Stephen Moore Combines Classical Standards and Improvisation in Recital, Tuesday, March 7, 8 P.M. in Kulas Recital Hall Story by Emily Manzo
	THE PROGRAM C.P.E. Bach, Sonata in F major, W.62, No. 8 Robert Schumann, Fantasy, Opus 17 Frederic Chopin, Ballade in G minor, Op. 23 Jazz improvisation on melodies by Chopin, Richard Rodgers and A.C. Jobim, assisted by Matthew Elliott		"I think it is important to combine improvisation and composed music," says Stephen Moore, associate professor of aural skills and president of the Dalcroze Society of America. "Most music on a global perspective is improvised, and as a result, a musician who improvises gains greater insight into the nature of music making, a type of bonding with musicians around the world. Improvising makes you vitally aware of how music making is in real time -- whether the music you are playing is composed or improvised. You respond much more to the moment as a result of developing improvisation skills. "It's also good to keep in mind," he adds, "that improvisation was the specialty of most of the great composers whose written music we play as classical musicians: Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Liszt -- to name only a few." Moore, a trained classical and jazz pianist, will place his theories into practice for his recital on Tuesday, March 7, 8 p.m. in Kulas Recital Hall. The performance will include works by C.P.E. Bach, Robert Schumann, Frederic Chopin, and his own jazz improvisations on melodies by Chopin, Richard Rodgers and A.C. Jobim. Moore will be assisted by Matthew Elliott ('01) on bass. "I'm enjoying the experience of working with Mr. Moore," says Elliott. "On Tuesday we will be playing some standards and a transformation of a Chopin melody into a jazz tune in the style of the American pop song. The melody lends well to this interpretation and creates some interesting form twists. We are also doing rhythmic transformations to'My Favorite Things' (Rodgers) and a straight ahead rendition of 'One Note Samba' (A.C. Jobim)." "Matt is great to work with," says Moore. "One of the differences that I have found playing with jazz musicians as opposed to classical musicians is that generally there is a greater sense of camaraderie among jazz players and more a sense of competition with classical musicians." Moore's last performing engagement at Oberlin was in November, with guest violinist Peter Farkas, professor of music at the University of Redlands. The duo's performance of Penderecki, Martinu, Moyzes, Shostakovich and Dvorak received a warm reception in Kulas Recital Hall. About Stephen Moore Stephen Moore, associate professor of aural skills, holds the doctor of philosophy degree in music theory from Indiana University, with emphases in piano performance and jazz studies. The title of his dissertation is "The Writings of Emile Jacques-Dalcroze: Toward a Theory for the Performance of Musical Rhythm." He received the master music degree in piano performance from the Manhattan School of Music, where he was awarded the Shirr-Cliff Prize in music theory. His principal teacher there was Dora Zaslavsky. Other teachers have included Jeneane Dowis (The Juilliard School) and Beatrice Erdely (New England Conservatory). In 1992, Dr. Moore was granted the license in Dalcroze Eurhythmics from the Manhattan Dalcroze Institute under Robert Abramson, and now serves as national president of the Dalcroze Society of America. From 1988-1993, Moore was artist teacher of piano at the University of Puget Sound and continues to teach each summer at the University of Washington as part of the Dalcroze training program. As a member of the University of Redlands Duo, he performs nationally and internationally with violinist Pavel Farkas and is a frequent soloist and clinician, having performed recently on the University of Rhode Island Convocation Series and the San Juan Island Recital Series. As the and author of "The Rhythm Inside: Connecting Body, Mind and Spirit through Music," co-authored with Julia Black (Rudra Press, 1997), Moore brings to performance a heightened awareness of physical movement.
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