Creating a collage based on a Korean poem for a concert in Rome during this summer of 2018 awakened memories of the many connections that brought artists in this July concert together, especially those circumstances that brought my colleague Maestro Dinu Ghezzo to NYU and into so many of our lives.
Dinu was a special inspiration to so many because of his creative madness that overcame obstacles and made us all reach beyond ourselves. I cannot remember Dinu without remembering David Ecker and Sandro Dernini...and many, many more whose commitment to each other as artists resulted in creating new work over several decades.
For me, this recent concert in Italy was the final gesture of my tenure at NYU... marking 50 years of work at NYU that closes when I retire In September. My first official act when I joined NYU was the creation of the graduate programs in composition and performance (MA & PHD) that I directed for ten years before I was able to appoint Dinu Ghezzo to take my place as Director of Composition. But Dinu had come to NYU as a conductor, and he was our joint selection between Washington Square Music Department and our department to direct the NYU orchestra. But is true that one cannot serve two masters, and Dinu was under considerable stress trying to manage his responsibilities between two departments. It was never clear to me why we had to follow that course since Music Education had been incorporated into the New York College Music, creating a conservatory in the School of Education known as Department of Music and Music Education. Before the first year of his appointment was finished, Dinu became a full-time faculty member in our new department.
Another important moment was connecting with David Ecker in the Art Department, a phenomenologist, who helped us bridge the arts in a series of summer symposia, providing a phenomenological foundation that
grounded the arts at NYU in performance and research. This activity took place in the formative moments of our new department, putting more emphasis on collaboration. When Dinu Ghezzo joined the faculty, he easily accommodated these dynamics of interaction, and Sandro Dernini from Italy completing his second doctorate in visual arts (his first PhD was Biology), was an activist who complemented Dinu's "madness," and David Ecker who was Sandro's dissertation chair, colluded with Sandro. The many adventures that emerged from the conflagration of these interests are too numerous to mention here. Our summer program in Gubbio could only have been created by Dinu Ghezzo with his ability to create something from nothing. The Gubbio program was brought to us by Dinu when I became Chair. It had no funding, and I had no reserve resources, but was sympathetic since we had started so many programs in an environment that provided few resources to support new initiatives. And so Gubbio was created, and what a marvelous madness every summer! I had the honor of teaching theory for several sessions, and I came to love siestas of Gubbio and the exuberant night life, and walking through the mountains and the winding streets of Gubbio defining a mountainside.
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| In the Spring in early 2000s, Sandro Dernini (center) launched his new book inviting colleagues and Plexus with a special intro by Dr. David Ecker, (3rd from left in back) |
Dinu was like a brother. When he came to NYU he provided the support and inspiration that enabled me to return to an active creative life. Traveling with him throughout Europe with our media concerts opened my world immensely.
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| Dinu shepherding us through Italy, pictured with Lisa Naugle and John Crawford. |
During this time, my connections with Asia developed, and the great poem I DO NOT KNOW became a source of inspiration. Written by the Buddhist Monk, Yong-Woon Han, imprisoned by the Japanese during World War Two, the poem served as a source for the great Korean Dancer and Choreographer, Kim Myung Sook, in a major premiere performance in 2006 (https://wyzardways.blogspot.com/2006/05/i-dont-know-genius-of-kim-myung-sook.html ).
Over time, I studied this poem in various translations, and driving around Jeju Island off the coast of Korea, I could still feel the presence of the Japanese occupation... the caves where Japanese suicide soldiers were forced to live as they waited assignment for their submarine suicide missions. Also, I came across countless silos where Japanese fighter planes were hidden from view from U.S. planes. These echoes of the Japanese occupation, made me realize the intensity of Han's poem as his work expressed the depth of connection between a people and its land. I also gained appreciation of the richness of the sound and ambiguity of the Korean language.
Over time, I studied this poem in various translations, and driving around Jeju Island off the coast of Korea, I could still feel the presence of the Japanese occupation... the caves where Japanese suicide soldiers were forced to live as they waited assignment for their submarine suicide missions. Also, I came across countless silos where Japanese fighter planes were hidden from view from U.S. planes. These echoes of the Japanese occupation, made me realize the intensity of Han's poem as his work expressed the depth of connection between a people and its land. I also gained appreciation of the richness of the sound and ambiguity of the Korean language.
For many years, I wanted to create a work based on this poem, and the opportunity to participate in this July 7th concert opened an opportunity to renew connections, including access to so many artists that Dinu connected as collaborators, inspired me to find a way to reconnect with many artists. I appreciate the enormous success of this effort. This performance in Italy caps an era for me.
