Northwestern University

neumes
Wed, 22 Oct 2008 09:06:07 +0000

Existing Regenstein Hall will be connected to the new building. I believe that it currently holds the strings, brass and woodwinds and orchestra/band.

Re: Music in general: I can’t put up a YouTube link, but if you go there, look for “northwesternu” for a bazillion videos of this and that from the school. Also on the northwestern.edu website, look for Pick-Staiger’s videos. I watched a Renee Fleming masterclass there and am hoping for the Barbara Cook video (son (freshman, vocal performance, says she was “incredible”). Son says the acoustics in Lutkin hall are really good, but I’m guessing that Lutkin won’t be used by Bienen after the new building is finished (which will be after he graduates!).

Re: Jazz. I really don’t know anything about the revitalized Jazz program except that it’s receiving lots of coverage in the latest Fanfare, the Bienen publication, and the talk given to freshman parents made much of the new director, as well as the new percussion professor, She-e-Wu, and new director of opera, Jay Lesenger (apparently the last director was roundly disliked and people are thrilled about Jay, as is my son’s home voice teacher, who with his wife, an opera singer, say Jay is outstanding at Chautauqua). One interesting thing is that Jay has established that no freshman and sophomores can audition for solos in opera but can audition for the choruses. Interesting, and I would say–with my limited knowledge–appropriate. Son’s friend at Manhattan School of Music says the new position there is that no undergraduates can sing in MSM operas, either as soloists or in the chorus.