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Music Library Association Annual Meeting 2024: Perspectives from Emerging Professionals

Posted by & filed under Student Features.

Edited by Kristin Wolski

Introduction

Several student assistants from the UNT Music Library, including a recent graduate of the Music Librarianship program, attended this year’s Annual Meeting of the Music Library Association in Cincinnati, Ohio from February 28-March 3, 2024. It was a fun-filled week of learning and meeting new colleagues within the profession; for some, this included a road trip that was one for the ages, with UNT music librarian Blaine Brubaker leading the way! In this post, three emerging music librarianship professionals describe their experiences.

Steven Sellers

Steven is a recent graduate of the music librarianship program at the University of North Texas and now uses skills learned through the College of Information and at the Music Library to create metadata in a new position. Prior to starting his new job, Steven attended the Music Library Association conference and participated in a variety of ways, from presenting on video game music to performing in the big and rock bands. About his experience, Steven shares:

“I recently had the privilege to present at the annual Music Library Association conference in Cincinnati, Ohio in February/March of 2024, and I had a pretty remarkable experience! I worked with my colleagues at UNT and other institutions to discuss the lifecycle of video game music in the library, with our panel being led by Joshua Deringer of the University of Minnesota. My section of the presentation focused on preservation of video game music (VGM), and I was elated to see so many eager researchers, musicians, and librarians that were interested and attending our presentation. Some of the topics I talked about included how it is important to enclose your media, store items in a climate-controlled environment, and remove any batteries of media or playback devices to prevent corrosion. My colleagues also spoke on topics in their area of expertise, like VGM access, acquisitions, research and outreach. In order to properly prepare for this presentation, I created a list of common problems I have encountered in my own work as a music processor and preservation assistant. I also reviewed materials from classes I have taken on the subject of preservation during my Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) degree. Additionally, I met with a colleague at Willis library who specializes in preservation and briefly interviewed them about some of the practices they employ when considering how to properly retrieve, store, and preserve media. I compiled this information into a brief bulleted list of notes, and included some keywords and transitional phrases to allow me to keep my focus on the audience attending our presentation rather than reading my notes verbatim. Overall, I am really pleased with the result and grateful for the opportunity to work with more established professionals in my field on a topic that we are all passionate about. Below is a photo that we took at a Buc-ees along the way :)”

Steven is currently working on a co-authored writing piece for the Journal of Sound and Music in Games as part of the Press Start Special Series within the journal.

Joseph Sioui

This was Joseph’s first year attending the conference and was one of the recipients of the association’s Diversity Scholarship. About the scholarship, Joseph writes, “It was an honor to be acknowledged for my passion for improving diversity at music libraries. It made it possible for me to attend the conference.” About the conference, Joseph states, “I had a great experience! Getting involved in the big band, rock band, and attending all of the lunches/coffee breaks, receptions, and presentations that I could. It was fun and helped me feel comfortable, grow, and network with other attendees.”

For more about Joseph’s work, visit the American Indigenous Music LibGuide, as well as a cataloged record of a nineteenth- century composer of Narragansett heritage that he created during a two-month internship at The Eda Kuhn Loeb Music Library at Harvard University. Joseph also published a blog post highlighting music by native artists and has shared his research through tabling events on campus.

three people standing near a buc'ees franchise beaver statue

Left to right: Steven Sellers, Buc-ee, Blaine Brubaker, and Joseph Sioui.

Alexa Frederick

Alexa prepared an informative poster presentation on open access educational resources for this year’s conference and describes some helpful opportunities offered through the Music Library Association’s mentoring program and the Music Library Student and Emerging Professionals Interest Group (MLStP). She reflects:

“I recently attended my first National Music Library Association conference in Cincinnati, Ohio at the end of February and beginning of March 2024. I had an amazing experience at the conference through the conference mentorship program, the MLStEP events, and by presenting my first in-person poster!

For any students or early career professionals attending their first MLA, I would highly recommend participating in the conference mentorship program! It’s a great opportunity to meet new librarians in the music librarianship profession. I was paired with Catherine Hammer, who works as a librarian at AMDA College and Conservatory of the Performing Arts in New York City. We met at the first-time attendee’s reception, which is a welcome event for first time conference attendees and mentors, and we attended sessions together. Catherine introduced me to other professionals in MLA that I might not have met otherwise! There are other networking events sponsored by MLStEP, which is the students and emerging professionals’ group in MLA. There was an MLStEP social at the hotel where students and emerging professionals gathered to talk and enjoy drinks at the hotel. There was also a karaoke night that was open to students and emerging professionals. I was surrounded by a wonderful community of students and professionals at MLA as a first-time attendee!

I also had the opportunity to present a poster at MLA. My poster is called Free and Open Access Resources for Music Education Students and Music Educators. This poster was initially a project I worked on as a senior music education student where I gave a research presentation on critical source evaluation for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion resources for the music classroom. I realized that the free online resources I collected for that project would be helpful for librarians across the country to share with their music education faculty and patrons. In addition to sharing those resources, I researched the needs of educators when it comes to accessing resources for the classroom. I was initially nervous about presenting this poster. I prepared for the presentation by receiving feedback through one-on-one meetings with the Information Literacy and Outreach Librarian, Kristin Wolski, and completing practice presentations with the librarians at the Music Library. At the conference, there were many people that were receptive to learning more about how they can support their music education students and music educator patrons. I am grateful for the opportunity and felt successful in sharing the information about this topic with other librarians.”

Woman standing in front of poster at conference
Alexa Frederick Standing with Poster at the Music Library Association Conference 2024.

Alexa continues, “For any students looking to grow their network and learn more about music librarianship, I highly recommend attending an MLA meeting. While I enjoyed the National conference, I understand that attending this kind of conference might be financially daunting. There are support systems in place from MLA to help students attend through scholarships, travel grants, and the room lottery. There are regional chapters as well that host meetings. The cost of attendance is typically lower than the national conference, and the regional chapter meetings are easier to travel to.”

Woman presenting at a conference in front of a poster
Alexa Frederick Presenting Poster at The Music Library Association Annual Meeting 2024.

Regional Chapter Meetups

three people at a restaurant taking a selfie
Left to right: Megan Cooper, Alexa Frederick, and Blaine Brubaker

An added bonus about the annual Music Library Association meeting is that regional chapters often meet for a fun dinner! The annual meeting also serves as an excellent time to reconnect with local colleagues. From the Texas Music Library Association dinner, Alexa met with colleagues Blaine Brubaker (University of North Texas) and Megan Cooper, (Prairie View A&M University), with the rest of the Texas crew pictured behind them.

Generations of K-pop Explained: Part Three

Posted by & filed under K-Pop, Student Publications, Uncategorized.

Hae-jeen Ryou

 

Generation Three 

With a sturdy foundation of choreography, vocals, and merchandise from the previous generations, the years 2012-2018/2019 represent the third generation of K-pop. During this generation, the Hallyu Wave starts to expand to the Western Hemisphere. While Western media infiltrated Korean media for decades before this time, Korean media finally reached the West and is still expanding its global audience. Some would argue that Psy’s “Gangnam Style” in 2012 was the start of Generation Three, others believe that groups such as EXO, BTS, Seventeen, TWICE, and Blackpink paved the way. When Psy’s viral music video became a huge sensation, K-pop was introduced to many who did not know this genre of music existed. Soon, fans became curious about K-pop, allowing people to find other third generation groups. 


