Music-Related Activities
Also See "Recent Works" page regarding premieres, works in progress, and performances
In June 2010, the Vanderbilt View published an article about Michael Kurek and Kip Winger. CLICK HERE to read it online.
In February 2010 a new "Michael Kurek Award" was announced in an assembly of all the college music majors at Vanderbilt's Blair School of Music. Funded by the dean and alumni donors, the award, intended to honor the long-time teaching contributions of Michael Kurek to the school, will be in the form of a check presented annually to an outstanding composition student.
Michael Kurek was a guest speaker in the Aquinas College Lecture series on March 11, 2010 (Nashville) and served as guest composer at Ave Maria University in Florida, April 11-13, 2010.
In April, 2009, Michael Kurek was bestowed the honor of "National Arts Associate" by the international music fraternity Sigma Alpha Iota.
On November 13 and 14, 2009, the "Witches" excerpt from the ballet Macbeth was performed by the Nashville Ballet in a chamber ensemble transcription, Michael Kurek conducting. Also in November, the Vanderbilt Wind Symphony and Women's Choir, performed a suite of Macbeth excerpts transcribed for wind ensemble with choir, from the original orchestral version. This version, called Macbeth Fantasy, was commissioned and premiered by the Jackson Symphony Orchestra (winds with percussion and choir) on January 19, 2008.
During fall 2009, the Florida State University Symphony Orchestra (Tallahassee) gave two performances of Concertino for Celesta and Orchestra: "Fairy Dreams."
During January 2009, the Orchestra of Theater Lüneburg , Lüneburg, Germany performed "Fairy Dreams," as well.
During fall, 2008, distinguished violinist and violist Sylvia Ahramjian will be performing Michael Kurek's Sonata for Viola and Piano in Philadelphia. Details to follow. (See her bio, below.)
On July 12 and 13, 2008, Michael Kurek's Matisse Impressions was performed twice in Kansas City as part of the Kansas City "Summerfest." Performers were Shannon Finney (flute), Susan Brashier (oboe), Jane Carl (clarinet), Joshua Hood (bassoon), Tod Bowermaster (horn), and Melissa Rose (piano).
On March 12 and 13, 2008, the acclaimed Trio Casals performed Michael Kurek's Piano Trio three times in New Orleans. Members of the Trio Casals, Sylvia Ahramjian (violin), Ovidiu Marinescu (cello), and Kenneth Boulton (piano) have an impressive array of professional accomplishments, both individually and collectively. Sylvia Ahramjian holds degrees from Juilliard and Indiana University, where she studied with Joseph Gingold, and serves on the faculties of Westchester and Temple Universities. Ovidiu Marinescu studied at the Romanian Academy of music, combines his performance career with an active conducting career, and also serves on the faculty of West Chester University. Kenneth Boulton received his doctorate at the University of Maryland, where he studied with Nelita True, and has concertized in many major U.S. cities and worldwide. He presently serves on the faculty of Southeastern Louisiana University. Collectively, their work includes recordings on the Naxos and Cambria labels, and appearances worldwide at Carnegie Hall, with the New York Chamber Symphony, the Russian Philharmonic, the Moscow Chamber Orchestra, the National Radio Orchestra of Romania, and many others.
Michael Kurek is now on MySpace! Visit the Michael Kurek MySpace Page by clicking HERE.
A SAMPLING OF PAST "RECENT NEWS"
Michael Kurek was invited to attend, and attended, the Annual Ceremonial of the American Academy of Arts and Letters in New York in May 2006.
During 2006-07 The Panhellenic Council and all ten sororities of Vanderbilt University voted Michael Kurek "Blair Professor of the Semester, best Blair educator at Vanderbilt."
Click HERE to read an interview with Michael Kurek in the June, 2005, online edition of Mel Bay's Creative Keyboard Webzine
Click HERE to hear the Christmas Eve 2003 National Public Radio feature on the celesta, including Michael Kurek's "Fairy Dreams" on the show "Morning Edition." Please be sure to turn off your pop-up blocker (if any), because the audio window is a pop-up.
Michael Kurek continues teaching Composition/Theory at Vanderbilt University's Blair School of Music including private composition lessons, Orchestration 224 each fall, and Introduction to Composition 230 each spring. Potential composition/ theory majors should contact the Blair Admissions dean about application procedures and are welcome to e-mail Dr. Kurek with questions. Non-university students desiring composition instruction should please first contact the Blair Precollege/Adult Registrar, Trisha Johns (615)322-7655, before contacting Dr. K.
On March 6, 2003 , Michael Kurek was interviewed by noted Houston radio personality Dean Dalton on Houston 's KUHF-FM radio.
Michael Kurek has continued his service to NARAS (National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, which administers the Grammy Awards) during the past several years in Los Angeles . He has recently attended a number other Grammy/NARAS events, as well.
Michael Kurek has served over the past few years as a judge for several music competitions: as one of three distinguished adjudicators in the MTNA-Shepherd Distinguished Composer of the Year competition, to choose a winner from among the fifty state professional Composer-of-the-Year winners. as a judge in the Young Texas Artists Music Competition, for instrumentalists and vocalists through age thirty. as judge for the Golden Key Honour Society, to determine national winners of collegiate music scholarships in composition and instrumental performance categories. and as a judge in the National Federation of Music Clubs Young Composers Competition, the Marion Richter American Music Awards, and the Victor Herbert/ASCAP Awards.
The score and viola part for Michael Kurek's Sonata for Viola and Piano, featured in the Spring 2003 issue of the Journal of the American Viola Society (see “Reviews” section of this site) , are now available from Theodore Front Musical Literature, Inc. (Van Nuys, CA). The article includes a reprint of the score of the entire first movement. Go to the Front website for details about obtaining the sheet music: www.tfront.com The music and a recording are also available directly from Michael Kurek by writing to Mickeykurek@aol.com. The sheet music may also be ordered via regular mail from: Theodore Front Musical Literature, Inc., 16122 Cohasset Street , Van Nuys , CA 91406-2989 U.S.A. Phone: (818) 994-1902, Fax: (818) 994-0419, e-mail: music@tfront.com.
Michael Kurek continues his service as chair of the program committee of the John W. Work III Memorial Foundation, which awards minority music scholarships and promotes the legacy of Work, long-time director of the Fisk Jubilee Singers and collector and arranger of spirituals.
Savannah Magazine recently profiled Michael Kurek and the creative influence upon his work by the city of Savannah, Georgia. Go to SavannahMagazine.com for more information about the magazine.
Michael Kurek's photo appeared in the Spring 2002 issue of BMI Music World magazine, taken during his residency as guest composer at the Harlem School of the Arts in New York, and also (for the third straight time) in the Spring 2003 issue, with composer John Luther Adams.
The 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007 annual composer issues of SAI's Pan Pipes magazine contain articles about Kurek's activities, with photo.
Michael Kurek was in New York to be recognized as a former winner of the BMI Student Composer Awards at a ceremony at the Plaza Hotel on June 7, 2002 , celebrating the 50th anniversary of the awards, and his photo at that event appeared in the Fall 2002 issue of BMI Music World magazine.
