Festival Submissions

This year the Festival of Contemporary Music celebrates its 9th season.  We received sixty-seven pieces submitted by forty-seven composers.  Each composer is allowed to submit up to two pieces.  Listening to each submission and making selections for the FCM is a long process.  This year there are three of us in the selection committee which helped to make the process a little easier.  After listening to all of the submissions the committee convened to discuss the submissions and make selections.

As with any open call for scores we received a wide variety of pieces in style and quality.  Fortunately it was not all "questionable" or bad.  We received many quality compositions.  Not enough, however, to justify opening a third concert date in the future, but plenty to make two high-quality concerts.

The 9th Annual Festival of Contemporary Music is a two-concert event that will take place on Saturday, July 20, 2011 and Saturday, August 13, 2011 at the San Francisco Community Music Center.  For more information please visit: www.newmusicforum.com.

New Release: Einojuhani Rautavaara - Kaivos

On Tuesday, February 22, 2011 Ondine Records released the premiere recording of Einojuhani Rautavaara's first opera Kaivos.  The Finnish-born Rautavaara composed this opera between 1957 and 1962.  This recording was produced in conjunction with the first live performance of the opera in September 2010.  The thematic allusions to the Hungarian uprising in 1956 had impeded the original stage production.  In 1963 a made for television production of Kaivos was aired making it the first Finnish Television opera.

The opera is in three acts and tells the story of an uprising of European miners in the 1950s.  Rautavaara considers this opera to be "perhaps the best opera I have ever written.  A real thriller whose underlying theme - that a human being defines himself through his choices - is nevertheless universal."

The cast on this recording features Hannu Niemelä as Simon, Johanna Rusanen-Kartano as Ira and Jorma Hynninen as the Comissar.  Hannu Lintu conducts the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra and the specially assembled Kaivos Chorus.

This recording is New Music Forum's Pick of the Month for February 2011.



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9th Annual Festival of Contemporary Music - dates announced

New Music Forum is excited to announce the dates for the 9th Annual Festival of Contemporary Music.  The annual two concert summer event will take place on Saturday, July 30, 2011 at 8:00 p.m. and Saturday, August 13, 2011 at 8:00 p.m.  Both concerts will take place at the San Francisco Community Music Center.

The call for scores will be published in the near future so please stay tuned. For more details please visit www.newmusicforum.com.

New Release: John Adams - Nixon in China

This is actually a new old release.  Nonesuch Records has re-released the original cast recording of John Adams's Nixon in China.  This recording features Sanford Sylvan as Chou En-Lai, James Maddalena as Richard Nixon, Thomas Hammons as Henry Kissenger and the Orchestra of St. Luke's conducted by Edo de Waart.

Originally released in 1987 the original cast recording of Nixon in China went on to win a Grammy Award in 1988 for Best Contemporary Composition.  As it nears its 25th anniversary in 2012, this opera has been regaining attention due to the popularity of Adams's recent opera Doctor Atomic.  This recording was to be re-released on January 25th, but was pushed back to a release date of February 1st.  This recording is New Music Forum's Pick of the Month for January 2011.


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2010 in review

Looking back at this past year I have come to see it as a year of transition.  I decided to compose more music for high school and junior high concert bands.  Rather than just composer the music and hope that someone will perform it I contacted people I know who direct concert bands and asked if they are interested in me composing a piece for their band.  I also felt that contacting the conductors was important because it gives me a goal and a timeline in which to compose this piece.  The plan is for me to compose four or five pieces and then create a mailer to try to market these pieces.  Of course I will still compose more wind ensemble pieces.

This past year I completed two pieces.  The most recent piece is Night Sky for concert band.  This is the first in the series I have listed above.  This piece is composed for Adam Noel and Joaquin Moraga Intermediate School Concert Band.  Night Sky was a big undertaking for me as it had been quite awhile since I have composed for a large ensemble.

The other piece I completed was Book 1 of Ètude Scéniques for solo trumpet.  These ètudes started off as exercises designed to retrain me to compose in a more tonal style.  I needed to do this in preparation for composing Night Sky.  My typical compositional style would likely have not been appropriate for this age group.

There are also two pieces that I am currently composing.  The first is my next wind ensemble piece Time in Memoriam.  I am writing this piece for Lee Morrison and New World School for the Arts High School Wind Ensemble.  I have recently begun work on the second half of this piece.  The other piece is my second collaboration with photographer Micheal Vickers, Trackings No. 2.  So far I have composed three of the six planned movements: numbers 1, 2 and 4.  The third movement is currently in progress.

