It has been four years since my last post on Marina Nebro: Arts and Culture.

This blog was started in August 2012, at the beginning of my undergraduate journey at CUNY Queens College & Macaulay Honors College.  While initially inspired by the idea of winning an iPad mini at the end of my first year as part of Macaulay’s ePortfolio Expo (spoiler: I won), I became engrossed in learning HTML and CSS to personalize this blog, and filled my calendar with concerts, shows, lectures, and more in order to write about my experiences.

As the my college years progressed, I kept up with my blog by posting my academic papers, art projects, and personal anecdotes.  All of these additions can be found throughout this blog website, through the different tabs on the left of your screen – Art, Music, Theatre, Museums & Culture, and Academics.  On a somewhat secondary blogging site, I recounted my journeys abroad, travelling to Spain, Israel, and more.  You can visit these posts by clicking on the Travel tab at the left of the screen.

Since my last posts, I have graduated from CUNY Queens College & Macaulay Honors College with a double BA in History & Art History, and later went on to complete my MA in Art History from Queens College.  I’ve been working in several museums and cultural institutions, moved apartments, and learned many new things and met many new people.  I even went on to start a second, post-graduate blog (Marina B. Nebro).

However, I’ve never said goodbye to this blog, at least not officially.  It sits here, with it’s last post dating to August 2016 titled “I’m a Cat Mommy,” in a liminal state of closure and hope for something more.  I cherish Marina Nebro: Arts and Culture as a time capsule of my undergraduate years, exploring New York City, the world, and myself.

Thank you, dear reader and subscriber, for coming on this long journey with me over the years.  All of my posts and musings and creations will remain available to sneak back on whenever you so desire.  And of course, I’ve kept all of my work in hard-copy format to hold close to, as well.

Perhaps we shall meet again.

Best,

Marina Bardash Nebro

How do you experience music in a concert setting?  Do you watch the bows of the violins slide up and down?  Do you watch the conductor frantically wave his arms in the air?  Do you watch the soloist of the concerto piece?  Or… do you close your eyes and just listen? Continue Reading »

I am always one for supporting my fellow students, musicians, and artists when it comes to performances and shows.  Ever since last year’s Dominant 7 concert featuring student composers, I’ve had a new found respect for music composition.  Talking to my peers in the music program at the Aaron Copland School of Music, I’ve come to realize exactly how rigorous a music career is, and how complex the writing process can be.  Tonight’s concert, presented by the Queens College New Music Group, featuring Talujon (a professional percussion ensemble) did not disappoint!  The group mentored Queens College composition students for the past several weeks of this semester, culminating with the amazing feat of writing sixteen phenomenal works of art!  I was, yet again, blown away by the talented musicians and composers that my school fosters. Continue Reading »

LeFrak Concert Hall’s tracker organ is not merely a pretty backdrop for band and orchestra concerts, operas, and choirs.  With 49 pipe groupings, each containing 56 notes, the musical giant hides 2744 pipes behind it’s decoratively elaborate exterior!  Having only heard this particular instrument once, accompanying a Woman’s Choir concert, I was excited to see the American Guild of Organists‘ flier hanging around the Aaron Copland School of Music, inviting everyone to a concert dedicated to organ music composed by J.S. Bach.

John A. Wolfe
Prelude and Fugue in A Major, BWV 536
Prelude and Fugue in G Major, BWV 541

Janet Chung
Trio Sonata No. 6 in G Major, BWV 530
Vivace
Lento
Allegro

Joyce Chen
Prelude and Fugue in C Major, BWV 879
From the Well-Tempered Clavier, Book II
Prelude and Fugue in C Major, BWV 547

Eric Birk
Trio Sonata No. 5 in C Major, BWV 529
Allegro
Largo
Allegro

Noriko Kumada
Prelude and Fugue in E-Flat Major, BWV 552
From the Claveir-Übung III Continue Reading »

