P A U L   A N D R É   B E M P É C H A T
 

C U R R I C U L U M   V I T A E
 

Education

D.M.A. (Piano/Musicology), Boston University, 2000
    - Dissertation: The Life and Works of Jean Cras (1879-1932)
    - Professors: Isabelle Cazeaux, John Daverio, Musicology         
        
Diplôme d'études approfondies (Comparative Literature/Musicology)
    Université de Paris Sorbonne
    - Professors: Marie-Claire Beltrando-Patier, Musicology ; Pierre Brunel, Comparative Literature

M. Mus. (Piano), The Juilliard School
    - Professors: Nadia Reisenberg, piano; Felix Galimir, chamber music

M. Mus. (Piano), B. Mus. (Piano), Manhattan School of Music
- Professors: Artur Balsam, Piano, Chamber Music; Isabelle Cazeaux, Musicology

Languages:    English, French, German, Swedish (written); conversational Dutch, Italian, and Spanish

Professional Appointments

2011-2013:    Harvard University, Center for Jewish Studies, Visiting Research Fellow
Spring 2012:     Rutgers University, Mason Gross School for the Arts, Seminar on Nationalism in Music
2009-date:    Westminster College of the Arts, Rider University, Adjunct Associate Professor of Music
2009-2010:    Harvard Divinity School, Visiting Scholar
2007-2008:    Harvard University, Adjunct Lecturer, Division of Continuing Education
2005-2007:    Harvard University, Associate/Visiting Scholar, Department of Romance Languages
2004-2005:    Pennsylvania State University, Visiting Professor of Music and Artist-in-Residence
2004 to date:    Lyrica Society for Word-Music Relations, President
2002 to date:     Harvard University, Affiliate, Center for European Studies
2002-2005:    Harvard University, Associate, Department of Celtic Languages and Literatures
2000-2010:    Institut Culturel de Bretagne, Research Fellow
1986 to date:    Private studio piano instruction; masterclasses at universities and conservatories, in conjunction with concertizing; 2010-2012, Instructor at The Hun School of Princeton
1981-1984:    University of Gothenburg, Sweden; Associate Professor (tenured)
                                    
Books

2009:  Jean Cras, Polymath of Music and Letters.  Farnham (UK): Ashgate Publishing.
2005:  Editor.  Liber Amicorum Isabelle Cazeaux:  Symbols, Parallels and Discoveries in Her Honor. Hillsdale, NY:  Pendragon Press.

Articles

Peer-Reviewed

2011:    “Felix Mendelssohn’s Reformation Symphony and the Culture of Assimilation,” in Harvard University Center for European Studies Working Papers Series; online, at http://ces.fas.harvard.edu/publications/OpenForum/CES_OFWP_6_Bempechat.pdf. 25 pp.
2011:   “The Location of Mendelssohn’s Culture: Religious Counterpoint, Confusion and Synthesis in the Reformation Symphony,” in Ars Lyrica 19, pp. 27-56.
2010:    “Rita Strohl, Classicist or Mystic?” in Journal of the International Association of Women in the Arts, pp. 17-22.
2010:    “The Abergavenny Eisteddfod of 1838 and the Birth of Barzaz Breiz,” in Ars Lyrica Celtica (Ars Lyrica 17), pp. 97-129.
2004:    “Classic - Celtic - Eclectic: The Harp Compositions of Pierick Houdy,” in American Harp Journal, Summer 2004, Vol. 19, No. 3; pp. 9-15.
2003:    “Allons, enfants de quelle patrie ? Breton Nationalism and the French Impressionist Aesthetic,” Harvard University Center for European Studies Working Papers Series, 2003; http://www.ces.fas.harvard.edu/working_papers/bempechat.pdf.  24 pp.
2002:    “Narrating the Symbol: Jean Cras’ Legacy of Song,” in Ars Lyrica 12, pp. 3-70.
2001:   “Where Formalism Meets Folklore: Jean Cras’ ‘Trio pour cordes (1925),’” American String Teacher, May 2001, Vol. 51, No. 2, pp. 74-81.
2001:   “The Choral Works of Jean Cras,” The Choral Journal, February 2001, Vol. 41, No. 7, pp. 9-16.
2000:    “An Admiral of Music: Jean Cras’ Chamber Music for Strings,” The Strad, London, October 2000, Vol.111, No. 1326, pp.1096-1100.
1999:    “Love’s Labours Found: Jean Cras' Pieces for Violin and Piano Rediscovered (with apologies to The Bard),” American String Teacher, November 1999, Vol. 49, No. 4, pp. 64-74.
1999:    “Inside Jean Cras’ Musical Laboratory II: Cyclical Composition at its Zenith: ‘Quintet for Harp, Flute, and Strings,’” American Harp Journal, Summer 1999., Vol. 17, No. 1, pp. 7-12.
1998:   “Jean Cras and Albert Samain: Parallels and Paradoxes in the Genesis of Polyphème,”
The Opera Journal, March 1998, Vol. XXXI/1, pp. 3-17.
1998:   “Inside Jean Cras' Musical Laboratory: An African Diary in Music and Letters: The Genesis of His ‘Suite en Duo' for Flute and Harp (1928),’” American Harp Journal, Winter 1998, Vol. 16, No. 4, pp. 7-14.
1998:   “A Rediscovered Masterpiece: Jean Cras' ‘Deux Impromptus pour harpe (1925),’” American Harp Journal, Summer 1998, Vol.16, No. 3, pp. 5-10.

