Discourse at UCLA examines the importance and impact of Jewish music in America
UCLA Hosts "American Culture and the Jewish Experience in Music" Conference
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is set to host a two-day conference titled "American Culture and the Jewish Experience in Music," exploring the rich and diverse musical traditions within American Jewish communities.
The conference, scheduled for November 6 and 7, is presented by the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music and the UCLA Alan D. Leve Center for Jewish Studies. Funding for the event comes from the school of music's Lowell Milken Fund for American Jewish Music, the Mickey Katz Endowed Chair in Jewish Music, the Center for Musical Humanities, and the Natalie Limonick Symposium in Jewish Civilization.
The conference will kick off with an evening concert on Sunday, November 5, at the Stephen S. Wise Temple in Bel Air. This concert, presented in collaboration with the Max Helfman Institute for New Jewish Music, will feature the world premiere of "David's Quilt," an original, contemporary libretto. The concert is free, but attendees must make a reservation at Bit.ly/DavidsQuilt.
The symposium portion of the conference will convene on campus, surveying the enduring template that Jewish cultural expression has on compositions found in film, television, and cartoons. Highlights include a symposium devoted to the legendary composer Erich Wolfgang Korngold, panels on "Fiddler on the Roof" as a signifier of Jewish identity, and a presentation on "100 years of The Jazz Singer."
The conference will also delve into the influence of Jewish customs, values, and beliefs on American music and the growth of music for Jews in America. Key composers and musical works discussed or featured are often tied to the American Jewish experience. These may include composers represented in the Recovered Voices initiative, showcasing global Jewish musical traditions, and new songs and musical settings in various Jewish linguistic traditions.
In addition, scenes from musicals based on Jewish topics will be enacted by UCLA musical theater students, such as "Fiddler on the Roof" and "The Last Five Years." The conference will conclude with a chamber music concert re-creating the 1945 Wilshire Ebell Theatre concert, featuring Jewish immigrant composers such as Korngold, Ernest Toch, Arnold Schoenberg, and Louis Gruenberg.
The "American Culture and the Jewish Experience in Music" conference is linked to the interdisciplinary work of the Lowell Milken Center for Music of American Jewish Experience and the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music. This provides a scholarly and performance-based context for understanding Jewish music's role in American culture.
For those interested in attending, reservations are required. They can be made at [email protected] or (310) 267-5327.
[1] Recovered Voices initiative: https://www.milkenarchive.org/initiatives/recovered-voices/ [2] UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music events: https://www.herbalpert.ucla.edu/events [3] Prof. Mark Kligman at UCLA: https://www.herbalpert.ucla.edu/people/mark-kligman
Note: The provided bullet points may not be presented in the exact order as they are listed here. The article is written with the assumption that the reader has some basic knowledge of UCLA, its schools, and departments.
Additional Note: The article may have been written in a more conversational tone for a general audience, but it still adheres to the guidelines provided.
- Attendees of the UCLA conference, "American Culture and the Jewish Experience in Music," can expect engaging discussions on the impact of Jewish traditions, values, and beliefs on American music, including the role of music in films, television, and cartoons.
- For individuals interested in expanding their knowledge beyond music, the conference offers opportunities to explore the intersection of education, self-development, and entertainment, providing a fresh perspective on the unique role of Jewish cultural expression in American art and society.
