School of Music Invites the World to its ‘Virtual Concert Hall’

It will soon be possible to “attend” Yale musical performances in your pajamas, thanks to a new “Virtual Concert Hall” program being launched by the Yale School of Music.

Beginning in February, the school will present live, online concerts in Morse Recital Hall via its website, allowing audiences around the world to enjoy concerts in real time. The School of Music is one of the first schools to offer regular live streams of its performances.

Associate Dean Michael Yaffe says the live streams are “a logical extension” of the school’s activities on campus. He notes that the streams are not produced segments but are an extension of the concert hall itself. The initiative is part of a multi-pronged technological expansion that also includes digital student portfolios, Internet2 distance learning, new online admissions capabilities, and virtual classrooms.

The inaugural stream will begin at 8 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 1, with a Faculty Artist Series recital. Cellist Ole Akahoshi and pianist Elizabeth Parisot will perform music of Bach, Brahms, Barber and Schnittke. See below for a list of other live streams in February.

The live stream can be accessed at music.yale.edu/media. Three types of streams will be available: high-definition video; lower-resolution video for those with slower Internet connections; and an audio-only stream.

Morse Recital Hall, located in Sprague Hall at 470 College St., is the School of Music’s primary performance venue. An audio-only stream also will be available for selected performances in Woolsey Hall and Sudler Hall.

For more information about individual events, visit music.yale.edu or call the Yale School of Music concert office at 203-432-4158.

The following is a list of upcoming video streams; they will all begin at 8 p.m.

Tuesday, Feb. 2 — The Yale Brass Trio will perform works from the Renaissance to the tango, featuring music by Guillaume de Machaut, J.S. Bach, Robert Schumann, Malcolm Arnold, Astor Piazzola, Robert Nagel and Alec Wilder. Part of the Faculty Artist Series.

Wednesday, Feb. 3, 8 p.m. — The Jasper String Quartet will present a “Tribute to George Enescu” (1881-1955).

Saturday, Feb. 6 — The Faculty Artist Series will present music for voice, piano and chamber ensembles by Enescu. Featured performers will be Ilya Poletaev, piano; James Taylor, tenor; Jennifer Curtis, violin; and Mihai Marica, cello.

Monday, Feb. 8 — “Prokofiev Rediscovered: Premieres and Rarities” featuring Boris Berman and Robert Blocker, piano; Stephen Taylor, oboe; Ettore Causa, viola; and alumni and students of the Yale School of Music.

Thursday, Feb. 11 — Doctor of Musical Arts recital by Dmitri Atapine, cello, featuring works by Schumann, Laderman, Beethoven and Chopin. Also featuring Hye-yeon Park, piano.

Saturday, Feb. 20 — The Yale Percussion Group will perform under the direction of Robert van Sice.

Sunday, Feb. 21 — “Vista: A Fresh Look at Chamber Music.” Selected students from the Yale School of Music will discuss and perform chamber works, under the direction of Wendy Sharp.