Figure 1. BTS at the 2022 Grammy Awards

With this influx of attention, Generation Three started debuting a string of members called the “global line”. These members are artists that are not from Korea but went through similar training periods to debut. Trainees spend months to years practicing dancing, singing, rapping, acting, and more while going to school. These students spend hours a day in a practice room honing their skills to hopefully debut and transition into “idol” status.  International trainees would take additional classes to learn Korean and experience Korean culture. These members are a crucial part of each team in performances, but also when communicating with fans from different countries. As K-pop continues to expand, groups want to ensure they can communicate with fans around the world. Idols can audition from practically anywhere, including the United States, Canada, Australia, Britain, Indonesia, Thailand, Japan, China, Mongolia, and more.  

This extended communication is especially helpful when groups started Asia and World Tours. As Korean media became popular, entertainment companies fulfilled international fans’ wishes to see their favorite artists in person. These tours could last for months, or even a year, and allowed artists to meet their fans. Many groups have a translator at venues to be able to communicate more easily. Members who can speak the fan’s language fluently communicate without delay, creating an exciting concert experience for both fans and artists. 


Figure 2. Seventeen’s “Be the Sun” World Tour in Ft. Worth, Texas

Much of Generation Three’s merchandise was similar to Generation Two, but photocards and light sticks became a staple in the K-pop industry. More advancements in advertisement and merchandise were made in Generation Four. 

Generation Four

The fourth generation of K-pop groups starts around 2018/2019, bringing a new era of sound and sampling. Groups and producers experiment with different genres and instrumentation that are not traditional in K-pop. In the early stage of Generation Four, many groups sampled tracks from classical music, such as J.S Bach’s “Air on the G String” in Red Velvet’s “Feel My Rhythm,” or Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 9” in Ateez’s “Wonderland.”  Additionally, some groups started sampling tracks from other music, such as Frere Jacques’ “Traditional Folk” in NMIXX’s “Young, Dumb, Stupid,” and “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor in IVE’s “After Like.” Along with samples in songs, Generation Four starts expanding into different genres of music. Groups and solo artists are expanding into genres like reggaetón, such as LE SSERAFIM’s “Fire in the Belly” and Kai’s “Rover,” or rock and hip-hop in Stray Kids’ “Time Out” and “District 9”.   


Figure 3. LE SSERAFIM, Generation Four Artist

This is also the generation of COVID-19. Covid greatly affected the K-pop industry. Due to social distancing requirements, idols were not able to meet fans in person or go on tours. This resulted in many events moving to a virtual platform and forced companies and fans to find creative ways to support each other during these rough times. In-person fan-sign events and concerts were moved online and even merch became available virtually.  

Fans all over the world would use social media like X (formerly Twitter) to publish forums and post compilation videos of themselves singing the artists’ songs. Official fan accounts would team up with the artists’ management company and send these videos to show at concerts as a surprise event/gift for the artist. Fans also showed support by ordering café or food trucks and sending them to the artists’ filming sites so the artists and staff could eat while working.  

Although the pandemic was a hard and bleak time, it created new methods of entertainment. Even now as the pandemic has relaxed, many artists continue to have online and in-person concert tickets for both Korean fans and international fans. They also have online opportunities such as birthday and anniversary events and web magazines.  

As K-pop and the Hallyu Wave continue to grow, more generations of K-pop will emerge and bring new music and entertainment to a vast worldwide audience. Some say Generation Five is already here, with new groups such as NewJeans, ZEROBASEONE, and BoyNextDoor bringing a happier and more nostalgic sound. Others say K-pop is in a transition phase, but fans can only wait with hope to see what Generation Five and beyond can bring to this genre of music.  

Check out our playlist featuring music from the groups mentioned in this blog!

Reflections on Musical Responses to HIV and AIDS

Posted by & filed under Student Publications, Uncategorized.

Mathew Velilla (Author), Meghan Sprabary and Kristin Wolski (Editors)

This blog was initially inspired by a library Subject Guide that I helped curate in the Spring of 2021. The guide is a compilation of LGBTQ+-related resources that we have in the Music Library collection at the Willis Library. As it developed, I was interested in starting a project relating to the music and history of the AIDS virus in the United States from the 1980s until now. 

Since the start of the HIV/AIDS epidemic during the 1980s, the disease has taken the lives of 675,000 Americans and nearly 40.1 million globally. As a Latino and gay musician, I found this topic hitting close to home. I have friends and acquaintances who have the virus and are living happily today due to advancements in medicine.  I wish to push more awareness about the disease that has plagued the gay community, and how we have made tremendous strides in a positive direction to find new treatments for HIV/AIDS. How does this relate to music, you may ask? Well, if we take a quick peek in history, we find that some of the great composers we know of today were part of the LGBTQ+ community. However, they were not always able to express their true nature publicly. 

When the HIV/AIDS epidemic hit, the gay community was impacted significantly as the disease spread like wildfire. The disease was even originally known as GRID (Gay Related Immune Disease) because the first infections were found in gay men, but it quickly changed when they found infections other groups. However, upon initial discovery of the virus, people did not know how it was spread or even why it was lethal. The lack of knowledge and awareness had created high amounts of stigma for those infected. The gay community faced significant fear and anger, and some even termed the disease “gay cancer.” The widespread impact of HIV/AIDS on the gay community inspired several protests and initiatives to try to control the disease, such as promoting contraception and sexual health, and easily accessible health care for those infected. Readers can learn more about HIV and AIDs through the MedlinePlus open-access database.

Responding through Art

As time went on, many celebrities came out as HIV positive, such as Liberace, Rock Hudson, Freddie Mercury. Other celebrities became HIV activists, like Princess Diana of Wales and Elizabeth Taylor. Due to the work of those celebrities and many other activists, HIV/AIDS began to be less stigmatized, and awareness grew for the disease and those infected. Many popular and classical musicians responded by composing new music. Pop songs such as “The Last Song” by Elton John, “Streets of Philadelphia” by Bruce Springsteen, Janet Jackson’s “Together Again,” and Madonna and her song “In this Life” were all inspired by the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

Musicians also responded musically to this time. One of the most significant pieces to come out of this time is New York City composer John Corigliano’s Symphony no.1. His first Symphony is based on his grief at the loss of so many friends during the epidemic. The piece was commissioned for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and debuted in 1991. Symphony no. 1 has four movements of bittersweet memories, anger and strife, denial and acceptance, confusion and understanding. It was inspired by the AIDS Memorial Quilt, one of the most impactful pieces of advocacy throughout the epidemic. Each AIDS Memorial Quilt panel was 6‘ x 3‘ to represent the size of an average grave. Names of deceased AIDS victims were stitched into the quilt panels, along with art, belongings, and memories. The inaugural display of the AIDS Memorial Quilt was on October 11, 1987 in Washington, D.C. during the March on Washington for LGBT rights. 1920 panels were displayed at the time, but it continues to grow and now has nearly 50,000 panels.

