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Bard Professor Maria Sonevytsky Awarded National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship for Her Book Project on Children’s Musical Practices in Soviet Ukraine

Bard Associate Professor of Anthropology and Music Maria Sonevytsky has received a fellowship award from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) in support of her book project, Singing for Lenin in Soviet Ukraine: Children, Music, and the Communist Future. NEH Fellowships support advanced research in the humanities by college and university teachers and independent scholars. Sonevytsky’s award supports her research and writing leading to a book about Soviet education and children’s musical practices in Soviet Ukraine, from 1934 to 1991.

Spectacles of musical childhood were widespread in Soviet life. Children’s groups performed at political events, factories, and international festivals. They were showcased on Soviet radio and television, and institutionalized in “Palaces of Pioneers.” Inculcating children into Soviet norms of citizenship, gender, and musicality was a vital project to ensure the longevity of the USSR, yet both children and music present unruly vectors through which to achieve the goals of norming. 

Singing for Lenin in Soviet Ukraine: Children, Music, and the Communist Future, follows the “imperial turn” in Soviet historiography to Soviet Ukraine, interpreting the dynamic arena of children’s musical practices through newly discovered archival materials and original interviews. The research reveals how Soviet Ukrainian children and their educators creatively recast the prerogatives of Soviet education, with its promise of a stateless Communist future. Paying attention to performance, embodiment, and sound, Sonevytsky aims to restore a fuller sensorium to the emerging understanding of how Soviet children and childhood appeared and were managed within the Soviet state, while observing how children and their teachers reacted to—and sometimes against—the ideological dimensions of Soviet musical education. 

Post Date: 01-10-2023

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“Oi u luzi chervona kalyna” Has Become an Anthem of Resistance in Ukraine, Says Professor Maria Sonevystky on The World

After the liberation of Kherson in November 2022, residents could be heard in the streets singing the Ukrainian national anthem. Alongside it, however, another song was being sung. “‘Oi u luzi chervona kalyna,’ or ‘Oh, the Red Viburnum in the Meadow,’ has become a symbol of resistance against Russian aggression,” writes Daniel Ofman for The World. Maria Sonevystky, associate professor of anthropology and music, told Ofman the song “is closely identified with Ukrainian poetry and music,” and that Ukrainian folk songs often employ naturalistic imagery. “Oi u luzi chervona kalyna” is no different, using the “red viburnum” from which the song takes its name as a grounding metaphor for liberation. “From that kind of opening image, you unspool a kind of metaphor, or a story about politics, or the complexity of life, and that’s the case here, too,” said Sonevystky.

Post Date: 12-06-2022

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Works by Bard Faculty Featured in Best of 2022 Lists

This year, various media outlets are selecting works by Bard faculty members for their Best of 2022 lists. Some notable mentions include: 

Assistant Professor of Music Angelica Sanchez’s album Sparkle Beings is named one of the Best Jazz Albums of 2022 by the New York Times.

Professor of Literature Hua Hsu’s memoir Stay True is named one of the 10 Best Books of 2022 by the New York Times Book Review and The Best Books of 2022 by the New Yorker.

Professor of Comparative Literature Joseph Luzzi’s Botticelli’s Secret is named one of the Best Books of 2022 So Far in nonfiction by the New Yorker. 

James Clarke Chace Professor of Foreign Affairs and the Humanities Walter Russell Mead’s The Arc of a Covenant: The United States, Israel, and the Fate of the Jewish People is named among 100 Notable Books of 2022 by the New York Times Book Review. 

Bard Graduate Center's Threads of Power: Lace From the Textilmuseum St. Gallen featured in the New York Times Best Art Books of 2022.
 

Post Date: 12-01-2022

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Two Bard College Students, Sonita Alizada and Nawara Alaboud, Win Prestigious Rhodes Scholarships

Two Bard College students have won Rhodes Scholarships for 2023, Sonita Alizada ’23 from Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, and Nawara Alaboud ’23 from Bard College Berlin. One of the most prestigious scholarships available to undergraduates, the Rhodes is a fully funded award for postgraduate study at the University of Oxford. Alizada, originally from Afghanistan, is one of only two applicants to have been awarded a Global Rhodes Scholarship, available to students from nations that are not members of established Rhodes constituencies. She joins Ronan Farrow ’04 as the second Rhodes winner from Bard College in Annandale, and she distinguishes herself as the first Bard student to receive the scholarship while still an undergraduate. Alaboud, originally from Syria, is the first Bard College Berlin student to receive a Rhodes Scholarship. She was awarded one of two Rhodes Scholarships in partnership with the Saïd Foundation for students from Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and Palestine.

“We are extremely proud that two Bard students have received prestigious Rhodes scholarships this year. That one student is from Afghanistan and another from Syria speaks volumes about Bard’s commitment to education and social justice,” said Bard Executive Vice President Jonathan Becker.

