DAVID LIEBMAN: Arkadia news
David Liebman Awarded Honorary
Doctorate in Helsinki
Plaudits and awards continue to come the way of David
Liebman, the innovative soprano saxophonist, composer, and musical educator. This June,
Liebman traveled to Helsinki, Finland to receive an honorary doctorate from the
prestigious Sibelius Academy of Music. Other members of Liebman’s "graduating
class," included the famed soprano Birgit Nilsson, pianist/conductor Vladimir
Ashkenazi and Tanzanian kalimba player Hokwe Zowase.
The first jazz musician to be singled out by the
Academy for this distinction much rarer in Europe than in North America — Liebman was
cited both for his musicianship and for his dedication to music education. Especially
noteworthy, so far as his educational efforts are concerned, is his founding of the
International Association of Schools of Jazz, an organization designed to bring together
students studying in various musical academies around the world and which currently boasts
members in 40 different countries. "It was a great honor," said Liebman,
"to be recognized by such a prestigious academy, especially since it is so highly
associated with the classical field. The recognition of jazz by such an institution bodes
well for all of jazz."
What makes Liebman almost unique among music educators
is the great virtuosity he displays on his instrument of choice – the soprano
saxophone. For more than twenty years he has been a mainstay in the top five of Down
Beats critics and readers poll of leading soprano saxophonists. This year, once again
he is perched near the top, placing in the number 3 spot in the critics’ survey.
An admirer of John Coltrane’s, who possesses a
piercing, soulful style that is ideally suited both to his music and his instrument,
Liebman excels in any number of genres and modes. His most recent album, New Vista,
the first fruit of his collaboration with us at Arkadia Jazz, mixes tuneful ballads with
songs infused by the sultry rhythms of Brazil. His next releases include a version of
Coltrane’s Meditation Suite, and another album featuring the guitar of Pat
Metheny.
Though proud of his accomplishments and
grateful for the honors, David Liebman is not a man who rests on his laurels. A blur of
energy and innovation, Liebman is sure to go on playing his horn in his inimitable style
for many years to come.
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