星期二, 5月 13, 2014

青年鋼琴家牛牛將赴紐約進朱莉亞學院

青年鋼琴家牛牛九日晚在胡桃山藝術學校(Walnut Hill School for the Arts)做畢業演奏,六月八日參加畢業典禮後,將揮別波士頓,前往紐約的朱莉亞(Juiliard)音樂學院深造。
            本名張勝量,1997年七月十一日出生,生肖屬牛的牛牛,今年才十六歲,已經揚名音樂界,不但應邀到世界各地演奏,和知名音樂家,交響樂團合作開音樂會,還早在九歲時就和古典唱片公司EMI簽約,發行了四張個人專輯。
去年底,他再和中國的金牌大風,英國倫敦的著名古典音樂家經紀公司ICA,華納唱片公司簽下合約,將在未來七年內,發行七張個人獨奏或協奏曲專輯。目前是小澤征爾,尤里特米爾卡諾夫等著名指揮家經紀人的ICA總裁Stephen Wright,看好牛牛的未來發展,更要求親自擔任牛牛的全球經紀人。
            原籍福建廈門的牛牛,早從三,四歲,就展現出音樂天份,雙耳能同時聽出十個音,雙手也大到能彈十個鍵。六歲時,他在廈門舉辦個人獨奏會,轟動到上海音樂學院在2005年時破格錄取他進首屆大師班。八歲時,他到法國西博客國際鋼琴藝術節演奏,再到英國倫敦,為皇家節日音樂廳的音樂節頒獎禮演奏。座中的英國王子查理斯也大讚他彈得好。
            這些年間,牛牛去法國,英國,德國,瑞士,美國,日本,以及在中國的北京國家大劇院,上海東方藝術中心,上海音樂廳等地,做了一百多場獨奏音樂會,還獲得2009年度全球最優秀年輕藝術家,2010年萬寶龍傑出青年音樂家等大獎,成為全世界獲得該一殊榮的最年輕鋼琴家。
            今年四月中,他回上海,在上海音樂廳的一場演奏,不但門票一早售罄,還有一對德國籍漢學家夫婦,關愚謙,遠從德國漢堡市飛到上海來聽牛牛演奏。
            當地報章在報導中稱,著名鋼琴教育家李民鋒會後激動發電郵,向牛牛的母親表達祝賀之意,表示從沒聽過任何人能把蕭邦的“夜曲”彈得這麼迷人。
            該篇報導還稱,牛牛開創了青年鋼琴家在中國的一場音樂會裏,同時演奏小提琴和鋼琴協奏曲的先例。
            九日晚,牛牛在畢業音樂會中演奏了蕭邦的第27號作品(Chopin Nocturne Op.27-1&2),貝多芬的鋼琴協奏曲(Beethoven Piano Sonata Op.53"Waldstein"),以及Modest Mussorgsky展覽畫面(Pictures at an Exhibition)。
            那晚,音樂會場內,座無虛席。會場外有多人流連不去。
            牛牛在演奏完後,很紳士的遵循西方傳統,在後台和排隊向他致意的人一一握手,擁抱。許多人並不認識他,卻都貼心的送上一束花,糖果,動物玩偶,祝福他從此更上層樓。從牛牛一家到波士頓後,就在和學校溝通,找地方住等許多方面給予協助的本地華人音樂界知名辦展人譚嘉陵,也專程出席。
            牛牛的母親施志麗,父親張長峰透露,本來歐洲也有許多學校邀請牛牛前往深造,但過去這幾年來與牛牛相處極佳,無論是琴藝或做人,都給了牛牛很多啓發的老師陳宏寬,今年初被朱麗亞音樂學院禮聘去紐約任教,他們決定追隨老師前行。

圖片說明:

            年輕鋼琴家牛牛畢業演奏,也有許多人送花。(菊子攝)

            左起,張長峰,女兒,施志麗,牛牛(張勝量),都很感恩中華表演藝術基金會譚嘉陵老師給他們的幫助。(菊子攝)

