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the Crowden Letter
One Weekend, One Vision Unites Four Decades of Crowden Crowden’s 40th anniversary year culminated this past Memorial Day weekend in extraordinary fashion, complete with capacity crowds, standing ovations, and the largest gatherings of our Crowden community yet. But it was the experience– both electric and affirming–
of reuniting with so many beloved friends, students, and Crowden believers that makes us more excited about our future together than ever before. The electricity on the ground began much earlier that week, as more and more alumni and musician friends started to drop by campus to share early hellos and rehearse for the Anniversary Concert at Hertz Hall. It was a special treat to welcome Anne Crowden’s daughter
Deirdre Cooper, who flew in from London for the occasion, and spent time with our students and teachers soaking in what her mother’s vision has evolved into today. Our John Adams Young Composers Program presented the first public concert of the anniversary weekend, held off-campus at the intimate, brick-lined, sofa-filled concert space, the Backstage, in downtown Berkeley. It was an evening entirely of new premieres for voice and instruments, composed by our exciting young composers, and performed by baritone Nick Rizzo and soprano Amy Foote. Back on campus, four generations of
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