UCLA Philharmonia's Road to Resuming Live Concerts
The UCLA Philharmonia made a triumphant return to the stage on October 30, 2021, after more than a year and a half of remote work. The concert, held at The UCLA Herb Albert School of Music, was a testament to music's resilience, strength, and the spirit of the faculty, staff, and students.
The evening's performance featured pieces by French composer Lili Boulanger, American composer William Levi Dawson, and Mozart's "Jupiter" Symphony. The concert also offered a preview of the changes underway at The Herb Alpert School of Music, with orchestral showpieces by Bartók and Debussy scheduled for the December performance.
Preparing for the live performance was no easy feat. COVID protocols limited rehearsals and required the use of slitted masks, bell covers, and six-foot spacing for woodwinds and brass musicians. Despite these challenges, the ensemble utilized unusual rehearsal setups, variable coaching from instrumental faculty, and the support of school staff during the preparation process.
A last-minute crisis occurred due to the sudden indisposition of the lead trumpeter for the Dawson symphony. However, a doctoral student substitute stepped in with confidence and professionalism to save the evening.
The visit of Diane White-Clayton, Director of the UCLA African American Music Ensemble, during rehearsals resulted in a celebration of the genre of the spiritual, including a sing-through of "Hallelujah."
Brandon Zhou, a second-year Master's student and 2019 Atwater Kent Concerto Competition winner, will perform Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 1 in the December performance. The Philharmonia's next performance will be on December 5, 2021, featuring an excerpt from the opera "Lo Schiavo" by Brazilian composer Antoño Carlos Gomes.
The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music's 2021 strategic plan, led by Inaugural Dean Eileen Strempel, focuses on "reimagining curricula." This includes integrating musicology, music, ethnomusicology, music industry, and global jazz programs to centre works by historically underrepresented composers. While specific details about this strategic plan are not publicly available, it is well-known that many music schools, including prominent ones like UCLA, have in recent years committed to revising music curricula to include broader representation of diverse and historically underrepresented composers and traditions.
The UCLA Philharmonia's next performance will be available for RSVP. For the most accurate and detailed information about the 2021 strategic plan, I recommend consulting the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music’s official website, their published reports, or directly contacting the school’s administrative offices.
After the triumphant return of the UCLA Philharmonia, education-and-self-development opportunities expanded as the school embraced lifelong-learning and the 2021 strategic plan, focusing on integrating various music programs to center works by historically underrepresented composers. Meanwhile, entertainment was provided through the concert's showcasing of diverse composers like Lili Boulanger and Antoño Carlos Gomes, with online-learning and music resources available for those interested in learning more about the school's plans. Furthermore, the spirit of music, learning, and entertainment shone brightly during the concert, with unexpected surprises like the doctoral student stepping in to save the evening and the celebration of the spiritual genre with Diane White-Clayton.
