MSU College of Music during a 2015 West Circle Series performance. Photo courtesy of MSU College of Music.
The Michigan State University College of Music's Joanne and Bill Church West Circle Concert Series will begin on Monday, Oct. 16. Kicking off the series is "Celebrating Jewish Identity in Music," a concert that aims to explore and honor Jewish tradition and history.
The event will be led by Musicology/Ethnomusicology Area Chair and Musicology Professor Dr. Kevin Bartig, who will act as a concert guide by introducing performances, providing context and sharing information about Jewish culture.
Violin Professor Dmitri Berlinsky, the curator of the concert, said the performance is especially relevant in regards to the conflict between Israel and Palestine.
“We try to bring in an audience because the chamber music setting and repertoire is really a great model for society to see how different instruments, different voices can find unity and have balance,” Berlinsky said. “Through music, they can find that unity, and then if they listen to each other, I think it’s a great model for society.”
Berlinsky said music has a unique power to convey messages in a language that is universally understood.
“This is the power of music," Berlinsky said. "Because there are no words, but it has this intensity and message which composers were trying to bring through their creative process."
He added that the distinctive voice of the concert’s music lends itself an emotional complexity.
“It's a kaleidoscope of all different kinds of emotions, which one can experience through the music because it has a very deep appeal without words,” Berlinsky said. “This music has a certain depth and a certain message within, which, really for any listener, has a possibility for them to be connected with the present and, at the same time, to be taken to a different part of history... in some kind of journey.”
The College of Music’s journey through Jewish tradition will feature works by famous composers Ernest Bloch, John Williams, Max Bruch and Dmitri Shostakovich.
The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the MSU Auditorium’s Fairchild Theatre. Ticket information for “Celebrating Jewish Identity in Music” can be found at the College of Music’s website, on the upcoming events page.
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