This concert was performed by Flutist Laurel Zucker and Pianist John Cozza. This concert included works by Paul Taffanel, Olivier Messiaen, Eric Ewazen, Germaine Tailleferre, and Charles Griffes.
Laurel Zucker is a flutist who left home at the age of 14 to study at the North Carolina School for the arts. She grew up with her brother and sister in Washington Heights, in Manhattan. Zucker begged her parents for a flute after hearing recordings and graduated high school at the age of 16 and studied flute at the New England Conservatory for two years with Paula Robison. Zucker completed her Bachelor of Music in Flute at Juilliard with Samuel Baron and had a very successful career performing in New York the following 13 years. In New York she performed the “American Orchestra, Musica Sacra, and the Jupitor Symphony”. (CSUS) For three years, she was also a full time 1st flute performer for the Orchestra of New York. She played for many new music groups and music concerts under conductors such as Leonard Bernstein, Seiji Ozawa and Kurt Mazur. Zucker moved on and received her Master’s in music composition at New York University. While working at Sacramento State since 1988, Zucker “released 55 recordings and 4 DVD Masterclass Series on Cantilena Records.” (CSUS) Her music can be heard on many radio stations throughout the United States as well as on Canadian, Israeli and European radio stations as well. John Cozza is a professor at the University of Pacific, in Stockton, where he teaches applied piano and accompanying. He received his B.M and M.M at the University of Southern California, with his diploma in piano performing, and his D.M at Northwestern University, in solo performance. Dr. Cozza collaborated with many singers and instrumentalists throughout the United States and performed as a soloist and accompanist in European cities. From the performances that were heard at the concert, there were many wonderful pieces performed. The pieces performed were Andante Pastoral et Scherzetino, Le Merle Noir, Sonata No. 1, Allegro Leggiero, Andante Teneramente, Allegro giocoso, Forlane, Patoral, and Poem. Although the pieces were very enjoyable and entertaining, my favorite piece was Sonata No. 1 composed by Eric Ewazen. It was my favorite piece because I really enjoyed the sound and how everything flowed together. All the fast and slow notes made that song sound very nice and soothing yet exciting. Eric Ewazen is an American composer that was born in 1954 in Cleveland, Ohio and received his B.M. at Eastman School of Music and his M.M. and D.M.A. degrees from Juilliard. (Robert Cummings) His parents were very involved in his music life. He was a composer that was more active in the later twentieth and early twenty first centuries. The most influential to Ewazen was the piano literature. He received a lot awards and prizes and his works have been recorded on “Summit Records, d’Note Records, CRS Records, New World, Clique Track, Helicon, Hyperion, Cala, Albany and Emi Classics and heard on over 60 commercially released CD and over 400 youtube clips. …show more content…
He started his musical studies with his sister Katharine, who gave him his first piano lessons when he started out. In 1899, he completed his piano education at Elmira college under Mary Selena Broughton. In 1903, Mary financed his musical education in Berlin, he studied with Ernst Jedliczka and Gottfried Gaston, composition and counterpoint with other important people as well. In 1905, Griffes left the Stern Conservatory to study privately with Humperdinck. When he returned to the United States in 1907, he had composed many songs and a “Symphonische Phantasie” for orchestra and became a director of the music department at the Hackley School in Tarrytown, New York. This was his career until he died in 1920. He was a wonderful teacher who was talked about by his colleagues and spent most of his free time composing and promoting his work in New York City each summer. He died of influenza at the at of 35 while working on a drama based on a text from Walt Whitman. Charles Griffes is famous for his musical Impressionism and was fascinated by exotic, mysterious sounds of the French Impressionist. He was also involved in Asian styles as well as more abstract and structured musical styles as well. Charles Griffes was one of the important American
Laurel Zucker is a flutist who left home at the age of 14 to study at the North Carolina School for the arts. She grew up with her brother and sister in Washington Heights, in Manhattan. Zucker begged her parents for a flute after hearing recordings and graduated high school at the age of 16 and studied flute at the New England Conservatory for two years with Paula Robison. Zucker completed her Bachelor of Music in Flute at Juilliard with Samuel Baron and had a very successful career performing in New York the following 13 years. In New York she performed the “American Orchestra, Musica Sacra, and the Jupitor Symphony”. (CSUS) For three years, she was also a full time 1st flute performer for the Orchestra of New York. She played for many new music groups and music concerts under conductors such as Leonard Bernstein, Seiji Ozawa and Kurt Mazur. Zucker moved on and received her Master’s in music composition at New York University. While working at Sacramento State since 1988, Zucker “released 55 recordings and 4 DVD Masterclass Series on Cantilena Records.” (CSUS) Her music can be heard on many radio stations throughout the United States as well as on Canadian, Israeli and European radio stations as well. John Cozza is a professor at the University of Pacific, in Stockton, where he teaches applied piano and accompanying. He received his B.M and M.M at the University of Southern California, with his diploma in piano performing, and his D.M at Northwestern University, in solo performance. Dr. Cozza collaborated with many singers and instrumentalists throughout the United States and performed as a soloist and accompanist in European cities. From the performances that were heard at the concert, there were many wonderful pieces performed. The pieces performed were Andante Pastoral et Scherzetino, Le Merle Noir, Sonata No. 1, Allegro Leggiero, Andante Teneramente, Allegro giocoso, Forlane, Patoral, and Poem. Although the pieces were very enjoyable and entertaining, my favorite piece was Sonata No. 1 composed by Eric Ewazen. It was my favorite piece because I really enjoyed the sound and how everything flowed together. All the fast and slow notes made that song sound very nice and soothing yet exciting. Eric Ewazen is an American composer that was born in 1954 in Cleveland, Ohio and received his B.M. at Eastman School of Music and his M.M. and D.M.A. degrees from Juilliard. (Robert Cummings) His parents were very involved in his music life. He was a composer that was more active in the later twentieth and early twenty first centuries. The most influential to Ewazen was the piano literature. He received a lot awards and prizes and his works have been recorded on “Summit Records, d’Note Records, CRS Records, New World, Clique Track, Helicon, Hyperion, Cala, Albany and Emi Classics and heard on over 60 commercially released CD and over 400 youtube clips. …show more content…
He started his musical studies with his sister Katharine, who gave him his first piano lessons when he started out. In 1899, he completed his piano education at Elmira college under Mary Selena Broughton. In 1903, Mary financed his musical education in Berlin, he studied with Ernst Jedliczka and Gottfried Gaston, composition and counterpoint with other important people as well. In 1905, Griffes left the Stern Conservatory to study privately with Humperdinck. When he returned to the United States in 1907, he had composed many songs and a “Symphonische Phantasie” for orchestra and became a director of the music department at the Hackley School in Tarrytown, New York. This was his career until he died in 1920. He was a wonderful teacher who was talked about by his colleagues and spent most of his free time composing and promoting his work in New York City each summer. He died of influenza at the at of 35 while working on a drama based on a text from Walt Whitman. Charles Griffes is famous for his musical Impressionism and was fascinated by exotic, mysterious sounds of the French Impressionist. He was also involved in Asian styles as well as more abstract and structured musical styles as well. Charles Griffes was one of the important American