            牛牛(右三)的同學,朋友們,為即將的別離,留影紀念。

麻州今年可能有36名法官退休

麻州法院系統的411名法官中,今年可能有多達36人退休,比大多數年份高了近一倍。今年有17名法官達到規定必須退休的年齡,但另有19人告訴各自所屬法院系統中的首席法官,他們打算提早退休。
            2013年時,麻州議員批准調薪三萬元。該一加薪法案今夏生效,將把原審法院系統所有陪審法官(associate judges)的年薪,從十三萬元提高到十六萬元。
            根據退休制度,法官的退休金是他們最高薪資的75%。一名法官只需在該最高薪資下工作一日,就符合認定條件。
許多律師預測,從三萬元加薪生效的七月一日起,法官們就會開始遞交退休申請。過去十六個月來,司法提名委員會(Judicial Nominating Commission)從想要當法官的律師們那兒收到了514份申請書。2012年時,他們只收到175份申請書。

麻州法官是由麻州州長任命組成的司法提名委員會,在不知道申請人是誰下,審核,挑選出來,送交麻州州長的委員會(Governor’s Council)面談,再投票選出來的。一般來說一當就十幾年,很少有被辭退情況。有些很年輕就當上法官的人,更是一做就三十,四十年

Mayor Walsh Announces Staffing Changes in the City of Boston ​

​ Mayor Walsh Announces Staffing Changes in the City of Boston ​
    
BOSTON--Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced several appointments and transitions within his Administration. The personnel shifts are aligned with Walsh Administration priorities to promote Boston’s economic development on the local, national, and global level, to improve and streamline the zoning and permitting process, and to increase transparency and diversity at all levels of the Administration.
 
“We recognize the contributions of these individuals to public service in the City of Boston from the implementation of successful initiatives to process effectiveness,” said Mayor Martin J. Walsh. “These changes will help continue to drive Boston to the next stages of innovation and growth on all fronts.”
 
Zoning and Permitting Reform
 
To streamline the zoning and permitting process in the City of Boston, Mayor Walsh today confirmed that Bryan Glascock will become the Senior Advisor for Regulatory Reform. The position, which will sit in the Boston Redevelopment Authority, was announced in Mayor Walsh’s speech to the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce. In this new role, Glascock is charged with making building and business operation in Boston a more transparent and efficient process. To do this work, he will be tasked with making recommendations for regulatory and operational changes, based upon evaluation of existing processes and feedback from stakeholders.  
 
This work will be done in collaboration with the Mayor, the City's Chief of Economic Development, the Deputy Chief Information Officer and other senior members of the Mayor's team focused on licensing and permitting.
 
Glascock currently serves as head of the City’s Inspectional Services Department (ISD), where he introduced electronic plans submission software allowing for online plan review, used analytics to reduce a 900-case backlog to fewer than 50, and headed ISD’s response to the Boston Marathon bombings, including restoration of building systems, restaurant and food service establishment inspections, aftermath clean-up and re-occupation of impacted buildings and businesses, all within 48 hours of FBI release of the Boylston Street crime scene.
 
As part of the effort to further streamline the zoning and permitting process, William Christopher will join the Walsh administration as the Commissioner of Boston’s Inspectional Services Department. In this role, Christopher will lead ISD’s construction permitting, housing, food service, and health inspections. Mayor Walsh has charged Christopher with overseeing the resource management of ISD, including the Department’s efforts to address and correct identified deficiencies and to implement effective, structural, and procedural improvement strategies for long-term, positive change.
 
In 1994, Christopher joined the City of Boston’s Department of Neighborhood Development as Assistant Director of Architecture and Engineering, where he managed the designer selection process and development of all capital funding projects for the City. This included schools, fire stations, police stations, public works, and parks projects. Christopher went on to hold architecture positions in the private sector, until 2004 when he founded Roche--Christopher Architecture, LLC. This firm  oversaw the design, zoning analysis, community process, and permitting on a number of public and privately funded projects.
 
Increasing transparency and efficiency in the development process
 
Heather Campisano has assumed the role of Chief of Staff for the Boston Redevelopment Authority. In this position, Heather will focus on policy development, the project approval process, and strategic and tactical planning efforts. Prior to her appointment as Chief of Staff, Heather served as Deputy Director for Development Review for eight years. As Deputy Director, Heather was responsible for the oversight and management of all real estate development projects in the City of Boston. In addition to managing the day-to-day operations of the Development Review department, Campisano assisted the Director and senior staff in developing internal review strategies for development projects based on each proposal’s regulatory and community context and the BRA’s overall policy objectives. Heather began her tenure at the BRA as an intern in 1999, and was hired full time as a Project Assistant in 2000.
 
