NYCC Honors Elliott Carter at Next Concert

Celebrating the centenary of honorary composer member Elliott Carter, the NYCC is proud to announce details of our next concert. Click the image for a larger view.

NYCC | In The Loop | Nov 15, 2008

Reminder: Our November Salon will be held tomorrow, Sunday November 16, from 2-5pm. The location is the Ellington Room at Manhattan Plaza, 400 West 43 on the second floor.

 

Two upcoming concerts will take place in the same venue, Saint Peter's at Lexington and 54th Street, a venue well known to the NYCC… read on!

 

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WILLIAM VOLLINGER's "Whaddaya Want for Christmas?" will be premiered by the Gregg Smith Singers on November 22 at 8PM at St. Peter's Church Lexington Ave. at 54 St. Other composers on the evening include Schutz, Debussy, Edmund Najera, Jack Beeson, Michael Cohen, Dorothy Hindmann and others.

 

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ANNA TONNA writes: "I will perform as part of the Albéniz Trio a concert of music dedicated to Isaac Albéniz in honor of the centenary of his death." This chamber music concert is billed as "Albéniz: The Ultimate Romantic" and will be held on Tuesday December 2, 2008 at St. Peter's Church at at Lexington Avenue and 54th Street. Tickets are $15, sold at the door.

 

The Albéniz Trio is comprised of pianist Alexander Wu, guitarist Francisco Roldán and mezzo soprano Anna Tonna. Special guest performer on the evening is double bass player Hilliard Greene. Comprised of solo piano, solo guitar, the rarely performed songs for voice and piano, as well as two world premiere arrangements for piano/guitar and piano/double bass of Albéniz's Tango in D and Puerta de Tierra, Albéniz: The Ultimate Romantic celebrates the centenary of the death of the Spanish composer, Isaac Albéniz (1860-1909).

 

In The Loop | November 8, 2008

Now we know we are deep into our 2008-09 season: Our first concert is just a few short weeks away! Just so you have it in your calendar: December 6 at 8 pm at the beautiful Engelman Recital Hall at Baruch College. We have a special guest ensemble, the Sylvan Winds, who will perform all the music on the evening's program. This program will include the music of the prolific, two-time Pulitzer Prize winning centenarian, and NYCC 2008-2009 Honorary Member, ELLIOTT CARTER (his 1948 work "Woodwind Quintet") along with:

MARGARET FAIRLIE-KENNEDY's Woodwind Quintet

DON HAGAR's Little Suite for woodwind quintet

FEDOR KABALIN's Divertimento for woodwind septet

EUGENE MARLOW's Playtime for woodwind quartet and piano

JOSEPH PEHRSON's Windjammer for woodwind quintet

CESAR VUKSIC's Dialogues for woodwind quintet and piano

The Engelman Recital Hall at Baruch College is located at 55 Lexington Avenue (between 24th and 25th Streets). Tickets are a $20 suggested donation, payable at the door

 

The November Sunday Salon will be held Sunday November 16 from 2-5pm at the Ellington Room at Manhattan Plaza, 400 West 43 on the second floor. All are invited.

 

DEBRA KAYE is offering for sale: Sibelius 5.2 (the latest version) for $225, complete with original packaging and manual.

Contact Debra Kaye at dkaye1000@aol.com

 

On Sunday November 16th at 4pm CESAR VUKSIC will perform a piano recital of Tangos at the Brooklyn Public Library. The Program includes compositions by Piazzolla, Salgan, Troilo, Cobian, Gardel and Belisario Perez. The concert is at 4pm ant the Dr. S. Stevan Dweck Center for Contemporary Culture Central Library

1 Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn. For more info, call 718.230.2100

 

NANCY GARNIEZ is presenting a lecture "Alberti Bass is Boring: True or False?" this Wednesday November 12, 2008 noon to 2 pm at Mannes College of Music's Goldmark Hall. All are welcome, particularly those who wonder why you have to play (or listen to) Alberti Bass. Mannes is at 150 West 85th St. and Goldmark Hall is on the third floor. For more info, email Nancy at nancygarniez@tonalrefraction.com

 

Program for Oct 19 Salaon

Sunday, October 19, 2008, 2:00 PM
Manhattan Plaza Ellington Room
400 West 43rd Street

Program

1. Discussion of Organizational Matters and Reports
John de Clef Piñeiro, NYCC Executive Director, will bring us up to
date on administrative matters. (Approx. 30 minutes)

2. Audition of Members' Works
Hubert Howe - "Timbre Study No. 7" for electronic sounds. Hubert will
give a 15-minute presentation illustrating the sounds used in the
piece and how he created them, followed by the playback of the 10-
minute piece. (Approx. 25 minutes)

Gene McBride - Prelude and Act 1, Scene 1 from his opera "On Burning
Ground." This recording features singers Demetra Adams, Beverly Myers,
Seth Gilman and Ricardo Rivera with a Sibelius orchestra. (Approx. 20
minutes)

Cesar Vuksic - "Vocalise" for unaccompanied soprano, Arlene Travis
performing. (Approx. 3 minutes)

Debra Kaye - "Chain Reaction" for Soprano and Piano. Arlene Travis
and Cesar Vuksic performing. (Approx. 4 minutes)

Christopher Montgomery - "Four Bagpipe Tunes" MIDI rendition.
(Approx. 7 minutes)

Roger Blanc - "Movement for String Quartet" (Approx. 8 minutes)

3. Conclusion and Refreshments

In The Loop | Oct 5, 2008

If you like your new music to be presented in a theatrical style, you'll love this edition of In The Loop! Lots of opera going on this month, read on:

 

MARTIN HALPERN is the resident composer of the Brooklyn Music School Playhouse, which will present the world premiere of his The Siege of Syracuse. Set in Athens, Greece, in 413 BC, the opera dramatizes the tragic fall of the once glorious Athenian empire as a result of disastrous policies which may call to mind American policies in Vietnam and Iraq. The cast includes actual historical figures like the hawkish Cleophon, head of the Athenian council, and his antagonist, the philosopher Socrates, as well as fictional characters including a four-person chorus representing the city's populace.

 

The Brooklyn Music School Playhouse is at 126 St. Felix Street, around the corner from the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) and from the Atlantic Avenue stop of the 2, 3, 4, 5, R and Q trains and the Long Island Railroad. There is also parking at the lot across from BAM.

 

The dates are:

Friday, October 31 at 8 PM

Saturday, November 1 at 8 PM

Sunday, November 2 at 4 PM

Tickets $20; student tickets $10

Buy tickets online at http://www.brooklynmusicschool.org

or make reservations by calling 718-638-5660, Ext. 10

 

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Soprano MELISSA FOGARTY is involved in several  projects throughout October. First, she is participating in the American Opera Projects "Composers and the Voice: Six Scenes," a presentation of new opera scenes from emerging composers. Melissa will be playing the English Teacher in Willa Cather's "Paul's Case" by Gregory Spears, libretto by Kathryn Walat.

