46 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
While traditional Middle Eastern music is still fairly obscure in this country, there are a few dedicated musicians striving to introduce the United States to a musical tradition that goes back several centuries. The Bloomington-based Middle Eastern music group Salaam consists of such musicians, who have educated and entertained the area for the past eight years. At 7 p.m. Saturday, Salaam will take center stage as part of the third annual Middle Eastern Gala. Saturday's musical festivities will take place at the Buskirk-Chumley Theatre, 114 E. Kirkwood Ave. \nSalaam formed in 1993 because of a few admirers of Middle Eastern music.\n"We love to entertain but we also strive to educate with our music," viola player Dena Moore, who is one of the original members, said. "Music is an excellent way to get people interested in a culture."\nThe group has gone through several changes during the past eight years, and it has developed into a Middle Eastern musical phenomenon.\n"There is something phenomenal about Salaam," pianist Hakan Ali Toker, from Turkey, said. "For the first time, you have Americans playing the music of my country. This is absolutely amazing." \nThe evening's music is also meant to celebrate the band's third CD release. The new CD is titled Leylat Salaam, and much of the music from this CD will be played at the concert.\nSaturday's concert will be a mixture of sights, sounds and smells. Dance pieces will be presented by the Turkish Student Association's Folk Dance Troupe and guest dancer graduate student Katya Faris. Singers include Imed Nsiri and Hakan Toker, with Palestinian flute music by Raja Hanania and Egyptian dance by the Blue Nile Dance Troupe.\nMusical presentations will all be Middle Eastern tunes, some of which will be accompanied by song and dance. Various traditional Middle Eastern instruments will be featured, including Victor Santoro on the oud (a predecessor to the flute); Joe Donnelly on the nay (an Arabic flute); Megan Weeder on the kemenche (a spike filddle); and Toker on the qanun, a stringed instrument.\nThe evening will also include Lebanese Dabke dance lessons with dance expert Laela Rahksha and Middle Eastern delicacies prepared by Dena Moore. \n"The audience will be transported to the Middle East," Moore said. "The exquisite sights, sounds and smells will immerse the audience into this unique culture."\nTickets are $10 at the door and $9 in advance. They are $7 for students and seniors and $2 for children.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
Recently, Dan Yu, a graduate student at the IU School of Music, won the USA International Harp Competition held on the IU campus here in Bloomington. Just the latest example of the profusion of talent that has emerged from the School of Music during the years, she has gone from being unheard of to the talk of the musical world.\nYu comes from humble beginnings in Shenyang in the northeast corner of China. Her father is a flutist and has encouraged her in her musical pursuits from the very beginning. She started off playing the piano at the age of six. \n"But, my pinkies were too small, so I was introduced to the harp because it does not require the use of pinkies," the 27-year old Yu said. \nSince the age of 10 she has been playing the harp, always intending on becoming a professional harpist.\n"I never considered anything else for my career. From the beginning, playing the harp was my way of life," Yu, who is an Artist Diploma student here at IU, said. \nIn Shenyang she attended a special high school for the musically gifted, where she started to seriously develop her talent. \nShe entered IU last year, having established herself as a successful student musician. Previously, her best competition result was a third round showing in an international harp competition in Israel. She also lost in the third round of the 1995 USA International Harp Competition. Entering this year's contest, she had anything but winning the whole competition on her mind. \n"Of course, I was not confident because the competition involves 30 to 40 of the world's best musicians," Yu said. "I expected to reach the third round again." \nBut once she entered the final round, winning was not elusive anymore, and once it was announced that she had won the contest, it was not a shock.\n"I knew that I had a good chance of winning once I got to the final round," Yu said. \nWinning the contest brought with it much more than just prize money. Apart from a $6,000 check and a $55,000 gold-plated harp, she now has concert dates in London, New York, Paris, Geneva and Tokyo. \n"Receiving the gold-plated harp was like a dream. I will keep and cherish it all my life," Yu said. \nWhile everyone knows about the winning and the prizes, not too many know about the hard work and dedication involved in performing at the highest level. Yu practiced as much as 10 hours a day in preparing for the competition last month. \n"If she wants something, she works really hard for it," Tong Yu, her flutist brother, said. "Winning this prize proves that she has the ability to be the world's best." \nWhile it is obvious that she has the makings of a world-class performer, her sights are set elsewhere. \n"I see myself being a harp teacher in the future," Yu said. "Being a performer at the highest level seems scary to me."\nWhether she dazzles audiences with her performances or educates young enthusiasts of the harp, it is evident that she is one of those rare talents whose humility and rejection of fame and prestige give her a unique aura. \n"Music has no boundaries," Yu's flute teacher father, Kixie Yu, said. "Dan's success today is the fruit of artistic exchange between China and the U.S"
(08/02/01 1:41am)
The IU Opera Theater's production of "Madama Butterfly" was what everyone expected it to be and much more. Puccini's masterpiece was brought to life by the cast and crew of the School of Music at the Musical Arts Center starting July 28. The last performance will be Saturday. \nThe performance more than fulfilled the expectations of the Bloomington opera audience. It was of a high caliber that people have come to expect from School of Music productions. Theater and music fused into a spectacle of the highest aesthetic sensibilities. \nThe action of "Madama Butterfly" takes place shortly after the turn of the century when Japan is forced out of isolation from the rest of the world. Lieutenant Benjamin Franklin Pinkerton of the U.S. Navy amuses himself with Japanese customs and is determined to indulge in the pleasures of the country he is stationed in. He marries Cio-Cio San (Madame Butterfly), a naive geisha, for amusement. Cio-Cio San thinks that the marriage is binding and gives her heart and soul to Pinkerton. This is the beginning of one of the great romantic tragedies of our times. The story addresses the timeless themes of love and lost love, while thoroughly examining the more recent phenomenon of interracial relationships and the complications involved in such unions. The heart is very delicate when it comes to romantic love, and one must not give it away out of infatuation. This is exactly what Madame Butterfly did and paid the ultimate price. \nAll of this was beautifully expressed and conveyed to the audience by the actors and orchestra, who were all IU students. Scott Six and Rachel Holland were impressive as Pinkerton and Madame Butterfly respectively. The rest of the cast turned in effective performances as well. But one cannot help but notice the slight error in casting here. Six, who plays Pinkerton, is a heavy individual who carries himself rather uneasily on stage. One cannot help but wonder why someone as lovely as Madame Butterfly would fall in love with someone like him. Madame Butterfly is supposed to be a delicate, doll-like individual while Holland, who plays this role, is neither delicate nor does she carry herself like a Japanese geisha. One just has to imagine that Pinkerton is a handsome American navy officer and that Madame Butterfly is a beautiful, delicate Japanese geisha. While this was a casting error, the performances by both these actors were of the highest caliber and must be commended. \nThe conductor, Imre Palló, and stage director Mark Clark did an excellent job in fusing the music and acting into an effective whole. The lighting and stage design was of exceptional quality as is always the case with School of Music productions. These elements effectively heightened the drama and tragedy. \nIt was a performance worth watching, and even those completely ignorant of Western theater and opera could appreciate the expertise with which this masterpiece was being presented. The production might not have been flawless, but it was a fulfilling artistic experience.
