Cali Immersive Residency Program
2023-24 Season
Join us for our third annual re-imagined professional residency program at the John J. Cali School of Music. The week-long residencies include a rotation of seven top-rated artists and ensembles. Each residency will contribute to an ongoing exploration of the ever-changing landscape of music today, introducing students to a future that will be, at times, less traditional. Through the multiple opportunities to learn and collaborate with guest artists, Cali students will broaden their understanding of their future musical careers. (Subscribe to the full residency Google Calendar!)
PLEASE JOIN US FOR THE PUBLIC EVENTS AT THE CALI SCHOOL OF MUSIC AND THE CO-HOSTED BRIDGES SERIES CONCERTS AT MERKIN CONCERT HALL IN NEW YORK CITY.
Co-presented with Kaufman Music Center
Our 2023-24 Guests
MICHAEL FABIANO SEP 18
Acclaimed American Powerful and Expressive Tenor
Watching Fabiano sing was akin to watching a superhero lift a heavy object.
—The Daily News | Palm Beach
Join us as Michael Fabiano shares his wealth of experience with young voices at Montclair State University. Born right here in Montclair, NJ Michael Fabiano is notably one of the greatest tenors in the world today. He has performed in leading opera houses, including the San Francisco Opera, Metropolitan Opera, Paris Opera, Sydney Opera, Teatro alla Scala, Canadian Opera Company, The Royal Opera, and Teatro Real de Madrid among many others. Fabiano’s philanthropic pursuits include CoFounder of ArtSmart whose mission is to transform the lives of youth in under-resourced communities across the US through tuition-free music lessons and mentorship. Experience the thrill of Italian Opera 1820-1940 as Fabiano leads us on a musical journey featuring promising young voices of tomorrow at the Cali School of Music. This appearance is in conjunction with ArtSmart and the Cali Immersive Residency Program.
Of Michael Fabiano’s debut as Lensky in Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin at the Royal Opera, The Sunday Times in London wrote: “I can’t think of a Lensky at Covent Garden who has held the audience so spellbound in 40 years of Onegin-going… a glorious debut.” The recipient of the 2014 Beverly Sills Artist Award and the 2014 Richard Tucker Award, Mr. Fabiano is the first singer to win both awards in the same year, and is considered one of the greatest tenors in the world today.
Recently, he was named one of the winners of the first edition Teatro Real Award given to artists who have stood out in a special way for their support to the institution throughout the 2020-21 season.
In the 2022/23 season, Mr. Fabiano performed at the San Francisco Opera for their Opera Ball, and Opera in the Park, and will sing Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly. At the Metropolitan Opera, Los Angeles Opera, Gran Teatre del Liceu Barcelona, and the Wiener Staatsoper, he will sing Cavaradossi in Tosca. In addition, Mr. Fabiano will make his role debut as Maurizio in Adriana Lecouvreur with Opera Australia, and perform recitals at the Recital Center in Melbourne, at Victoria Hall in Geneva, and at the Waterford Concert Series in Virginia rounding out his season.
During 2021/2022, Mr. Fabiano made his role debut as Cavaradossi in Tosca at the Opéra National de Paris. In addition to this role, Mr. Fabiano performed the title role in Les Contes d’Hoffmann at ABAO-OLBE Bilbao Opera, and sang Rodolfo in La bohème at the Teatro Real. Subsequent performances were Don José in Carmen at Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg, Washington National Opera, and Santa Fe Opera. He made his role and company debuts as Calaf in Turandot at Opera di Roma, and in a gala concert celebrating the 175th anniversary of the Gran Teatre del Liceu, his role debut as Ismaele in Nabucco at the Teatro Real, and performed Lensky in Eugene Onegin at the Teatro San Carlo di Napoli.
Mr. Fabiano began the 2019/20 season portraying Des Grieux in Massenet’s Manon at the Metropolitan Opera, and starring in a season-opening gala for Michigan Opera Theatre entitled An Evening with Michael Fabiano. He assumed the title roles in Don Carlo and Hoffmann, in a new production of Les Contes d’Hoffmann, both at the Opéra National de Paris, and performed Alfredo in La Traviata, and Riccardo in Un Ballo in Maschera at the Teatro Real, and Ruggero in La Rondine at the Teatro di San Carlo di Napoli. In the summer of 2019 he performed in recital in Turku, Finland, and performed in a concert with orchestra for the Theatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro.
