Month: March 2021

Lillian Paulmier Brings Student Stories to Life for WHYY

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Since pandemic lockdowns began a year ago, audiences have been offered countless new and innovative options in digital performances. But one option, WHYY’s On Stage at Curtis, has provided avid fans and casual viewers alike with an exceptional at-home concert experience since 2006. For many in the Philadelphia area, the show may have been their first introduction to the “hidden gem” off Rittenhouse Square, airing full-length student recitals directly from the Field Concert Hall stage.

Philadelphian and producer Lillian Paulmier has been the driving force behind the series since 2015 and has seen it through developments in look, format, time slot, and more. Her efforts have not gone unnoticed: a season 14 episode, “The Making of Anansi and the Great Light,” received a Mid-Atlantic Emmy Award nomination and the most recent season saw an unprecedented uptick in viewers.

Over its 350 episodes to date, On Stage at Curtis as covered the lives and performances of nearly 1,000 students. Many episodes are available on-demand at WHYY.org and season 16 will begin airing in October 2021.

We recently sat down with Ms. Paulmier to discuss her vision for the show and how she has had to adjust her own operations while Curtis remains remote.

 

 

On Stage at Curtis was an hour-long program, airing select student recitals from beginning to end. Season 15, which ran from October 2020 to January 2021, represented a big shift in the show’s format, inserting in-depth student stories alongside the curated performances over the course of 30 minutes. What led to this change and how has it been received?

With the old format of On Stage at Curtis you could very well turn it on and walk away because it was mostly music, so Terri Murray [Chief Content Officer, Vice President Programming and Production] wanted to change that visually and thought people may be interested in learning more about the students. And there was a lot of positive feedback from audiences to seeing the students outside of the performance. So it was decided to make the change permanent.

What’s interesting is that season 15 had the highest rating that any local production from WHYY has had in a number of years. What’s even more interesting is we increased our number of younger viewers in the 18–49 age group. This is the kind of change in audiences we’re working on at PBS.

How do you approach the creation of each episode?

I look at each of the students very differently. I don’t have a set format for any of them. I look at their personality and what they have going on with upcoming performances and projects, and let that shape the narrative.

Have you had to find any creative solutions for producing the show during the pandemic?

I had some groundwork done and some shooting done, but then the pandemic happened. Luckily you guys are still having the recitals and [the students] can help me be videographers or filmmakers themselves.

In the current school year, students are producing their own performances in a sense. In Field Concert Hall, the audience is there, they come on stage and perform. Now, they’re at home. They have to think about “Where will I do this performance? Should I have a certain background that says something about the piece I’m about to perform?” That’s really interesting, so I think in season 16 the audience will see a little bit of that.

Based on their interests, some students may film video diaries of themselves baking croissants or biking. [Organ student] Aaron Patterson became interested in the organ because his father is an organist. In the past WHYY was unable to record the organ recitals because of the instrument’s location in Field Concert Hall and the locations of the cameras. But that’s something we can explore while he is performing in different venues this year.

When it comes to their on-camera interviews, I may have to approach it differently than I did in the past. To avoid doing entirely Zoom interviews, I was looking at universities or colleges close to the Curtis students’ homes to see if they have a crew within their Film and Media Department that could assist me with the interviews.

What has been a challenge during remote production?

I edited all of season 15 virtually at home and it took me a good few weeks to get in the groove and feel comfortable that it’s going to look okay. All the WHYY producers and editors can get into the editing rooms through remote access. But the rooms are scheduled day and night, depending on how many shows are editing. On top of that I have to do the graphics myself. And often as I’m editing I realize there are things that I need or that were forgotten. I had been in touch with students throughout the summer to help fill in the gaps in profiles and they were pretty good about it. Some of them taught me something new about how to get their existing performance videos off YouTube.

Working at home, I can be editing all day and then at 9 o’clock at night I can say “Oh, you know what, I think I want to change this.” And the fact that I can edit in my house, I can go in and start working for another two hours, which I really shouldn’t. So that’s the danger to working from home: you just actually don’t stop working.

Can you share some of your background and how you got to WHYY?

I grew up in North Philadelphia near Temple University and went to Edinboro University in upstate Pennsylvania. When I was getting interested in television I knew…I did not want to do news. I wanted to do something that explored topics rather than “Here’s a topic, here’s the information you want, and that’s the end of it.’ WHYY, at the time, was one of the few places where you could [do this]. So I got a lot of experience in live, live-to-tape, and documentary projects.

I stopped working for thirteen years when I had my children, so On Stage at Curtis was nice to get into after being away so long. I knew nothing about classical music, but I wasn’t intimidated by that.

Do you have any mentors in video production?

