Presents
Artist Series
Kei Akagi Trio
Featuring UC Irvine
Professor Emeritus, Kei Akagi
Kei Akagi, piano
Darek Oles, bass
Jason Harnell, drums
Generous support is provided by the Marjorie and Robert Rawlins Endowment Fund.
February 14-15, 2025
8 p.m.
Winifred Smith Hall
University of California, Irvine
Dr. Tiffany López, Claire Trevor Dean of the Arts
UC Irvine Claire Trevor School of the Arts
PROGRAM
Selections will be announced from the stage.
ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES
Kei Akagi
Pianist and composer Kei Akagi has been a mainstay of the international jazz world for over four decades. Perhaps best known for his work as a member of the Miles Davis band in the late 1980s, his career also includes extended associations with major figures such as Stanley Turrentine, James Newton, Joe Farrell, Al DiMeola and Airto Moreira. He has also performed or recorded with Art Pepper, Blue Mitchell, Freddie Hubbard, Ron Carter, Charlie Haden, Charnett Moffett, Tom Harrell, Bobby Shew, Eddie Harris, Sadao Watanabe, Slide Hampton, Steve Turre, Robin Eubanks, Jean-Luc Ponty, Allan Holdsworth and others. Akagi has recorded 14 albums as a solo artist and leader. As a sideman and accompanist, he is on over 60 albums worldwide, including Miles Davis’ last recorded works. He has also written numerous original works for his own and others’ recordings, with over 80 compositions currently in publication.
The Kei Akagi Trio with Darek Oles and Jason Harnell has been together for over three decades, and is one of the most continuous and venerated ensembles in the Los Angeles area. The UCI performance will feature original selections from Akagi’s album releases from the last decade.
Darek Oles
Darek Oles” Oleszkiewicz, native of Poland, residing in California since 1988, has performed and recorded with major jazz artists; Pat Metheny, Bennie Maupin, George Garzone, Chris Potter, Peter Erskine, Bob Mintzer, Ernie Watts, Billy Higgins and Charles Lloyd.
His first recording as a leader “Like A Dream” with Brad Mehldau was released on CD by Cryptogramophone Records in 2004 and gained a critical acclaim worldwide. In 2005 Darek was voted the “Best Acoustic Bassist” in the Jazz Top readers’ poll in Jazz Forum European Magazine.
Darek’s most recent solo bass album “Moods In Freedom” emphasizes open structure composition and improvisation to showcase creative evolution.
Jason Harnell
Jason Harnell is a Los Angeles based jazz drummer, vocalist, educator, composer and all-round creative dynamo whose unmistakable sound and style have left a lasting impact on jazz audiences all over the world. Renowned for his musicality and versatility, Jason seamlessly navigates between straight ahead jazz and the avant-garde with an approach that’s deeply rooted in tradition, yet remarkably fresh and personal. Born into a musical family, Jason’s journey with drumming began at the age of 6, guided by legendary drummers Louie Bellson and Shelly Manne.
At age 22, Jason embarked on his first professional touring experience with the renowned trumpeter Maynard Ferguson’s Big Bop Nouveau band. To date, Jason has performed, recorded and toured with many of the world’s top jazz musicians such as Kei Akagi, Theo Bleckmen, Steve Cardenas, Dave Douglas, Alan Ferber, Larry Goldings, Rick Margitza, Kate McGarry, Ben Monder, Alan Pasqua, Bob Sheppard, Walter Smith III, Mark Turner and Ben Wendel. Jason is also a member of the esteemed Los Angeles Jazz Quartet alongside Larry Koonse, Chuck Manning and Darek Oles. Jason also co-leads several enduringly popular original bands including: JoE-LeSs ShoE with Jamie Rosenn and Matt Otto; The Ithaca Trio with Adam Benjamin and Storm Nilson and Go Shlomo! with Adam Benjamin. In 2017, Jason launched his most creative and ambitious endeavor to date, the Jason Harnell Solo Drum Experience. Jason’s live solo drum concerts are consistently sold out, multimedia events that tantalize the senses and explore rhythm, sight and sound in a completely unique and personal way. Jason’s critically acclaimed solo albums, TOTAL HARNAGE (2019) and HARNOLOGY (2023) are genre defying works of rhythmic art that are unlike anything you’ve ever heard.
