
Bernhard Music Center
Past Events
September 2005

Department of Music Annual Open House
New and returning students interested in signing up for private lessons or inquiring about ensembles/classes are cordially invited to Bernhard Music Center on September 7 from 2:30 - 4:30 pm. Questions may be e-mailed to Michelle Picard (mpicard@williams.edu) or by calling her at ext. 2127.
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Student Woodwind/Brass Auditions
2005 Berkshire Symphony/Student Symphony/Symphonic Winds/Jazz Ensemble Audition Information Auditions for winds will be in Bernhard Rm. 30 on Sunday, September 11, from 12 noon on. Sign up sheets for 10 minute slots will be available outside Bernhard Rm. 36 as of the last week of August, 2005. Berkshire Symphony auditioners should obtain a copy of: Hindemith: Mathis der Maler Haydn:…
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Student String Players' Auditions
2005 Berkshire Symphony/Student Symphony Audition Information For New And Returning Students: Auditions for strings will be in Bernhard Rm. 30 on Sunday, September 18, from 12 noon on. Sign up sheets for 10 minute slots will be available outside Bernhard Rm. 36 as of the last week of August, 2005. Berkshire Symphony auditioners should obtain a copy of: Hindemith: Mathis…
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Class of 1960 Lecture, Phillip Bohlman
Philip Bohlman, ethnomusicologist, University of Chicago "Musical Poetics and Politics in the New Eastern Europe: Tales from Papal Pilgrimages and the Orange Revolution"
Find out more »December 2005

Minneapolis Guitar Quartet Master Class
Join us as our visiting artists, on campus to perform December 2, work with Williams guitar students. Program: Heitor Villa-Lobos: Prelude Number 1 in E Minor Patrick Huffer ’07, guitar Isaac Albéniz: Asturias (Leyenda) Katie-Rose DeCandia , guitar Frank Martin: Quatre pièces brèves I. Prelude II. Air III. Plainte IV. Comme une Gigue Matthew O’Malley ’05, guitar ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ With the…
Find out more »February 2006

Class of 1960 Lecture - Prof. Kazadi wa Mukuna
The Evolution of the Urban Music in the Democratic Republic of the Congo After Mobutu’s Zaire --- Prof. Kazadi wa Mukuna, an ethnomusicologist from the Democratic Republic of Congo, is Professor of Ethnomusicology, Coordinator Graduate Studies, and Co-Director of the Center for the Study of World Musics at the Hugh A. Glauser School of Music at Kent State University in…
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Class of 1960 Lecture - Prof. Joel Lester
Bach's works for solo violin in historical context --- Prof. Joel Lester, Dean of Mannes College of Music of New School University, is an accomplished scholar, violinist, and administrator. He is author of more than half a dozen books on music, including Compositional Theory in the 18th Century (Harvard University Press, 1992; winner of the Wallace Berry Publication Award of…
Find out more »September 2006

Music Department Open House
Anyone curious about ensembles or seeking information about private lessons should plan on attending the department's annual Open House from 2:30 - 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, September 6. Most of the faculty and adjunct instructors will be present to answer questions and assist with placement. Refreshments will be served as well.
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Jazz Ensemble Auditions
New Sax, Trumpet, Trombone, & Rhythm Section students interested in joining the Williams Jazz Ensemble directed by Andy Jaffe are invited to audition informally by sitting in with the group at 7 p.m. Questions: ajaffe@williams.edu John Menegon, director of the Northern Berkshire Jazz Ensemble (combo) will also be present to assist those who wish to participate in smaller groups.
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Brass/Woodwind Auditions
Wind players are invited to sign up for a 10-minute slot (on a sheet in Bernhard's hallway as of 9/1) to audition for Berkshire Symphony, Student Symphony, woodwind chamber music, and Symphonic Winds. Berkshire auditionees should plan on playing something technical and something lyrical of their own choosing plus they should obtain a copy of Haydn #99 (no low brass…
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String Auditions
String players are invited to sign up for a 10-minute slot (on a sheet in Bernhard's hallway as of 9/1) to audition for Berkshire Symphony, Student Symphony, and chamber music. Berkshire auditionees should plan on playing something technical and something lyrical of their own choosing and also obtain a copy of Haydn #99 and Mozart Serenata near the sign up…
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Class of 1960 Lecture: Ralph Locke
Evocations of the Middle East in Western Music from Mozart to Today BA, Harvard; MA, PhD, Chicago. Piano study with Kate Friskin, Longy School. Editorial Board member, Journal of Musicological Research, Ad Parnassum: A Journal of Eighteenth- and Nineteenth-Century Instrumental Music; senior editor, Eastman Studies in Music; music editor, Encyclopedia of New York State. Faculty associate, University of Rochester's Susan…
Find out more »October 2006