Several other pieces of music were inspired by the AIDS Quilt, including Corigliano’s Ghost of Versailles, Mark Adamos’ Late Victorians, and Kevin Oldham’s Sarabande and Toccata, Op. 19.  The UNT Music Library has the original AIDS Quilt Songbook available for checkout if you would like to explore more music inspired by the HIV/AIDS crisis.

Likewise, local communities in DFW responded by making quilts to honor loved ones. For example, the Turtle Creek Chorale submitted panel block number 0600 to the AIDS Memorial Quilt. Also, Michael-David Light created a quilt honoring Turtle Creek Chorale members lost to AIDS. Find more resources from the Dallas Metroplex Chapter of the NAMES Project Foundation in the UNT Digital Library, as well as in the UNT Digital Libraries’ LGBT Collections. Also, find out more information about local responses by visiting the UNT Libraries’ Special Collection from 2017, Threads of Remembrance.

Listens to selections from the artists discussed above on our Spotify playlist.

Generations of K-pop Explained: Part Two

Posted by & filed under K-Pop, Student Publications.

Hae-jeen Ryou

Generation One

Through the decades, K-pop has expanded in terms of choreography, genres and merchandise. This three-part series discusses the different generations of K-pop. In the previous blog, we talked about the history of Korean music before the rise of K-pop idols. Today, we will discuss the first two generations of K-pop and the rise of the Hallyu Wave.

The first generation of K-pop started with the debut of the trio boyband, Seo Taiji and Boys. They debuted in 1992 on MBC’s Talent Show, a national televised show in Seoul. Seo Taiji and Boys’ popularity was overwhelming from the start. Seo Taiji and Boys’ debut song “I KNOW” introduced a new sound and style of music into Korean mainstream culture. The song incorporated more Western style of pop instead of the more traditional Korean music and funk. With this change, Seo Taiji and Boys grew popular with the younger generation. This provided more challenges, but more room for exploration within Korean pop music. After their incredible success, Seo Taiji and Boys disbanded and each member went on their own paths. Seo Taiji continued to do music as a soloist, while Yang Hyun Sik set up an entertainment company, Y.G. Entertainment, that dominated K-pop in the early 2000s. The last member, Lee Juno, was involved in a scandal and is no longer covered in media. After their disbandment, a new group of artists came into the spotlight.

Three K-pop bandmembers

Figure 1. Seo Taiji and Boys

H.O.T. became the first group to be named “idols” in the industry. Idols can be defined as students who undergo intense training for the purpose of debuting as dancers and singers. H.O.T. debuted under the management of S.M Entertainment and quickly gained a huge fan base. After H.O.T., more groups such as S.E.S., G.O.D., and Shinhwa debuted and expanded K-pop nationally, solidifying the sound of Generation One K-pop. Soloists such as BOA and RAIN were also very popular during this time. Their strong visuals, based on the Korean beauty standards such as pale skin, thin bodies, and symmetrical facial features, and their “scandalous” performances and music videos were perceived as risqué.

Most K-pop groups of this time promoted their music by going on music shows. Korea took influence from the Western TV channel MTV and produced their own version of music charts and awards. These music shows were a way for artists to show off their performances and gain popularity. As technological advancements progressed and broadcast companies started televising variety shows, more opportunities for idols arose. These variety shows allowed idols to introduce themselves to people not in their immediate audience group and gain popularity in a larger age range.

Generation Two

Generation Two of K-pop starts around 2001 and ends around 2011. Many more idol groups debuted, such as Big Bang, Girls Generation (SNSD), Shinee, 2NE1, Wonder Girls, and Super Junior. The choreography of each generation became more intricate over time. However, one of the main differences between Generation One and Generation Two were the different types of merchandise that were sold with the groups’ albums.

The classic album consisted of the CD and a photobook with the album description. However, starting in Generation Two, the first photocard was printed by SM entertainment. A photocard is a collectible picture of a member or group, about the size of a debit card. The first appearance of these photocards were in Girls Generation’s album “Oh!” in 2010. As more companies started to print their own photocards, many also added goods like multiple photocards, postcards and posters to their albums. Fans were excited for these additions and used these tradeable collectibles as a way to communicate with others within the fanbase.

Eight band members with pink background

Figure 2. Girls Generation 2022 “Forever 1” Press Conference

During this time, the first lightstick was made for and by the K-pop group, Bigbang. The members wanted to see their fans in the crowd while they performed and proceeded to have lightsticks made for fans to purchase. With the release of “the Bangbong,” the official name of Bigbang’s lightstick, many idol groups were influenced and produced their own. This allowed each fandom to be more uniform, feel independent from other fandoms during performances, and created a sense of fandom loyalty.

variety of K-pop lightsticks

Figure 3. K-pop Lightsticks

The emergence of collectibles and fandom loyalty, on top of the idols’ performances and music, made K-pop a big hit across the nation and outside of South Korea. Between 2001 and 2011, the first expansive wave of Hallyu media expanded across Central and South Asia. “Hallyu” is a Korean term defined as Korean media, such as Korean dramas, movies, music, food, etc. This spread of Korean media is known as the “Hallyu Wave”. Prior to K-pop, Korean dramas and movies were already being consumed outside of Korea. However, as more K-pop groups emerged and fanbases expanded, the Hallyu Wave extended to Western hemisphere. As we explore later generations in our final blog, we will see more global accomplishments and recognition for K-Pop artists and the effects of COVID-19 Pandemic on the genre as a whole.

Check out our playlist featuring music from K-pop Generations one and two below!

Generations of K-pop Explained: Part One

Posted by & filed under K-Pop, Student Publications.

HAE-JEEN RYOU

Korean pop, better known as K-pop, has been on the rise all around the world. With more K–pop artists going on world tours and more Korean music being involved in Western music award shows, many believe K-pop is new and young. However, much like any music around the world, there is a rich history and buildup that allowed the K-pop we know today to flourish and receive so much attention. In this series of blog posts, we will look into the history of Korean music and explain the different generations of K-pop we know today. 

Before Korean Pop

Before the influence of pop took over Korean media in the 90’s there was a different meaning to Korean music. From Korea being annexed by the Japanese Empire, the occupation of Korea by the United States during World War II, the Korean War, to C.H Park’s dictatorial control, the music played and listened to by the public portrayed the state of the country in different points of time.  

Korea was under Japanese rule from 1910-1945, and under Japan’s rule, Korea’s economy flourished from technological advancements, increased commerce, and expanded urbanization. After a couple years of remodeling, the country was soon the second most industrialized nation in Asia, right below Japan. Korea’s advancement in technology allowed different media and Western influences to be introduced to the country; and with the help of broadcasts and recordings, a wider range of music became accessible for the common people. By the 1920’s, you could hear a mix of “European instruments, Korean words, Japanese melodies, and the stylings of early American Jazz” (Scalar) on the streets. It was this fusion of music that first identified the music genre of “Trot” in Korea. Trot uses pentatonic scales and mostly has a lively rhythm that helps classify this genre from others. Many agree Trot branched from Japanese Enka, an early Japanese style of music that resembles American pop ballads from the 1940’s, and through time the genre established its own unique sound with the influence of Western media. 