Erico Lopez will now serve as the Director of Development Review and Policy for the Boston Redevelopment Authority. In his role, Lopez will lead the Boston Redevelopment Authority’s review and evaluation process of development proposals from commercial and non-profit entities to institutional, residential, and mixed-use projects. Lopez has worked in the Boston Redevelopment Authority since 2006, when he started as an Economic Initiatives Intern. He later became a Project Assistant and Lopez began his career at the Boston Redevelopment Authority as an Economic Initiatives Intern in 2006 and soon became a Project Assistant. In 2012, Lopez served as a Senior Project Manager and quickly advanced to the role of the Senior Policy Advisor, where he implemented policies and programs to manage the formulation of economic development in the City.
 
 
Nick Martin will serve as the Director of Communications for the Boston Redevelopment Authority. Martin has worked in municipal public relations and communications since 2008. Most recently he worked as the Director of Communications for the Boston Public Health Commission, successfully developing messaging and communications strategies in response to several high-profile crises, including recovery efforts following the 2013 Boston Marathon tragedy and the severe 2013 flu season. Prior to joining BPHC, Martin worked as a Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff and Press Assistant under the Menino administration. 
 
 
Increasing economic development and equity locally, nationally, and globally
 
Freda Brasfield has been appointed as Chief of Staff for the Economic Development cabinet. In her role, Brasfield will focus on finances and human resource functions, including payroll services, grant management, and research to record the progress of programming.
 
Brasfield began her career as a construction monitor in the Boston Residents Jobs Policy Office, where she helped shape the goals for residents with special regards to minorities and women on construction sites. Later, Brasfield served as a liaison between Mattapan and North Dorchester residents and the City of Boston government in the Office of Mayor Thomas M. Menino’s Neighborhood Services.

 
Lauren Jones will serve as the Policy Director for the Health and Human Services cabinet. Jones will focus on policy development and research for the Chief of Health and Human Services, Felix Arroyo. Prior to this appointment, Jones joined the Walsh Administration in January as a Policy Advisor. She was responsible for preparing various policy proposals relative to youth, education, and veteran services. Prior to joining the Walsh Administration, Jones served as the Director of Communications for the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development, where she lead crisis communications and media responses for the implementation of the state of Massachusetts’ online unemployment insurance system. Jones also served in the Office of Lt. Governor Timothy P. Murray as Director of Policy and Communications.
 
Brian McLaughlin will serve as the Associate Director of Operations for the Property and Construction Management Department. McLaughlin will be tasked with overseeing project management and initiatives, implementing plans through cross-functional negotiations with various sites and third party contractors, and facilitating benchmark performance initiatives for the department.
 
Prior to assuming his role with the City of Boston, McLaughlin worked for then State Representative Martin J. Walsh as a Director of Special Events and Projects. His past experiences include working for the Massachusetts Trial Court as an Assistant Court Services Coordinator, the Office of House Speaker Thomas M. Finneran as a Legislative Assistant, and at the Massachusetts School Building Authority as a Government Affairs Liaison.

WGBH's Annual AAPI Heritage Month Celebration 5/22

From Leverett Wing:

On behalf of WGBH-TV/Radio (Boston's PBS affiliate) and my event Co-Hosts, I wanted to invite you to an engaging evening of presentations and conversation as we celebrate Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month 2014 at WGBH.  Details:

WGBH's Annual AAPI Heritage Month Celebration
WhenThursday May 22 at 6:00 p.m.
Where: WGBH Studios, One Guest Street, Brighton.
RSVPs (this event is free but space is limited): http://www.wgbh.org/support/boxoffice_asian_pacific_american_heritage_month.cfm
Co-Hosts: WGBH Overseers - Susan Luo, Helen Chin Schlichte and Leverett Wing

The presentations will include documentary film excerpts from WGBH's The WORLD channel that highlight a range of issues facing Asian Americans in society today, including hybrid & mixed-race heritage and Asian American female identity.

You’ll also hear from a distinguished panel, and have the chance to pose your questions during the Q & A, moderated by Liz Cheng, General Manager of WGBH Television and WORLD Channel.

A dessert reception and tours of the studios will follow the presentation.

The event discussion will touch upon a couple of films you can view during the month of May on WGBH's The WORLD channel: "Local, USA 200F - Building an Identity" and "The Grace Lee Project" (details below).

