 |
     |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Samuel Adler Residency and Concert Born in Mannheim, Germany in 1928, Adler emigrated to the United States in 1939. He earned undergraduate and graduate degrees at Boston University and Harvard University, respectively, but has subsequently been the recipient of honorary degrees from several other institutions as well as innumerable honors and prizes for both his musical compositions and his conducting. While serving in the U.S. Army, he founded the Seventh Army Symphony Orchestra, whose achievements under his baton garnered him the Army Medal of Honor. In May 2001, Adler was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters. In 1993, during a second visit to Chile, Adler was elected to that country’s Academy of Fine Arts "for his outstanding contributions to the world of music as composer, conductor, and author." After serving for many years as professor of composition at the Eastman School of Music where he chaired the composition department, Adler retired in 1994 with the rank of professor emeritus. During his long and productive career, he has been a guest composer or conductor at over 300 universities and colleges worldwide and is currently on the faculty of The Juilliard School of Music in New York City. According to his longtime friend and colleague Robert Stern, professor of music in the University’s Department of Music and Dance and a composer in his own right, "Apart from the sheer volume of output, what distinguishes Sam from many of his peers is the variety of works he has produced." Adler’s catalog of published works, Stern points out, includes five stage works, six symphonies, eight string quartets, eight concerti (organ, piano, violin, cello, flute, guitar, saxophone quartet, woodwind quintet), many shorter orchestral works, works for wind ensemble and band, chamber music, a great deal of choral music -- and songs. Adler has also managed to find time to write numerous articles and three books about musicæChoral Conducting, an anthology (Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1971); Sight-Singing (W.W. Norton, 1979, 1997); and The Study of Orchestration (W. W. Norton, 1982, 1989). Adler’s compositions have been recorded on RCA, Vanguard, Crystal, CRI, and Lyrichord, among others. The roster of performers for the March 14 concert includes several local favorites, among them faculty musicians and others from the community. The concert opens with "Trumpetry," performed by two University students, Thomas Bergeron and Jessica Hertzberg. Linda Laderach (violin) and Larry Schipull (piano) then pair up to present Adler’s Violin Sonata No. 2. Mezzo soprano Marjorie Melnick, joined by Gary Steigerwalt on piano and Fredric Cohen on oboe, will present several songs by Adler. Neil Deland and Nadine Shank will offer their rendition of Adler’s Sonata for horn and piano. The evening concludes with an excerpt from Adler’s "A Whole Bunch of Fun": "The Ballad of the Dog" will be sung by the Mount Holyoke College Glee Club under the direction of Catharine Melhorn. Residency Schedule Monday, March 11 Lecture/Demonstration Tuesday, March 12 Open
Rehearsal Composition
Seminar Wednesday, March 13 Lecture/Demonstration
Thursday, March 14 Class
Visit Composition
Seminar Concert
of Works by Samuel Adler Page created 2/28/02
Home
| About
Us |
Academic
Programs |
Administrative
Programs ©2003
Five Colleges, Inc. | 97 Spring Street, Amherst MA 01002 | 413.256.8316 web site design by gravity switch, inc.
|
During
the week of March 11, the Five College departments of music will host
one of this country's best known contemporary composers for this year’s
Five College residency. Samuel Adler, an accomplished conductor and author
with more than 400 published works to his credit, is undisputedly one
of the most prolific of modern composers. His music has been performed
by nearly
every major symphonic and chamber organization in the United States and
many of those abroad. As Five College Composer in Residence, Adler will
devote much of the week to giving lectures and demonstrations and taking
part in classes and seminars at all the campuses. The high point of the
residency, however, will be a concert featuring an all-Adler program performed
by members of the faculty and students of the five colleges. Among the
selections is a piece that Adler wrote for Aaron Copland’s 80th birthday
as well as his more whimsical "The Ballad of the Dog," adapted
from a poem by P.D. Eastman. The concert takes place at 8:00 p.m. on Thursday
evening, March 14, in Pratt Hall at Mount Holyoke College. There is no
admission charge and the public is welcome to attend.