2014 NYC Alumni Reception with Dean Flagg

Here is one photo from the alumni reception held a few weeks ago in NYC.  It was a terrific turnout and a great opportunity to reconnect with some UHa and Hartt alumni.  Thanks to Dean Flagg for hosting the event and Ryan Bauer-Walsh for his efforts in organizing and advertising!

It was also great to see Robert Black (alumnus and current faculty), Peggy Lyman-Hayes (former dance faculty) and Stephen Pier (current faculty).

The entire photo album on flickr is here.

Additional Information Concerning Malcolm Morrison

Dear Hartt alumni,

We write to inform you, if you have not yet heard, that former Hartt School Dean Malcolm Morrison died on November 8. We send you this news of his passing with great sadness; we have lost a great leader and lover of the arts, mentor, faculty member, and friend. Malcolm left his stamp on The Hartt School and the University, and changed so many lives for the better. We know you join us in expressing our deepest sympathy to his wife, Jo, his daughter, Nikki, and their entire family.

Hartt is Saddened by the Passing of Malcolm Morrison

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The following is a message from the Hartt Dean, Aaron Flagg.
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It is with great sadness that I must communicate the passing, today, of former Dean and University Professor of Theatre Malcolm Morrison. The Hartt family has just lost a great leader, mentor, faculty member, and friend.

Malcolm Morrison bravely battled illness for over ten years and always maintained his wit and good humor while serving the students and art form he so dearly loved. Professor Morrison was our dean from 1998 to 2008 and oversaw the expansion of Hartt from a distinguished music conservatory to a comprehensive performing arts conservatory including dance and theatre divisions. He oversaw the design and construction of the Mort and Irma Handel Performing Arts Center, which observes its fifth anniversary this month.

Hartt Gala 2013

The 12th Annual Hartt Gala took place last Saturday, October 19, two days ago as I write this, at the Marriott Hotel in downtown Hartford. It was a blast. Over 300 people attended including several Hartt alums, one of whom, Miguel Vasquez, of the Class of 2013, sang brilliantly and thanked those present for their contributions which had made his arrival and continued attendance at Hartt possible in the first place.

 The scheduled performances, all by Hartt students -- a chorus of pre-college students from the Community Division, a second chorus from the college and then four student performers from the musical, Barnum, two of whom were performing on stilts -- were all enthusiastically received by the audience… as they should have been. They were terrific. The live auction was fun with Maestro Edward Cumming filling the role as auctioneer for the second year in a row. A lot of the trips that were up for bid were sold out quickly and at least two of them were sold at least twice over. Hartt can use the money. And, Steve Metcalf and Mike Morris topped off the evening with their post-gala cabaret featuring pop music, unrehearsed and often wonderfully surprising, in a sing along that has now become a traditional way both to wind down and still continue the festiveness of the event. After all, why would such a youthful, hip audience, especially one as young as this one was (sic), want to go home and turn out the lights on Saturday night at 10:00 P.M? Besides, the Red Sox Game 7 Victory didn’t end until after midnight. There was plenty of time to catch the ending.

 BTW, even Dean Aaron Flagg sang a solo, I’m told, though, alas, I had to exit before that.  I’m sure that alone was worth the price of admission. Did anybody video it, I wonder? You-tube here we come???

Oh yeah, I almost forgot the food and drinks were plentiful and very tasty as always. Yum!

 One of the great bits of fun at the gala for me is always the chance to bump into someone out of one’s past, recent or not so recent, and spend a few minutes reminiscing and catching up. One of those was Dr. Watson Morrison, better known as ”Will” Morrison to many of us, who turns 85 on Sunday, November 10^th of this year and will be celebrating his birthday in his annual concert in Millard Auditorium at 3:00 P.M. on that day. He still plays “Willfully” and wonderfully. I hope that many of you who remember him “Will” -- Upper Case “W” definitely intended -- do your best to attend this memorable concert and have a piece of birthday cake with us afterwards.

 The best thing about the gala, for me, and yet at the same time not-the-best, is to hear newcomers to the event rave about the quality of the student performances. It’s terrific, of course, but it’s still so  surprising as Hartt approaches its own significant birthday. In this case, Hartt will turn 100 years old in seven years and there are so many locals who seem to know so little about the place.

What can I say? We’re working on spreading the word and the Hartt Board, under the inspired leadership of Tracy Flater in this area, is constantly inviting new Hartford area residents to student performances to increase awareness and to lessen the number of concert goers and potential friends of Hartt who remain unaware of the terrific actors, dancers and musicians all of whom continue to inspire those of us who are so proud to remain in the know.

Hope to see even more of you at next year’s 13^th Annual Gala.