Marina Nebro: Arts and Culture

I may frequent theatre and music concerts often, but dance performances are definitely a rarity in my cultural portfolio – ballets especially. In the past, I have seen Swan Lake, Sylvia, and Les Ballets Trocadero de Monte Carlo. I enjoyed all of these performances, but Matthew Bourne’s rendition of Sleeping Beauty at New York City Center was by far my favorite. Was it the costumes, the make-up, the wigs, the dancing, the dancers, the music, the set, the lighting, the puppetry, or something else that made this production so special? I believe it was the story.

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I am always one for supporting my fellow students, musicians, and artists when it comes to performances and shows. Ever since last year’s Dominant 7 concert featuring student composers, I’ve had a new found respect for music composition. Talking to my peers in the music program at the Aaron Copland School of Music, I’ve come to realize exactly how rigorous a music career is, and how complex the writing process can be. Tonight’s concert, presented by the Queens College New Music Group, featuring Talujon (a professional percussion ensemble) did not disappoint! The group mentored Queens College composition students for the past several weeks of this semester, culminating with the amazing feat of writing sixteen phenomenal works of art! I was, yet again, blown away by the talented musicians and composers that my school fosters. (more…)

LeFrak Concert Hall’s tracker organ is not merely a pretty backdrop for band and orchestra concerts, operas, and choirs. With 49 pipe groupings, each containing 56 notes, the musical giant hides 2744 pipes behind it’s decoratively elaborate exterior! Having only heard this particular instrument once, accompanying a Woman’s Choir concert, I was excited to see the American Guild of Organists‘ flier hanging around the Aaron Copland School of Music, inviting everyone to a concert dedicated to organ music composed by J.S. Bach.

John A. Wolfe
Prelude and Fugue in A Major, BWV 536
Prelude and Fugue in G Major, BWV 541

Janet Chung
Trio Sonata No. 6 in G Major, BWV 530
Vivace
Lento
Allegro

Joyce Chen
Prelude and Fugue in C Major, BWV 879
From the Well-Tempered Clavier, Book II
Prelude and Fugue in C Major, BWV 547

Eric Birk
Trio Sonata No. 5 in C Major, BWV 529
Allegro
Largo
Allegro

Noriko Kumada
Prelude and Fugue in E-Flat Major, BWV 552
From the Claveir-Übung III (more…)

It was to be a classy night out in the city. Two young ladies (me and my mother) making their way to 88th Street and 5th, the National Academy Museum, for a VIP opening night event. Not too shabby, eh? I’ve never been to an opening of an art exhibit, let alone been invited to one by the art patron, in this case, Henry Justin! I was quite honored to be among those in attendance, all fancily dressed, nibbling on finger food and sipping on champagne. Some of the artists were even in attendance! See It Loud, the exhibition, features seven post-war American painters, who all brought something different to the art world of the time. I was pleasantly surprised that I liked most of the work, since I still claim I’m not a fan of modern art – when will I stop saying this and acknowledge the fact that I enjoy too many modern exhibits for this to be true? There were two artists in particular, though, that caught my eye: Stanley Lewis (1941- ) and Neil Welliver (1929-2005). (more…)