Fri Oct 3 & Sat Oct 4, 8 PM, South Oxford Space, 138 South Oxford St., Brooklyn NY

For tickets and more information, visit the American Opera Projects.

 

She is also in Three, Two, One- BANG! Composers Collaborative Serial Underground

A reading of an opera by Justine F. Chen, which was commissioned by Long Leaf Opera for their youth program. It is a clever re-telling of Shakespeare's Macbeth.

Monday, Oct 13, 8:30 PM, The Cornelia Street Café, 29 Cornelia Street, NYC

Friday, Oct 24, Time TBA, The Zipper Factory, 336 W. 37th Street, NYC

 

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PETER DIZOZZA's new musical mystery play Paradise Found, with 9 songs and full piano score, presented in conjunction with Milton's 400th Birthday Art Exhibition at The Williamsburg Art and Historical Center, 135 Broadway at Bedford  Avenue.  October 3, 4, 10 and 11.  Admission $15; more info at (718) 486-7372  and www.wahcenter.net/

 

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Mezzo ANNA TONNA is in the cast of the opera Costanza. The opera is about the medieval Sicilian Queen Costanza, daughter of the Golden Age of Sicily brought about during the Reign of her father, King Roggiero II. Music by John Marino, libretto by Florence Bocarius.

 

Featuring an 11-piece professional orchestra and chorus conducted by the composer

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 26TH, 2008

@ 4:00PM

OUR LADY OF MT. CARMEL CHURCH

627 East 187th Street and Belmont Avenue, Bronx, NY 10458.

(Located 1 Block from Arthur Avenue; 3 blocks from Fordham University)

Tickets: At the door or for more information please contact the

Rectory at: (718) 295-3770

http://www.ourladymtcarmelbx.org/opera.htm

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TAMARA CASHOUR and RICHARD RUSSELL are both winners of a 2008-09 ASCAPlus award.

NYCC | In The Loop | Sep. 20, 2008

We hope to see everyone at our first meeting of the year tomorrow, Sep 21, as we kick off our seventh season! We are meeting from 2-5pm, at the Ellington Room at the Manhattan Plaza. The address is 400 West 43, enter at Ninth Avenue, and head up to the second floor. We'll be hearing two special presentations, one from GENE MARLOW and another from ADAM BERKOWITZ. Also, GENE MCBRIDE will be presenting music from his opera,  On Burning Ground.

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Percussionist STEPHEN SOLOOK is offering a course in "Writing for Percussion." He writes: "This Fall composers will have an opportunity to finally understand and collaborate with a percussionist about what is possible and what is not to a point that they will feel functional.  This 14 week course is dedicated to understanding the fundamentals of writing percussion. The class is geared towards composers of the college level and beyond, and was started because of how often myself and peers were approached about what is possible and what is logical. The class will be held in the centrally located area of Mid-town Manhattan at the French American School of Music."

 

Highlights include:

- Small Classes

- Weekly Assignments

- A Focus on Fundamentals

- All Standard Classical Percussion Instruments

- Drumset

- World Instruments

- Solo, Chamber, and Orchestral Settings

- Commissioning Project

- Possible Guest Lectures

 

Seating is limited! Call the French American School of Music at (212) 246-7378 for more information.

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MADELEINE SHAPIRO cellist and director of ModernWorks, writes in with a concert of interest to the NYCC: An evening of Interactive Cello and Dance Performance, in collaboration with the PalindromePerformanceGruppe, Robert Weschler, director and Dan Hosken, music and sound design

 

"View a sneak preview of what PalindromePerformance Gruppe is taking to

Istanbul, Turkey in November. Cello, dance, electronics and eye-poping technology combine for an informal evening, with a Q and A included. This demonstration and public showing of a new work-in-progress features ModernWorks' cellist/director MadeleineShapiro, and dancers of the PalindromePerformance Gruppe from Stuttgart, Germany. Composition and interactive music programming is by Dan Hosken. Using infrared technology, motion tracking technology and real-time digital signal processing the stage environment is influenced by the performers. Stage lighting and music are controlled by the movements of musicians and dancers in seldom-seen ways."

 

Tuesday, September 23 at 8pm at The Construction Company

10 East 18th Street, third floor buzzer

(Between 5th Avenue and Broadway)

Admission: $15.00, $10.00 students/seniors (tickets at the door)

212 924-7882

 

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Violinist MIRANDA CUCKSON writes: "I'd like to let you know about my upcoming Transit Circle concert on September 21 at Mannes College (150 W 85th street). I hope you can come! This is the second TC concert that I am directing- a contemporary music concert in which I and colleagues of mine will perform recent works by living composers. I'll be joined on the 21st by pianist Blair McMillen, flutist Christoph Bösch, violist Daniel Panner and cellist Sophie Shao. Admission is FREE and it's at 7:30pm."

 

The program:

Stefano Gervasoni:  Due Voci for violin and flute

Beat Furrer:  Presto for flute and piano

Michael Hersch: the wreckage of flowers  for violin and piano

Robert Cuckson:  String Trio

Mario Davidovsky:  Quartetto for flute and strings

Program for Sep 21 Salon

New York Composers Circle

First Salon of the Season.

Sunday, September 21, 2008, 2 p.m.
Manhattan Plaza Ellington Room
400 West 43rd Street

Program

1. Discussion of Organizational Matters and Reports
John de Clef Piñeiro, NYCC Executive Director, will bring us up to date
on administrative matters. (Approx. 1/2 hour.)

2. Special Presentations
Clarinetist Adam Berkowitz will give a special presentation on extended clarinet techniques. He will demonstrate circular breathing, multiphonics, vocalization, double tonguing and other techniques on clarinet and bass clarinet. He will discuss this from both the perspective of a clarinetist and of a composer.
(Approx. 1 & 1/2 hours)

Gene Marlow, NYCC Director of Media Relations, will give a talk entitled "Two Conventions: One a Microcosm of the Other." Marlow attended the National Performing Arts Convention, and the Jazz Radio Programmers Annual Conference. He will recommend that what was learned at these conferences can be and should be applied to the NYCC.
(Approx. 1/2 hour.)

3. Audition of Members's Works
[Due to the length of the presentations at this Salon, our customary music portion of the Salon must be abbreviated.]

Gene McBride -- Act 1, Scene 1, No. 4, from his opera "On Burning Ground." This recording features live singers with a Sibelius orchestra.
(Approx. 10 minutes.)

4. Conclusion and Refreshments

NYCC | In The Loop | Sep 7, 2008

Here's hoping everyone had a restful and productive summer – the New York Composers Circle is now entering its seventh season, and it is time to get things started! Our first Sunday Salon this year will be on September 21 from 2-5pm, at the Ellington Room at the Manhattan Plaza. The address is 400 West 43, enter at Ninth Avenue, and head up to the second floor. If you haven't had a chance to attend one of our get-togethers yet, we sure hope to see you there

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We'll be entertaining two special guests at the Sep 21 Salon. First, clarinetist ADAM BERKOWITZwill offer a presentation and demonstration of four extended techniques, namely: circular breathing, multiphonics, vocalization, and double tonguing on clarinet and bass clarinet. He will discuss these techniques from a clarinetist's perspective and how composers could use them in their work. Many of you will remember that Adam has performed for the NYCC before, and we are very fortunate that he has graciously offered to give us this very worthwhile "tutorial" in contemporary clarinet techniques.

