Welcome

The Society offers:

• Journal of the American Liszt Society (JALS), published biannually
• The American Liszt Society Newsletter, published biannually
• Annual ALS Festival
• ALS Archives at the Library of Congress
• Local Chapters in various geographical areas
• Publication opportunities in JALS
• Performance opportunities in festivals and in chapter activities
• Paper presentation opportunities at festivals
• Host concerts in the home
• Networking and mutual support among performers, scholars, and music lovers dedicated to the ideas of Liszt

"Liszt in Weimar"
The 2012 ALS Conference in Eugene, Oregon!!

The annual Festival/Conference of The American Liszt Society will take place May 17 - 20, 2012 at the University of Oregon in Eugene. Under the artistic direction of Alexandre Dossin, the 2012 Festival is entitled "Liszt in Weimar" and will celebrate Liszt's great compositional achievements during the prolific Weimar years: the Sonata in B Minor, symphonic poems, a relatively rare performance of Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique for solo piano, and other great works.

The Festival begins Thursday at 8:00pm, with a performance by the Eugene Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Danail Rachev and featuring pianist Adam Golka playing the Liszt Concerto No. 1. Also on the program will be the "Hungarian (Rákóczy) March" from Berlioz's Damnation of Faust, also used by Liszt as the basis for his Hungarian Rhapsody No. 15, and the Bruckner Symphony No. 6.

The next day's musical activities begin with a concert featuring music of Bach and Liszt for piano and organ, followed by a lecture on the city of Weimar. A lieder recital of music by Liszt and Beethoven, and a lecture on Liszt's pianos in Weimar complete the morning schedule. Following lunch, attendees will be treated to a lecture on "A New Perspective on Franz Liszt," followed by a presentation on Liszt and the lied. Jonathan Kregor, newly-named Editor of the Journal of The American Liszt Society, will then talk about Liszt as musical transcriber, followed by a recital of opera transcriptions for piano, and then a recital of songs originally composed by Schubert paired with their transcriptions for piano by Liszt. The evening session begins with a performance of the Liszt Sonata in B Minor, followed by Alan Walker's lecture, "Who was Carl Lachmund?". (Lachmund was in fact a student of Liszt and at one time served as Dean of the University of Oregon School of Music. He will be honored during the Festival with a posthumous presentation of the Medal of The American Liszt Society.) A solo piano recital by Antonio Pampa-Baldi, Distinguished Professor of Piano at the Cleveland Institute of Music, concludes the evening.

Saturday morning begins with a presentation on "Liszt and the Nationalists," followed by a lecture on the symphonic poems and then a recital of Liszt's music for two pianos. After a lunch break, the relationship between Liszt and Berlioz will be the focus of a lecture and performances of two works by Berlioz, including a solo piano transcription of the Symphonie Fantastique featuring five different pianists. "Symbolism in the Sonata in B Minor" is the subject of a paper by Tibor Szasz, read by ALS President Thomas Mastroianni, followed by a recital of Liszt "favorites" performed by Luis de Moura Castro. The evening is given over to a master class with the great American pianist and pedagogue, John Perry, who will work with winners from the Liszt-Garrison International Festival and Competition, and the Los Angeles International Liszt Competition, both co-sponsored by The American Liszt Society. The evening closes with a presentation of the Medal of The American Liszt Society to family descendants of Carl Lachmund.

The final day of the Festival opens with a recital of music by the little-known composer, Théodore Gouvy, and a discussion of his musical relationship with Liszt. The University of Oregon Chamber Choir then presents selections from Liszt's choral music, followed by a chamber music concert of music by Franck, and Hummel. "Piano Masterworks from Weimar" starts the afternoon sessions, featuring more Liszt "favorites" from the repertoire. A performance by the University of Oregon Symphony Orchestra completes the concert schedule. The final banquet of the 2012 Festival begins at 5:30.

The 2012 Festival is available to ALS members for a late enrollment fee of $90. Other fee categories are available depending on one's organizational affiliation or student status. As of march 15, 2012, there is a late registration add-on of $20 in all such categories. The Residence Inn in Eugene will be the main festival hotel, offering the following options (all including breakfast): Two-bedroom Suites: two separate bedrooms and shared living room/ kitchen @ $189.00/night; single-bedroom Suite: $129.00/night; Studio Suite: $109.00/night Transportation to and from the University of Oregon will be provided by the Festival. When calling the hotel, please mention the 2012 Festival of The American Liszt Society and indicate your preference of accommodation. Visit the hotel website for booking and more information.

Two other options, both of which are walking distance from campus, are also available: The Excelsior Inn: Single-occupancy rooms with luxurious, on-site dining (again, mention University of Oregon for details and rates). The Phoenix Inn: Variable room rates and accommodations (again, mention University of Oregon for details and rates).

For more information, please contact Alexander Schwarzkopf, Housing Coordinator, 2012 Festival of The American Liszt Society For more Festival information and an e-version of the brochure, please go to 2012 ALS Festival.