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TCU JAZZ STUDIES
The TCU Jazz Studies program had a phenomenal year. In December
2010, the top jazz ensemble, directed by Professor Curt Wilson,
appeared at the Havana International Jazz Festival in Cuba –
one of the first U.S. college/university music groups to perform
in Cuba since the Cuban revolution. In addition to two festival
appearances, the seven-day trip included a joint concert with the
Havana Concert Band and a concert and master class at the National
Music Conservatory. Barely two months later, the band performed
Patrick Williams’ “Rhapsody for Concert Band and Jazz Ensemble”
with the TCU Wind Symphony in New York’s Carnegie Hall.
In March, the 34th annual TCU Jazz Festival once again brought more
than 20 middle and high school jazz ensembles to the campus, where
they performed for and were adjudicated by stellar jazz musicians/
educators. The guest artist that weekend, Los Angeles trombone
artist Alex Iles, appeared on Friday evening’s concert with the TCU
faculty jazz combo, and again on Saturday night with the TCU Jazz
Ensemble. In April, the jazz ensemble was featured at the annual TCU
Honors Convocation. Over the course of the 2010-11 academic year,
TCU’s three big bands and various combos performed approximately
30 concerts and gigs.
TCU TRIO IN
SHANGHAI
Yuan Xiong Lu, professor of double bass, along with two of
his colleagues, Viola Professor Misha Galaganov and Piano
Professor John Owings, presented a special “New Year’s
Greeting from TCU” concert on Dec. 26 at Shanghai Concert
Hall. The event was part of a series of weekly radio concerts
broadcast live throughout China. It is estimated that as many
as 60 million people tuned in to the live concert, with millions
more enjoying the re-broadcast on television a week later. The
concert, which was enthusiastically received, featured each
of the musicians in solo works and concluded with all three
performing Dittersdorf’s Sinfonia Concertante in D Major. As
an encore, the trio performed a special arrangement of the
popular and well-known Chinese“Song of the Four Seasons,”
arranged especially for this performance by Till Meyn,
TCU professor of theory/composition. While in Shanghai,
Professors Lu, Galaganov and Owings each gave master classes
at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music and Shanghai Normal
University. In addition, the three spoke to the Friends of the
Shanghai Symphony about TCU and the School of Music.
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