Department of Music

Welcome to the Department of Music at the University at Albany! We are a growing department that provides students with a variety of specialized B.A. programs which include Music, Electronic Music and Media, Performance, Vocal Performance, Composition, Conducting, Musicology, and Theory. Our programs offer not only a high level of instruction, but a unique degree of faculty attention and guidance. We also offer a music minor.

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News & Announcements

SUCCESS STORIES FOR PROFESSOR DAVID JANOWER'S ALBANY PRO MUSICA

Albany Pro Musica applied to perform at the biennial Conference of the Eastern Division of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA). They were notified that they were invited to perform at the conference, to be held in February in Providence, RI. They are one of only two community choruses accepted, and one of 18 choruses in total, consisting of all levels of choirs (elementary, middle, high school, college, church, community, jazz, gospel…). The Eastern Division covers Maine to D.C. (To learn more...)

Albany Pro Musica entered The American Prize competition, and in the category of Choral Performance, Community Chorus, they were a finalist, in the final top ten. Their competition was choruses from all across the United States. (To learn more...)

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AMS/ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME AND MUSEUM LECTURE SERIES

"The American Musicological Society and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum (RRHOFM) in Cleveland, Ohio, are collaborating on a new lecture series that brings scholarly work to a broader audience and showcases the musicological work of the top scholars in the field. The first lecture, by Albin Zak, Professor of Music at the State University of New York, Albany, was presented in October 2011: 'A Thoroughly Bad Record': Elvis Presley’s 'Hound Dog' as Rock and Roll Manifesto. See here for full details and the video webcast."

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NEW RECORDINGS BY MAX LIFCHITZ

"North/South Consonance is a concert series, chamber orchestra, record label and music publisher. The founder is reigning impresario and administrator Max Lifchitz, who's also a composer, conductor and pianist and a longtime faculty member of the University at Albany. Last season, the enterprise celebrated its 30th season with a series of concerts in New York City. Most of the music from those events was recorded and has just been issued on three new CDs." (Read more...)

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MUSIC DEPARTMENT PRESENCE IN 9/11 EVENT

Music Department performances played a part in the recent "UAlbany After 9/11" event. Professor David Griggs-Janower conducted the University Chamber Singers in a rendition of "I Dream a World" (poem by Langston Hughes, music by Andre Thomas). Music major Joshua Tanis was the piano accompanist. Professor Max Lifchitz presented his composition "Still Life." (To learn more...)

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REVIEW OF DUNCAN CUMMING'S CD

"Duncan Cumming, widely respected American concert pianist, scholar, and teacher, presents a well-loaded program ranging from Chopin to Satie. It’s hard to remember when I’ve heard a more engaging piano recital, beginning with an account of Brahms’ Piano Sonata in C Major, Opus 1, that is suffused with more pure lyricism than I’d been used to hearing." (Read more...)

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RECOGNITION CEREMONY

On Saturday, May 14, 2011, at 5:30 p.m., the Departments of Art, Music, and Theatre hosted a Recognition Ceremony for their majors where each graduate was individually recognized for his/her achievement. (Read more...)

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ALBANY PRO MUSICA AT IMMACULATE CONCEPTION CHURCH

"Albany Pro Musica and Pro Musica Symphonic Orchestra rocked the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception Saturday in a tour de force concert, ending its 30th season and celebrating the new renovations at the Cathedral. (Professor) David Griggs-Janower, conductor, programmed works that symbiotically fit in the echoey and very spacious hall, adding majesty and a sense of wonder." (Read more...)

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RETURNING

"Returning is the third CD for FRM Records from Bob Gluck (associate professor). I fully enjoyed his previous effort Something Quiet which came out earlier this year. While the similarities are there, this latest effort in my mind, is a step farther for Gluck. The trio format features Gluck's virtuoso piano work, the tight supportive punctuation of Michael Bisio's bass work and the incredible dynamics of Dean Sharp on drums. This configuration drives the relationships of dynamics and rhythm and the interchange that must be ever-present in the trio format." (Read some reviews...)

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SOMETHING QUIET

"The latest release from pianist/composer Bob Gluck, Something Quiet presents this multitalented musician in a completely new setting. The new CD intrigues the listener with a startling new side of his inventive approach to music making. Gluck is an eclectic artist of astonishing breadth, best known for his years of work in the forefront of electronic music." (Read some reviews...)

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DAVID JANOWER'S ALBANY PRO MUSICA

"A stage jam-packed full of singers and instrumentalists and a near capacity audience came together Saturday night at the Palace Theatre for a rare concert of Verdi’s Requiem.  David Alan Miller lead the Albany Symphony Orchestra and the Albany Pro Musica plus a quartet of vocal soloists in a performance that brought out all the thrills and chills of the grandly romantic score." (Read the entire review...)

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ACADEMIC MINUTE

"In today's Academic Minute, Dr. Duncan Cumming of the University at Albany discusses the unforeseen difficulties faced by a touring concert pianist." (Listen here...)

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CAS TEACHING AWARD

The College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Award for Outstanding Achievement in Teaching recognizes our faculty members’ many fine contributions in teaching, advisement and mentoring.  Nominees have completed at least three years of full-time instruction at Albany and have demonstrated exceptional contributions and sustained excellence in teaching and mentoring activity.  This year there were two winners: Duncan Cumming in Music and Christine Wagner in Psychology. (Read more...)

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