However, these advancements did not continue to flourish. Societally, tension between the Japanese government and the Korean people were always apparent from the start. Revolts and massacres were common, which led to protests and small underground organizations to form in pursuit of independence. As we know today, the Korean Peninsula was able to gain independence, however this surreal time did not last long. World War II started in 1939, during Korea’s fight for independence, and ended the same year that Japanese control ceased* in Korea in 1945. During this time, the Korean Peninsula was split in half: north of the peninsula was supported by the Soviets, while south of the peninsula was supported by the United States. And with no agreement on unifying, this division prompted two different governments to form, forming the two countries we know today. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea, in other words North and South Korea. 

Korean trot singer in a pink dress singing on stage

Figure 1. Lee Mi Ja

After a brief pause and small hope that the war between the two countries were over, the tension between the two North Korea to start an attack on the South. This resulted in the beginning of the next revolution the peninsula had to endure, the Korean War (1950-1953). With more loss and economic downfall, most of the influences regarding media was the music and games brought in by U.S soldiers. Trot was still popular during this time but went through a lot of refinements. After the end of Japanese rule, the government and organizations strived “to eliminate Japanese influences and create a unique Korean identity” (Creatrip). Refinements such as using local dialects, scales and melodies into the lyrics and harmonies allowed Trot to break away from Japanese Enka. Musicians such as Lee Haeyeon, helped solidify Korean Trot with her song “Heartbreaking Miari Hill” after the Korean War. Not only was this song popular among the citizens after the war, it also portrayed the state of the country dealing with separation and loss of loved ones. Soon after, more trot artists such as Choi Sook-Ja and Lee Mi-Ja sang songs reflecting the emotions and desires of Koreans for a better future. 

After Korean Trot was made independent from Japanese influences, American musical influences were on a rise. Soldiers stationed at the U.S military bases across the country were the only consumers of music performed by Korean citizens. Performers catered to American tastes by learning the then-popular genres such as swing, classic pop and rock. These performances were also a source of revenue for the country, dominating the total export earnings of South Korea in the late 1950’s, allowing a slight nudge towards modernization. 

President Park Chung Hee played a role into South Korea’s modernization. He was president from 1963 to 1979 and had an effective growth plan that increased the economy, infrastructure, and the recording and broadcasting industry. However, to President Park’s displeasure, these advancements allowed Trot to be more mainstreamed and accessible for the people with electricity. Although Trot was adapted to fit the Korean identity, President Park thought the genre still paid an homage to the Japanese government. For the newer generation, they found Trot to be old-fashioned and did not show the hopeful energy the younger generation felt as more educational opportunities appeared and the economy continued to grow. Trot slowly declined in popularity and in return new types of popular music emerged.  

Influences from the Beatles and other American artists were introduced and were received with mixed feelings. On top of American pop, genres such as rock, American folk and later in the 70’s, hip hop appeared in Korean media. However, many Koreans did not have access to electricity and when introduced to these genres, some found the music to be loud and outlandish. With having a language most don’t understand, to different chord progressions used, the genres were alien to the old and younger generation. Even so, the younger generation were more optimistic about this new media. Many musicians nitpicked the genres and started to use them in their own music to build the foundation of Korean Pop.  

Park Chung Hee’s government became more repressive and authoritarian as his regime continued. In addition to banning and restricting the rights of Korea’s citizens, he banned American rock and folk revival songs in concern over political content and morality and claimed, “that all his measures were necessary to fight communism” (Britannica). These acts led to the disapproval of Park’s government and in return many university students revolted against his control. He was assassinated, ending his regime, and soon the military took control over the government in 1980. Many bans were lifted, however, students and workers demonstrated against martial law to finally get rid of authoritarian control in South Korea. Students used popular music, rock to protest against the strict government and used music videos to express a different Republic of Korea that the younger generation craved.  

Korean Rock continued to grow and was consistent in popularity, however Michael Jackson’s global popularity influenced popular music in Korea. His iconic dances and singing set the premise of how Korean pop could and will be in the future. Cho Yong-Pil and Kim Wan Son, nicknamed the “Korean Madonna,” dominated Korean media from the mid 1980’s and 1990’s. Both took influences from Western genres such as dance and electronic and expanded Korean media even further. Cho Yong Pil is known for his pop/rock and good feeling music, while Kim Wan Son was known for her synth-pop and funk genres. Kim Wan Son even had choreography to fit the different vibes of her songs, giving her the charisma and name “Korean Madonna.” Both artists dominated half of Korea’s media and attention from the younger generation, while ballads dominated the other half. Artists such as Lee Sun Hee and Lee Moon-sae were set as icons in this realm. Ballad artists sang about love and loss and allowed people to express their more mellow personalities more comfortably. 

The stark difference between the genres of Funk and Ballads set up a wide range of what Korean popular music could be like. From 1910 to 1980’s, the build up of the foundation of K-pop took a lot of stress and resilience to form the entertainment we know today. And through this growth, we can now discuss each generation of K-pop in future posts on the Music Library blog. 

Korean rock musician with sunglasses holding a vibrant red acoustic guitar

Figure 2. Choi Yong Pil

Resources Consulted:

Korean Singers Who Were Famous In The 80s. (2021, October 9). In The 1980s. https://inthe1980s.com/80s-korean-singers/ 

Music in Global America: SOUTH KOREAN POPULAR MUSIC. (n.d.). Music in Global America. https://scalar.usc.edu/works/music-in-global-america/south-korean-popular-music 

Romano, A. (2018, February 26). How K-pop became a global phenomenon. Vox. https://www.vox.com/culture/2018/2/16/16915672/what-is-kpop-history-explained

Creatrip: Trot Is Hot Again: How The Music Genre Made A Comeback In Korea. (n.d.). Creatrip. https://www.creatrip.com/en/blog/8731

South Korea | History, Map, Flag, Capital, Population, President, & Facts. (2022, November 10). Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/South-Korea/History

11 Native American Artists’ Recordings of the Past Decade

Posted by & filed under Student Publications.

Joseph Sioui (Wendat First Nations) 

 

With social media and the music industry now giving more autonomy to artists than before, Native American musicians have flourished with incorporating their identity into their music in recent years! Below are just eleven of the plethora of amazing Native American musical artists’ albums that I have enjoyed listening to thanks to the Native community and my tribe. I have recommended tracks and included brief summaries for each album. Enjoy the playlist at the end of this post!

