NYCC | In The Loop | Oct 22, 2009

Our next SUNDAY SALON will be this Sunday, Oct. 25 in the Ellington Room at Manhattan Plaza, 400 West 43 Street, second floor. We'll meet from 2-5pm.

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Your friendly In the Loop editor Richard Russell (that's me) has been behind in a number of things — and that means apologies are due to those whose events were not disseminated in a timely fashion. This includes JOSEPH PEHRSON's "Slick Clicks," a duet performed by the young ladies of the duo called Zentripetal, Jennifer DeVore, cello, and Lynn Bechtold, violin, performed last Friday.

Also, CESAR VUKSIC performed a piano solo recital at the Long Beach Library on September 27. The Program was titled: "European and Argentinean Music", and explored the links and parallels between 19th and 20th century's European great composers and 20th century's well known composers from Argentina. The Program included compositions by Chopin, Debussy, Bartok, Cobian, Salgan, Belisario Perez, Piazzolla and Ginastera. In addition, Cesar was been invited to exhibit four of his Paintings at a Group Exhibition in Town Hall, Hempstead, Long Island. Cesar writes: "All my life I had a passion for the Visual Arts as strong as my passion for Music.  When I joined NYCCe about 6 years ago, I stopped painting for lack of enough time. Since I miss it terribly, I think it is time to restart that activity. Personally, I find a strong link between these 2 different forms of artistic expression. There is in me a sort of "feedback", in the sense that my Music making influences my Paintings, and Viceversa.  Certainly there are Visual Rhythms as well as Music Rhythms, and also Structural Elements similar in both disciplines.  For instance, 20th Century music's Giants like Debussy and Bartok based many of their Compositions in the Golden Section or Golden Ratio, which is a concept derived from the Visual Arts and Architecture.  Also some great Renaissance composers based their music in the Golden Section. The  Paintings I am presenting are part of my "Water Creatures Series",  Surrealist Biomorphic fantasies." The exhibition was part of the Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration.

As I extend my personal apology for the lateness of this news, I trust the NYCC shares its collective congratulations!

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EUGENE MCBRIDE's premiere of a solo piano work, "Intermezzo," will premiere in a recital by David Holzman on Friday, October 23rd, 8 PM at Bargemusic. Moored in Brooklyn just under the Brooklyn Bridge, Bargemusic presents great music up to five days a week, every week of the year. ... for information and directions see www.bargemusic.org. Gene writes, "David is a marvelous pianist, a veritable champion of new music. It is an honor to have him perform my music…it's a major recital with Session's 2nd Sonata and Wolpe's "Passacaglia" plus other works. Premiers also by Shulamit Ran and Fred Lerdahl. Hope to see you there."

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Guitarist ROGER BLANC will perform live at Gizzi's, 8:00 - 9:00 PM, Saturday, October 24, with Billy Eric on bass. Gizzi's Coffee Bar is at 16 W 8th Street (west of 5th Ave., east of Macdougal). $3 per person table minimum. Head to the N or R to 8th Street, walk west, OR A,B,C,D,E,F,V to West 4th Street; walk north, then east on 8th Street.

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EUGENE MARLOW's "Heritage Ensemble" will be joined by multi-Grammy nominee guest artist Bobby Sanabria at Jazz Tuesdays on Tuesday, October 27  at the John Birks Gillespie Auditorium inside the New York City Bahá'í Center at 53 East 11th Street (between University Place & Broadway).  There will be 2 shows at 8:00 and 9:30 pm.

The Heritage Ensemble is a quintet devoted to the concert performance of Hebraic liturgical and folksong melodies in various jazz, Afro-Cuban, Brazilian, and neo-classical styles. For this performance the group consists of: Eugene Marlow (founder/leader/piano/arranger), Bobby Sanabria (drums), Todd Bashore (alto/soprano saxophones), Frank Wagner (acoustic bass), and Cristian Rivera (percussion). All arrangements are by founder/leader Eugene Marlow.

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On Wednesday October 28, 8PM: Leonard Lehrman and Helene Williams perform JOSEPH PEHRSON's "Lewis Carroll Songs" written under the expert guidance of American composer legend, Elie Siegmeister.  Other composers include Tom Cipullo, Stephen Albert, Herbert Deutsch, Gerald Humel, Stephen Lawrence, Leonard Lehrman, Dana Paul Perna, and Michael Shapiro. This performance is at New York University and the address is 32 Waverly on the second floor of the Silver Building, Room 220.  A student ID is *not* necessary for admission, regardless of what the signs might say!

