High Notes | Spring 2020 Edition
High Notes | Spring 2020 FEATURES Liberating the Queen in Me In their new play The Queen in Me, soprano Teiya Kasahara (BMus’07) reimagines one of opera’s most iconic villains — and challenges the industry’s centuries-old prejudices From Aerosmith to Van Halen: How UBC helped shape the hard rock era In the 1980s, Vancouver was […]
Playlist: Cantonese Music
Looking back on the Cantonese music I grew up with, I’m amazed by how broad and varied a genre it is — from Cantonese opera to folk song to pop, it’s a well-loved global phenomenon that captures an important sense of identity, history and heritage for members of the Cantonese diaspora.
From Aerosmith to Van Halen: How the UBC School of Music helped shape rock music history
In the 1980s, Vancouver was a rock ’n’ roll mecca. High Notes talks to Prof. Nathan Hesselink and Sharman King (BMus’70) about the UBC alumni who made some of the era’s best and boldest albums possible Here’s a little-known fact: Vancouver is the birthplace of some of the most important rock ’n’ roll records of […]
Playlist: Little Mountain Sound
Our Playlist column features music curated by School of Music faculty, students, and staff. For the latest column, we invited professor of ethnomusicology Nathan Hesselink and bass trombonist and adjunct professor Sharman King to share some of their favourite tracks recorded in Vancouver. In the Spring 2020 issue of High Notes, they talk about how UBC helped shape […]
Remembering Hans-Karl Piltz (1923–2020)
We are sad to announce the passing of Professor Hans-Karl Piltz, a talented violist and teacher who helped shape the School of Music as it evolved from a small Bachelor of Arts program in the late 1950s to the large and thriving School it is today. Prof. Piltz was 96 years old. Prof. Piltz was […]
Alumni Making Waves: Solo shows, virtual orchestra, and a lifetime achievement award
Legendary Canadian composer and School of Music alumnus Alexina Louie (BMus’70) was awarded the 2020 Governor General’s Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement, in recognition of her groundbreaking orchestral and chamber works, film scores, and more. As the Canadian Music Centre notes, “Her distinctive style — a blend of Asian and Western influences — […]
Research and Publications: Italian voices in London, The Philosophy of Rhythm, and love songs
Dr. Claudio Vellutini’s new essay, “Interpreting the Italian Voice in London (and Elsewhere),” appeared in London Voices, 1820-1840: Vocal Performers, Practices, Histories, edited by Roger Parker and Susan Rutherford, and published by the University of Chicago Press. He also presented a paper entitled “Resisting Shakespeare? Felice Romani and Saverio Mercadante’s Amleto in Restoration Milan” at […]
Liberating the Queen in Me
In their new play The Queen in Me, soprano Teiya Kasahara (BMus’07) reimagines one of opera’s most iconic villains — and challenges the industry’s centuries-old prejudices By Tze Liew For more than two centuries, the iconic Queen of the Night from Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte has been thrilling audiences with her vengeful spirit, bloodthirsty drive, and volatile high […]
New Recordings: A Quinary, A North American Songbook, and more
Assistant Professor of Voice and Opera J. Patrick Raftery released A North American Songbook, his new album on Naxos Records. Featuring works by Weill, Greer, Stokes, Morawetz, and Chapman, the album explores war, love, substance, abuse, and mental health. Featuring Prof. Mark Anderson, piano. Order the CD A Quinary, out now on Redshift Records, features five new concerti by five Canadian […]
Beyond the Gates: Juno nominations, new compositions, and Women of the Italian Baroque
The Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra (CPO) commissioned new compositions from professor of composition Prof. Dorothy Chang and sessional lecturer Dr. Jocelyn Morlock as part of its 2020: The Year of Beethoven program. At five different concerts in 2020*, the CPO will pair Beethoven’s symphonies and piano concertos with new works by Canadian composers who have been […]