Allan Blank new CD Song Cycles with Double Bass and Piano - now available on Albany Records

Date: 
Thursday, August 30, 2012

Composer Allan Blank has written two song cycles for voice and piano with double bass, both of which are given world premiere recordings on this disc. One cycle uses poetry from the Holocaust and the second is based on poetry by Jane Kenyon. Allan Blank is Professor Emeritus at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond. Many of his more than 300 compositions have been published and recorded. Three of the performers are affiliated with West Virginia University (Catharine Thieme, mezzo-soprano, Robert Thieme, piano, Andrew Kohn, double bass). Soprano Jennifer Miller is an active performer in the Pittsburgh area and pianist Robert Frankenberry is a member of New York's Phoenix Players.

Brian Fennelly new CD The Other Side of Time - now available on Albany Records

Date: 
Tuesday, August 14, 2012

August New Releases from Albany Records include a new all-ACA CD (TROY 1350) of music by Brian Fennelly, including: Sigol for Strings, Fantasia Concertante, Tropes and Echoes, Corollary III, and The Other Side of Time.


The CD release coincides with the composer's 75th birthday on August 14th. Happy Birthday Brian!

Performers on the CD include Jean Kopperud, Chris Gekker, duo parnas, the Moravian Philharmonic, Washington Square Ensemble, Nand the New England Conservatory Wind Ensemble, and conductors David Dzubay, Charles Peltz, Joel Eric Suben, and Louis Karchin.

The five varied compositions presented on this CD provide a concise portrait of Brian Fennelly's compositional practice. They are arranged to begin with string orchestra, move through combinations with soloists, and end with wind orchestra. Brian Fennelly (b.1937) studied at Yale where he was the first student to earn a degree in the newly created Ph.D. program in music theory. From then until 1997 he was Professor of Music at New York University. His numerous awards include fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts, commissions from the Koussevitzky and Fromm Foundations and composer residencies at the Rockefeller Foundation Center and a lifetime achievement award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. His catalog includes works for orchestra, chamber ensembles and solo instruments as well as choral, solo song and electronic titles.

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON - OPERA BY JOHN EATON - DVD RELEASE WITH ALBANY

Date: 
Wednesday, August 15, 2012

John Eaton's 2010 "Pocket Opera" The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, with libretto by Estela Eaton, after the short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, has been released on DVD by Albany Records. The cast includes Chris Pedro Trakas and Dominic Inferrera in the lead role(s), with Linda Larson and Jennifer Roderer. The video is taken from the premiere performance, produced by the Center for Contemporary Opera. The disc can be purchased at Amazon.com.

Arianna Tieghi, clarinet, performs works by American composers at "No Borders: Italy & America"

 

Arianna TieghArianna TieghiArianna Tieghii, clarinet, from the Conservatory of Music of Adria (Rovigo, Italy), premiered 20 new works for solo clarinet, in her ongoing project to premiere works by composers from each of the 50 states in the U.S. From July 2-14, she worked with her teacher Arbonelli, to organize the '2012 International
Arts Educators Forum' summer arts institute, in which The Namaste Ensemble (Andrea Biagini, flute; Michele Bianchini, saxophone; Guido Arbonelli, clarinet; Giovanni Sorana, piano) and Tieghi, performed contemporary American and Italian music, including a tribute memorial concert for Dinu Ghezzo. Recordings of the works, as well as photos from the masterclasses, concerts, and Italian scenery, can be found here.  The Ensemble is looking for funding to complete a CD recording of additional works in this genre.

 

 

 

 

Robert Carl's "From Japan" released on New World Records

Date: 
Friday, July 20, 2012

Robert Carl (b. 1954) has long been interested in Japanese music and culture, and in the spring of 2007 he received a grant from the Asian Cultural Council to travel to Japan to interview Japanese composers between the ages of thirty and sixty—his contemporaries, whom he describes as the “post-Takemitsu” generation. The complex interplay of history, culture, and memory has long occupied Carl’s thoughts, and forms the basis of his musical exploration of Japan.

His latest CD release, "FROM JAPAN" from New World Records, includes A CLEAN SWEEP, for shakuhachi and fixed audio media; BULLET CYCLE for 2 players and electronics; BROWN VELVET for bassoon and electronics; and a second version of A CLEAN SWEEP, for two shakuhachi and fixed media.

Performers on the recording include Elizabeth Brown and Robert Carl, shakuhachi; Ryan Hare, bassoon; Aleksander Sternfeld-Dunn, laptop; Katie Kennedy, cello; Bill Solomon, vibraphone; and Sayun Chang, percussion.

