B.A., Radcliffe College (English Literature), 1965
M.S., Juilliard School of Music (Piano), 1967
Our Faculty
Ursula Oppens
Profile
Discipline: Piano and Organ
The recipient of five Grammy nominations, Ursula Oppens is equally committed to programming traditional and contemporary repertoire. She has performed with many of the world’s major orchestras, including the New York and Los Angeles philharmonics, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and the orchestras of Chicago, Cleveland and San Francisco. Abroad, she has appeared with the Berlin Symphony, Orchetra de la Suisse Romande, the Deutsche Symphonie and the London Philharmonic Orchestra. and many others. She is an avid chamber musician and has performed with the Arditti, Cassatt, and Pacifica quartets. Oppens has premiered works by such leading composers as Luciano Berio, Elliott Carter, John Corigliano, Anthony Davis, John Harbison, Julius Hemphill, Laura Kaminsky, Tania Leon, Witold Lutoslawski, Conlon Nancarrw, Tobias Picker, Frederic Rzewski, Joan Tower, Amy Williams, Christian Wolff and Charles Wuorinen. She received an honorary doctorate from the New England Conservatory in May 2019.
Education
Selected Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity
Books and Publications
Oppens Plays Kaminsky, Cedille Records - CD
Erhard Grosskopf: Plejaden; KlangWerk 11 with Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, NEOS Records - CD
The Music of William Bolcolm, Naxos Records - CD
Frederic Rzewski: "The People United Will Never Be Defeated" and "Four Hands" (with Jerome Lowenthal), Cedille Records - CD
Meredith Monk: "Piano Songs" with Bruce Brubaker, ECM Records - CD
"Seq Transit Parammers" from Richard Teitelbaum, Piano Plus, New World Records - CD
Schoenberg: Cabaret Songs, Lieder Op. 2, and Book of the Hanging Gardens, Op. 15 with Phyllis Bryn-Julson, Music & Arts Label - CD
The Complete Music of Carl Ruggles, (Vox Clamans in Deserto) ,Speculum Musicae CBS Masterworks - CD
Vytautas Bacevičius Septiėme Mot, opus 73 (with Gabrielius Alekna), Toccata Classics - CD
Winging It: Piano Music of John Corigliano (with Jerome Lowenthal), Cedille Records - CD
Two-Piano Music of Messiaen and Debussy with Jerome Lowenthal, Cedille Records - CD
Stefan Wolpe Songs, Volume V, Bridge Records - CD
Stravinsky & Friends: University of Florida Wind Symphony, (Concerto for Piano & Winds) - CD
Complete Piano Works of Tobias Picker, Schott Music
Oppens Plays Carter: Complete Piano Music of Elliott Carter, Cedille Records - CD
Tobias Picker- "Keys to the City" Complete Piano Music of Tobias Picker, Wergo Records - CD
Richard Wilson: Concert Piece for Violin and Piano with Rolf Schulte, New World Records - CD
William Barnewitz: Long Road Home, (Mozart Quintet for Piano & Winds, Music by Bach, Strauss, & Brahms) Avie Records - CD
Beethoven: Sonatas Opus 106 and 22, Music & Arts Label - CD
Joan Tower: Chamber and Solo Music, Naxos Records - CD
Elliot Carter: Quintets and Voices, Mode Records - CD
Julius Hemphill: One Atmosphere, Tzadik Records - CD
The Centennial Commission: The School of Music at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Joan Tower's Rapids with the Symphony Orchestra - CD
An Irving Fine Celebration At The Library Of Congress with Ida Kavafian, Bridge Records - CD
Rita Dove & Amnon Wolman: Thomas and Beulah with Cynthia Haymon, Innova Recordings - CD
Allen Shawn: Piano Concerto with Albany Symphony Orchestra, Albany Records - CD
Elliot Carter: Piano Concerto with SWR Symphony Orchestra, Arte Nova Classics - CD
Winds of Nagual: Northwestern University Symphonic Wind Ensemble, (Stravinsky Concerto for Piano & Winds) Summit Education - CD
Carnegie Hall Millenium Piano Book and CD, Boosey & Hawkes - CD
Carnegie Hall Millenium Piano Book and CD, Boosey & Hawkes
Keyboard Classics
Elliot Carter: Chamber Music, Montaigne Records - CD
Allen Shawn: Sextet and Other Works, NorthEastern Classical Arts - CD
Frederic Rzewski: Night Crossing. Works for One and Two Pianos, Music and Arts Label - CD
Joan Towers: Concerto with Louisville Orchestra, d'Note Records - CD
American Piano Music of Our Time: Two Volumes, Music & Arts Label - CD
Francis Thorne: Piano Concerto No. 3 with The Westchester Philharmonic, New World Records - CD
Remembering Horowitz
David Lang: Are You Experienced? Illumination Rounds with Rolf Schulte, CRI Records - CD
Brahms: Sonatas Op. 120, No. 1 & No.2, with Barbara Westphal, Bridge Records - CD
Concorso Pianistico Internazionale, Volume III,(Schumann Carnival) Nuova Era Records - CD
Keyboard Magazine (1987-88)