Also, NYCC Director of Media Relations GENE MARLOW will offer a presentation, "Two Conventions: One a Microcosm of the Other." Gene will discuss his observations of the June National Performing Arts Convention (NPAC) held in Denver, and the Jazz Radio Programmers Annual Conference in Rochester, New York. Gene indicates that "While the NYCC is small in comparison to some of the organizations and 4,000 people who attended the Denver conference, NYCC's mission, activities, and challenges are part of the overall performing arts industry in the United States. What was learned by the attendees at the NPAC can be and must be applied to the NYCC."

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For those interested in dance projects, here is some information about about Dance/NYC. They are a service organization dedicated to supporting the 5500+ dancers and the 500+ dance companies in New York City. They are currently working on two initiatives to bring together composers/musicians with dancers/choreographers who are interested in commissioning work for dance compositions. There will be a workshop on October 1st in conjunction with G. Shirmer, which will include a panel of freelance musicians. This is a wonderful opportunity for musicians and dance artists from the New York community to meet. They report: "We would love to have musicians in attendance at this event. Additionally, we will be adding a "Musicians/Composers Resource Directory" to the Dance/NYC website, where dance artists can find a listing of musicians/composers interested in working with dancers/choreographers."

If you are interested in being included in the Dance/NYC resources guide, please forward your contact information and a brief description (50 words or less) of your work to info@dancenyc.org or call 212.966.4452 for additional information.

If you are interested in attending the October 1st event, please RSVP at www.dancenyc.org. Look to the bottom right hand corner of the home page under "what's happening".
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Keep your announcements, concerts, and good news coming to your friendly In The Loop editor, Richard Russell, at InTheLoop@nycomposerscircle.org. (And let me know if you prefer to be removed from the list.) Until next time, let's keep each other In The Loop!

Second Annual Composition Competition

The New York Composers Circle, the largest New York area composers' cooperative, is pleased to announce its second annual composition competition, open to composers of all ages who live in the New York metropolitan area, other than NYCC members. The winning composition will be performed at one of the NYCC's concerts during the 2008-2009 season, and the winner will also receive one year's free membership in the NYCC. Please submit no more than one score, together with a CD (or tape), of a solo or chamber ensemble work preferably 6-12 minutes in length, but in any case not more than 15 minutes, and scored for not more than six performers. The work should not have been previously performed. Include in your covering letter a brief bio, a brief program note for your work, and contact information (phone, and e-mail and postal addresses). All submissions must be accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope, or they will be discarded after the winner is announced. The deadline for receipt is Monday, Sept. 8th.
Send your submission to:
New York Composers Circle
c/o Jacob E. Goodman
310 West 72nd St., 16A
New York, NY 10023
Phone: (212) 787-8309
E-Mail: jgoodman@ccny.cuny.edu
Submissions may also be left with the doorman at that address.

Elliott Carter to be Next Honorary Member

A LETTER FROM OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR:
Dear Members,

It is with a sense of pleasure and deep satisfaction that I want to share with you who our newest Honorary Member is, and at the same time I want express my appreciation for all of you who have in various ways contributed so much to making the New York Composers Circle what it has now become and will become in the new music community now and in years to come.

By your contribution of efforts, talents and works, you have made it possible to create a new home for new music that can welcome the world-class reputations of our current honored roster of Honorary Members: Tania León, Ezra Laderman, John Eaton, Paul Moravec, Dinu Ghezzo, and now, perhaps this country's most celebrated and esteemed creator and steadfast champion of new music, Elliott Carter.

This year, on December 11th, Mr. Carter, and many of us here and around the world, will be celebrating his centennial anniversary as the most senior and singular artistic and productive force in new music still with us today. In an amazingly productive career spanning most of the 20th century and the beginning of this 21st century, his extraordinary output of marvelously opulent and complex landmark works has expanded the boundaries of what new music can successfully express and deliver in our most complicated and challenging times.

In his honor and in special recognition of this "landmark" year in his creative life, the NYCC will be featuring one of Mr. Carter's chamber works at our first inaugural concert of the 2008-2009 concert season that will also take place in early December.

I'm confident that I speak for all of us at the NYCC in extending our most heartfelt welcome to Elliott Carter as our newest Honorary Member.

John de Clef Piñeiro
NYCC Executive Director

In The Loop | Jun 6, 2008

The NYCC 2007-08 Season comes to a close tomorrow evening, Saturday, as we present our annual year-end concert at Saint Peters Church at the Citigroup Center, 619 Lexington Avenue at 54th Street.  We'll be hearing the musical talents of over 15 different performers, playing the works of ROGER BLANC, TAMARA CASHOUR, MARGARET FAIRLIE-KENNEDY, JACOB E. GOODMAN, KEVIN MCCARTER, NATALIYA MEDVEDOVSKAYA, GAYTHER MYERS, and CESAR VUKSIC. Looks like there will be something for everyone! The concert starts at 8pm and the suggested donation is $15; A reception will follow! 

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RICHARD BROOKS writes that his Third String Quartet was presented yesterday at the Symphony Space Thalia during the Annual American Composers Alliance Festival. Also, next week will afford six chances to see the Golden Fleece Ltd. production of his new opera, "Robert and Hal." This is being presented of the Composers Chamber Theatre under the auspices of the 16th Annual Commissioned operas. In addition to Richard's opera, the opening scene of "Antigone" by Lou Rodgers will be staged. Musical Direction is by Thomas Carlo Bo, Stage Direction by Lou Rodgers. The dates are June 12 & 13 at 8 pm, June 14 at 4 pm and 8 pm, and June 15 at  3 pm and 7 pm. General admission: $20; Students & Seniors: $15. The venue is the Sanford Meisner Theatre, 164 11th Avenue, (between 22nd and 23rd Streets). Reservations and more information available at (212) 691-6105.

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Apologies for CESAR VUKSIC for getting this out so late, but he writes: My piece "Queens Rhapsody" is being perform one more time. This time at the same place it was premiered 2 years ago: the "Kew Gardens Community Center" at 80-02 Kew Gardens Road, Suite 202. Friday, June 6th at 1pm. This is a few steps from the intersection of Queens Boulevard and Union Turnpike and also a few steps from the F and E Express at the Union Turnpike Station." Cesar also notes that the Community Center received a Grant for a Series of Concerts, and happily have invited Cesar and his performers again. Performers include NYCC's Performer Members STEPHEN SOLOOK (percussion) and HAIM AVITSUR (trombone), with Cesar on piano.