 

drawing of mouth

Tongues (2022) by Tanya Tagaq 

Track recommendation: “Tongues” 

Canadian Inuk artist Tanya Tagaq pairs her throat singing, vocal ability, and lyricism with experimental electronic and beat music to create art music that unapologetically shares her experience. She is a two-time JUNO Award winner, Polaris Prize winner, and member of the Order of Canada. 

cover art featuring headphones and headdress

A Tribe Called Red (2013) by The Halluci Nation 

Track recommendation: “Electric Pow Wow Drum” 

DJ group The Halluci Nation electrifies the sounds of powwow music in their albums. “Electric Pow Wow Drum” is their biggest hit. They are two-time JUNO Award winners. 

cover art with warrior and representation of multicolor sound waves

Medicine Bundle (2021) by Supaman 

Track recommendation: “I Hope You Know” with Ashley Hall 

American Crow Hip-hop rapper, DJ, and producer Supaman’s Medicine Bundle consists of lyric heavy rapping and catchy hooks, most notably “I Hope You Know” with Ashley Hall. 

cover art with black background and woman's face gazing off to the side

My All To You (2018) by Beatrice Deer 

Track recommendation: “Isumavunga” 

Canadian Inuk singer-songwriter Beatrice Deer incorporates her identity into indie and modern folk music. She is a Canadian Aboriginal Music Award Winner. 

Styles cover art with drawing of people interlocking arms

Dancerz Groove (2012) by Northern Cree 

Track recommendation: “Facebook Drama” 

Powwow group Northern Cree brings modern expression to powwow music. They are nine-time Grammy nominees and two-time Juno Award nominees. 

Cover art of drawn person on cover with orange and yellow background

Sinematic (2019) by Robbie Robertson 

Track recommendation: “I Hear You Paint Houses” with Vann Morrison 

Guitarist and vocalist Robbie Robertson was a major member of The Band and worked with Bob Dylan. Sinematic is a modern blues/rock album that references the numerous collaborations Robertson has had scoring and sourcing music for Martin Scorsese’s films. “I Hear You Paint Houses” was part of Scorsese’s The Irishman (2019). He is a five-time Grammy nominee. 

cover art in purple and pink colors with a picture of Chef Xian Adjauj - Christian Scott wearing a stylized headdress and garments

Axiom (2020) by Chief Xian Adjauh (Christian Scott) 

Track recommendation: “Disapora” 

Part of the Afro-Native American or “Mardi Gras Indian” population in New Orleans, Adjuah comes from a long line of musical performers. His musical style fuses elements of different cultural styles, such as hip-hop, blues, and West African music. Adjuah mainly plays trumpet. He is a six-time Grammy nominee and two-time Edison Award winner (Netherlands Grammy equivalent). 

A person wearing a mask

HUMANS (2021) by Anyma 

Track recommendation: “If God Had a Boat” 

Wendat Nation singer/songwriter Anyma utilizes electronic and indie pop styles to express her art. 

Image of woman on cover gazing off to the size

Kikāwiynaw (2015) by Fawn Wood 

Track recommendation: “Remember Me” with Randy Wood and R. Carlos Nakai 

Cree and Salish vocalist and songwriter Fawn Wood often sets her music for voice and hand drum. “Remember Me” is her most popular song, featuring Navajo and Ute musician R. Carlos Nakai, an eleven-time Grammy nominee. Wood is a JUNO award winner. 

Wolastoqiyik lintuwakonawa (2018) by Jeremy Dutcher 

Track recommendation: “Mehcinut” 

Classically trained vocalist and musicologist Jeremy Dutcher incorporates his Wolastqiyik identity into this album by teaming up with elder and song carrier Maggie Paul to breathe new life into old field recordings of their ancestors’ songs through well-produced, accessible classical sounds and sampling Maggie and the field recordings. This album won a Polaris Prize and JUNO award. 

The Ballad of the Runaway Girl (2018) by Elisapie 

Track recommendation: “Don’t Make Me Blue” 

Inuk Canadian singer-songwriter Elisapie incorporates her identity into indie and modern folk music. She is a Juno Award winner and Polaris Prize nominee. 

Wrap Up

The summaries were created based off general information found on the artists’ streaming pages, websites, award winning websites, and Wikipedia bios. Check out the playlist below to hear some selections.

Helen Hewitt Part 2: Her Dedication, the Organ, and a Potential Lawsuit

Posted by & filed under Musicking in the Sandborn.

LOCAL ARCHIVES, GLOBAL HISTORY: POST 8 BY EMMA WIMBERG

While Dr. Helen Hewitt was on her Guggenheim Fellowship in Paris, Hewitt’s mother, worried about Hewitt and how her time was going, wrote to her from the states to ask if she had found a women’s group with which to engage. Hewitt replied: 

“I asked [a French colleague] about women’s societies; and he said they had a group of women who met to sew, etc., Tuesday afternoons at the church. Mother, do you really think I should take more afternoons off for this sort of thing, when I have so much to do? It does seem as though there are enough women who have nothing to do afternoons who can take care of such matters. I feel as though my time should be spent where it will do the most good – – in my own work.” 

Hewitt was firm in her conviction about what she wanted in life: to establish herself as an organist and as a musicologist, making materials more accessible for others to study while publishing her own contributions to the field. She did not let the ideas about what a woman should be doing impact what she was going to do. This conviction—and the respect she earned through her work and actions—extended past musicology and into performance. During her time as a professor, Hewitt taught musicology classes and organ lessons. She studied under many famous organ teachers and was an incredible player in her own right, being highly sought after as an organist. This post will explore Hewitt’s reputation among performers and her dedication to the organ, and specifically to the organ studio at NTSU, its students, and the instrument the auditorium houses. This last point would eventually place Hewitt in a difficult position, where speaking her mind in the interest of attaining the best possible instrument for the university caused the Möller organ building company to consider filing a lawsuit against her for defamation. 

In the mid-twentieth century, French organists commonly toured America to showcase their talent, which allowed Hewitt to forge a strong friendship with the famed organist and composer Jean Langlais. During one visit to Hewitt’s Denton residence, Langlais spent many hours playing with Hewitt’s cat, Lady Quintadina, named after an organ stop and her kittens. He became infatuated with them and not only remembered to call on the cat’s birthday, Valentine’s Day, but also wrote a piece inspired by the Lady and dedicated it to Hewitt. The movement in his American Suite was thus titled Scherzo: Cats and was first performed before its publication on the Möller organ in the North Texas State University auditorium that Hewitt herself had worked so hard to improve. 

newspaper clipping titled Premier Today of Music Inspired by Denton Cat

Figure 1: Newspaper clipping captioned “The Lady and the Cat.” University of North Texas Music Special Collections. Helen M. Hewitt Papers, 1887-1976, Series 1: Papers, Box 428, Folder 5. 

The story of Hewitt and the Möller organ began not long after her hiring at the university. There were few organs on campus and 50 organ students. Hewitt began trying to shift the studio to be smaller and more focused, and for these changes to take hold the students needed a quality instrument with which to work. In the mid-1940s Hewitt started asking for a budget to fix the Möller organ in the auditorium, the only performance instrument used during her tenure. However, the dean at the time was more focused on furthering the vocal department rather than the instrumental one, and had turned down the previously proposed repair contract even after it had been looked over by Möller. Once Hewitt left on her Guggenheim to Paris, the dean’s retirement and the department’s regime change brought instrumental music up the ladder of priorities. The new acting dean, Dr. Walter Hodgson, who later became the dean, immediately sought out Möller to finalize a contract for the construction of a new organ console. 