 

“Sunday Morning [Un]Classics” broadcast at KZRA Radio (and on the web) July 15th 9-12am Mountain time

Date: 
Sunday, July 15, 2012 - 9:00am

John Eaton, 1960sJohn Eaton, 1960s“Sunday Morning [Un]Classics” broadcast at www.krza.org
11:00 AM Eastern Time with host Richard Cameron-Wolfe
Date: Sunday, July 15, 2012

Richard Cameron-Wolfe will present his monthly radio show "Sunday Morning [Un]Classics" on the web this Sunday, July 15, broadcasting from 9:00AM to 12:00 Mountain time (11:00AM to 2:00PM Eastern time), 16:00-19:00 in the UK. The program offers a "gourmet table" of familiar and unfamiliar music - with a special emphasis on works composed in the past 100 years. The website is www.krza.org , where one clicks on the "Listen Live" button. Playlist for the July 15 program features music by Johann Sebastian Bach [the complete B-minor Mass], the remainder of the program including music by Franz Liszt and American composers Henry Cowell, Joanne Forman and John Eaton (his 1966 Concert-Piece for SynKet and Orchestra).

Etudes for Solo Piano by H. Leslie Adams, performed in Saarburg, Germany, July 13

Date: 
Friday, July 13, 2012
The Music of H. Leslie Adams is being featured on the Saarburger Serenaden International Music Festival, the week of July 9, 2012 in Saarburg, Germany.  On July 13 Thomas Otten, Pianist, performs Adams' "Etude in A Major" from Twenty-six Etudes for Solo Piano.  Otten has been performing various etudes from this extensive two-part collection in different U.S. venues during 2012.
Saarburger Serenaden: International Music Festival and School, Saarburg, is a 2-week program for high school, college and young professionals and designed as an advanced training program for singers, pianists, composers and instrumentalists.

String Quartet No. 2 "For Louise and Aaron" by Elliott Schwartz, performed this Friday night in London

Date: 
Friday, July 13, 2012 - 7:30pm

The Kreutzer QuartetThe Kreutzer QuartetGreetings to friends in the UK (especially London and Cambridge). Escape the Olympics madness by going to a concert of the Kreutzer Quartet this coming Friday (July 13th). 7:30 pm, at St. John's and St. Andrew's, London, as part of the Waterloo Festival.

Elliott Schwartz's 2nd Quartet "For Louise and Aaron" will be on the program, plus music by Dvorak, Janacek, and a new work by Martin Ellerby.

The Waterloo Festival returns for its second year celebrating Waterloo and its rich diversity past and present, this time with the theme of ‘War and Peace’.

Music of Harvey Sollberger at Caesar's Palace: 40th Annual Convention of the National Flute Association Aug 9-12

Date: 
Thursday, August 9, 2012

Harvey SollbergerHarvey SollbergerMasterclasses, recitals, reading sessions, and gala concerts:  The National Flute Association will host its 40th Annual Convention at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada, August 9–12, 2012, with more than 3,000 flutists, composers, flute scholars, flute makers, music publishers, and flute enthusiasts from all over the world. The theme for this special anniversary NFA convention is “Rubies! Celebrating 40 Years of Artistry and Vision,” paying homage to the NFA’s long heritage as an organization that serves to inspire, enrich, and educate. Featured composers are Robert Muczynski and Harvey Sollberger.  "Memo for the New Millennium" by Harvey Sollberger is scheduled to be performed.

Grand opening of exhibition: CAGE: 100, celebrating the composer John Cage at the University of Maryland

Date: 
Saturday, June 30, 2012

First Edition, Music of ChangesFirst Edition, Music of Changes

CAGE: 100 celebrates the composer John Cage (1912-1992) on the 100th anniversary of his birth at the Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library at the University of Maryland, College Park.

Among many other related displays, the connection between John Cage and the American Composers Alliance is depicted through a series of documents and records drawn from the ACA collection, now at Special Collections in Performing Arts at the University of Maryland, where this exhibition will be on display through January 3rd, 2013.

With materials selected from the Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library collections, you can learn about his innovative artistry, inspirational career, and enduring influence.

The ACA archives - scores and  historical documents on over 500 American composers of the 20th century are also part of the beautiful facilities at the University of Maryland Libraries.