How many times have I mentioned her name at this point?  At least three (Forum, Women’s Choir, Bach Mass)?  Well, she has obviously caught my attention and remained on my radar.  Grace Kahl is a graduating vocal student here at Queens College at the Aaron Copland School of Music, under the direction of vocalist Dr. Sherry Overholt.  Having previously attended Boston Conservatory, she realized that she could get a lot more “bang for her buck” at our extremely prestigious CUNY music school.  This evening was Grace’s graduation recital, and having seen fliers hanging up around the music building, I thought I would go – especially since I’ve been done with finals for two days and have absolutely nothing to do!  I also went to support my private clarinet teacher, Alejandro Ceballos, as he accompanied her and pianist Miori Sugiyama in Schubert’s Der Hirt auf dem Felsen (or in English, Shepherd on the Rock).  Back in high school, I played the piano accompaniment to this piece as well (you can check out my performance on Marina’s Performances page, or on YouTube)!

Continue Reading »

Jesse Blumberg (baritone), Nathan Carlisle (tenor), Grace Kahl (soprano), James John (conductor), Sachie Ueshima (soprano), Sarah Rose Taylor (mezzo-soprano)

At the end of every year, for 72 years to be precise, the Queens College Choral Society puts on a tremendous concert featuring singers and instrumentalists.  For their 72nd Annual Spring Concert, the society chose J.S. Bach’s Mass in B Minor (BMV 232).  Five vocalists were featured (Sachie Ueshima, Grace Kahl, Sarah Rose Taylor, Nathan Carlisle, and Jesse Blumberg), as well as a myriad of instrumentalists. Continue Reading »

I’ve been to a myriad of concerts this year, and several of them have been performed by Queens College’s Women’s Choir led by Sandra Babb.  Tonight’s concert in particular was very interesting as the pieces were split up into four distinct groups: Songs of Faith and Praise, Songs of Distant Lands, Songs of Loss and Love, and Songs of Life and Hope.  Along with some of their usual songs (This Little Light of Mine) were some fairly new and eccentric pieces that I’d like to have you all listen to and enjoy.

I. Songs of Faith and Praise
Laudate Pueri Dominum … Felix Mendelssohn
Kristen Cho, Organ

Continue Reading »

My last mention of the Queens College Orchestra was back during my first semester here.  It was then led by Maestro Maurice Peress, but because of his sabbatical, is now being led by various guest conductors.  The repertoire from tonight’s concert, conducted by JoAnn Falletta is also being performed tomorrow, conducted by Tong Chen and Alex Yu.

June 2011 … Edward Smaldone

Concerto for English Horn and Orchestra … Ned Rorem
Preamble and Amble
Love Letter
Recurring Dream
Perpetual Motion
Medley and Prayer

Scheherazade … Rimsky-Korsakoff
The Sea and Sinbad’s Ship.
The Kalendar Prince.
The Young Prince and The Young Princess.
Festival at Baghdad.  The Sea.  The Ship breaks against a cliff.

Continue Reading »

After a full day of volunteering – handing out stickers and making arts and crafts – at the Museum of Natural History for WNET’s PBS show Sid the Science Kid, I went with my parents to a concert at The Church of St. Ignatius of Antioch in the Upper West Side.  The concert was titled “La Flor de España,” featuring the choral group Polyhymnia, a group that sings early choral music.  There was also an organist, Sarah Davies, who played several “interesting” pieces.  Not only were the composers featured in this concert of Spanish origin – like me – but they were from one of my favorite musical time periods – 13th to 16th century! Continue Reading »

And here’s the second opera I went to this past weekend: L’Incoronazione di Poppea! Before starting with a summary, describing the set, or raving about the music and talent, I want to give the photography credit to Sean Moonsammy – a student at the Aaron Copland School of Music as well as one of the leads (Ottone) in the Thursday and Saturday performances of the opera. Continue Reading »