Performances

Paul Hostetter leads Sequitor at Merkin Concert Hall - Paul Hostetter conducted the new music ensemble Sequitur on January 30 at Merkin Concert Hall (NYC) in works by Wheeler, Rorem, Hyla, Stucky and Levering. Allan Kozinn (New York Times, February 1, 2008) praised Hostetter for “drawing consistently polished performances from an ensemble of new-music regulars…” Hostetter is the conductor of the MSU Symphony Orchestra.

New Opera Elmer Gantry in Regional Premiere - The regional premiere of Robert Aldridge's opera Elmer Gantry was sold out for its four January performances at MSU's Kasser Theater. The New York Times review praised it as "a tunefully entertaining and thoughtful piece of theater" and called the performance of Jennifer Rivera "luminous." (Rivera is a member of the visiting voice faculty. Aldridge is a professor of theory/composition and director of the Cali School.) The production received three performances by a mixed cast of professional and student soloists and one with an all-student cast. The MSU Chorale (Heather Buchanan, director) had "a starring role" throughout the run. The opera received its world premiere by the Nashville Opera in November. There is more information about the opera on the Elmer Gantry website. Shown l-r: Sean Mulcahy (BMus '06; Performer's Certificate student) and Walter Schwarz (exchange student from Teatro Colón, Bueno Aires, Argentina) coached for all student performance with Jeffrey Gall. [photo credit: Mike Peters]

Professor Jeffrey Gall and Visiting Specialist Gwendolyn Toth praised for performances with the period instrument and vocal ensemble Artek – Gall made his debut as a baritone in a varied program of Baroque music that took place on December 29th at St. Bartholomew’s Church in New York City. His solo performances of Carissimi’s “Salve, salve puellule” and Charpentier’s “O Clavis David” were praised in a New York Times review by Allan Kozinn (December 31, 2007). He has been known throughout his career as a countertenor and few singers switch to singing baritone. The concert was directed from the harpsichord by Toth, who began teaching harpsichord at the Cali School in the fall.

Delusion of the Fury at Japan Society earn praise from the New York Times - Cali School professor Dean Drummond served as music director and performer in a staged production of Partch's largest theater work, Delusion of the Fury, at the Japan Society in New York City. Anthony Tommasini (New York Times, 12-6-07) called the performance "an engrossing presentation of a fascinating and tender work adapted from Japanese Noh plays and an African folk tale...the two dozen accomplished members of Newband, an ensemble in residence at Montclair, devoted in particular to Partch, gave a sensitive, nuanced and compelling performance." One student and several recent graduates of the Cali School performed with Newband.

Chorale and University Singers:
Meredith Monk: The University Singers were part of an historic first(the first college choir to ever work and perform with Ms. Monk) when they collaborated with Meredith Monk & Company on December 9, 2006 in the Kasser Theater.  In the week prior to the concert, Ms. Monk and company tenor Tom Bogdan, shared two master classes with the University Singers and conductor Heather J. Buchanan which enabled them to work on their own repertoire as well as a variety of preparatory physical and vocal exercises.

Alice Tully Hall: On Friday, April 13, 2007 the University Singers performed at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center as the featured guest choir for the New York Choral Festival presented by World Projects. 

Dvorak Festival 2007: Members of the MSU Chorale joined Prof. Buchanan for the 2007 Dvorak Festival from May 21 - June 1, 2007.  They were based in Prague for the first 6 days during which timethprogram as well as sightseeing. Repertoire for the 2007 festival was Mass in G (Schubert), Requiem (Duruflé) and At the River (Copland). 

Faculty

Spring 2007: Director of Bands Tom McCauley was appointed New Jersey State Chair of the National Band Association for a two-year term. He was also invited to be on the Executive Board of the newly established New Jersey Band Conference. He appeared in March as guest conductor with the Bloomfield Youth Band in Bloomfield, New Jersey.

Music at Montclair—Online newsletter of the John J. Cali School of Music
Cali School of Music News — Fall 2006 (PDF)

In Memoriam: Don Butterfield

Tubist Don Butterfield, one New York's leading musicians for the past 57 years and director of the MSU band from 1976-1993, passed away on November 27, 2006. He is deeply mourned by his colleagues and students.

After graduating from the Juilliard School, Don served as the principal tubist in Leopold Stokowski's American Symphony Orchestra, was a member of the Radio City Music Hall Orchestra for twenty years, and performed under such legendary figures as Dimitri Mitropolis, Arturo Toscanini, and Leonard Bernstein. He was a member of the Goldman Band, and was an original member of the Cities Service Band of America under Paul Lavalle. His extensive performances in radio and television included work with Gary Moore, Carol Burnett, Ed Sullivan and Johnny Carson. He recorded with Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Peggy Lee and Mel Torme, and was the tuba player for composers Henry Mancini and John Williams while they were working in New York. As a jazz musician, Don worked with, among others, Louis Armstrong, Charles Mingus, Clark Terry, Dizzy Gillespie, Milt Hampton, Buddy Rich, and Doc Severinsen. He made one of the most significant jazz recordings ever done on the tuba, Top and Bottom Brass, with the Clark Terry Quintet in 1959, at Terry's request. He also made major contributions as an innovative composer and arranger for tuba.

MSU Chorale "Vibrant" in Beethoven's Ninth Symphony with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra

The Star Ledger called the MSU Chorale "vibrant" in its performances of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Neeme Järvi. The Chorale, prepared by Prof. Heather Buchanan, was praised by members of the orchestra and Mr. Järvi for its accuracy and precision, intonation, diction and flexibility. One member of the orchestra said in spite of its size, Neeme Jarvi could drive it like a sports car, like a Ferrari, as he brought new ideas into each performance. Soloists in the performance were Janice Chandler-Eteme (soprano), Christine Abraham (mezzo-soprano), Richard Clement (tenor) and Kevin Langan (bass). The performances took place from October 22-24, 2006 in NJPAC, Newark, and the State Theater, New Brunswick.

Back to News