In 2010 I received only one performance (that I know of), but it was worth it.  My piano piece 4-5 was beautifully performed by Stacey Barelos at the 8th Annual Festival of Contemporary Music.  I composed this piece in 2002 and it finally received its premiere performance in 2010.

There are a few non-compositional projects that I have started or continued in 2010 that I am proud of.  First is this blog.  This has been a great outlet for me to organize my thoughts and keep myself accountable.  I have also revamped and kept current the New Music Forum website.  In November I started a new blog focusing on an area of research in which I am interested: Color Music.  Through this blog I hope to define color music and further my research.

2010 was a challenging year for me on so many levels.  However, I do see this past year as a transitory year for me.  I have made a lot of decisions as to my direction and I have been able to keep up with multiple projects while working full time.  I am looking forward to seeing what 2011 brings.

New Release: Dmirti Shostakovich - Symphonies Nos. 2 & 11

On December 28, 2010 Harmonia Mundi released a new recording of Dmitri Shostakovich's Symphonies Nos. 2 and 11.  Valery Gergiev leads the Mariinsky Orchestra on this recording.  This is the sixth CD in Gergiev's Shostakovich cycle.  However, this is only the second recording with the Mariinsky Orchestra.  The other recording with this orchestra presents Symphonies Nos. 1 and 15.

This recording is New Music Forum's Pick of the Month for December 2010.



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New Release: Jukka Tiensuu - Orchestral Works

On Tuesday, November 16, 2010 Ondine released a new CD of compositions by Finnish-born composer Jukka Tiensuu.  There are three orchestral works featured on this CD.  Vie for orchestra and Missa for clarinet and orchestra were both composed in 2007 and False Memories I-III for orchestra was written in 2008.  These works are performed by the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra with John Storgårds conducting.  Clarinetist Kari Kriikku for whom Missa was composed is the soloist on this recording.  All three pieces presented here are world premiere recordings.

This recording is New Music Forum's Pick of the Month for November 2010.


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Lutoslawski's Last Concert

On Tuesday, October 26, 2010 Naxos released a recording of the last concert Witold Lutoslawski conducted.  The event took place on October 24, 1993 as a part of Toronto's New Music Concerts.  This concert features the trilogy Partita, Interlude and Chain No. 2 for violin and orchestra.  Fujiko Imajishi is the soloist on these tracks.  Chantefleurs et Chantefables as song cycle for soprano and orchestra is next on the recording sung by Valdine Anderson.  Chain No. 1 for fourteen performers finishes this concert.

This would be the last concert Lutoslawski would conduct as he would pass away almost four months later on February 7, 1994 at the age of 81.  This recording was released almost seventeen years after the date of the event.  This recording is New Music Forum's Pick of the Month for October 2010.


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New Release: Hilary Hahn - Higdon and Tchaiskovsky Violin Concertos

On Tuesday, September 21, 2010 Deutsche Grammophon will release violinist Hilary Hahn's latest CD.  This recording will feature violin concertos composed by Jennifer Higdon and Peter Tchaikovsky.  Hilary will be backed by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Vasily Petrenko, conductor.

As many of my friends know, Hilary is my favorite violinist.  Simply put she is brilliant.  She brings a new level of lyricism to whatever piece she plays.  On one of her previous CDs she recorded Arnold Schoenberg's Violin Concerto.  The performance was nothing short of phenomenal.  She brought out nuance and subtlety that breathed new life into the atonal work.

I look forward to hearing Jennifer Higdon's Concerto which was commissioned by the Indianapolis, Toronto and Baltimore symphonies and the Curtis Institute of Music for Hilary Hahn.  Higdon and I are alumni of the same university, though we do not know each other, Bowling Green State University.  Higdon graduated with her master's degree from there long before I was a student.

This release is New Music Forum's Pick of the Month for September 2010.  For more information visit: www.newmusicforum.com.

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New Music Forum aStore

A couple of days ago I signed up New Music Forum to be an affiliate of Amazon.com.  This means that if you click on special links from New Music Forum or this blog, such as the one below, then New Music Forum is entitled to a percentage of the order for being a referral.  My hope is not necessarily to make money off this program.  Rather, I hope to make it easier for people to find new releases of contemporary classical music, essential recordings or readings or anything else they want.

If you have not checked out New Music Forum lately, then please do so.  The are many exciting changes happening and new content is being added weekly.

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Concert #2 of the 8th Annual Festival of Contemporary Music

On Saturday, August 7th the second concert of the 8th Annual Festival of Contemporary Music took place.  This concert featured seven pieces, four of which were acoustic pieces and three were for instrument and electronics.  This was the first year in which we programmed three such pieces in one concert.  Actually, prior to this year we had programmed only one instrument and electronics piece total.  The setup for this concert provided a different set of challenges than we were used to, but we were able to get through each of these without many problems.

