1 . For more than 40 years, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has annually selected a group of Jazz Masters. Here are the NEA Jazz Masters selected for 2024.
Amina Claudine Myers
Amina Claudine Myers grew up in Dallas, Texas. She moved to New York City in the 1970s. The former elementary school teacher also worked in theaters and cooperated with musicians around the world.
Willard Jenkins
Willard Jenkins is familiar to jazz fans in New Orleans and Washington, D. C., where he’s hosted radio programs on stations such as WWOZ and WPFW. The Pittsburgh native first started writing about jazz for the Black student newspaper as an undergraduate at Kent State University. He also taught at various universities and contributed to leading jazz publications.
Gary Bartz
Gary Bartz has played with generations of jazz stars. In the 1960s, after graduating from Juilliard, he joined the Max Roach/ Abbey Lincoln Group and the Charles Mingus Jazz Workshop. In the 1970s, he played with Miles Davis and founded the Ntu Troop, which united jazz with African folk and other kinds of music. He has published more than 40 personal albums.
Terence Blanchard
It’s almost amazing that Terence Blanchard was named the NEA Jazz Master. He is only 61. It’s relatively young for the recognition.
Born in New Orleans to an opera-loving father, Blanchard started playing the trumpet (小号) as a child. Over the years, he has won multiple Grammys and a Peabody Medal. He made history in 2021 when his opera Fire Shut Up in My Bones became the first by a Black composer to be staged by the Metropolitan Opera.
1. Who was born in Pittsburgh?A.Gary Bartz. | B.Terence Blanchard. |
C.Willard Jenkins. | D.Amina Claudine Myers. |
A.In the 1950s. | B.In the 1960s. | C.In the 1970s. | D.In the 1980s. |
A.He is the first Black composer to be the NEA Jazz Master. |
B.He is the youngest to be selected as the NEA Jazz Master. |
C.He won a Grammy and a Peabody Medal in the same year. |
D.One of his works was performed by the Metropolitan Opera. |
Latin American music is one of the most popular music in the world. Sometimes it
The Argentine tango was
1. Where did Aretha Franklin grow up?
A.In Memphis. | B.In Detroit. | C.In Atlantic City. |
A.In 1980. | B.In 1967. | C.In 1960. |
A.“Respect”. | B.“Freeway of Love”. | C.“Chain of Fools”. |
A.Aretha Franklin’s life story. |
B.Aretha Franklin’s musical style. |
C.Aretha Franklin’s famous songs. |
4 . Musicians born after the year 2000 kicked off the Project Spring Bird music season at the Blackstone Music Plus, showcasing the passion and creativity of Generation Z.
The small orchestras were among the biggest surprises in the festival. Each of the pieces in their repertoire (全部剧目)was performed for the first time. Homewood Symphony Orchestra directors and audience alike marveled at the talent of the young performers.
The small orchestras and musicians are the products of a nurturing program aimed at developing the skills and artistic creativity of young talent. It is strongly supported by Mellon Swift, music director of the Homewood Symphony Orchestra. “For young musicians, growth not only takes time, but also a starting point to bigger stages,Mellon said. “We want to help them cross the barriers and explore their artistic passion.”
Young musicians at the beginning of their careers usually emerge from well-known competitions, but Mellon said he wants to see opportunities become more expansive. “We insist on giving them as much freedom and support as possible, so that they don’t get sidetracked by concerns about some practical elements at the beginning of their careers,” he explained. “All they are required to do is to grow artistically and explore their creative potential and ideas, ” he added.