Demo/Exposition
Demo/Exposition of poetry/music group with Cassandra Cleghorn, Erik Lawrence, Allison Miller, & Rene Hart
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Class of 1960 Lecture: Jessie Ann Owens
Jessie Ann Owens, Dean, UC Davis. 'And the angel said’: Angel Speech in Early Modern Music An internationally recognized musicologist who studies the composition of Renaissance music will become dean of the Division of Humanities, Arts and Cultural Studies at the University of California, Davis. Jessie Ann Owens, a professor of music and former dean of arts and sciences at…
Find out more »November 2006

Pre-Concert Talk by Joan La Barbara
Join us to learn more about the premieres and other interesting works on the 8 p.m. program.
Find out more »May 2007

Class of 1960 Lecture, Daniel Beller-McKenna
Daniel Beller-McKenna will give the final Class of 1960 Lecture of the Williams Department of Music’s academic year on Thursday, May 3, at 4:15 p.m. in the Bernhard Music Center’s Room 30. His presentation is titled Brahms and the Heraldic Trio. The talk is free and all are cordially invited. Beller-McKenna teaches music history at the University of New Hampshire.…
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Jazz Saxophone Recital
Featuring students studying with Erik Lawrence performing such selections as: Gingerbread Boy My One and Only Love All the Things You Are
Find out more »September 2007

Department of Music Open House
All are cordially invited to the department's Open House on 9/5 from 2:30 - 4:30 p.m. This will be a good opportunity to inquire about music lessons, ensembles, and music classes for 2007 - 2008. Refreshments will be served.
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Jazz Combo / Jazz Ensemble Auditions
Students are cordially invited to bring their instruments to Shainman Rehearsal Hall and sit in with the ensemble directed by Andy Jaffe. Musicians will also have an opportunity to form jazz combos, such as the Northern Berkshire Jazz Ensemble directed by John Menegon as well as student-directed groups.
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Choir Auditions
Prospective singers are invited to to audition for Concert Choir directed by Brad Wells. Bring a selection if possible. Auditions will be in Presser Choral Hall, second floor of Bernhard. Sign up sheets will be on the door, indicating available times. (The 12:00 pm listed above is a default setting). Further questions may be directed to Brad Wells
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Wind Auditions
Wind Auditions Saturday September 8, 2007 1:00-6:00PM Bernhard Room 30 For woodwind and brass students, only one audition is necessary for the Berkshire Symphony, Symphonic Winds, Student Symphony, and chamber music ensembles. For the Berkshire Symphony and chamber music ensembles, the audition is for membership/placement; for the Symphonic Winds and Student Symphony, the audition is for seating purposes only. Each…
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String Auditions
Berkshire Symphony string auditionees should plan on playing Schubert Symphony No. 5 or Strauss Overture to Fledermaus; plus something lyrical, something technical of their choosing. There will be no scales or sight reading during the 10 minute informal audition. Placement in Student Symphony and chamber music groupings is also arranged at this time. Returning students must re-audition. Sign up sheets…
Find out more »October 2007

Class of 1960 Lecture, Jeremy Yudkin
Jeremy Yudkin is professor of music at Boston University, Associated Faculty of the Department of African American Studies, and Visiting Professor of Music at Oxford University. He has also taught as Visiting Professor at Harvard University and Professeur Invité at the Ecole Normale Supérieure and the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique in Paris, France. He received his B.A. and M.A.…
Find out more »November 2007

Class of 1960 Lecture: Jann Pasler
"Music as Public Utility: From Horace to World Music Day" Musicologist, pianist and documentary filmmaker, Jann Pasler has published widely on contemporary American music, French music, modernism, postmodernism, and cultural life in Paris at the turn of the 20th century. Her article, "The Utility of Musical Instruments in the Racial and Colonial Agendas of Late Nineteenth-Century France," Journal of the…
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Guest Lecture Christian Wolff
Christian Wolff will give a lecture called “Experimental Music” on Tuesday, Nov. 27, at 4:15 p.m. in Bernhard Music Center 30 on the Williams College campus. This free event is open to the public. Christian Wolff was born in 1934 in Nice, France. He's lived mostly in the U.S. since 1941. He studied piano with Grete Sultan and composition, briefly,…
Find out more »February 2008