WED | SEP 6
12-1:30pm | Graduate Practicum
“Curating a Career”
Cali School of Music – Chapin Hall
Room G55 (STUDENTS ONLY)
MON | SEP 18
1-2pm | Undergrad Practicum
“Curating a Career”
Cali School of Music – Chapin Hall
Leshowitz Recital Hall (PUBLIC)
4:45-6PM | Pathways + ArtSmart Masterclass
Cali School of Music – Chapin Hall
Leshowitz Recital Hall (PUBLIC)
6:30-8:30PM | Masterclass
Featuring Italian Opera 1820-1940
Showcasing young artists at the Cali School
Cali School of Music – Chapin Hall
Leshowitz Recital Hall (PUBLIC)
FREE
RESERVATIONS REQUIRED
TUE | SEP 19
2-5PM
Private Coachings
Leshowitz Recital Hall (STUDENTS ONLY)
PAOLA PRESTINI SEP 20, SEP 25, OCT 4, OCT 11, NOV 14-16, FEB 6-8
Composer, Co – Founder & Artistic Director of National Sawdust and VisionIntoArt
Paola Prestini is an “enterprising composer and impresario” and a “human resources alchemist” (The New York Times). As Artist in Residence for 2023-2024, the Montclair community is in for a treat as she aims to foster interdisciplinary collaboration among the departments, engage teachers and students in the creative process, explore the craft and discuss the current state of the field, and create an outward-facing collaborative work that engages with the community.
“New York retains a remarkable cadre of composers…but chief among these is the singular figure of Paola Prestini.”
– FINANCIAL TIMES
Composer Paola Prestini has collaborated with poets, filmmakers, and scientists in large-scale multimedia works that chart her interest in themes ranging from the cosmos to the environment. She has created, written and produced projects such as the world’s largest and first communal VR opera, The Hubble Cantata, and the eco-documentary The Colorado. Her opera Sensorium Ex dives into community impact and AI-bridging her love of collaboration with system building. Her work has been performed by the New York Philharmonic, Minnesota Opera, Los Angeles Opera, San Diego Opera, Bellas Artes, and at the Festival Dei Due Mondi in Italy. She has been a resident at MASS MoCA, the Park Avenue Armory, the American Academy in Rome, and at Sundance. Prestini is a Co-Founder of VisionIntoArt, a non-profit new music and interdisciplinary arts production company in New York City and is the Co-Founder/Artistic Director of the non-profit music organization National Sawdust.
WED SEP 20
1:30PM | Cali Midweek Concert | Introduction to the Music of Composer Paola Prestini
Cali Conversations – Paola Prestini in conversation with
Professor Aaron Helgeson
Introduction to the Cali School of Music’s 23-24 Artist-in-Residence’s music, improvisation, and new techniques in a live performance
Leshowitz Recital Hall
Reservations Required
MON SEP 25
1PM | Composer Practicum
Leshowitz Recital Hall
WED OCT 4
Visit #3
Details To Come
WED OCT 11
Visit #4
Details to Come
NOV 14-16
Visit #5
Details to Come
FEB 6-8, 2024
Visit #6
Details to Come
LARA DOWNES OCT. 2-4
Renowned American Trailblazing Pianist and Composer
Honored as 2022 Classical Woman of the Year by Performance Today, American pianist Lara Downes is an iconoclast and trailblazer. Her dynamic work as a sought-after soloist, recording artist, a producer, curator, arts activist and advocate positions her as a cultural visionary on the national arts scene. Join us for fascinating conversations, performances and explorations of how Lara amplifies her work.
Honored as 2022 Classical Woman of the Year by Performance Today, American pianist (and NY Times crossword clue) Lara Downes has been called “a musical ray of hope” by NBC News and “an explorer whose imagination is fired by bringing notice to the underrepresented and forgotten” (The Log Journal). An iconoclast and trailblazer, her dynamic work as a sought-after soloist, a Billboard Chart-topping recording artist, a producer, curator, arts activist and advocate positions her as a cultural visionary on the national arts scene. Lara’s musical roadmap seeks inspiration from the legacies of history, family, and collective memory, excavating a broad landscape of music to create a series of acclaimed performance and recording projects that serve as gathering spaces for her listeners to find common ground and shared experience.
