely associated with opera diva Dame Nellie Melba, after whom it was later named. In 1994 it became affiliated with Victoria University...
- Evelyn LimEvelyn LimDr. Evelyn Lim is the founding dean of the of the American Guild of Organists. She has been one of the main driving forces behind the renaissance of organ music, both sacred and secular, in Singapore....
, organ - concert artist - Ming Liu, conducting, piano - resident conductor, Guangzhou Symphony OrchestraGuangzhou Symphony OrchestraThe Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra is based in Guangzhou, Guangdong. It was founded in 1957.The orchestra's current artistic director is Long Yu...
; faculty, Guangzhou Xinghai Conservatory of MusicXinghai Conservatory of MusicThe Xinghai Conservatory of Music is a music conservatory in Guangzhou, China. It was established in 1932 in Guangzhou by the composer Mr.Ma Sicong（Chinese：马思聪先生 Mǎ Sīcōng） as the Guangzhou Conservatory of Music.Both the Xinghai Conservatory of Music and the Xinghai Concert Hall were named after... - Jerry McCathern, trumpet - former principal, São Paulo State SymphonySão Paulo State SymphonyOrquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo is a symphony orchestra based in São Paulo, Brazil. With more than 130 concerts during its annual season, it is one of the largest and best known orchestras in South America.-Background:With broad-based programming, juxtaposing the great works of...
; former Executive Director, Brooklyn PhilharmonicBrooklyn PhilharmonicThe Brooklyn Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, commonly known as the Brooklyn Philharmonic, is an American orchestra based in the borough of Brooklyn, in New York City... - Susanne MentzerSusanne MentzerSusanne Mentzer is an operatic mezzo-soprano. She is best known for singing trouser roles, such as Cherubino in Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro, Idamante in Mozart's Idomeneo, Octavian in Richard Strauss' Der Rosenkavalier and the composer in Strauss' Ariadne auf Naxos, as well as other music of...
(HOS), mezzo-soprano - Metropolitan OperaMetropolitan OperaThe Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager... - Yvar MikhashoffYvar MikhashoffYvar Emilian Mikhashoff was an American virtuoso pianist and composer...
, piano, composition - concert and recording artist - Erie Mills (HOS), soprano - lead roles with Metropolitan OperaMetropolitan OperaThe Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
, New York City OperaNew York City OperaThe New York City Opera is an American opera company located in New York City.The company, called "the people's opera" by New York Mayor Fiorello La Guardia, was founded in 1943 with the aim of making opera financially accessible to a wide audience, producing an innovative choice of repertory, and...
, etc. - Qi Ming, violin - assistant concertmaster, Houston Symphony OrchestraHouston Symphony OrchestraThe Houston Symphony is an American orchestra based in Houston, Texas. Since 1966, it has performed at the Jesse H. Jones Hall for the Performing Arts in downtown Houston....
- Pauline OliverosPauline OliverosPauline Oliveros is an American accordionist and composer who is a central figure in the development of post-war electronic art music....
, composition, accordion - a leading name in electronic music composition and avant-garde performance - Bárbara PadillaBárbara PadillaBárbara Padilla is a Mexican-American opera soprano. She was the runner-up on the fourth season of America's Got Talent. She is well known as a survivor of Hodgkin's lymphoma.- Personal life :...
, soprano - runner-up on America's Got TalentAmerica's Got TalentAmerica's Got Talent is an American reality television series on the NBC television network, and part of the global British Got Talent franchise. It is a talent show that features singers, dancers, magicians, comedians, and other performers of all ages competing for the advertised top prize of...
season four - William Pu, violin - associate concertmaster and acting concertmaster, Atlanta Symphony OrchestraAtlanta Symphony OrchestraThe Atlanta Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Robert Spano has been its music director since 2001...
- Kenneth RadnofskyKenneth RadnofskyKenneth A. Radnofsky is an American classical saxophonist. He is currently teaching at the New England Conservatory of Music, the Boston Conservatory, the Longy School of Music, and Boston University...
, saxophone - soloist with New York PhilharmonicNew York PhilharmonicThe New York Philharmonic is a symphony orchestra based in New York City in the United States. It is one of the American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five"...
, Leipzig Gewandhaus OrchestraLeipzig Gewandhaus OrchestraThe Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra is one of the the oldest symphony orchestras in the world...
, Dresden Staatskapelle OrchestraSächsische Staatskapelle DresdenThe Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden is an orchestra based in Dresden, Germany founded in 1548 by Kurfürst Moritz of Saxony. It is one of the world's oldest orchestras...
