MP18: Improvisation in Theory and Practice


About

From plainchant to free jazz and beyond, this Working Group explores how musical improvisation has been conceptualized, performed, construed, and analyzed across a broad range of periods, places, and genres.

Open to New People

Active since: 2013

  • Syracuse University
  • University of Rochester
  • Cornell University

Collaborative Goals

  • Provide opportunities for students to engage with improvisation theory and practice.

Group Organizers

Roger Moseley

Associate Professor, Music, Cornell University

Annette Richards

Given Foundation Professor in the Humanities and University Organist, Cornell University

David Higgs

Professor of Organ; Chair, Organ, Sacred Music, and Historical Keyboards Department, Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester

Anne Laver

Assistant Professor of Applied Music and Performance; University Organist, Syracuse University

William Porter

Coordinator, Sacred Music Internships, Organ, Sacred Music, and Historical Keyboards Department, Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester

Group Outcomes

  • Students from the Eastman School of Music and Syracuse University organ departments attended excellent workshops with guest presenter Jeffrey Brillhart. These events opened the door for a potential spring break trip to the Philadelphia area for students to continue workshops with Brillhart, visit the archives of the Organ Historical Society, and give performances.