Oct 15 UAS Evening at Egan Presents: Mahler, Modernism, and Resurrection

UAS History Professor, Robin Walz, and Juneau Symphony Orchestra Music Director, Kyle Pickett, will give a joint talk on Modernism in turn-of-the-century Vienna and its influences on Mahler and his Resurrection Symphony.

Juneau, Alaska

Date of Press Release: October 11, 2010

UAS History Professor, Robin Walz, and Juneau Symphony Orchestra Music Director, Kyle Pickett, will give a joint talk on Modernism in turn-of-the-century Vienna and its influences on Mahler and his Resurrection Symphony.

Robin Walz is an Associate Professor of History at UAS, specializing in European intellectual and cultural history. He is the author of Pulp Surrealism: Insolent Popular Culture in Early Twentieth-Century Paris (2000) and Modernism (2007). Walz teaches surveys in World History, Early Modern Europe, and Modern Europe, and upper-division courses in European Intellectual History, the Holocaust, and European Popular Culture as part of the B.A. in Social Science.

Kyle Pickett is recognized as one of America’s most exciting and charismatic young conductors as well as an acclaimed orchestra builder. Following his doctoral studies at the Peabody Conservatory with the renowned conducting teacher Frederik Prausnitz, Kyle Pickett was appointed Music Director by the Juneau Symphony in 2000.

Pickett considers Mahler's Second Symphony one of his top favorites. In his notes on the work Pickett writes, "Gustav Mahler, in addition to being one of the world's greatest composers, was also one of the world's greatest conductors. As a conductor, he understood the difficulties of realizing such enormous works as his Second Symphony. When speaking to a group of young conductors who were working on one of his symphonies, Mahler said, 'I salute conductors who, when the occasion arises, modify my score to suit the acoustics of the hall. If, after my death, something doesn't sound right, then change it. You have the right to change - not only the right - the duty to change it.'"

The Juneau Symphony will perform Mahler’s Resurrection Symphony October 23 and 24 with a full orchestra, chorus and guest soloists. For more information please see: juneausymphony.org.

Robin Walz  also happens to play cello in the Juneau Symphony. Unfortunately he will be at a history conference for the Mahler symphony performance.