, others; professor, New England Conservatory of MusicNew England Conservatory of MusicThe New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, is the oldest independent school of music in the United States.The conservatory is home each year to 750 students pursuing undergraduate and graduate studies along with 1400 more in its Preparatory School as well as the School of... - Robynne Redmon, mezzo-soprano - lead roles with Metropolitan OperaMetropolitan OperaThe Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
, La ScalaLa ScalaLa Scala , is a world renowned opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as the New Royal-Ducal Theatre at La Scala...
, Lyric Opera of ChicagoLyric Opera of ChicagoLyric Opera of Chicago is one of the leading opera companies in the United States. It was founded in Chicago in 1952, under the name 'Lyric Theatre of Chicago' by Carol Fox, Nicolà Rescigno and Lawrence Kelly, with a season that included Maria Callas's American debut in Norma...
, etc. - Anne Walters Robertson, piano, musicology - former chair of University of ChicagoUniversity of ChicagoThe University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
Department of Music - Steven Rochen, violin - faculty, Meadowmount School of MusicMeadowmount School of MusicThe Meadowmount School of Music, founded in 1944 by Ivan Galamian, is a 7-week summer school in Westport in Upstate New York for accomplished young violinists, cellists, violists, and pianists training for professional careers in music. The students are required to practice for at least five hours...
- John Sharpley, composition, piano - Composer in Residence, Singapore Symphony OrchestraSingapore Symphony OrchestraThe Singapore Symphony Orchestra is a 96 members professional symphony orchestra. Its main performing venue is the Esplanade Concert Hall in Singapore although it has also toured widely in Asia, Europe and the United States...
- Maurice Sklar, violin - concert artist
- Victoria Stewart, violin - concert artist
- Jay Pengjie Sun, piano - concert artist, co-chair Fuzhong Piano Department Guangzhou Xinghai Conservatory of MusicXinghai Conservatory of MusicThe Xinghai Conservatory of Music is a music conservatory in Guangzhou, China. It was established in 1932 in Guangzhou by the composer Mr.Ma Sicong（Chinese：马思聪先生 Mǎ Sīcōng） as the Guangzhou Conservatory of Music.Both the Xinghai Conservatory of Music and the Xinghai Concert Hall were named after...
- Christopher Theofanidis, composition - winner of Masterprize, 2003; among the most widely performed of contemporary classical composers; faculty, Juilliard SchoolJuilliard SchoolThe Juilliard School, located at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, United States, is a performing arts conservatory which was established in 1905...
and Peabody InstitutePeabody InstituteThe Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University is a renowned conservatory and preparatory school located in the Mount Vernon neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland at the corner of Charles and Monument Streets at Mount Vernon Place.-History:... - Chris Pedro Trakas, baritone - Metropolitan OperaMetropolitan OperaThe Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
; solos with Boston Symphony OrchestraBoston Symphony OrchestraThe Boston Symphony Orchestra is an orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts. It is one of the five American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1881, the BSO plays most of its concerts at Boston's Symphony Hall and in the summer performs at the Tanglewood Music Center...
, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, in recital with James LevineJames LevineJames Lawrence Levine is an American conductor and pianist. He is currently the music director of the Metropolitan Opera and former music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Levine's first performance conducting the Metropolitan Opera was on June 5, 1971, and as of May 2011 he has...
; shared first prize in 1985 Naumburg CompetitionWalter W. Naumburg FoundationThe Walter W. Naumburg Foundation sponsors competitions and provides awards for young classical musicians in North America. It was founded in 1925 by Walter Wehle Naumburg, a wealthy amateur cellist and son of noted New York music patron and philanthropist Elkan Naumburg. Elkan Naumburg, owner of...
with Dawn UpshawDawn UpshawDawn Upshaw is an American soprano described as "one of the most consequential performers of our time" by the Los Angeles Times. The recipient of several Grammy Awards and Edison Prize-winning discs, Upshaw is at home both in opera and art song, and in repertoire from Baroque to contemporary... - Alan Valentine, percussion - President and CEO, Nashville Symphony; has produced national television broadcasts and recordings
- David Wallace, viola, violin, composition, music education - faculty, Juilliard SchoolJuilliard SchoolThe Juilliard School, located at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, United States, is a performing arts conservatory which was established in 1905...
