Join us for the first of six workshops as part of the Modal Interchange: Conversations on 21st-Century Performance Practices series with Vicki Ray, a Los Angeles based composer and pianist, who will join Wendy Richman in a conversation about concert programming and commissioning new works. Concert Curation IS Composition! Every musician presenting a concert is: a composer! In this talk I’ll explore different ways to think about concert programming and how the works you program constitute a meta-composition. Using musical examples I’ll explore the way connections between worlds – musical and otherwise – can create fresh, interesting juxtapositions that challenge (and hopefully delight!) the performer as well as the listener. Folded into this approach is the opportunity to commission new works that can tie previously unrelated pieces together and expand the repertoire of our instrument. Bio Described as “phenomenal and fearless” Vicki Ray is a pianist, improviser and composer. She has commissioned and premiered countless new works by today’s leading composers. Ray is a founding member of Piano Spheres and was, for many years, the head of keyboard studies at the California Institute of the Arts where she was named the first recipient of the Hal Blaine Chair in Musical Performance. She has appeared on numerous international festivals and was a regular member of the faculty at the Bang On a Can Summer Festival at MASS MoCA. Ray has been featured on the Los Angeles Philharmonic Green Umbrella Series as soloist and collaborative artist. Her widely varied performing and recording career covers the gamut of new and old music: from Boulez to Reich, Wadada Leo Smith to Beethoven. Notable recordings include the first Canadian disc of Schoenberg’s Pierrot Lunaire with the Blue Rider Ensemble, the premiere recordings of Steve Reich’s You Are (Variations) and the Daniel Variations with the Los Angeles Master Chorale and the first recording of John Cage’s Europeras 3 and 4. Her recording of Cage’s The Ten Thousand Things on Microfest Records received 2013 Grammy nomination. Vicki can also be seen playing the chromelodeon in the Los Angeles based PARTCH ensemble. Vicki Ray is a Steinway artist. More about Modal Interchange: Conversations on 21st-Century Performance Practices The personality of Los Angeles’s new music scene mirrors its city’s culture and geography as a whole: equal parts diversity and decentralization, in a battle for recognition and relevance that crisscrosses 650 freeway miles. The Modal Interchange series casts a wide net around LA’s new music community, hosting a diverse group of individuals who might not otherwise share the same artistic and academic spaces, in a series of lecture-workshops geared to an audience of performers. Modal Interchange is a series of six workshops through 2026-27. Each workshop focuses on an element of 21st-century performing, programming, and music-making in the world of contemporary music, with special focus on the topics’ relevance in greater LA: histories of experimental music and the avant-garde, commissioning new works, concert programming, listening as an audience member, listening as a performer, score-reading and part-marking, learning and practicing contemporary works, improvisation practices, and arts activism. This series is conceived and hosted by violist Wendy Richman and produced in partnership with the UCLA Center for Musical Humanities. Dr. Richman is Lecturer in Performance Studies, Director of uclaFLUX, and a founding member of the International Contemporary Ensemble. For the full schedule, please visit our website:

Join us for a two-day celebration of the 65th anniversary of the UCLA Ethnomusicology Archive. The event will feature a symposium, workshops, and concerts. International, national, and local archivists, alumni, faculty, and community members will come together to explore the history and evolving role of ethnomusicological archives in preserving and sustaining musical traditions.   The event is also in celebration of World Day for Audiovisual Heritage.   Saturday’s featured guest artists will be LA’s 33 Strings, who will lead a Japanese music workshop, and Kinnara Gagaku, who will present a gagaku concert. Kinnara Gagaku was taught for more than 35 years by Suenobu Togi, a former musician of the Japanese Imperial Court who directed UCLA Ethnomusicology’s Music of Japan Ensemble from 1961 to 1993. Professor Robert Garfias, who founded the Music of Japan Ensemble at UCLA in 1958, will introduce the concert.   Sunday’s featured guest artists will be Masanga Marimba, led by UCLA Ethnomusicology alumnus Dr. Ric Alviso. Masanga Marimba will lead both a workshop and the Sunday evening concert.   Established in 1961, the UCLA Ethnomusicology Archive is a world-renowned research archive dedicated to the study of musical traditions from around the globe. The Archive’s collection of more than 160,000 audio, video, print, and photographic items documents musical expressions throughout the world and includes unique field recordings as well as rare commercial recordings. As part of UCLA’s Department of Ethnomusicology, the Archive preserves and makes accessible over 60 years’ worth of audio and video recordings of the department’s famed concerts and also of lectures by legendary scholars and performers, ranging from Mantle Hood to Ravi Shankar to Dizzy Gillespie. In addition to preservation and access, the Archive offers a wide range of research, outreach, and educational services. From international scholars to local community members and UCLA students and faculty, the Archive is recognized locally and internationally as an important center of ethnomusicological research and discovery.   Sponsored by The UCLA Department of World Arts and Cultures/Dance, the UCLA Ethnomusicology Archive, the UCLA Department of Ethnomusicology, and the Dean’s Office, UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music.

