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 Chen Yi, Samuel Jones, George Tsontakis, and Ellen Taaffe Zwilich are among the 18 composers commissioned by the Seattle Symphony for works to honor Gerard Schwarz during his final season with the orchestra, beginning in September. The so-called “Farewell Commissions”, funded with generous support from Agnes Gund and Charles Simonyi, pay tribute to Schwarz’s 26 seasons as the Seattle Symphony’s Music Director, recognizing his commitment to introducing new works as part of his artistic mission. The work by Samuel Jones, the orchestra’s Composer-in-Residence, will premiere on October 23rd, with the Zwilich commission following in February, and Chen Yi and Tsontakis in March. |
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 Huang Ruo will travel to Aldeburgh several times during the coming season, where he has been awarded a fellowship in the Jerwood Opera Writing Programme, one of the artist development programmes of Aldeburgh Music, home of the famous Festival. The fellowships are “designed for composers, writers and directors who want to widen their horizons and equip themselves to create contemporary work combining music, theatre and text.” Also in the UK, Shifting Shades recently received its European premiere with 17 performances August 8th-22nd at the Edinburgh Festival, choreographed by Michael Mao and performed by the Michael Mao Dance Company. Scored for cello, percussion, piano, with 18 beer bottles, Shifting Shades is phase one of a larger work, China Moves, which will be performed in its entirety next season in venues around the world. |
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 Shulamit Ran’s music was heard in live performance and over the airwaves in Europe during the summer.
In June, das was geschah (that which happened) was premiered at the Musica Sacra Festival in Nuremberg, Germany by the Raschèr Saxophone and the Ars Nova Copenhagen choir, directed by Paul Hillier. Taking its title from the poet Paul Celan, who used the phrase when referring to the Holocaust, the work had an impact summed up by the Nürnberger Nachrichten as: “very poetic, musically condensed, timeless and moving. …Smitten silence, then thunderous applause.”
In August, RTV Slovenia presented three radio programs on Ran’s music. Over the course of the series, listeners heard Sonatina for 2 flutes, Hyperbolae for piano, Private Game for clarinet and cello, Soliloquy for piano trio, Legends for orchestra, and the Violin Concerto. Watch also for the September/October issue of Chamber Music Magazine, which includes an article featuring Lyre of Orpheus, a work for string sextet with featured cello solo which was commissioned and premiered by Concertante in 2009, with partial funding from Chamber Music America. |
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 James Matheson:
Following Matheson’s signing with Theodore Presser Company this summer, several chamber works are now available for sale (see “Newly Published” below). Presser is pleased to welcome this impressive young composer to our catalog. Already much-lauded as an innovative new voice in concert music, he continues to grow and expand his musical outlook. His latest orchestral composition is a work for the New York Philharmonic which will premiere in December under the baton of Alan Gilbert. For more information, please visit his page in the Composer Gallery section of our website. |
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 Melinda Wagner will be composer-in-residence at Brandeis University in Waltham (MA) for the coming academic year. In spring, 2012, she will also be a visiting faculty member at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts. |
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| news from the world of OPERA |
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| Visit our new Opera page for news and information about opera |
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 Thomas Pasatieri: Dicapo Opera Theatre in New York presents 4 performances of The Seagull during September (23rd-26th) in a production that they will later take to Hungary in November for performances in Szeged, where it will also be broadcast on European television. Read more |
 Opera San Jose presents the west coast premiere of David Carlson’s Anna Karenina in September, with eight performances of a new version with added material. The role of Anna will be shared by Jasmina Halimic and Jouvanca Jean-Baptiste; the production is directed by Brad Dalton and conducted by Stewart Robertson. The opera originally premiered in 2007 at Florida Grand Opera. |
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 Five Boroughs Music Festival opens its 4th season in the New York City area with concerts devoted to the music of Ricky Ian Gordon, in Staten Island (September 19th) and Manhattan (20th). Deborah Selig (soprano), Katherine Drago (mezzo-soprano), William Ferguson (tenor) and Andrew Wilkowske (baritone) will sing several of Gordon’s songs, accompanied by the composer on piano, followed by a performance of Orpheus and Euridice with Ms. Selig, Todd Palmer (clarinet) and Melvin Chen (piano). Read more on Ricky Ian Gordon |
 Robert Baksa is the subject of an extended interview currently online at Opera Today, in which he talks about his background and musical life. He is the composer of two operas, Aria da Capo and Red Carnations, as well as an extensive catalogue of chamber music. |
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| recently released cds |
by Jason Eckhardt, David Felder, James Primosch, and John Melby.
For more info, click here |
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| currently online |
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| on our YouTube channel: |
| • William Schuman is featured as a guest on a television show from 1962, “What’s My Line?” |
| • Nina’s Aria from Thomas Pasatieri’s The Seagull |
| • David Carlson talks about the composition of Anna Karenina, as well as the set and costumes |
| • James Matheson Pull for Alto Saxophone and Piano |
| http://www.youtube.com/theodorepresser |
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| newly published |
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 arr. Margaret Bonds
In His Hand: Seven Spirituals
for voice and piano
Go Tell it on the Mountain
Ezek’el Saw the Wheel*
Didn’t it Rain!
Hold On*
Joshua Fit da Battle of Jericho*
I Got a Home in that Rock*
He’s Got the Whole World in His Hand*
451-40015
* orchestrated versions also available on rental
Stacy Garrop
Silver Dagger
for violin, violoncello, and piano
114-41406 (custom print)
 Ricky Ian Gordon
…and flowers pick themselves
for voice and piano
piano-vocal score of the 5 Songs
for High Voice and Orchestra
111-40230
 Lowell Liebermann
Nocturne No. 11, Op. 112
for solo piano
110-41787
Melinda Wagner
Pan Journal
for harp, 2 violins, viola, and cello
114-41405 (custom print)
Richard Wernick
Songs of Joy and Blessing
for oboe, guitar, piano, and percussion
114-41398 (custom print)
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James Matheson - New in our Catalog
On Spaces
for piano, Six-hands
110-41785 (custom print)
Buzz
for clarinet, violin, cello, and piano
114-41419 (custom print)
Contact
for alto saxophone and piano
114-41418 (custom print)
The Anatomy of Melancholy
for clarinet, violin, cello, and piano
114-41414 (custom print)
Quartet
for Bb soprano saxophone, violin, viola, and violoncello
114-41427 (custom print)
Fault Lines
for violin, viola, cello, and piano
114-41412 (custom print)
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 Leos Janacek
The Cunning Little Vixen
study score UE034126
piano/vocal score UE033550
[Universal Edition]
Gustav Mahler
from The New Study Score Series:
Symphony No. 1 UE034314
Symphony No. 3 UE034316
Symphony No. 4 UE034317
Boxed set of 7 orchestral scores UE045609
(also available separately, as indicated).
Includes:
Des Knaben Wunderhorn Vol.1 UE034131
Des Knaben Wunderhorn Vol.2 UE034132
Kindertotenlieder UE034113
Lieder nach Texten von Friedrich Rückert UE034122
Symphony No.1 UE034314
Symphony No.3 UE034316
Symphony No.4 UE034317
[Universal Edition] |
| See all of the latest publications from Theodore Presser Company and our affiliated publishers here. |
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