Violin Sonata to Premiere May 11

Stani Dimitrova will premiere my first Violin Sonata on May 11 at 3pm, with Jenny Huang gracing the piano. The venue is the historic Blessed Sacrament Church at 152 West 71 in Manhattan. Also on the bill is Sofia Dimitrova who will be performing a special piano/vocal arrangement of my Three Elegies, written just for this occasion.

Violin, soprano, and piano make a terrific combination! Other pieces are by Mozart, Saint-Saëns, and my colleagues Evan Lewis and Rafael Fusco. The performance is being presented by the Musica Bella Orchestra.

Admission is by donation. Click the image for larger size!

Spring 2008 Preview

Spring is in the air, and that means Spring concerts on the way. This half of the season will see the premiere of my first Violin Sonata, and a fresh performance of my Three States of Water (for three flutes) at New York University. As well, I'll have something new in store for a chamber music concert hosted by the Musica Bella Orchestra in May, just before we head off for summer fun and relaxation.

Stay tuned!

"The Duel" premiere

I have to apologize for the quality of the picture, but no qualms can be made about the quality of the concert presented last Friday. This terrific program featured percussionist Stephen Solook in an ambitious program of contemporary music and was delightful to hear. Steve was joined by soprano Tiffany Du Mouchelle and bass clarinet Adam Berkowitz on my piece, The Duel. Bonus: I got to turn pages on the piano part of Rosauro's Concerto #1 for marimba. A shout-out to Steve, who will be performing this piece on March 15 with the Brooklyn Conservatory Community Orchestra. See www.bcco.info for location, etc.

Flier for Friday's Concert

Percussionist Stephen Solook made a great flier for the concert this Friday, February 29, in which The Duel will premiere. (Click image for a larger size view.) See you there!

The Duel to premiere Feb 29

Tonal Center Trio, a trio comprised of Tiffany DuMouchelle (soprano), Stephen Solook (percussion), and Adam Berokwitz (clarinet), will premiere my new comic (yet dramatic!) piece, The Duel, next Friday, February 29. This concert is sponsored by the Lawyers Orchestra, and is being presented by their concert series, Friday Evening Chamber Music. The concert has a rush hour start time: 6pm, and the venue is the Bar Association, 42 West 44 Street (between Fifth and Sixth Avenues) in New York. Other composers on the bill are Gordon Stout, David Maslanka, David Loeb, Frederic Rzewski, and Ney Rosauro. (An admission charge is still being determined, but estimate $15.)

Rilke Songs at Mannes

A great concert yesterday at Mannes College of Music, with compositions by Wayne Alpern, Chris Park, David Ames, Wendy Griffiths, Faye Ellen Silverman, and Ryan Tracy. The highlight for me was (of course!) my Two Rilke Songs, performed by Sofia Dimitrova, Stani Dimitrova, and Tomoko Nakayama. Here's a pic, click for larger size.

Two Rilke Songs at Mannes College on Feb 17

Sofia Dimitrova and Stani Dimitrova will be performing my Two Songs of Rilke on Sunday, February 17 at 1:30 pm. They will be joined by pianist Tomoko Nakayama, who premiered the piece with these two last summer. Also on the program are pieces by other Mannes College faculty and alumni. Every year this is a varied and interesting concert, so there's something for everyone! I hope to see you there. This is a free concert with no tickets or reservations necessary. Mannes is at 150 West 85th Street, between Columbus and Amsterdam, and the Concert Hall is on the second floor.