(07/26/01 4:10am)
"Madama Butterfly" is one of the best known operas today and is performed regularly in opera houses around the world. This classic, which was adapted by Italian maestro Giacomo Puccini from the play of the same name, comes to Bloomington this week as part of the Summer Music Festival. The performances will take place on July 28, 29, Aug. 3 and 4. The orchestra will be conducted by Imre Palló and directed by Mark Clark.\nThe story involves an American naval officer, Lieutenant Pinkerton, who is on duty in Japan. Despite the protests of the American Consul Sharpless, he marries Cio-Cio San, a geisha known as Madam Butterfly. Her relatives are shocked and abandon her when she exchanges her religion for Pinkerton's. After he is called away on duty his wife faithfully awaits him with their first child. But she finds herself in a nightmare of a situation when Pinkerton returns to Japan three years later with his new wife. \nThis timeless tale of tragic love has been told and re-told countless times over the years. The IU School of Music, which is known for its concerts and operas, will bring this Puccini classic to the stage not only with conducting and directing expertise but also with exquisite costumes and set designs. \nOpera is an integration of several different art forms. It is a fusion of theatre, drama and music (just to name a few of the obvious ones).\n"I've seen a lot of performances of this opera where the music is great but there is no shape or form. Here we have put a lot of work into combining the music and drama in an effective manner," said Mark Clark, the stage director. He insists that the whole is greater than the individual elements of opera. \n"The words, dramatic intentions, the conflict, the theatrical elements. When all of these come together in such a way that they enhance each other you have something very powerful," said Clark. \nThe performance will consist of actors from the IU School of Music. The student orchestra will be conducted by renowned Hungarian conductor, Imre Palló, who is a professor of instrumental conducting here. \n"The drama without the music does not have the power to touch you. This is where Puccini's brilliance comes into play," said Palló. \nThe opera will be performed in Italian with supra-titles (equivalent to sub-titles in films). The English translations will be displayed above the stage. Making up these these translations was also a challenge because every word in the opera cannot be translated into English.\n"You have to get to the center of the idea without being too wordy," said Clark. \nThe stage is set for what promises to be a memorable rendition of a work that has withstood the test of time.\n"It is a great tragic love story which is bound to impress everyone in attendance," said Nasrin Farrokh, a graduate student in opera directing.
(07/26/01 12:33am)
Sabá, a Bloomington based Central Eurasian music group, performed at the Indiana Memorial Union's Whittenberger Auditorium Sunday afternoon. The concert was free and open to the public. The concert, which was co-sponsored by several different departments within the university along with the Echo World Music Institute, was entitled "Breeze of the East." \nThe performance was preceded by an exhibition of poetry, costumes and artifacts from several central Eurasian countries, including Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakstan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. This display was followed by the afternoon's musical festivities. The program started off with kazakh folk music by guest artist Talant Mawkanuli, who sang and played the dombra (a kazakh string instrument). This was followed by perhaps the highlight of the evening, with music professor Tom Walsh on the saxophone and Hakan Ali Toker (a member of Sabá) on the piano. The object of this piece was to use Western instruments to improvise on traditional Central Eurasian music. This was done both effortlessly and expertly by both musicians, who deservingly received thunderous applause at the conclusion of the piece. \nNext came Sabá's arrival on stage, resulting in exquisite Eurasian music for the next hour. The group consists of Nasrin Farrokh, a native of Iran with a graduate degree in opera directing from IU, Shahyar Daneshgar, a native of Iran who is a research associate at the Inner Asian and Uralic National Resource Center at IU, Megan Weeder, a native of New Jersey who is a professional violinist and also plays the kemancha and saz (Central Eurasian musical instruments), Hakan Toker, a native of Turkey who is a professional pianist and also plays the kanun (a Turkish string instrument), and Joseph Donnely, who plays the flute and clarinet. \nIt was not long before this group established a rhythm which the audience grooved to. Farrokh and Daneshgar (the vocalists) sang with passion and enthusiasm in several different languages. The group performed music from Azerbaijan, Iran, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Turkey. The highlight of Sabá's performance was undoubtedly "Mikham Beram Koon." This Persian folk song was beautifully sung by Farrokh with Weeder on the violin, Donnely on the clarinet, Toker on the piano and Daneshgar on percussion. For six minutes, the audience was enthralled by this traditional Persian tune which reverberated through the walls of the auditorium, courtesy of Farrokh's voice. \nThe last piece on the program was a fast-paced Azerbaijani duet sung by Farrokh and Daneshgar. The audience was so enthralled by the performance that they insisted on an extra tune to be performed after the duet. Sabá complied with yet another fast paced Azerbaijani duet which captivated the audience even more. \nThe concert gave the audience a sample of the exquisite musical traditions of Central Eurasia. The musicians involved were all extremely talented and proved that when it comes to music there are no borders or boundaries. It was a fulfilling cultural and aesthetic experience.
