On Sunday, April 8th at 3:00PM the Swarthmore College Chinese Music Ensemble will be showcasing its talents in Lang Concert Hall for their spring concert in a program shared with Gamelan Semara Santi. The Ensemble is co-directed by Professor Lei Ouyang Bryant and Wang Guowei, a world-renowned performer who comes down from New York to rehearse with the students.

The Chinese Music Ensemble will be playing five pieces, all personally arranged by Wang Guowei to suit each musician’s abilities while still creating a cohesive piece. Many are related to nature, including “Flower Drum Song,” “August Flowers in Bloom,” and “Colorful Clouds Chasing the Moon.” Another piece, “The Happy Farmer,” is quick and fast-paced, leading some members of the Ensemble to jokingly call it, “The Stressed Farmer.” To round out the repertoire, the Ensemble is bringing back “Three Folk Songs,” which, as the title indicates, is composed of three separate folk songs.

The Chinese Music Ensemble was established as an official performance ensemble for the first time last semester, drawing both seasoned musicians and beginners looking to learn something new. Students will play traditional Chinese instruments such as the guzheng (zither), erhu (bowed fiddle), hulusi (gourd flute), and yangqin (hammered dulcimer). Though many students used their knowledge of Western instruments – for example, the hulusi is similar to the clarient – they had to adjust to various changes such as the use of cipher notation, which assigns a number to each note rather than a letter.

After a successful fall concert, the Ensemble drew more new members, with only four returners, turning last semester’s beginners into teachers for their peers. Lesia Liao ‘18, who started playing the yangqin just last semester, will now be playing a solo in “The Happy Farmer.”

The performances of Gamelan and the Chinese Music Ensemble will transport audiences across the world to China and Indonesia. As the Chinese Music Ensemble continues introducing students to traditional Chinese music, their spring concert’s ambitious repertoire will enrapture audiences with their energy and rich, melodic sound.

Tiffany Wang ’21

Janis Siegel, a Featured Guest Artist at Swarthmore College this year, has performed and hosted multiple workshops with voice students on campus throughout the academic year. Known for her Grammy award-winning work with the vocal group The Manhattan Transfer, Siegel is a big name in the music world, and music students at Swarthmore have been eager for opportunities to work with her. She has collaborated with solo performers and ensembles alike on campus, including a workshop held with Swarthmore’s Garnet Singers.

Shelby Billups ‘20, voice student and member of the Swarthmore Garnet Singers, has worked with Siegel as both a soloist and ensemble member. On the experiences, she says, “With Ms. Siegel, you never know what to expect and I think that’s what added to the excitement of being in a class with her. You have a chance to spontaneously explore different styles of your voice.” Josie Ross ‘21, another Garnet Singers member and solo workshop participant, speaks of the ease of working with Siegel. “Siegel has a warm, welcoming presence that makes you comfortable to step outside of your comfort zone. When I was invited to the workshop, I was nervous to sing to such a experienced performer. However, her collaborative style gave me the courage to try singing techniques in front of a group of strangers.”

Not only voice students will benefit from Siegel’s presence and mentorship on campus. This semester, the Swarthmore College Jazz Ensemble will perform its first ever concert with a guest artist or vocalist, and aiding the ensemble in this debut is none other than Janis Siegel. Members of the ensemble are honored to take part in this Jazz Ensemble first, and trombonist Sam Gardner ‘19 voices their excitement. “Janis Siegel is a total professional,” he says. “It should be a fun and different show.” Siegel will perform with the Jazz Ensemble in seven out of eleven concert pieces. The repertoire includes several Duke Ellington works and a brand new version of “Genie in a Bottle” by Christina Aguilera, arranged by Janis Siegel and ensemble conductor Andrew Neu.

Swarthmore Jazz Ensemble is a standard jazz big band comprised of five saxes, four trombones, four trumpets, piano, bass, and drums. The group has rehearsed three hours per week throughout the semester in preparation for this performance. Says Andrew Neu, “Not only do we have such a superstar guest artist with us, but the Swarthmore Jazz Ensemble is a talented group of musicians in their own right. Every one of their past performances has been an exciting night of dynamic jazz, and the word is spreading about how great they are. If you haven’t seen the band, then you need to find out what everyone has been talking about!”

The Swarthmore Jazz Ensemble Concert with Janis Siegel will be held Saturday, April 7th at 8PM in Lang Concert Hall. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit https://www.swarthmore.edu/music/concerts-events.