Berkshire Symphony Soloist Recital
This is the second of two optional recitals to give the student musicians an opportunity to play their pieces in front of an audience before the Berkshire Symphony Student Soloist Competition which will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 12, at 6 p.m. in Brooks-Rogers Recital Hall. The award for this competition is to appear as soloist with the Berkshire Symphony…
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Class of 1960 Lecture, Daniel Melamed
The Williams College Department of Music will present a Class of 1960 Lecture featuring Daniel Melamed, J.S. Bach Scholar, on Wednesday, Feb. 20 at 4:15 p.m. in Bernhard Music Center, Room 30 on the Williams College campus. This free event is open to the public. Daniel R. Melamed is Professor of Musicology at the Jacobs School of Music, Indiana University.…
Find out more »April 2008

Class of 1960 Lecture - Carl Leafstedt '86
The Williams College Department of Music will present a Class of 1960 Lecture by Carl Leafstedt '86 titled Creativity and Disease Entwined: The Mysterious Case of Bela Bartok’s Final Illness, 1942-1945, on Tuesday, April 1 at 4:15 p.m. in Bernhard Music Center, room 30 on the Williams College campus. This free event is open to the public. Leafstedt, appointed to…
Find out more »May 2008

Class of 1960 Lecture - Kyle Gann
Kyle Gann will give a lecture, Music of the Spheres and Other Self-Defeating Paradigms on his music in the context of the music of other experimental and post-minimalist composers on Thursday, May 8, at 4:15 p.m. in Bernhard Music Center, Room 30 on the Williams College campus. This free event is open to the public. Gann, born 1955 in Dallas, Texas, is…
Find out more »September 2008

Department of Music Open House
All are cordially invited to the department's Open House on September 3 from 2:30 - 4:30 p.m. This will be a good opportunity to inquire about music lessons, ensembles, and music classes for 2008 - 2009. Refreshments will be served.
Find out more »
Instructor Auditions: Piano
Auditions will be held in Room 27 from 2:30 - 4:30pm for piano students to be placed with instructors. Visit the Open House to meet with the instructors ahead of time and sign up for your audition times!
Find out more »
Instructor Auditions: Violin & Viola
Auditions will be held in Room 30 from 2:30 - 4:30pm for violin and viola students to be placed with instructors. Visit the Open House to meet with the instructors ahead of time and sign up for your audition times!
Find out more »
Auditions: Chamber/Concert Choir Auditions
Prospective singers are invited to to audition for Concert Choir directed by Brad Wells. Bring a selection if possible. Auditions will be in Presser Choral Hall, second floor of Bernhard. Sign up sheets will be outside of Brad Wells's office - Bernhard 34 - indicating available times. (The 12:00 pm listed above is a default setting). Further questions may be…
Find out more »
Auditions: Chamber/Concert Choir Auditions
Prospective singers are invited to to audition for Concert Choir directed by Brad Wells. Bring a selection if possible. Auditions will be in Presser Choral Hall, second floor of Bernhard. Sign up sheets will be outside of Brad Wells's office - Bernhard 34 - indicating available times. (The 12:00 pm listed above is a default setting). Further questions may be…
Find out more »
Auditions: Chamber/Concert Choir Auditions
Prospective singers are invited to to audition for Concert Choir directed by Brad Wells. Bring a selection if possible. Auditions will be in Presser Choral Hall, second floor of Bernhard. Sign up sheets will be outside of Brad Wells's office - Bernhard 34 - indicating available times. (The 12:00 pm listed above is a default setting). Further questions may be…
Find out more »
Audition: Wind Auditions
For woodwind and brass students, only one audition is necessary for the Berkshire Symphony, Symphonic Winds, Student Symphony, and chamber music ensembles. For the Berkshire Symphony and chamber music ensembles, the audition is for membership/placement; for the Symphonic Winds and Student Symphony, the audition is for seating purposes only. Each student should prepare approximately 5-10 minutes of music of her/his…
Find out more »
Auditions: Chamber/Concert Choir Auditions
Prospective singers are invited to to audition for Concert Choir directed by Brad Wells. Bring a selection if possible. Auditions will be in Presser Choral Hall, second floor of Bernhard. Sign up sheets will be outside of Brad Wells's office - Bernhard 34 - indicating available times. (The 12:00 pm listed above is a default setting). Further questions may be…
Find out more »
Auditions: String Auditions
Berkshire Symphony string auditionees should plan on playing Beethoven's 7th Symphony; plus something lyrical, something technical of their choosing. There will be no scales or sight reading during the 10 minute informal audition. Placement in Student Symphony and chamber music groupings is also arranged at this time. Returning students must re-audition. Sign up sheets will be in the hallway in…
Find out more »February 2009