Sonita Alizada is internationally recognized as a rapper and human rights advocate. She has spoken and performed at United Nations events, urging an end to child marriage and standing up for the rights of women and girls, especially in her home country. At Bard, Alizada is nearing completion of a degree in human rights and music and is an active participant in civic engagement efforts in and around the campus community. As a Rhodes scholar, Alizada will continue her work by pursuing graduate study in public policy at Oxford. “I want to make real change,” she says, “and that comes from changing the laws. Now it’s time for me to really take action by working with policymakers.” Alizada points out that applying for a Rhodes Scholarship is a group effort that requires close collaboration with campus mentors. “Bard has always been there for me, especially with the Rhodes Scholarship,” she says. “The faculty invested so much in me and the goals I have. I want to especially thank Molly Freitas [associate dean of studies]. Molly was so supportive in the application process.”

"Sonita is a star and a natural leader. Given her talents and intellect, it was an absolute pleasure to work with her on her Rhodes journey,” says Freitas. “The Rhodes is an exciting and fitting accomplishment for someone of her talents, and I have no doubt it will accelerate her ability to enact positive change in our world. She has already changed Bard with her dynamism and I have no doubt she will do the same at Oxford. At Bard, we couldn't be prouder of her!"

"You never know how much is in your ability/power until you really try, so believe in yourself and the world full of opportunities waiting for you!" —Sonita Alizada ’23

Alizada urges young people to challenge themselves and apply their own vision to the world’s problems. “This is very important, not only for Rhodes but for everything you’re trying to do to make the world a livable place for everyone.” She encourages Bard students to explore fellowships and scholarships. “The whole application process for Rhodes was so exciting,” she observes. While applying, Alizada said questions arose that required deep reflection and consideration of her responses. “It helped me get to know myself and my mission even more. If you apply, you will have more courage to compete or take action in order to achieve your dream. I encourage everyone to take big steps. There’s nothing lost in applying because of how much you will learn in the process.”

As she looks toward graduation in May and beginning her studies at Oxford, Alizada is more committed than ever to public service. “Bard has provided me with incredible opportunities. I’m hoping that I carry on what I have achieved here. With the experience at Oxford, I hope to become a better leader so I can give it back to people who need it.”

Nawara Alaboud is studying for a BA in Humanities, the Arts, and Social Thought (concentration in ethics and politics) at Bard College Berlin through PIESC, a scholarship program for students from regions of conflict and crisis. 

Intrigued by the interconnectedness of historical and political scenarios across the globe, Alaboud aspires to pursue future research in comparative political science. In particular, she is interested in the processes of war termination, peacebuilding, and democratization and their interactions in post–civil war countries, especially in the Middle East region.
 
Currently, Alaboud is working on her bachelor’s thesis, which attempts to trace the effects of peace agreements on the success of democratic transitions. At Oxford, she hopes to pursue an MPhil in politics (comparative government). Before moving to Germany, Alaboud lived and studied in Syria, India, and, most recently, France, where she pursued an Erasmus exchange program at Sciences Po.

Alaboud says, “The prospect of joining the wide community of previous Rhodes scholars, and the chance to join the outstanding academic community at Oxford, is incredibly exciting. It is not lost upon me what a rare privilege this is; so many gifted young Syrians deserve such an opportunity but are hindered from receiving it by the severest of circumstances. I hope to be able to make the most of my time at Oxford and to contribute something of value to the field of post-conflict studies, especially for the people who suffer the consequences of war everywhere. This would have never been possible without the help and support of so many incredible people, especially to my ever-so-generous professors and academic adviser."

Read More
Bard Senior Sonita Alizada Calls for Global Action Supporting Women and Girls in Conflict Zones, Joins European Council Event in Conjunction with UN General Assembly

Sonita Alizada ’23 Featured on Lavazza’s 2022 Calendar Highlighting Artists and Activists Who Change the World

Bard College Student Sonita Alizada ’23 Addresses United Nations Ministerial Event on Afghanistan

Post Date: 11-23-2022

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Bard Conservatory Faculty Member Renée Anne Louprette in Romania on Fulbright Award for Research on Historic Pipe Organs

Renée Anne Louprette, assistant professor of music, director of the Bard Baroque Ensemble, and College organist, is spending her fall semester sabbatical conducting research supported by a Fulbright US Scholar Award in Brașov, Romania. Hosted by Transylvania University, Louprette’s project focuses on the rich cultural heritage of historic pipe organs in the Transylvanian region and the efforts of local artisans to rescue, preserve, and restore these instruments. She has given recital performances in the urban centers of Brașov and Sibiu, completed audio and video recordings of 18th-century instruments in fortified churches of Mediaș, Saschiz, and Hărman, and of the 1930 Wegenstein organ in the Roman Catholic Cathedral of Bucharest. She is also conducting interviews and collecting critical documentation related to notable 18th-century organ builders and recent restorations. She hopes that these efforts will help cast new light on this precious musical heritage unique to Romania as a cross-cultural center of Eastern Europe.

Post Date: 10-21-2022

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Professor Sarah Hennies Reviews Codeine’s Lost Album, Dessau, for NPR

Sarah Hennies, visiting assistant professor of music, reviewed Codeine’s lost album, Dessau, for NPR. Recorded in June 1992 at Harold Dessau Recording studio in New York City, the album consists mostly of songs that appeared on later albums, some in similar form and others considerably changed. For Hennies, the recordings evoke teenage memories of her band sharing a bill with Codeine at a daylong concert in Louisville, Kentucky in 1993. Listening to the album years later, Hennies writes, “Dessau feels like a ghost.” 

Post Date: 10-04-2022