Longy to Celebrate Leonard Bernstein with Two Concerts

Longy School of Music of Bard College will host a two-day celebration in honor of Leonard Bernstein's centennial on December 7 and 8 at Edward M. Pickman Concert Hall.

The concerts will feature a host of Longy faculty, students and special guests, including Bernstein's daughter, Jamie Bernstein, who will narrate the first half of the December 7 concert.

"Our goal is to capture Bernstein the composer and songwriter, the teacher, the father, the husband, the gifted collaborator and the arbiter of social justice," said Dean Wayman Chin. "We want to show the breadth of his musical interests, from his love of the solo piano, to his passion for composing for the concert hall and musical theatre."

There will be a limited number of free and $20 tickets available to the public for both concerts. All ticket holders on December 7 will be invited to attend a post-concert reception at Pickman Concert Hall. Tickets are available at www.longy.edu/events.

---

A Private Audience

December 7, 2017

7:30 p.m. | Edward M. Pickman Concert Hall

We know of the public figure, but what of the private self? Longy faculty pianist Spencer Myer will perform a set of 12 of Bernstein's "Anniversaries" that he wrote for, among others, his wife, daughter, sister and American composer and lyricist, Stephen Sondheim. While Myer is performing these compositions, Bernstein's daughter Jamie Bernstein will be on stage telling the story behind each piece, supported by photos from her family's archives.

The second set of the evening will feature Bernstein's "Arias and Barcaroles" with Sandra Piques Eddy, Metropolitan Opera mezzo-soprano and a Longy visiting faculty artist, and guest artist David Kravitz, baritone, joined by Longy's Dean, pianist Wayman Chin, and Longy Piano Department Chair Brian Moll.

This Will Be Our Reply

December 8, 2017

8:00 p.m. | Edward M. Pickman Concert Hall

This concert will include the rarely heard "The Age of Anxiety" featuring Longy faculty pianist Spencer Myer. The work is a testament to Bernstein's belief that, as a reply to violence, we will "make music more intensely, more beautifully, more devotedly than ever before."

Longy's new Side by Side Choir and musicians from Longy's Conservatory and Sistema Side by Side Orchestra will perform Bernstein's "Simple Song" and "Somewhere." The orchestra will perform a special arrangement of "Somewhere" specifically for Sistema-inspired youth choirs with permission from the Bernstein Foundation.

---

Longy School of Music of Bard College prepares musicians to make a difference in the world with a social imperative that is at the core of the School's curriculum. Internationally recognized for its efforts to meet a changing musical landscape head-on, Longy gives its graduates the opportunity to perform professionally, teach in a variety of settings, and expand access and opportunity within classical music.

Longy's innovative curriculum, including the Sistema Side by Side program, Teaching Artist Program (TAP) and Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) degree program, compels students to explore their artistry, take risks to build their skills, and become the musician the world needs them to be. Spearheaded by world class faculty, Longy promotes profound musical understanding and technical mastery and inspires growth of imagination, fostering an attitude of inquiry about the musician's role in the world.

To post a comment, you must register and login.