Class of 1960 Lecture - Lydia Goehr
Beckmesser’s Lute; King David’s Harp: Musical Instruments and the Instrumentality of Painting Prof. Goehr presents a mystery story that reveals an unexplored theme in Wagnerian opera. Through the story, we learn something about Wagner's attitude to painting, to opera, to musical instruments, and most about how he solved the problem, as he saw it, of the Jewish origins of music.…
Find out more »September 2009

Department of Music Open House
All are cordially invited to the department's Open House from 2:30 - 4:30 p.m. This will be a good opportunity to inquire about music lessons, ensembles, and music classes for 2009/2010. Refreshments will be served.
Find out more »
Auditions: Cello Instruction
Auditions will be held in Room 27 from 5:00 - 6:30pm for cello students to be placed with instructors. Visit the Open House to meet with the instructors ahead of time and sign up for your audition times!
Find out more »
Auditions: Violin and Viola Lesson Placement
Perspective students who are interested in taking violin or viola lessons are cordially invited to audition for placement into the studios of Joanna Kurkowicz, Joana Genova and Scott Woolweaver. Auditions will take place the Artist Studio, Room 27 starting at 6:30 p.m. Sign up sheets will be available at the Open House meeting. Please prepare two examples of your choice…
Find out more »
Auditions: Piano Instruction
Auditions will be held in Room 27 from 2:00 - 4:00pm for piano students to be placed with instructors. Visit the Open House to meet with the instructors ahead of time and sign up for your audition times!
Find out more »
Auditions: Chamber/Concert Choir Auditions
Prospective singers are invited to to audition for Concert Choir directed by Brad Wells. Bring a selection if possible. Auditions will be in Presser Choral Hall, second floor of Bernhard. Sign up sheets will be outside of Brad Wells's office - Bernhard 34 - indicating available times. (The 12:00 pm listed above is a default setting). Further questions may be…
Find out more »
Audition: Wind Auditions
For woodwind and brass students, only one audition is necessary for the Berkshire Symphony, Symphonic Winds, Student Symphony, the Brass Ensemble, and chamber music ensembles. For the Berkshire Symphony and chamber music ensembles, the audition is for membership/placement; for the Symphonic Winds, Brass Ensemble and Student Symphony, the audition is for seating purposes only. Each student should prepare approximately 5-10…
Find out more »November 2009

Guest Lecture: David Demsey
Dr. David Demsey will discuss his research on the music of John Coltrane on Thursday, Nov. 19, at 11:20 a.m. in Presser Choral Hall in the Bernhard Music Center on the Williams College campus. This free event is open to the public. Dr. David Demsey is Coordinator of Jazz Studies; Curator, Living Jazz Archives; and Professor of Music at William…
Find out more »December 2009

Prof. Elaine Sisman
Professor Elaine Sisman of Columbia University will give a lecture titled “Haydn and the Music of Illumination.” This lecture is sponsored by the Class of 1960 Scholars Fund and is both free and open to the public. Professor Sisman has provided the following description of her lecture: “The image of the sun, an eighteenth-century commonplace of worldly power, mythology, planetary motion,…
Find out more »February 2010

Pre-Concert Talk with Composer Russell Platt
Tickets for the concert will be given out at the talk. The music of Russell Platt (b. 1965) has been performed by some of the finest musicians before the public, including the St. Petersburg Quartet (Quintet for Bassoon and Strings, with Peter Kolkay); the violinists Frank Almond and Livia Sohn and the pianists Brian Zeger and Natalie Zhu (Autumn Music/Sonata…
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Prof. Markus Rathey - Class of 1960 Lecture
Defeminizing Virtue – Johann Sebastian Bach’s Hercules-Cantata and the Christmas Oratorio Markus Rathey Associate professor (adjunct) of music history at Yale University. Johann Sebastian Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, composed for the Christmas season in 1734/35, draws heavily on previously composed material, in particular on a group of secular cantatas composed in honor of members of the Electoral court in the Saxon…
Find out more »March 2010