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DEBRA KAYE writes, "I hope you can join me for the premiere of CHANGING FORMS, a new piece for tenor saxophone and a chamber orchestra of strings, commissioned by The Classical Saxophone Project. As in most of my music, CHANGING FORMS works with contrasting elements. If this was a story - loss and regeneration would be the themes. The incarnate dissolves into the ethereal, a heart-beat pizzicato becomes a time-ticking drum beat, and resolves into an easy bossa nova. My aim is to take the listener through an emotional process that is in the end, life-affirming.

WHEN:  Saturday, November 7 at 7:30 PM (Note the early starting time.)

WHERE:  Casa Italiana at Columbia University, 1161 Amsterdam Ave, just south of 118th St.

(By Subway:  Take the 1 train to 116th St./Columbia University; walk 1 block east to Amsterdam Ave.)

The Oct 18 NYCC Gala: Program Sneak Peek

Open publication

In the Loop | Oct 4, 2009

For your calendar: Our next SUNDAY SALON will be Sunday, Oct. 25 in the Ellington Room at Manhattan Plaza, 400 West 43 Street, second floor. We'll meet from 2-5pm.

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Soprano MELISSA FOGARTY will perform with Percussia in a concert featuring six new works written especially for the ensemble. Texts are by Auden, Kipling, Gertrude Stein, and others. Composers are Jamie Keesecker, Scott J. Ordway, David Roberts, Dennis Tobenski, Matthew Welch, and Alejandro Viñao. The concert is Oct. 10 at 3:30 in the Queens Public Library, Jackson Heights Branch at 35-51 81st Street. Subway is E/F/R to Roosevelt Avenue|Jackson Heights, or you can take the 7 to 82nd Street. The concert is free admission; more info at www.percussia.org.

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EUGENE MCBRIDE encourages folks to check out his website for details on his upcoming performances, which include premieres of Intermezzo on Oct. 23rd in a recital by David Holzman at Bargemusic. See www.eugenemcbride.com for more information.

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RICHARD RUSSELL's new song cycle, The Tune is In the Tree, will receive it's premiere on Sunday, November 8 at 4:30pm. The piece was commissioned by soprano Marjorie Berg, who will also be performing pieces by Hildegard of Bingen, Barber's Hermit Songs, and a new cycle by Raphael Fusco. (Mr. Fusco is the day's accompanist.) The Tune is in the Tree is a five-song cycle based on Emily Dickinson poems. The concert is free and takes place at Mannes College of Music, 150 West 85th Street, in Goldmark Hall on the third floor.

In the Loop| Sep 13, 2009

Happy Fall! The NYCC 2009-2010 SEASON starts next Sunday, Sept 20 in the Ellington Room at Manhattan Plaza, 400 West 43 Street, second floor. This Salon will feature NYCC member EUGENE MARLOW giving a presentation on how liturgical Jewish melodies can be morphed into contemporary jazz and neo-classical styles. He says, "Essentially this is what my group, The Heritage Ensemble, does in concert performance." This will be a combination talk and music presentation. He has the melodies on CD in original form and then the way his group performs them. He will also talk about the history of the texts and the melodies.

We meet from 2-5pm. If you are new to the NYCC, now's a great time to come and get involved. As always, stay tuned to the calendar and NYCC blog at www.nycomposerscircle.org.

In the meantime, the 2009-2010 season is already taking shape and looks to be another very strong year. Hold the date of October 18 and watch for details on our special fundraiser concert. As well, keep your eye on the calendar section of the website for updates, and of course, on In The Loop. See you in September! 

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NYCC Composers who would like to schedule a work for performance at next Sunday's Salon, please send RICHARD MCCANDLESS (richard.mccandless@verizon.net) the following information: 

 

(1) title,

 

(2) instrumentation,

 

(3) performers (if it's live or a recording) and

 

(4) length.

We will take the works on a "first come, first served" basis, with the understanding that we wish to leave time for unscheduled works, as well. Following presentation of any scheduled works, we're setting aside about an hour for members (or, time permitting, guests) who bring works on a non-scheduled basis, so feel free to bring something along without formally submitting it in advance.

