PASADENA, Calif.-A group of people at the California Institute of Technology will be going where no Caltech group has gone before: Carnegie Hall. On Saturday, May 24, approximately 60 performers in the Caltech-Occidental Concert Band will travel to New York City to play at the renowned concert hall.
"We are extremely excited about this," says senior physics major and clarinetist Lauren Porter, who has been integral in organizing the trip. "It's a huge opportunity for us. Everything we play will be the culmination of a lot of hard work."
William Bing, director of bands, has been working at Caltech for nearly 35 years. In addition to his work at the Institute, he is a professional trumpet player who has played at such venues as Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, and Disney Concert Hall, but this will be his first time performing at Carnegie Hall.
Bing handpicked pieces for the concert to fit the venue. For instance, "Chorale and Alleluia," by Howard Hanson, was chosen because it suits the famous acoustics of the hall. "Prairie Hymn," by Joseph Curiale, on the other hand, was chosen for its "meditative quality, and it's a contrast to the other pieces, which are much louder."
In addition, Paul Asimow, associate professor of geology and geochemistry at Caltech, will be conducting "Be Glad Then, America," by William Schuman, a piece that Asimow has known since playing with the Harvard University Band and the Harvard Wind Ensemble in college. Asimow says it treats timpani as a melody instrument. "Our timpanist, Scott Babcock, is one of the few professional members of the band, and I am happy to give him this opportunity."
Featured in the Carnegie Hall concert will be Caltech alumna and vocal soloist Kjerstin Williams (BS '00, MS '02, PhD '06). She has been a member of the Caltech jazz and concert bands since her freshman year as a trombonist, but singing brings her an indescribable thrill. "To sing with a wall of music behind you, there's nothing quite like it. Karaoke doesn't even begin to touch it." This will be her fourth time performing as a soloist with the Caltech-Occidental Concert Band, and this time she will be singing George and Ira Gershwin's "Someone to Watch Over Me." Williams says the audiences at Caltech music events are always enthusiastic, and there are loyal friends of the music program who come to concert after concert, year after year.
"I'm hoping word gets out to our alumni and friends on the East Coast so the Caltech community can share in the experience," notes Williams.
Caltech president Jean-Lou Chameau says, "I'm excited that the musical talent of Caltech students will be discovered by a Carnegie Hall audience. They'll have the chance to experience first-hand the wonderful connection between science and music."
Bing and others in the band hope this trip to Carnegie Hall will shine a brighter light on their work in the Caltech community. About 20 percent of students at Caltech are involved in the music program, which includes chamber music ensembles, jazz bands, a symphony orchestra, and several vocal ensembles. For the band members heading to New York City in May, Bing knows this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. "The trip and performance will be a memory of a lifetime for everyone in the band."
The Caltech-Occidental Concert Band has produced three CDs and performed for thousands of people. The ensemble features Caltech and Occidental College students, alumni, faculty and staff, employees from JPL, as well as members from the local community. Student performances at Caltech are organized by Performing and Visual Arts, which is sponsored by Student Affairs.
Carnegie Hall, founded by Andrew Carnegie, opened on May 5, 1891 (the same year that Caltech started as Throop University), with a concert featuring the American debut of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The music hall was immediately heralded as a triumph for music and architecture. Musicians featured at Carnegie Hall include Vladimir Horowitz, Arthur Rubenstein, the Boston Symphony, the Chicago Symphony, and jazz greats like Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington. Today, Carnegie Hall presents more than 190 concerts each year.
For more information, visit http://www.music-theater-art.caltech.edu or contact Performing and Visual Arts at (626) 395-3295.
Written by Allison Benter