Sandro Dernini has continued his creative activism in Italy, and maybe there is something yet to be done, especially to remember our departed colleagues, David Ecker, and Dinu Ghezzo. One of the highlights was one of our most strategic initiatives when we combined forces to recognize the 500th year of Columbus discovery of America as a time of reconciliation for Europe's exploitation of the Americas. Sandro managed to enlist the support and facility of NYU for a project that launched a sail vessel from Italy to Spain and many islands in the Atlantic Ocean, stopping at many islands and destinations for contributions of artists to contribute original works to a Black Box on the ship. The vessel was met in the harbor of NYC by PLEXUS and participants from NYU. The took the Black Box of artworks and paraded around Washington Square. Then they took the Black Box to the 12th floor of the newly constructed Bobst Library. The Snow Room had been decorated like a tropical island, and the artworks were taken from the BlackBox and put on display. In the celebration that ensued, Dinu Ghezzo composed piece for solo violin which was performed using a telephone to connect to Italy. In Italy, the performance was recorded and transformed by computer into an artwork which was faxed to the Bobst Library, perhaps the first such exchange in the history of the planet.
Such was the power and energy of that time, and I thank those who continue to create and honor these past connections by concerts that still cross oceans and nations in pursuit of artistic creation.
Sandro Dernini has continued his creative activism in Italy, and maybe there is something yet to be done, especially to remember our departed colleagues, David Ecker, and Dinu Ghezzo. One of the highlights was one of our most strategic initiatives when we combined forces to recognize the 500th year of Columbus discovery of America as a time of reconciliation for Europe's exploitation of the Americas. Sandro managed to enlist the support and facility of NYU for a project that launched a sail vessel from Italy to Spain and many islands in the Atlantic Ocean, stopping at many islands and destinations for contributions of artists to contribute original works to a Black Box on the ship. The vessel was met in the harbor of NYC by PLEXUS and participants from NYU. The took the Black Box of artworks and paraded around Washington Square. Then they took the Black Box to the 12th floor of the newly constructed Bobst Library. The Snow Room had been decorated like a tropical island, and the artworks were taken from the BlackBox and put on display. In the celebration that ensued, Dinu Ghezzo composed piece for solo violin which was performed using a telephone to connect to Italy. In Italy, the performance was recorded and transformed by computer into an artwork which was faxed to the Bobst Library, perhaps the first such exchange in the history of the planet.
Such was the power and energy of that time, and I thank those who continue to create and honor these past connections by concerts that still cross oceans and nations in pursuit of artistic creation.
Thanks to everyone, my collaborators, and especially to Lisa's dancers and choreographer Tessa Rehbein, who danced this version of the I DO NOT KNOW premiere. I truly celebrate the work of my collaborators, Laura Montanaro with her Italian translation and performance, Michelle Jiyue Cao's Chinese translation and performance, Dr. Sunmin Kim's Korean and English performances, John Russell Gilbert's performance of an English translation, Ms. Cao's flute improvs, and the Pipa improvs of Cantata Fan Chen.
It is the performative gesture of this premiere that inspires me to possibly develop the work further. I can see continuing to extend the work through additional languages and performers, to eventual live performances and improvisations. Dinu would have liked to see that. The Maestro after a visit to Korea came back with incredible masks that became part of a summer of fantastic voyages linking the ancient world of the Fall of Troy to Korea.
Dinu was NYU's Marco Polo. He opened the NYU university community to Italy as part of our Spring tours, connecting us intensely with Italian artists and the Italian landscape through numerous tours. I believe the gesture of this concert in Rome on July 7 celebrated the incredible imagination and inspiration that was Dinu Ghezzo as we continue to say to him Thanks, Maestro!
It is the performative gesture of this premiere that inspires me to possibly develop the work further. I can see continuing to extend the work through additional languages and performers, to eventual live performances and improvisations. Dinu would have liked to see that. The Maestro after a visit to Korea came back with incredible masks that became part of a summer of fantastic voyages linking the ancient world of the Fall of Troy to Korea.
Dinu was NYU's Marco Polo. He opened the NYU university community to Italy as part of our Spring tours, connecting us intensely with Italian artists and the Italian landscape through numerous tours. I believe the gesture of this concert in Rome on July 7 celebrated the incredible imagination and inspiration that was Dinu Ghezzo as we continue to say to him Thanks, Maestro!