My earlier mentor, Louis Massiah, is the founder/director of Scribe Video Center and a documentary filmmaker. He was also a MacArthur prize winner and community activist. I worked with him a lot in my early days. He taught me a lot, especially about producing documentaries.>

And most recently, Trudi Brown, who was my executive producer. She taught me a lot too. I’ll still be in touch, asking “What do you think?”

What do you want the audience to get out of the show?

When I produce documentaries or public affairs shows, I do have a result in mind. But with this I don’t because I think music’s a little bit different. I think everyone experiences music in their own way. Even the student who performs has a unique experience. What I do want is for the audience to not be intimidated by classical music.

The audience sees “Wow, this student is a record collector, and she collects not just classical music, but collects blues. I can relate to that.” Or “I didn’t know that young people still played the organ. And he got interested because of his father, and I remember going to the Wanamaker store.” I think that kind of thing will let people think of classical music not as elitist or inclusive. That’s why I try in my profiles to have some diversity.

I really enjoy when the composers are profiled because they let the audience know it’s more than just music that you hear; there’s thought and communication in these compositions. You may not hear it the same way, but there’s a message behind it and a certain creativity. When I do documentaries, there’s a whole different thought process. Documentaries all come with a point of view, but for On Stage at Curtis, I try to do what I can when I pick the students, the instruments, and so forth, and let the audience figure out everything else.

Has working with On Stage at Curtis changed you at all?

I think I can hear a person who’s accomplished and trained…my ear became better at that. I know pieces now. I’m certainly more knowledgeable than I was in the past. And I really understand opera a bit more, and I see what it takes to be a brass player or a vocalist, and I see the work that goes into [music-making].

Women’s History Month at Curtis: Irra Petina (Voice ’35)

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This article is sourced from the Rock Resource Center Blog, posted by Kristina Wilson, archivist.

Russian-American mezzo-soprano and actress Irra Petina (Voice ’35) was born on April 18, 1908 in St. Petersburg, Russia. The daughter of wealthy parents, she and her family were forced to flee to avoid persecution following the 1917 Bolshevik uprising. They made their way to China where, for twelve years, Petina received her first formal vocal training, largely from fellow Russian émigrés. When she was 21, Petina traveled to Philadelphia to audition for admission to Curtis. She was accepted as a voice student of Harriet van Emden in 1930.

Petina studied at Curtis until 1935, although she spent a year in New York singing for the Metropolitan Opera, where she made her debut as Schwertleite in Wagner’s Die Walküre in December 1933. Following her graduation, Petina’s career took off, with professional appearances as Maddalena in Verdi’s Rigoletto, the Marquise of Berkenfeld in Donizetti’s La fille du régiment, Feodor in Mussorgsky’s Boris Godunov, Annina in Richard Strauss’s Der Rosenkavalier, and the title role in Bizet’s Carmen.

Her relationship with the Met also continued, with Petina’s portrayal of Marcellina in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro (totaling 27 Met performances and 4 radio broadcasts), winning her rave reviews from the New York Times and the New York Herald Tribune. Additional credits included 35 Met performances as Berta in Rossini’s The Barber of Seville and Rosalinde in a 1944 national tour of Johann Strauss Jr.’s Die Fledermaus.

In addition to her operatic roles, Petina was also a fixture on Broadway, appearing in Song of Norway, Magdalena, Hit the Trail, and Anya. However, she is perhaps best known for her appearances in Leonard Bernstein’s Candide (1956) as the Old Lady, a role which garnered her a Tony Award nomination for Distinguished Supporting Musical Actress.

Irra Petina died in 2000 in Austin, Texas at the age of 91.

 

For more information on Petina, see the RU KinoStarz® project blog here

Curtis Faculty and Alumni Among 2021 GRAMMY® Winners

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Congratulations to numerous Curtis alumni and faculty who were represented within every classical music category; and to the winners in Best Orchestral Performance, Best Opera Recording, and Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance.

View the complete results and watch the Premiere Ceremony at Grammy.com. Congratulations to all of the winners!

Faculty member and bass-baritone Eric Owens (Opera ’95) has received a Grammy for Best Opera Recording for his title-role appearance in George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess. The award-winning recording was created with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, many of whom are also alumni. Watch excerpts.

The Los Angeles Philharmonic, which counts several Curtis alumni among its membership, has received the award for Best Orchestral Performance for Ives: Complete Symphonies, led by conductor Gustavo Dudamel. Listen on Amazon Music.

The Pacifica Quartet, including Mark Holloway (Viola ’05), has received the Grammy for Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance for its album Contemporary Voices. The album includes a work composed by faculty member Jennifer Higdon (Composition ’88). Listen online.

