Bloomingdale School Of Music to Present Free Faculty Concert Series in May And June

Bloomingdale School of Music continues its 2022/23 Free Faculty Concert Series at the David Greer Concert Hall, 323 West 108th Street, NYC. The upcoming season will feature rarely heard classical and jazz music for various instruments and voices performed by Bloomingdale's outstanding faculty and guest artists. Concerts will be presented in Bloomingdale's state-of-the-art concert hall and will spotlight music from around the world including Italy, Puerto Rico, Hungary, Russia, and our very own New York City. The series continues with Kaleidoscope of Moods on Friday, May 5, 2023 at 7pm and Into the Future! A Modern Jazz Odyssey of Woodwind Music on Friday, May 19, 2023 at 7pm, presented both in-person and on livestream.

For over 20 years Bloomingdale has presented its faculty, as well as guest artists, in concerts including classical music, jazz, and world music. Bloomingdale's Free Faculty Concert Series has established itself a vital part of the musical life of the Upper West Side, taking place most Fridays at 7pm in Bloomingdale's David Greer Concert Hall. These events are free and open to the public, with RSVP required. Visit bsmny.org/events/ to register and for more information.

Kaleidoscope of Moods

Friday, May 5, 2023 at 7pm

Advance RSVP required here.

Violist Aundrey Mitchell joins faculty pianist Judith Olson in a program of evocative character pieces by Robert Schumann, Rebecca Clarke, Nino Rota, and Astor Piazzolla.

Program

Marchenbilder (Pictures from Fairyland), Op. 113 (1851) by Robert Schumann

Nicht schnell

Lebhaft

Rasch

Langsam, mit melancholischem Ausdruck

Morpheus (1917) by Rebecca Clarke

Chinese Puzzle (1921) by Rebecca Clarke

Intermezzo (1945) by Nino Rota

Le grand tango (1982) by Astor Piazzolla

Musicians

Aundrey Mitchell, Viola

Judith Olson, Piano

Into the Future! A Modern Jazz Odyssey of Woodwind Music

Friday, May 19, 2023 at 7pm

Advance RSVP required here.

Saxophonist Daniel Bennett presents a concert of Modern Jazz for all ages including music by Daniel Bennett, Lennon and McCartney, Gustav Holst, Harold Arlen and Joni Mitchell.

Program

Gold Star Mufflers by Daniel Bennett

Loose Fitting Spare Tire by Daniel Bennett

Turn Clockwise and Push by Daniel Bennett

Michelle by John Lennon / Paul McCartney

Television by Daniel Bennett

Somewhere Over the Rainbow by Harold Arlen

Patience by Daniel Bennett

Feed the Birds by Richard Sherman / Robert Sherman

The County Clerk by Daniel Bennett

Both Sides Now by Joni Mitchell

The Town Supervisor by Daniel Bennett

Theme from Jupiter by Gustav Holst

Musicians

Daniel Bennett - saxophone, flute, clarinet

Koko Bermejo - Drums & Keyboard

Kevin Hailey - Electric Bass

Sounds of Nature: Piano Miniatures

Friday, June 2, 2023 at 7pm

Advance RSVP required here.

Judith Olson and her students present piano works inspired by the sights and sounds of nature: birds, insects, animals, water, landscapes, and atmospheric conditions.

Masks are optional at performance and event spaces in the BSM building.

About the Artists

Judith Olson began her musical studies as a violinist. As a high school student, she won numerous prizes and competitions, served as concertmaster of the All-Southern California High School Symphony, and was awarded a full scholarship to the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara. She began her college studies as a violin major at the University of Redlands in California where she became a member of the University of Redlands String Quartet. As piano was a requirement, she took her first lesson at the age of seventeen. After only seven months of study, she appeared in concert as first prizewinner of the Redlands Bowl Young Artists Competition and was engaged as soloist with the Riverside Symphony.After two years at Redlands, Ms. Olson auditioned for The Juilliard School as a pianist (but brought her violin along, just in case). She was accepted, and subsequently received her bachelor's and master's degrees as a scholarship pupil of Beveridge Webster. After graduation, she worked extensively with Nadia Reisenberg. Ms. Olson made her New York debut with Alexander Schneider conducting Walter Piston's Concertino and has since toured North, Central, and South America, Europe, the Middle East, and Korea as soloist and in collaboration with leading instrumentalists. She has appeared at major halls, including Avery Fisher Hall, Alice Tully Hall, and the Kennedy Center, and has participated in the festivals of Ankara, Bard, Bar Harbor, Capri, Caramoor, Chautauqua. She has premiered works written for her, including Otto Luening's last work for piano, Fantasia Etudes (1994), and is the dedicatee of works by William Mayer, Ned Rorem, Dianne Goolkasian-Rahbee, and others. She has championed the work of Norwegian composer Olav Anton Tohmmessen, whose work she premiered at Merkin Concert Hall. Ms. Olson is currently on the faculty of the Bloomingdale School of Music in New York.

