February 14, 2009 Program

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In The Loop | Feb 14, 2009

CORRECTION: Regarding last week's post about the concert of Mannes College faculty and alumni on Sunday, February 15. The concert begins at 1:30pm, not 1pm. (This is the concert with RICHARD RUSSELL's two premieres: a string quartet "Adagio" with NYCC performer member STANICHKA DIMITROVA on first violin; along with "When Time is Over," a collection of four Emily Dickinson songs featuring SOFIA DIMITROVA accompanied by TAMARA CASHOUR on piano. DEBRA KAYE will also be represented by two pieces: one for bass and piano, and one for solo viola da gamba.)

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Speaking of DEBRA KAYE, her piano trio, Incidental Ducklings, will be streaming live on WFMT (98.7), Chicago's classical music station on Friday, February 20th.  The concert by the new music group, Accessible Contemporary Music, begins at 12:15 pm, and includes works by Joan Tower, Paul Shoenfield, and a world premiere by Minnesota composer Justin Rubin.  

To tune in:  http://www.acmusic.org/concert_fazioli_2009.html

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STEPHEN SOLOOK will premiere Robert Cuckson's "Three Dances for Marimba" on February 19 in a concert of Mannes College Division Composition faculty. Mannes is at 150 West 85th Street. The concert starts at 8pm and will feature other Mannes faculty composers; admission is free.

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ANNA TONNA writes in that she will be singing the role of St. Theresa II in Four Saints in Three Acts. The performance is with Encompass New Opera Theater, Directed by Nancy Rhodes and conducted by Mara Waldman on the occasion of the 75th Anniversary of the premiere of this opera by Virgil Thomson, libretto by Gertrude Stein. This will be the oratorio version with full chorus, soloists and orchestra, to be performed on Feb. 20th at 6:30 PM, CUNY Graduate Center, Elebash Hall (34th and Fifth avenue), free admission.

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MELISSA FOGARTY, soprano, continues her February Frenzy of concerts:

Betrayal. Murder. Revenge. Passion. All are coming to the stage at The Harlem School of the Arts during Black History Month in Strange Fruit, a new American opera adapted from Lillian Smith's best-selling novel whose title was taken from the famous Billie Holiday song of the same name. Composed by Chandler Carter with libretto by Joan Ross Sorkin, Strange Fruit in Concert is being presented by The Harlem School of the Arts in association with New York City Opera. The cast of the opera includes: Janinah Burnett, Daniel Neer, Robert Hughes, Tamara Haskin, Edward Pleasant, Djoré Nance, Heather Hill, Abby Fischer, Matthew Kreger, Dominic Inferrera, Daniel Yarzebinski, Karen Lehman, Abigail Brown and Lindsay O'Neil. Melissa be playing the role of Dorothy. Performances will be conducted by Steven Gross and accompanied by Marijo Newman on piano. 

Friday, Feb. 27, 2009 at 8pm and Sunday, March 1 at 2pm. 

HSA Gathering Space, 645 St. Nicholas Avenue 

(between W. 141 & 145 St), NYC

Admission $15. Tickets on sale now. Call 212-926-4100, ext.304.

Original musical documentary theater: Eve Sicular investigates her activist / pianist / psychiatrist Grandma's Cold War time capsule. Featuring Metropolitan Klezmer bandmates, acclaimed actor Moe Angelos and me, leaving most of my  opera chops at the door and showcasing a few other tricks I have up my sleeve. I portray a couple of different characters, improvise an operatic recitative a la 18th c. style, and sing jazz (improv too), rock and klezmer!

The premiere was a Time Out NY Critics' Pick.

Saturday, Feb 28, 2009 8 pm

Puffin Cultural Forum, 20 Puffin Way, Teaneck NJ 07666

Suggested $5 donation. 

Info: (201) 836-8923 or http://www.puffinfoundation.org/forum/forum_new

Symphony Space Lobby with NYCC Poster

The Symphony Space lobby has a larger poster advertising this Saturday evening's "Valentine" concert. Starts at 7:30pm, don't forget! (Click image for a larger view.)

NYCC selected as a WNYC *STAR*

WNYC® New York Public Radio is very pleased to announce that the New York Composer Circle has been selected for the monthly Salute The ARts *STAR* Initiative.  Listen for the mentions on 93.9 FM and AM 820; look for them on the website, www.wnyc.org/events.

WNYC's Salute The ARts Initiative is a free program that profiles 36 small cultural non-profit organizations in the New York Metropolitan area over a 12-month period, through on-air promotional announcements and free website support. The NYCC is one of three recipients for the month, selected from hundreds of applicants.