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Soprano PATRICIA SONEGO will give the world premiere of "In Darkness" for soprano and computer. Composed for the singer by award-winning composer John Melby, this beautiful and complex 18 minute "symphony" is "a setting in one uninterrupted movement for soprano and computer-synthesized sounds of three poems by the American "imagist" poet Amy Lawrence Lowell (1874-1925): At Night, New York at Night, and In Darkness, which all deal with very different images of night. The work was composed in 2007 for Patricia. Presented by the ACA Festival of American Music 2008 at the Thalia Theater, Symphony Space, 95th St. & Broadway. Tickets are $15 General Admission, $5 Students, and there is also a $50 Festival Pass (5 Events). See http://www.symphonyspace.org/series/126  or call: (212) 864-5400. For more information visit http://www.PatriciaSonego.com.

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EUGENE MARLOW, NYCC's Director, Media Relations Membership Coordinator, wishes to announce the recent launch of a new service out of his company MEII Enterprises. It's called Bio-Write. The purpose of Bio-Write is provide people specifically in the fine and performing arts (whether in the early part of their career or well-established professionals) with strategically effective biographies for a variety of purposes, among them web sites, concert and exhibit programs, CD tray cards, and teaching grant applications. To find out more about this service go to www.bio-write.info.

In The Loop | May 30, 2008

A large round of loud applause to RICHARD BROOKS for producing our May 20 concert at Frederick Loewe Theater, and also to DINU GHEZZO for being an invaluable link to New York University. And to all the volunteers who so ably assisted, and to our musicians, and our audience, yes, give yourself a hand, too! Believe it or not, our final concert of the year is almost upon us, coming up on June 7 at 8pm at the our annual season-closing venue, Saint Peter's at the Citigroup Center. Head over to nycomposerscircle.blogspot.com to download the flier. Please help spread the word and forward it on to your own mailing list, and we'll see you there.

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Our final SUNDAY SALON of the season is this Sunday, June 1, at the Ellington Room, Manhattan Plaza 400 W 43, second floor (enter 9th Avenue). We get started at 2pm and have a special guest, agent Jeffrey James, and several live performances on tap to boot. The full program is listed at the end of this In The Loop.

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DON HAGAR's piece on last week's Xanthos Ensemble concert was mentioned in the New York Times. Steve Smith wrote, "Donald Hagar's playful "I Am Not a Clock" alternated between bustling, mechanical rhythms and slow, dreamy interludes." (5/26/08) I think we first heard this piece at an NYCC Salon this year, no? Anyway, congratulations, Don!

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OREN FADER and the Fireworks Ensemble perform Saturday, May 31, 2008 at 7:30 pm at the Peter Norton Symphony Space (Leonard Nimoy Thalia) 2537 Broadway at 95th  street, New York. The program is Adam Silverman's Spark in the Shoe; Robert Kyr's Working Fire/Fireworks Variations; David Del Tredici's A Field Manual (Poems of Edward Field). Tickets: $21 general admission, available online at http://www.symphonyspace.org/event/2344 or by phone at (212) 864-5400

Special guests Chris Trakas: baritone; Melissa Fogarty: soprano; David Del Tredici: conductor and guest composer. The Fireworks Ensemble is: Brian Coughlin: bass; Oren Fader: guitar; Jennifer Grim: flute; Michael Ibrahim: saxophone; James Johnston: keyboards; Lisa Liu: violin; Eric Poland: percussion; Leigh Stuart: cello.

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Not new music, but perhaps a new take on an old lady? In continuing with her penchant for assuming salient character personae, TAMARA CASHOUR will sing the role of The Witch in Brooklyn Repertory Opera's production of Hansel & Gretel. Production, with orchestra, takes place June 21-29 at the Brooklyn Lyceum Theatre, 4th Avenue and Union St (directly at the Union St. stop on the R train). Tamara will sing the June 22 and June 28th performances, both beginning at 3:30pm. More info:  www.broopera.org. Tamara is currently perfecting a new, diabolical laugh for this role, which she will essay at all performances. Have YOU eaten a child today? (!!)

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Here is the program for this Sunday's June 1 Salon, starting at 2pm.

1.   Discussion of Organizational Matters and Reports

2.   Special Guest Presentation: Well-known arts consultant Jeffrey James will be giving us a presentation that will be the main featured event at the Salon (lasting about 1.5 hours)

3.  Audition of Members' Works

DON HAGAR -- Skeleton Earth for voice and piano (to be performed live by  TAMARA CASHOUR and CESAR VUKSIC) 2 minutes

GENE MCBRIDE -- On Burning Ground for tenor and piano (an opera excerpt from Act One, Scene One, to be performed live by guest bass baritone Seth Gilman and Gene McBride)  1.5 minutes [Note:   Mr. Gilman and Gene McBride will also perform John Cage's settings of three very short and witty Gertrude Stein poems:  Twenty Years After - 1 minute; Is As It Was - 25 seconds; At East and Ingredients - 45 seconds]

Guest Soprano Arlene Travis will perform a set of songs on Robert Frost poems by Johannes Somary  with Cesar Vuksic at the piano 

A. Desert Places  3 minutes

B. Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening  3 minutes

C. Fire and Ice  1 minute

Ms. Travis and Cesar Vuksic will also perform the first of Anton Webern's three songs from Viae Inviae  3 minutes

DANA RICHARDSON -- Allegro Appassionato for violin and piano  12 minutes

4.  Audition of Guests or of Guests' Works (time permitting)

5.  Conclusion and Refreshments

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June 7 2008 Concert Flier

Here's the flier for our next concert, coming up quite soon! Click for larger image.

In The Loop | May 16, 2008

What strange weather we've been having in New York! Beautiful one day, then hot, then cold, sunshine, rain… It's like April showers and May flowers got their months mixed up. But one thing you won't want to have mixed up on your calendar is the May 20 NYCC concert. That's next Tuesday! Lots of great stuff on tap: The winning piece of our first Composition Competition (by DANA DIMITRI RICHARDSON) will be presented. We'll also hear from this year's Honorary Member, DINU GHEZZO, who has (not coincidentally) been very helpful in launching this concert at New York University. Other composers include EUGENE MARLOW, RICHARD MCCANDLESS, MIKI NAKANISHI, JOSEPH PEHRSON, RICHARD RUSSELL, and MATTHEW P. STECKLER. (And here's a huge thanks in advance to our producer, RICHARD BROOKS!) It promises to be a terrific, exciting concert in a new venue for the NYCC: NYU's Frederick Loewe Theater, 35 West 4th Street, starting at 8pm. Bonus fact: I believe this is NYCC's first concert below 14th Street!

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And can you believe June will be here in two weeks? While we're thinking about calendars and dates, make a note that the final concert of the season is very soon: June 7. More details about that in a future In the Loop. (Or, if you just can't wait, head to the calendar section of nycomposerscircle.org)

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DON HAGAR writes with a correction for the May 24 concert notice about the Xanthos Ensemble. The venue has been changed to Roulette, 20 Greene St. (between Canal and Grand St.); and the performance will start at 8:00 p.m. The full press release can be found at the May 6 posting, below.

