40th anniversary of the premiere of TJ Anderson's "TREEMONISHA" - the opera by Scott Joplin

Date: 
Friday, January 27, 2012 - 7:30pm

UTC Music Department Presents Treemonisha

The Chattanooga Choral Society in collaboration with the UTC Department of Music and UTC Theatre present TREEMONISHA, an opera by famed ragtime composer Scott Joplin, at Roland Hayes Concert Hall, in Chattanooga, TN. In celebration of the 125th anniversary of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, the UTC Music Department in cooperation with the Chattanooga Choral Society for the Preservation of African American Song and UTC Theatre will present two evening performances of Scott Joplin’s opera Treemonisha on Jan. 27 and 28 at 7:30 p.m. and a matinee on Jan. 29, at 3 p.m. Tickets are $20 general admission, $17 seniors, and $14 for students. Tickets are on sale now at the UTC Box Office at 425-4269. Tickets available here. 

 


Treemonisha, composed by famous ragtime composer Scott Joplin, is a story of the triumph of education and enlightenment over superstition and ignorance among the African American population of the Texarkana region of Arkansas in the late 1800s. Perhaps even more interesting is the exploration of the theme of whether men would follow a woman as a political community leader during this era. Joplin sets these two themes against a musical backdrop of the romantic opera of the early 20th century.

The score is not ragtime, although it incorporates elements of ragtime among its musical ideas. There are black folk songs and dances, and even a kind of pre-blues music alongside spirituals and gospel elements in the score. This performance will feature the orchestration and arrangement by T. J. Anderson.

 

 

 

Robert Ceely's News

Robert Ceely, 2010Robert Ceely, 2010Robert Ceely turned 82 last week, and on January 13 he and Jonatha celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary. Congratulations and Happy Birthday to one of ACA's most cherished longtime members. His Ceely in Italy, 1960sCeely in Italy, 1960selectronic work, ONTOGENY, which was performed at the ACA festival last June, was presented again in October in the legendary Jordan Hall of the New England Conservatory. His acoustic realization for quartet of the electronic work, METAMIR, was performed in 2009 at Symphony Space, with Carol McGonnell, bass clarinet. Click on links to see more info/hear audio excerpts. Recently, Bob finished a new work, Variations for Chamber Orchestra.

Ceely attended the New England Conservatory, where he studied with Francis Cooke and completed further studies with Darius Milhaud and Leon Kirchner at Mills College, with Roger Sessions, and with Edward Cone and Milton Babbitt at Princeton University. From 1963-64, he composed music in the Electronic Music Studio in Milan. His opera, “Automobile Graveyard”, after a play by Fernando Arrabal, was presented at the New England Conservatory in 1995, the same year in which he was honored with an Outstanding Alumni Award. He retired from teaching in 2003 and presently devotes his time and energy to composition.

First concert of AMPHIBIAN's spring season, HiArt Gallery, January 28th

Date: 
Saturday, January 28, 2012 - 8:00pm

First concert of AMPHIBIAN's spring season. Hope to see you there!

Jan 28: MOMENTA QUARTET

Dalit Warshaw: Elegy for String Quartet
Schubert: Rosamunde

Premieres by Jonathan Gruver and Andrew Taylor


AMPHIBIAN is a performance series that combines new chamber music with video art. Our second season will include the Momenta Quartet, the Cygnus Ensemble, and Temple University’s ‘Cybersounds,’ which offers electro-acoustic and visual music under the direction of Maurice Wright.  In addition to these events, the endlessly inventive Mari Kimura will present an evening of her own interactive works for violin, electronics and video, plus an electro-acoustic classic: Mario Davidovsky’s lyrical 9th Synchronism for violin and pre-recorded electronic sound. Events take place at the HiArt Gallery (227 West 29th Street).  -Matthew Greenbaum