We hope to see you on May 22nd.
- Susan Luo, 
- Helen Chin Schlichte,
- Leverett Wing

*************************
Local, USA 200F | Building an Identity
As the Asian American population in the United States rises, so do their questions about their place in America; a Japanese-Filipino man narrates the story of his "becoming American"; a group of mixed race professionals in New York address issues of identity and acceptance; and new mothers try to balance their old heritage with their new culture


The Grace Lee Project
When award-winning Korean-American filmmaker Grace Lee was growing up in Missouri, she was the only Grace Lee she knew. As an adult, however, she moved to New York and then California, where everyone she met seemed to know "another Grace Lee." But why did they assume that all Grace Lees were nice, dutiful, piano-playing bookworms.


Pursuing the moving target of Asian American female identity, the filmmaker plunges into a clever, highly unscientific investigation of all those Grace Lees who break the mold, including the fiery social activist Grace Lee Boggs, the rebel Grace Lee who tried to burn down her high school, and the Silicon Valley teenager Grace Lee who spends evenings doing homework, playing piano, and painting graphic pictures of death and destruction.

This refreshing film reveals the intriguing contradiction of the "Grace Lee" persona simultaneously impressive and forgettable, special and generic, an emblem of a subculture and an individual who defies categorization. With wit and charm, THE GRACE LEE PROJECT challenges the cultural investments made in the idea of Grace Lee, all the while sending her a love letter.

星期一, 5月 12, 2014

哈佛CSSA母親節音樂會再創滿座高潮

哈佛大學杜爹利屋(Dudley)二樓,十日晚逾百人“擠擠”一堂,或坐,或站的欣賞表演,再一次在哈佛大學中國學生學者聯合會安排的音樂會中,歡渡母親節。
            主持人岳林今年安排的節目,既有歌曲演唱,樂器演奏,還少不了京劇選段,還特地挑選了許多和母親有關的節目,包括美國民歌“搖籃曲”,俄羅斯民歌“母親”,京劇選段的“兒行千里母擔憂”,“本應當隨母親”,“四郎探母”等。
            當晚的節目包括哈佛本科生Aram Zadeh和他母親合唱波斯民歌“冬去春來”,挪威青年鋼琴家陳宇軒獨奏挪威作曲家辛丁的名曲“沙沙作響的春天”,哈佛教育學院合唱隊演唱愛爾蘭民歌“你哺育我長大”,印度民歌“搖籃曲”,哈佛法學院訪問學者朱慶五歲的兒子讀唐詩“遊子吟”,哈佛博士後劉倩散文朗誦“桑葉”,哈佛醫學院柯慶恩京胡獨奏“迎春”,不久前得獎的童星余尚雋獨唱“媽媽格桑拉”,七歲的藏族女孩格桑拉梅朵演唱藏族童謠“四個季節”,並演奏藏族揚琴曲”一對雙胞胎“,牛頓中文學校的戴杰欣獨唱日本歌曲”紅蜻蜓“,並翰陳寧利,騰婉婷表演”獻給媽媽的花“,黃河合唱樂團廖東穗獨唱”白髮親娘“等等。
            之前連續好幾年都為該活動表演的前哈佛交響樂團首席小提琴朱利亞格林(Julia Glen),今年已經畢業,目前身在中國,由她父親,哈佛交響樂團特邀大提琴家保羅格林來延續這為母親節音樂會演出的傳統,以大提琴演奏了“夢幻曲“,”天鵝“。
            音樂會最後由主持人敦請一名白髮母親,一名留學生母親,一名國際友人母親做為天下母親代表,上台接受獻花。
            這三名母親各自收下一束鬱金香後,走入人群,再把一朵朵鬱金香分送給座中母親,傳遞祝福,會場中滿漾微笑,氣氛十分溫馨。
圖片說明:

            主持人岳林(左一)送鬱金香給三名母親代表。
            母親們收花後,走入人群分送鬱金香。
            可慶恩(左)拉二胡,李嘉音(右)演唱京劇選段。
            主持人岳林()介紹表演兒童歌舞“獻給媽媽的花”的小朋友。