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World premieres of two one-act chamber operas by MARTIN HALPERN will be performed at the Church of St. Gregory the Great, 144 West 90th Street, Manhattan, on Thursday, October 1, Friday, October 2, and Saturday, October 3 at 8 PM, and Sunday, October 4 at 3 PM.

 

Tickets, at $20 for adults and $10 for students, can be purchased online at www.theatermania.com or by calling Theater Mania at 212-352-3101.

 

The first opera, Purgatory, is freely based on the late play of the same name by

W. B. Yeats; the second, The Death of Oedipus, is freely based on Sophocles' last play, Oedipus at Colonus.  Each opera dramatizes the final redemption of its main character -- the guilt-ridden Old Pedlar in Purgatory and the aged and blind Oedipus in The Death of Oedipus -- after years of wandering.  Each is accompanied by one grown child – the Old Pedlar by his nameless bastard son, and Oedipus by his devoted daughter Antigone.  

 

The cast features baritone Jim Trainor as both the Old Pedlar and Oedipus; tenor Bobby Underwood as both the Young Pedlar and the Theban Officer in The Death of Oedipus; soprano Yvonne Bill as Antigone; and tenor Aram Tchobanian and baritone Joshua South as the Citizens of Colonus in The Death of Oedipus.  The pianist for both operas is Earl Buys.

 

Mr. Halpern is music director for the production. Staging is by Sonya Baehr. Costumes are by Hunter Kaczorowski and lighting by Ethan Kaplan.

 

St. Gregory the Great is between Amsterdam and Columbus Avenues, and is easily reached on the 1, 2, 3, B and C trains.

18 Oct 2009 Fundraiser: Save the Date!

The NYCC will host a fundraiser concert on Sunday, October 18. The concert will feature many audience favorites from recent NYCC concerts, and many surprises as well.

The NYCC gratefully acknowledges the support of Bechstein America, which will host the concert at its New York City showroom, 207 West 58 Street.

Stay tuned for details!

In The Loop | June 13, 2009

DON HAGAR and CESAR VUKSIC will both have pieces featured in a performance by The Brooklyn Conservatory Chorale, a group that explores and performs a rich variety of musical styles, a cappella and with orchestra, from the Renaissance to the present. There will be a performance Sunday, June 14, 3:00 p.m. at Lafayette Presbyterian Church, 85 South Oxford Street (at Lafayette), Fort Greene, Brooklyn.

This performance will feature music by Stephen Chatman, Aaron Copland, Claude Debussy, Josquin des Prez, Don Hagar, Clement Jannequin, Morten Lauridsen, Claudio Monteverdi, Randall Thompson, and Cesar Vuksic.

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Christine Moore will perform CESAR VUKSIC's Nana for Mezzo, Cello, and Piano this Thursday, June 18 at Christ and St. Stephen's Church in Manhattan, 120 West 69th Street, between Broadway and Columbus. The concert is an all-Spanish affair, with pieces by (in addition to Cesar): Federico García Lorca, Enrique Granados, Frederic Mompou, Mohammed Fairouz, Antón García Abril, and Joaquin Turina. The concert will be repeated in July in Granada, Spain. Suggested donation is $20 ($10 for students/seniors).

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The NYCC in 2008-2009 — what a terrific season! There are too many countless people to thank, including our members, performers, producers, guests, donors, and so many others, each who contribute in ways large and small. For those who didn't know, programs from our past several years are posted online at our website, www.nycomposerscircle.org. In the right-hand sidebar, click on "Prior Seasons." 

In the meantime, the 2009-2010 season is already taking shape and looks to be another very strong year. Hold the date of October 18 and watch for details on our special fundraiser concert. As well, keep your eye on the calendar section of the website for updates, and of course, on In The Loop. See you in September! 

In The Loop | June 4, 2009

Our final SUNDAY SALON of the 2008-2009 season is this Sunday, June 7 at the Ellington Room at Manhattan Plaza. 400 West 43, Second floor. Come join us as we wrap up another season with some special guests. (See below for the lineup.) We get started at 2pm!

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Apologies to RICHARD BROOKS for the lateness of this posting, but there is still a chance to catch Part 2 of his opera, Robert and Hal, on June 21 on Manhattan Neighborhood Network. He writes: "For those residing within the metropolitan New York area I am pleased to announce that my latest opera will be broadcast by Manhattan Cable TV. This is a production staged by The Golden Fleece, Ltd, directed by Lou Rodgers, with musical director Thomas Carlo Bo, at the Stanford Meisner Theater in June 2008."

