UMass Amherst Department of Music & Dance, Music Program Home Page

MUSIC

YES, You CAN Park on Campus for our concerts on March 6, 7 & 8.

The "Blarney Blowout" Parking Ban DOES NOT apply to people who are coming to campus to attend Music Department concerts.

You can park in lots 32, 34, 62 and the Visitor’s Lots. Lot attendants may ask which event you are attending and will allow you to park without a problem. Map

PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS:
Music Program Video
Student Interview Videos

Click to APPLY FOR AN AUDITION
Contact: John Huling, 413-545-6048

LISTEN TO OUR ENSEMBLES

PRE-COLLEGE/PUBLIC EVENTS:
H.S. JAZZ FESTIVAL, Feb. 28
STRING DAY, March 1
SAXOPHONE SYMPOSIUM, Mar. 28

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UPCOMING EVENTS (below)
SPRING CALENDAR - Print version (pdf)
2015 SUMMER MUSIC COURSES
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FACULTY VACANCIES:
Music Theory, Tenure Track
Soprano Voice, Tenure Track
Jazz Pedagogy/Perf., Tenure Track

FACULTY SUCCESSES (below)

Support the UMASS RISING Campaign: Click on the button to make a gift to Music.

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Don't Miss This Year's

Sat., March 28, 2015 WEBPAGE
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Grammy Nomination for Wind Ensemble & Trumpet Professor Eric Berlin: Fantastique!

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Eric Berlin
Photo by Andrew T. Foster

FANTASTIQUE!

The UMass Wind Ensemble's recording of Stephen Paulus' Concerto for Two Trumpets and Band was nominated for a Grammy Award, with Eric Berlin one of the soloists! Former faculty, James Patrick Miller conducted.

Fantastique, the CD on MSR Classics, includes four other works, two by Jeffrey W. Holmes: his Continuum for Trumpet (Berlin), Trombone (Greg Spiridopoulos) and Wind Ensemble, and his Herald Emeritus Fanfare, commissioned by Berlin in memory of beloved professor Walter Chesnut.
Berlin performs Evan Hause's Trumpet Concerto and is joined by Charles Schlueter for James Stephenson's Duo Fantastique. The Wind Ensemble plays all works except the Fanfare, which is performed by the Trumpet Ensemble.

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Theater Department offerings:
2014-15 Season Auditions

Ticketed concerts:
Free for Music/Dance majors or minors (except special events)
$3 for UMass Amherst students (except Dance concerts)
$5 for other students, seniors & children under 18
$10 for general public
Box Office 413-545-2511 or usually available at the door
Online Ticketing page: fac.umass.edu/MusicandDance

FACULTY SUCCESSES

Fantastique, a CD recently released on MSR Classics, contains music for Trumpet and Wind Ensemble performed by Professor Eric Berlin, trumpet, and the UMass Wind Ensemble conducted by former Professor James Patrick Miller. One of the works on the CD, Concerto for Two Trumpets and Band by Stephen Paulus, has been nominated for a Grammy Award! The CD also features music by Jeffrey W. Holmes, Jazz & Composition Professor at UMass, as well as James Stephenson & Evan Hause.

On the CD, Berlin performs on trumpet and flugelhorn, and is joined by guests Greg Spiridopoulos (UMass Trombone Professor) and Charles Schlueter and Richard Kelley, two of the most famous trumpeters performing today. The UMass Trumpet Ensemble, directed by Berlin, also performs. All of the music on the CD was written for Eric Berlin.

Click here to see the description of Fantastique on the MSR Classics website, and to purchase the CD.

Prof. Eric Berlin Eric Berlin

Prof. Jeffrey W. Holmes Jeffrey W. Holmes

Tuba Professor John Bottomley's brass quintet, Bala Brass, recorded a CD which was released recently on the Beauport Classical label. This recording, entitled Revealed, features works written for brass quintet by living composers, from established composers like Dana Wilson to rising stars like Clint Needham.

Other members of the quintet are Seelan Manickam and James Ackley, trumpet; Kristen Sienkiewicz, horn & Martin Wittenberg, trombone.

Below are links to the record label and the Bala Brass website:
http://www.beauportclassical.com/#!revealed/c5x9
http://www.balabrass.org/

Professor Emiliano Ricciardi received the Lauro De Bosis Fellowship in Italian Studies from Harvard University, where he will be in residence in the Spring of 2015. As a De Bosis fellow he will be affiliated with the Departments of Music and Romance Languages, conducting research on the late-Renaissance poet Torquato Tasso and the madrigal settings of his epic poem, "Jerusalem Delivered."

Professor Ayano Kataoka, percussion, recorded Paul Lansky's Threads (2005) with her percussion quartet Time Travellers. The CD, which also includes Lansky's new work, Textures, is on Bridge Records and is available on Amazon, ArkivMusic & iTunes.
Prof. Kataoka's quartet includes Gwendolyn Burgett, Svet Stoyanov & Ian Rosenbaum, percussionists.

Catherine Jensen-Hole released a CD of her original instrumental compositions and songs, and her arrangements of jazz standards. Entitled Songs of Love, Life and Loss, the CD features UMass Jazz and African American Studies Professors Jeffrey W. Holmes piano; Tom Giampetro drums; Felipe Salles saxophone; and Bob Ferrier guitar. Wayne Roberts is on bass and Australian accordionist Cathie Travers, a long-time musical collaborator of Jensen-Hole’s, performs on four of the tracks. The CD is available on Amazon, CD Baby, CD Universe, and CC-Music. Jensen-Hole directs the DOWNBEAT award-winning UMass Vocal Jazz Ensemble.

Professor Brandon Keith Brown won the 2014 Mendelssohn Scholarship which was awarded by the American Friends of Mendelssohn Foundation and Maestro Kurt Masur and his wife; winners are selected by Maestro Masur. The prestigious once-in-a-life time scholarship is given to young conductors of international prominence who studied primarily in the U.S. It carries a $5000 stipend, airfare and all expenses paid to Germany. The recipient studies with Masur in Leipzig, conducts research on Mendelssohn's music, and tours Germany tracing the composer’s musical contributions. Culminating events include masterclasses and a performance with Maestro Masur and the Leipzig Sinfoniker.

FOR PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS:
Here is a Video about the Music Program at UMass Amherst