Spring 2009
Tutti: photos
Mar. 30, 2009—
Quarter Note Staff
Mar. 18, 2009—The Blair Quarter Note, a publication of the Blair School of Music, is published twice a year in cooperation with Development and Alumni Relations Communications for alumni, current students and their parents, and other friends of the School. The Blair Quarter Note, Vol. 33, No. 1, Spring 2009. © 2009 by Vanderbilt University. All rights reserved....
Mandolin professor Butch Baldassari dies
Mar. 18, 2009—Butch Baldassari, a Blair School of Music professor who created a cottage industry around his love of mandolin music, died January 10 at a Nashville hospice. He was 56. “Butch Baldassari was a wonderful artist, a warm and generous teacher and a great colleague and friend,” said Mark Wait, dean of the Blair School. “We...
From the Dean
Mar. 18, 2009—It is a pleasure to bring you news from the Blair School of Music once again. This issue of The Quarter Note goes to the very heart of what we are about as musicians.
Cornelia Heard named holder of Valere Blair Potter Chair
Mar. 17, 2009—Cornelia Heard, professor of music and chair of the strings department of the Blair School of Music, has been named the holder of the newly created Valere Blair Potter Chair. The chair is endowed through a gift to the university by the grandchildren of Valere Blair Potter. “We are very excited to receive this endowed...
Gracious Guests
Mar. 17, 2009—The Blair School of Music this year has shown as much vigor as an 88-year-old man. And that’s a good thing, because in this case, the octogenarian-plus is string master Robert Mann, who founded the Juilliard String Quartet in 1946 and remained first violinist until “retiring” in 1997. “Bobby is a joy,” says Dean Mark...
Listening to History
Mar. 17, 2009—With politics at the forefront of the news cycle, particularly given the past election year, it’s easy to assess the impact of today’s constant barrage of instantaneous news on the artists of our time. Tune in any radio—or perhaps more accurately, access YouTube—and you can hear the latest lullaby, parody or pop tune geared to...
Chancellor’s Cup awarded to Blair’s Lovensheimer
Mar. 17, 2009—Jim Lovensheimer, assistant professor of musicology, was surprised to see Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos striding into his American Popular Music class. With a video of James Brown up on the screen behind him in the Sarratt Cinema, Lovensheimer was speechless when Zeppos announced he was here to “give you the Chancellor’s Cup,” and the class...
A Boy(choir)’s Life
Mar. 17, 2009—Connecting with other boychoirs worldwide has been an ongoing project for the Nashville Boychoir at Blair since its inception. As they did last year, the Nashville Boychoir under the direction of Hazel Somerville joined with the Cathedral Choir of Ely Cathedral, U.K., last fall for a workshop and concert. Under the direction of Paul Trepte,...
Blair’s first annual Precollege Piano Competition
Mar. 17, 2009—Blair’s first annual Precollege Piano Competition took place Nov. 16. Organized and led by Jama Reagan, Elizabeth Eckert and the rest of the Blair piano faculty, it included guest lecturer Melanie Lowe, a member of Blair’s musicology faculty. Grades K & 1: Gitae Park, winner Grades 2 & 3: Dong Zhao, winner; Christine Li and...