Laura Usiskin, cello

do c tor of m usical art s r e ci tal

Laura Usiskin cello morse recital hall

with

November 29, 2012 Thursday at 8 pm

Katsura Tanikawa, piano

Robert Blocker, Dean

l aura us is kin Novemebr 29, 2012 • Morse Recital Hall • Doctor of Musical Arts Recital

Claude Debussy (1862–1918)

Sonata for Cello and Piano in D minor I. Prologue: Lent, sostenuto e molto risoluto II. Sérénade: Modérément animé III. Final: Animé, léger et nerveux Katsura Tanikawa, piano

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750)

Suite No. 5 in C minor, BWV 1011 I. Prelude II. Allemande III. Courante IV. Sarabande V. Gavotte I – Gavotte II VI. Gigue intermission

Justine F. Chen (b. 1975)

Alaripu

Igor Stravinsky (1882–1971)

Suite Italienne I. Introduzione II. Serenata III. Aria: Allegro alla breve – Largo IV. Tarantella V. Minuetto VI. Finale Katsura Tanikawa, piano

As a courtesy to the performers and audience, turn off cell phones and pagers. Please do not leave the hall during selections. Photography or recording of any kind is prohibited.

About the Artist Laura Usiskin’s musical interests span early Baroque to 21st century music and solo to orchestral playing. She has premiered dozens of works, commissioned works in her name, and performed with many new music ensembles, including Ensemble Pamplemousse, the Bang on a Can All-Stars, and the Axiom Ensemble. In addition, she has participated in many early music ensembles, including the Yale Baroque Ensemble, the American Baroque Orchestra, and the gamba consort Temperaments.

Ms. Usiskin’s solo, chamber, and orchestral performing have taken her throughout the United States and Europe, including the Kennedy Center, the Palazzo Chigi Saracini in Siena, Italy; Boston’s Symphony Hall, and New York venues including Alice Tully Hall, Weill Hall, Zankel Hall, Merkin Hall, Miller Theatre, Barge Music, Steinway Hall, Klavierhaus, the French Consulate, and many others. Recent performances include the Dvorák Cello Concerto and Takemitsu Orion and Pleiades with the Montgomery Symphony Orchestra and performances of the complete Bach Cello Suites in New Haven and Los Angeles. Her orchestral abilities have been recognized throughout her career, with appointments in the New Haven Symphony Orchestra and Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra.

Her most recent and proudest accomplishment is founding and directing the Montgomery Music Project (MMP), a nonprofit organization that provides intensive string music instruction to underserved elementary school children in Montgomery, AL. Now in its second year, MMP has 90 students enrolled, boasts a staff of twelve teachers, and serves students

from multiple counties at four sites throughout Montgomery. MMP has been featured on TV, in the news, and in multiple magazines. For more information, visit www.montgomerymusicproject.org.

In addition to MMP, Ms. Usiskin has taught music classes in New York City public schools through Juilliard’s Morse Fellowship program, taught at the Pierrepont School in Westport, Conn., and given outreach presentations through the New Haven Symphony Orchestra throughout the state of Connecticut. Laura was also a pre-concert lecturer for the symphony, speaking about pieces ranging from Beethoven to world premieres.

Laura graduated from Columbia University cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in neuroscience and behavior, and from the Juilliard School (where she studied with Fred Sherry) with a Master of Music degree in cello performance. Laura studied with Aldo Parisot at the Yale School of Music, finishing her doctoral coursework in 2009.

This performance is in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Musical Arts degree.

Upcoming Events

Charles Neidich, clarinet & Robert Levin, piano

New Music for Orchestra

december 2 & 3 15 Hillhouse Ave. | Sun, 3 pm | Mon, 8 pm Collection of Musical Instruments Music of Schumann and Brahms, performed on historical instruments.

Tickets $20, Students $10

Liederabend december 4 Morse Recital Hall | Tues | 8 pm Yale Opera An evening of Russian songs featuring the singers of Yale Opera with Emily Olin, piano.

Free Admission

Vista: A Fresh Look at Chamber Music december 5 Morse Recital Hall | Wed | 8 pm Music by Cras, Mozart, and Schumann illuminated by commentary on the repertoire.

Free Admission

december 6 Morse Recital Hall | Thu | 8 pm New Music New Haven & Yale Philharmonia New music by graduate composers, conducted

by Shinik Hahm. Free Admission

Jasper String Quartet december 11 Morse Recital Hall | Tue | 8 pm Oneppo Chamber Music Series Quartets by Mendelssohn and Ligeti, plus Schumann’s Piano Quintet with faculty pianist Wei-Yi Yang.

Tickets $25–35, Students $15

Peter Frankl, piano december 12 Morse Recital Hall | Wed | 8 pm Horowitz Piano Series Music of Schubert and Debussy, including Schubert’s “Arpeggione” Sonata with Ettore Causa, viola.

Tickets $12–22, Students $6-9

Concert Programs & Box Office: Krista Johnson, Carol Jackson, Julie Blindauer Communications: Dana Astmann, Monica Ong Reed, Austin Kase Operations: Tara Deming, Chris Melillo Piano Curators: Brian Daley, William Harold Recording Studio: Eugene Kimball

P.O. Box 208246, New Haven, CT · 203 432-4158

Robert Blocker, Dean

music.yale.edu