Join us for a two-day celebration of the 65th anniversary of the UCLA Ethnomusicology Archive. The event will feature a symposium, workshops, and concerts. International, national, and local archivists, alumni, faculty, and community members will come together to explore the history and evolving role of ethnomusicological archives in preserving and sustaining musical traditions.   The event is also in celebration of World Day for Audiovisual Heritage.   Saturday’s featured guest artists will be LA’s 33 Strings, who will lead a Japanese music workshop, and Kinnara Gagaku, who will present a gagaku concert. Kinnara Gagaku was taught for more than 35 years by Suenobu Togi, a former musician of the Japanese Imperial Court who directed UCLA Ethnomusicology’s Music of Japan Ensemble from 1961 to 1993. Professor Robert Garfias, who founded the Music of Japan Ensemble at UCLA in 1958, will introduce the concert.   Sunday’s featured guest artists will be Masanga Marimba, led by UCLA Ethnomusicology alumnus Dr. Ric Alviso. Masanga Marimba will lead both a workshop and the Sunday evening concert.   Established in 1961, the UCLA Ethnomusicology Archive is a world-renowned research archive dedicated to the study of musical traditions from around the globe. The Archive’s collection of more than 160,000 audio, video, print, and photographic items documents musical expressions throughout the world and includes unique field recordings as well as rare commercial recordings. As part of UCLA’s Department of Ethnomusicology, the Archive preserves and makes accessible over 60 years’ worth of audio and video recordings of the department’s famed concerts and also of lectures by legendary scholars and performers, ranging from Mantle Hood to Ravi Shankar to Dizzy Gillespie. In addition to preservation and access, the Archive offers a wide range of research, outreach, and educational services. From international scholars to local community members and UCLA students and faculty, the Archive is recognized locally and internationally as an important center of ethnomusicological research and discovery.   Sponsored by The UCLA Department of World Arts and Cultures/Dance, the UCLA Ethnomusicology Archive, the UCLA Department of Ethnomusicology, and the Dean’s Office, UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music.

Join us, Saturday, 24 October 2026, 3:45-4:45pm in the Ostin Ensemble Room, 110A Evelyn & Mo Ostin Music Center, UCLA. A WORKSHOP with LA’s 33 Strings (三十三絃の会), a distinguished Japanese music ensemble based in Southern California, dedicated to the preservation and evolution of Japan’s musical heritage. Featuring instruments such as the koto, bass koto, and shamisen, the group performs a wide variety of music, ranging from classical pieces and folk songs to contemporary works, including anime and film scores, bringing together members and audiences through a shared appreciation of Japanese music. LA’s 33 Strings has appeared at a range of notable events, including a collaboration with the globally renowned video game Silent Hill f, the Newport Beach Film Festival, Anime Expo, and the Dream Asia Food Festival in Las Vegas, as well as numerous community events throughout Southern California. The ensemble has also performed at venues such as Bowers Museum, Descanso Gardens, and other Japanese gardens, libraries, art galleries, and cultural festivals. In addition, LA’s 33 Strings has produced hands-on workshops throughout the LA community with the endorsement of the Consulate General of Japan. These educational programs help deepen appreciation and understanding of Japanese musical traditions while creating opportunities for participants to experience the instruments and music firsthand. As its presence continues to grow, the ensemble looks ahead to future engagements, including its annual fall concert on November 21st. This special evening will reflect not only the cultural richness and musical refinement of Japanese music, but also the spirit of community at the heart of LA’s 33 Strings. LA’s 33 Strings is generously supported by grants from the California Arts Council, LA County Arts and Culture, Japan Foundation, and the Eastside Arts Initiative. This workshop is presented in conjunction with the symposium “Music Alive in the Archive: Legacy and Promise–65 Years of the UCLA Ethnomusicology Archive,” a two-day event in celebration of the 65th anniversary of the UCLA Ethnomusicology Archive. Sponsored by the UCLA Ethnomusicology Archive, the UCLA Department of Ethnomusicology, and the Dean’s Office, UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music.