Jason is one of the most in demand drum set educators in his field and is on faculty at University California Irvine, (2004-present) Cal State University Northridge (2019-present) and Musicians Institute in Hollywood (2005-2020) and has performed clinics, workshops and master classes all over the world.
Jason proudly endorses Yamaha Drums, Aquarian Drumheads and Vic Firth Drumsticks.
MUSIC FACULTY
Michael Dessen, Chair
Irene Messoloras, Associate Chair
Amy Bauer
Frances Bennett
Sasha Berliner
David Brodbeck
Eleanore Choate
Patti Cloud
Paul Cornish
Jonathan Davis
Fred Greene
Lorna Griffitt
Stephan Hammel
Matt Hare
Jason Harnell
Gary Heaton-Smith
Michael Kallin
Dennis Kim
Mari Kimura
Sarah Koo Freeman
Jerzy Kosmala
Eric Lindsay
Kevin McKeown
Andreas Mitisek
Elliott Moreau
Dawn Norfleet
Darek Oleszkiewicz
Hossein Omoumi
Gerald Pinter
Geoffrey Pope
Michael Rushman
Nina Scolnik
Rajna Swaminathan
Darryl Taylor
Kojiro Umezaki
Amanda Walker
T.Y. Zhang
In memoriam, Alexander Dunn and Joseph Huszti
MUSIC STAFF
Peter Chang, Management Services Officer
Esther Chae, Department Analyst
Alex Golden, Associate Production Manager
Yuliya Minina, Principal Musician
Junko Nojima, Principal Musician
Support UCI Music Today
UCI Music is dedicated to the performance and creation of music at the highest artistic and scholarly standards. Our faculty includes composers, musicologists, music theorists, conductors and performers who are active as publishing scholars, concert and recording artists and well-known composers.
Your generosity supports scholarships, performance workshops, concerts and faculty research, providing students with the resources to learn from distinguished voices in their fields. Please consider making a gift of any amount to UCI Music today!
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MUSIC SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS
Bette and Steven Warner Award in Drama and Music
Baharnaz Alimohammadi
Michael Balerite
Mariana Camara
Patrick Ferrer
Melanie Juniel
Isabelle Knowles
Kyle Lee
Meera Sriram
Cinthia Villagran
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Endowed Memorial Scholarship in Music
Idun Carling Blome
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Ki Young Park
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Matthew Yee
Marjorie and Robert Rawlins Scholarship
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Ryan Holder
Mia Ionov
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Nicolas Pantangco
Gialan Tonthat
Matthew Yee
Margie McDade Memorial Scholarship
Matthew Yee
Norma Barnard MacLeod Scholarship
Bishop Tsang
Marc Fan
Music Department Scholarship
Luke Li
Elizabeth Shim
Winifred W. Smith Scholarship
Ellie Chae
Annie Guo
Zhengyu (Diana) Huang
David C. Leidal Memorial Scholarship
Scott Schick
Caitlin Walsh
H. Colin Slim Scholarship
Ashley Chong
Luke Li
Adam Tassos
Medici Circle Scholarship
Fabricio Cavero Farfan
Chieh Huang
Rebecca Larkin
Alyssa Wixson
Alice Lowell Memorial Scholarship
Michael Jacobson
Sylvia Reines Scholarship in Music
Joanna Baird
Elizabeth Shim
Phyllis Kovach Vacca Scholarship
Selina Hsieh
THANK YOU!
The Claire Trevor School of the Arts would like to recognize those donors who gave $1,000 or more during the 2023-2024 fiscal year.
