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| MSM Jazz Philharmonic performs "Symphonic Ellington" The MSM Jazz Philharmonic, conducted by Justin DiCioccio, performs the Symphonic Music of Duke Ellington on Friday, October 19 at 7:30 p.m. in the School's Borden Auditorium. The concert features transcriptions and arrangements of Ellington's tunes, by David Berger, for string orchestra. These rarely performed works by a string orchestra will includeHarlem (A Tone Parallel to Harlem)from 1950, orchestrated by Luther Henderson, transcribed by David Berger; as well as David Berger's arrangements of Mood IndigoandCaravanexpanded for full orchestra; Night Creature and the complete The Queen's Suite – Sunset and the Mocking Bird, Lighting Bugs and Frogs, Le SucrierVelours, Northern Lights, Single Petal of a Rose, and Apes and Peacocks. The Queen's Suite was composed in honor of Queen Elizabeth in 1959, with Berger's later addition for strings and harp. This season Manhattan School of Music Jazz Artsshowcases two exciting events – the 30th Anniversary of Jazz at MSM and "Harlem Nights, " a year-long concert series celebrating Harlem. "Harlem Nights"has been designed to capture the musical spirit and heart of our Harlem community by spotlighting the music, musicians and performance venues that have called Harlem "home, " and have helped define Harlem as a center of the musical and cultural universe. "Harlem Nights" is made possible by funding from the National Endowment for the Arts. The MSM Jazz Philharmonicoffers jazz arts and MSM classical musicians a unique educa¬tional experience that bridges the gap among classical, jazz, popular, show, and media music. This ensemble, conducted by Justin DiCioccio, is dedicated to performing original compositions that combine jazz rhythms, harmonies, and instrumental solos with contemporary classical compositional techniques. The MSM Jazz Phil¬harmonic serves the needs of students who seek opportunities to perform in the symphony orchestra as well as studio orchestras. Guest performers have included Paquitod'Rivera, Roberta Gambarini, Jane Monheit, Randy Brecker, Cecil Bridgewater, Dave Liebman, Joe Lovano, Bob Mintzer, Dick Oatts, Ted Rosenthal, and David Taylor. Featured on past concerts have been the US premiere of Krzysztof Knittel'sLipps, for jazz trio and orchestra (with George Garzone, saxophone; Scott Wendholdt, trumpet; Ted Rosenthal, piano and JacekKochan, drums); a 45th anniversary performance of John Coltrane's "The Meditations Suite;" the complete score of Michel Legrand's "Les Parapluies De Cherbourg ("The Umbrellas of Cherbourg") and last year's performance commemorating the Stan Kenton Centennial with such works as "City of Glass" and "Artistry in Rhythm." The Jazz Arts Program: Manhattan School of Music is one of the first conservatories in the United States to acknowledge the importance of jazz as an art form by establishing undergraduate and graduate degree programs in jazz. It is also one of the richest programs of its kind, thanks to systematic and rigorous conservatory training combined with a myriad of performance and networking opportunities in New York City. In addition to a variety of small combos, student performing ensembles include the Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra, Concert Jazz Band, Jazz Orchestra, Jazz Philhar¬monic, and Chamber Jazz Orchestra. Under the leadership of longtime faculty member and eminent jazz artist-and-educator Justin DiCioccio, the program strives to produce students who perform, compose, and teach with equal facility and passion. The Jazz Arts Administrative team includes Justin DiCioccio, Associate Dean and Chair; Chris Rosenberg, Manager of Jazz Administration; Stephanie Crease, Coordinator; and Andrew Neesley, Assistant Coordinator. Justin DiCioccio: Justin DiCioccio, Associate Dean and Chair of MSM's Jazz Arts Program, is internationally recognized as one of the foremost jazz educators of our time. He was inducted into the Jazz Education Hall of Fame in Janu¬ary 2001. His inventive approach has earned him the title "the musician's teacher, " and his many performances, conducting appearances, jazz and percussion clinics, and workshops are widely recognized in the professional and educational fields. Mr. DiCioccio has served as program director and clinician for Carnegie Hall Jazz Education and acts as a consultant to Jazz at Lincoln Center and Wynton Marsalis. He developed and directed the LaGuardia High School of the Arts jazz program, the first fully accredited secondary jazz program in the United States. Mr. DiCioccio is the recipient of a citation from the mayor of New York for 'Distinguished and Exceptional Service to Young Instrumentalists" and is active with the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts, the Music for Youth Foundation, and the National Foundation for Jazz Education. He is a three-time recipient of the Presidential Scholars Teacher Recognition Award in the jazz field by the U.S. Department of Education. In May 1998, the Commission Project, in partnership with the New York City Board of Education, created the JD Award for Outstanding Service to Music in New York City Schools. On March 1, 2010, he was confirmed as the State Department Appointed Cultural Envoy Jazz Ambassador to Tbilisi, Georgia. Mr. DiCioccio's performing and conducting credentials include concerts, commercials, Broadway shows, and recordings with jazz, orchestral, rock, and new music groups. Over the years he has worked with acclaimed art¬ists, including Arturo Sandoval, Randy Brecker, Chuck Mangione, Phil Woods, Stan Gets, and Clark Terry, among others. Mr. DiCioccio is a former member of the Rochester Philharmonic and for five years was a member of the Marine Band "The President's Own, " in which he served as the official White House drummer during the Kennedy and Johnson administrations. Justin DiCioccio was named Chair of MSM's Jazz Arts Program in 1999 and Associate Dean in 2011. He has been a member of its faculty since 1984. David Berger began playing trumpet in his youth. He studied at Berklee College Of Music in the early 1960s and furthered his musical education, in composing and arranging, at Ithaca College, the Eastman School of Music and the Manhattan School of Music. Berger continued to work on his trumpet playing skills with musicians such as Jimmy Maxwell and by the early 70s he was playing in New York City in bands led by Maxwell, Lee Castle and Mercer Ellington. He also spent time with Chuck Israels' National Jazz Ensemble. David Berger: David Berger is recognized internationally as a leading authority on the music of Duke Ellington and the Swing era. Conductor and arranger for the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, from its inception in 1988 through 1994, Berger has transcribed more than 500 full scores of classic recordings including over 350 works by Duke Ellingtonand Billy Strayhorn.In 1996 Berger collaborated with choreographer Donald Byrd to create the Harlem Nutcracker, a 2-hour dance piece that expanded the Tchaikovsky/Ellington/Strayhorn score into an American classic. Berger has written music for television and Broadway shows, including Sophisticated Ladies; films, including The Cotton Club and Brighton Beach Memoirs; dozens of singers, bands, orchestras and dance companies, including the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre. His compositions and arrangements have been performed by many noted bands and musicians including the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis big band, Lee Konitz, Buddy Rich, Clark Terry, Stanley Turrentine and Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. In addition to the Nutcracker Suite, Berger's Sultan's Of Swing band can also be heard performing his highly imaginative arrangements of standards, originals, and covers on the 1998 release Doin' The Do. A seven-time recipient of National Endowment for the Arts fellowships, Berger is a sought-after musical educator and has taught at the Hartt College of Music, New York's The New School, William Patterson College, and Manhattan School of Music. In 2001, he was appointed Professor of Composition and Arranging for the new Jazz Studies Program at Juilliard School of Music. write your comments about the article :: © 2012 Jazz News :: home page |