The Passion of Yeshua, a large-scale oratorio by composition faculty member Richard Danielpour, won in the Best Choral Performance category. The award-winning recording features mezzo-soprano J’Nai Bridges (Opera ’12) and the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, which includes several Curtis alumni. Listen on Naxos.

Alumni members of the Albany Symphony appeared with violist Richard O’Neill in his recording of Christopher Theofanidis’s Concerto for Viola and Chamber Orchestra, which received the Grammy for Best Classical Instrumental Solo; while those of the Nashville Symphony performed Christopher Rouse’s Symphony No. 5 in the recording that won Best Contemporary Classical Composition. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra, also home to several alumni, appeared on the recording of Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 13 “Babi Yar,” which garnered the award for Best Engineered Album, Classical for David Frost, Charlie Post, and Silas Brown.

 

Curtis Alumni Win 2021 Avery Fisher Career Grants

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The Curtis Institute of Music congratulates its alumni winners of the 2021 Avery Fisher Career Grants. Two of the five recipients are Curtis graduates: cellist Oliver Herbert (’19) and pianist Eric Lu (’20). These awards highlight young musicians on the road to having major performance careers, and each winner receives $25,000 to help further that goal.

The grants were announced on March 11 in a ceremony from WQXR in New York. Learn more about the recipients and watch the full ceremony online.

Oliver Herbert was a student of Carter Brey and Peter Wiley at Curtis, and in 2018 won at top prize at the Witold Lutoslawski International Cello Competition. At 23 years old, he has performed as a soloist and recitalist with the San Francisco Symphony, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Warsaw Philharmonic, and the Dame Myra Hess Recital Series in Chicago, among others.

Pianist Eric Lu is among the most recent class of graduates from Curtis, where he studied with Robert McDonald and Jonathan Biss. The 23-year-old pianist won first prize at the Leeds International Piano Competition in 2018 and made his BBC Proms debut with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra in Summer 2019. He has recorded two albums for Warner Classics.

Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Artist Program was established in 1974 to give outstanding U.S. instrumentalists significant recognition on which to continue to build their careers. Up to five career grants, awarded by nomination only, are given each year to young soloists and chamber ensembles. To date over 130 artists have received the Avery Fisher Career Grant, including Curtis alumni Yuja Wang, Jonathan Biss, Hilary Hahn, Anthony McGill, Jennifer Koh; recent recipients Christina and Michelle Naughton, Xavier Foley, Stephen Waarts, and Haochen Zhang; and numerous others.

 

Curtis students, alumni, and faculty, are making remarkable accomplishments in the music world and beyond. Learn more about Curtis in the News.

 

Anthony McGill to Hold New Distinguished Chair at Curtis

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PHILADELPHIA—March 10, 2021—The Curtis Institute of Music announces the appointment of clarinet faculty member Anthony McGill to the William R. and Hyunah Yu Brody Distinguished Chair, effective immediately. Mr. McGill, principal clarinet of the New York Philharmonic and a 2000 graduate of Curtis, has served on the faculty since 2015.

Created through a generous gift by William R. Brody, M.D., Ph.D. and Hyunah Yu Brody, the newly created endowed chair will be held by a member of the Curtis faculty who brings distinction to the school through their musical art and pedagogy. This inaugural appointment recognizes and celebrates Mr. McGill’s significant accomplishments in classical music.

Hailed for his “trademark brilliance, penetrating sound and rich character” (New York Times) and his “exquisite combination of technical refinement and expressive radiance” (Baltimore Sun), Mr. McGill serves as the principal clarinet of the New York Philharmonic and he is that orchestra’s first African-American principal player. He is the recipient of the 2020 Avery Fisher Prize, one of classical music’s most significant awards given in recognition of musicians who represent the highest level of musical excellence.

Mr. McGill maintains a dynamic international solo and chamber music career. So far his 2021 schedule has included performances with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, and recitals presented by the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society and The Metropolitan Museum of Art featuring the world premiere of a work by Richard Danielpour. He is an ardent advocate for helping music education reach underserved communities and for addressing issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion in classical music. In teaching he encourages musicians to develop as artists and as citizens, encouraging them to use their talents to positively impact the world.

“We are delighted and honored that Anthony McGill will be the inaugural recipient of this endowed chair,” said the Brodys—Hyunah a performing musician and Bill a member of the Curtis board of trustees. “Anthony is a remarkable leader as well as a uniquely gifted teacher and distinguished musician. We are proud to create this opportunity for lasting recognition of the artistic and community impact of the Curtis faculty.”

