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See the latest: Premieres Performances Reviews Recordings Photos
 
nissim prize awarded to martin kennedy  
Martin KennedyMartin Kennedy’s Trivial Pursuits for violin and orchestra has been awarded the 2010 Rudolf Nissim Prize by the ASCAP Foundation. Kennedy studied at Indiana University (Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees) and received his doctorate from Juilliard. He currently teaches composition at Washington University in St. Louis. Also recognized by the ASCAP Foundation with Special Distinction is Clint Needham for The Body Electric for orchestra.
 
music for president's day  
New to the catalogue is Lincoln’s Battle by Stella Sung: a nine-minute orchestral portrait depicting Lincoln’s political struggles during the Civil War while privately battling depression.

Other works about Presidents from Theodore Presser and Carl Fischer:
Charles Ives Lincoln, the Great Commoner (for Voices & Orchestra)
Lawrence W. Curry Lincoln Speaks (for Narrator, Chorus, Band)
Eusebia Hunkins Young Lincoln I(Folk Opera in One Act)
  Young Lincoln II (for Solo Voices, Chorus, Children’s Chorus and Piano)
William Kraft A Kennedy Portrait (Contextures III) (for Narrator & Orchestra)
Daniel Gregory Mason A Lincoln Symphony (for Orchestra)
Vincent Persichetti A Lincoln Address (for Narrator & Orchestra)
Behzad Ranjbaran Thomas Jefferson (for Narrator, Solo Cello & Orchestra)
Bernard Rogers Elegy (to the Memory of Franklin D. Roosevelt) (for Flute, 2 Horns, Timpani & Strings)
Elie Siegmeister Abraham Lincoln Walks at Midnight (for Chorus and Orchestra)
Anthony Strilko March and Funeral Music (In Memoriam John F. Kennedy) (for Orchestra)
Steven Stucky August 4, 1964 (Concert Drama for Solo Voices, Chorus and Orchestra;
    about two key incidents in Lyndon B. Johnson’s presidency)
Stella Sung Lincoln’s Battle (for Orchestra)
Jaromir Weinberger Lincoln Symphony (for Orchestra)
Dan Welcher JFK: the Voice of Peace (Oratorio for Narrator, Solo Cello, Chorus & Orchestra)
 
added to our YouTube channel  
      youtube.com/theodorepresser
 
Performances of

William Schuman’s Be Glad Then, America (from “New England Triptych”)
George Rochberg’s Symphony No. 2 (mvt. 1)
Behzad Ranjbaran’s Shiraz

 
composer activities  
Steven StuckySteven Stucky is featured guest composer at the Winnipeg New Music Festival “Breaking New Ground”, February 6-12. Performances include Second Concerto for Orchestra, Percussion Concerto (Byron Wood, soloist), Threnos, and Radical Light with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra under Alexander Mickelthwate, and Three Little Pieces for David (for piano) performed by Jenny Lin. Also featured on pre-concert performances are Meditation and Dance, and Album Leaves. From there, he travels to Oregon where he is Composer-in-Residence February 15-19 with the Eugene Symphony, who will perform Second Concerto for Orchestra (Pulitzer Prize 2005) on the 18th, as well as chamber works.

Lee HylaLee Hyla: on February 8 the Chicago Chamber Musicians will present Lee Hyla on their Composer Perspectives series at Roosevelt University. This series gives today’s leading composers an opportunity to curate an evening of their own music alongside works that have served as sources of inspiration. CCM will perform Chicago Premieres of Hya’s Warble for flute and piano, Wilson’s Ivory Bill for baritone and piano, and Pre-Pulse Suspended for 12 instruments. In May, they will feature Steven Stucky on this same series, presenting a concert of his works alongside Debussy, Ravel and Lutoslawski. For more information, click here

Ricky Ian GordonRicky Ian Gordon is the featured composer Opera America’s Salon Series on February 10th, held at their headquarters in New York City. Selections from his operas and songbooks will be performed by Devon Guthrie, soprano, Rebecca Loeb, mezzo-soprano, John Myers, tenor and Aaron Theno, baritone, accompanied by the composer on the piano.