Kinnara was formed in 1969 by Rev. Masao Kodani and several members of Senshin Buddhist Temple and includes a Gagaku group of 15-20 musicians and dancers and a Taiko group. It sponsors study groups and conducts seminars on Buddhist culture and performing arts. Gagaku is the oldest existing tradition of orchestral music and dance in the world, representing the court music and dance of ancient Asia (central Asia, southeast Asia, India, China, Manchuria, Korea, and Japan). It is the collective music of these areas up to the 10th century and as early as the beginning of the common era. This music is preserved and performed to this day in Japan and, to a lesser degree, in Korea. In Japan, it became part of the liturgical music and dance of our Jodoshinshu sect in the 17th century and has been performed in our temples in America since the early 1900s. Kinnara had the rare opportunity to study gagaku under the guidance of Professor Suenobu Togi, emeritus professor of the Department of Ethnomusicology at UCLA and musician in the Imperial Household Department of Court Music in Japan. He taught the group from 1969-2010. Kinnara Gagaku continues to perform at various temples for special services, as well as at cultural centers and universities. In October 2023, Kinnara Gagaku performed at Walt Disney Hall in downtown Los Angeles for the celebration of their 20th anniversary. This concert is presented in conjunction with the symposium “Music Alive in the Archive: Legacy and Promise–65 Years of the UCLA Ethnomusicology Archive,” a two-day event in celebration of the 65th anniversary of the UCLA Ethnomusicology Archive. Co-sponsored by the Hiroshi Wagatsuma Memorial Faculty Grant from the UCLA Asia Pacific Center, the UCLA Department of World Arts and Cultures/Dance, the UCLA Ethnomusicology Archive, the UCLA Department of Ethnomusicology, and the Dean’s Office, UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music.

Join us for a two-day celebration of the 65th anniversary of the UCLA Ethnomusicology Archive. The event will feature a symposium, workshops, and concerts. International, national, and local archivists, alumni, faculty, and community members will come together to explore the history and evolving role of ethnomusicological archives in preserving and sustaining musical traditions.   The event is also in celebration of World Day for Audiovisual Heritage.   Saturday’s featured guest artists will be LA’s 33 Strings, who will lead a Japanese music workshop, and Kinnara Gagaku, who will present a gagaku concert. Kinnara Gagaku was taught for more than 35 years by Suenobu Togi, a former musician of the Japanese Imperial Court who directed UCLA Ethnomusicology’s Music of Japan Ensemble from 1961 to 1993. Professor Robert Garfias, who founded the Music of Japan Ensemble at UCLA in 1958, will introduce the concert.   Sunday’s featured guest artists will be Masanga Marimba, led by UCLA Ethnomusicology alumnus Dr. Ric Alviso. Masanga Marimba will lead both a workshop and the Sunday evening concert.   Established in 1961, the UCLA Ethnomusicology Archive is a world-renowned research archive dedicated to the study of musical traditions from around the globe. The Archive’s collection of more than 160,000 audio, video, print, and photographic items documents musical expressions throughout the world and includes unique field recordings as well as rare commercial recordings. As part of UCLA’s Department of Ethnomusicology, the Archive preserves and makes accessible over 60 years’ worth of audio and video recordings of the department’s famed concerts and also of lectures by legendary scholars and performers, ranging from Mantle Hood to Ravi Shankar to Dizzy Gillespie. In addition to preservation and access, the Archive offers a wide range of research, outreach, and educational services. From international scholars to local community members and UCLA students and faculty, the Archive is recognized locally and internationally as an important center of ethnomusicological research and discovery.   Sponsored by The UCLA Department of World Arts and Cultures/Dance, the UCLA Ethnomusicology Archive, the UCLA Department of Ethnomusicology, and the Dean’s Office, UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music.

