A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow said, "Music is the universal language of mankind." Music has also been called "the literature of the heart" (Alphonse de Lamartine), "the speech of angels" (Thomas Carlyle), and "a higher revelation than philosophy" (Ludwig van Beethoven). An endeavor that has inspired these descriptions deserves a central place within the academy, and music has such a place at The Graduate Center. This issue of Folio looks at the work of several members of our Music Program's outstanding faculty.

Renowned concert pianist Ursula Oppens, Distinguished Professor at both The Graduate Center and the Conservatory of Music at Brooklyn College, takes stock of her remarkable career. A respected interpreter of the traditional repertoire, she is also celebrated as a champion of contemporary music, having premiered works by composers such as Elliott Carter, John Harbison, Charles Wuorinen, Joan Tower, and Tobias Picker.

Distinguished Professor Joseph Straus, a pioneer in the emerging field of music and disability, shares insights that will lead many people to re-think their favorite musical works. After considering his remarks, even the most dedicated music enthusiasts might hear new and unfamiliar elements in the familiar works of Beethoven, Schubert, Schoenberg, and Webern.

And Professor Emeritus John Graziano, who leads The Graduate Center's Music in Gotham project, discusses the musical life of New York in the latter years of the Civil War and throughout the decade that followed. During this vibrant period, the City's residents could enjoy a wide variety of opera, vaudeville, minstrel shows, and choir and orchestra performances. The scholarly work of the individuals contributing to Music in Gotham is, in part, a tribute to the dedication of the late Adrienne Fried Block who, until her passing in April of this year, served as the project's Co-Director.

The Graduate Center offers an abundance of riches in both music education and music scholarship, as well as the exciting array of concerts and recitals that take place throughout the academic year in our beautiful Baisley Powell Elebash Recital Hall. I hope to see you soon at a conference, lecture, or performance.

With warm regards,

William P. Kelly
President
The Graduate Center