Chen YiChen Yi: is Guest Composer/Professor at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville (TN) Jan. 31– Feb. 2, where she gives a masterclass, and a concert which includes Spring Dreams (chorus), Near Distance, and Wu Yu (chamber ensembles) takes place on Feb. 1st.
     On Feb. 20th, she gives a presentation on “Traditional Cultural Influence on Contemporary Chinese Composers” at Stanford University during the symposium "Performing the Modern: The Politics of Culture and the Arts in Early 20th-Century China.”
     In late January, the Strike duo (Jeffery Meyer, piano, Paul Vaillancourt, percussion) held CD release concerts in Evanston (IL), Decorah (IA) and Iowa City (IA) which included China West Suite; this spring, they will also perform the work at Cornell University (April 19th).

Margaret BrouwerMargaret Brouwer is featured on New Music Box with a profile and interview by Frank J. Oteri, covering her career from being a successful orchestral and recording session violinist to her eventual shift towards composing. The interview includes a full transcript of the conversation as well as a video edit alongside select live performance excerpts. Brouwer also goes into great detail about her compositional style and many other thoughts on composing and contemporary music.

Shulamit RanShulamit Ran is Howard Hanson Visiting Professor of Music at Eastman School of Music, where during February, March and April, she will spend a week each month. She will give masterclasses and colloquia, and during her first visit, Chicago Skyline will be performed on Februrary 17th. Performances in subsequent visits include Under the Sun’s Gaze (Concerto da Camera III) and Soliloquy (piano trio).

Stewart GrantStewart Grant has been commissioned by the Saskatoon Youth Orchestra for a work to be premiered at a Gala Concert in February, 2010. Grant, who is also an oboist and conductor, was recently named Conductor of the Lakeshore Chamber Orchestra, which performs in West Island, near Montreal.

Chris BrubeckChris Brubeck: At the recent Kennedy Center honors for father Dave Brubeck, Chris Brubeck and his three brothers made a surprise appearance during a performance of Blue Rondo à la Turk. The video can be viewed here
 
newly published works  
Peter Schickele
Morning Music

for Piano, Four Hands

While composers rarely need to explain the genesis of a work, Schickele tells us that this new 11-minute piano duet "simply wanted to be written." He likens the work to an Indian morning raga, to be played at sunrise, describing it as a string of beads. "Each bead is a concentrated, somewhat static musical section...but they all have a rather hypnotic quality." Written in 1983, this publication reflects the final 2009 revisions.

460-00097 • $15.95  Add to Cart


now also available in separate editions

Our 2009 publication, Eight Visions — A New Anthology for Flute and Piano, presents eight new works by eight exciting composers, a wealth of new contemporary music for flutists. Commissioned for and curated by Marya Martin through Meet the Composer, Eight Visions has assembled an impressive roster of composers,and an impressive list of works, all written especially for this collection. Read more about Eight Visions here.

We are pleased to now publish works by two very special composers in separate editions —

Kenji Bunch
Velocity
for Flute and Piano
114-41396 • $14.95  Add to Cart
Chen Yi
Three Bagatelles
from China West

for Two Flutes
114-41397 • $12.95  Add to Cart
 
recently released cds  
by William Kraft and Victoria Bond
Click here for more info
Kraft: Vintage Renaissance Bond: Peculiar Plants
 
february birthdays  
Congratulations to Margaret Brouwer (70) and Jay Reise (60)
04 Bernard Rogers (1893-1968)
07 Robert Baksa (1938)
08 Margaret Brouwer (1940)
09 James Drew (1929)
09 Jay Reise (1950)
21 Walter Hartley (1927)
21 Carter Pann (1972)
22 Lowell Liebermann (1961)
23 Lejaren Hiller (1924-1994)
25 Melinda Wagner (1957)
 
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