Current Student Successes Doctoral Candidate Cloe Gentile Reyes featured as Panelist for Indiana University’s Innovation in Art Song Virtual Summit
Cloe Gentile Reyes, a PhD candidate in Musicology, was featured as a panelist for the Innovation in Art Song Virtual Summit, which was hosted by Indiana University on March 26 and 27. Gentile Reyes was a guest speaker on a panel discussion titled “Gender and Art Song,” which also featured tenor Matthew Valverde, as well as composers Ricky Ian Gordon and Mari Esabel Valverde. Moderated by Indiana University doctoral voice student Cathy Compton, the panel explored what role gender has played in Art Song and how that is rapidly shifting. The group also examined new pieces being created which aim to break the normative bonds between text and music. Read more here.
Doctoral Violinist Gulia Gurevich leads Classical Concerts on the Hill into New Virtual Format as Artistic Director
Doctor of Musical Arts student Gulia Gurevich led the Classical Concerts on the Hill Concert Series into a new virtual format in 2021. Gurevich—who serves as Artistic Director—helped pivot the series, which normally presents in-person chamber concerts at the Hillcrest Center for the Arts in Thousand Oaks, to a completely virtual experience using the organization’s YouTube channel. The first concert of 2021 featured pianist Xiao Chen performing works by Frédéric Chopin, Johann Sebastian Bach, and Robert Schumann and the second featured pianist Svetlana Smolina performing works by Sergei Rachmaninoff and Alexander Scriabin, with Gurevich joining Smolina for a violin and piano sonata by Johannes Brahms. Read more here.
Doctoral Voice Student Valdis Jansons featured in Opera Oviedo’s production of Georges Bizet’s The Pearl Fishers
Latvian baritone Valdis Jansons, a Doctor of Musical Arts student, was featured in Opera Oviedo’s production of Georges Bizet’s three-act opera Les pêcheurs de perles (The Pearl Fishers) in Oviedo, Spain. The production premiered on January 25 and ran through February 6, and featured Jansons in the role of Zurga. Spanish newspaper El Comercio wrote of Jansons’ performance: “...Impeccable recreation of Zurga, the chief of the pearl fishermen. Forceful sound projection...adequate stage presence, fundamental in the most dramatic role of the work, and expressiveness in singing. The third act, the most demanding for the role of Zurga, was the impeccable cover letter of a baritone with a future.” Read more here.
UC Santa Barbara Department of Music | Spring 2021 Newsletter | 19