Lara’s recent and upcoming onstage adventures include guest appearances with The Philadelphia Orchestra, the Boston Pops, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Louisville Orchestra, and Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, with recitals and residencies at Ravinia, the Gilmore Festival, Carolina Performing Arts, Washington Performing Arts, Caramoor, Saratoga Performing Arts Center, the Cabrillo Festival, and Oregon Bach Festival, among others.
Lara enjoys creative collaborations with an eclectic range of artists including folk icon Judy Collins, pianist Simone Dinnerstein, musical multi-hyphenate Rhiannon Giddens, former U.S. Poet Laureate Rita Dove, author John McWhorter, Broadway legend Brian Stokes Mitchell, baritone Thomas Hampson, and violinist Daniel Hope. Her close partnerships with prominent composers span genres and generations, with premieres and commissions coming from Adolphus Hailstork, Jennifer Higdon, Billy Childs, Paola Prestini, Arturo O’Farrill, Gerald Clayton, Jimmy Lopez-Bellido, Teddy Abrams, Clarice Assad, and many others.
MON OCT 2
10:30-12:45pm | Meet with Artist Vision Students
Rochberg Room (STUDENTS ONLY)
1-2PM | School-wide Practicum
“My Story Presentation” includes Q&A
Leshowitz Recital Hall (PUBLIC)
2-3PM Piano Huddle / Masterclass and Discussion
Leshowitz Recital Hall (STUDENTS ONLY)
3:30-5PM | Lecture
School of Communications and Media (STUDENTS ONLY)
TUE OCT 3
8:30-9:35AM | MUHS 407, Course on American Music
Room G1
10:30- 12:30 Details to Come
1:45PM and 2:45-3:45 | Cali Collective
G33 (STUDENTS ONLY)
4pm-5:30PM | Meet with Artist Vision Students Office Hours (STUDENTS ONLY)
7:30PM | Concert “New CD Material”
Leshowitz Recital Hall (PUBLIC)
Reservations Recommended
WED OCT 4
1:30PM | Cali Midweek “Cali Conversations” with Lara Downes and Cali School of Music Director, Anthony Mazzocchi (PUBLIC)
Reservations Recommended
3-5PM | Meet with Artist Vision Students – behind the scenes “preview” (STUDENTS ONLY)
7:10-9:40PM | Entrepreneurship
Room G1 (STUDENTS ONLY)
DAVID KRAKAUER OCT. 30-NOV. 4
World-renowned Virtuosic Clarinetist
“David Krakauer, Grammy nominated “…genre-fluid clarinet genius” (NPR) along with his longtime musical collaborator: pianist, composer and producer Kathleen Tagg, will explore the intersections of written music and improvisation. During the week at Cali, Krakauer & Tagg will put together a performance of their visionary cultural dialogue composition: Keepers of the Flame”
Widely considered one of the greatest clarinetists on the planet with his own unique sound and approach, David Krakauer has been praised internationally as a key innovator in modern klezmer as well as a major voice in classical music. In addition, his work has been recognized by major jazz publications around the world. He received a Grammy nomination as soloist with the conductorless chamber orchestra “A Far Cry“, received the Diapason D’Or in France for The Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind (Osvaldo Golijov and the Kronos Quartet/Nonesuch) and the album of the year award in the jazz category for the Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik for The Twelve Tribes (Label Bleu). Abraham Inc’s Tweet Tweet (co-led by Krakauer with funk legend Fred Wesley and renegade beat architect/multi-instrumentalist Socalled) peaked at #1 in Funk and #1 in Jewish and Yiddish Music, and #35 in music sales on Amazon. It reached #7 in Jazz on Billboard and was featured at #40 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart for fastest sellers.