Cello Master Class with Continuum member Christopher Gross
Christopher Gross, cello Christopher Gross has performed with numerous contemporary music ensembles including I.C.E., Flux Quartet, Continuum, and Talea, and has premiered works ranging from Milton Babbitt to James Dillon and Fabien Levy, and worked with composers ranging from Elliott Carter to Brian Ferneyhough and Helmut Lachenmann. He is a founding member of the iO Quartet, Quartet-in-Residence at SUNY Purchase…
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Vocal Master Class with Continuum member Mary Mackenzie, soprano - CANCELED
Mary Elizabeth Mackenzie, soprano Mary Elizabeth Mackenzie has captured the attention of audiences in New York, Chicago, Wisconsin, Philadelphia, Cleveland and Boston. She has worked closely with composers John Harbison, Richard Danielpour, and James Primosch and has appeared with The Juilliard School’s AXIOM Ensemble, Fulcrum Point New Music Project, Continuum, the Oakwood Chamber Players, Red Light New Music, and the…
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Clarinet Master Class with Continuum member Moran Katz
Moran Katz, clarinet MORAN KATZ, clarinetist, has toured extensively through the U.S., Europe, and East Asia as a soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician, presenting recitals in Paris, Geneva, Israel, Kyrgyzstan, New York, San Diego, Chicago, and Cambridge. She has performed with the Ariel, Carmel, Contemporary, and Benaim String Quartets; the Uri Caine Ensemble, and at the Marlboro Music Festival, and…
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Prof. Richard Wolf
Professor Richard Wolf, Harvard Professor of Music, Graduate Advisor in Ethnomusicology "Hearing what you want to hear: Perspectival discrimination in the ritual and drumming of Muharram in South Asia" Shī‘ī muslims and a variety of other communities in south Asia engage in public and private observances of Muharram each year. Narrowly conceived, Muharram is a commemoration of the martyrdom of…
Find out more »September 2010

Auditions: Cello Instruction
Auditions will be held in Room 30 from 5:30 - 7:30pm for cello students to be placed with instructors. Visit the Open House to meet with the instructors ahead of time and sign up for your audition times!
Find out more »
Auditions: Violin and Viola Instruction Placement
Perspective students who are interested in taking violin or viola lessons are cordially invited to audition for placement into the studios of Joanna Kurkowicz, Joana Genova and Scott Woolweaver. Auditions will take place the Artist Studio, Room 27 starting at 5:30 p.m. Sign up sheets will be available at the Open House meeting. Please prepare two examples of your choice…
Find out more »
Auditions: Piano Instruction Placement
Auditions will be held in Room 27 from 2:00 - 4:00pm for piano students to be placed with instructors. Visit the Open House to meet with the instructors ahead of time and sign up for your audition times!
Find out more »
Auditions: Concert and Chamber Choirs
Prospective singers are invited to to audition for Concert Choir directed by Brad Wells. Bring a selection if possible. Auditions will be in Presser Choral Hall, second floor of Bernhard. Sign up sheets will be outside of Brad Wells's office - Bernhard 34 - indicating available times. (The 12:00 pm listed above is a default setting). Further questions may be…
Find out more »
Auditions: Winds for Ensembles
For woodwind and brass students, only one audition is necessary for the Berkshire Symphony, Symphonic Winds, Student Symphony, the Brass Ensemble, and chamber music ensembles. For the Berkshire Symphony and chamber music ensembles, the audition is for membership/placement; for the Symphonic Winds, Brass Ensemble and Student Symphony, the audition is for seating purposes only. Each student should prepare approximately 5-10…
Find out more »
Auditions: Concert and Chamber Choirs
Prospective singers are invited to to audition for Concert Choir directed by Brad Wells. Bring a selection if possible. Auditions will be in Presser Choral Hall, second floor of Bernhard. Sign up sheets will be outside of Brad Wells's office - Bernhard 34 - indicating available times. (The 12:00 pm listed above is a default setting). Further questions may be…
Find out more »
Auditions: Strings for Ensembles
Berkshire Symphony string auditionees should plan on playing as much as they can prepare from Beethoven's Symphony No. 2, opus 36 in D Major and Haydn's Symphony No. 82 in C Major (L'ours, The Bear); plus something lyrical, and something technical of their choosing. There will be no scales or sight reading during the 10 minute informal audition. Placement in…
Find out more »October 2010

Prof. Gary Tomlinson
Professor Gary Tomlinson of the University of Pennsylvania will give a lecture titled 1,000,000 Years of Music on Monday, Oct. 18, at 4:15 p.m. in Bernhard Music Center Room 30 on the Williams College campus. This lecture is sponsored by the Class of 1960 Scholars Fund and is both free and open to the public. Professor Tomlinson has provided the following…
Find out more »November 2010

