For many years I have been curious about Brazil, and must admit a deep fascination from afar with its remarkable legacy of brilliant songwriters and performers, from Antonio Carlos Jobim, to Milton Nascimento, Gilberto Gil, Caetano Veloso, Maria Bethania, Ivan Lins, Airto Moreira, Flora Purim, and so many others.
10/8/15
Brazil Residency
For many years I have been curious about Brazil, and must admit a deep fascination from afar with its remarkable legacy of brilliant songwriters and performers, from Antonio Carlos Jobim, to Milton Nascimento, Gilberto Gil, Caetano Veloso, Maria Bethania, Ivan Lins, Airto Moreira, Flora Purim, and so many others.
In the field of
classical art music, a particularly beautiful piece from Brazil is the soprano
solo with chamber orchestra from “Bachianas Brasileiras No.5” by Heitor Villa
Lobos. My favorite performance of that piece was sung about a year ago by soprano Laia Falcon on
an island in the Netherlands. Early this year
I enjoyed hearing Njål Vindenes perform one of the many brilliant guitar solos
by Villa-Lobos.
I am very thankful
to now be receiving funding from the government of Brazil, Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico
"National Counsel of Technological and Scientific Development" (CNPq), for a brief stay as Visiting Professor at
the Federal University of Rio Grande
do Sul in Porto
Alegre. While there, I
will be giving lectures and advising research for the university’s PhD program in
music (regarded as among the very best in Latin America), and doing some
performing and workshops. The Brazilian institution has approached Bergen
University College about some collaborative research projects, and other forms
of cooperation. The music programs in Bergen already have agreements with
universities in many different countries, but this is our first prospect in
Latin America, and I have also been helping the institution to develop
relations with institutions in East Asia across recent years (both China and
Japan).
From Brazil, Professor
Liane Hentschke and I will also give a presentation via videoconference for the
national Chinese music education association meeting in Shanghai regarding development
of the Open Global Academy of Music initiative, based in Beijing. During this
time, I will also film a teaching video and do some videoconferencing for the
PhD program in Bergen, so our Norwegian students can get a taste of what is
available in Brazil. Upon returning to Europe, I will go to Iceland for the
annual meeting of the Nordic
Network for Music Education, and respond to papers by Master students from
various Nordic and Baltic nations.
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