IC News

Professor of music theory, history, and composition Jorge Grossmann has been named a Fulbright Scholar for the second time. From March to July 2022, Grossmann will be a visiting guest professor at the University of the State of Santa Catarina in Florianopolis, Brazil, teaching composition in the Graduate Center for the Arts.

The seminars will focus on the intersection of music and the visual arts. Grossmann will also be composing an original guitar concerto, which will be performed in August at the University of San Paolo.

“I've written several different orchestral pieces before, including pieces that are for a solo instrument or orchestra, but this particular piece is coming from my interest in the intersection between the graphic arts and music,” Grossmann said.

Grossmann’s Fulbright host in Brazil will be Luiz Mantovani, a composer and anthropologist. During their initial conversations Grossmann was intrigued by his host’s descriptions of the culture of the indigenous Wauja people. Grossmann began reading more about the Wauja and became enthralled by their unique style of music and graphic arts.

Grossmann’s Fulbright host in Brazil will be Luiz Mantovani, a composer and anthropologist. During their initial conversations Grossmann was intrigued by his host’s descriptions of the culture of the indigenous Wauja people. Grossmann began reading more about the Wauja and became enthralled by their unique style of music and graphic arts.

“I found it extremely interesting because their graphic arts are extremely sophisticated aesthetically, and they have these systems of linguistic meanings within their art. In my piece, I’m developing a musical system that parallels the systems seen in the Wauja’s visual art,” said Grossmann.

“So far, Luiz’s advice has been invaluable,” he continued. “Not only did we discuss the technical aspects of my guitar writing, but I have been truly enriched by his musicality, creativity and passion. I believe my concerto will be deeply influenced by his philosophy as a performing musician; it will have his trademark. I feel as fortunate as someone such as Johannes Brahms may have felt when he collaborated with violinist Joseph Joachim; or as Shostakovich with Rostropovich. Performers are not only means to translate the musical ideas of the composer into sounds. They are creators themselves. Their powerful creativity shapes the ideas of the composer; we, composers, are powerless without performers.”