In The Loop | Feb 8, 2009

Several NYCC names will be present at a concert of Mannes faculty and alumni on Sunday, February 15. Mannes College is at 150 West 85th Street, and the concert starts at 1pm. (Everyone will be home in time for dinner!) First, RICHARD RUSSELL will present two premieres: a string quartet "Adagio" with NYCC performer member STANICHKA DIMITROVA, violin, Lisa Romain, violin, Rose Hashimoto, viola, and Desiree Abbey, cello. The second premiere is "When Time is Over" a collection of four Emily Dickinson songs. NYCC performer SOFIA DIMITROVA is the soprano, accompanied by NYCC member TAMARA CASHOUR on piano. NYCC member DEBRA KAYE, fresh from her triumphant solo-composer concert of Jan. 31, will also be presenting a piece or two on the concert.

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Soprano MELISSA FOGARTY has a "February Frenzy" of shows coming up. Here are the first two that Melissa will be participating in:

(1) LOVE HAS NO BOUNDS | In response to Proposition 8, this concert presented by Musique a la Mode will benefit the Hetrick-Martin Institute, home of the Harvey Milk High School, the largest and oldest LGBTQ youth-service provider supporting New York City's most vulnerable and at-risk community. Part of the program features scenes from Patience & Sarah. You can watch terrific video coverage of the birth of this piece 10 years ago (just make sure your hanky is nearby) and learn more about this concert at http://musiquealamode.com/calendar.html.   

Sunday, Feb 15, 2pm St. Mark's Church in the Bowery

131 East 10 Street, NYC

Tickets are $25, on the web at

www.brownpapertickets.com/event/54089

or by calling 1-800-838-3006,

or $30 at the door on the day of the concert.

(2) 17th century Italian pyrotechnics over swinging bass lines! Bizarre harmonic progressions stranger than Wagner! Over-the-top Drama! High D's! (Yep.) Who wrote this stuff?! Alessandro  Stradella, who's life was as colorful and tragic as the music on this program. If you like Melissa's award-winning Handel CD, Scorned & Betrayed, you'll love this. Featured is a setting of the Ariana Abandoned story (as on the CD), called Ferma il corso e torna al lido. Featuring Christine Gummere on baroque cello and Jennifer Griesbach on harpsichord.

NOTES ON A SCANDAL - Cantatas of Alessandro Stradella

MIDTOWN CONCERT SERIES presented by ARTEK 

Wednesday, Feb 18, 1:15 pm, St. Bartholomew's Church

Park Ave at 51st St. NYC

Admission FREE

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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!

The NYCC *STAR* | Feb 14 Valentine Concert

NYCC's *STAR*

Regular listeners of WNYC can tell you they have heard mention of a certain "New York Composers Circle" lately. That's right, we are the same one! New York Public Radio recently announced the NYCC has been selected for the monthly Salute the Arts *STAR* Initiative. See www.wnyc.org/events for more info.

Large congrats to our all our members, performers, and audience for supporting the NYCC and making it a success. 

And there's no better time then now to keep the momentum going; come and hear what all the hullabaloo is about! As it happens, the NYCC's second concert of the season is being held next Saturday, Valentine's Day. As our Executive Director, John de Clef Piñeiro put it, "consider spending this special evening with those who are in love -- with new music!"

With this concert, the NYCC presents, for the first time, works by three of our renowned Honorary Members:  Tania León, Elliott Carter and Dinu Ghezzo, as well as other works by our composer members -- see program below.

This Special New York Composers Circle Valentine's Day concert at Symphony Space's Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theatre on 95th Street (just off Broadway), starts at 7:30 on Saturday, February 14th. (Note the early start time of 7:30pm.) Tickets are $20 and can be arranged by calling 212-864-5400. Tix also available at the door.

 Dinu Ghezzo's Contraste

   Cesar Vuksic, piano 

Martin Halpern's Three Later Poems of Walt Whitman

   Jim Trainor, baritone

   Victor Frost, piano

John de Clef Piñeiro's Breaths

   Michael Laderman, flute

   Cesar Vuksic, piano

Tania León's Love after Love

   Tiffany Du Mouchelle, soprano

   Steven Solook, marimba

Elliott Carter's Tell Me Where Is Fancy Bred

   Tiffany Du Mouchelle, soprano

   Steven Solook, marimba

INTERMISSION

Tamara Cashour's Two Songs from "Emily Unleashed"

   Ample make this bed

   Hope is the thing…

     Tamara Cashour, soprano and synthesized harp

     Margaret O'Connell, mezzo soprano

     Michael Laderman, piccolo

     Marcia Eckert, piano

Jacob Goodman's Oui, J'aime Brahms

   Arthur Cook, cello

   Marcia Eckert, piano

Dana Dimitri Richardson's The Dutch Muse
    I. Bathsheba: Rembrandt Van Rijn
   II. Malle Babbe: Franz Hals
  III. Girl In A Turban: Jan Vermeer

Maria Rose, piano

Richard Russell's Violin Sonata No. 1

  Stanichka Dimitrova, violin

  Bethany Porter, piano

February 14 concert at Symphony Space Thalia

Here is the flier for our February 14 concert which will feature works from three of our Honorary Members! Hope to see you there. (Click image for larger view.)