Fine Arts Department · Music Program
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The 7th Annual Piano Concerto Competition 2006 Juror Bios |
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Dr. Robert Bowman, keyboard artist, has performed extensively on the U.S. west and east coasts in solo and chamber ensemble recitals, numerous appearances with orchestra, and on radio-television since 1960. He has also performed in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Baja California, Mexico, and the Czech Republic. Fine and lecturing for many state conventions of the MTNA, he is active as an adjudicator for festivals and competitions throughout America.
Dr. Bowman received a B.A. in music and M.A. in orchestral conducting from Stanford University as well as a DMA in piano and harpsichord performance from the University of Southern California. He's taught on the music faculties of USC, Eastern Illinois University and California State University, Chico where he coordinated the keyboard program from 1971-2003. His major teachers were Adolph Baller, Gertrude Weeth, John Crown, Alice Ehlers (harpsichord), Nina Scolnik and Marc Steiner. He's performed in master classes of Rosina Lhevinne and Karl Ulrich Schnabel, studied conducting under Sandor Salgo and Walter DeCloux, and composition with Hans Beer, Leland Smith, Halsey Stevens and Ingolf Dahl. As a professor emeritus at CSU, Chico, he concertizes and presents workshops and lectures on a wide variety of topics ranging from "Stress Reduction for Performers", "Baroque Performance Practice", "Keyboard Music of Scarlatti", "The Joy of Improvisation" and various other topics related to keyboard pedagogy. Newspaper reviews of past Bowman performances describe him: "Of Russian background himself, he deeply engaged in the work (Rachmaninov's THIRD PIANO CONCERTO)... so deeply felt was the playing and so excellent the orchestral accompaniment. Indeed, five minutes into his playing and the sizable Laxson Hall audience was totally captured...Absolutely thrilling!" "Piano soloist Robert Bowman gave a bravura performance of George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue"... His zest and enthusiasm for the Gershwin perennial favorite was evidenced by his performance... Dr. Bowman gave full play to the lyricism of Gershwin's themes, providing marked contrast to the strident "jazz" mode... at the conclusion of Dr. Bowman's performance, the audience sprang to its feet and shook the walls and rafters with their applause. It was a spontaneous gesture that must have gladdened the hearts of all the musicians who participated in making this an event to remember." |
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Rodolfo Fernandez, a native of Chile, graduated from the University of Santiago with a master's in music performance. In 1961, he received an international grant for Young Fine Artists from the Rockefeller
Foundation, then was appointed assistant principal cellist with the Atlanta Symphony and principal cellist for the Ft. Lauderdale Symphony, Miami Opera
Company, Lousiana Symphony and Tampa Philarmonic.
While teaching in the Music Department of South Florida University, he twice received a Ford Foundation Grant to participate in the American Orchestra National Competition and was selected as principal cellist of the Daytona Beach Music Festival sponsored by the London Symphonic Orchestra. He attended master classes and performed with Sir Nelson Cooke, Andre Previn, Richard Burgin and Simon Goldberg. His professional career as a concert cellist and guest artist includes national and international tours with the North Carolina Symphony, Lousiana Symphony, National Symphony Orchestra of Colombia, Bogota, and the Swiss Chamber Orchestra. Mr. Fernandez was a founding member and leader of the Nevada String Quartet that presented a full season of classical music annually from 1975-82. He later formed the Serenata Violoncello Trio which toured statewide under the sponsorship of the Nevada Humanities Committee in 1983-84. In 1985, as conductor and music director, he founded the Serenata Chamber Orchestra. He was then appointed Ambassador of Culture of Las Vegas by Mayor Bill Briare. A 1999 Millennium Governor's Arts Award recipient for Service to the Arts in Nevada, he currently serves as conductor and music director of the Nevada Chamber Symphony that premiered its 21st season last December. He designs and develops the NCS Educational Outreach Programs "Ear-Openers" and "Night at the Symphony" interactive multi-discipline music education programs for elementary and high school students. He is also project coordinator of "Invitation to Play", a young artists development program in cooperation with the Southern Nevada Music Teachers Association. Additional professional activities include: guest conductor, Topanga Symphony at Los Angeles; founding conductor Lompoc Pops Orchestra, North-Central California; guest conductor/coach San Diego Chamber Music Workshop, Scripps College; music collaborator and associate publisher with Dr. Paul Alvarez, University of Barcelona, Spain, for the advanced training manual and repertoire for string musicians. Acollection of arrangements and orchestrations is currently being prepared for publication by Marcado Productions, Ltd. for national and international distribution. Mr. Fernandez was featured in the promotional video "Only in Las Vegas" that aired worldwide through the Discovery Channel. He recently completed musical collaboration and commissioned orchestrations for a Zaretsky Productions series entitled "In Concert," that won national and international awards. |
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Mordecai Shehori, born into an artistically gifted family in Israel, embraces a rich pianistic tradition that emphasizes a unique physical and spiritual approach to music making, as taught to him early on by the legendary pianist Mindru Katz. Mr. Shehori came to America to continue his musical studies and graduated from the Juilliard School, under the tutelage of Beveridge Webster, and later studied with Claude Frank at the Mannes College of Music. Today Mr. Shehori is internationally recognized for his brilliant virtuosity, sophisticated and inspired interpretation, and consummate musicianship. Having performed and recorded a wide-ranging repertoire, Mr. Shehori cites his close collaboration and friendship with Vladimir Horowitz as a significant source of knowledge and inspiration, along with one-on-one sessions with such important pianists as Stefan Askenase (a student of Liszt's disciple Emil von Sauer), Gina Bachauer, Alexis Weissenberg and violinist Nathan Milstein.
When not concertizing throughout the world, Mordecai Shehori resides in New York City, where he is sought after and admired as a highly skilled teacher. He devotes much of his time to teaching the art of the piano to students ranging from music lovers to professional pianists, including graduates of the Juilliard School, the Manhattan School of Music and the Mannes College of Music. Mr. Shehori is the founder and president of Cembal d'amour, a classical music recording company dedicated to the release of rare historical recordings by such legendary figures as Jascha Heifetz, Simon Barere, Henryk Szeryng, Mindru Katz, Berl Senofsky, and David Nadien. Mr. Shehori's annual New York concerts (25 to date) are eagerly anticipated by a broad audience of musically sophisticated listeners. "Mr. Shehori has developed a cult following in New York piano circles, for good reason. He certainly possesses a suitably big technique. Still, mindless and heartless keyboard fluency is not uncommon nowadays and perhaps never was. What sets Mr. Shehori apart from most virtuosos with their off-the-shelf performances is the poetic inwardness and rapturous intensity of his playing." (Donal Henahan, The New York Times). A genuine Renaissance man, endowed with overwhelming and multi-faceted gifts, Mr. Shehori's uncompromising artistry is evident in every note that he plays. He possesses the rare ability to bring music to such a high level that it becomes a transcendental experience for the listener. In this world of music on demand and instant gratification, many pianists' music reaches our ears; Mr. Shehori's touches the inner depths of our soul. |
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For more information and entry forms contact: Dr. Victor Hugo Alvarez, piano coordinator, CSN Music Program Phone: (702) 651-4659 Email: victor.alvarez@csn.edu For a Printable Entry Form please visit: Printable 2008 Entry Form |
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