Eleanor Cory - three upcoming concerts

Date: 
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 - 7:30pm

Eleanor CoryEleanor CoryTuesday, January 24, 2012, 7:30pm   -  'NEC-NYC Mosaic'
An Evening of Music by New England Conservatory Alumni Composers

Third Street Music School Settlement
235 East 11th Street (at 2nd Ave.)
Eleanor Cory: Toward the Mind, Three Songs for Soprano and Piano (poems by Emily Dickinson, Richard Wilbur, and Eleanor Cory) (2010)
Eleanor Taylor, Soprano
Christopher Oldfather, piano 

Other works by: Lynn Bechtold, Dan Cooper, Daniel Felsenfeld, John Heiss, Sara Holtzschue, Geoffrey Kidde, Erik Lundborg, and Andrew Rathbun. Admission: Free

Wednesday, February 15, 2012, 8:00 PM  -  Mannes Faculty Composers Concert, part of the 2012 Composers Now Festival
Mannes College of Music Concert Hall
250 W 85th Street (between Amsterdam and Columbus)
Eleanor Cory: Things Are for Flute and Piano, In Memory of Milton Babbitt (2010)
Sue Ann Kahn, flute
David Oei, piano

Other works by: Robert Cuckson, David Loeb, Paul Moravec, and David Tcimpidis; Admission: Free

Erik Lundborg's "Colors" New York Premiere January 24th

Date: 
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 - 7:30pm

Christopher Oldfather and Roberto Pace, duo pianists, will be presenting the New York premiere of Erik Lundborg's "Colors" on January 24, 2012 at the Third Street Music School Settlement, 235 East 11th Street (@ 2nd Avenue.) Entrance details: 0 bucks and the concert starts at 7:30 PM.

The New England Conservatory Alumni office is sponsoring the event == all composers and performers are graduates of the school. Composers includes John Heiss, Eleanor Cory, David Amram, Daniel Felsenfeld, Dan Cooper, Frank Heiss, Sara Holtzschue, Geoffrey Kidde, Andrew Rathbun and Lynn Bechtold.

Arrangements have been made for a post-performance gathering of performers, composers and friends in the back room of Pangea Restaurant and Bar (178 2nd Avenue, between 11th & 12th Streets.)

Koussevitzky Music Foundation Awards 2012

Composer Laura Kaminsky, artistic director of Symphony Space, Harold Meltzer, John Aylward, and Jennifer Higdon have received commissions awarded jointly by the Serge Koussevitzky Music Foundation in the Library of Congress; the Koussevitzky Music Foundation, Inc. Award winners and the groups co-sponsoring their commissions are John Aylward and the Washington Square Contemporary Music Society; Anthony Cheung and the Talea Ensemble; Jason Eckardt and the NOVA Chamber Music Series; Agustín Fernández and the Momenta Quartet; Jennifer Higdon and the Cypress String Quartet; Laura Kaminsky and the St. Petersburg (Russia) Chamber Philharmonic; Harold Meltzer and the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra; and Benoît Mernier and the Pro Arte Quartet.

Elliott Schwartz celebrates birthday January 19th, and residency in Cambridge UK

Date: 
Thursday, January 19, 2012

Happy Birthday wishes to Elliott Schwartz, who turns 76 this week. Elliott will be traveling to England next week for a February-March fellowship at Robinson College, at the University of Cambridge -- his fifth Cambridge visiting residency.  He will work with students there on a concert of  chamber music, including the premiere of his own recently-completed "Anagrams" for Bb trumpet and percussionist.

"Nobody" by Michael Dellaira to be performed by Syracuse Vocal Ensemble

Date: 
Friday, March 2, 2012 - 7:30pm

The Syracuse Vocal EnsembleThe Syracuse Vocal EnsembleNew work for chorus and oboe commissioned by Syracuse Vocal Ensemble to be premiered Friday, March 2, 2012.