MON OCT 30
1-2:30PM | Practicum for all Woodwinds – Intro to Klezmer
Leshowitz Recital Hall (PUBLIC)
3-4:15PM | Jazz Improv
Leshowitz Recital Hall (STUDENTS ONLY)
TUE OCT 31
10-Noon | Keepers of the Flame Rehearsal
Leshowitz Recital Hall (STUDENTS ONLY)
12:30-2:30PM | Rehearse Golijov with Rose Quartet
Leshowitz Recital Hall (STUDENTS ONLY)
2:45-3:45PM | Cali Collective
Leshowitz Recital Hall (STUDENTS ONLY)
5-6:30 | Cali Pathways – Intro to Klezmer
Leshowitz Recital Hall (PUBLIC)
WED NOV 1
9AM | Jazz Practicum
Leshowitz Recital Hall (PUBLIC)
10-11:30 | Jazz Lit Class
Room 230 (STUDENTS ONLY)
1:30PM | Cali Midweek Performance
Leshowitz Recital Hall (PUBLIC)
Reservations Recommended
3-4:30 | Masterclass for Clarinet
Leshowitz Recital Hall (PUBLIC)
5-6:30pm | Piano Class with Kathleen Tagg
Leshowitz Recital Hall (PUBLIC)
7:10-9:40PM | Performance Entrepreneurship
Room G1
THU NOV 2
Noon-1:30PM | Composition Reading Workshop
Leshowitz Recital Hall (STUDENTS ONLY)
2-4PM | Keepers of the Flame Rehearsal
Leshowitz Recital Hall (STUDENTS ONLY)
5-8PM | Keepers of the Flame Rehearsal
Leshowitz Recital Hall (STUDENTS ONLY)
SAT NOV 4
7:30PM | Merkin Concert Hall, New York, NY
PUBLIC TICKETED EVENT
David Krakauer, clarinet with Kathleen Tagg, piano
Bridges Concert
ARTURO SANDOVAL DEC.7-10
World-renowned Cuban Jazz Trumpeter, Pianist, and Composer
Trumpeter and Composer Arturo Sandoval is one of the most dynamic and vivacious live performers of our time, and has been seen by millions at the Oscars, the Grammy Awards, and the Billboard Awards. During his residency, Sandoval will not only inspire the students as the star guest for the Crawford Concert performing with the Wind Symphony, but also with masterclasses and a deep dive into his Cuban roots at the Cali Conversations.
A protégé of the legendary jazz master Dizzy Gillespie, Arturo Sandoval was born in Artemisa, a small town in the outskirts of Havana, Cuba, on November 6, 1949, just two years after Gillespie became the first musician to bring Latin influences into American Jazz. Sandoval began studying classical trumpet at the age of twelve, but it didn’t take him long to catch the excitement of the jazz world. He has since evolved into one of the world’s most acknowledged guardians of jazz trumpet and flugelhorn, as well as a renowned classical artist, pianist and composer.
He is one of the most dynamic and vivacious live performers of our time, and has been seen by millions at the Oscars, at the Grammy Awards, and the Billboard Awards.
THU DEC 7
4-5:45PM | Rehearsal with the University Wind Symphony
Alexander Kasser Theater Kasser (STUDENTS ONLY)
FRI DEC 8
10-11:30AM | Masterclass
Alexander Kasser Theater (PUBLIC)
Reservations Recommended
Noon-1:15PM | Arturo Sandoval Rehearses with Jazz Ensemble
Alexander Kasser Theater (PUBLIC)
5:30PM | Cali Conversations with Arturo Sandoval and Cali School of Music Director, Anthony Mazzocchi
Leshowitz Recital Hall (PUBLIC)
Reservations Recommended
SAT DEC 9
10AM-2PM | Dress rehearsal with the University Wind Symphony
Alexander Kasser Theater (STUDENTS ONLY)
SUN DEC 10
3PM | Crawford Concert
Kasser (PUBLIC)
Come and witness the amazing artistry of trumpet virtuoso Arturo Sandoval performing repertoire from both the worlds of classical and jazz music. Beatrice Crawford Memorial Concert: This concert is a free public performance supported by a generous grant from the Keating Crawford Foundation. It is presented at Montclair State University in memory of Beatrice Crawford, a Montclair musician who was the director of two choral groups “The Madrigals” and “The Choraliers.”.