The acoustic pieces provided a wide variety of styles of music.  The first piece on the program was Paul Hembree's Passion for soprano, clarinet, percussion and double bass.  The concert ended with the final scene of John Bilotta's chamber opera Trifles.  I feel that this was our most ambitious program on the Festival yet.  All of the music was wonderfully performed and in spite of our best efforts the concert came off smooth and professional.  I am excited to see what next year brings!

FCM 8 - Concert #2 - Tonight

The 8th Annual Festival of Contemporary Music conludes tonight at 8:00 p.m. at the Community Music Center in San Francisco. Tickets are just $10 general/$5 student, senior and ARTSCard. The Community Music Center is located at 544 Capp Street, SF, CA.

Tonight’s Program:
Paul Hembree – Passion for soprano, clarinet, percussion and bass
Peter Lane – Aeromancer for bassoon and electronics
Helena Michelson – Romance for alto flute and piano
Jean Ahn – Berkeley Arirang for piano and electronics

INTERMISSION

Bruce Bennett – Translucent Night for trumpet and electronics
Hubert Ho – Meccanico for piano
John Bilotta – Trifles, Final Scene a chamber opera

8th Annual Festival of Contemporary Music - Concert #2

Tomorrow, August 7th, the Festival of Contemporary Music concludes with a concert at 8:00 p.m. at the San Francisco Community Music Center, 544 Capp Street.  This program will feature a variety of music in both acoustic and electroacoustic genres.  Tickets are only $10 for general admission and $5 for students and seniors.  For more information please visit: www.newmusicforum.com

Program #2
Paul Hembree - Passion for soprano, clarinet, percussion and double bass
Peter Lane - Aeromancer for bassoon and electronics
Jean Ahn - Berkeley Arirang for piano and electronics
Bruce Bennett - Translucent Night for trumpet and electronics
Helena Michelson - Romance for alto flute and piano
Hubert Ho - Meccanico for piano
John Bilotta - Trifles, Final Scene for chamber opera

New Music Forum Archives

Over the next few weeks I will be reposting articles, reviews and interviews on the New Music Forum website.  These archive postings will take place at least twice a week.  There may be some articles that I will cross-post on this blog.  It will depend on how pertinent the article is to what I am doing.

Recently I have reposted an interview with Alex Shapiro from 2002, a concert review of Elainie Lillios's music from 2008 and a review of Hilary Hahn's CD of the Schoenberg and Sibelius Violin Concertos.  Check out New Music Forum frequently for these reposts and new posts.  http://www.newmusicforum.com

8th Annual Festival of Contemporary Music - Press Release

The 8th Annual Festival of Contemporary Music will present two concerts—on Saturday, July 17, 2010 and Saturday, August 7, 2010.  Both concerts will begin at 8:00 p.m. at the San Francisco Community Music Center, 544 Capp Street.  This year’s Festival will feature twenty works by twenty composers.  Audience members will be able to meet the composers as all will be in attendance.  Tickets for each concert are $10 general admission and $5 for students, seniors and ARTSCard members.

The first concert, Saturday, July 17, 2010 will feature ten compositions of acoustic chamber music.  The spectrum of ensembles will include solo piano, solo guitar, and duos including voice, brass, piano, and harp.  The concert will include two world premieres of works by Brian Bice and Micheal Vickers as well as the American premiere of Canadian composer Sylvia Rickard’s Three Cabaret Songs.

The second concert, Saturday, August 7, 2010 will feature ten compositions of acoustic and electronic chamber music.  The spectrum of ensembles will include solo violin and solo piano, as well as works for acoustic instruments and electronics including bassoon, alto flute, soprano, clarinet, percussion, and bass.  This year we are pleased to end the Festival with the final scene of John Bilotta’s new chamber opera Trifles.

The Festival of Contemporary Music is presented under the direction of Brian Bice and John Bilotta.  Founded in 2003, the Festival of Contemporary Music has, prior to this year, presented 10 concerts featuring 82 compositions by 61 composers.  Among those works 15 have been world premiere performances.  This year marks the 8th Annual Festival and we are excited to present 20 more pieces during this two-concert event.

New Music Forum website revamped

Yesterday, June 30, 2010, the new version of the New Music Forum website went live.  The primary change is that New Music Forum is now powered by Word Press rather than Dot Net Nuke.  The new site will allow for easier updates which in turn should allow for more frequent updates and information.

So come on over and check out the new New Music Forum.  The website address is http://www.newmusicforum.com