 

 

Concert Highlights

American Composers Alliance 75th Anniversary Concert
Saturday, June 23, 2012 at 8:00pm

Schwartz - Chamber Concerto VI: Peter Sheppard-Skaerved, violinSchwartz - Chamber Concerto VI: Peter Sheppard-Skaerved, violinEdwards - Parallel Convergences: Oliver Hagen, conductorEdwards - Parallel Convergences: Oliver Hagen, conductorMoore - TranscensionMoore - TranscensionWeber - Concerto Op. 32: Fred Sherry, celloWeber - Concerto Op. 32: Fred Sherry, cello

Gideon - Bohmischer Krystall: Jo Ellen Miller, SopranoGideon - Bohmischer Krystall: Jo Ellen Miller, Soprano

Peter Sheppard-Skaerved, solo violinPeter Sheppard-Skaerved, solo violin

Philip Blackburn, Innova Recordings: Laurel Leaf Award 2012Philip Blackburn, Innova Recordings: Laurel Leaf Award 2012Weber - Concerto Op. 32: Orion Weiss, piano; Fred Sherry, cello; Orchestra of the League of Composers, Oliver Hagen, conductorWeber - Concerto Op. 32: Orion Weiss, piano; Fred Sherry, cello; Orchestra of the League of Composers, Oliver Hagen, conductor

GideonGideon

WeberWeber

























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Lawrence Dillon’s String Quartet #3: Air will be performed by the Hodges-Taylor Ensemble on Friday, June 22 in Concord, NC

Date: 
Friday, June 22, 2012 - 7:30pm

Hodges EnsembleHodges EnsembleHodges-Taylor Ensemble Performs String Quartet No. 3 "Air" by Lawrence Dillon on June 22 at Davis Theater in Concord, North Carolina

Lawrence Dillon’s String Quartet #3: Air will be performed by the Hodges-Taylor Ensemble on Friday, June 22 – 7:30 PM at Davis Theater at the Old Courthouse, 65 Union St. South in Concord, North Carolina. The concert will be given as part of the Charlotte Composers Workshop.

Lawrence Dillon will be one of five Composers-in-Residence at the Charlotte Composers Workshop. The others are John Allemeier, Craig Bove, Mark Engbretson and Alejandro Rutty. This will be a two-week intensive session with a wide variety of offerings, including lectures and master classes with the area’s finest composers and musicians, and choreographers and concerts with a collaboration between music composers & dancers. More about it at http://www.savvymusic.org/Welcome.html.

Setting an “Unused Poem”: Miriam Gideon’s “Böhmischer Krystall”

 [Article 3 in a series of writings to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the American Composers Alliance. Hear this work performed live, Saturday, June 23, by Soprano Jo Ellen Miller with the Orchestra of the League of Composers]

 

Setting an “Unused Poem”: Miriam Gideon’s “Böhmischer Krystall”

Stephanie Jensen-Moulton


CD, Miriam Gideon: RetrospectiveCD, Miriam Gideon: RetrospectiveMiriam Gideon wrote “Böhmischer Krystall” in 1988 as part of The Schoenberg Institute’s Pierrot Project.  The Institute commissioned sixteen different composers to set the twenty-nine Albert Giraud poems that Arnold Schoenberg did not choose to set into his “three times seven” movement melodrama from 1912.  The only requirement of the project was that composers use the same, fractured instrumentation that Schoenberg had employed for Pierrot Lunaire: any combination of piccolo or flute, B-flat clarinet or bass clarinet, violin or viola, cello, piano, and voice.  Although Schoenberg asked his vocalist to perform primarily in Sprechstimme, a kind of eerie speak-singing, the commissioners allowed the composers free rein about the use of the singer.  Gideon’s setting calls for flute, clarinet in B-flat, violin, cello, and voice. Schoenberg only used this exact instrumental grouping three times, but notably, employed it for his final movement of the cycle.

Gideon had already established a definite personal compositional style by 1988, particularly within the genre of vocal chamber music.  Allan Kozinn, who reviewed the New York premiere of the works, quickly pointed out that Gideon’s piece “explored the more lyrical side of Schoenbergian atonality, while John Harbison’s ‘Im Spiegel’ and Milton Babbitt’s ‘Souper’ emulated, in their different ways, the composer’s Sprechstimme style.”[1]  The reviewer was not far off in his description of Gideon’s work. “Böhmischer Krystall” represents, in many ways, a culmination of Gideon’s compositional output. 

innova Recordings to receive the ACA Laurel Leaf Award, 2012

ACA presents the Laurel Leaf 2012 to “Difficult to label”  innova Recordings--the label of the American Composers Forum based in St. Paul, Minnesota. Started in 1982, innova is a non-profit business that provides artists the tools they need to help them change the world through music. innova is releasing current, and carefully curated music from today's experimental, new classical, jazz, electronic, and no-genre artists, performers and composers. An exceptionally artist-friendly business model has allowed the label to grow to one of the most substantial in the nation, currently offering a regular schedule of monthly releases, distributed by Naxos.

 

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