Masanga Marimba will perform a selection of pieces from Zimbabwe, South Africa, Cameroon, Colombia, Guatemala, and Mexico on Zimbabwean-style marimbas, mbira, drums, and percussion. Participation is appreciated! Masanga Marimba performs traditional and popular music from Africa and Latin America. The instruments used in this ensemble consist of seven Zimbabwean marimbas of various sizes along with vocals, drums, and percussion. The word “Masanga” comes from a Shona word that means the coming together of rivers or roads representing the meeting of African and Latin musical traditions in this group. Masanga Marimba formed in the year 2000 and has performed at the Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles County Music Center, Grand Performances, Getty Center, Skirball Cultural Center, Ford Amphitheatre, California Worldfest, Millpond Music Festival, Strawberry Festival, and many other high profile music venues. The ensemble has opened for Neil Young, Stephen Stills, Beck, Lana Del Rey, John Mayer, Nora Jones, Father John Misty, Los Lobos, Ziggy Marley, Pink Martini, and many others. The group is led by Dr. Ric Alviso (UCLA Ethnomusicology PhD 2002), Professor of World Music at California State University Northridge. Professor Alviso studied traditional African music in Senegal, Zimbabwe, and Ghana. The members of Masanga have degrees in percussion performance, music composition, jazz performance, and music therapy. Masanga is one of the only marimba ensembles in the U.S. that combines Latin and African traditions. For more information go to: www.masanga.com This concert is presented in conjunction with the symposium “Music Alive in the Archive: Legacy and Promise–65 Years of the UCLA Ethnomusicology Archive,” a two-day event in celebration of the 65th anniversary of the UCLA Ethnomusicology Archive. Sponsored by the UCLA Ethnomusicology Archive, the UCLA Department of Ethnomusicology, and the Dean’s Office, UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music.

Join the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music as we welcome pianist Elizabeth Schumann for the Fall installment of our 2026/27 David L. Abell Piano Master Series, a concert series which features renowned artists visiting UCLA to perform and work with our piano students.   About Elizabeth Schumann: Dr. Elizabeth Schumann is a concert pianist, educator, and interdisciplinary artist whose work spans leading concert halls, public art initiatives, and research at the intersection of the arts, technology, and human performance. Described by The Washington Post as “deft, relentless, and devastatingly good—the sort of performance you experience not so much with your ears as your solar plexus,” she approaches the concert stage as a place where artistry and inquiry meet, offering audiences experiences that link music with the broader human story. ​ As a recitalist, chamber musician, and concerto soloist, she has performed at the Kennedy Center, Vienna’s Bösendorfer Saal, Weill at Carnegie Hall, Montreal’s Place des Arts, San Francisco’s Davies Symphony Hall, Los Angeles’ Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Musical Instruments Museum in Phoenix, Ravinia’s Rising Stars Series, Australia’s Huntington Festival, the Cannes Film Festival, and the Gilmore International Keyboard Festival. Her performances have been featured on NPR’s Performance Today, PBS, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, and Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Honors include the Gilmore Young Artist Award, first prizes at the Bösendorfer and Pacific International Piano Competitions, and awards at the Cleveland, Hilton Head, Montreal, and World International Piano Competitions. ​ Her portfolio extends beyond traditional concert work to collaborative projects that place music in fresh contexts. She has developed touring productions that integrate performance with narrative and visual design, large-scale public installations that transform city spaces into concert venues, and educational programs for children and underserved communities that pair music with literature and live storytelling. These include Piano Carnival, which grew from a 15-city tour into a book, CD, and interactive applications reaching more than 20,000 students and teachers; Son et Lumière, premiered at Boston’s Illuminus Festival and later commissioned for the Pike & Rose Audio Visual Arts Festival, attracting audiences of over 8,000; and Pianimal, a concert and video series presented across the United States and distributed to children’s hospitals through partnerships with leading arts organizations. Across these projects, her aim is to allow audiences to meet music on their own terms and to experience its power without barriers of price or pretense. Her work has also reached international audiences through U.S. Embassy cultural diplomacy programs, building connections and mutual understanding through performance. ​ Carrying on the pedagogical tradition of her teacher, Sergei Babayan, Dr. Schumann has taught at Winter and Summer Performing Arts at The Juilliard School, Itzhak Perlman’s Perlman Music Program, the Crowden Chamber Music Workshop, and the Vancouver Piano Sessions. She is the Billie Bennett Director of Keyboard Studies and Assistant Professor of Music at Stanford University, where she combines conservatory-level training with insights from neuroscience, psychology, and biomechanics to help pianists achieve expressive freedom while minimizing injury risk. At Stanford, her research examines how physiology, pedagogy, and instrument design shape performance, with applications that extend beyond the arts to fields such as medicine, rehabilitation, and human performance science. ​ Through collaborations that unite artists, scientists, and community leaders, Dr. Schumann expands how people encounter and engage with music. Her work demonstrates how these connections can open new possibilities, deepen understanding, and inspire contributions that reach beyond the concert hall.

Join the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music for the first Wind Ensemble concert of the 2026-2027 season.