The Mannes College The New School for Music and
Project Canción Española Launch Mannes Summer Institute of
Art Song in Spanish
June 26 – July 2, 2007

NEW YORK, New York, June 6, 2007 — Mannes College The New School for Music announces the inaugural season of the Mannes Summer Institute of Art Song in Spanish, which will take place from June 26 through July 2, 2007.  Through its collaboration with Project Canción Española (based in Granada, Spain), Mannes will offer the first summer institute at a major U.S. conservatory to promote art song in Spanish as a standard element of the art song genre.  Most of the works performed in the Institute’s public concerts — which range from little-known works by Manuel de Falla to new compositions by members of the Institute’s faculty — will be receiving their New York premieres.

The Institute is directed by Nan Maro Babakhanian, who created the Project Canción Española in Granada, Spain to explore the rich heritage of Spanish art song repertoire and establish standards for Spanish lyric diction.  “Nan Maro is one of the most persuasive and respected advocates of art song in Spanish,” said Joel Lester, dean of Mannes.  “We are delighted to be part of the movement to give Spanish-language compositions the recognition they deserve.”

Designed for singers, pianists, and guitarists, this course will be a seven-day experience that includes master classes and coachings with masters of the repertoire, along with basic courses in Flamenco rhythm and movement. Jorge Robaina (piano), José María Gallardo del Rey (guitar), Nan Maro Babakhanian (voice), and the flamenco faculty, Juan Miguel Jimenez and Antonio Vallejo — direct from the historical Albaicin of Granada — will share their art with young musicians in New York.

“Spanish is one of the most spoken languages in the world, yet I went through my whole undergraduate and conservatory experience in the U.S. without ever hearing anything about singing in Spanish,” said Nan Maro Babakhanian, who now lives in Spain.  “Most conservatories aren’t covering it, and people simply don’t know that a vast and wonderful repertoire exists. That’s why the Summer Institute of Art Song in Spanish at Mannes is such an important step in the right direction.”

Public Performances

June 26, 6 p.m.
Juan Ramón Jimenez in Granada
Location: Queen Sofia Spanish Institute, 684 Park Ave, New York, NY
Tickets: $15; $10 for QSSI members. Contact Natalie Mrak (212) 628-0420 or email [email protected]
Program: A musical celebration of the writings of Nobel Prize-winning Spanish poet, Juan Ramon Jimenez, featuring works by Rodrigo, Mompou, Falla, Lorca, JL Turina and an American Premiere of works by Julio Gomez and José María Gallardo del Rey
Performers: Jorge Robaina, Piano; Jose María Gallardo del Rey, Guitar; Nan Maro Babakhanian, Mezzo Soprano

(Public Performances, continued)

June 27, 7:30 p.m.
Flamenco Alhucema: Granada meets the Upper West Side
Location: Mannes Concert Hall, 150 West 85th Street, New York, NY
Tickets: $10, available at the door starting at 7 p.m.  Reserve at [email protected] or by phone at 212.580.0210 x4887
Program:  The Institute Flamenco Faculty, straight from the Albaicin, a magical Moorish neighborhood in Granada, heats up the Mannes Concert Hall for an event that also serves to inaugurate the Mannes Guitar Institute, which will occur simultaneously at Mannes this summer (see the listing below).
Performers: Juan Miguel Gimenez, Guitar; Antonio Vallejo, Dancer, Singer; Kiko Anaya, Dancer, Cajon (a box drum); Vanessa Vargas, Dancer

July 2, 3 p.m.
Location: Mannes Concert Hall, 150 West 85th Street, New York, NY
Admission: $10, available at the door starting at 7 p.m.  Reserve at [email protected] or by phone at 212.580.0210 x4887
Program: An afternoon of art song in Spanish offered by young professional singers, pianists, and guitarists who have participated in the Mannes Summer Institute of Art Song in Spanish

About Mannes College The New School for Music

Mannes is one of the world’s leading conservatories. Since its founding in 1916, Mannes has nurtured tomorrow's musical leaders in an intimate, supportive community true to the values of classical music. Its eminent faculty and comprehensive curriculum teach musical artistry and impart deep knowledge of music and its structures. Mannes’s connection to The New School and its location in New York City offer a unique setting for musicians to grow into great artists. For over 90 years, the artistic ideals of David and Clara Mannes, the college’s founders, have sustained a vibrant international community of musicians whose diversity stretches across races, cultures, and ethnicities.  For more information please visit, www.mannes.newschool.edu.