Wells School of Music
Professor Earns GRAMMY Nomination
WEST CHESTER, Pa. – When the GRAMMY Award nominations were announced on Friday, December 7, a Wells School of Music professor at West Chester University was “thrilled and honored” to find himself among the nominees.
Distinguished Baritone and Professor of Applied Music, Randall Scarlata, along with pianist Gilbert Kalish, was nominated for Best Classical Solo Vocal Album for Schubert’s Winterreise, an album that was released in February of 2018.
A member of West Chester University’s faculty since 2003, Scarlata says this recording of Winterreise has “a lot of ties to West Chester.”
Scarlata says, “I am first, very thankful, because this album was partially funded through a development grant from West Chester University. We recorded it right here, in our own Madeleine Wing Adler Theatre. Gil (Kalish) first came to do a concert here with me in 2013 and quite liked the Steinway piano we were using for that concert, so we wanted to use it when we recorded the piece.”
Scarlata says, “Schubert has played a very important role in my life. I have a long history with Schubert and with this piece, and have been singing this repertoire for many years, using it for important debuts and recitals. Gil and I first met doing this piece in 2010 in Menlo, California.”
Winterreise was written by Schubert in 1827, and he was editing it while on his deathbed. Its 24 songs are composed in primarily minor keys.
“This piece is a 75-minute journey into the Winter landscape,” says Scarlata, “Both internal and external. It is a very beautiful, and very sad, piece.”
Scarlata is a distinguished baritone who has appeared as soloist with top orchestras and on important concert stages throughout the world. Having earned degrees from both Julliard and the Eastman School of Music, Scarlata has been praised by The New York Times and The Washington Post, among others. He has received many awards and honors, such as Young Concert Artists, Das Schubert Lied, Joy in Singing, The Naumburg Competition, The International Brahms Competition, and the Alice Tully Vocal Arts Debut Recital Award. Mr. Scarlata also received a Fulbright Grant to study (Shubert) in Vienna, Austria.
The 61st GRAMMY awards will air on Sunday, February 10, 2019.
“It means so much to be recognized by my peers,” says Scarlata. “I love this piece and am very proud of this recording with Gil. To be considered by the Academy is really a great honor.”
On Monday, February 11, 2019, local audiences will have a chance to hear the work live, as Scarlata and Kalish perform Winterreise on West Chester’s campus as part of the Wells School of Music’s Faculty Recital Series. The duo appears in the Madeleine Wing Adler Theatre, where the album was recorded, in the Swope Music Building and Performing Arts Center, 817 S. High Street. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m., and the event is FREE and open to the public.
For information on all GRAMMY nominees visit www.grammy.com. For more information on Scarlata visit www.randallscarlata.com or https://www.wcupa.edu/music/appliedmusic/rScarlata.aspx.
About West Chester University’s Wells School of Music
West Chester University’s Wells School of Music offers students an outstanding opportunity in concentrated performance and musicianship through its educational centerpiece — the Applied Music Department. The School’s superior performance and practice venues include 22 new Steinways, Skinner organ, tech lab, Roland piano lab, and more. Students study with renowned faculty who have dual careers as dedicated educators and professional musicians. Faculty provide private lessons for all music students and are the directors for numerous student ensembles. The School supports a wide variety of performance degrees, including a Bachelor of Music in Performance, as well as a Master of Music in Performance. Graduates pursue successful careers at major institutions and teach music education at home and abroad.
About West Chester University
Enrolling more than 17,000 students, West Chester University is the largest member of the 14-institution Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. Founded in 1871, the University is a comprehensive public institution, offering a diverse range of more than 200 undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral programs in more than 50 fields of study. In addition to the West Chester location, the University offers programs through its graduate center, the campus in Philadelphia, and online. Six colleges and two schools comprise the University: University College, Colleges of Arts and Humanities, Business and Public Management, Education and Social Work, Health Sciences, and the Sciences and Mathematics, as well as the Wells School of Music, and the Graduate School.
Photo/Caption:
On Monday, February 11, Assistant Professor and acclaimed Baritone, Randall Scarlata, will perform work from his Grammy-nominated album, Shubert’s Winterreise, with pianist Gilbert Kalish. The duo appears in the Madeleine Wing Adler Theatre in the Swope Music Building and Performing Arts Center, 817 S. High Street, West Chester. The event is FREE and open to the public.