Proceedings Articles (Peer-Reviewed)

2009:  “The Breton Compositions of Jean Cras,” in Proceedings of the 23rd Harvard Celtic Colloquium .
2008:    “Toward a Breton Musical Patrimony: Symbiosis and Synthesis of the Folkloric, the Classical and the Impressionistic,” in Proceedings of the 22nd Harvard Celtic Colloquium.

Encyclopedia Entries

2011:  “Lori Laitman,” in The New Grove Dictionary of American Music.   
2001:   “Jean Cras,” in Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart (MGG).
2001:    “Jean Cras,” in The Revised New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians.  
2001:    “Max d’Ollone,” in The Revised New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians.

Miscellaneous Articles:

2005:    “Ravel Writes to Jean Cras,” in Liber Amicorum Isabelle Cazeaux: Pendragon Press (Hillsdale, NY), pp. 365-376.
2005:    “Fair Winds and Following Seas: Jean Cras’ Symphonic Autobiography, ‘Journal de
    bord (1927),’ ”  in Liber Amicorum Isabelle Cazeaux, Pendragon Press (Hillsdale, NY),
    pp. 443-457.
2000:   “Naval Hero—Novel Voice: The Piano Works of Jean Cras,” Piano & Keyboard 206,
    September-October 2000, pp. 47-55.
2000:    “Recent Repertoire Discoveries from France: Jean Cras’ ‘Sonate (1900)’ and ‘Légende (1929)’” for the Internet Cello Society: http://www.cello.org. (ca.) 10 pp.    
1995:   “In Memoriam Artur Balsam (1906-1994),” in Durch die Brille; Vienna: Hans Schneider, 1996.

WORKS IN PROGRESS

Books:

Projected for 2014: Henri Duparc and the Problems of Symbolist Opera: Letters to Jean Cras

Projected for 2015: Instruments of Peace: The Mendelssohn Family and the Judeo-Christian Dialogue

Articles:

    “Barzaz Breiz and the Polemics of Authenticity”: to be submitted to Ethnomusicology.

    “Duparc Dismisses Debussy: The Unpublished Pelléas Correspondence”: to be submitted to Cahiers Debussy.

PERFORMING CAREER

Since 1980, over 350 concerts as recitalist, soloist and chamber musician, including masterclasses, on both sides of the Atlantic. Performances at major concert halls, including Berlin’s Konzerthaus, Meiningen’s Meininger-Theater, Boston’s Jordan Hall, Harvard University’s Sanders Theatre, Stockholm’s Konserthus; guest artist-teacher (masterclasses and lectures) at numerous North American colleges and universities; recordings at most European broadcasting houses, as well as National Public
Radio in the United States and both language networks of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Full details are available upon request.

Concert Appearances 2011-12

Paris, France: 20 June 2012: Fundraising recital for La Maison verte, which protects at-risk children

Princeton, New Jersey: 1 April 2012: Mozart, Concerto in C major, K. 415, Princeton University Chamber Ensemble

Princeton, New Jersey: 4 December 2011: Schubert-Liszt Recital, Uniterarian-Universalist Congregation

Brooklyn, New York: 21 November 2011: Mendelssohn-Liszt-Chopin-Schumann Recital, St. Francis College

Forthcoming Appearances

Princeton, New Jersey: 6 August 2012: Westminster Choir College, Nationalist Composers Recital, in conjunction with my course, “Nationalism in Music”

Husum, Germany: 19 August, 2012: Festival of Piano Rarities: Lecture-recital of the works of Jean Cras

