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

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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.