While the Weather Channel might only associate our flyover community with snow & cold every year, here in western New York at SUNY Fredonia things are heating up with the onset of the yearly NewSound Festival sponsored by the student-driven Ethos New Music Society. Since I started teaching here in 2007, we’ve continued a 30+ year tradition of spectacular guest composers and performers, and this year looks to be our largest festival to date. Since Fredonia is in driving distance (3 hrs or less) of so many different arts centers, including Buffalo, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Rochester, Syracuse & Toronto, it seemed only right to let y’all know what’s going on in our small but mighty new music haven here on the shores of Lake Erie. This year’s festival was curated to showcase the human voice and the wide array of composers and works that explore and expand the realm of vocal music in the 21st century.

First a round-up of the entire festival, which hits the ground running Friday evening in the Rosch Recital Hall (where all the events will be unless otherwise noted):

  • 1/28: Jamie Jordan, soprano w/ Daniel Pesca, piano & Sean Connors, percussion, 8pm, free
  • 2/4: Tony Arnold, soprano w/ Jacob Greenberg, piano, 8pm, free
  • 2/4: Opening of Notations21 Graphic Notation Scores exhibit with author and musicologist Theresa Sauer, 6-8pm in the Rockefeller Art Gallery, free
  • 2/11: NOW Ensemble and composers Missy Mazzoli, Corey Dargel and Judd Greenstein performing works of Mazzoli & Dargel, 8pm, $2 students/$5 public
  • 2/16: Lindsey Goodman, flute & voice, 8pm, free
  • 2/18: Florestan Recital Project with Aaron Engebreth, baritone and Alison d’Amato, piano, 8pm, $2 students/$5 public
  • 2/19: League of the Unsound Sound with composers David Smooke and Ruby Fulton, 8pm, free
  • 2/25: Chamber Music of Dan Welcher, 8pm, $2 students/$5 public
  • 2/26: SUNY Fredonia Wind Ensemble performing works by Welcher, Ives, Stravinsky and a world premiere by tubist/composer Jim Self, 8pm in King Concert Hall, free

The first concert with soprano Jamie Jordan will feature works by Hannah Lash, Zachary Wadsworth, Eric Nathan, Daniel Pesca and Michaela Eremiasova as well as our own Paul Coleman and the first of two performances of George Crumb’s Apparition (Tony Arnold will be performing the same work the following week). If you’re in the area, come join us for some great music-making!