How to listen to Bach

"How to Listen to Bach (preview of Idaho Bach Festival, Oct. 24-25)"

Tuesday, October 14, 2014 | 12:30-1:30 p.m. 
Whitewater Room, Idaho Commons

Presenter: 
Michael Murphy - Music


Abstract

The music of Johann Sebastian Bach is acknowledged by professional and amateur musicians alike to be the most profound ever composed. However, the seemingly complex nature of his music can be daunting for many who would like to critically listen to its structure and meaning. This presentation will provide strategies and examples in how to listen and enjoy the music of Johann Sebastian Bach.


Biography

Michael Murphy is director of choral activities and associate professor of conducting in the Lionel Hampton School of Music. He also serves as the artistic and music director for the Palouse Choral Society and Palouse Festival Orchestra. Dr. Murphy received his degrees from East Carolina University and Florida State University.

His dissertation, “Performance Practice of Johann Sebastian Bach’s Passio secundum Johannem – A Study of Twenty-Five years of Recorded History as Influenced by the Historically Informed Performance Movement,” was awarded a grant for dissertation research.

Dr. Murphy serves as an active adjudicator and clinician for workshops, festivals, honor choirs, and clinics. His international conducting credits include China, Austria, Germany, and Czech Republic. In 2015, he will travel to Sweden to represent the United States in the American Choral Directors Association's International Conductors Exchange Program (ICEP).

He is the founder and co-artistic director of the Idaho Bach Festival, which this year will be Oct. 23-25. For more information, see: http://www.uidaho.edu/class/music/news/bach-festival