Exploring the Metropolis, an organization that helps  performing artists get workspace, administers  a 3-month musicians’ residency for composers based in NYC.   Composers who are selected receive three months of free workspace at a cultural or community facility and a $1,000 stipend.  This year, the organization is expanding the program to 8 NYC-based composers and four facilities in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens. Heading into its third year, the Con Edison Musicians’ Residency: Composition Program serves three constituencies: composers, who get consistent, long-term, private creative space; host cultural facilities, who fill underused space and also present the composer in a public program;

Hello Jerry Bowles, Kyle Bartlett here, I am a composer and also the New Works Administrator for the Opera Company of Philadelphia. I am hoping you may post information about our Composer In Residence search (press release attached). In short form, the selected composer will be given free access to the resources of the Opera Company of Philadelphia, Gotham Chamber Opera, and Music-Theatre Group, for the purposes of learning and experimentation, as well as a salary of $60K per year plus benefits, for three years. For real. The deadline for entries is coming up very quickly: April 22, 5PM Eastern

Sunday was a big day for the brilliant young Slovakian contrabassist Roman Patkoló.  First, he played two new works commissioned especially for him by the Anne-Sophie Mutter Foundation–Duo concertante for Violin and Contrabass by Krzysztof Penderecki and Dyade for violin and contrabass by Wolfgang Rihm–at Avery Fisher Hall with the dazzling Frau Mutter on violin. Then, after the concert, Mutter presented him with the first ever Aida Stucki Award, a new honor for gifted musicians named for her beloved childhood teacher. “Aida is 90 now and we wanted to do something to honor her while she is still around to enjoy it,” Mutter

Among your name brand violinists, Anne Sophie-Mutter has been the most ardent champion of modern and new music.  There are few, if any, 20th century violin masterworks that she hasn’t played and/or recorded.  She rarely does a concert without modern pieces and her appearance with a group of  chamber music all-stars at Avery Fisher Hall at 3 pm this Sunday, April 3,  is no exception.  In addition to the Beethoven String Trio in G Major op 9, No. 1 and Mendelssohn’s Octet for Strings, she will be teaming up with the brilliant young double bassist, Roman Patkoló, for the U.S. premiere

Hilary Hahn was supposed to be in Japan this week on a recital tour with her frequent collaborator Valentina Lisitsa but nature had other plans.  The catastrophic  twin disasters of a 9.0-magnitude earthquake and powerful subsequent tsunami on March 11 took the lives of thousands of Japanese citizens and have left thousands more without homes, electricity, or access to clean water. Hahn’s Japan concerts were understandably canceled so she decided to use the time to organize and play four Japan-relief benefit concerts in the United States this week. “I had been looking forward to performing in Japan: the country is unlike

If you’re looking for a place to hang out with some pretty famous composers, polish off your latest  music project and hear it played in a historic venue by professional musicians in front of a real audience, make new friends and music world connections, win a composition prize, and maybe even meet the girl or boy of your dreams (or bring them along if you already have), I have a suggestion for you:  Pavia.  Located a mere 35 clicks from the Milan airport, the ancient university town (pop. 70,000, 20,000 of them students) in northern Italy’s Lombardy region will host

Ladies and gentlemen, for your St. Patrick’s Day dining and dancing pleasure, here is the fourth movement of Ben Johnston’s String Quartet No. 10. I think you will recognize the melody although it doesn’t become obvious until near the end. (Click the link to play) 4th Movement #10  Ben Johnston Here are Ben’s notes on why he selected this particular melody: This theme embodies certain contradictions which allow me to make a sincere, precise statement, much in the manner of a fine stand-up comedian.   I am myself descended from the British Isles, and have read extensively about the pre-Christian civilization,

In every field of endeavor, there are people who are famous for being unknown.  Perhaps unknown is the wrong word–more like known and admired mainly by others in the same field who wonder why they aren’t better known to the public at large.  Despite having published several admired novels,  William Gaddis was known mainly to other writers.  For many years, my friend, the sadly late Steve Lacy, was known mainly to other jazz players. Ben Johnston, born 85 years ago today in Macon, Georgia, is such a person.  One of the few composers alive who can claim to have studied

Joe Morello, the adventuresome drummer in Dave Brubeck’s most famous quartet, has died at 82. Tucked away at the bottom of his obituary in the New York Times is this gem: Joseph A. Morello was born in Springfield, Mass., on July 17, 1928. Sight-impaired from an early age, he took up the violin at 6 and performed Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E minor with the Boston Symphony Orchestra three years later. According to a biography on his Web site, Mr. Morello gave up the violin for drums at 15, after meeting his idol, the violinist Jascha Heifetz. Reminds me of

Looks like I”m doing some softball questions again.  For a pair of pretty expensive tickets to the NYPhil performance of  Bartók’s Bluebeard’s Castle, led by Esa-Pekka Salonen, at Avery Fisher Hall on March 18, who can answer any of the following questions. Where in New York did Bartók live when he died on September 26, 1945.  (Street and nearest cross-street) In what hospital did he die? Where is his grave? What was the last work that he completed? What friend of mine lived for several years in the same building? Answer one or more and you might be a winner.