Blogs
Sarah York has been a student at the University of Maryland School of Music since 2007 and is currently pursuing a Master of Music in Violin Performance. This is Sarah’s first time attending and blogging about the National Orchestral Institute.
Although this is the National Orchestral Institute, and we will be playing a number of monumental full orchestra works under some great conductors in the next month, our first week focused on working in small chamber groups and three unconducted chamber orchestras.
I’ve learned, especially sitting on the last stand of second violins, that every player is responsible for propelling the music forward, and if we wait for others to move, the music loses its momentum.
If you are planning on attending any of National Orchestral Institute's free Open Rehearsals, please note that only paid parking options are available to visitors during the daytime:
The UMD School of Music’s National Orchestral Institute and Festival (NOI) welcomes nearly 100 talented orchestral musicians for four weeks of dynamic music-making, June 6–29, 2013, at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center.
Contemporary chamber music rockstars eighth blackbird performed here at the Center in March and were even kind enough to compile a playlist of some of their favorite music!
Click here to listen to it, and keep reading for their comments on some of their selections.
It was during a flamenco class at the University of Maryland that School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies professor Karen Kohn Bradley and Dr. Jose Contreras-Vidal realized they shared a common interest in movement analysis. Curious about the effects that dancing has on the brain, the duo ultimately decided to take their mutual interest to the next step and conduct experiments into what changes happen in the brain when a person dances.
Their project, which Bradley calls “Your Brain on Dance: The neural symphony of expressive movement” explores ways the body expresses personality, emotions and beliefs through movement, and the ways in which movement changes the brain. Bradley and Contreras-Vidal selected a number of skilled dancers to don an EEG brain cap. This enabled them to examine the effects that dancing has on the brain.
Bringing to life one of the most beloved (and most produced) operas in the history of the art form is a daunting task but, in the capable hands of the School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies’ scenic designer and MFA candidate Jake Ewonus, La Bohème springs vividly to life. I sat down with Jake to ask about his experiences designing the show.
The livestream of A Meeting of Two Oceans: Dialogue on Sufism and Buddhism will be viewable through this link on Tuesday, May 7, 2013 between 1:45PM and 3PM EST. Please note that Microsoft Silverlight must be installed
It’s been said “Everything is designed. Few things are designed well.” But well-designed things are a joy to experience, and that’s what you’ll find at the 2013 MFA Design Exhibition, which can be enjoyed in two different locations this year.
Sidney Chen is a member of Meredith Monk & Vocal Ensemble, and will perform in her newest music-theatre work On Behalf of Nature here at the Center on May 4. He is a founding member of The M6, a vocal sextet dedicated to Monk's music, and also works as the Artistic Administrator for Kronos Quartet.
Sidney also took the time to compile a playlist of some of his favorite music. Click here to listen to it, and keep reading for his commentary on his selections.
This post is by Lisa Driscoll, a Sophomore Vocal Performance and Broadcast Journalism double major. You can read more of her writing on her blog.
Soaring string melodies and heavy-metal riffs collided in a showcase of virtuoso performers and student composers on Thursday, April 2. After rehearsing with the Grammy award-winning Kronos Quartet in San Francisco eight months earlier, graduate composition students Alexandra (Lexi) Bryant, Jonathan Graybill and Joel Pierson got to hear their pieces come together at the Clarice Smith Center.