Christopher O’Riley performs his final recital in the 2+2=5 Series tomorrow night at Miller Theatre. Each of the programs has featured a pairing of a classical composer and O’Riley’s transcriptions of songs by a pop musician. Thus far, the recitals have featured Shostakovich / Radiohead & Debussy / Nick Drake. Tomorrow’s program pairs Schumann and Elliott Smith. Yesterday, O’Riley released a digital single on iTunes of his interpretation of Kurt Cobain’s Heart Shaped Box. It’s featured on the iTunes’ “Rock” page! On May 5th the digital single will be widely released to other music download sites. A Heart Shaped Box ring tone can
Read moreThe Ditmas Park Concert Series is up and running for its second season. Curated by Jody Redhage, there will be five concerts in the series. Friday, May 1 / 9:00 pm Erica von Kleist Trio, 10:30 pm John Ellis Trio / Sycamore Bar & Flower Shop, 1118 Cortelyou Rd. at Westminster Rd., Brooklyn, NY (Q to Cortelyou Rd) $10 Sunday, May 10 / 4:00 pm Janus / Temple Beth Emeth, 83 Marlborough Rd. at Church Ave., Brooklyn, NY (B/Q to Church Ave) $10 Saturday, May 23 / 9:00 pm Dan Pratt Organ Quartet / Sycamore Bar & Flower Shop, 1118 Cortelyou
Read moreElsie Driggs’ Queensborough Bridge, 1927. Pictures 2009 Concert: New Jersey students explore the intersection of music and visual art. Sunday, April 26, 2pm (Pre-concert Panel at 1:30pm) Montclair Art Museum/NJAC 3 South Mountain Avenue, Montclair, NJ $15 Adults / $10 Students / Online Tickets Available here. For the fourth annual edition the Pictures Composition Contest, New Jersey students were asked to compose music inspired by visual art exhibited in the Montclair Art Museum. EXIT 9 Percussion Group will perform quartets written by the students. In addition, they will premiere the 2009 Ionisation Commission, SPAN, by Darren Gage.
Read moreSwiss oboist/composer/conductor extraordinaire Heinz Holliger will be in New York City for two concerts on April 21st and 22nd, honoring both his 70th birthday and the recent 100th birthday of Elliott Carter . The concerts are at the 92nd Street Y. Wednesday’s show features a “preconcert” concert at 6:30 with several recent shorter works by Carter. To celebrate Holliger’s 70th (which occurs May 21st), ECM will release Romancendres on May 19th. Two important Holliger pieces, both of them inspired by Robert Schumann, are combined with a chamber work by Clara Schumann. They all intersect in the year 1853, when 20-year-old
Read moreApril 18, 2009 is National Record Store Day. Despite the embattled state of the “brick and mortar” retail record business, dozens of shops are planning a host of events, including in-store performances, giveaways, and the sale special products (including limited edition 7” vinyl singles) to celebrate the day. A website has been set up, listing participating stores and events occurring on the 18th. Last year, Kay and I had a grand time on Record Store Day in New Jersey, visiting Vintage Vinyl, Princeton Record Exchange, and Jack’s. This year, we’re planning to check out the aforementioned, plus Sound Station in
Read moreEnglish imprint NMC is celebrating its twentieth anniversary with a special 4-disc CD boxed set. NMC Songbook features vocal music by a number of the UK’s finest and most prominent contemporary composers: Birtwistle, Davies, Weir, Goehr, Finnissy, Bryars, Harvey, Turnage, and many, many more. These are interspersed with galliards by British Renaissance composer Thomas Morley, arranged for modern forces by Colin Matthews. For those who’d like to perform some of this repertoire, it’s available for download at Sheet Music Direct. Featuring both composers associated with vocal music and those for whom song is a comparatively rare venture, the songbook
Read moreAs Anthony Cornicello reported on Saturday, William Paterson University of New Jersey is letting Peter Jarvis go from their faculty. Sequenza 21 last reported about Jarvis just weeks ago, announcing a concert on which he was premiering pieces by several faculty composers at TCNJ, another small institution in the New Jersey state college system. This type of activity, supporting the work of area composers through dedicated, well-prepared performances, is just one of the many ways Pete has contributed to the musical vitality of a number of institutions of higher education in New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut. He’s also commissioned
Read morePoul Ruders and David Starobin Thursday, March 26, 2009, at 7:30 pm Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue at 38th Street Scandinavia House and Bridge Records are hosting a birthday concert for Poul Ruders tomorrow night. The program features the world premiere of Pages I-X (2008) performed by guitarist David Starobin, and the US premiere of Serenade on the Shores of the Cosmic Ocean, performed by avant-accordionist Mikko Luoma and the iO String Quartet. Also on the program are: Regime (1984), Juilliard Percussion Ensemble Star Prelude and Love Fugue (1990), Vassily Primakov, piano New Rochelle Suite (2005), David Starobin, guitar; Daniel
Read moreIt might be a small, unassuming, and verdantly appointed campus, but within lurks a strong new music contingent! The College of New Jersey is having a faculty composer recital next week. Peter Jarvis, director of the New Jersey Percussion Ensemble, will be performing the premiere of Carlton Wilkinson’s piece for drum set Jungle 5-7675, a work he commissioned, on the program this coming Thursday. Four other composers on faculty will also be featured. Music Faculty Composers Recital Featuring works by Robert Young McMahan, Teresa Nakra, Ralph Russell, William Trigg, and Carlton Wilkinson. Thursday, March 5, 2009 @ 8 PM Mildred
Read moreTwo of New York New Music Ensemble’s members, clarinetist Jean Kopperud and pianist Stephen Gosling, will be premiering six new pieces at Merkin Concert Hall on Monday, Feb. 23 at 8 PM. The pieces were composed for the duo by Eric Moe, Paolo Cavallone, Steve Ricks, David Felder, James Primosch, Jason Eckardt, and Harvey Sollberger. Apparently they’re calling this the Rated X Project, but we’re hoping everyone at Merkin keeps their clothes on. Really.
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