Department Musicology Lecture
The Williams College Department of Music presents a trio of lectures by our own faculty members on Monday, Nov. 1, at 4:15p p.m. in Bernhard Music Center Room 30. This free event is open to the public. Williams College Music Department faculty members Jennifer Bloxam, W. Anthony Sheppard, and Marjorie Hirsch have all been selected to present papers at the…
Find out more »February 2011

Cello Master Class with members of Momenta
Michael Haas, cello Michael Haas has established himself as an accomplished and exciting young cellist, performing in New York and around the world. In a recent performance his playing was noted as "refined and attractive" by the New York Times. Michael has recently appeared performing chamber music at Alice Tully Hall, the Kennedy Center, and as a guest at the…
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Viola Master Class with members of Momenta
Stephanie Griffin, viola Praised by the New York Times for her “fiery, full-throttle performance” and “virtuoso flair,” Canadian violist Stephanie Griffin performs regularly as a soloist and with a wide range of ensembles, including Carl Maguire’s avant-jazz band Floriculture, the Argento Chamber Ensemble, Continuum, String Orchestra of New York City (SONYC), the Riverside Symphony and the Princeton Symphony, where she…
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Prof. Douglas Boyce '92
Professor Douglas Boyce '92 of The George Washington University will give a lecture titled Memory and Imagination: Music Before and After Composers on Thursday, Feb. 17, at 4:15 p.m. in Bernhard Music Center Room 30 on the Williams College campus. This lecture is sponsored by the Class of 1960 Scholars Fund and is both free and open to the public. Professor…
Find out more »March 2011

Viennese Bass Lecture/Demo - Bret Simner
The Williams College Department of Music presents world-class classical bass player, Bret Simner with a lecture and demonstration on the Viennese Violine on Wednesday, March 9 at 4:15 p.m. in Bernhard Music Center Room 30. This free event is open to the public. In the early classical period approximately twenty-six concertos were written for the Viennese bass by the most…
Find out more »April 2011

Prof. Jeffrey Kallberg
Professor Jeffrey Kallberg of The University of Pennsylvania will give a lecture titled Chopin’s Pencil on Thursday, April 15, at 4:15 p.m. in Bernhard Music Center Room 30 on the Williams College campus. This lecture is sponsored by the Class of 1960 Scholars Fund and is both free and open to the public. Professor Kallberg has provided the following description of…
Find out more »September 2011

Department of Music Open House
The department opens its doors to new and returning students for the annual Open House from 2:30 - 4:30 p.m. This is your opportunity to inquire about music lessons, ensembles, and music classes for 2011/2012 as well as sign up for auditions. Refreshments will be served.
Find out more »
Auditions: Cello Lessons
Auditions will be held in Room 30 from 5:30 - 8pm for cello students to be placed for lessons. Visit the Open House to meet with the teachers ahead of time and sign up for your audition times!
Find out more »
Auditions: Violin and Viola Lessons
Auditions will be held in Room 27 from 6 - 8:30pm for violin and viola students to be placed for lessons. Visit the Open House to meet with the teachers ahead of time and sign up for your audition times!
Find out more »
Auditions: Piano Instruction
Auditions will be held in Room 27 from 2-4pm for piano students to be placed for lessons. Visit the Open House to meet with the instructors ahead of time and sign up for your audition times!
Find out more »
Auditions: Concert and Chamber Choirs
Brad Wells, director Prospective singers are invited to to audition for Concert Choir directed by Brad Wells. Bring a selection if possible. Auditions will be in Presser Choral Hall on the second floor of Bernhard Music Center on Sept. 10 and Sept. 11 from 12 - 5pm . Sign up sheets will be outside of Mr. Wells's office - Bernhard…
Find out more »October 2011

Class of '60 Lecture: Louise Meintjes
Professor Louise Meintjes of Duke University will give a lecture titled “What is at Stake in the Choices Zulu Ngoma Performers Make” on Monday, Oct. 24, at 4:15 p.m. in Bernhard Music Center Room 30 on the Williams College campus. This lecture is sponsored by the Class of 1960 Scholars Fund and is both free and open to the public.…
Find out more »February 2012

Prof. Claude Baker
Professor Claude Baker (b. 1948) gives a pre-concert talk which also includes insights into his composition Three Phantasy Pieces for Viola and Percussion (2003; revised, 2005). The piece was commissioned by the Center for New Music at the University of Iowa for Christine Rutledge and Daniel Moore. Each movement draws its inspiration in turn from three well-known compositions for viola.…
Find out more »March 2012