Visionaries $1 million+
Mr. J.S. Kim
Ambassadors $100,000–$250,000
Beall Family Foundation
Matthew and Janet Proudfoot
Partners $50,000–$99,999
Susan Hori *+
Investors $25,000–$49,999
Matt Bailey *+
Joseph Huszti ‡
Leo Freedman Foundation
James and Sheila Peterson *+
Richard B. Siegel Foundation
Steven M. Sorenson Foundation *+
Patrons $10,000–$24,999
Anonymous Donors
Dennis and Diane Baker
The Estate of Ann and William Cullen
Farmers & Merchants Bank Foundation
Mary Gilly and John Graham +
Tyler Holcomb
Cloud Hsueh ‡ and Fang Hsu
The Estate of Bobi Keenan
James and Katie Loss
Robert Peirson +
Cheryll and Richard Ruszat *+
The Segerstrom Foundation
The Shubert Foundation
Benefactors $5,000–$9,999
Kimberly Burge
Anthony Chen, M.D. and Yali Chen
Robert Farnsworth and Lori Grayson +
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Goran Matijasevic +
Julia Reinhard Lupton and Kenneth Reinhard +
Kenneth and Helene Rohl
Diane Silber +
Susan and Eugene Spiritus
Socorro and Ernesto Vasquez +
Mary Watson-Bruce *+
Fellows $2,500–$4,999
Edward and Janis Carpenter +
Gerald and Veronica DeVries
Albert and Anne Encinias +
Tamara Fabian
Alvin and Rosalie Glasky +
James and Gail Lopes
Tiffany López *+
Chris Mesel
Howard and Ellen Mirowitz +
The Robert and Doreen Marshall Fund for Dramatic Arts and Classical Music
Orange County Community Foundation
Pacific Art Foundation
Hemantha Wickramasinghe +
Advocates $1,000–$2,499
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Brien Amspoker and Ellen Breitman +
Nancy Arnold
Joyce Averna +
Stephen and Michelle Barker +
Haroutune and Lorna Bedelian
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Clinton and Allison Chao
Ralph and Carol Clayman
Joseph Connor
Jaime DeJong +
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Barbara Finlayson-Pitts
John and Michele Forsyte +
Douglas and Lynn Freeman +
Diana Ghoukassian +
Donald and Pamela Gilmour
Michael and Karol Gottfredson +
Carol Greenwald +
Loreen and Andrew Guilford
Edwin and Norma Henderson
Jamison Judd +
Mary Karyl and John Thorne
Timothy and Pamela Kashani +
Yang-Uk Kim +
Jennifer Klein +
Michael and Elaine Kleinman
Susan and Lynn Lasswell +
Jeff Lefkoff and Mary Gholson
Nancy Locke +
Heather MacDonald and Erich Eichman
Margaret and Mark Marshall
Jared and Kathryn Mathis +
Gary and Maya Matkin +
Anthony and Rachel Maus
Kathleen Mellon
William and Lane Minton
James Nelson
Michael Oppenheim
Karine Rivet +
Carolyn Scheer
Paula and Steve Schwartz
Nina Scolnik
Ronald and Sandi Simon +
Gary and Melanie Singer +
Mitchell and Maureen Spann +
Vina Spiehler
Richard and Alison Stein *+
Thomas and Marilyn Sutton +
The Tigger Fund
Jason and Desiree Valdry
Joel Veenstra and Family +
Irwin and Michele Walot
James White
Lorri and Mike Whitney
S. Ama Wray
Katy Young and Christopher Lee
Shirley Zanton and Michael Whalen
Legacy and Endowment Donors
We are grateful for the trust and foresight of those who have ensured the Claire Trevor School of the Arts’ brilliant future by establishing an endowed fund or have included us in their estate plans.
Anonymous Donors
Diane and Dennis Baker
Edna Beach ‡
The Donald Bren Foundation
Ann Cullen ‡
Robert ‡ and Lorna Cohen
Frank D’Accone ‡
William Daughaday
Kris and Linda Elftmann
Leo Freedman Foundation
William J. Gillespie ‡
Henry W. Bull Foundation
Gunther Holland ‡
Bobi Keenan ‡
Victor Klein ‡
Beth Koehler ‡
Walter Koehler ‡
Michael and Stacy Koehn
Elaine Koshimizu ‡
Lucille Kuehn ‡
Betty C. Leidal ‡
Alice S. Lowell ‡
Fariborz and Azam Maseeh
Meyer Sound
Thomas Nielsen
Virginia and Norman Nixon ‡
Ronald C. Offen ‡
Michael R. Oppenheim
Lois J. Osborne ‡
Matthew and Janet Proudfoot
Marjorie and Robert Rawlins ‡
Sylvia and Frederick Reines ‡
Ryna H. Rothberg
Nancy Ruyter
Helene Santley ‡
Audrey M. Schneiderman ‡
H. Colin Slim ‡
Winifred Smith ‡
Thomas and Elizabeth Tierney
Claire Trevor ‡
Andrew Vacca
Bette Warner ‡
Hal B. Yolen ‡
* Dean’s Arts Board Members
+ Claire Trevor Society Members
‡ In Memoriam
This list represents generous gifts, pledges and pledge payments made between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024. Multi-year pledges are recognized for their full amount in the fiscal year they are made, and subsequent payments are recognized for their cash value. Please accept our apologies for any errors or omissions in this list. For questions, please contact ctsadevelopment@uci.edu.
