R. Andrew Lee is an alumnus of the Conservatory of Music and Dance
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 30, 2012
Contact: Dana Self
(816) 235-2949, selfd@umkc.edu
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Gramophone magazine has named a recent recording by University of Missouri-Kansas City alumnus R. Andrew Lee a 2012 Critic’s Choice.
Gramophone called Lee’s recording of William Duckworth’s The Time Curve Preludes “a fitting tribute to one of the unsung composer heroes of the 20th century.” The honor will be announced in the magazine’s December issue.
But the UMKC connection doesn’t stop there.
Lee’s The Time Curve Preludes recording is from the Kansas City label, Irritable Hedgehog, founded by Conservatory alum David D. McIntire.
Further, the recording is one of the first made on the Conservatory’s “Cass” Steinway D piano, an instrument the Conservatory Alumni Society helped the institution acquire to celebrate the career of the late piano professor Richard Cass.
“It’s truly startling to see one’s work reviewed so favorably in a publication such as Gramophone. We’ve prided ourselves on making superb recordings all along, but this affirmation was truly unexpected. Our CDs are genuine UMKC productions, with Conservatory Recording Engineer Bob Beck (MFA, UMKC Department of Theatre, 1999) doing our engineering. Andy and I are both alums, as is composer Scott Unrein, who does the graphics for our covers, and of course, the Conservatory’s Cass Steinway is an important component,” McIntire said.
Gramophone magazine is an international publication based in London, England. It is a leading authority on recorded classical music, calling itself “The world’s authority on classical music since 1923.”
“The publication reviews thousands of recordings annually, most from leading international labels, making the selection of a recording from the local imprint, Irritable Hedgehog, even more exciting,” Dean Peter Witte said. “This is one more example of how excellence in music, entrepreneurship and performance are all part of the UMKC Conservatory’s ongoing international contribution.”
About the Conservatory
Dubbed “one of the country’s liveliest academies” by The New York Times, UMKC’s Conservatory of Music and Dance is internationally recognized as a center for artistic excellence, innovation and engagement with our communities. A community of artists, educators and scholars, the Conservatory enrolls about 500 students in a comprehensive array of liberal arts and professional degree programs in Composition, Music Theory and Musicology; Dance; Instrumental Studies, Keyboard Studies; Music Education/Music Therapy; Jazz Studies; and Vocal Studies.
About the University of Missouri-Kansas City
The University of Missouri-Kansas City, one of four University of Missouri campuses, is a public university serving more than 15,000 undergraduate, graduate and professional students. UMKC engages with the community and economy based on a four-part mission: life and health sciences; visual and performing arts; urban issues and education; and a vibrant learning and campus life experience. For more information about UMKC, visit www.umkc.edu. You can also find us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and watch us on YouTube.
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