Uppsala, Sweden: 4-6 October 2012: Uppsala University: Lecture, masterclass and lecture-recital

Helsinki, Finland:  7-9 October: Sibelius Academy:  Lecture-recital and masterclass

Langley, Washington: November 2012: Recital, Whidbey Island Arts Center: All-Beethoven recital

Princeton, New Jersey: December 2012 : Unitarian-Universalist Congregation: All-Beethoven recital

TEACHING CAREER

Courses of Instruction

History/Music History/Musicology Courses:

American Ethnic Groups/Multicultural America
Beethoven
Fanny and Felix Mendelssohn and Their Worlds
French Literature as Opera/ Literature as Opera
History of American Musical Theater
History of Chamber Music
Impressionism
Introduction to Musicology
The Legacy of Chopin
Medieval-Renaissance Survey
Music and Society
Mozart)
Nationalism in Music
Piano Literature
World History to 1500
Women Composers and their Legacies

Specially Developed Courses and Seminars:        

African-American Literary and Musical Legacies
Asia in the Western Operatic Tradition
Brittany and Her Impressionists
Jean Cras
The Faust Myth in Literature and Music
From Judaism to Christianity: A Continuum

Instrumental Instruction:

Piano, Chamber Music (with and without piano), Vocal accompanying, Opera coaching

ACADEMIC, ADMINISTRATIVE AND BUSINESS EXPERIENCE

Lyrica Society (2004 to date)

Since 2004, I have been President of the Lyrica Society for Word-Music Relations.  My appointment has
entailed transforming a dormant academic society into a highly respected organization.  I have created a
series of annual conferences and conference presentations at major venues, such as the national
conventions of the American Musicological Society and the American Comparative Literature
Association.  This has required diplomatically restructuring the Society’s governing boards and the
Editorial Board of our peer-reviewed journal, Ars Lyrica.   Beyond the planning and coordination of
events and travel, my responsibilities have included public speaking on behalf of the Society,
fundraising, volunteer recruitment and coordination, creation and dissemination of publicity materials.

Arts and Programming Consultancies (1982-date)

I am regularly solicited as an advisor and/or consultant to arts agencies with regard to program development, fund-raising and public relations strategies.  Most recently (May 2012), the Northwest Language and Cultural Center, Langley, Washington.

MusicArts Canada (1982-1990)

In 1982, founded and directed, with colleagues, a small performing arts agency based in Montreal.
MusicArts Canada handled our careers through effective marketing, career development and event
 planning.  As a team, we designed brochures, publicity materials and program strategies beneficial to
all.  The bulk of my administrative responsibilities entailed developing and maintaining overseas
contacts and working relationships with diplomatic missions and foreign media in Canada and the
United States.

PROFESSIONAL SERVICE (National)  

2004 to date:     Lyrica Society for Word-Music Relations, President
2003 to date:    Editorial Board, The Opera Journal (National Opera Association)
2003 to date:    Scholarly Papers Committee, National Opera Association

SCHOLARSHIPS, FELLOWSHIPS,  AWARDS, HONORS (most recent)

2010:        The REC Foundation, St. Louis, MO.  Research subvention
2008:        John Anson Kittredge Educational Fund, Cambridge, MA. Publication subvention
2007:        Halcrow Yolles Foundation, Toronto. Publication subvention
2004:        Pennsylvania Partners in the Arts, Grant for Consultancy in Arts Education
2000-2009:      Institut Culturel de Bretagne – Post-doctoral Fellowship
1997:        Winner of the National Opera Association's annual Scholarly Papers Competition for “Jean Cras and Albert Samain: Parallels and Paradoxes in the Genesis of ‘Polyphme’”
1995:        Elected member of Pi Kappa Lambda, May 1995  
1995-2000:    Institut Culturel de Bretagne (France) — Dissertation Fellowship
1990-94:    Boston University — Dean’s Award for Doctoral Studies

CONFERENCE PAPERS (most recent)

