Friday, January 15, 2010

Three Elegies selected for NYCC presentation at Bronx Science HS

My piece, Three Elegies, was chose for performance at the Bronx Science High School on January 6, 2010, and I answered a few questions from the students. Here is the blurb as written by the NYCC executive director, John de Clef Piñeiro.

On January 6, 2010, the NYCC gave two back-to-back recitals, each lasting a full school period, to nearly 200 students and their music faculty at the Bronx High School of Science (the NYCC's first Community Encores recital in a school venue to teenagers). In a survey of art songs spanning the last 100 years, soprano Sofia Dimitrova and pianist Catherine Miller, with introductions and commentary by executive director, John de Clef Piñeiro, presented samples of the new music vocal repertoire of Charles Ives, Aaron Copland, Gian Carlo Menotti, as well as music by current and former NYCC member composers. Notably, Composer Member Richard Russell was on hand to introduce and comment on the composition of his Three Elegies, and to answer questions from the audience. Both presentations were very well received and the NYCC was invited back by the faculty to give other future recitals. This first outreach recital of 2010 is part of an expanded series of outreach programs that the NYCC will present during the spring.

Here are some pics; click for larger size.



Wednesday, January 13, 2010

"A Poe Fantasia" to premiere Feb 2, 2010


In an upcoming recital, Soprano Sofia Dimitrova will premiere a new song cycle of mine, "A Poe Fantasia," based on poems of Edgar Allan Poe. The concert will be Tuesday, February 2, 2010, at 8pm and takes place at Saint Peter's Church in the Citigroup Building, Lexington Avenue and 54th Street. Sofia will be joined by accompanist Catherine Miller, and her sister, violinist Stanichka Dimitrova. Pieces on the evening include compositions by 2002 Pulitzer Prize winner Paul Moravec, György Kurtág, David Tcimpidis, and Evan Lewis. The suggested donation is $10. (Click the image for a larger view of the flier.)