; teaching artist faculty, New York PhilharmonicNew York PhilharmonicThe New York Philharmonic is a symphony orchestra based in New York City in the United States. It is one of the American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five"...
and Lincoln Center InstituteLincoln Center InstituteLincoln Center Institute for the Arts in Education, established in 1975 and located in New York City, is the educational arm of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.- Facilities :*Clark Studio Theater*Samuels Teaching Studio... - Robert Walzel, clarinet - Dean, University of KansasUniversity of KansasThe University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
School of Music; former president, International Clarinet AssociationInternational Clarinet AssociationThe International Clarinet Association is the main international organization bringing together players of the clarinet. It is based in Lyons, Colorado, United States...
; has performed as a soloist worldwide - Scott Walzel, bassoon - associate principal, Dallas Symphony OrchestraDallas Symphony OrchestraThe Dallas Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra. It performs its concerts in the Meyerson Symphony Center in the Arts District of downtown Dallas, Texas, United States....
- David Ashley White, composition, oboe - Director, Moores School of Music
- Juliet White-Smith, viola - concert artist, pedagogue; president, American Viola Society
- Darren Keith WoodsDarren Keith WoodsDarren Keith Woods is an American opera director and operatic tenor. A graduate of the Moores School of Music at the University of Houston, he began his career as an opera singer in 1982, making his professional debut at the Santa Fe Opera as Don Curzio in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Le nozze di...
, tenor - General Director, Fort Worth OperaFort Worth OperaAccording to the company, Fort Worth Opera is the oldest, continually performing opera company in the state of Texas and among the oldest in the United States. While originally presenting operas one at a time over a fall/winter season, it changed to a "festival" format in 2007... - Roger WrightRoger WrightRoger Robinson Wright III is an American classical concert pianist. He is also a Scrabble player who won the United States National Scrabble Championship in 2004.-Early life and musical training:...
, piano - concert artist - Terence YungTerence YungTerence Yung is an award-winning classical pianist from Hong Kong.-Education:At the age of five, Terence, who had natural perfect pitch, was found playing melodies by ear. Terence, who grew up in the United States, studied with Eleanor Sokoloff of the Curtis Institute of Music before entering the...
, piano - concert artist - Stella ZambalisStella ZambalisStella Zambalis is an American spinto soprano born in Cleveland, Ohio. She has been called one of the best sopranos in the world today.-Education and early career:...
(HOS), soprano - lead roles with Metropolitan OperaMetropolitan OperaThe Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
, New York City OperaNew York City OperaThe New York City Opera is an American opera company located in New York City.The company, called "the people's opera" by New York Mayor Fiorello La Guardia, was founded in 1943 with the aim of making opera financially accessible to a wide audience, producing an innovative choice of repertory, and...
, Deutsche Oper BerlinDeutsche Oper BerlinThe Deutsche Oper Berlin is an opera company located in the Charlottenburg district of Berlin, Germany. The resident building is also home to the Berlin State Ballet.-History:...
, etc. - Long Zhou, violin - former associate concertmaster, Hong Kong Philharmonic OrchestraHong Kong Philharmonic OrchestraThe Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra , is the largest symphony orchestra in Hong Kong. First established in 1895 as an amateur orchestra, under the name Sino-British Orchestra, it was renamed the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra in 1957, and became a professional orchestra in 1974 under the funding...
- Jessica ZhuJessica ZhuJessica Zhu is a Chinese-American pianist who is pursuing postgraduate studies in piano performance under the tutelage of Joan Havill at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, with full scholarship as a 2009 Marshall Scholar....
, piano - concert artist
Noted faculty
(past and present)- Steven AnsellSteven AnsellSteven A. Ansell , is an American violist whose versatile career involves work as a chamber musician, solo artist, and orchestral musician. Ansell is currently principal violist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, a position he has held since September 1996. Prior to his appointment, Ansell had...
, viola - James AustinJames Austin (musician)James Lyle Austin is an American trumpeter and teacher.Austin earned his undergraduate degree from the Eastman School of Music, where he was featured as trumpet and cornet soloist on many of the recordings of the Eastman Wind Ensemble under the direction of Frederick Fennell...
, trumpet - Emanuel BorokEmanuel BorokEmanuel Borok is an American violinist of Russian descent, born July 15, 1944 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. He studied violin in Riga, Latvia with the renowned teacher Voldemar Sturestep and in 1959, he joined the Gnessin Music School in Moscow USSR where he continued his studies with Michael Garlitsky....
