Jessica Bloch joins The Gena Branscombe Project Board

Congratulations and welcome to The Gena Branscombe Project's Board, Jessica Bloch.  A music entrepreneur, wonderful soprano, voice teacher, performer and as you can tell, a real go-getter!  

 

#BringingBackBranscombe

The Gena Branscombe Scholarships - 2024

Congratulations

to

The Gena Branscombe Project

2024 Scholarship Winners!

Emily Clements - Composer

Braeden Weyhrich - Conductor

Maclain Hardin-Kurza - Arts Administration

#BringingBackBranscombe

 

Shirley Smith, Conductor

 When my phone rang this morning with the caller being a friend from Bar Harbor, Maine, where I had performed countless times with conductor Shirley Smith, I knew what news might be coming.  Shirley had died yesterday.  A large Maine coast ocean wave of sadness washed over me. 

Shirley…..how does one describe Shirley Smith?  Down home, no nonsense, wore jeans, t shirts and sneakers to rehearsal, rugged enough to survive numerous brutal Maine winters, honest, sentimental, lover of dogs, a good musician and organist, a good conductor, crazy sense of humor whose contagious laughter sent sparks of delight through a room.  For 23 years she led the Acadia Choral Society in programs from the Mozart “Requiem,”  Verdi’s “Requiem,” opera choruses, Purcell’s “Ode on St. Cecilia,” a staged version of “Dido and Aeneas,” Brahms’ “Requiem,” creative Holiday programs and much more.  Her chorus was always well prepared and her orchestras and accompanists willing and able to make music.

Music….that was what Shirley could do….make music through her skills, love of music and comradery.  Her goals were always to make great music, to enjoy making music, taking the pressure off oneself to have fun.  Her chorus, orchestras, soloists rose to the occasion for concerts with audience members capturing the enthusiasm from all of us led by ... Shirley Smith.  The after concert parties held at chorus members’ homes would find Shirley enjoying a beer, laughing and sharing in the musical high we had created a few hours earlier. 

My first performance with the Acadia Choral Society was singing Purcell’s “Ode on Saint Cecelia.”  It became evident from our first rehearsal that Shirley and I shared the same sense of humor.  From then on let the jokes, sometimes pranks, flow with one of us topping the other!  Trumpets – yes, trumpets became the center piece of our pranks.   Just know, we howled with laughter.

 

I looked forward to learning from her as she pointed out details in a score or sharing why a composer’s life experience had made that particular moment happen in the music.  She would stop to ask me why or how I chose to interpret something never finding fault but learning another way to approach music.  This was musical comradery and admiration. 

After one concert I mentioned to Shirley that I would love an opportunity to sing the Verdi “Requiem.”  She listened, said not a word.  Two years later I received a call that she had programmed the “Requiem” and invited me to be the mezzo soloist.  Arriving a few days before the concert, magical rehearsals with sympathetic colleague soloists, the chorus and orchestra made that glorious music come alive in performances.  Forever in my heart’s memory will be Shirley drenched in sweat letting that hushed ending echo through the church.  She stood absolutely still allowing the moment of silence ... to be. 

After Shirley retired from the Acadia Choral Society, we stayed in touch speaking every 3 weeks to a month.  We shared a love for nature with Shirley giving us a “critter” report from her home in the country.  The occasional bear sauntered through her yard during the summer, deer appeared year round, a red fox visited and every variety of birds ate at her feeders.  Living in the country suited Shirley.  She hated cities with all the crowding and cars.  She did make two trips to attend the Metropolitan Opera for a performance of “Don Giovanni” and “Orfeo ed Euridice.”  She loved the performances but hurried back to her beloved Maine.

After much teasing from Dan to at least consider him for a soloist position, at an after party she made Dan “audition” for her.  Poor Dan taken by surprise sang a little Mozart melody he knew….he didn’t know the words just the melody.  Great roars of laughter and Dan came to realize….he wasn’t going to be hired as soloist!

Sadly Shirley’s faltering memory became her daily existence and our phone calls ceased.  I missed our conversations.