Play the Tuneful Oboe: Works for Chorus and Oboe

Saturday, March 3, 2012, 7:30 PM
St. Charles Church
417 S. Orchard Rd., Syracuse

Sunday, March 4, 2012, 3:00 PM
Holy Cross Church
4112 E Genesee St., DeWitt

Cantata by J.S. Bach, commissioned work by Michael Dellaira, plus one additional work TBD, featuring Anna Peterson Stearns, oboe

Tickets: $16 adults, $14 seniors, $5 children
Visa and Mastercard accepted.
$2 presale discount. Payment must be received one week prior to concert. Phone 315-637-3899 for information.

Empyrean Ensemble: Ross Bauer 60th Birthday -- Composer Portrait Concert

Date: 
Sunday, January 22, 2012 - 7:00pm

Ross M. BauerRoss M. Bauer

On Sunday, January 22nd, the Empyrean Ensemble will present a concert in honor of composer Ross Bauer's 60th birthday (Nov 2011), at the Vanderhoef Studio Theatre, Mondavi Center, Davis, CA. Featured performers include Jean-Michel Fonteneau, cello, Eric Zivian, piano, Peter Josheff, clarinet and Michael Orland, piano. The program includes three works by Bauer, as well as Berio's Squenza IX for solo clarinet, and two world premiere works composed for this occasion by Harold Meltzer and Martha Horst.

ELIZA GARTH CELEBRATES THE JOHN CAGE CENTENNIAL

Date: 
Sunday, January 29, 2012 - 8:00pm

Eliza GarthEliza GarthOn Sunday, January 29, 2012 at 8PM, the League of Composers/ISCM and pianist Eliza Garth will celebrate the John Cage (1912-1992) centennial with a performance of Cage’s masterpiece for prepared piano, Sonatas and Interludes. Ms. Garth’s performance will be presented in Merkin Concert Hall at the Kaufman Center, located at 129 W. 67th Street in Manhattan. Merkin Concert Hall was chosen for this event because of its intimate atmosphere and exceptional acoustics.

Described by the writer James Pritchett as “a big piece with a quiet voice,” Sonatas and Interludes is meditative in its esthetic; the “preparation” of the piano transforms its sound into an ensemble of gongs, chimes, and magical effects.

A graduate of The Juilliard School, pianist Eliza Garth has achieved international distinction as a performer of the music of our time. An artist with a passionate voice and an adventurous spirit, she has championed some of the most demanding works in the repertoire; these include the complete solo piano works of Donald Martino, which she has recorded for the Centaur label. As stated in the New York Times, “Ms. Garth … has an exquisite ear for piano sound. One can think of no one better qualified to play this intricate, shining music.” Her performance of John Cage’s Sonatas and Interludes was recognized with an Individual Artist Award from the Maryland State Arts Council in 2010.

John Cage with pianist Maro Ajemian, who premiered Sonatas and Interludes in 1949: (c) by Richard RutledgeJohn Cage with pianist Maro Ajemian, who premiered Sonatas and Interludes in 1949: (c) by Richard Rutledge

Ticket info: $20 General Admission; $10 Students/Seniors; available at the box office the night of the concert, or by advance purchase as follows: Merkin Concert Hall Box Office: 212-501-3330, or click here.

African American Art Song Alliance Convention 2012 to feature songs by H. Leslie Adams

Date: 
Friday, February 10, 2012 - 2:00pm

African-American Art Song Alliance Conference, 2007African-American Art Song Alliance Conference, 2007

The African American Art Song Alliance Convention, will take place at the University of California Irvine, February 9-12, 2012. Founded in 1997 by Countertenor, Darryl Taylor, the AAASAC is home to shared activities and presentations between performers and scholars interested in art song repertoire composed by African-American composers.

Several works by H. Leslie Adams are scheduled to be presented this year, on February 10th at 2pm, in the Claire Trevor Theatre at UC Irvine.