(04/03/01 4:32am)
Children will comprise most of the audience at the latest stage production to visit Bloomington.\nThe IU Auditorium will present the critically acclaimed "Blues Clues Live!" today and Wednesday. \nThe stage presentation for preschoolers, has revolutionized children's theater and will be presented for the first time in Bloomington. \nBased on Nickelodeon's hit preschool series "Blues Clues," the tour is scheduled to perform in 40 markets across the United States and Canada.\nThe television show has entertained and educated preschoolers for years.\n"The program is definitely educational in nature and improves their problem-solving and intellectual capabilities," said continuing studies student Vivian Coffey, mother of an 8-year-old.\nThe television show helps children solve problems by providing various clues and teaches them important values such as trust and friendship.\nThe theatrical production attempts to meet the same objectives while serving as an introduction to theater. \n"I think the greatest thing about the show is that it is a chance to expose small kids to live theater. It has been the mission of the cast, crew and producers of this show to make it a truly theatrical experience," said Tom Mizer, who plays Steve.\nThe creators of the stage production attempt to do this with live singing, creative design elements, exciting puppetry and Broadway-style musical numbers. Mizer said educating children in the art of theater is crucial in contemporary American culture. \n"In a VCR culture, it is imperative that we start encouraging live theater at a young age," Mizer said. The biggest difference between the TV show and the theatrical production is the scale of the medium. On television, Steve (the host of the show) is close and intimate, but Mizer said, "I'm on a 30-foot stage with kids watching from a balcony. This means I get to be wilder, bigger and more playful … not to mention that I get to dance and sing more."\nAnother difference is that on stage Steve can and will respond to the audience.\n"It is truly interactive," Mizer said.\nThe production promises to be a unique experience for both parents and children. \n"The show will present something that the children have seen before. It is very interactive and will hopefully make a lot of kids into lifelong theater-goers," spokesman John Tellem said.\n"Blues Clues Live!" will play at 7 p.m. today and 10:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. Wednesday at the IU Auditorium. General admission tickets cost $25 for orchestra and $15 for balcony seats, and student tickets are $12.50 and $7.50. Tickets are available at the Auditorium box office.
(03/29/01 5:00am)
To watch a Steven Seagal film, one must fully suspend all disbelief. And to fully enjoy the audacity of Seagal, one must ignore all of the consequences associated with fistfights in flashy nightclubs, gun battles, car crashes and being able to cash out stock options from a dot-com and then create a private surveillance unit devoted to uncovering a ring of corrupt Detroit cops involved in smuggling heroin inside of sweatshop-produced T-shirts. \nI remember a time when I used to enjoy Seagal. Such films as "Above the Law," "Hard to Kill" and "Out for Justice" are all solid action films from the '90s. But lately, films like "Under Siege 2" and "Fire Down Below" have shown Seagal's age.\n"Exit Wounds" stands as Seagal's biggest failure, a pitiful reminder of the death of the American action film. By overextending the violence, the ludicrousness and the sheer improbability of everything, "Exit Wounds" plays out like a circus of the damned with Tom Arnold working the Tilt-A-Whirl. It's always a bad sign when Arnold's attempts at comedy are the most memorable parts of a film.\nSeagal plays Orin Boyd, a burned-out cop who gets reassigned to a tough Detroit precinct after saving the vice president's life. But this precinct is filled with police officers who use the gym way too much, use stun guns in strange naked homoerotic bonding moments and routinely steal heroin from police labs. Then there's DMX, the hardcore rapper-turned-actor who does a better job in his music videos than his role as a stereotypical drug dealer/club owner/martial arts master/dot-com entrepreneur. Seagal and DMX team up to stop the corrupt cop ring.\nThe gratuitous violence of "Exit Wounds" would have made Peckinpah cringe and reach for the stop button on the remote. In earlier Seagal films, viewers got brief moments of violence that made the films memorable and not so gory. "Exit Wounds" overflows with carnage -- people bloodied by chain-wrapped fists, body parts being impaled and people being crushed by cars and buses.\nThe biggest disappointment of the film is the misuse of Seagal. Instead of having Seagal demonstrate his speed and prowess, he ends up being nothing more than a patsy, used to connect the dots of all the inane plot points in what stands as a truly rotten film.