Free admission but tickets are required
VIJAY GUPTA FEB.6-8
American Violinist and Social Justice Advocate
MacArthur “Genius” Grant and violinist Vijay Gupta is dedicated to creating spaces of wholeness through music. As a citizen artist, Gupta will work with the students and describe to the community what it means to make a sadhana – a daily practice – of the world we envision. What it means to be a musician and how music can inspire healing from within.
A “visionary violinist…one of the most radical thinkers in the unradical world of American classical music,”
—THE NEW YORKER
Vijay Gupta is a violinist, speaker and citizen-artist dedicated to creating spaces of wholeness through music. Vijay’s work embodies his belief that the work of artists and citizens is one: to make a sadhana – a daily practice – of the world we envision. Hailed by The New Yorker as a “visionary violinist…one of the most radical thinkers in the unradical world of American classical music,” Vijay leads a protean career as a thought leader, performer, collaborator and communicator.
Vijay is the founder and Artistic Director of Street Symphony, a community of musicians creating spaces of connection for people in reentry from homelessness, addiction and incarceration in Los Angeles. Vijay is also a co-founder of the Skid Row Arts Alliance, a consortium dedicated to creating art for – and with – the largest homeless community in America. For his work in “bringing beauty, respite, and purpose to those all too often ignored by society”, Vijay was the recipient of a 2018 MacArthur Fellowship.
A riveting speaker, Vijay has shared his work with dozens of corporations, campuses, conferences and communities across America over the past 10 years, including The Richmond Forum, The Aspen Institute, Hallmark, Accenture, Mayo Clinic, US Psychiatric Congress, American Planning Association, and the League of American Orchestras, just to name a few. Vijay delivered the 33rd annual Nancy Hanks Lecture on Arts and Public Policy for Americans for the Arts and his 2010 TED Talk, “Music is Medicine, Music is Sanity”, has garnered millions of views.
TUES | FEB 6
1:45-3:45PM | Cali Collective
Details to Come
5-7PM | Pathways + PMP Orchestra Rehearsal
Leshowitz Recital Hall
WED | FEB 7
10-12 PM | Violin/Chamber Music Masterclass
Details to Come
1:30PM | Cali Midweek Concert
Leshowitz Recital Hall
Reservations Recommended
3-4:30PM | “The Business of Music” Discussion
Leshowitz Recital Hall
5-7PM | Orchestra Rehearsal
Details to Come
THUR | FEB 8
TBD | Cali Collective Prison Visit
Details to Come
6PM | Culminating Concert
Details to Come
TIME FOR THREE MAR. 4-6
Innovative and Genre-defying American String Trio
Defying convention and boundaries, Time For Three stands at the busy intersection of Americana, modern pop, and classical music. Bonded by an uncommon blend of their instruments fused together with their voices, Charles Yang, Nicolas “Nick” Kendall, and Ranaan Meyer, have found a unique voice of expression to share with the world. During their residency, Tf3 will work closely with Montclair and Special Music Students culminating in a performance at Merkin Hall for the BRIDGES Series.
Defying convention and boundaries, Time For Three stands at the busy intersection of Americana, modern pop, and classical music. To experience Time For Three (TF3) live is to hear the various eras, styles, and traditions of Western music fold in on themselves and emerge anew. Bonded by an uncommon blend of their instruments fused together with their voices, Charles Yang (violin, vocals), Nicolas “Nick” Kendall (violin, vocals), and Ranaan Meyer (double bass, vocals), have found a unique voice of expression to share with the world.
