This Week in Classical Music

It’s this week in classical music, an update on what’s happening in the classical music world.  I’m Randy Kinkel.

Experts at Dundee University have re-created Johann Sebastian Bach’s face, 250 years after the death of  the German composer.  Apparently only one portrait that the composer actually sat for still exists.  Forensic artists at the university built up what they believe is an accurate picture of the baroque master after using a bronze cast of his skull and documents of the time.  Dr. Carolyn Wilkinson, from the centre for forensic and medical Art, Explains: “"We carried out a laser scan of the skull which allowed us to recreate the musculature and skin of the face on our computer system," she said. "By assessing the bone structure we can determine facial morphology and produce an accurate picture of his facial appearance." The team then used an existing portrait of Bach, and documents which described how his eye problems caused swollen eyelids, to start texturing the face. Dr Wilkinson said: "This is really the most complete face that can be built from the available reliable information.

The New England Conservatory has named Hugh Wolf to serve as it newly-created Director of Orchestras position, starting in August.  This is a five-year contract.  NEC President Tony Woodcock says Wolf was chose with a mandate to revitalize the program and to prepare students for careers in professional orchestras. The 53-year old Wolf has held positions with the New Jersey Symphony and the St. Paul Chamber orchestra He and his family will be moving to Boston from Minneapolis for the new gig.

The Metropolitan Opera and the Juilliard School of Music are coming together to create a training program for young opera singers, and pianists who hope to become accompanists and opera conductors. The program will start in the 2010-2011 season.  The Met’s Music Director James Levine has stepped forward as artistic director of the program, to be called the Metropolitan opera Lindemann Young Artist development program in Partnership with the Juilliard School—the acronym for that would be MOLYADPPWJS. Brian Zeger of the Juilliard School’s Vocal Arts Department will serve as the program’s Executive director.  Juilliard President Joseph Polisi said, “it’s a chance to carefully educate and train the next generation of opera singers and respond to their needs in everything from ear training and score reading to repertory choices,” he said. “We’re also hoping that as time goes on, our graduate students and undergrads will have greater access to the Met’s resources — rehearsals for example — that they don’t have now.”

For more information on these and other items and events, go to the website kbaq.org.  Be listening each week at this time for another update, and join me every weekday at noon for the Mozart Buffet, an hour of music by Mozart and his contemporaries.  I’, Randy Kinkel for KBAQ’s This week in Classical Music, on listener-supported 89-five KBAQ, Phoenix, a service of the Rio Salado College and Arizona State University.