Well, Shirley……….job well done, you lived a long, meaningful life that touched the hearts of many of us.  I will always see your smile, hear your laughter, holding forever in my heart the music we made in Bar Harbor, Maine.  Oh, by the way, I hope you are hearing trumpets....the ones with the mouthpieces properly attached!  RIP, my friend. 

Women Conductors Break Some Barriers

 

The Vienna Philharmonic was founded in 1844.  For the first time in their 180 years of male exclusivity, the Vienna Philharmonic has invited a woman to conduct a subscription concert.  180 years of misogyny! 

Breaking that 180 year record, Lithuanian born Mirga Gražinyte-Tyla will make her debut with the orchestra on May 3, 2025.   She is the former music director of the City of Birmingham Symphony, has conducted at the Bavarian State Opera and the Proms.  She is the first female conductor to sign an exclusive contract with Deutsche Grammophon.   

Another hurdle for women conductors was made at the Metropolitan Opera.  Since the 1880s the Metropolitan Opera has had only four women conductors grace their podium including Sarah Caldwell, Simone Young, Jane Glover and Susanna Mälkki.

On April 19^th Oksana Lyniv conducted Puccini’s “Turandot,” April 20^th Speranza Scappucci conducted Puccini’s “La Rodine,” April 23^rd saw Marin Alsop conduct the Met premiere of John Adams’ “El Niño” and Xian Zhang conducted “Madama Butterfly” on April 26^th.  Four women conductors, in just one week, broke through the Metropolitan Opera’s male dominated podium. 

 

The creative process of making music at the highest levels is a lifetime of work, study and fortitude.  We have now witnessed nine accomplished conductors make history by breaking down barriers that have existed for over 100 years.

My question has always been, “Why do we not have a woman conductor as a Music Director of a major symphony orchestra or opera house?”  WHY?  It’s time to tear down the misogynistic barriers around the conductor’s podium.  The word “conductor” has no gender. 

Why don't we talk about Arthur P. Schmidt?

 

Over the years that I have written my blog, Arthur P. Schmidt, publisher has been the topic of three of my postings.  His company, The Arthur P. Schmidt Co. of Boston, Leipzig and New York, was a premiere music publishing company of the era.  As I have said in my previous posts, Mr. Schmidt promoted American composers and in particular American women composers.  He was a person of vision, of musical integrity with his belief in our nation’s composers.  BRAVO, Mr. Schmidt.

Recently an October 2017 blog posting titled, “Why don’t we talk about Arthur P. Schmidt”? came to my attention.  The blog was written by a student at St. Olaf  College in Minnesota who was taking the course: Music 345: Race, Identity, and Representation in American Music. 

 

What struck me about this posting was the sense of discovery, observation, understanding of the music world in the world of business, conclusions made and a new awareness of the important music publishing person, Arthur P. Schmidt. 

https://pages.stolaf.edu/americanmusic/2017/10/23/why-dont-we-talk-about-arthur-p-schmidt/

Siriana, the blog author, has written a post that has direct effect on the understanding of our country’s music publishing industry during the late 19^th and into the mid 20^th century.  Required reading……indeed.

 Thank you Siriana.

#BringingBackBranscombe

CCM Speaks

 

It is an honor to have been chosen to be one of four presenters at the first "CCM Speaks."  The College Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati has invited alumni to give presentations about a “pivotal project or moment in your career that challenged you to think outside the box, take action, and do something new.”

 

On Friday, April  19^th at 7 PM in the Cohen Family Studio Theater at the Conservatory, I will present “Gena Branscombe:  A  Woman Composer Lost – Now Found.”

 

Below is the hyperlink to the event.

https://www.alumni.uc.edu/get-involved/college-networks/ccm/ccm-speaks.html?fbclid=IwAR1vljDG_j5qz7-652dGQH67xZee52aC4lmUaQ2XdlHIdhsr_ak6NjiY6LA

#BringingBackBranscombe

2024 Scholarship Announcement

The Gena Branscombe Project

is

proud to announce that 

applications for its

2024 scholarships 

are now open!

Go to our website:

www.thegenabranscombeproject.com

 

#BringingBackBranscombe