Maya Kikuchi ’20

Fitting with this month’s celebration of Women’s History, Professor Deborah Wong from the University of California, Riverside will deliver the 2018 Genevieve Lee ’96 Memorial Lecture with a presentation on the way Asian American women use the arts to promote social change. The Lee Lecture is an annual endowed lecture that supports the development of multi-disciplinary Asian American studies. This year’s lecture is sponsored through the Asian Studies Program and Department of Music and Dance at Swarthmore College. Titled “Women of Color Creating Change: Taiko, FandangObon, and Asian American Arts Activism,” Professor Wong’s lecture will explore two case studies of the arts as a form of social change. The first case study looks at taiko and the role of gender within the taiko community among a diverse group of women. The second examines FandangObon, a festival based in L.A. that brings together Japanese, Mexican, and African American communities for a celebration of dance, music and environmental consciousness.

As a Professor of Music and an ethnomusicologist who specializes in Asian American and Thai music, Professor Deborah Wong has defined her academic career by working with diverse groups of people in order to seek out and promote interethnic collaborations. ‘Inter’ and ‘diversity’ are key words to Professor Wong’s research and are reflected in the works she has published. Speak it Louder: Asian Americans Making Music for example, a book that Professor Wong published in 2004, tracks the multitude of musical genres Asian Americans have contributed to. From traditional Asian, to jazz, pop, and classical, her work looks at how Asian Americans have created and participated in a diverse array of music traditions.

Lesia Liao ’18 read Speak It Louder to learn more about the field of ethnomusicology for an independent research project with Professor Lei Ouyang Bryant of the Swarthmore Department of Music & Dance. Liao has been working to create an annotated bibliography for Asian Americans involved in music to investigate what Asian American music is and how we might define it. Liao notes that “ethnomusicology…is especially interesting because it takes music as a site of identity formation and one[‘]s grappling with experiences.”

Professor Wong’s lecture will discuss just how to address that relationship between music and identity formation, particularly among Asian American women. Liao voiced her excitement for learning how Professor Wong balances community engagement with ethnographic research, and related the relevance and importance of this lecture, stating that “this talk will be relevant and engaging with people of color, activists who seek different ways to engage in the movement such as through the arts, Asian Americans, and anyone with an interest in the Asian-American experience, anthropology, or music.”

Among her many accomplishments, Professor Wong has also served as the President of the Society for Ethnomusicology, an editor for Wesleyan University Press’s Music/Culture series, a research member for the International Institute for Critical Studies in Improvisation, Chair of the Advisory Council for the Smithsonian Institution’s Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, and a project manager for the Great Leap Online Archive.

Professor Lei Ouyang Bryant has long been impressed with Professor Wong’s involvement in ethnomusicology and the public sector, and has been the one to suggest bringing Professor Wong to campus as the Genevieve Lee ’96 lecturer:

“I have had the great pleasure of getting to know her through our shared interest in Taiko communities and her leadership for the Society for Ethnomusicology. I believe that Professor Wong’s commitment to Asian American communities and public sector work are both important connections to the interests of students at Swarthmore.”

As an activist, academic, and ethnomusicologist, Professor Wong’s lecture will prove to be an engaging and insightful discussion on Asian American women’s involvement in the arts and social activism.

This event is free and open to the public. The lecture will take place on Monday, April 2 at 4:30 PM in the Scheuer Room in Kohlberg.

Marion Kudla ’19

On Sunday, March 25th, Sally Wolf will hold her annual master class in the Lang Music Center. The event begins at 2:00pm and will feature several Swarthmore student singers. It is free and open to the public.

Soprano Sally Wolf has led a decorated career spanning over 30 years. She received her vocal training from renowned sopranos Donna Pegors and Margaret Harshaw, and holds an Opera Diploma from the Curtis Institute of Music. She was the recipient of a 1981 National Opera Institute Grant, placed first in the 1980 San Francisco Opera Auditions, and was a 1986 winner in the International Pavarotti Competition in Philadelphia. She was also awarded Seattle Opera’s “Artist of The Year” in 1992. She has earned widespread critical acclaim for her roles as Norma at Seattle Opera and Florida Grand Opera, Mimi (La Boheme) at Seattle Opera, Violetta (La Traviata) with Opera du Rhin in Strasbourg, and Lucia (Lucia di Lammermoor) with Seattle Opera. She is also an accomplished interpreter of Mozart’s repertoire, including Donna Anna (Don Giovanni) with Frankfurt Opera, and Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni) at New York City Opera and Los Angeles Opera, among others. A former interpreter of Queen of the Night (Die Zaubeflöte), she performed the role 192 times in some of the world’s most prestigious opera houses.