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This Sunday we'll hold our May 18 Sunday Salon at the Ellington Room, Manhattan Plaza 400 W 43, second floor (enter 9th Avenue) from 2-5pm. We have several live performances on offer! Here's the revised program:

1.  Discussion of Organizational Matters and Reports 

2.  Audio-Visual Presentation

MARTIN HALPERN will be presenting a DVD of his recently produced chamber opera The Damned Thing.  He will also be sharing with us his thoughts on the work.

3.  Audition of Members' Works

GENE MCBRIDE -- Chaja's Consolation for soprano and piano (to be performed live by

Demetra Adams and Gene McBride) it is the first vocal of an opera work in progress  3 minutes

 

GENE MCBRIDE -- Sentient Moments for solo piano

(to be performed live by Gene McBride)  3 minutes

 

CHRISTOPHER MONTGOMERY -- Two Cities for chamber orchestra, 12:28 minutes

 

JOSPEH PEHRSON --  Quixoddities for bassoon and piccolo (which was recently premiered in St. Petersburg, Russia)  9 minutes

 

DON HAGAR -- Skeleton Earth for voice and piano (to be performed live by Tamara Cashour and Cesar Vuksic) 2 minutes

 

TAMARA CASHOUR -- Six Lyrics of Marilyn Hacker for Mezzo Soprano, guest Soprano, Flute, English horn, Guitar, and Piano (MIDI version of work)  15 minutes

4.  Audition of Guest's Works (time permitting)

Cory Daniel Fields -- (two live performances of works by this guest may be presented,

time permitting)  

Duet for Horn and Viola with hornist Katherine Smith and Violist Jen Herman. 5 mins

Three Rustic Scenes  (2nd mov't) with violinist David Bousso and pianist Jason Wirth. 5 mins

 

5.  Conclusion and Refreshments

May 18 Salon Program

Please note that this Salon will be quite special in featuring five
works performed live.

May 18th Salon
at the Ellington Room, 2:00 p.m.

Program

1. Discussion of Organizational Matters and Reports

2. Audio-Visual Presentation

Member Composer Martin Halpern will be presenting a DVD of his
recently produced chamber opera The Damned Thing. He will also be
sharing with us his thoughts on the work.

3. Audition of Members' Works

Gene McBride -- Chaja's Consolation for soprano and piano
(to be performed live by Demetra Adams and Gene McBride) it is the
first vocal of an opera work in progress 3 minutes

Gene McBride -- Sentient Memories for solo piano
(to be performed live by Gene McBride) 3 minutes

Christopher Montgomery -- Two Cities for chamber orchestra, 12:28
minutes

Joseph Pehrson -- Quixoddities for bassoon and piccolo
(which was recently premiered in St. Petersburg, Russia) 9 minutes

Don Hagar -- Skeleton Earth for voice and piano
(to be performed live by Tamara Cashour and Cesar Vuksic) 2 minutes

Tamara Cashour -- Six Lyrics of Marilyn Hacker for Mezzo Soprano,
guest Soprano, Flute,
English horn, Guitar, and Piano (MIDI version of work) 15 minutes

4. Audition of Guest's Works (time permitting)

Cory Daniel Fields -- (two live performances of works by this guest may be presented, time permitting)
Duet for Horn and Viola with hornist Katherine Smith and Violist Jen
Herman. 5 mins
Three Rustic Scenes (2nd mov't) with violinist David Bousso and
pianist Jason Wirth. 5 mins

5. Conclusion and Refreshments

In The Loop | May 6, 2008

GENE MCBRIDE is stage managing the following production, and wants to pass it along to In The Loop readers. He reports last Sunday's performance was excellent and strongly recommends the program.
Yom Hashoah |Holocaust Remembrance Program
Waltz for a Shattered World (1990) | Wednesday May 7 @ 8 pm
Sasha Spielvogel's Labyrinth Dance Theater
"Avishai Ya'ar," Composer: David Majzlin Orchestrator
Downtown Chamber Players conducted by Mimi Stern-Wolfe
Michael Cohen: From The Wall (N.Y. Premiere)
Roz Woll, mezzo–soprano; & the Downtown Chamber Trio
Leo Smit (1900-1944): Sextet for winds and piano; Dutch-Jewish composer who perished in Sobibor.
John Williams: Theme from "Schindler's List" for Violin with piano, Galina Heifetz, violin
Suggested Donation $10-$20
info: dmpmimi@msn.com or 212 477 1594
Downtown Music Productions, Mimi Stern-Wolfe, artistic director
East Village Concert Series |St Marks in the Bowery 10th street (near 2nd Ave.)
Downtown Chamber Players: Andrew Bolotowsky, flute; David Hopkins, clarinet; Jeffrey
Hale, oboe; Atsuko Sato, bassoon; Joseph Trent, flute; Daniel Barrett, cello; Rachel Golub,
violin; Elizabeth Rodgers, piano; Sam Lazzara, percussion; Mimi Stern-Wolfe, conductor

______________________

DON HAGAR is producing the following concert and can offer a $5 admission charge to NYCC Members. And hey, he has a piece scheduled on the program, as well! Here's the press release...

Boston's newest contemporary chamber group Xanthos Ensemble brings a riveting program of chamber works to New York, presenting a concert at St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery on Saturday, May 24, 2008 at 2:00 p.m. Tickets will be available at the door for $15 (students and seniors $10).

Xanthos Ensemble, currently Ensemble in Residence at The Boston Conservatory, will perform a program to include Charles Wuorinen's New York Notes, Pierre Boulez's Dérive, and Mario Davidovsky's Flashbacks, and world premiere of Three Nature Songs by Ohio native Daniel Knaggs, student of Bright Sheng. Also included on the program will be works by Brooklyn resident DONALD HAGAR and Canadian composer and flutist Derek Charke.

The seven core members of the Xanthos Ensemble will be joined by special guests, Jeffrey Means, conductor, Chi-Ju Juliet Lai, clarinet, and Leo Eguchi, cello. Currently in its third year of performing, the ensemble has championed the works of American composers and premiered  dozens of pieces. This appearance marks the Xanthos Ensemble's second New York City performance,with the first being at St. Marks Church during the 2006-2007, in collaboration with the Boston-based Composers in Red Sneakers. The Xanthos Ensemble is dedicated to the promotion of contemporary chamber music, through the exposure of new music repertoire to new audiences in the Boston area, throughout the country, and abroad. Its mission has grown from the belief that the inspiration and knowledge of contemporary music in the community at large will increase the awareness and educational benefits of new music for our musical
culture, and for our society as a whole.

In The Loop | Apr 28, 2007

Violinist STANI DIMITROVA will be presenting her Masters graduation recital tomorrow evening, April 29, at Juilliard's Paul Hall. The concert has an early start time: 6pm. Stani will be performing works by Franck, Brahms, Lutoslawski, and Ravel. The concert is free and open to the public.

 -----------------------

JOSPEH PEHRSON writes: "I am happy to announce that NYCC member CESAR VUKSIC will be premiering a piece of mine at Brooklyn Conservatory on Saturday, May 3 at 8PM. The piece is "Transpian" for piano and electronics in the "near just intonation" scale of "Blackjack" that I frequently use. This piece, I feel, is quite resonant and challenging for the pianist.  I'm glad I'm not trying to play it myself (ha, ha...)