“If a voice tells us:Just do whatever you want, and we will support you all the way, just imagine what kind of potential could emerge?” wrote conductor Karajan, who is only 21, “The future belongs to us, and it can belong to us now! ”
1. What can we learn about the small orchestras in the festival?A.Their songs were considered as classics. | B.Their performances amazed the audience. |
C.They have got chances to be world known. | D.They are faced with few developing problems. |
A.They rose to fame from fashion shows. |
B.It was they who spread the popular pieces. |
C.They are budding talents in the music world. |
D.It takes them little time to peak in their career. |
A.Young talents need help and improvement. |
B.It is a long shot to explore music potential. |
C.Big stages have been set for the music lovers. |
D.Freedom is the only source of music inspiration. |
A.A Big Success: the Project Spring Bird | B.Music Directors: Passion and Creativity |
C.Generation Z:A Group of Musical Talents | D.Young Musicians: “The future belongs to us” |
5 . In August 2018, Yo-Yo Ma began a two-year journey to perform solo cello(大提琴) in 36 locations around the world. The project is motivated not only by his six-decade relationship with Bach’s music, but also by Bach’s ability to speak to our shared humanity at a time when our civil conversation is so often focused on culture division.
Bach’s 300-hundred-year-old music is one extraordinary example of how culture connects us and can help us to imagine and build a better future. For Ma, culture includes not just the arts, but everything that helps us to understand our environment, each other, and ourselves, from music and literature to science and food. The Bach Project explores and celebrates all the ways that culture makes us stronger as individuals, as communities, as a society, and as a planet.
“Bach’s music has been my constant musical companions. For almost six decades, they have given me support, comfort, and joy during times of stress, celebration, and loss. What power does this music possess that even today, after three hundred years? Does it continue to help us navigate through troubled times?” Ma said in a conference. He is more convinced than ever of the Bach’s music has the ability to create shared meaning that extends far beyond the here and now. “Over the years,” writes Ma, “I came to believe that, in creating these works, Bach played the part of a musician-scientist, expressing precise observations about nature and human nature.”
In the next few years, Ma will play cello across six continents, in familiar and unlikely locations. Accompanying each performance will be events that seek to put culture in action by bringing people and organizations together to address present social issues.
1. Why did Yo-Yo Ma want to release the project?A.To convey his appreciation to Bach. |
B.To focus more on civil conversations. |
C.To perform in different locations around the world. |
D.To celebrate the 300-anniversary of Bach’s birthday. |
A.Its significance. | B.Its long history. |
C.Its wide popularity. | D.Its target audience. |
A.They were composed six decades ago. |
B.Bach worked with some scientists to write them. |
C.They concern not only nature but also human nature. |
D.They have been used to treat mental illness like stress or loss. |
A.History. | B.Art. |
C.Travel. | D.Sport. |
6 . In Brazzaville, where art stalls can be found everywhere, local artist Andre N'Kitengue finds his inner peace on canvas in spite of traffic noise. At his
Though coloring his canvas and dealing with
“Brazzaville is an artistic city because of its unique history and we need to pass it on to our younger generations," he says. Andre is also an active teacher who
Andre is
A.new | B.old | C.outdoor | D.indoor |
A.darkness | B.loneliness | C.light | D.space |
A.refuses | B.regrets | C.promises | D.prefers |
A.lively | B.narrow | C.commercial | D.quiet |
A.smart | B.positive | C.professional | D.creative |
A.buyers | B.dealers | C.artists | D.fans |
A.lacks | B.imagines | C.builds | D.carries |
A.refers to | B.focuses on | C.stands by | D.gives up |
A.systems | B.designs | C.reminders | D.effects |
A.studios | B.paintings | C.investigations | D.reports |
A.replies | B.introduces | C.adds | D.compares |
A.depressed | B.united | C.awake | D.alive |
A.drawing | B.living | C.filming | D.studying |
A.express | B.explain | C.offer | D.present |
A.relies on | B.calls at | C.takes in | D.brings up |
A.Actually | B.Eventually | C.However | D.Meanwhile |
A.pieces | B.performances | C.interviews | D.stories |
A.terrified | B.surprised | C.embarrassed | D.confused |
A.failed | B.worked | C.arrived | D.existed |
A.cooperation | B.contribution | C.preparation | D.education |