, violin - Igor BuketoffIgor BuketoffIgor Buketoff was an American conductor, arranger and teacher. He had a special affinity with Russian music and with Sergei Rachmaninoff in particular. He also strongly promoted British contemporary music, and new music in general.- Biography :Buketoff was born in Hartford, Connecticut, the son...
, orchestra - Katherine CiesinskiKatherine CiesinskiKatherine Ciesinski is a leading American mezzo-soprano, stage director, and voice professor.Ciesinski was born to Delaware Sports Hall of Famer Roman Ciesinski and Katherine Hansen Ciesinski. She is the sister of opera singer Kristine Ciesinski...
, voice - Wayne CrouseWayne CrouseWayne Crouse was the viola professor emeritus at the University of Oklahoma and principal violist of the Oklahoma City Philharmonic from 1982 until his death from cancer at the age of 75. Wayne Crouse graduated from the Juilliard School in 1951 where he studied with Milton Katims, Ivan Galamian,...
, viola - Carlisle FloydCarlisle FloydCarlisle Floyd is an American opera composer. The son of a Methodist minister, he based many of his works on themes from the South...
, composition, opera studies - Horacio GutiérrezHoracio GutiérrezHoracio Gutiérrez is a Cuban-American virtuoso classical pianist.-Early life and education:Gutiérrez was born in Havana, Cuba, the eldest of four children, to Tomás V. Gutiérrez and Josefina Fernandez Gutiérrez. His mother was his first piano teacher, and was herself, an accomplished pianist. His...
, piano - Sidney HarthSidney HarthSidney Harth was an American violinist and conductor.In 1957 Harth became the first American to receive the Laureate Prize in the Wieniawski Violin Competition held in Poland...
, orchestra - Frank HuangFrank HuangFrank Xin Huang is a Chinese-born American violinist and teacher. He has won several international music competitions, most notably the 2003 Naumburg Competition. Huang has concertized widely as a soloist, and his debut recording has been critically acclaimed...
, violin - Milton KatimsMilton KatimsMilton Katims was an American violist and conductor. He was music director of the Seattle Symphony for 22 years . In that time he added more than 75 works, made recordings, premiered new pieces and led the orchestra on several tours. He expanded the orchestra's series of family and suburban...
, Artistic Director - Fredell LackFredell LackFredell Lack is an American violinist. Noted as a concert soloist, recording artist, chamber musician, and teacher, she is retired from a position as the C. W...
, violin - Elena NikolaidiElena NikolaidiElena Nikolaidi was a noted Greek-American opera singer and teacher. Nikolaidi sang leading mezzo-soprano roles with major opera companies worldwide and made numerous recordings....
, voice - Howard PollackHoward PollackHoward Pollack is John and Rebecca Moores Professor of Music at the University of Houston.Howard Pollack studied piano with Jennie Glickman while attending James Madison High School...
, music history - Hal RobinsonHal RobinsonHarold Hall Robinson is an American classical double bass player. He is currently the principal bassist of the Philadelphia Orchestra.-Early life and education:...
, string bass - A. Clyde RollerA. Clyde RollerArchie Clyde Roller was an American music professor and conductor.Roller, a native of Rogersville, Missouri, received his musical education at the Eastman School of Music, graduating in 1941...
, orchestra, conducting - Moreland Kortkamp Roller, piano
- Abbey SimonAbbey Simon-Education:Simon began lessons with David Saperton at the age of five. At the age of eight, Simon was accepted by Józef Hofmann as a scholarship student at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia where he trained with fellow classmates Jorge Bolet and Sidney Foster. Simon also took lessons...
, piano
- Laszlo VargaLaszlo VargaLaszlo Varga is a Hungarian-American cellist who has a worldwide status as a soloist, recording artist, and authoritative cello teacher.-Biography:...
, cello - Nancy Weems, piano
- Hector Vasquez, voice
- Joseph Evans, voice
- Cynthia Clayton, voice
- Timothy Jones, voice
- Albert Hirsh, piano
- Betsy Cook Weber, choir
- Charles Hausmann, choir
Sources
- "beginning a new era: the moores school of music" by Cydney Mackey. From Collegium, Winter 1997.
- Kriebel, Robert C. Blue Flame: Woody Herman's Life in Music. Purdue IN: Purdue University Press, 1995. ISBN 1-55753-073-4.
- "Texas Heart" by Dennis Rooney. The Strad, January 1990.
External links
- University of Houston Moores School of Music Official website