 

Also on the concert are compositions by Brahms, Vuksic, Jerome David Goodman, Bartok and Debussy. Brahms, Bartok and Debussy did not object to having the Pehrson work on the program...

 

To get to the Brooklyn Conservatory, please take the "Q" Train express to 7th Avenue station in Brooklyn. That's 3 blocks away from the destination:  Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, 58 Seventh Avenue, Brooklyn. 

Looking forward to seeing you there!"

Cesar also writes in with a practical matter: admission is $10 for adults and $5 for students/seniors.

 -----------------------

STANI DIMITROVA will premiere RICHARD RUSSELL's first Violin Sonata on May 11 at 3pm, with Jenny Huang gracing the piano. The venue is the historic Blessed Sacrament Church at 152 West 71 in Manhattan. Also on the bill is SOFIA DIMITROVA who will be performing a special piano/vocal arrangement of Rich's Three Elegies. Other pieces are by Mozart, Saint-Saëns, and new pieces by Evan Lewis and Raphael Fusco. The performance is being presented by the Musica Bella Orchestra. Suggested donation is $15 for adults, $10 for students and seniors.

 -----------------------

Although there's admittedly not much connection between this event and the New York Composers Circle, fans of new music will want to know that this week Mannes College of Music is hosting its annual Contemporary Music Festival, highlighting the works of composer-in-residence Jennifer Higdon. Monday (Apr 28) the Mannes Percussion Ensemble performs. Tuesday (Apr 29), Madeline Shapiro's NewMusicMannes Ensemble performs (with soprano TIFFANY DUMOUCHELLE on the bill). Wednesday (Apr 30) the CIRCE Chamber Ensemble performs, and Thursday (May 1) the Mannes Orchestra performs. A work or two of Jennifer Higdon is programmed each evening, and the programs feature works by faculty, along with student works that have been coached by Higdon over the last academic year. Each concert starts at 8pm and is free and open to the public. Mannes is at 150 West 85th Street. For specific programs, call 212-580-0210 ext. 4817, or email Rich Russell at RussellR@newschool.edu.

In The Loop | April 15, 2008

ROGER BLANC will present a lecture next week, "Music Preparation: Life in the Trenches" under the auspices of the Manhattan Producers
Alliance. In this three hour discussion, Roger will discuss his
experiences handling music preparation for major motion pictures, A-
list recording artists, late-night television shows and jingles.
Specific topics will include advice relating to workflow tracking,
client communications, and analysis of recorded music for purposes of
notational presentation (along with the occasional war story).

Time: Tuesday, April 22nd, 6:30-9:30pm
Location: Manhattan Producers Alliance
Space is still available!
Registration closes on 04/21/2008.
$75.00
The Manhattan Producers Alliance is located at:
13 West 36th Street, Suite 800 (buzzer #8)
New York, NY 10018
(212) 465-8540

To register go to:
http://www.manhattanproducersalliance.com/index.php?s=education&p=seminar_info&id=14

_______________
JOSEPH PEHRSON sends the following press release about the next
Composers Concordance concert: On Friday, May 2, 2008 at 8PM at the
Greenwich House Music School, 46 Barrow Street in New York City, the
Composers Concordance springs into action with a varied concert that
celebrates the natural world, and a bit of the supernatural. John
Adams, Hallelujah Junction for two pianos is a work inspired by the
name of a truck stop on Highway 49 at the California-Nevada border.
Intricate rhythms proclaim this joyous and funky location. The work
will be performed by Judith Olson and Paul Hoffmann on pianos.

Another natural scene is depicted by Robert Martin in his Across the
Open Land from his duo instrumental collection, Watercolors. Erin
Lesser, flute and Victoria Paterson, violin, will speak this interplay.

Real singing and speaking will be heard from Jody Redhage, celebrated
for her ability to sing while playing cello in her performances and
who asks composers to write specifically for cello with voice. She
will be singing and playing Ted Hearne's Warning Song.
We go from the natural to the dramatic with Masks for solo flute by
Oliver Knussen, as performed by the virtuouso performer and new music
champion Erin Lesser. Through three different stage positions,
Knussen shows the many faces of new music in a miniature mono-drama.

The speaking theme continues with poetry recitation in Anton Rovner's
Evening Bent the Branches for voice and piano: 9 poetry recitations
by Linda Past with piano by Nataliya Medvedovskaya.

We swing into spring with the premiere of a new piece by Patrick
Hardish, Solo for Pete, written for percussionist Peter Jarvis, who
will be playing drum set. In this piece there is some influence from
the solos of jazz greats Buddy Rich and Louie Bellson.

Even more percussion is in store with a performance by composer Robert
Paterson of his own composition for marimba, Piranha. Paterson has
perfected the astonishing technique of six-mallet marimba playing,
which will be shown in this work. His wife, the distinguished
violinist Victoria Paterson, will join him in a second piece, Braids,
for violin and marimba for a true matrimony of sounds.

Tickets are $12, $10 Students/seniors, A reception will follow the
concert. We look forward to seeing you there!

In The Loop | Apr 11 2008

Congratulations to RICHARD BROOKS, whose Coeur di Lion, Mon Coeur was performed by lark ascending at the Austrian Cultural Forum earlier this week.

_______________

ROGER BLANC will perform live at Gizzi's Coffee Bar 7:00-8:00 PM, Saturday, April 12 (with Brian O'Neill). There's a $3 cover charge. Gizzi's Coffee Bar is at 16 W 8th Street (west of 5th Ave., east of Macdougal) and the number is (212) 260-9700

_______________

NOAH HAVERKAMP-FRERE is joining the Brooklyn Emerging Artists at NY Citi Theatre and Media at 1462 Southern Boulevard in the Bronx on April 26 for a new music concert (there may be a little rock-and-roll thrown in as well). Noah will have one or two compositions performed, and will improvise at the piano as well. The Brooklyn Emerging Artists group is a group of, well, emerging artists living in Brookln! The festivities get underway at 7pm.

_______________

EUGENE MARLOW, NYCC's Director, Media Relations and Membership Coordinator, reports he is a recipient of a travel scholarship to attend the June 11-14, 2008 National Performing Arts Convention in Denver, Colorado. He says, "Together with some funding from Baruch College, I think I have my expenses covered. Of greater importance, I will attend this convention wearing two hats: officially, as senior co-chair of the Milt Hinton Jazz Perspectives concert series at Baruch (how do we attract more students to our concerts?) and as a member of the NY Composers Circle." If anyone has a comment they would like to pass along to Gene, he invites some feedback. "The focus of the convention is essentially building audiences for the arts. What issues should I have in mind while I travel through the convention meetings? The classical world will be there."

_______________

JOSEPH PEHRSON's Spinner can be watched (and listened to!) on YouTube. The performance is at the Moscow Performers Union from March. Head to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dmHte0o6Lo

April 13 Salon Program

Here is the program of events scheduled for the Sunday Salon this weekend,
April 13th Salon at the Ellington Room, 2:00 p.m.
 