Ms. Wolf is a master of coloratura, an elaborate vocal style that is usually sung by sopranos. Coloratura singing is dramatic and dynamic, combining runs, trills, wide leaps, and other difficult techniques. Her skill in this regard is part of what makes her such a sought-after instructor. Although coloratura is used primarily by sopranos, it has universal applications in vocal coaching. It combines melody with a number of inventive styles, and once its principles are mastered, they can be used to embellish and ornament almost any piece of music. Ms. Wolf is able to separate and combine these skills as she teaches, producing multi-layered classes that construct and deconstruct simultaneously. It is for this reason that her teaching is as infamous as her own career.

She has also provided meaningful contributions to Swarthmore’s vocal program over the years. In addition to her annual master class, she teaches at the Florence Opera Seminar each year alongside Swarthmore vocal coach Debra Scurto-Davis. Student vocalists from Swarthmore often attend this seminar, learning valuable skills from both teachers in the beautiful Italian city. Sally Wolf is one of the world’s premier vocalists, and Swarthmore students should not hesitate to take advantage of all she has to offer.

Gabriel Hearn-Desautels ’20

As the end of the year draws closer, Natasha Nogueira ’18 has been preparing for her senior recital, a culmination of the music she has studied in her time at Swarthmore.

Nogueira will sing pieces in English, French, Italian, and German, with most of her songs dating from the 17th through 19th centuries. For one piece, “The Flower Duet” by Léo Delibes, she will be accompanied by duet partner Shelby Billups ’20. On her favorite piece, Thomas Arne’s 17th century “Morning Cantata,” she will be accompanied by a small ensemble featuring Jasmine Sun ’18 and Henry Feinstein ’19 on the violin, Ayaka Yorihiro ’20 on the viola, Noah Rosenberg ’18 on the cello, Rachel Hottle ’18 playing the flute, and pianist Debra Scurto-Davis playing the harpsichord. She has agreed to discuss the process of planning her recital, which will take place on March 24 at 8:00 pm in Lang Concert Hall.

How long have you been preparing your recital? How have you prepared yourself?

Nogueira: I have actually been working on this repertoire since last year (January 2017). After reaching the Freeman Scholar level in Music 48 [Music majors, minors, and Freeman Scholars taking Music 048 can apply for funding for a recital. Freeman Scholarships are given to Music 048 students who show exceptional talent.], I was excited to have a senior recital. I also wanted to be well prepared for it, so this recital has been a year in the making. It has been an adventure to learn all this music in the past year and perfect it for performance.

How did you choose the songs you will be performing?

Nogueira: Most of the music was actually chosen by my voice teacher, Nancy Jantsch. However, I have been wanting to do The Flower Duet for the past couple of years, so that was something I chose. As my voice teacher, Nancy knows how to choose music that is well suited to my voice and capabilities. Sometimes, as singers, we fall in love with a song. that unfortunately is not great for our voices. Our teachers ensure that the music we sing matches the type of voice we have. Of course, Nancy proposed all the music to me first, and I spent a lot of time listening to all the songs before agreeing to them.

Does any song have a special significance for you?

Nogueira: My favorite is definitely The Morning Cantata. It is a pastoral piece, so while the textual meaning is not as significant [as some of the other songs], the music portrays the text beautifully and singing with the ensemble has made it really stand out.

How are you feeling about the recital?

Nogueira: As someone who loves music and has been singing for a long time, I am excited to share this night with people, as it is the culmination of a lot of hard work and years of vocal studies. I want to enjoy myself during the recital and share my love for music with other people.

Do you have any plans for what you’d like to do next?

Nogueira: One of the easy things about being a singer, is that your instrument is with you wherever you go. Wherever I end up after graduation, I will continue singing.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Emilie Hautemont ’20

At the two-day festival “Forbidden Songs,” attendees will hear long-lost music by Roman Palester and view an iconic film about how Warsaw’s street musicians fought the Nazi invasion, presented for the first time with English subtitles. Although Palester was one of the most distinctive composers of twentieth-century Poland, his compositions have been virtually forgotten, due in large part to censorship in communist Poland. “Forbidden Songs” brings Palester’s neoclassical and lyrical style to a new audiences and also explores his substantial work with film.

On the first day of the festival, the English-subtitled version of the film Forbidden Songs (1947) will see its world premiere at Swarthmore. The film tells the story of everyday life in Warsaw during World War II through popular “street songs” banned during the Nazi occupation. The film score was created by Palester and includes newly composed music as well as arrangements of the featured songs. Professor Barbara Milewski of Swarthmore College will introduce the film and reveal some of the hidden stories it has held since its creation. As she explains, “The film compels us to consider the tensions between personal and official acts of remembering—and forgetting—within the contexts of Poland’s historically oppressive regimes and the nation’s contemporary politics. It also gives us a glimpse into the ways in which music helped Polish Jews and non-Jews alike to reclaim notions of community in the immediate postwar years.” Mackenzie Pierce ‘11, a PhD Candidate in musicology at Cornell University, will deliver the Peter Gram Swing lecture earlier that day: “Beyond Historical Rupture: Classical Music and the Second World War in Poland,” which will place Palester in a broader musical and historical context.  

