Blog post by Chris Maskell

When thinking about musicians who feel equally at home in both the classical and jazz realms, not many players come to mind. It’s challenging to keep a foot in both doors and meet the unique demands required to be proficient in both styles. One might think of a pianist or trumpet player for the few who do make it work, but probably not a violinist. Luckily for us, Schulich’s own Mark Fewer serves as a prime example that it can be done – and done well.

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Published on: 17 Oct 2016

Professor Brenda Ravenscroft will be the next Dean of the Schulich School of Music. Currently Associate Dean (Teaching and Learning) at Queen’s Faculty of Arts and Science, and Professor of Music Theory and Analysis at Queen’s University, Prof. Ravenscroft will begin her mandate at Schulich in July of 2017. Prof. Ravenscroft taught Music Theory at McGill’s Faculty of Music from 1991 to 1993, and has maintained close ties with McGill colleagues through research and teaching interests.

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Published on: 7 Oct 2016

On  September 23rd and 24th, the McGill Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Maestro Alexis Hauser, performed its first concert of the season. The piano soloist was Anna Peletsis.  Reviewer Patricia Morales has published this Spanish blog post about the program.  The complete works included:  Ludwig van Beethoven:  Egmont Overture, Op. 84; Aram Khachaturian:  Concerto for piano in D flat major, Op. 38; Piotr Ilitch Tchaïkovsky Symphony No.

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Published on: 7 Oct 2016

Ilya Poletaev is a Moscow-born pianist who is an assistant professor of music at the Schulich School of Music of McGill University in Montreal, but has a wide-ranging international career. Next Wednesday, he will appear in the University of Victoria’s Orion Series in Fine Arts. Read the complete blog post in the Times Colonist here

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Published on: 7 Oct 2016

A jazz renaissance man who not only plays drums and piano, but also has been on faculty at McGill University and and behind the board as a respected and prodigious recording engineer, Andre White, 57, has been a towering yet humble musical giant in Montreal and beyond since the mid-1980s.   In this article by Peter Hum discover the impact White has had on the Canadian jazz scene, and learn why he recently released three albums digitally.

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Published on: 3 Oct 2016

Joshua Morris is a Masters in Cello Performance student of Professor Brian Manker.  He was recently a semifinalist in the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, and has also been a finalist of the McGill Classical Concerto Music Competition.  The Peter Mendell Award is intended to foster the development of musical excellence, and was founded by lawyer Peter Mendell in 2005.

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Published on: 30 Sep 2016

Blog post by Chris Maskell

The partnership between jazz singer Theo Bleckmann and drummer John Hollenbeck has taken many forms over the years. One month, they may be touring with Prof. Hollenbeck’s Large Ensemble, while not much later, a listener might find them improvising mind-bending duets in front of a rapt audience. Next week, they are set to explore yet another new musical setting during their performance at the Schulich School of Music with McGill’s Jazz Choir.

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Published on: 28 Sep 2016

The Schulich School of Music’s Kelly Rice recently met with pianist and music teacher Catherine Steele (née Thornhill) to discuss her life in music, beginning with her childhood in Newfoundland.  

She is the inspiration behind the Catherine Thornhill Steele Visiting Artist Fund, created by Seymour Schulich in 2005 to honour her.

In this photo: Catherine Thornhill at her graduation recital

Notes from the interview

Kelly Rice: Tell me about your first musical memories.

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Published on: 28 Sep 2016

The Schulich School of Music enthusiastically announces the establishment of the Graham Sommer Competition for Young Composers, open to all Canadian composers under 35 years old.  The school will host the first edition of the competition in 2017, thanks to generous support from Dr. Graham Sommer, M.D. C.M. ’72.  

Full McGill Reporter article by Andrew Mahon:

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Published on: 28 Sep 2016

Blog post by Chris Maskell:

Since she became part of the faculty of the Schulich School of Music in 1992, ten of Professor Marina Mdivani’s students have won the McGill Concerto Competition. The most recent of these, Anna Peletsis, shares an interesting parallel with Mdivani’s past – both attended the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory and eventually relocated to Canada.

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Published on: 22 Sep 2016

Schulich School of Music Doctoral piano student Zhenni Li  has won Second Prize in the 15th Annual International Edvard Grieg Competition which was held September 2-10 in Bergen, Norway.  In addition to the 20,000 euro second prize, Ms. Li was also awarded the 1000 euro Orchestra Prize.  Ms. Li is a student of Prof. Stéphane Lemelin.

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Published on: 12 Sep 2016

Jeremy Cox has been named 2016-2017 Schulich Distinguished Visiting Chair in Music. He brings to the school an expertise that spans performance, scholarship, teaching, academic leadership, and curriculum design.  Prof. Cox will be involved in many aspects of school life this year, including teaching, conference organization, academic review, and writing.

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Published on: 12 Sep 2016

We wish to congratulate this year’s winners of the 2016 edition of the Banff International String Quartet Competition, the Rolston String Quartet. Formed in 2013 by Luri Lee and Jeffrey Dyrda (BMus 2009) on violin, Hezekiah Leung on viola and Jonathan Lo on cello, this Canadian string quartet is currently the graduate Quartet-in-Residence at Rice University’s Shepard School of Music. Other achievements for the Quartet include first place at the 2016 Chamber Music Yellow Springs Competition, and prizes at the M-Prize and Bordeaux International String Quartet Competitions.

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Published on: 9 Sep 2016

(Blog article by Laurie Niles)

August 8, 2016, 12:47 PM · Where was Edward Klorman when I was drowning in frustration during music theory class?

I've always come to music as a violinist -- a one-line player in an orchestra or ensemble. Reading was just a means of getting the music into my head and into my fingers, and though I felt like I had a deep understanding of harmony, it was completely instinctual and experiential.

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Published on: 6 Sep 2016

(Article by Richard Burnett, Montreal Gazette)

One of the finest operatic singers of his generation, tenor John Mac Master began his storied showbiz career in Montreal and the West Island singing in 1970s rock ‘n’ roll bar bands.

“My longest-lasting band was called Jade, and we played Top 40 hits like Taking Care of Business and December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night),” says Mac Master, who was the band’s charismatic, long-haired lead singer. “We played bars like the John Bull Pub downtown and roadhouses on the lakeshore.”

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Published on: 31 Aug 2016

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