Dr. Hye Sook Jung (Vimeo.com)
3-5-2013
Dr. Hyesook Jung, Assistant Professor of Music in the Department of Fine Arts at Stillman College, will present a Faculty Recital and Lecture featuring the music of William Grant Still on Tuesday, March 12th, 7 p.m., in the Warner Presentation Room in the Wynn Fine Arts Center on the College campus. Dr. Jung will be assisted by Dr. Juhee Kim on the flute; Remus Webb on the euphonium; and 12-year-old violinist Haeun Kim.
“As a classical pianist, I was not originally interested in the works of contemporary American composers. I preferred Bach, Chopin and other classical composers. But I was drawn to William Grant Still because his music is so deep and emotional. He played every instrument except the piano but, because his wife was a pianist, he wrote many piano pieces. He was called the ‘Dean of African-American Composers,’ and he truly deserves this title,” states Dr. Jung.
In 1930, William Grant Still composed ‘Afro-American Symphony,’ the first symphony written by an African American man and performed for an American audience by a leading orchestra. ‘Afro-American Symphony,’ which was premiered in 1931 by the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, combines traditional symphonic form with blues progressions and rhythms that were characteristic of popular African-American music at the time.
Jung is originally from Seoul, South Korea. She graduated from the University of Alabama with her D.M.A in Piano Performance. For the past five years, she has taught applied piano, classic piano and advanced music theory at Stillman.
The event is free and open to the public.
[William Grant Still (1895-1978) is profiled at AfriClassical.com, which features a comprehensive Works List by Prof. Dominique-René de Lerma, http://www.CasaMusicaledeLerma.com Recordings, sheet music and books of William Grant Still are available at www.WilliamGrantStill.com, which is operated by the composer's daughter Judith Anne Still]
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