Dr. Robert Young McMahan, AAA Board member, will share his musical knowledge and creativity at the AAA Festival, July 14-18 in Hershey, Pennsylvania and at the AAA Master Class and Concert Series in July 29, 30 and August 1st.
Dr. McMahan will perform the AAA commission, “Sonata,for Accordion,” by Robert Baksa on the AAA Thursday evening “Cabaret” concert as well as a new work which he composed called “Atavisms, for Old-Time Accordion”.
The “Sonata for Accordion” by Baksa is a full three-movement sonata, with the tempo scheme of fast (with slow introduction) / slow / fast, and following the traditional forms of that 18th-century type, but in mildly modern pandiatonic style.
Robert’s “Atavisms” represents a complete departure from his usual modern style of composition and actually reverts to vaudevillian-style traditional tonality, exploiting some of the stereotypes of the popular accordion from bygone times. The composition was inspired by the Christmas Holidays this year and is a “vacation” from his usual “serious” mode of writing. “Atavisms”, originally intended for accordion duet, will have its debut, in solo form, at the Festival. The three movements are “Tarantella”, “Waltzette”, and “Polka”.
Dr.McMahan will also present a workshop on the evolution of the accordion concerto on Friday afternoon at the AAA Festival.
During the AAA Masterclass and Concert Series, he will present a shortened version of the concerto workshop and will perform his “Ativisms” on July 29th along with a 1996 duet for accordion and piano by Bill Schimmel, titled “Sinfonia India”. On July 30th,he will play “ Moshe Budmor’s “Toccata and Fugue, for Accordion (2009)”, which he premiered at TCNJ in March. On August 1st, he will perform his “Three Toss-offs, for flute, oboe, clarinet, and bassoon”, which he also premiered in March 2010 at TCNJ.
This will be performed with three of his former TCNJ students in music theory, Rachel Smith, flute, Alison Mari, oboe, Greg Marsh, clarinet, and a NYC classmate of Alison’s, Matthew Rosenberg.
Dr. McMahan is Professor of Music at The College of New Jersey where he is also Area Coordinator of Music Theory, Composition, Ear Training, and Classical Accordion.
Prior to his appointment at TCNJ, Dr. McMahan taught Music Theory and related subjects at Towson University, Morgan State University, College of Notre Dame, Essex Community College, and the Peabody Preparatory School (of the Peabody Institute) where he was Head of the Theory Department and developed its curriculum. He also taught Classical Accordion at the Peabody Preparatory School and at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
Dr. McMahan studied composition with Robert Hall Lewis, Jean Eichelberger Ivey, and Stefan Grove at the Peabody Institute. He received honors in composition there and awards in composition from the Annapolis Fine Arts Composers’ Competition and Contemporary Recording Society.
In addition, he has received a number of Meet the Composer grants since 1996. Dr. McMahan is a recognized authority on the American composer, Carl Ruggles, and has published articles in American Music, Sonneck Society Bulletin, New Grove Dictionary of Opera, and New Grove Dictionary of Music. He is presently working on a book on the life and works of Ruggles.
Dr. McMahan’s primary instrument is classical accordion, and he has tirelessly promoted the instrument in serious contemporary music throughout his career. He has been commissioned to write works for the accordion by various individuals and organizations, including the American Accordionists’ Association and the New York State Council on the Arts. He has recorded on the CRS and Orion labels and is published by Ernest Deffner Music.
During his years in the Baltimore area, Dr. McMahan was accordionist for the Baltimore Symphony, Baltimore Chamber Orchestra, Washington Ballet and American Ballet Orchestras (at the Kennedy Center), and for other cultural and performing organizations.
He has performed under such notable conductors as Julius Rudel, Rob Fisher, Sarah Caldwell, Sergiu Comissiona, Gunther Schuller, Frederik Prausnitz, Murry Sidlin, bandleader Les Elgart, Leon Botstein, Leon Fleisher, and Peter Schickele, and with Sting, Georgia Brown, Maureen McGovern, Alvin Epstein, Boyd Gaines, and Theodore Bikel. Besides his numerous published articles,
Dr. McMahan has been featured in articles by others in Keyboard Magazine, The Music Connoisseur, High Fidelity, Who’s Who in American Composers: Classical, and several other highly regarded publications.
Dr. McMahan serves as a reader and table leader at the annual examinations readings of the College Board’s Advanced Placement Program for Music Theory and had been a reader for the Graduate Record Examination in Music Theory prior to its discontinuance.
For further information: mcmahan.rymcmahan.robert@gmail.com
