IN THE LOOP

IN THE LOOP

Friday, May 16, 2008 6:03 PM

What strange weather we’ve been having in New York! Beautiful one day, then hot, then cold, sunshine, rain… It’s like April showers and May flowers got their months mixed up. But one thing you won’t want to have mixed up on your calendar is the May 20 NYCC concert. That’s next Tuesday! Lots of great stuff on tap: The winning piece of our first Composition Competition (by DANA DIMITRI RICHARDSON) will be presented. We’ll also hear from this year’s Honorary Member, DINU GHEZZO, who has (not coincidentally) been very helpful in launching this concert at New York University. Other composers include EUGENE MARLOW, RICHARD MCCANDLESS, MIKI NAKANISHI, JOSEPH PEHRSON, RICHARD RUSSELL, and MATTHEW P. STECKLER. (And here’s a huge thanks in advance to our producer, RICHARD BROOKS!) It promises to be a terrific, exciting concert in a new venue for the NYCC: NYU’s Frederick Loewe Theater, 35 West 4th Street, starting at 8pm. Bonus fact: I believe this is NYCC’s first concert below 14th Street!

_______________

And can you believe June will be here in two weeks? While we’re thinking about calendars and dates, make a note that the final concert of the season is very soon: June 7. More details about that in a future In the Loop. (Or, if you just can’t wait, head to the calendar section of nycomposerscircle.org)

_______________

DON HAGAR writes with a correction for the May 24 concert notice about the Xanthos Ensemble. The venue has been changed to Roulette, 20 Greene St. (between Canal and Grand St.); and the performance will start at 8:00 p.m. The full press release can be found at the May 6 posting, below.

_______________

This Sunday we’ll hold our May 18 Sunday Salon at the Ellington Room, Manhattan Plaza 400 W 43, second floor (enter 9th Avenue) from 2-5pm. We have several live performances on offer! Here’s the revised program:

1.  Discussion of Organizational Matters and Reports 

2.  Audio-Visual Presentation

MARTIN HALPERN will be presenting a DVD of his recently produced chamber opera The Damned Thing.  He will also be sharing with us his thoughts on the work.

3.  Audition of Members’ Works

GENE MCBRIDE — Chaja’s Consolation for soprano and piano (to be performed live by

Demetra Adams and Gene McBride) it is the first vocal of an opera work in progress  3 minutes

GENE MCBRIDE — Sentient Moments for solo piano

(to be performed live by Gene McBride)  3 minutes 

CHRISTOPHER MONTGOMERY — Two Cities for chamber orchestra, 12:28 minutes 

JOSPEH PEHRSON —  Quixoddities for bassoon and piccolo (which was recently premiered in St. Petersburg, Russia)  9 minutes

DON HAGAR — Skeleton Earth for voice and piano (to be performed live by Tamara Cashour and Cesar Vuksic) 2 minutes

TAMARA CASHOUR — Six Lyrics of Marilyn Hacker for Mezzo Soprano, guest Soprano, Flute, English horn, Guitar, and Piano (MIDI version of work)  15 minutes

4.  Audition of Guest’s Works (time permitting)

Cory Daniel Fields — (two live performances of works by this guest may be presented,

time permitting)  

Duet for Horn and Viola with hornist Katherine Smith and Violist Jen Herman. 5 mins

Three Rustic Scenes  (2nd mov’t) with violinist David Bousso and pianist Jason Wirth. 5 mins

5.  Conclusion and Refreshments