It will be broadcast in two parts with following schedule:

Part 1: Thursday May 26, 4:30 p.m.. channel 67; Sunday May 31, 10:00 p.m., channel 56

Part 2: Thursday June 4, 5:00 p.m., channel 34; Sunday June 21, 10:30 p.m., channel 56

For those outside New York City, you may view the broadcast online at exactly the times above (EST) at http://www.mnn.org/en/viewers

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OREN FADER will offer up the American premiere of a guitar concerto composed by David Del Puerto on Friday evening, June 5 at 7:30 pm. Presented by New Paths in Music, David Alan Miller, conductor. The venue is Elebash Recital Hall at Graduate Center, City University of New York; Fifth Avenue and 34th Street, Manhattan. 
Pre-concert talk at 7:00 pm; Friday June 5 at 7:30 pm

Tickets: $20, students $10, online at Smarttix.com. or 212-868-4444

For more information: www.newpathsinmusic.org. or 212-262-2509

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JOSEPH PEHRSON offers a friendly reminder of the Composers Concordance concert of Wednesday, June 10, 7PM [NOTE TIME] at the Chelsea Art Museum. The museum is at 556 West 22nd St. at 11th Ave. Since the last In The Loop, there have been some "hip additions":  for one thing VIDEO, with the remarkable Astrid Steiner. Any of you who have happened to see Astrid in conjunction with some of Gene Pritsker's activities know what I'm talking about.  She will make the dark side of our moon glow. Also, the amazing percussionist Peter Jarvis will be on our show playing Patrick Hardish's SONORITIES VI for solo vibraphone.  And, the incredibly versatile Michiyo Suzuki, one of the best "new music" performers around, will be performing in our own Dan Cooper's TRIO.  Dan is also going to be coordinating the Otto Luening pieces, as a long-time Luening assistant and authority on his works.

The original Composers Concordance press release: Performing Arts at CAM presents the Composers Concordance Spring 2009 concert Wednesday, June 10, at the Chelsea Art Museum, home of the Miotte Foundation, 556 West 22nd Street at 11th Avenue. For this second concert of the 2008-2009 season, the Composers Concordance will present a program in which On the Moon and Beyond, the theme of a multi-media summer exhibition at the museum celebrating the 40th anniversary of the first human walk on the moon, will be reflected in new pieces written for flute, clarinet and piano. The program will feature new and recent works, including three world premieres, by the directors of Composers Concordance and music by Otto Luening, a composer long-associated with the organization. There will also be large-scale projections of the visuals behind the performers: Margaret Lancaster, flute/piccolo, Esther Lamneck, clarinet, Michiyo Suzuki, bass clarinet and Paul Hoffmann, piano. Compositions include Otto Luening's Moonflight for tape-recorded flute (1968) transcribed for flute & live electronics by Dan Cooper (2009) and performed by Margaret Lancaster, Gene Pritsker's Galileo Starry Messenger for flute, clarinet, & piano (2009) (premiere) performed by Lancaster, Lamneck and Hoffmann, Patrick Hardish's  Meyer's Moon Blues for solo clarinet (2009) (premiere), a tribute to composer Meyer Kupferman written for clarinetist Esther Lamneck, Dan Cooper's Trio for flute, clarinet, & piano (2003) performed by the three players, and JOSEPH PEHRSON's new Lunar Tunes for flute, clarinet, & piano (2009) (premiere), also for Lancaster, Lamneck and Hoffmann. Otto Luening's Chords at Night for solo piano (1988) played by Paul Hoffmann will conclude the moon and star-studded program. Tickets are $15/ $10 students/seniors and are available at the door on the evening of the concert.

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Here is the lineup for this Sunday's Salon:

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 Presentation

Contralto Christina Ascher  will present a live performance of the following two works.  (Approx. 9 min.)

Julia Werntz (1966), "This bread I break" (1996),

from "To You Strangers" text by Dylan Thomas.

Bojidar Spassov (1949), "Vili-Samovili" (1999), after texts by W. Chlebnikov.

 

3.  Audition of Members' Works

Noah Haverkamp Frere --"String Quartet" as recorded by the Portland String Quartet.  (Approx. 9 min.)

 

Dana Richardson -- "Für Elitza" for solo piano, recorded by Elitza Harbova (Approx. 17 min.)

 

The remaining time will be devoted to presenting other works by members in attendance.

 

4.  Conclusion and Refreshments