In March of 1948, the university signed a final contract with Möller Co. for $26,400 worth of work to be done on the new organ, including a new console, new stops, and general repairs. Hewitt remained very hands-on throughout the entirety of the re-build. She constantly gave her input on what stops she wanted included and how she wanted the instrument to sound upon completion. Correspondence from Hewitt lists specific requests she had for the instrument, requests that were not all filled. 

Just as construction on the organ came to a close in March of 1949, Hewitt fell ill and privately sought treatment for her ailment. During this time, there is a sizable gap in her usual letter-writing habits to the point where there are many letters from her close friends inquiring as to if she is angry with them because they had received no reply to subsequent letters over the course of a few months. This gap leaves much to be wondered concerning the final implementation of the organ and Hewitt’s relationship with the builder. 

If Hewitt was such a highly respected and loved figure among the university’s music department, then why did Dean Hodgson receive a disgruntled letter about her from a well-known organ company? There is documentation of Möller considering legal action against Hewitt, but why? Many of the letters between the two concerning her displeasure are not recorded in our archives, but there is mention of the feelings the two parties had for one another. Walter Hodgson, the dean who had overseen the project, wrote to Hewitt about a disgruntled letter he had received from the Möller company (see figure 2). It reads: 

Dear Hellen:

I am sorry too have to bother you with another letter right now, but I received quite a long letter from Möller, air-mail, special delivery, dated June 24, and I think that is quite important.

Ten days ago Mr. Schleigh came with an assistant and was here for four days. He is Fort Worth now so that we could get him again on certain occasions. He got the organ in fine shape for Stanley’s recital. (By the way, I turned in a card to change the “x” for Stanley’s recital to an “A” which I understood what you thought was right.) Now I have this letter from Ridgely in which he says that several churches which are prospects for large organs have been in touch with you and that you have given them negative reports regarding their work at the college. “There is one prospects in particular, the First Baptist Church at Lubbock, that is buying quite a large organ and the member of the committee, Mrs. Akinson, contacted Dr. Hewitt and received quite a negative report.”

Now I’ll ask Robert to write you regarding the voicing of the organ that Mr. Schleigh undertook. What I wonder is whether or not, in view of that, if we had better write saying that the organ has been improved. In other words, I think that we might do some harm by being too critical. You see, I wrote a very strong letter to W. R. Daniels, vice-president of Möller and received quite a long and conciliatory letter from his, and Mr. Schleigh arrived two days later.

In any case I wanted to let your know of Ridgely’s letter. He indicates that they are strongly on the defensive now and feel that they have done enough that we ought to be grateful. 

Let me know what you think. With affectionate regards from the whole family.

 

Very sincerely,

Walter H. Hodgson, Dean

School of Music

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Figure 2: Letter from Walter H. Hodgson to Helen M. Hewitt. University of North Texas Music Special Collections. Helen M. Hewitt Papers, 1887-1976, Series 1: Papers, Box 420, Folder 8. 

This letter conveys a friendly scolding tone, where the dean does not truly reprimand Hewitt for her freedom in giving a negative coloring of her interaction with Möller, but gently tries to warn her of the current situation whilst trying to help figure out how to get the situation resolved. He also makes it clear that he has sent a strong letter of his own and that they are in this together. 

The next important part of this letter is that Dr. Hewitt did not go around spreading a bad coloring of Möller and their work. Rather, she was asked her opinion, and she gave an honest response. Hewitt had worked hard to gain the respect she had in the musicology and organist communities, and part of this meant being trusted to give sound, honest insight to problems and questions that others had. It would have been incredibly out of character for her to take this opportunity to forge a stronger bond with Möller by recommending them to everyone against her better judgement. 

It is also possible that Hewitt’s displeasure with Möller’s services could be from the poor conditions they left the school with while the organ was away being reconstructed. The first practice organ they left in its place began giving the school trouble, and scheduling the time to put a new substitute instrument in the auditorium was a nightmare as well. All of this, while the studio filled capacity at around 50 students. While much remains to be explored on this matter, it is clear that Hewitt wanted to make sure her organ students had an instrument of high caliber on which they could perform, and intended to make this need heard. 

Musical Coins from Ukraine

Posted by & filed under Displays.

close-up of display featuring musical Ukrainian coins

Display of photographs of coins from Ukraine from the Stephen Dunning Musical Coin Collection, UNT Music Library.

 

At the Music Library, a display was assembled featuring photographs and descriptions of coins from Ukraine, which were curated from the Stephen Dunning Musical Coin Collection.

Learn more about Stephen Dunning and his unique coin collection on the collection finding aid:

“The collection consists of 106 coins depicting or referring to musical culture, dating from circa 261 B.C.E. through 2019, and originating from locations including ancient Greece, former Soviet republics, African countries, Niue Island, the European Union, and the United States. Many coins feature instruments, musical works, composers, or musicians of national importance. The collection provides a multifaceted view of music and culture expressed in national coinage, along with some souvenir coins and tokens.”

Below are photographs of selected coins from the collection:

 

Front of coin depicts a chorus singing, back of coin has a common nightingale flying above sheet music and depicts coin denomination

Item 47: Ukraine, 2016

5 hryvnia coin, commemorating centenary of first performance of Mykola Leontovych’s “Shchedryk” Christmas song (known in U.S. as melody of “Carol of the Bells”) by the Kiev University choir.      

 

Front of coin depicts Ostap Veresai holding a bandura, back of coin depicts a bandura on top of a decorative pattern with coin denomination

Item 48: Ukraine, 2003

2 hryvnia coin, commemorating Ostap Veresai (1803-1890). 

 

Front of coin shows part of a lira with a decorative edge, back of coin showcasing decorative nature-like pattern with coin denomination

Item 50: Ukraine, 2004

5 hryvnia coin depicting Ukranian lira (instrument). 

 

Front of coin showing tsymbaly instrument on gold center overlapping the silver decorative border, back of coin depicting decorative pattern with coin denomination

Item 51: Ukraine, 2006

5 hryvnia coin depicting tsymbaly. 

 

Front of coin portraying buhay drum on gold background with a silver decorative border, back of coin showcasing arching decorative pattern and coin denomination

Item 52: Ukraine, 2007

5 hryvnia coin depicting buhay drum. 

 

Front of coin illustrating Ukrainian choir surrounded by sunflowers and blank sheet music, back of coin depicting 100 year celebration next to a tuning fork surrounded by sunflowers and the coin denomination

Item 75: Ukraine, 2019

5 hryvnia coin commemorating 100 years of the 100 Years of The National Choir of Ukraine ‘Dumka’.

 

Front of coin portraying Mykhailo Verbytsky with a lyre and music notation, back of coin depicting a crowd of people with their hands over their hearts in front of a flag surrounding the Ukrainian coat of arms symbol and coin denomination

Item 78: Ukraine, 2015

2 hryvnia coin commemorating bicentennial of Mykhailo Verbytsky (1815-1870).

 

Front of coin illustrating the National Music Academy building, back of coin illustrating a lyre on top of musical notation with the coin denomination located in middle of lyre

Item 86: Ukraine, 2019

2 hryvnia coin commemorating 175 years of the National Music Academy M.V. Lysenko. 