In addition to his role at Curtis, Mr. McGill serves on the faculties at Bard College Conservatory and the Juilliard School, where he is also artistic director of the Music Advancement Program (MAP), a Saturday program for music students which actively seeks students from diverse backgrounds underrepresented in the classical music field regardless of financial background. In September 2020, in connection with his receipt of the Avery Fisher Prize, Mr. McGill co-founded the Weston Sprott and Anthony McGill MAP Summer Scholarship Fund to provide advanced music students in the program with the financial resources to participate in summer music programs and festivals.

“We are so grateful to Bill and Hyunah for their unique vision in creating this chair that recognizes equally the performance artistry and teaching dimensions of our distinguished faculty,” stated Roberto Díaz, president and CEO of the Curtis Institute of Music. “The impact that Anthony has had as an artist, a teacher, and as a leader in the community can be felt far beyond the walls of Curtis. We are thrilled to be able to honor that service in this way and look forward to our future together.”

“I would like to thank the Curtis Institute of Music for this honor, and William and Hyunah Yu Brody for creating this chair. It was my privilege to study with Donald Montanaro when I was a student at Curtis, and it is an honor to continue the tradition of training the next generation of great artists. I think the artistry, integrity, and perseverance that I see in the students I teach are a fitting celebration of him and all my teachers,” said Mr. McGill.

Clarinetist Anthony McGill is one of classical music’s most recognizable and brilliantly multifaceted figures. He serves as the principal clarinet of the New York Philharmonic and previously served as the principal clarinet of the Metropolitan Opera and associate principal clarinet of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.

An active chamber musician, Mr. McGill was honored to take part in the inauguration of President Barack Obama, premiering a piece written for the occasion by John Williams, alongside violinist Itzhak Perlman, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, and pianist Gabriela Montero. In the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd, on May 25, 2020, he launched a powerful musical protest video urging people to #TakeTwoKnees in demonstration against the death of Mr. Floyd and historic racial injustice. His video went viral, and hundreds of artists and citizens amplified and responded to the protest with their own videos using the hashtag.

Mr. McGill appears regularly as a soloist with top orchestras around North America including the New York Philharmonic; Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; and Baltimore, San Diego, and Kansas City symphonies. As a chamber musician, he is a favorite collaborator of the Brentano, Daedalus, Guarneri, JACK, Miró, Pacifica, Shanghai, Takács, and Tokyo quartets; as well as Emanuel Ax, Inon Barnatan, Gloria Chien, Yefim Bronfman, Gil Shaham, Midori, Mitsuko Uchida, and Lang Lang. He has led tours with Musicians from Marlboro and regularly performs at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society. Festival appearances include Tanglewood, Marlboro, Mainly Mozart, and Music@Menlo; as well as the Santa Fe, Seattle, and Skaneateles chamber music festivals.

In 2015, Mr. McGill recorded the Nielsen Clarinet Concerto with Alan Gilbert and the New York Philharmonic. He has also recorded an album with his brother, Demarre McGill, principal flute of the Seattle Symphony, and pianist Michael McHale; and an album featuring the Mozart and Brahms clarinet quintets with the Pacifica Quartet, both released by Cedille Records.

A dedicated champion of new music, Mr. McGill premiered a piece written for him by Richard Danielpour entitled From the Mountaintop (2014), commissioned by the New Jersey Symphony, Kansas City Symphony, and Orchestra 2001. He served as the 2015–16 artist in residence for WQXR and has appeared on Performance Today, MPR’s St. Paul Sunday Morning, and Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood. In 2013, McGill appeared on the NBC Nightly News and on MSNBC in stories highlighting the McGill brothers’ inspirational story.

In demand as a teacher, Mr. McGill serves on the faculties of the Juilliard School, the Curtis Institute of Music, and Bard College Conservatory. In Fall 2020 he was named artist in residence at the Cali School of Music at Montclair State University. He serves as the artistic director for the Music Advancement Program at Juilliard, on the board of directors for both the League of American Orchestras and the Harmony Program, and on the advisory councils for the InterSchool Orchestras of New York and Time in Children’s Arts Initiative. Mr. McGill is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music.

The Curtis Institute of Music educates and trains exceptionally gifted young musicians to engage a local and global community through the highest level of artistry. For nearly a century Curtis has provided each member of its small student body with an unparalleled education alongside musical peers, distinguished by a “learn by doing” philosophy and personalized attention from a faculty that includes a high proportion of actively performing musicians. To ensure that admissions are based solely on artistic promise, Curtis makes an investment in each admitted student so that no tuition is charged for their studies. In a typical year, Curtis students hone their craft through more than 200 orchestra, opera, and solo and chamber music offerings in Philadelphia and around the world.

 

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