(03/29/01 4:44am)
To watch a Steven Seagal film, one must fully suspend all disbelief. And to fully enjoy the audacity of Seagal, one must ignore all of the consequences associated with fistfights in flashy nightclubs, gun battles, car crashes and being able to cash out stock options from a dot-com and then create a private surveillance unit devoted to uncovering a ring of corrupt Detroit cops involved in smuggling heroin inside of sweatshop-produced T-shirts. \nI remember a time when I used to enjoy Seagal. Such films as "Above the Law," "Hard to Kill" and "Out for Justice" are all solid action films from the '90s. But lately, films like "Under Siege 2" and "Fire Down Below" have shown Seagal's age.\n"Exit Wounds" stands as Seagal's biggest failure, a pitiful reminder of the death of the American action film. By overextending the violence, the ludicrousness and the sheer improbability of everything, "Exit Wounds" plays out like a circus of the damned with Tom Arnold working the Tilt-A-Whirl. It's always a bad sign when Arnold's attempts at comedy are the most memorable parts of a film.\nSeagal plays Orin Boyd, a burned-out cop who gets reassigned to a tough Detroit precinct after saving the vice president's life. But this precinct is filled with police officers who use the gym way too much, use stun guns in strange naked homoerotic bonding moments and routinely steal heroin from police labs. Then there's DMX, the hardcore rapper-turned-actor who does a better job in his music videos than his role as a stereotypical drug dealer/club owner/martial arts master/dot-com entrepreneur. Seagal and DMX team up to stop the corrupt cop ring.\nThe gratuitous violence of "Exit Wounds" would have made Peckinpah cringe and reach for the stop button on the remote. In earlier Seagal films, viewers got brief moments of violence that made the films memorable and not so gory. "Exit Wounds" overflows with carnage -- people bloodied by chain-wrapped fists, body parts being impaled and people being crushed by cars and buses.\nThe biggest disappointment of the film is the misuse of Seagal. Instead of having Seagal demonstrate his speed and prowess, he ends up being nothing more than a patsy, used to connect the dots of all the inane plot points in what stands as a truly rotten film.
(03/28/01 4:48am)
Representatives of cultures from central Asia united to entertain and educate the Bloomington community Saturday in a celebration of spring. \n"Navruz" -- a Persian word that means "new day" -- is celebrated by central Asian countries annually, including the former Soviet republics of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan and nations such as Afghanistan, Iran and Turkey.\nNavruz celebrates nature and people. \n"Navruz, which has origins in Iran, is a celebration of the spring equinox," said William Fierman, director of the Inner Asian and Uralic National Resource Center.\nThe festival brings together people and countries in a celebration of friendship and the human spirit.\n"People come out into the street and sing and dance in celebration. It is called 'the great day of the people,'" Sulushash Kerimkulova, a visiting scholar from Kazakhstan, said.\nThe festival is often mistaken for an Islamic event, which could not be further from the truth.\n"Navruz has Zoroastrian roots and precedes Islam by many centuries. It is a celebration of spring and most importantly, it is a cultural festival, not a religious one," said senior Alisher Zufarov, president of the Navruz Student Association.\nThe association organized a gala Saturday that featured song, dance, food and exhibits from several Central Asian nations. \n"Spring is very important to the people of this region because agriculture is vital to the survival of these people. In spring they can do a lot of things that they would otherwise be unable to do," Zufarov said. \nIn countries that celebrate the event, Navruz is greeted with a profusion of cleansing. \n"Before the celebration begins we clean our houses, streets and our souls. We must forget past grudges and forgive people for past mistakes," Kerimkulova said. Included in the celebration are activities one might not associate with Asian culture.\n"It is also characterized by friendly competitions, a couple of which include horse racing and tight-rope walking," Zufarov said. \nPart of the celebration is the vast amount of food, and the marathon cooking sessions begin days before the festival. Saturday's event provided a diverse sampling of culinary delights from several central Asian nations.\n"Nowadays there is a lot of political tension between the borders of these countries. This is what makes this event, which brought several of these countries together, all the more remarkable," Fierman said.\nIU is one of the few universities in the country with a prominent Inner Asian and Uralic Studies department, which regularly participates in exchange programs with these countries. \nThe event, organized by the Navruz Student Association and the Inner Asian and Uralic National Resource Center, was meant to do more than entertain. \n"Our culture is not very well-known in America. It was an opportunity for the performers to exhibit their culture and educate the audience," Zufarov said. \nIn addition to educating others about Central Asian culture, Saturday's event provided natives of the area with some insight into their own cultures.\n"It also helped increase our own awareness of our culture, and we made friends from many different countries and cultures," Kerimkulova said.
(03/26/01 5:43am)
Today, poets in 200 venues around the world will make an effort toward peace by reading their work. One of those readings will take place in Bloomington.\nThe Leo R. Dowling International Center, 111 S. Jordan Ave. will be host to a poetry reading event entitled "Dialogue Among Civilizations Through Poetry" as part of a weeklong celebration of poetry throughout the world. Organized by graduate student Phil Metres, the reading is meant to comment on peace and humanity through poetry.\n"What attracted me to the International Poetry Week was the fact that poetry has different ways of bringing people and cultures together," Metres said.\nThe reading in Bloomington is one of 250 different readings being conducted worldwide. Russian, African, Arabic, Spanish and Korean are a few of the cultures which will be represented in the reading today.\n"Poetry is the language of the soul," graduate student Nasrin Farrokh-Hekmat said. "It expresses a certain sensitivity to the life around you and the world inside you."\nMetres said the reading has a higher purpose than aesthetic gratification. \n"I'm interested in peace, non-violence and a less oppressive world. I think listening to voices from all over the world is a great way to break down the biased flow of information in this country," Metres said. "In particular, under-represented cultural groups can make themselves heard quite effectively through poetry."\nSupported by the International Center, the poetry community in Bloomington and human rights activists concerned with international issues, the event is sponsored by the Bloomington Coalition for Peace and the Committee for Peace in the Middle East.\nThe event attempts to combine the art of poetry with the age-old message of peace and non-violence.\n"I'm interested in how poetry interacts with politics and how people express their opinions and feelings in artistic ways," senior Amy Thompson said. \n"Poetry is a vehicle of people's expressions and can be used to express one's convictions of non-violence," Thompson said.\nThe reading will be open to anyone interested in sharing poetry from their culture. \n"We will have a sign-up sheet for interested people. Everyone is welcome," Metres said.\nThe evening will consist of poetry from all over the world. The poetry will include original poetry written by the speakers themselves and traditional poetry written centuries ago.\n"The event is an eclectic mix of voices and languages crying out for peace," Metres said.\n"Dialogue Among Civilizations Through Poetry" will take place from 4-6 p.m. today at the Leo R. Dowling International Center, 111 S. Jordan Ave. The event is free.
