Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
Villa Musica: Symphonic Discoveries: Czech Masterpieces by Bedrich Smetana and Antonin Dvorak
Speaker
Alexander Oliver
Coordinator
Barbara Mortkowitz
In partnership with the San Diego Symphony,
participants in the Villa Musica’s Symphonic
Discoveries workshops gain an understanding of the
cultural and historical context of symphonic music
prior to attending a performance. Villa Musica’s
faculty guide participants in this program through
a varied curriculum discovering common forms
and structures of music so that listeners can be
enlightened in Jacobs Music Center. The goal is to
convert passive listeners into active listeners!
This lecture is a preview of the San Diego
Symphony’s Sunday afternoon performance on
May 4 to which Osher is being provided twenty
complimentary tickets. The performance will feature
Czech masterpieces by Bedrich Smetana and
Antonin Dvorak. See the symphony website for more
detailed program information.
participants in the Villa Musica’s Symphonic
Discoveries workshops gain an understanding of the
cultural and historical context of symphonic music
prior to attending a performance. Villa Musica’s
faculty guide participants in this program through
a varied curriculum discovering common forms
and structures of music so that listeners can be
enlightened in Jacobs Music Center. The goal is to
convert passive listeners into active listeners!
This lecture is a preview of the San Diego
Symphony’s Sunday afternoon performance on
May 4 to which Osher is being provided twenty
complimentary tickets. The performance will feature
Czech masterpieces by Bedrich Smetana and
Antonin Dvorak. See the symphony website for more
detailed program information.
Speaker Bio
Alexander Oliver graduated from UC
Santa Cruz with a B.A. in Music Theory and Piano
Performance. He has presented in-depth analyses
on several programs, most notably the historical
and biographical analysis of Rachmaninoff’s Op. 3
Morceaux de Fantasie; a series analyzing birdsong
in the music of Messaien, Glinka, and Handel; and
motivic analysis of Beethoven’s 5th Symphony. He
enjoys doing deep dives on the music theory
of composers—learning what makes their
music theirs.
Santa Cruz with a B.A. in Music Theory and Piano
Performance. He has presented in-depth analyses
on several programs, most notably the historical
and biographical analysis of Rachmaninoff’s Op. 3
Morceaux de Fantasie; a series analyzing birdsong
in the music of Messaien, Glinka, and Handel; and
motivic analysis of Beethoven’s 5th Symphony. He
enjoys doing deep dives on the music theory
of composers—learning what makes their
music theirs.
17