Land Acknowledgement
The University of California, Irvine, campus is located on the homelands of the Kizh (Gabrieleño), Acjachemen (Juaneño) and Payómkawichum (Luiseño) peoples, who are the original stewards of the land colonially known as Irvine, California. This region extends from the Santa Ana River to Aliso Creek and beyond. As a land grant institution member, we acknowledge these Indigenous Peoples as traditional land caretakers who, in the face of settler colonialism, continue to claim their place and act as stewards to protect their ancestral lands as they have for the past 8,000 years. Additionally, these lands have been shaped by Latino, Japanese, Vietnamese, Filipino and Chinese laborers who have built roads and railroads and worked California crop fields, as well as the African Americans in the Civilian Conservation Corps that helped make (southern) California National Parks what they are today.
We pause to acknowledge the colonial devastation of stolen land, genocide, and forced labor that founded much of the social and economic infrastructure upon which we currently live, work and prosper. We also consider the many legacies of violence, displacement, migration and settlement that bring us here today.
UCI Claire Trevor School of the Arts recognizes and respects Indigenous Peoples and the enduring relationship between them and their traditional territories. It is essential for the UCI community to acknowledge this history as the first step towards honoring the native people and beginning the healing process.
Today this meeting place is home to many Indigenous Peoples from all over the world, including UCI faculty, students and staff. We respectfully honor and recognize the original and current caretakers of this land, water, and air: The Kizh, Acjachemen and Payómkawichum peoples and all their ancestors and descendants, past, present and future. We are grateful to have the opportunity to live and work on these homelands.
Information for our acknowledgement is informed and inspired by efforts made throughout UCI and other related cultural institutions, including the Kizh Nation – Gabrieleño Band of Mission Indians public information, UCI Libraries, Sue and Bill Gross School of Nursing, UCI Sustainability Resource Center, and UC Riverside Native American Student Programs and UCR Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion land acknowledgement. Learn more by visiting the websites Native Land and UCI Community Resilience.
Upcoming Events
| Through April 5* | The Intimacies Between Continents |
| Through April 19* | Engaging the Margins |
| Through May 17* | International Theater of Community |
February
| Feb. 8-March 1* | M.F.A. 2nd Year Exhibition |
| Feb. 14-15 | Music Artist Series: Emeritus — Kei Akagi Trio |
| Feb. 19* | UCI Jazz Combos |
| Feb. 20-22 | Dance Visions 2025 |
| Feb. 22 | Dance Visions 2025 (streaming) |
| Feb. 26 | UCI Jazz Orchestra |
| Feb. 28 | Music Artist Series: Rajna Swaminathan & Utsav Lal, with Eyvind Kang |
| Feb. 28-March 15 | UCI Drama: Quit Bitchin’ |
March
| March 1 | Lorna Griffitt, piano |
| March 6 | UCI Symphony Orchestra |
| March 7 | UCI Wind Ensemble |
| March 11 | Finding Light: Alzheimer’s Stories |
| March 12* | UCI Guitar Ensemble |
| March 13* | Tenth Thursday Undergraduate Student Exhibition |
| March 13* | The Art of Performance @ UC Irvine 10th Edition |
| March 15* | ICIT Showcase Concert |
| March 17* | UCI Chamber Music Concert |
*indicates free event
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200 Mesa Arts Building
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92697-2775