(03/23/01 5:46pm)
The IU Art Museum and the SoFA Gallery will present an exhibition entitled "Masters of Fine Arts: Henry Radford Hope School of Fine Arts Thesis Exhibitions." From March 27 to May 6, all the MFA students graduating in May will present their work to the public. The exhibits are presented to benefit the community and the artists by giving the work exposure.\nStudents are divided into three groups of three. Work by group one will be presented from March 28 through April 8. The students in group two will exhibit their work from April 11 through April 22, and group three will be showcased from April 25 through May 6.\nThe SoFA gallery will simultaneously display thesis work by 18 other MFA students starting March 27. Here the students will also be divided into three groups, this time consisting of six students each. The work here will be presented as part of the "Art Bites" series the SoFA gallery has introduced this semester. Each exhibition runs for two weeks and will feature a reception. The MFA exhibits at the SoFA Gallery will be on display until the end of the semester. Each of the students will speak about his or her work in an attempt to further educate the public about the creative process. \n"These exhibitions are required for MFA students to graduate," said Betsy Stirratt, director of the SoFA Gallery. "It is a professional exercise where students have to think about how they are going to present their work and work out the logistics of everything involved." \nBut the exhibitions serve more than just to fulfill educational and academic requirements. \n"There are a lot of community members who pay close attention to student artists," Amy Horst, manager of the SoFA Gallery, said. "It's really important for these students to expose their work to the public in order to get a wider response."\nThe exhibitions will feature work from various fine arts specializations. The exhibits will include work from the areas of printmaking, metalsmithing, jewelry design, digital art, painting, ceramics, sculpture, photography and textiles. For the students involved these exhibits represent the end of their intensive study and serve to transport them into the professional art world.\n"These exhibits highlight their development as artists over the past three years," Ben Pond, associate director of the SoFA Gallery, said. "These exhibits give the viewer a good idea about contemporary art. This is a microcosm of the contemporary art world. These students are on the verge of their professional career." \nPond also said seeing these exhibits will serve an educational purpose for aspiring undergraduate art students.
(03/22/01 4:19am)
To pay tribute to the influential composer Benjamin Britten, the School of Music has assembled an eight day celebration -- that began Monday -- to commemorate the 25th anniversary of his death. \nThe week's festivities include lectures and performances of Britten's work by music students and faculty.\nBorn in England in 1913, Britten wrote numerous operas and folk songs that have been performed in concert halls and opera houses throughout the world. \n"He loved the voice and definitely loved words," said Mary Ann Hart, an associate professor of music. \nGradually, Britten developed strong singing skills and started devoting much of his time to composition. He worked closely with his partner and lover, Peter Pears. \nBritten had a difficult time living in a society that rejected his sexual orientation, and he expressed this in his music. \n"Being a homosexual, he dealt with themes of alienation from society in his music," Ross Ewing, a senior piano major, said. \nHart said the special relationship he had with Pears greatly influenced his style of composition.\n"Much of his vocal music was written for the voice of Peter Pears," Hart said. "The tenors are having a lot of fun with this music this week." \nEwing said Britten was influenced by the presence of youth, which led him to create many of his main characters in his plays as children.\n"Their innocence was a characteristic he valued highly," he said.\nWhile he is best known for his vocal music and operas, Hart said Britten's music encompassed a wide range of styles and themes.\nTo further diversify his inspiration, Hart said Britten adapted many novels and poems. \n"He was very literate and loved words," she said. "He sets the text to music with tremendous imagination and clarity." \nThe festivities continued Wednesday with a lecture by Professor Peter Burkholder, which dealt with Britten's homosexuality. This was followed by a performance of some of the best known religious music written by Britten, such as "The Five Canticles." \nProfessor Michael Hatfield, chair of the brass department, said the Britten Song Festival promises to offer the best of an exceptional artist. \n"Britten's compositions have withstood the test of time," he said. "The festival will give everyone a chance to listen to some excellent music." \nThe celebration continues tonight and Friday evening with performances of some of Britten's folksongs. The musical festivities will conclude Monday with more renditions of Britten's folk songs. \nAll performances will be held in either Auer Hall or Recital Hall. The recitals are free and open to the public. For a schedule of events, check out www.music.indiana.edu.