Day two of the festival will feature performers Xak Bjerken, Lucy Fitz Gibbon, Ryan MacEvoy McCullough, Susan Waterbury, and David Colwell in the American premiere of Palester’s chamber music and vocal works, which span Palester’s entire career from the 1930s to the late 1970s. Says Pierce, “In Poland today, memory of the Second World War is inescapable. By looking at music during the war and in its immediate aftermath, we can peel back some of these later political interpretations and recover the complexity and ambiguity of the heady postwar moment.” Pierce is particularly fascinated by the difficult choices musicians in postwar Poland faced: leave the country and work abroad, or stay and endure the risks of an authoritarian regime. Those who left often had their music banned and subsequently forgotten, like Palester.

Milewski and Pierce first met at Swarthmore as professor and student, but now see each other as colleagues with shared scholarly interest in the music of mid-century Poland. Both emphasize the great interdisciplinary value in this festival, which will draw people interested in European cinema and music, WWII history and politics, and Holocaust studies. On the significance of Palester’s life and work, Pierce says, “He had to overcome two authoritarian regimes: first, the brutal and terrorizing Nazi occupation and then the repressive communist government that rebuilt Poland from the rubble up. His compositions provide insight into how music creates a sense of continuity over rupture. They also remind us that every step towards war and censorship strikes at the lifeblood of an artistic culture.”

The Forbidden Songs Festival will take place on Thursday, March 22nd and Friday, March 23rd. On Thursday, Mackenzie Pierce will give his lecture on “Classical Music and the Second World War in Poland” at 4:30 PM in Lang Concert Hall. This event will be followed by the world premiere of the film Forbidden Songs at 8PM in LPAC 101 Cinema. On Friday, the performance of Roman Palester’s works will take place at 8PM in Lang Concert Hall. These events are free and open to the public. For more information, visit https://www.swarthmore.edu/music/concerts-events or forbiddensongs.org

Maya Kikuchi ‘20

Bo Lim Lee ‘18, a Chemistry major and Dance minor, came to Swarthmore with an eclectic background in dance. After suffering a foot injury in high school, she didn’t think she would be able to dance again. Despite this setback, Lee has become one of the most active members in Swarthmore’s dance program, taking part in a wide range of classes and performing at every opportunity.  Lee was originally trained in classical ballet, but became exposed to more modern and contemporary techniques high school. During this period, she also joined a hip hop dance troupe, an experience that motivated her to join the tri-college hip hop group, Rhythm n’ Motion, later on. She has continued to pursue a wide range of styles since coming to Swarthmore, and while she enjoys many of them, her favorite is umfundalai, a contemporary African dance technique that is made up of movement traditions from throughout the Diaspora.

Umfundalai means “essential” in Kiswahili. Its technique is centered around the idea of an “essence of African dance” that “lives wherever African people reside.” In this way, umfundalai situates its dancers both in the past and the present, creating a contemporary amalgamation of traditional styles that become representative of African movement in a wider sense. Several members of Swarthmore’s Dance faculty were trained in the technique and have brought their own artistic voices to its instruction. Despite their different approaches, they all place particularly high importance on the narrative component of umfundalai, which is something that Lee deeply appreciates: “I have fallen in love with the dance’s unique ability to intertwine narratives into the movements,” she says.

Lee was part of the tri-college group, Rhythm n’ Motion, during her sophomore and junior years. The group is made up of individuals from a wide range of backgrounds, and focuses on movement traditions from the African Diaspora, including jazz, salsa, hip hop, and African. They rehearse every weekend and perform two shows each year at the end of the fall and spring semesters.

Lee also had the opportunity to create her own pieces in choreography class. When she came to Swarthmore, she had not been particularly involved with choreography, and so appreciated how the class pushed her to “explore beyond [her] comfort zone.” Of the works she created for the class, she says that she was primarily influenced by “music and/or certain themes. “I can’t really choreograph from free-style so, I like having some structure to work with when I choreograph.”

Lee will be working as a research technician in a lab at the University of Pennsylvania over the next two years, after which she will attend graduate or medical school. She hopes to continue taking dance classes on the side.

Gabriel Hearn-Desautels  ’20