Monthly Archives: August 2012

New Cappella Romana CD ‘Live in Greece’ features City Musicians

Live in Greece: From Constantinople to California is the latest CD released by Cappella Romana, the American-based vocal ensemble founded and directed  by City University London Senior Lecturer Alexander Lingas. It was recorded on the Greek island of Paros in September 2011 by 11 singers including Spyridon Antonopoulos, a Ph.D. student at City currently writing a thesis on the 15th-century Byzantine cantor, composer and theorist Manuel Chrysaphes.

Dr Lingas chose the music featured on this disc in response to an invitation for Cappella Romana to open the 11th International Festival of Sacred Music on Patmos. Offering the musical fruits of six centuries of cultural encounters between Greek East and Latin West, it begins works arising from meetings of Byzantines with Crusaders and Venetians. East meets West again at St. Sophia Cathedral in 20th-century Los Angeles, where Frank Desby founded a tradition of Greek-American choral music with his Californian colleagues. The programme comes full circle with the mystical ecstasy of Radiant Cloud, a sonic icon of the Transfiguration by Athenian composer Michael Adamis.

The festival concert, which was covered by national Greek television, was held outside the cave where tradition holds that St John the Divine wrote the Book of Revelation.

The ensemble then travelled to the island of Paros, where it performed twice: at a medieval basilica and then in the village of Aspro Chorio, where the programme was recorded by Grammy-winning producer Steve Barnett of Minneapolis and engineer Bill Levey of Seattle.

For additional information and a sound sample, click on this link to Cappella Romana’s blog.

Latest News: A plug from the Eugene (Oregon) Weekly.

Dr Alexander Lingas Lectures on Greek Manuscripts in Oxford

On the evening of 15 August Dr Alexander Lingas offered a lecture on Greek Liturgical Manuscripts at the Ioannou Centre for Classical and Byzantine of the University of Oxford (where he is also a Fellow of its European Humanities Research Centre). Offered for the students and faculty of Oxford’s annual Greek Palaeography Summer School, this talk surveyed the contents and use of manuscripts relating to worship in Byzantium. Dr Lingas emphasised that Byzantine liturgical manuscripts first and foremost reflected the needs of their users: priests, readers, soloists, choristers, and so on. In response to a request from the Summer School’s director, he ended his presentation by singing an Alleluia from a 13th-century chant manuscript.

Dr Christopher Wiley addresses International Conference on Learning, Institute of Education, London

The Institute of Education, University of London, LondonDr Christopher Wiley presented his paper ‘Divided by a Common Language? Evaluating Students’ Understanding of the Vocabulary of Assessment and Feedback at a Single UK Higher Education Institution’ at the Nineteenth International Conference on Learning, Institute of Education, University of London on 16 August 2012.

Dr Wiley’s paper, which discussed the changing context of Higher Education in the UK and its implications for assessment and feedback, fell on the same day that students across the country received their A-level results and found out whether they had been accepted to their chosen university degree course.

Presenting some of the findings of interviews conducted with students across City University London in the past academic year, Dr Wiley questioned many aspects of current assessment and feedback processes, enriching his talk with reference to innovations implemented this year in his own academic practice.

The Nineteenth International Conference on Learning welcomed some 600 delegates from 40 different countries across three days. The complete programme may be viewed here.

BMus alumnus performs at the Olympics

Edward BellBMus alumnus and singer-songwriter Edward Bell performed at the Olympic Park, Stratford, on Saturday 4 August 2012.

Edward performed on the Emerging Icons stage on the day predicted to be the busiest of the Games, with an estimated 750,000 people in and around the Park.

His debut single, Where We’ve Been, was released on 26 July, and is available for purchase from iTunes. His album is scheduled for release in mid-September 2012.

Further information about this news story is available on the BBC News website:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-18831607

Professor Steve Stanton awarded National Teaching Fellowship by the Higher Education Academy

Professor Steve Stanton receiving the National Teaching Fellowship award from Professor Sir Robert Burgess, chairman of the Higher Education Academy.

Steve Stanton, Professor of Music and Performing Arts at City University London, has been awarded a National Teaching Fellowship by the Higher Education Academy (HEA) in recognition of his ‘highly valuable contribution to learning and teaching.’

The award winners were chosen from nominations submitted by higher education institutions across England, Northern Ireland, and Wales. Submissions were assessed against three criteria: individual excellence, raising the profile of excellence, and developing excellence. Successful Fellows receive an award of £10,000, which may be used for their professional development in teaching and learning or aspects of pedagogy.

Since joining City in 1977, Professor Stanton has proven to be extremely popular with both staff and students. He has led curriculum innovation within the Department of Music and, via his role as Dean of Validation, has influenced the direction of degree courses at several internationally-renowned conservatoires.