 

Front of coin depicting Volodymyr Ivasyuk surrounded by leaves, back of coin illustrating decorative pattern with a sunflower on the left and an electric guitar on top of piano keys on the right and coin denomination at the bottom

Item 89: Ukraine, 2009

2 hryvnia coin honoring Volodymyr Ivasyuk (1949-1979).

Thank you for visiting the digital adaptation of this display. If you are interested in accessing more coins from Stephen Dunning’s coin collection in person, please peruse the Stephen Dunning Collection finding aid and select “Request Reading Room Access” to make an appointment with our Music Special Collections Librarian, Maristella Feustle.

Rainpiece: A Discussion of Sound Design in a Master’s Thesis

Posted by & filed under Student Publications.

Mattie Tempio

 

Introduction

The sounds of rain and water are more than simple sounds: since the beginning of humanity, rain has been the center of our lives, making everything from food to electricity possible. As such an important part of world culture and human history, it has been explored by countless composers, conveyed in countless media formats. It has been portrayed through simple recordings and in programmatic music. However, with the rise of interactive computer music, there is yet more within the realm of water to explore. My thesis, Rainpiece, aims to create a modular, interactive soundscape as a basis for a flute, viola and harp trio, using pre-recorded fixed media and live diffusion to create a single, synthesized experience. The work for this piece began more than a year ago, though in the last semester I have made great strides towards accomplishing my goal. These steps included creating unique notations to convey my ideas, studying concepts behind soundscape and memory, and experimenting with granulation frameworks in the max/MSP software.

Technical Aspects

As this thesis focuses on the interaction between water sounds and instrumental sounds, the notation is a key part of a performer’s understanding of the work. The score structure is divided into solo parts, for solo performances, and trio parts, used for optional trio performances. This piece uses proportional notation, though also includes fast-paced, rhythmic passages that rely on accelerando and decelerando. To keep the unmetered, improvisatory feel to the piece, I chose to use beamed, headless stems that would vary between 1 and 10 centimeters apart.

hand drawing of rhythmic passage from mvt. 1 from Rainpiece

Fig.1. Sample rhythmic passage, from mvt. 1, Rainpiece.

The actual note(s) the performer could choose would appear either on the first stem, or in parenthesis just before the start of the passage. This leads to the concept of notating the air to pitch spectrum (available only in the flute part, for obvious reasons). This notation has appeared in my previous works, including 2022’s Interrupted meditation, 2021’s Strange times in the void Space, 2018’s Remnants of the Veil Nebula, and Juno and the Voyager. It works on multiple instruments, and most performers understand it and can replicate the requested sounds quickly.

hand drawn example of air to pitch notation

Figure 2. Air to pitch notation.

Finally, this score explores multipath modular notation, inspired by Terry Riley’s In C, Earle Brown’s Available forms and Dr. Andrew May’s Wandering through the same dream. This means that rather than employing a fully-linear score, the performer(s) have individual modules that they may choose from. In the trio parts, this means that vertically-displaced boxes show the performer a variety of options they may choose from, when artistically called for. This aids not only in creating an open, adaptable work that invites performers to shape the work, it also frees the performers from a rigid, structured work that might hinder in understanding and working with the electronics.

The electronics for this work have been assembled in the Reaper DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) and max/MSP (Now commonly referred to simply as Max). I used Reaper to assemble the fixed-media portions of the work, while my work in Max has taken far more time and research, focusing on granulation. First, I have explored a few formats and models for granulation: the first is a digital instrument I assembled over the last year, using Dr. May’s granular composition tools as a base. With Dr. May’s aid and guidance, I learned how to adapt the granulation tool, meant primarily for pre-recorded sound, into a tool that can granulate live sound. While this granulation tool has served me well, I wished to understand my other options, and see if there exists a granulation tool that would fit my needs better, and provide a more streamlined interface. For that, I tried Chris Poovey’s Grainflow max package. While Chris’s work is well done and worthy of further exploration and analysis in its own right, I have found it far more than what I need for the scope of the project. Most likely, the granulation aspects of this thesis will end up as some mixture of the two levels of complexity, as the granulation is only one aspect of the work. Of course, there are many more aspects of the work to discuss, such as scripting, modularity, and a user-friendly UI (User interface) design, but granulation feeds most directly into the aural world of Rainpiece.

composition work in progress in maxpat program

Figure 3. Work in progress maxpat view.

Aesthetic Decisions

Beyond the practical elements of score and patcher, there is the ultimate question of why. Why explore these subjects in particular? What do I hope to achieve in my thesis? As stated previously, Rainpiece serves as an exploration of the sound world created by various types of water; the specific types include rain, rivers, and springs, with the hope to achieve synthesis between the pre-recorded sound recordings and live instruments. As such, a few concepts have been invaluable to my research. One such notable concept is the ‘Soundscape’ as described by R/ Murray Schafer in his work Our sonic environment and the Soundscape: The tuning of the world. From the Interlude chapter, Murray Schafer notes that “throughout the history of soundmaking, music and the environment have bequeathed numerous effects to one another, and the modern era provides striking examples” (Schafer, 1994, pp. 112). It is clear that synthesizing acoustic instruments and interactive sound is not inherently new, nor are successful results. However, creating a unique soundscape that the audience can both recognize, and see the subjects in a new light, is the goal that I wish to achieve. Thus, using the concept of cross-timbral sounds is key to achieving this goal.

As for the second aspect, where the connections between the original sound and the resulting piece are concerned and the source bonding might be severed, Schafer notes that context is what builds our soundscape, “But when [sounds] are removed from their contexts… they may quickly lose their identities” (Schafer, 1994, pp. 150). While at first this may seem antithetical to the goal of my work, I would instead approach it as another opportunity: with the connections to a sound’s origin weaker, there is room for suggestion. Thus, an audience might be more willing to suspend their disbelief and allow for a heightened experience as the instrumental sounds mingle, contrast, or heighten the original water source sounds.

Narrative is a third aspect of the work I must consider. Throughout my studies with Dr. May, I have learned and discussed with him the implications of a linear structure, and the ways in which I may free the performers of my piece to create their own narrative decisions. Many of these narrative choices will likely come from archetypal narratives of storms and river flows. This will guide the listener’s ear and help them understand what to pay attention to. Ultimately, the sounds created by manipulations of my original water recordings and the sounds created by the live instruments should meld together and create their own world: one that is recognizable, yet invites exploration. It will allow myself, the composer, and the performers the opportunity to create a compelling narrative, and bring the audience a unique experience.

Conclusion

This semester, and indeed the duration of my thesis work thus far, I have explored and studied the acoustic, psychoacoustic, and narrative implication of water and the interactions my field recordings may have with the selected trio of live instruments. To serve these artistic goals, I will continue exploring the timbral relationships between the natural world and the ensemble, as well as learn about granulation, additional forms of sound manipulation, and the ensemble’s interaction with the computer.

References

Brown, E. (1965). Available forms. Assoc. Music Publ.

May, A. (2005). Wandering through the same dream.

Riley, T. (1964). In C. Associated Music Publishers Inc.

Schafer, R. M. (1994). Our sonic environment and the soundscape: The tuning of our world. Inner Traditions International, Limited.

Ukrainian Performers Display

Posted by & filed under Composers, Displays.

