Music history faculty member Fred Fehleisen participated in the international symposium “Understanding Bach’s B-Minor Mass” in November at Queen’s University in Belfast, Ireland. He performed in recital with soprano Pauline Graham and harpsichordist Michael Quinn, gave master classes to Queen’s University student instrumentalists, coached the Belfast Youth Orchestra, and (together with Baroque dance specialist Philippa Waite) gave lecture-presentations on dance and the music of Bach.

In January, Mari Kimura (DMA’ 93, violin) gave the premiere of her orchestra work InterAct Sweet for orchestra and interactive computer, commissioned by the Chautauqua Regional Youth Symphony and performed by them, conducted by Bryan Eckenrode, in Jamestown, N.Y. The work used a gesture-capturing device created at IRCAM called an augmented violin to track the expression of the conductor’s arm. Kimura has been collaborating with the Real Time Musical Interaction Team at IRCAM using the augmented violin system.

Stephen Pier (’77, dance) has been selected by American Ballet Theater to direct their Women Choreographers’ Studio. The new program is intended to encourage and mentor women in the company who wish to explore the art of choreography.

Stan Pressner did the lighting design for the world-premiere production of Robert Bly’s new translation of Ibsen’sPeer Gynt at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. Directed by Tom Carroll and starring Mark Rylance, the show opened in January and runs through March.

Behzad Ranjbaran’s (MM ’88, DMA ’92, composition) Violin Concerto was performed by Cho-Liang Lin (Diploma ’81, violin) with the Allentown (Pa.) Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Diane Wittry, in February. The Laredo Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Brendan Townsend, performed “Seven Passages” from Ranjbaran’s Persian Trilogy in January.

STUDENT NEWS

Second-year trumpet student Clayton Chastain and second-year oboe student Jeffrey Reinhardt were among those featured as soloists in Bach’s “Brandenburg” Concerto No. 2, performed by the Park Avenue Chamber Symphony in January at All Saints Church in Manhattan. David Bernard (Pre-College ’82, conducting) conducted from the harpsichord and provided continuo.

Master’s degree viola student Gillian Gallagher performed with Mark O’Connor as a member of his Appalachian Waltz Trio at the Harvard Club in Manhattan in February.

In February, master’s degree trombone student Shachar Israel performed Berio’s Sequenza V as part of the New York Philharmonic’s Day of Berio, which included a traversal of all 14 Sequenzas for solo performers at the Rose Theater.

Jazz piano student Jonathan Batiste and Aaron Diehl (BM ’07, jazz studies) will join pianist Marcus Roberts on March 28 and 29 for Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Rags, Strides, and Stomps at the Allen Room in Rose Hall. The concert highlights the stride piano and includes works by James P. Johnson, Willie “The Lion” Smith, and Fats Waller.

The premiere of doctoral composition student Ryan Francis’s Etudes for Piano will take place on March 8 at the Chelsea Art Museum. Faculty member David Dubal will moderate a discussion with Francis that examines his compositional process and inspiration. The Metropolis Ensemble, which is sponsoring the program, will perform Francis’s new Piano Concerto on their concert at the New York Times Center on April 10.