September 2011: “Mendelssohn’s Reformation Symphony and the Culture of Assimilation,” presented
at the German Studies Association’s Annual Conference, Louisville, KY
April 2011:  “Mendelssohn’s Reformation Symphony and the Culture of Assimilation,” presented at the
    Library of Congress for the Spring meeting of the National Capital Chapter of the American     Musicological Society, Washington, DC.
February 2011:  “Mendelssohn’s Reformation Symphony and the Culture of Assimilation,” presented at
    the Harvard Hillel Association.
January 2011:  “Mendelssohn’s Reformation Symphony and the Culture of Assimilation,” presented at the Winter meeting of the Greater New York Chapter of the American Musicological Society, Stonybrook Graduate Center, New York, NY.
January 2011: “The Incarnation of Symbols in the Songs of Jean Cras,” presented at the annual Convention of the National Opera Association, San Antonio, Texas.
January 2011:  “Der Rosenkavalier at 100: A Centenary Perspective,” presented at the annual Convention of the National Opera Association, San Antonio, Texas.
October 2010:  “Jean Cras and his Paysages,” a lecture-recital presented at the Fall meeting of the Greater New York Chapter of the American Musicological Society, Wagner College, Staten Island, New York.
January 2009:  “The Renaissance of Jean Cras,” delivered at the annual convention of the National Opera Association, held in Arlington, VA.
November 2008:  “Duparc Dismisses Debussy: The Unpublished Pelléas Correspondence,” delivered for the Lyrica Society’s seminar at the annual meeting of the American Musicological Society, Nashville.  Also organizer of the seminar.
October 2006:  “Beethoven, Folklorist or Mercenary?,” delivered at the 26th Harvard Celtic Coloquium.
October 2005:    “Breaking the Wagnerian Curse: Guy Ropartz’ and Charles Le Goffic’s Le Pays (1908-1912),” delivered at the 25th Harvard Celtic Colloquium.
November 2004:  “How Russian Nationalism Inspired “The Breton Eight”: Paul Ladmirault’s Artistic Manifesto of 1928,” delivered at the annual meeting of the American Musicological Society.
October 2004:    “The Abergavenny Eisteddfod of 1838 and the Birth of Barzaz Breiz,” delivered at the 24th Harvard Celtic Colloquium.
October 2003:    “The Breton Compositions of Jean Cras;” 23rd Harvard Celtic Colloquium.
March 2003:  “Toward a Breton Musical Patrimony: Symbiosis and Synthesis of the Folkloric, the Classical and the Impressionistic,” delivered at the Spring meeting of the New England Chapter of the American Musicological Society.
October 2003:    “Dependence – Independence – Interdependence: Brittany’s Musical Patrimony in Transition,” delivered at the International Symposium on Nationalism and Romanticism in Music, held at the Ionian University, Corfu (Greece).
October 2002:    “Toward a Breton Musial Patrimony: Symbiosis and Synthesis of the Folkloric, the Classical and the Impressionistic,” delivered at the 22nd Harvard Celtic Colloquium.
January 1998:    “Parallels and Parodoxes in the Genesis of ‘Polyphème,’” delivered at the annual convention of the National Opera Association.

CONFERENCE CHAIRS AND SESSIONS ORGANIZED

2011-12:  Scholarly papers sessions organized at national meetings of the American Musicological Society, Modern Language Association, and Harvard-Lyrica Dialogues.
2010-11:  Scholarly papers sessions organized at national meetings of the American Musicological Society, Modern Language Association, and Harvard-Lyrica Dialogues.
2009-10:  Scholarly papers sessions organized at national meetings of the American Musicological Society, Modern Language Association, and Harvard-Lyrica Dialogues.
2008-09:  Scholarly papers sessions organized at national meetings of the American Musicological Society, National Opera Association, American Comparative Literature Association, and Harvard-Lyrica Dialogues.
2007-08:  Scholarly papers sessions organized at national meetings of the American Musicological Society, Modern Language Association, Renaissance Society of America, American Comparative Literature Association, and Harvard-Lyrica Dialogues.  Organization (with Professor George Gopen, Duke University) of the Lyrica Society’s Biennial Scholarly Papers Competition.
2006-07:  Scholarly papers sessions organized at the national meetings of American Musicological Society, Modern Language Association, National Opera Association, American Comparative Literature Association, Harvard-Lyrica Dialogues.
January 2007:  Scholarly Papers Competition Committee, National Opera Association, New York City.
June 2006:  Lyrica Society session, at the National Association of Teachers of Singing Convention, Minneapolis.
April 2006:  Lyrica Society session, “Music and the Asian Diaspora,” Rider University.
January 2006:  Scholarly Papers Competition Committee, National Opera Association, University of
    Michigan, Ann Arbor.
January 2006: Lyrica Society for Word-Music Relations Session on African-American Composers,  National Opera Association’s Convention,  University of Michigan.
December 2005: The Arthurian Myth in Music and Literature, Special Session, Modern Language Association’s Annual Convention, Washington, D.C.
October 2005: Lyrica Society Session, American Musicological Society’s Annual Convention, Washington, D.C.
October 2003:  International Symposium on Nationalism and Romanticism in Music, Ionian University, Corfu, Greece.