Pre-Concert Talk with Williams Music Students
Williams music students discuss the composers and pieces featured in the 8:00 concert by the Williams Chamber Players, sharing their insights with the public. Room 30 is located downstairs in the Bernhard Music Center.
Find out more »April 2012

Guest Lecture - Professor Jon Wild
The Williams College Department of Music presents Prof. Jon Wild in a lecture in Room 30 in the Bernhard Music Center on the Williams Campus on Thursday, April 4 at 4:15 p.m. This free event is open to the public. Jon Wild is Assistant Professor at McGill University in Montreal, where he teaches music theory and composition. The talk features…
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Class of '60 Lecture: Walter Frisch
"Meet the Wizard: Harold Arlen, Over the Rainbow, and American Popular Song” The Williams College Department of Music presents musicologist Walter Frisch of Columbia University in a lecture titled, Meet the Wizard: Harold Arlen, ‘Over the Rainbow,’ and American Popular Song. Professor Frisch delivers his lecture in Room 30 of Bernhard Music Center on the Williams College campus on Thursday,…
Find out more »September 2012

Violin/Viola Lesson Auditions
Auditions will be held in Room 27 from 5:15 - 7pm for violin and viola students to be placed for lessons. Visit the Open House to meet with the teachers ahead of time and sign up for your audition times! If you have questions, you can mail joanna@joannakurkowicz.com
Find out more »
Auditions for Cello Lessons
Auditions will be held in Room 30 from 5:15 - 7pm for cello students who wish to take lessons. Visit the Music Department Open House to meet with the teachers ahead of time and sign up for your audition times!
Find out more »
Auditions for Vocal Lessons
Students interested in voice lessons are invited to audition for placement into the studios of Keith Kibler, Kerry Ryer-Parke, Marlene Walt, and Erin Nafzinger. Auditions take place in Presser Choral Hall. Sign up sheets available at Open House and also outside the office of Brad Wells. Please bring one song best representing your singing ability.
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Auditions for Piano Lessons
Auditions are held in Room 27 from 2-4pm for piano students who wish to take lessons. Visit the Music Department Open House and meet with piano faculty ahead of time and sign up for your audition times!
Find out more »
Music Department Open House
The music department opens its doors to new and returning students for the annual Open House from 2:30 - 4:00 p.m. All are invited to inquire about music lessons, ensembles, and music classes for 2012/2013 as well as sign up for auditions. Refreshments served.
Find out more »
Auditions: Concert and Chamber Choirs
Brad Wells, director Prospective singers are invited to to audition for Concert and Chamber Choirs directed by Brad Wells. Bring a selection if possible. Auditions will be in Presser Choral Hall on the second floor of Bernhard Music Center on Sept. 7 and Sept. 8 from 12 - 5pm. Sign up sheets will be outside of Presser Choral Hall -…
Find out more »
Auditions: Winds for Ensembles
For woodwind and brass students, only one audition is necessary for the Berkshire Symphony, Wind Ensemble, Student Symphony, the Brass Ensemble, and chamber music ensembles. For the Berkshire Symphony and chamber music ensembles, the audition is for membership/placement; for the Wind Ensemble, Brass Ensemble and Student Symphony, the audition is for seating purposes only. Each student should prepare approximately 5-10…
Find out more »
Auditions for String Musicians, Berkshire Symphony and Student Symphony
Berkshire Symphony string auditionees should plan on playing something lyrical, and something technical of their choosing. We will also look for you to play excerpts of your choosing from Brahms' Symphony No. 4. The parts will be uploaded and you can click on them below. There will be no scales or sight reading during the 10 minute informal audition. Placement…
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Stephen Drury - Master Class
The Williams College Department of Music presents pianist Stephen Drury on Tuesday, Sept. 25 at 4:15 p.m. in Brooks-Rogers Recital Hall. This free event is open to the public. Renowned pianist and conductor Stephen Drury visits Williams presenting an introduction to John Cage’s 1948 masterpiece, Sonatas and Interludes for prepared piano. In a tour of this landmark work, Mr. Drury…
Find out more »October 2012

Class of '60 Lecture with Steven Walsh
Professor Stephen Walsh of Cardiff University gives a lecture titled The Russian Nationalists: a 'handful', certainly, but how 'mighty'? on Monday, Oct. 15, at 4:15 p.m. in Bernhard Music Center Room 30 on the Williams College campus. This lecture is sponsored by the Class of 1960 Scholars Fund and is free and open to the public. Vladimir Stasov, the mentor of…
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Meeting for All Prospective Music Majors
This is an event for Williams College students interested in finding out more about majoring in music. Pizza will be served.
Find out more »November 2012