Violist Aundrey Mitchell has performed throughout the United States and abroad as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral player with appearances at venues such as Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Bargemusic, Kimmel Center, National Gallery of Art, Mariinsky Theater, and Tchaikovsky Hall. Ms. Mitchell has appeared as soloist with the New Brunswick Chamber Orchestra, Harlem Symphony, and the Antara Ensemble and has given recitals in New York, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Boston, the US Virgin Islands, France, and Italy. As a member of the Philadelphia Virtuosi, she toured the U.S., South America, Mexico, Serbia, and Russia and has participated in the Gateways Festival, Colour of Music Festival, Eastern Music Festival, Novi Sad, SummerFest music festivals. Aundrey is Founder/Director of Perennial Muse, a Brooklyn based nonprofit music organization serving older adults and adult learners in the New York City area by offering creative aging music programs, lessons, and chamber music workshops. Dr. Mitchell, as a clinician, gives chamber music coaching, masterclasses, and studio instruction to students of all ages and levels. Aundrey received undergraduate and graduate degrees in viola performance from the Cleveland Institute of Music, completed post graduate studies at the Manhattan School of Music, and earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Rutgers University. She is an alum of the Taos School of Music and L'Ecole d'Arts Americaine at Fontainebleau (France). Her principal teachers were Michael Tree, Karen Ritscher, and Lucien Joel. Dr. Mitchell is adjunct Professor of Viola at The College of New Jersey and adjunct Assistant Professor of Music at City University of New York. Her summer residency is at the Kinhaven Music School in Vermont. She has taught at Moravian College, Westminster Choir College, Pennsylvania Academy of Music, and the Eastern Music Festival.

Saxophonist Daniel Bennett has been hailed as one of the most original and unpredictable musical voices of his generation. The Boston Globe described Bennett's music as, "a mix of jazz, folk and minimalism." Daniel Bennett Group was recently voted 'Best New Jazz' in Hot House Magazine. NPR described Bennett's original sound as, "synergistic Jazz!" Daniel Bennett has served on the woodwind faculty at Bloomingdale School of Music for over a decade. The bandleader has been featured in Timeout New York, NPR, and the Baltimore Sun. Daniel Bennett played woodwinds in 'Blank! The Musical,' the first fully improvised musical to launch on a national stage. The New York Times called the show, "Witty, Likable and Ludicrous!" Daniel Bennett's theatrical works have influenced his eclectic sound and musical storytelling abilities as a bandleader.

Kevin Hailey is an award-winning bassist in New York City. Hailey has performed with artists such as Dale Barlow, Galapagos Duck, Daniel Bennett, James Morrison, Sydney all star Band, and the Australian Girls Choir. He recently performed at the Sydney Opera House with singer Jeff Duff. In December of 2011 Kevin moved from Australia to New York City where he has been living in Brooklyn, making a niche for himself in the vibrant New York jazz scene. Hailey plays regularly with Ron Affif, Carol Sudhalter, Marianne Solivan, Marion Cowings, Jason Yeager and Daniel Bennett. In 2015 Kevin was the recipient of the Hot House Magazine Jazz Fan's Decision award for 'Best Bass.' Kevin Hailey is on the bass faculty at Church Street School for Music and Art in Manhattan.

Koko Bermejo is a renowned percussionist and keyboard player in the New York City area. Bermejo plays drums and keyboard simultaneously, a technique he credits to decades of touring with the Daniel Bennett Group. In addition to his work with Daniel Bennett, Koko performs regularly with Tony Cimorosi, Nat Janoff and François Moutin. Bermejo has toured with Om, an instrumental progressive fusion trio led by Megadeth guitarist, Chris Poland. In addition to his work as a touring artist, Bermejo operates an active recording studio. Bermejo has produced and engineered albums for hundreds of prominent jazz artists.

Founded in 1964, Bloomingdale School of Music is dedicated to the belief that music changes lives and everyone should have access to high-quality music education regardless of economic status, race, religion, ability level, or gender. Bloomingdale is a music-driven community center where all are welcome to join and learn about music from top faculty. We are dedicated to our mission - to make music education accessible to all who want to learn - and remain focused on supporting this mission through our values. www.bsmny.org

To post a comment, you must register and login.