Program
 
1.  Discussion of Organizational Matters and Reports
 
2.  Audio-Visual Presentation
 
Member Composer Cesar Vuksic will be presenting the DVD of his Queens Rhapsody (produced and already aired by Queens Public Television).  He will also be sharing with us his motivating purpose for creating this work.
 
3.  Audition of Members' Works
 
Tamara Cashour -- Girly Hurly Burly for SSAA women's choir, 2 violins, synthesized bagpipe and piano (DVD) (recently premiered by NY Treble singers)  6-1/2 minutes 
 
Joseph Pehrson -- Spinner for clarinet,bassoon, violin and cello (DVD) (premiered recently at the Moscow Composers Union, Russia)  9 minutes
 
Roger Blanc -- Symphonic Movement (early recording by the Juilliard Orchestra)  9 minutes
 
Noah Haverkamp-Frere -- String Quartet (read by the Portland String Quartet)  9 minutes

Inessa Segal -- Subway Ride for flute, trumpet and cello  6:08 minutes
 
Don Hagar --  Little Suite for piano solo, (Geoffrey Burleson performing)  _ minutes
 
4.  Conclusion and Refreshments

In The Loop | Mar 28, 2008

Many of you have already heard the exciting news that ELLIOTT CARTER will be the NYCC's honorary member in the 2008-09 season. Joining our prestigious roster of prior honorary members, TANIA LEON, EZRA LADERMAN, JOHN EATON, PAUL MORAVEC, as well as this year's current honoree, DINU GHEZZO, Elliott Carter is "perhaps this country's most celebrated and esteemed creator and steadfast champion of new music" in the words of our Executive Director, JOHN DE CLEF PIÑEIRO. We are delighted to have him on board. (The full letter from John can be found at nycomposerscircle.blogspot.com)

_______________
Upcoming NYCC dates for your calendar:
Sunday Salon: April 13 @ 2pm, Ellington Room at Manhattan Plaza (400 West 43, 2nd Floor)
Sunday Salon: May 18 @ 2pm, Ellington Room at Manhattan Plaza (400 West 43, 2nd Floor)
May Concert: May 20 @ 8pm, Frederick Loewe Theater at NYU, 35 West 4 Street ($15 Suggested donation)

_______________
Although the run has started already, there is still time to catch JILL FRERE in Empty Room, Thursday March 27 - Saturday 29th at 8pm. 3 nights only! The choreographer, Alethea Adsitt writes: "We have been working on this for a year-and-a-half, and are eager to share it with
you. The piece has grown to quite the amazing journey, with incredible performers, video, sound, lighting, scenery, and everyone involved moves me so much. "
The Performance Project @ University Settlement
184 Eldridge Street, (at Rivington), New York, NY 10012 F/V to 2nd
Ave, B/D to Grand
Tickets $15 For Reservations Call: 212-453-4532
www.universitysettlement.org/what/arts.html

_______________
JENNIFER GRIFFITH lets us know more about Opera After Hours, a subversive evening of opera and song. Featuring two works by Jennifer: The Dressing Room and Dream President, the evening will also feature Daniel Felsenfeld's The Bloody Chamber. The dates are April 11 and 17, 8pm, at the Zipper Theater, 336 West 37 between 8th and 9th Avenue. Much more info, including ticket reservations, at www.zippertheater.com, or call 212-352-3101.

In The Loop | Mar 7, 2008

A large congrats and thanks to all who participated in our recent CONCERT AT THE SYMPHONY SPACE THALIA on February 23. Our producer, PATRICIA LEONARD, must be singled out for the exemplary work she did in crafting a seamless evening of music. Thanks also to GENE MARLOW for stepping in to emcee the evening. If you were not able to make it, pictures are available at nycomposerscircle.org (click on "Photos via Flickr" link in the upper right of the home page.) There are also some pics posted from our December concert at Baruch.

________________________
Our MARCH SALON is being held this Sunday, March 9, from 2-5pm, at the Ellington Room at Manhattan Plaza, 400 West 43rd Street. Thanks as always to GENE MCBRIDE for his assistance in securing this great room!

________________________
KEVIN MCCARTER has a premiere of a choir piece tomorrow, Saturday. The Manhattan Choral Ensemble will premiere "As the Earth Brings Forth Her Bud" and new works by George Steel and Andrew Megill on their Saturday, March 8, concert, 8 p.m. at Earl Hall, Columbia University. The chorus website, www.ManhattanChoralEnsemble.org, has a link to a map showing how to walk to Earl Hall on the Columbia campus.

________________________
JILL FRERE will be one of the featured dancers in an upcoming production of an old opera. Dido & Aeneas are a modern celebrity couple in this updated version of Henry Purcell’s 1689 opera. DIDO & AENEAS, March 19, 2008 at 7:30 PM at LaGuardia Performing Arts High School. Choreography: Jody Oberfelder; Dancers: Gina Bashour, Aditi Dhruv, Jill Frere, Elise Knudson, Rebekah Morin, Jake Szczypek, Ed Rice, and Carlton Ward.Featuring the Orchestra of St. Luke’s and the LaGuardia Performing Arts High School Senior Chorus More info, including ticket information, at jodyoberfelder.com

In The Loop | Feb 22, 2008

Tomorrow is the big day! Our second concert of the season is Saturday, February 23, featuring works by RICHARD BROOKS, PATRICIA LEONARD, DONALD HAGAR, CARL KANTER, and CHRISTOPHER MONTGOMERY. The venue is the Leonard Nimoy Thalia at Symphony Space, Broadway at 95th. The concert starts at 7:30 pm, and tickets are $15. A bargain for great new music!

________________
Good news from TAMARA CASHOUR. She won first prize in the New York Treble Singers 2007 Composition Contest "For Women Only". Her winning composition, entitled GIRLY HURLY BURLY, will be world-premiered April 1, 2008 by NYTS, at Christ and St. Stephens Church, Manhattan. The composition, scored for Womens Choir (SSAA), 2 violins, piano and "special surprise instrument", is a setting of the witches' Act I opening scene and Act IV cauldron song from The Scottish Play ... uh;... MACBETH ! The piece also includes both speaking and singing roles for soloists.

________________
Tonal Center Trio, a trio comprised of TIFFANY DUMOUCHELLE (soprano), STEPHEN SOLOOK (percussion), and Adam Berokwitz (clarinet), will premiere RICHARD RUSSELL's new comic (yet dramatic!) piece, The Duel, next Friday, February 29. This concert is sponsored by the Lawyers Orchestra, and is being presented by their concert series, Friday Evening Chamber Music. The concert has a rush hour start time: 6pm, and the venue is the Bar Association, 42 West 44 Street (between Fifth and Sixth Avenues.) Other composers on the bill are Gordon Stout, David Maslanka, David Loeb, Frederic Rzewski, and Ney Rosauro. (An admission charge is still being determined, but estimate $15.)