Music Reference Librarian Donna Arnold prepared information about Ukrainian performers for a display in the Featured Music Items section at the UNT Music Library. Below is the remote adaptation of this display.

 

Vladimir Horowitz was born in Kyiv in 1903. He began to study at the Kyiv Conservatory in 1912, and gave his first solo recital in Kharkiv in 1920. After the revolution, he emigrated to the West in 1925, where he embarked on his career as a concert pianist and became an international superstar. He remained in the West for the rest of his life, giving hundreds of concerts and making many recordings. As relations improved between Russia and the United States, he returned to Russia and gave a series of legendary concerts in 1986. He died in New York in 1989. 

 

Pianist Vladimir Horowitz

Vladimir Horowitz, Pianist

 


Sviatoslav Richter, 1915-1997 
Born in Zhytomyr, Ukraine to a musical family, he and his family moved to Odessa, Ukraine in 1921, where he received significant early training. In 1937, he moved to Moscow to study piano at the Moscow Conservatory. He spent his entire career in the Soviet Union, and gained an international reputation by the 1950s. Allowed to tour outside of Russia, he made many recordings with famous orchestras in various countries.  

 

Pianist Sviatoslav Richter

Sviatoslav Richter, Pianitst

 


Emil Gilels, 1916-1985, was born in Odessa, Ukraine. In 1929, he was accepted at the Odessa Conservatory and gave his first public concert. In 1936, he began studies at the Moscow Conservatory and won an important musical competition, which brought him wide fame. He stayed in Russia for the rest of his life and had a lengthy, brilliant career as a concert artist, recording artist, and teacher. In 1958 he chaired the jury for the inaugural International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow which awarded first prize to Van Cliburn.  

 

Pianist Emil Gilels

Emil Gilels, Pianist

 

 


Ivan Kozlovsky, 1900-1993 
This famous tenor was born in Marianivka, Ukraine. He studied in Kyiv and sang operatic roles at Poltava and Kharkiv in the early 1920s. He went on to be a leading lyric tenor at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. He gave many concerts throughout the Soviet Union but was never allowed to tour outside of Russia. Fortunately, many of his recordings are now available. Throughout his career he actively promoted Ukrainian music and made many recordings of it. In 1970, he funded a music school in Marianivka.  

 

Lyric Tenor Ivan Kozlovsky

Ivan Kozlovsky, Lyric Tenor

 


David Oistrakh, 1908-1974 
This famous violinist was born in Odessa, Ukraine and studied at the Odessa Conservatory. In 1927 he made his concert debut in Kyiv. He moved to Moscow that year, where he became a professor at the Moscow Conservatory. He was associated with famous composers such as Shostakovich, Khachaturian, and Prokofiev, and premiered several of their works. Allowed to tour in the West, he achieved widespread international fame.  

 

Violinist David Oistrakh

David Oistrakh, Violinist

Music Reference Librarian Donna Arnold prepared information about Ukrainian composers for a display in the Featured Music Items section at the UNT Music Library. Below is the remote adaptation of this display.

 

Dmitri Bortniansky, b. Hlukhiv, Ukraine, 1751, d. St. Petersburg, Russia, 1825, is the earliest Ukrainian/Russian composer of international renown. Due to his exceptional talent, he was sent to Russia to sing and study when very young, and he eventually became master of the Russian Imperial Court Chapel. This was remarkable, because the court favored Italian musicians at the time. He is most famous for his liturgical works and choral concertos for Orthodox worship. 
 
His Cherubim Hymn no. 7 is a particularly beloved staple of the Orthodox repertoire today. 
M 2072 .B696 K54 no.7 1926  
 
He also composed in many other genres. For example, his opera Alcide (1778) is in Italian style, reflecting his study with Italian masters who served the Russian court. The libretto is by Pietro Metastasio. 
M 1500 .B748 A52 1985

 

Composer Dmitri Bortniansky

Dmitri Bortniansky, Composer

 

 
Mykola Lysenko, b. Hrynky, Ukraine, 1842, d. Kyiv, 1912, was the seminal Ukrainian nationalist composer of the 19th century. He spent his life and career in Ukraine and ardently championed Ukrainian music. He composed in many genres. During his life he was little known outside Ukraine, but this is now changing, and many of his works are being performed in the West. 

These include two major operas: 

Natalka Poltavka (1889), a love story with a happy ending  
M 1503 .L98 N27 1969 

Taras Bulba (1891), set in Kyiv in the 17th century, telling a tragic story of Cossack warfare 
LPZ 64081- 64083   
 
Lysenko composed sacred choral music for Eastern Orthodox worship. This score contains nine of his choral works, set to texts in Ukrainian.  
M 2082 .L97 V5 1993 

Do 50 rokovyn smerti T. Shevchenka: kantata    a secular cantata with texts by Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko, 1814-1861 
M 1530 .l97 D6 1994 

Ukrainian suite, op. 2, for piano 
M 24 .L97 op. 2 2006 

 

Composer Mykola Lysenko

Mykola Lysenko, Composer

 


 
Atem Vedel, b. Kyiv 1767, d. there, 1808 
 
This pioneer of Ukrainian/Russian Orthodox choral music studied and was musically active in Kyiv and Moscow. Later he conducted a choir in Kharkiv and wrote most of his choral works there. A change in policy forbidding choral concertos in worship ruined his career and he died tragically. He is now considered one of the greatest masters of Ukrainian Orthodox choral music, and several of his works are staples in Orthodox worship today.  
 
A collection of his works for the Divine Liturgy and his sacred choral concertos was published in Kyiv in 2000. Words are translated to Ukrainian from Church Slavonic.  

M 2100 .V42 C56 2000 
 
[There are no known images of Vedel.] 

 

Composer Mykola Leontovych

Mykola Leontovych, Composer

 

Mykola Leontovych, 1877-1921 
 
Born in the Podolia province of Ukraine, he was strongly influenced by the Ukrainian musical nationalism of Mykola Lysenko and by Ukrainian folk melodies. His choral arrangement of the folk song “Shchedryk” was introduced in the West in 1919 by a touring Ukrainian chorus. In English translation, it became the Christmas standard, “Carol of the Bells.” Tragically, Leontovych was assassinated by a Soviet agent in 1921. 
M 2085 .L46 C37 1936 
 

 


Valentin Sylvestrov, 1937- 
 
Currently Ukraine’s most famous classical composer, he was born in Soviet-controlled Kyiv and was educated at the Kyiv Conservatory. His modernist compositions met with disfavor from Soviet authorities, so he later explored a more conservative style. After the fall of the Soviet Union, he began to compose religious music. 
 
He made the news recently when it was reported that he and his family were attempting to escape from their home in Kiev. They are now safe in Berlin. He later made the news when police in Moscow tried to break up a concert because one of his pieces was on the program.  
 
Understandably, his Prayer for Ukraine (2014), for chorus and orchestra, is now attracting considerable attention. 
M2092.S527 G4 2017 

Composer Valentin Sylvestrov

Valentin Sylvestrov. Composer


Please feel free to share with everyone in the comments below more information about Ukrainian performers who were not discussed in this list.

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