Luciano Pavarotti, 1935-2007
Luciano Pavarotti, the superstar tenor who is often credited with reviving the popularity of classical opera in the latter half of the 20th century, died in his hometown of Modena, Italy on September 7th, 2007, after losing a bout with pancreatic cancer.
Perhaps most well known for his work alongside Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras in their long-standing “Three Tenors” tour, the Maestro also used his vocal talents and beaming smile to bridge genres, performing with a range that spanned from the biggest names in opera to stars like recently departed soul singer James Brown and rock group U2. He was 71.
Carnegie Hall Selects Choirs For 2008 National High School Choral Festival
The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall has announced that four choirs from Santa Barbara, California; Baltimore, Maryland; Raleigh, North Carolina; and State College, Pennsylvania were selected to participate in its fifth annual National High School Choral Festival, which culminates in a Carnegie Hall concert on Monday, March 10, 2008. The Carnegie Hall National High School Choral Festival gives young singers the opportunity to extensively rehearse a choral masterpiece with conductor Dr. Craig Jessop, Music Director of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and perform in Carnegie Hall’s celebrated Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage. This season, Dr. Jessop leads the combined choirs and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s in Johannes Brahms’ A German Requiem, Op. 45 with soprano Janice Chandler-Eteme and baritone Stephen Powell as soloists. Each choir also performs repertoire under its own conductor. The four choirs were selected by recorded audition from among 71 applicant groups from 31 states throughout the US. #149;The March 10 concert at Carnegie Hall is the capstone of the yearlong program, which includes rehearsals for each choir with Dr. Jessop in their hometowns as well as for four days in New York City prior to the final concert. The program also includes a Professional Development weekend for the choir directors: in the fall, the four choir directors fly to Salt Lake City, Utah, to work with Dr. Jessop and to participate in the rehearsal process of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. The four choirs selected to participate in The Carnegie Hall National High School Choral Festival are: San Marcos High School Madrigal Singers (Santa Barbara, Calif.), Baltimore City College High School Concert Choir (Baltimore, Md.), Enloe High School Singers (Raleigh, N.C.), and State College Area High School Master Singers (State College, Penn.).
For more information, visit www.carnegiehall.org .
MTLC Music Launches MusicStudioDirect.com
MTLC Music has launched its new name MusicStudioDirect.com, effective immediately. Music Studio Direct will maintain the primary focus of MTLC Music offering new gear, low prices, and advice on cutting edge products in the world of music and sound creation and will continue to promote music technology in the classroom offering academic discount pricing on software and hardware for students and music educators at academic institutions colleges, private schools and music schools as well as discounted pricing for tax-exempt artistic and non-profit organizations.
MusicStudioDirect.com will also expand its linkage with its popular specialty sites, TunersandMetronomes.com and HouseofSamples.com.
For more information, visit www.musicstudiodirect.com.
NAMM Requests Grant Proposals
The NAMM Foundation has announced its 2008 request for proposals initiative. The Foundation seeks to fund proposals for projects that further NAMM’s mission of creating more active music makers of all ages on behalf of its members and expanding access to music making. The Foundation also seeks proposals for research that expands knowledge about the effects of music making across the life span.
There are five initiatives that concentrate on reaching specific segments of potential music makers:
Disney’s High School Musical: The Music in You Grant Program will award 10 worthy schools a $5,000 monetary grant and license to put on their own school stage production of Disney’s High School Musical. Applications must be received by Nov. 30, 2007.
The Sounds of Living: The Impact of Music Making initiative is a signature funding program of the NAMM Foundation supporting research that examines the role of active participation in music for children, youth, adults, and seniors. Research funded under the initiative explores the effects of music learning and music making outside of formal educational settings and expands the understanding of the role of music making in health, wellness, socialization, and the inter-connections between mind, body and spirit that contribute to wellness and overall quality of life. The proposal submission deadline is Jan. 2, 2008.
Program Grants support innovative music learning programs from nonprofit public service organizations that reach new audiences with new protocols, and that further the NAMM Foundation’s mission of creating more active music makers of all ages. Proposal submission deadline: Jan. 4, 2008.
The Sounds of Learning: The Impact of Music Education initiative supports research that examines the role of music education in the lives of school age children. The goal of the program is to expand the understanding of music’s role in a quality education. Proposal submission deadline: Jan. 15, 2008.
Scientific Grants support leading researchers and research teams in the fields of music research, neuroscience, psychology, education and/ or health-related fields to explore the effects of hands-on music making. Short-term (less than one year) will be considered, and a very limited number of longitudinal studies (two to three years) will be considered. Proposal submission deadline: Jan. 15, 2008.
For more detailed information about the programs the NAMM Foundation’s initiatives support and details on how to submit a request for proposal, interested parties should visit www.nammfoundation.org/Grants/Guidelines.htm or e-mail grants@namm.org.
Walter Gould, 1917-2007
Walter A. Gould, co-founder of the Lawson-Gould Publishing Company, passed away on Sunday, July 29, 2007.
Born in Richmond Hill, NY, on April 12, 1917, Mr. Gould was one of four boys in the family. His eldest brother was Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Morton Gould (1913-1996).
After serving in the U.S. Army from 1941-1946, he went to work for the James A. Davidson Concert Management Agency. He was a salesman in charge of booking a tour for the then little-known Robert Shaw Chorale, featuring 30 singers and seven instrumentalists performing the classics of choral literature. On October 3, 1948, the tour opened in Cleveland, Ohio, to rave reviews. In 1951, Walter formed his own concert management business featuring Robert Shaw as his first client. At various times, he represented many other groups, such as the Robert De Cormier Singers, the Gregg Smith Singers, and the Albert McNeil Jubilee Singers, and was a founding member of the Association of Professional Vocal Ensembles (APVE – now Chorus America).
In 1953, Robert Lawson Shaw and Walter Gould founded the Lawson-Gould Publishing Company. A subsidiary of G. Schirmer, Inc., its publications originally featured the choral works of Robert Shaw, Alice Parker, Leonard DePaur, and Roger Wagner. Since that time, approximately 3,500 titles have been published in the catalog, including additional works by Robert De Cormier, Dave Brubeck, Samuel Adler, James Erb, Lloyd Pfautsch, Ralph Hunter, Donald Neuen, Wendell Whalum, Salli Terri, and many more. The company was sold to Warner Bros. Publications in 2000. In 2005, Alfred Publishing Company, Inc., acquired this prestigious catalog, and has continued to add new publications as well as reprint archive editions of some treasured favorites.
Mr. Gould’s first wife, Metropolitan Opera Soprano and Broadway/TV singer Mimi Benzell, passed away in 1970. Several years later, Walter married teacher and playwright Betty Jane Isquith. Four children, seven grandchildren, and wife Betty survive him. Contributions in his memory may be made to The ASCAP Foundation, One Lincoln Plaza, New York, NY 10023 or to the American Cancer Society.
Written by Sally K. Albrecht, director of School Choral and Classroom Publications for Alfred Publishing Company, Inc.