________________
JOSPEH PEHRSON writes: The Composers Concordance is taking its act to the streets of the new Harlem and the upscale Settepani Restaurant, 196 Lenox Avenue  (Malcolm X Blvd.) at 120 Street, NYC on Tuesday, March 4, 2008, 8PM.  Come be part of this historic and revitalized area as we break bread (they feature their breads) with the B3+ ensemble, a dynamite brass trio consisting of legendary bass trombonist Dave Taylor, Austrian trumpet-composing genius Franz Hackl and the ultimate virtuoso John Clark on horn. We have commissioned composers to write new works for the occasion:  some acoustic, some acoustics and electronic, and all fun.  Every note is new, and all the composers will be there to talk about their works, stand by the bar, and take it out to the streets of Harlem. Composers include Charles Coleman, Dan Cooper, James Holt, Chris McIntyre, Joseph Pehrson, Gene Pritsker, Laura Schwendinger, Daniel Wohl and the three members of B3+! This is going to be a good time and a new space for works of our time. Come be a part of it. Tickets are $10. www.composersconcordance.org.

________________
Two New Chamber Operas by MARTIN HALPERN. Following up on its enthusiastically received production of Martin Halpern's chamber operas in October, 2007, the Brooklyn Music School Playhouse will present the world premieres of two new chamber operas by Mr. Halpern on Friday, March 7 and Saturday, March 8 at 8 P.M. and on Sunday, March 9 at 3 P.M.

The first opera, The Dwarf Trees, based on a Japanese Noh drama, will again feature soprano Judith Barnes, artistic director of Brooklyn's Vertical Player Repertory opera company, and veteran VPR tenor Aram Tchobanian. Baritone Nathan Baer, a winner in this year's Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, will join them in his debut appearance at BMS. Instrumentalists will be Jill Sokol, flute, and Brian Snow, cello. Ms. Barnes and Mr. Baer, together with bass-baritone Peter Ludwig, will also be featured in the second opera, The Damned Thing, based on a radio play of Mr. Halpern which has won the Bronze Windmill Award from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Instrumentalists will be Jill Sokol, flute, and Yuliya Basis, piano. The production will be staged by Elizabeth Falk, with sets and lighting by Michael Broughton and costumes by Dixie Rich. Mr. Halpern will again be music director and will again introduce both operas with a description of their dramatic and musical intentions.
The Brooklyn Playhouse is located at 126 St. Felix Street, right around the corner from the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) and a minute's walk from the Atlantic Avenue stop of the 2, 3, 4, 5, R and Q trains and the Long Island Railroad. There is also ample parking at the lot across from BAM. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for seniors and students. They may be reserved online by calling 718-638-5660, Extension 10.

In The Loop | Feb 9, 2008

Don't forget our next Sunday Salon is tomorrow, February 10, from 2-5 pm in the Ellington Room, Manhattan Plaza, 400 West 43, 2nd floor. 

Also, the remaining Sunday Salons of the year have been confirmed at the same venue. The dates are March 9, April 13, May 18, and June 1. Thanks as always to GENE MCBRIDE for his work in securing this great space!

____________

Our next NYCC concert is almost here: February 23 at 7:30pm (note the early start time) at the Thalia at Symphony Space, Broadway and 95th Street. Producers PATRICIA LEONARD and NOAH HAVERKAMP have been hard at work to insure this is a terrific concert. The evening's pieces feature works by RICHARD BROOKS, DON HAGAR, FEDOR KABALIN, CARL KANTER, PATRICIA LEONARD, and CHRISTOPHER MONTGOMERY. Help us spread the word by downloading the flier and circulating it to your own mail list: The flier can be found by clicking on the thumbnail at our home page: nycomposerscircle.org.

____________

A concert on February 17 will feature several NYCC connections. RICHARD RUSSELL's Two Rilke Songs will be performed by SOFIA DIMITROVA and STANI DIMITROVA, and percussionist STEPHEN SOLOOK will be premiere a marimba solo composed by Faye-Ellen Silverman. Other composers on the program are Wayne Alpern, David Ames, Ryan Tracy, and Chris Park. The concert is at Mannes College of Music and all of the composers (and most of the performers) are affiliated with Mannes. Still, the concert is open to all! Mannes is at 150 West 85th Street. The concert starts at 1:30pm, and is free; no tickets or reservations necessary.

____________

The Manhattan Choral Ensemble will premiere newly commissioned works by KEVIN MCCARTER Andrew Megill, and George Steel on their March 8 concert.  The
concert is at Earl Hall, Columbia University, at 8 p.m.  The program will also include Benjamin Britten's Five Flower Songs and other selections from the traditional a cappella choral repertoire.  Admission is $15, $12 for students and seniors.  The website of the chorus is www.ManhattanChoralEnsemble.org.

February 23 concert at Symphony Space | 7:30pm

We hope to see you at our next concert; click on the flier for a
larger image.

In The Loop - Jan 18, 2008

Don't forget our January Sunday Salon is this weekend, Sunday Jan 20 at 2pm. We'll meet in the Ellington Room at Manhattan Plaza, 400 West 43 Street, on the second floor. It's a new year, and if you are new to the New York Composers Circle, why not come and see what we're all about!

________________
Our second concert of the season is being held at the Leonard Nimoy Thalia at Symhony Space on Broadway at 95th Street, on Saturday, February 23. Note: the concert start time is 7:30pm. This concert will feature music by our own RICHARD BROOKS, DON HAGAR, FEDOR KABALIN, CARL KANTER, PATRICIA LEONARD, and CHRISTOPHER MONTGOMERY. Tickets are $15 and may be purchased at the door. Don't forget: At Sunday's Salon JACOB GOODMAN will be handing out fliers (to those who requested them) to advertise the concert.

________________
CESAR VUKSIC will be playing piano in the following concert over the next two weekends:

The Brooklyn-Queens Conservatory of Music presents
The Brooklyn Conservatory Chorale
Nelly Vuksic, Music Director

"Poets, Mystics and the Muse"
Featuring a variety of works for chorus, orchestra, and soloists by
Mozart, Bach, Telemann, Fauré, Bernstein, and others
With members of the Brooklyn Conservatory Community Orchestra
Two Performances:
Sunday January 20, 2008, 3:30 pm
at the Old First Reformed Church, 126 Seventh Avenue, Brooklyn, NY
Saturday January 26, 2008, 8:00 pm
at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, 58 Seventh Avenue, Brooklyn, NY

General admission: $10 -- Students & Seniors: $5
Reservations / Information: 718-622-3300

________________
If you did not have a chance to hear RICHARD RUSSELL's Two Rilke Songs at the December NYCC concert at Baruch College, it will be performed again at Mannes College of Music on Sunday, February 17. Mannes is at 150 West 85th Street, and the concert is free; no tickets or
reservations needed. Once again, soprano SOFIA DIMITROVA and violinist STANI DIMITROVA will be the performers. Also on the concert are several other "to be announced" Mannes composers: alumni, faculty, administrators. This is an afternoon concert, starting at 1:30pm.