(03/07/01 4:34am)
Graduate student Ji-hye Chang is the most recent success story to emerge from the famed School of Music. Chang, who will receive her masters degree in piano performance in May, gave her graduate recital Sunday at Recital Hall. \nThe beginnings from which she pursued her passion make her story unique. Her interest in the piano emerged by accident. \n"One morning I woke up hearing my neighbor playing Beethoven's 'Fur Elise,' and I've been really enthusiastic about the piano ever since," Chang said. \nFrom the beginning, she won regional competitions at the ages of 9, 10 and 11 in her home country of South Korea. It was then that she moved to Seoul with her family to nurture her musical talent. She obtained a full scholarship to attend the art middle school in Seoul. \n"This was when I really started to gain an interest and develop a passion for music," Chang said. \nAfter moving to Seoul, she was greeted by her first big musical achievement: winning the gold medal in a national piano competition where she competed with the best in the nation. \nA full scholarship to the art high school in Seoul helped relieve her parents financially. Practicing six to seven hours daily, she developed herself into a dedicated artist. She entered the instrument department of Seoul National University, again on a full scholarship. Recognizing her as the best pianist in the university, she was sent to the United States for overseas training by the university. It was then that she was introduced to Gyorgy Sebok and his music and decided to study with him at IU. \n"I was fortunate to have the opportunity to audition in front of Sebok," Chang said. \nHe was impressed with her performance and agreed to have her as his student. \nBut transferring to IU and moving to a different country did pose its fair share of challenges for Chang.\n"My first year at the masters program here was the first time that I did not receive a scholarship for my education. I felt guilty for putting my parents under all that financial burden," Chang said. \nShe struggled with an overwhelming amount of schoolwork and a level of English to which she was not accustomed. \n"I did not have too much time to do what I loved, which is to play the piano," Chang said. \nThings took a further plunge when her mentor, Gyorgy Sebok, passed away in the fall of 1999 from cancer.\nIt was soon after that she entered a national piano competition in San Antonio and made it to the second round. \n"Even though this was not a great result I learned from the experience and was motivated by it," Chang said. \nSince her first year at IU she has been on a full scholarship and has served as an accompanist in studios of renowned musicians such as Janos Starker and Franco Gulli. She has performed all over the world, including England and the Caribbean, and has won numerous prizes and awards during the last decade. \nChang said she owes her parents, teachers and friends for everything she has accomplished.\n"I am a pianist because it is something that is meaningful to me. I would really like to educate people about classical music and broaden their horizons," Chang said. "When I perform I want my audience to understand my interpretation of the music that I play and hopefully feel what I feel about the music."\nChang's sister said she has always looked up to her, admiring her dedication to her music.\n"She is very different from other Korean girls because she is very strong and courageous. She has accomplished everything with minimal support," Ji-yeon, Chang's sister, said. \nIn fact, Chang did something that is virtually unheard of in Korea by turning down a marriage proposal to pursue her musical interests. After she is finished with her masters degree, Chang said she hopes to follow it up with doctoral work at the Eastman School of Music in New York.\n"I am really proud of her, and I hope she serves as an inspiration for other poor people who want to study music," Sun-ja Baek, Chang's mother, said.
(03/02/01 4:31am)
The IU Philharmonic Orchestra is by far the most impressive of all the music school orchestras that have performed at the Musical Arts Center this semester. The orchestra played Beethoven's "Piano Concerto No. 5" and "Ein Heldenleben" by Richard Strauss with mastery Wednesday night. Each piece was around 40 minutes.\nThe evening's musical festivities got off to a brilliant start with the Beethoven piano concerto. Graduate student Archie Chen stole the show with an impressive performance on the piano. The concerto, played in three movements, was performed flawlessly.\nThe first movement was grand and majestic (hence the name "The Emperor Concerto") while the second was almost like a reverie. The muted violins in the second movement created a warm and soft sound that translated into an almost ethereal effect. This stark contrast between the two movements was one of the most appealing characteristics of the concerto. \nThe third movement contrasted with the second. The royal, majestic fusion of harmonies was beautifully rendered by the strings, wind and percussion of the orchestra. The concerto was characterized by the sudden mood transitions and tempo shifts typical of Beethoven.\nStrauss' "Ein Heldenleben" was in some ways more intriguing than the Beethoven piece. It was a 40-minute long movement without any breaks. This marathon musical session covered each and every human emotion.\nThe piece, a musical autobiography of Strauss, contained bursts of anger, humor and joy. The piece was wonderfully written to show off all sections of the orchestra, using every instrument to its fullest.\nThe concert was an overall success. While it might not have been the most technically challenging concert of the semester, it was certainly the best performed.
(02/28/01 5:26am)
German composers Ludwig van Beethoven and Richard Strauss never had the chance to perform together, but their music will be performed together tonight at the Musical Arts Center.\nThe IU Philharmonic Orchestra will make its first appearance of the semester at 8 p.m. today. The orchestra will be conducted by Paul Biss and the program will feature graduate student Archie Chen on the piano. The music will include two long pieces by two legendary composers, beginning with Beethoven's "Piano Concerto No. 5" and concluding with "Ein Heldenleben" by Richard Strauss.\nThe Beethoven concerto will feature Chen on the piano. Chen maintains that while the concerto is straightforward enough for a pianist to play, it is challenging in other ways.\n"While the concerto is not technically very challenging for me, it is a challenge from a stylistic standpoint," Chen said. \nThe piece was written during the first decade of the 19th century and consists of three movements. The concerto is commonly called "The Emperor Concerto." \n"The end of the second movement smoothly fuses with the third movement. This phenomenon of combining movements to form a complete, holistic work is something that has been passed down from Beethoven to the romantic composers," said Ross Ewing, a senior majoring in piano performance.\nThe concerto is also known for a rather uncommon structural characteristic.\n"The concerto starts with the piano soloist (also called a cadenza), which is uncommon," Ewing said.\nThe second half of the concert will consist of one of the most famous works by Richard Strauss, "Ein Heldenleben." Strauss wrote this piece in the late 19th century and the music exhibits a style characteristic of romantic composers.\n"Strauss wrote the piece for a huge romantic orchestra in the style of Wagner," Biss said.\nThe piece consists of one lengthy movement instead of being divided into separate movements. While this was a common practice in Strauss' day, it's not as common today. Biss said the music itself is almost like an autobiography.\n"Strauss talks about himself in this piece. He also talks about his wife and his attitude towards unfriendly critics. He also quotes from his previous works in the process," Biss said.\nThe concert consists of music from different periods in Western classical music and promises to be one of great variety.\n"Talking about these two pieces is like trying to compare Rembrandt and Monet," Biss said. "They are completely different from each other"