Class of 1960 Lecture with Robert Kyr
Class of 1960 lecturer Prof. Robert Kyr of the University or Oregon Robert Kyr, gives a talk about his music, titled Waging Peace through Text & Music, on Thursday 11/1 at 4:15 in Bernhard Rm 30. The talk explores peacemaking through music using examples from several of his projects: Symphony No. 10 ("Ah Nagasaki: Ashes into Light"); "A Time for…
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Master Classes with Edward Arron, cello; Kyung Sun Lee, violin
Concert artists Edward Arron, cello, and Kyung Sun Lee, violin, listen to and critique the playing of Williams College music students. This is a wonderful opportunity to experience the interaction between master and journeyman musician. Mr. Aaron presides in Chapin Hall while Ms. Lee works with violinists in the Brooks-Rogers Recital Hall. Free and open to the public.
Find out more »February 2013

Class of 1960 Lecture with Prof. Neil Lerner
The Specter of Early Cinema Music in Early Video Games Professor Neil Lerner of Davidson College gives a lecture titled The Specter of Early Cinema Music in Early Video Games on Thursday, Feb. 21, at 4:15 p.m. in Bernhard Music Center Room 30 on the Williams College campus. This lecture is sponsored by the Class of 1960 Scholars Fund and…
Find out more »April 2013

Class of 1960 Lecture with Prof. Klara Moricz
Professor Klara Moricz of Amherst College gives a lecture titled The Passion of Marfa: History, Drama, and Mythology in Mussorgsky’s Khovanshchina on Tuesday, April 23, at 4:15 p.m. in Bernhard Music Center Room 30 on the Williams College campus. This lecture is sponsored by the Class of 1960 Scholars Fund and is free and open to the public. Unlike Boris Godunov,…
Find out more »September 2013

Williams College Department of Music Open House
The music department opens its doors to new and returning students for the annual Open House from 2:30 - 4:00 p.m. All are invited to meet with faculty, artists in residence, and artist associates. You can find out about auditions, music lessons, ensembles, and music classes for 2013/2014. Students can sign up for lesson or ensemble auditions right on the spot. Refreshments served.
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Lesson Auditions for Violinists and Violists
Violinists and violists who would like to take lessons with Joanna Kurkowicz, Joana Genova, or Ah ling Neu have the opportunity to audition in Room 27 from 5:15 - 7pm. Visit the Open House to meet with the teachers nd sign up for your audition times!
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Lesson Auditions for Cellists
Artist Associate in Cello Nathaniel Parke hosts auditions in Room 30 from 5:15 - 7pm for cello students who wish to take lessons. Visit the Music Department Open House to meet Nathaniel Parke and sign up for an audition time!
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Voice Lesson Auditions
Students interested in voice lessons are invited to audition for placement into the studios of Keith Kibler, Kerry Ryer-Parke, Marlene Walt, Erin Nafziger, and Brad Wells. Auditions take place in Presser Choral Hall. Sign up sheets are available at Open House and also outside the office of Brad Wells. Please bring one song best representing your singing ability.
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Lesson and Ensemble Auditions for Pianists
Piano students who wish to take lessons can audition in Room 27 from 2-4pm. Visit the Music Department Open House and meet with piano faculty Doris Stevenson, Elizabeth Wright, and Edwin Lawrence and sign up for your audition times!
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Choir Auditions
Prospective singers are invited to audition for Concert Choir and Chamber Choir directed by Brad Wells. Bring a selection if possible. Auditions are held in Presser Choral Hall on the second floor of Bernhard Music Center on Saturday, September 7 and Sunday, September 8 from 12 - 5pm.
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Ensemble Auditions for Wind Instrumentalists
For woodwind and brass students, only one audition is necessary for the Berkshire Symphony, Wind Ensemble, Student Symphony, the Brass Ensemble, and chamber music ensembles. For the Berkshire Symphony and chamber music ensembles, the audition is for membership/placement; for the Wind Ensemble, Brass Ensemble and Student Symphony, the audition is for seating purposes only. Each student should prepare approximately 5-10 minutes of…
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Ensemble Auditions for String Instrumentalists
String players auditioning for the Berkshire Symphony should play something lyrical, and something technical of their choosing. Please also choose excerpts from Brahms Symphony No. 4 in E minor, op. 98 (the uploads are below.) There will be no scales or sight reading. Placement in Student Symphony and chamber music groupings is also arranged at this time. Returning students must re-audition. Excerpts are necessary…
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