Distinguished Scholar-Teacher Lecture: James Stern

Integrity, Cognitive Dissonance, Violated Hierarchies: A Violin Recital/Reflection

Cognitive dissonance: Israeli historian Yuval Noah Harari maintains that it’s a feature, not a bug, a driver of human progress in the same way that “two clashing musical notes played together force a piece of music forward.” Inspired by what Harari’s analogy suggests about the significance of musical meaning, and using language addressed to the non-musician, faculty violinist James Stern searches for the reason why fostering a deep appreciation of musical form is such a central priority in his teaching, and explores surprisingly specific ideas that music can represent. With particular reverence for works that create unforgettable moments and a sense of perfect integrity without the need to adhere to any existing model, he discusses and performs works by J. S. Bach, Lily Boulanger, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor and Ernest Chausson. Also featured in the presentation is the School of Music’s new Assistant Professor of Collaborative Piano, Futaba Niekawa.