(02/21/01 4:52am)
Demonstrating her dedication to music, senior and violinist Ju-young Kim performed last night at Recital Hall.\n"I started playing the violin at the age of 5 when my mother took me to a violin shop," Kim said. "At first I was uncomfortable with it, but then I started getting used to it and fell in love with the violin."\nIk-Hwan Bae, professor of violin from South Korea, said the Korean war motivated people to seek out a more pleasant lifestyle, which included music.\n"This is why they wanted a different lifestyle for both themselves and their children," he said. "People felt the urge to live life vicariously without any anxiety, and music is a perfect vehicle for this kind of lifestyle." There are about 200 Korean students in the IU School of Music. Kim is an example of this phenomenon. She grew up in Seoul, South Korea, where she was exposed to Western classical music. \n"At the age of 5 she could memorize music that she had just heard on the radio and play it on the piano," said Kyung-Sook Kim, Kim's mother. "She used to play the piano with her sister, but I thought that the violin was a more feminine instrument. That's why I introduced her to the violin."\nShe encouraged Kim and trained her to appreciate Western classical music. \n"My mother used to turn on the radio every morning so that we could listen to classical music as soon as we woke up," Kim said. "She also took us to numerous concerts and recitals."\nWatching the best musicians on stage also inspired Kim. \n"When I saw them play I was moved by their sound," she said. "It was something I wanted to do. I wanted to captivate the audience like they did."\nShe insists her teacher, Miriam Fried, has a lot to do with her success. "I think she is the greatest. She is a wonderful teacher," Kim said. \nWhile Kim said she admires violin legends such as Itzhak Perlman, she did not have to look far for motivation and inspiration. \n"My father is my role model. I've learned a lot from him. He has taught me to be diligent and work hard," Kim said. \nShe practices for about five hours a day and centers her life around a strong work ethic. \nSince her childhood, she has performed all over the world, in such countries as Korea, Germany and the United States. She has earned accolades in competitions, the most recent of which was her second place finish at the Hudson Valley String Competition. \nShe said her goal is to perform and instill the joy of music in others. \n"I enjoy making music and help(ing) people understand the music of different composers," she said. "I feel like I communicate with the audience when I am on stage"
(02/19/01 4:23am)
The IU Art Museum is continuing efforts to highlight the best artistry from around the world with a unique collection of traditional Malaysian art. The collection was loaned to the museum by Mary Ruth Linville Jumper, who lived in Malaysia from 1986 to 1991. The exhibit, "Spirits in Wood: Contemporary Sculpture from Malaysia," is organized by Diane Pelrine, curator of arts of Africa, Oceania and the Americas.\nThe exhibit consists of 10 sculptures made by the Orang Asli, the indigenous people of Malaysia.\n"The Orang Asli consists of very small indigenous tribes who speak completely unrelated languages. While small groups of them live on the western peninsula of Malaysia, most of them live on the island of Borneo," said Roxana Newman, assistant dean of international programs. \nThe exhibit features figures the Orang Asli use for religious and healing purposes. While the figures on display were not originally used for such purposes, they are similar to those that were and still are being used by these peoples. \n"Carvers have expanded upon traditional carving to make these pieces into a form of contemporary sculpture," Pelrine said.\nThe sculptures are made of wood by two groups of the Orang Asli -- the Jah Het and the Mah Meri. \n"These people use these sculptures for traditional healing rituals," Jumper said. "Once an illness has been diagnosed, the appropriate sculpture is used to rid the body of the illness and the sculpture is then thrown into a river. The art reflects the superstitious nature of the Orang Asli." \nJumper collected nearly 100 pieces of sculpture from the Orang Asli during her stay in Malaysia. She decided to do this when she set her eyes on Orang Asli sculpture for the very first time. \n"Their carving tools are extremely primitive, and yet they do such beautiful work on these sculptures," Jumper said.\nBecause of the rapid infusion of modernism even to the most remote part of Malaysia, the Orang Asli have split into two groups. \n"Part of them wants to assimilate into modern Malaysian culture while the rest of them prefer the traditional life in the forests of Malaysia," Jumper said.\nThe sculptures on display are cultural symbols of a people whose lifestyle is being threatened by contemporary Malaysian culture. Many sculptures are made to be sold for money as opposed to serving a religious or healing purpose.\nThe exhibit promises to give people an insight into the Orang Asli, the original people of Malaysia who are virtually unheard of in this country.\n"Very little is known about these people in the U.S. IU does not have a whole lot of programs or courses relating to Malaysia," Pelrine said. "This would be a unique experience for anyone who looks at the exhibits"
(02/15/01 5:00am)
Head Over Heels" is a mess. It starts off as offbeat romantic comedy with Amanda (Monica Potter), a fish out of water, thrown into a pool of sharks -- her four supermodel roomies, Jade (Shalom Harlow), Roxana (Ivana Milicevic), Candi (Sarah O'Hare) and Holly (Tomiko Fraser). Their goal is to get Amanda a man until, suddenly, the flick morphs into a rip-off of Alfred Hitchcock's "Rear Window."\nWhen Amanda agrees to pay $500 a month for what is essentially a closet, she enters a world where men hang around the front door of the gorgeous models' home in hopes of getting the privilege to lavish money upon them. As the five become friends, the models take on a quest to find Amanda the man of her dreams. This turns into a "Peeping Tom-asina" tale when Amanda and her new buddies spy on a handsome, fashion executive-neighbor, Jim Winston (Freddie Prinze Jr.). \nAmanda gets weak in the knees when she finally meets Jim. At this point things twist, and Amanda believes she has witnessed a murder by her new love-interest. The police, of course, find nothing and treat Amanda and her girlfriends as a bunch of bubbleheads. The girls decide to forgo the police and begin their own investigation of events. But this becomes muddled as we lose sight of "the murder."\nThis mess of a story is attributed to a committee of writers -- John J. Strauss, Ed Decter, David Kidd and Ron Burch -- and it shows in its scattershot approach to the disjointed material. Two of the hacks responsible for "Head Over Heals," Strauss and Decter, contributed to "There's Something About Mary," and bathroom humor pervades the whole tale, mostly in poor taste. \nPotter is pretty enough as Amanda, but her good looks can't help her get around the horrible script. The camera loves to look at her close-up, and she suffers the least from the bad writing. The four women playing Amanda's roommates are a quartet of good-looking ladies, providing ample eye candy. \nDirector Mark Waters shoulders the burden of responsibility for "Head Over Heals" and should do what he can to place blame elsewhere. There is little, if any, chemistry from the behind the camera crew to help lift the leaden script from its doldrums.\nThis is one of the worst flicks to come out of Hollywood this year. Mr. Waters has a lot of learning to do before he can really call himself a filmmaker.