RECENT INVITED RADIO APPEARANCES, LECTURES AND LECTURE-RECITALS:

December 2011:  All-Schubert recital, Unitarian-Universalist Church, Princeton, New Jersey
November 2011:  Recital at the College of Saint Francis, Brookly, New York
August 2011:  All-SchubertRecital at Westminster Choir College, Princeton, New Jersey.
August 2011:  Interview with David Osenberg on “Cadenza,” WWFM, The Classical Network
April 2011: “The Location of Mendelssohn’s Culture,” National Capital Chapter of the American Musicological Society
April 2011: Reading and signing of Jean Cras, Polymath of Music and Letters at Schoenhof Foreign Books, Cambridge, Massachusetts
April 2011:  Recital, The Hun School of Princeton
February 2011: “The Location of Mendelssohn’s Culture,” Harvard Hillel.
January 2011:  “The Location of Mendelssohn’s Culture,” Greater New York Chapter of the American Musicological Society.
May 2007: “Marot après Marot: Poet to the Courts, Muse to the Muses,” Harvard University, Humanities Center’s Seminar on the Renaissance.
February 2007: “Sense and Sensibility: The Songs of Earl Kim” (a reworking of the previous lecture),m for the inaugural Harvard-Lyrica Dialogues at Memorial Church,
February 2007: “Rabindranath Tagore and European Art Song: Ecumenism and Conciliation,” Harvard University, Humanities Center Seminar on Cross-Cultural Poetics and Rhetoric.
October 2006: Harvard Celtic Colloquium: “Beethoven, Folklorist or Mercenary?”
September 2006: American Musicological Society, Northeast Chapter Meeting, Providence College: “The Voices of Earl Kim.”
April 2006:  Lyrica Society Lecture at Rider University’s symposium “Music and the Asian Diaspora.”
December 2005: Seminar at Harvard University’s Department of Romance
     Languages and Literatures comparing Mozart’s Don Giovanni and Molière’s Dom Juan.
November 2005: Duquesne University on Jean Cras (his string compositions) and on Breton and other
    nationalist expressions through Impressionism in Europe.
November 2005: Intermission presentation, of Jean Cras’ rhapsody for ‘cello and orchestra, Légende
     (1929), at its U.S. première by the Duquesne University Symphony Orchestra, Sidney Harth,
    conducting; broadcast live on WQED-FM.  Prepared program notes for this work and for Paul
    Juon’s Triple Concerto, also on the program.

A complete list of invited lectures (1990-2002) available on request.

COMMUNITY SERVICE

Founder of The John Joseph Daverio Memorial Endowment for the Arts at Sharon (PA) High School.  
Extensive pro-bono fundraising as recitalist work for schools, hospitals, libraries and senior citizens’ homes.

    PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

American Comparative Literature Association
American Musicological Society
Celtic Studies Association of North America
College Music Society
German Studies Association of North America
Haydn Society of North America
Lyrica Society for Word-Music Relations, President
Modern Language Association
National Opera Association

REFERENCES

Dr. Scott Burnham, Professor of Music
Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08540; sburnham@princeton.edu; (609) 258-4254

Associate Dean Emeritus Raymond Comeau, Division of Continuing Education
Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138; comeau@fas.harvard.edu

 
Dr. Tom Conley, Department of Romance Languages, Boylston Hall
Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138; tconley@fas.harvard.edu; (617) 496-6090

Dr. Michael Griffel, Head, Music History Programs
The Juilliard School, Lincoln Center Plaza, New York, New York 10024
 lgriffel@juilliard.edu; (212) 799-5000

Dr. Edward Jones, Gund University Organist, Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138; edward_jones@harvard.edu; (617) 496-3192

Dr. Simon Keefe, Chair, Department of Music
Sheffield University, United Kingdom; s.keefe@sheffield.ac.uk; +44 (0) 114 222 0472

Dr. Danièle Pistone, Director, Observatoire musical français
Université de Paris-Sorbonne;pistone@noos.fr

Dr. Jerry Rife, Chair, Fine Arts Department, Rider University
2083 Lawrenceville Road, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648; rife@rider.edu; (609) 896-5000

Dr. Jürgen Thym, Professor Emeritus (Musicology), Eastman School of Music
452 N Main Street, Mansfield, PA 16933; jthy@aol.com; (570) 662-1055

Dr. Jeremy Yudkin, Professor of Music and Chair, Musicology, Boston University, College of Fine Arts
855 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215; yudkinj@bu.edu; (617) 353-3362