John Harbison: Variations, Northeastern Records - CD
Joseph Schwantner: Distant Rune And Incantations with Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, Nonesuch - CD
Alvin Curran: For Corenlius/Era Ora with Frederic Rzewski, New Albion Records - CD
Elliot Carter: Piano Concerto with Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, New World Records - CD
John Adams: Grand Pianola Music with Solisti New York, EMI Records - CD
Three Polyphonic Masterpieces For Two Piano with Paul Jacobs, Nonesuch Records - CD
Anthony Braxton: For Two Pianos with Frederic Rzewski, Arista Label - CD
Company: Epiphany, INCUS - CD
Igor Stravinsky: The Four-Hand Petrouchka /Three Pieces For String Quartet with Paul Jacobs, Nonesuch - CD
Elliot Carter: A Mirror On Which To Dwell with Speculum Musicae, CBS Masterworks - CD
The Dartmouth Composers, Music From Dartmouth Label - CD
Music of Tobias Picker, CRI Records - CD
Feldman: Spring of Chosroes & Schnabel: Sonata for Violin and Piano with Paul Zukofsky, CP2 Records - CD
John Harbison: The Flower-Fed Buffaloes with Speculum Musicae, Nonesuch - CD
Frederic Rzewski: "The People United Will Never Be Defeated", Vanguard Classics - CD
Igor Stravinsky: Music For Two Pianos & Piano Four Hands with Paul Jacobs, Nonesuch - CD
Lieberson/Lundborg- Instrumental Music, CRI Records - CD
Carla Bley: 3/4, WATT Works - CD
Music of Otto Luening, CRI Records - CD
Donald Martino & Charles Wuorinen: Notturno & Speculum Speculi with Speculum Musicae, Nonesuch - CD
Peter Maxwell Davies: Sonata for Trumpet and Piano with Gerard Schwarz, Nonesuch - CD
Creative Work
BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION, FEBURARY 2, 2019, IN HONOR OF MS. OPPENS' 75TH BIRTHDAY AT MERKIN HALL: -Piano works written for Ms. Oppens by Elliott Carter and John Corigliano. -Tobias Picker's Ursula for solo piano, a birthday present for his dear friend and collaborator. -World Premieres of a piano quintet by Laura Kaminsky with the Cassatt String Quartet -Entered
CHAMBER MUSIC COLLABORATIONS THROUGHOUT THE YEARS: Founding Member of the Speculum Musicae (1971 - 1982). Performed with the Arditti, Brentano, Cassatt, Emerson, Jack, Juilliard, Mendelssohn, Pacifica, Rossetti, Tokyo, and Vermeer String Quartet. -Entered
MUSIC FESTIVALS THROUGHOUT THE YEARS: Rebecca Penneys Piano Festival, Festival in Ulzen, Germany, Amalfi Coast Festival, Musicfest Perugia, Philadelphia Young Pianists Academy, Tanglewood, Aspen, Beijing International Music Festival and Academy, Bridgehampton, Cabrillo, Great Lakes Chamber Music, International Keyboard Institute and Festival (Mannes College), Las Vegas Music, Monadnock, Mostly Mozart (Lincoln Center), Music Academy of the West, Ojai, Ravinia, Reykjavik Midsummer Music, Santa Fe, Saratoga, Sitka Chamber Music Festival, Tanglewood, Bath, Bergamo, Edinburgh, Holland, Huddersfield, Kuchmo, London Proms, Montreal Chamber Music Festival, Music Today, Japan, South Bank, Stresa, Wien Modern. -Entered
Awards, Honors and Fellowships
Honorary Doctorate: New England Conservatory
Member, American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2012-present)
GRAMMY NOMINATIONS: -Frederic Rzewski's "The People United Will Never Be Defeated" on Cedille Records (2016) -Winging It: The Piano Music of John Corigliano (2011) -Oppens Plays Carter (2009) -American Piano Music of Our Time (1990) -Frederic Rzewski's "The People United Will Never Be Defeated" on Vanguard Records (1980)
Professional Leadership
MEMBER, BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND PANELIST: -Koussevitsky Foundation -Naumburg Foundation -Amphion Foundation
MEMBER, BOARD OF DIRECTORS: -Concert Artists Guild until 2019 -Musical Observations -Copland Fund for Music -Koussevitsky Foundation -The Walter W. Naumburg Foundation -American Academy of Arts and Science
Pedagogical Achievements
MS. OPPENS' CUNY STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS: -Han Chen, finalist in Honens (Canada) International Piano Competition 2018 -Imri Talgam, first prize in Orleans (France) International Piano Competition 2014 -Wayne Weng, first prize in Iowa International Piano Competition
MASTERCLASSES 2010-PRESENT: -Rebecca Penneys Piano Festival -Festival in Ulzen, Germany -Amalfi Coast Festival -Musicfest Perugia -Philadelphia Young Pianists Academy -Musicfest Perugia, Taipei -University of Washington -Arizona State University Masterclass -Royal Academy of Music, London -Alberta Pianofest Society -Edward Aldwell Institute, Jerusalem -Blodgett Distinguished Artist Residency, Harvard University