(02/15/01 4:22am)
Head Over Heels" is a mess. It starts off as offbeat romantic comedy with Amanda (Monica Potter), a fish out of water, thrown into a pool of sharks -- her four supermodel roomies, Jade (Shalom Harlow), Roxana (Ivana Milicevic), Candi (Sarah O'Hare) and Holly (Tomiko Fraser). Their goal is to get Amanda a man until, suddenly, the flick morphs into a rip-off of Alfred Hitchcock's "Rear Window."\nWhen Amanda agrees to pay $500 a month for what is essentially a closet, she enters a world where men hang around the front door of the gorgeous models' home in hopes of getting the privilege to lavish money upon them. As the five become friends, the models take on a quest to find Amanda the man of her dreams. This turns into a "Peeping Tom-asina" tale when Amanda and her new buddies spy on a handsome, fashion executive-neighbor, Jim Winston (Freddie Prinze Jr.). \nAmanda gets weak in the knees when she finally meets Jim. At this point things twist, and Amanda believes she has witnessed a murder by her new love-interest. The police, of course, find nothing and treat Amanda and her girlfriends as a bunch of bubbleheads. The girls decide to forgo the police and begin their own investigation of events. But this becomes muddled as we lose sight of "the murder."\nThis mess of a story is attributed to a committee of writers -- John J. Strauss, Ed Decter, David Kidd and Ron Burch -- and it shows in its scattershot approach to the disjointed material. Two of the hacks responsible for "Head Over Heals," Strauss and Decter, contributed to "There's Something About Mary," and bathroom humor pervades the whole tale, mostly in poor taste. \nPotter is pretty enough as Amanda, but her good looks can't help her get around the horrible script. The camera loves to look at her close-up, and she suffers the least from the bad writing. The four women playing Amanda's roommates are a quartet of good-looking ladies, providing ample eye candy. \nDirector Mark Waters shoulders the burden of responsibility for "Head Over Heals" and should do what he can to place blame elsewhere. There is little, if any, chemistry from the behind the camera crew to help lift the leaden script from its doldrums.\nThis is one of the worst flicks to come out of Hollywood this year. Mr. Waters has a lot of learning to do before he can really call himself a filmmaker.
(02/15/01 3:53am)
Featuring one of the best-known modern Eastern European filmmakers, Andrzej Wajda, a new foreign film series begins today, sponsored by the Polish Studies Center.\nThe filmmaker has attained legendary status worldwide, said Bozena Shallcross, associate Slavic languages professor and director of the center.\n"Wajda won the Lifetime Achievement Oscar last year," Shallcross said. "I thought it fitting to follow this up with a Wajda film series, which will introduce his work to Bloomington residents."\nThe series will explore various themes Wajda focused on throughout his career. \nWajda was born in Poland in 1921 and started making films in 1957. From the beginning, he addressed controversial issues such as the Soviet occupation of Poland. \n"He has been such a commentator of our nation's war and postwar history," Shallcross said. "He has revitalized our national memory."\nWajda won numerous awards for his efforts exploring controversial themes in his films.\n\"Wajda spoke with the boldness and sophistication that few have done," said Dodona Kiziria, associate Slavic languages professor. "(His) primary focus in his films is humanism and compassion."\nNumerous Wajda films will be shown, beginning with "Kanal" (1957), which depicts the Nazi pulverization of Poland. "Ashes and Diamonds" (1958) is based on Polish literature and deals with Polish politics and history immediately after the WW II. "Man of Marble" (1976) and "Man of Iron" (1981) deal with the creation of the 'Solidarity' movement. "Danton" (1982) and "Pan Tadeusz" (1999) are adaptations of Polish literary classics, the latter of which received an Oscar nomination for best foreign film. \n"Solidarity was a trade union in Poland and these films reflect this period in Polish history," Shallcross said. "'Pan Tadeusz' is based on a romantic Polish epic poem. If one wants to really understand Polish culture, it is best to watch his films. In his films Polish culture speaks through music, dance and storytelling."\nGraduate assistant at the Polish Studies Center Mark Betka said education of Polish culture is the primary goal of the series.\n"This is exactly what we hope to accomplish through the film series," he said. "It's going to provide and excellent opportunity for the community to learn about Wajda and Poland."\nThe film series begins 7 p.m. today in Chemistry Room 033. "Man of Marble" will be shown Feb. 22 in Student Building Room 150. \nAll films are free and open to the public. An informal discussion and refreshments will follow every screening.