The Music of Paul Schoenfield (Milken Center Chamber Music Series)

The Lowell Milken Center for Music of American Jewish Experience presents the Milken Center Chamber Music Series, concerts of uplifting and distinctive chamber music curated by Neal Stulberg, Artistic Director.

(1947-2024) was a unique and brilliant musician of decidedly American Jewish Experience. A virtuoso concert pianist and hugely gifted composer who wrote for first-class performers and ensembles, Paul was a devoutly orthodox Jew and a remarkable person. Retiring as professor of composition at the University of Michigan in 2021, he split his time between the U.S. and Israel. His music — a fascinating mashup of klezmer/Hasidic, liturgical, jazz, bluegrass, blues and Americana, and by turns intimate, frenetic, devotional, sardonic and terrifying — is well represented in the

Paul and I both grew up in Detroit, and I intersected with him professionally through the years. One chamber concert is hardly enough to do justice to his range and brilliance, but we’re going to try. Performed by UCLA students, faculty and alumni, the concert concludes with his 2001 Pulitzer Prize-nominated song cycle, “Camp Songs” for mezzo-soprano, baritone and instrumental ensemble.

For more information and the program, visit our event page.

Host or Publisher Center for Musical Humanities, UCLAalpert