His interdisciplinary approach is evident through his contributions to courses connected with City. He initiated the validation relationship with the Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Centre and contributed to the design of groundbreaking Masters and Research programmes.

Professor Craig Mahoney, Chief Executive of the HEA, said: “The new Fellows we have created this year have all made a highly valuable contribution to learning and teaching within their institutions and often more widely. Students deserve – and expect – the best possible learning experience during their time in higher education, and fantastic staff such as National Teaching Fellows help to deliver this experience.”

The new National Teaching Fellows will officially receive their awards at a ceremony due to take place in London on Wednesday 10 October 2012.

BMus graduand Alexandra George awarded major scholarship from Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation

Alexandra GeorgeClass of 2012 BMus graduand Alexandra George has been awarded a major scholarship from the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation to fund her graduate studies at the London School of Musical Theatre.

Staving off fierce competition, Alex underwent a rigorous audition procedure that included a callback with Andrew Lloyd Webber’s celebrated casting director David Grindrod.

The London School of Musical Theatre is an elite institution that nurtures exceptional talent through intensive training with industry practitioners, offering them a unique path into the musical theatre profession.

While at City, Alex benefitted from solo performance tuition with a professor from the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, and wrote her final-year dissertation on the current status of West End musical theatre under the supervision of Dr Christopher Wiley.

Ben Schoeman features in 90th birthday celebration of South African composer Stefans Grové

Ben SchoemanDMA student and pianist Ben Schoeman has found himself in great demand during the celebrations of the 90th birthday of one of South Africa’s foremost composers, Stefans Grové, on 23 July 2012.

At the Stefans Grové Symposium in Bloemfontein, South Africa on 10-12 August, Ben will give the world premiere performances of two new works by Grové: My Jaargetye/My Seasons (Piano Suite, 2012) and the Piano Quintet (A Venda Legend, 2012). Ben will also present a lecture recital on the composer’s piano music.

Ben was also recently invited to conduct an interview with Stefans Grové as guest journalist for the ClassicSA website: http://www.classicsa.co.za/site/features/view/classicsa_composer_stefans_grove_90/

Ben Schoeman is currently pursuing doctoral studies at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama with Ronan O’Hora and at City University London with Dr Christopher Wiley, preparing a thesis entitled ‘Pedagogical Elements in the Piano Works of Stefans Grové and their Potential Value in the Education of Pianists in South Africa’.

DMA student Annie Yim in Val Tidone International Music Competition and London concerts

Annie Yim
DMA student and pianist Annie Yim recently participated in the Val Tidone International Music Competition, and progressed to the semi-final round for the ‘Silvio Bengalli’ Piano Prize.

This month, Annie features in two Concordia Foundation chamber music concerts in London on 8 August (St. James’s Piccadilly) and 21 August (St. Martin-in-the Fields).

For further details and programmes, please see the following webpage links: http://www.concordiafoundation.com/concerts/edgar-bailey-violin-annie-yim-piano
http://www.concordiafoundation.com/concerts/minerva-piano-trio

Hong Kong-born Canadian pianist Annie Yim has broadcast live on CBC Radio 2 in Canada, BBC Radio 3 and Portuguese Radio Antena 2. By invitation of pianist Angela Hewitt, Annie performed at the 2011 Trasimeno Music Festival Young Artists Concert in Italy.  Increasingly in demand as a soloist and chamber musician in the UK and Europe, Annie has performed in concert series and music festivals including Chelsea Schubert Festival (London), Dean and Chadlington Summer Music Festival (Norfolk), Gaia International Music Festival (Portugal), and Geneva Music Festival (Switzerland).  Annie won the CBC Debut Competition (Canada), Christopher Duke Piano Recital Competition (UK), Concordia Foundation’s Serena Nevill Award (UK), and Friends of Chamber Music Competition (Canada). She studies piano with Joan Havill at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama and musicological research with Dr Christopher Wiley at City University London. 

Ben Schoeman awarded top honours in the Ibla Grand Prize Competition, Sicily

Ben Schoeman and Anzél GerbertookDMA student and pianist Ben Schoeman and his duo partner, cellist Anzél Gerbertook, have been awarded the joint first grand prize in the Ibla Grand Prize International Music Competition in Sicily.

The prize includes a concert at the Kurt Weill Hall of Carnegie Hall in New York along with other concerts in the USA.

Further information is to be found here:  http://www.classicsa.co.za/site/features/view/schoeman_gerber_earn_top_honours_in_sicily/
http://www.city-maps.it/focus/proclamati-i-vincitori-dellibla-grand-prize (in Italian)
http://www.beeld.com/Vermaak/Nuus/SA-duo-verower-musiekprys-20120724 (in Afrikaans)