Nicolas “Nick” Kendall (violin, vocals)
Charles Yang (violin, vocals)
Ranaan Meyer (double bass, vocals)
MON MAR 4
1-2:30PM | Composition Practicum Class “Intro to Tf3” (PUBLIC)
Leshowitz Recital Hall
3-4:45PM | Improvising Class (STUDENTS ONLY)
Leshowitz Recital Hall
6PM | Cali Pathways Class Session (PUBLIC)
Leshowitz Recital Hall
7:30PM | Rehearsal with students (STUDENTS ONLY)
Leshowitz Recital Hall
TUE MAR 5
11AM-1PM | Masterclass with String Students (PUBLIC)
Leshowitz Recital Hall
2-4PM Cali Collective (STUDENTS ONLY)
Leshowitz Recital Hall
5-7PM Rehearsal with string students and SMS (STUDENTS ONLY)
Leshowitz Recital Hall
WED MAR 6
10AM-12PM | Chamber Music Coachings (PUBLIC)
Leshowitz Recital Hall
1:30PM | Cali Midweek @1:30pm (PUBLIC)
Leshowitz Recital Hall
Reservations Recommended
3PM | Class on How to Sing and Play at the Same Time (STUDENTS ONLY)
Leshowitz Recital Hall
5-6PM | Rehearsal with string students and SMS (STUDENTS ONLY)
Leshowitz Recital Hall
7:30PM | Merkin Concert Hall, New York, NY
PUBLIC TICKETED EVENT
Time For Three
Bridges Concert
ERIC WHITACRE APR. 24-26
Renowned American Composer and Conductor Known for His Exceptional Choral Works and Innovative Use of Technology
Join us as we submerge our ears and hearts into the glorious music of Grammy Award-winning composer and conductor, Eric Whitacre. During his three day residency, Eric will lead students and faculty in workshops exploring creativity as a vehicle for fostering collaboration and unity, juxtaposed with rehearsals and performances of choral and instrumental music spanning his thirty-year career.
Grammy Award-winning composer and conductor, Eric Whitacre, is among today’s most popular musicians. His works are programmed worldwide and his ground-breaking Virtual Choirs have united 100,000 singers from more than 145 countries. Born in Nevada in 1970, Eric is a graduate of The Juilliard School. He is currently Visiting Composer at Pembroke College, Cambridge University (UK) and is an Ambassador for the Royal College of Music (London). He recently completed two terms as Artist in Residence with the Los Angeles Master Chorale. In the 2022-2023 season, the Cincinnati Pops and the National Symphony Orchestra premiered a new commission: Prelude in C. Eric is proud to be a Yamaha Artist.
WED APR 24
10:30AM-12PM | Creativity Masterclass – The Golden Brick
Leshowitz Recital Hall (PUBLIC)
Reservations Recommended
1:30-3:15PM | Cali Midweek “Creativity, Connection & the Virtual Choir”
Alexander Kasser Theater (PUBLIC)
Reservations Recommended
3:30-5PM | Composer’s Forum Finding Your Voice
Leshowitz Recital Hall (STUDENTS ONLY)
5:45-6:30PM University Symphony Orchestra + NJS Youth Orchestra Dress Rehearsal
Alexander Kasser Theater (STUDENTS ONLY)
4/25 CALI CONVERSATIONS WITH CALI DIRECTOR, ANTHONY MAZZOCCHI @ 7:30PM (FYI both Tony & I are hosting this…. And it will include integrated performances conducting by Eric…)
THU APR 25
10-10:45AM | Stevie Ryan (piano) + Rose Quartet Dress Rehearsal
Alexander Kasser Theater (STUDENTS ONLY)
11:15AM-12:30PM | Vocal Accord + Rose Quartet Dress Rehearsal
Alexander Kasser Theater (STUDENTS ONLY)
1- 2:15PM | Chorale Dress Rehearsal
Alexander Kasser Theater (STUDENTS ONLY)
2:30-3:45PM | University Singers Dress Rehearsal
Alexander Kasser Theater (STUDENTS ONLY)
4-4:25PM | Wind Symphony Rehearsal
Alexander Kasser Theater (STUDENTS ONLY)
4:45 – 6:15PM | Painting with Words
Leshowitz Recital Hall (STUDENTS ONLY)
7:30-9PM | Cali Conversations
Eric Whitacre in Conversation with Director Anthony Mazzocchi and Prof. Dr. Heather J. Buchanan
Including Performances with Cali Chorus Students Conducted by Eric Whitacre
Alexander Kasser Theater (PUBLIC)
Reservations Recommended
FRI APR 26
8:45-10:45AM | HS Choirs Workshop (Selected HS Choirs ONLY)
11:30AM-1:30PM | Choral Spring Concert (Selected HS Choirs ONLY)
Free Tickets Required
3:30- 4:30PM | Music Ed Classroom Methods II (STUDENTS ONLY)
7:30PM | Wind Symphony Spring Concert (Dr. Tom McCauley, conductor) (PUBLIC)