Student Artist of the Month

March 2005: Paul Livanos

Paul Livanos Premieres Compositions in April 2 Senior Recital

Paul Livanos, a music composition major, will present his senior recital April 2 at 4:00 p.m. (Schwartz Center, Emerson Concert Hall). The varied program of nine works includes seven of his original compositions reflecting his interest in chamber music and non-Western musical traditions.

Livanos began playing guitar at the age of 8 and in high school was voted "most musical." He attended the Juilliard School, Pre-College Division, where he majored in composition and studied with the classical guitarist Antigoni Goni. Livanos studies with John Anthony Lennon, the Emory music department’s director of graduate studies and a professor of composition. He also studies guitar with Brian Luckett and sitar with Kakali Bandyopadhyay, both Emory Artist Affiliates.

A native of Long Island, New York, Livanos says he was attracted to Emory partly for its southern climate. “Actually, the real reason I’m here is because of the music department and the faculty. The faculty members in the Emory University music department have expanded me as a student musician and fine-tuned my compositional skills. I’m very lucky, and grateful, to have been able to work with them.”

Livanos’s recital includes three solo works, two on guitar and one on sitar; five chamber ensemble works; and a chamber orchestra piece. Livanos will perform solo guitar for Prelude No. 1 by Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887-1959) and Fandanguillo by Joaquin Turina (1882-1949). Rain Raga by Livanos (1983-) will be performed by the composer on sitar and Chris Fallon on tabla. Livanos also will play guitar in Calliope for chamber orchestra.

“When it came time to find students to perform my pieces, I was pleasantly surprised. In general, it can be hard to get students to play -- and they were asking me to play. It’s been great for them and for me. They get to play new compositions and to learn firsthand what the composer was thinking. It’s been great for me because they are all very good, and I’ve gained experience directing the music.”

The program’s chamber works by Livanos and the Emory student performers are Lost (Serenity) (1999) with Alexander Page, violin, Grace Shim, cello, Paul Livanos, guitar, Andrea Heflin and Kate Ronaldson, sopranos, and John Quinn, tambourine; Restrictions (1999) with Elizabeth Ju, piano, and Adele Paz, flute; Elisabeth in E Minor with Alexander Page, violin, Erika Rao, violin, Ben Carroll, viola, and Rohan Maddamsetti, cello; Quiet Rain (2004) with Hanna Lisa Stefansson, piano, Leila Barker, violin, Emily Stemer, cello, and Jennie Lavine, clarinet; and Woodwind Quartet (1999) with Angelica Zhang, flute, Stephanie Kruse, oboe, Jennie Lavine, clarinet, and Steve Minear, bassoon.

After graduation, Livanos will remain in Atlanta for a year, performing with his hip-hop blues band Haze and rock band Castle of Togetherness. He plans to apply to New York University and to travel around the world studying traditional music, especially in China.

Written by Nancy Condon
Communications Coordinator
Schwartz Center for Performing Arts

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