Orlando Jacinto García featured in Chamber Music Magazine, January/February 2012 issue

Chamber Music Magazine, Vol. 29.1 Jan/Feb 2012Chamber Music Magazine, Vol. 29.1 Jan/Feb 2012Composer/Author Kyle Gann profiles composer Orlando Jacinto García in this month's issue of Chamber Music, a magazine publication of Chamber Music America. Gann, who has written several books on American music, the latest of which is No Such Thing as Silence: John Cage's 4'33" (Yale U Press), notes that while García's music tends to inhabit the sound world of the music of his teacher, Morton Feldman, García's music is more rhythmically dynamic. García's Silencios Imaginados (2001) for the "Pierrot" ensemble (perf materials available from ACA), Gann counts among his favorites by Garcia, citing the use of sparse textures, "avoiding conventional virtuosity...."

Happy Birthday to Burr Van Nostrand, December 30th

Rehearsal of "Voyage in a White Building"Rehearsal of "Voyage in a White Building"Burr Van Nostrand celebrates his birthday this year with planning and advising for the upcoming concert retrospective of his works to be presented at the New England Conservatory on Sunday, April 22, 2012.

Congratulations to NEC student Jason Belcher on his Entrepreneurial Musicianship Grant in support of this concert event. The driving force behind the resurrection of Van Nostrand's majestic and timeless music, Belcher has assembled many of the performers who premiered Van Nostrand's works in the 1970s, and who will be coaching and working with the students to prepare this upcoming concert. Read about this concert project here.

Composer (and cellist) Burr Van Nostrand was born in 1945, and recieved his Bachelor's and Master's Degrees from the New England Conservatory. He also studied in San Diego with Jonathan Glasier and also with Howard Brubeck.

The 'happening' that was the rehearsal for Van Nostrand's monumental Voyage in a White Building is captured in this photo from 1972. His works have been performed world-wide.

Happy Birthday to Burr, from ACA!

World premiere "Colors passing through us" by David Froom, February 11, 2012

Date: 
Saturday, February 11, 2012 - 5:00pm

Mezzo-soprano, Olivia VoteMezzo-soprano, Olivia VoteThe 21st Century Consort, Christopher Kendall, artistic director, will premiere David Froom's setting of poetry texts by Marge Piercy, with mezzo-soprano Olivia Vote, February 11, 2012, at McEvoy Auditorium, Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, DC.

Founded in 1975 as the 20th Century Consort, the group became the resident ensemble for contemporary music at the Smithsonian Institution in 1978. In its annual series at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Consort presents finely balanced concerts frequently related to the museum’s exhibitions, featuring music by living composers - often world premieres - along with 20th century classics.

Happy Birthday to Richard Brooks December 26th

UNT Musicians with Arturo Ortega, conductorUNT Musicians with Arturo Ortega, conductorRichard Brooks (R) with Arnold Greissle-Schönberg and Nancy BogenRichard Brooks (R) with Arnold Greissle-Schönberg and Nancy BogenRichard Brooks recently returned from the University of North Texas where he attended a performance of his arrangement of Georg Schoenberg's cantata, Mein Lebenslauf.

The composer explains: "This is only the second performance of this work by Arnold Schoenberg's eldest son. The original score was written for Baritone solo, SATB chorus and orchestra, but exists only in a piano-vocal form; he indicated some instrumentation but a full score has never been found. My arrangement uses a Pierrot ensemble. I am also working with Georg Schoenberg's heirs to prepare a complete edition of his music."

Brooks' American Elegy for string orchestra will be performed during the SCI Region III Conference at Christopher Newport University, Newport News, VA, in March, and then on June 2, his Four Miniatures for guitar and viola will be presented at a New York Composers Circle concert at Symphony Space Thalia.

Happy Birthday Richard Brooks!

RICHARD BROOKS (b. 1942) is a native of upstate New York and holds a B.S. degree in Music Education from the Crane School of Music, Potsdam College, an M.A. in Composition from Binghamton University and a Ph. D. in Composition from New York University.  From 1975-2004 he was on the music faculty of Nassau Community College where he was Professor and Department Chair for 22 years.

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