            會場擠滿了人。

新英格蘭北大校友年會談堅守、社會服務 羅嘉元當選新任會長

北京大學新英格蘭校友會校友合影。(周菊子攝)
北大新英格蘭校友會理事唐建新(右起),趙平,會長競選人張若冰,
卸任會長臧充之,波士頓市議員吳弭,獲數學界大獎教授張益唐,
新任會長羅嘉元等人會後合影。(
周菊子攝)
                 (Boston Orange 周菊子劍橋市報導) 北京大學新英格蘭校友會(PKUAA-NE10日下午在哈佛大學慶祝成立20週年,選出羅嘉元為該會首任女性會長,邀教授張益唐座談,波市議員吳弭演講,彰顯該會追求堅守,包容,服務社會

              北京大學新英格蘭校友會是由該校1977級校友,目前在哈佛大學任職的趙平博士等五人,廿年前創辦的組織,2012年時首度採用民主投票制度,選出2001級物理系的臧充之擔任會長,十日再締造記錄,選出羅嘉元為首名女性會長。

右起,權奇敏,張樂,郝睿禧, 張友忻,武世瑾等人獲校友服務貢獻獎。
每人獲得一隻北大今年發行的“畢業熊”。(
菊子攝)
                         校友會理事,布朗大學教授唐建新表示,今年是該會成立廿週年,他們特地邀張益唐教授,吳弭市議員來彰顯堅守,包容,服務社會這主題。

張益唐因堅持有成,證明了數論中著名的未解決問題,孿生素數猜想,並因此獲得美國數學學會頒給在數學界崇高的柯爾數論獎。他表示,自己的研究成果,帶給數論界很大鼓勵,讓許多人相信,很多目前無解的數學難題,都可能找到答案。

吳弭今年未滿三十歲,獲有哈佛大學法律學位,卻決定投身政界,去年底當選為波士頓市首名華裔、亞裔市議員,做民意代表,服務社會。她以自己的成長經歷,闡述政府政策對人們生活的影響力之大,坦言亞裔在美國的角色模範不夠廣,鼓勵年輕一輩,把從政列為未來的生涯規劃之一。

北大校友會會長臧充之(左)頒發校友工作貢獻獎給李允中,
由其妻,
Nexcelon的共同創辦人邱鈞(右)代表領取。菊子攝)

吳弭在會中透露,她是哈佛畢業,她父親臺大畢業,有次她和父親去探望祖父時,祖父表示自己北大畢業,可是不遑多讓呢。

會中,卸任會長臧充之,接任會長羅嘉元分別談及校友會的力量,不可忽視,希望更多校友加入聯繫行列。                                                                                                                                                 臧充之指出,去年底有名趙姓校友在山西支教染病,無力就醫。消息傳出後,經校友會發起,一日之內就找到本人,核實情況,再經一名麻省理工學院校友以微博轉發,立即得到該校企業家俱樂部支援。

北大校友會理事唐建新(右)介紹波士頓市市議員吳弭。(周菊子攝)
北大校友會理事長趙平(右一),會長臧充之(左一起), 頒優秀校友工作者獎給
羅嘉元,于靜怡。
菊子攝)
                     羅嘉元在發表當選會長感言時透露,五年前她才加入校友會,沒想到從此生活狀態完全不同,不但認識了張友忻,武世瑾等許多好朋友,還儼然在波士頓有了個大家庭,週六再也沒閑過。過去這五年,她面對過許多人生選擇,包括該留在學術界,或跨入企業界,怎麼做時間管理,都因為校友會,她得到很多幫助。她以自己前兩天參加人脈講座的心得指出,校友會是個一加一等於無限的地方,也就是你的資源加我的資源,等於有無限可能。

                     十日下午,臧充之還在發表卸任報告時,感性述說過去兩年成績,包括承辦了有20多個分會,300多名校友參加,校長王恩哥親自出席, 校友會企業家論壇主席俞敏洪也組隊與盛,規模之大,打破了北大校史記錄的北美校友會議;獲得麻州501( C)3非牟利機構資格,首度組隊參加波士頓龍舟賽,財庫成長十倍,結餘達6250元;已成該會品牌的博雅論壇,廣受歡迎等。

                        當天有12人獲頒獎表揚。北大校友總會頒的優秀校友獎兩人,數學系78級張益唐,化學系80級謝曉亮;優秀校友工作者兩人,羅嘉元,于靜怡;校友工作貢獻獎李允中。北大新英格蘭校友會頒20週年紀念獎給物理系77級趙平,頒校友服務貢獻獎表給張樂,陳翠萍,權奇敏,武世瑾,張友忻,郝睿禧等六人。
北大校友會會長臧充之(左)和校友會理事長趙平。 (周菊子攝)