June in Buffalo 25th Anniversary Exhibit

History

Photograph by Rolf Hanns.

Morton Feldman, Darmstadt, July 1986

Morton Feldman joined the University at Buffalo Music Faculty in 1972. He was the Slee Professor, 1972-1973, Edgar Varèse Professor, 1975-1987, and the Director of the Center of the Creative and Performing Arts, 1976-1980. Feldman established the June in Buffalo festival in 1975 as a counterpart to the Center of the Creative and Performing Arts' successful Evenings for New Music concerts. The new festival was presented 1975-1978, and again in 1980, with a year off in 1979 when Feldman was on sabbatical.

Photograph by Irene Haupt.

Morton Feldman, ca. 1986

In addition to presenting concerts, Feldman's festival created a seminar environment in which student composers attended workshops where distinguished composers-in-residence rehearsed their works and gave lectures. Feldman also wanted to create a more intense listening experience by presenting programs that contained multiple works by a single composer. To that end, twelve works by John Cage were presented on the three concerts that opened the first festival in June 1975. Other single-composer programs were devoted to the works of Christian Wolff, Ralph Shapey, George Crumb, Lejaren Hiller, Nils Vigeland, Steve Reich, Charles Wuorinen, Henry Brant, Elliott Carter, Stefan Wolpe, Milton Babbitt, Lou Harrison, Earle Brown, and Aaron Copland. Works by earlier twentieth-century composers, including Ives, Schoenberg, Satie, Cowell, Webern, Berg, and Bártók were also presented on June in Buffalo programs.

Photograph by Janice Booth.

David Felder

David Felder became a member of the University at Buffalo Music Faculty in 1985. He worked quickly during his first year in Buffalo and successfully revived the June in Buffalo festival in 1986. He has been its Artistic Director since that time.

Like Feldman's earlier incarnation, the newer version of the festival is also part conference, including lectures and panel discussions by the composition faculty. However, more emphasis is placed on providing opportunities for young, emerging composers in Felder's current version of the festival. Participating composers not only work with established composers, but also get to hear their own compositions presented in a professional setting. Their works are now presented on the same programs as the composition faculty.

Photograph by Irene Haupt.

Nils Vigeland, Lukas Foss, and David Felder, 1986

The list of composers who have served as faculty, or whose works have been the focus of concerts at the June in Buffalo festival is impressive. It includes Milton Babbitt, Henry Brant, Earle Brown, Aaron Copland, George Crumb, Jacob Druckman, Donald Erb, David Felder, Morton Feldman, Brian Ferneyhough, Lukas Foss, Philip Glass, Lou Harrison, Lejaren Hiller, Aaron Jay Kernis, Paul Lansky, Cort Lippe, Philippe Manoury, Stephen Mosko, Bernard Rands, Steve Reich, Roger Reynolds, Poul Ruders, Ralph Shapey, Harvey Sollberger, Gerhard Stabler, Jeffrey Stadelman, Augusta Read Thomas, Virgil Thomson, Nils Vigeland, Diderik Wagenaar, Christian Wolff, Charles Wuorinen, and Iannis Xenakis.

May 2000 Music Library Staff musique@acsu.buffalo.edu http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/units/music/exhibits/june/history.html