Atlanta composers in New York City

Hello all -

Just dropping in to inform you that three Atlanta-connected composers will be on the New York City Electroacoustic Music Festival, April 2-4.

Among the 100+ composers on the festival will be Emory University's Steve Everett, as well as ex-Atlantans Daniel Swilley and yours truly.

for more info, see: www.nycemf.org

cheers,
asn

neoPhonia New Music Ensemble Concert Friday (2/20)

This is from Dr. Demos at GSU:

You are cordially invited to the third neoPhonia New Music Ensemble concert of the 2008/09 season.

We explore the world of wind music in a concert entitled AIR. Works for brass and woodwinds will be performed by student members of neoPhonia as well as special guest artists duoATL (Nicole RANDALL, flute & Brian LUCKETT, guitar) and GSU faculty member, Ken LONG, clarinet.

If you are able, please join us on Friday, February 20 at 7:30 PM in the Kopleff Recital Hall on the campus of Georgia State University in lovely downtown Atlanta. The concert is, of course, FREE and open to the public.
program:

Paths by Toru TAKEMITSU
Lost Hollow Road by Brian CHAMBERLAIN
Elements of Nature by Paul OSTERFIELD
Gra by Elliott CARTER
Four Sketches for Brass Quintets by Anthony PLOG

The Kopleff Recital Hall is located within the Arts and Humanities Building which is on the corner of Peachtree Center Avenue and Gilmer Street in downtown Atlanta. Street parking may be available in this area, or you may use I-Lot (Peachtree Center Ave). For more detailed directions and maps, please check out the GSU School of Music website at:

http://www.music.gsu.edu

As always, you will be able to meet and greet the composers and performers after the concert at a reception hosted by the GSU Student Chapter of the Society of Composers, Inc. (SCI).

Hope to see you there!

Alvin Singleton and Jennifer Higdon Giving Talk March 1

American Originals: Art is the Ultimate Democracy
Complimentary admission
Sunday March 1, 2009
7:00 pmAtlanta Symphony Hall Stage

Due to space limitations, RSVPs are strongly encouraged.To RPVP for this event, please call 404.733.4850.For additional information, contact Melanie Darby at 404.733.4870.

Explore the inspiration and music of award-winning composers Jennifer Higdon and Alvin Singleton! Art is a language composed with rhythm, form, and style. Poetry and music intertwine. Is it any wonder that composers are inspired by prose? Join Jennifer Higdon - the most performed living American composer working today - in a dialogue with our own Music Director Robert Spano, award-winning poet Dr. Jeanne McGinn, Chair of the Liberal Arts Department for The Curtis Institute of Music, and Atlanta Composer Alvin Singleton. Led by ASO Insider Ken Meltzer, this Conversation of Note will reveal the inspiration of an "Atlanta School" Composer!

Below is a note from the coordinator Melanie Darby:
"Maestro Spano, Jennifer Higdon, and Alvin Singleton will all perform snippets of their music on piano during the event. It (the advertisement) also doesn’t tell you about the exciting pre-lecture opportunity I’ve arranged for you! Since this Conversation is focusing on the deep connections between poetry and music, I have arranged for a truly dynamic poet to perform before the lecture begins. Her name is Jessica Hand (see bio below). Jessica will be performing her own works with flute accompaniment. This is most certainly not a standard poetry reading. "

Jessica Hand Bio

Jessica D. Hand earned a Creative Writing BA (as well as a BA in Psychology) from Carnegie Mellon University, where she had the pleasure of working extensively with Jim Daniels and Terrance Hayes. She is now working on her MFA in poetry at Georgia State University, where she also teaches Freshman Composition. Her publications include the minnesota review, Redactions, Limp Wrist, and Java Monkey Speaks 2, among others. She was a finalist for River Styx’s 2008 International Poetry Contest. Her poem Jesus Mirror won the 2008 Agnes Scott Literary Festival Poetry Competition, judged by Martín Espada, and Jess was a finalist for the same competition in 2007, judged by Yusef Komunyakaa. Ode to My Pentecostal Right Arm is currently nominated for a Pushcart Prize. She has featured in many venues, including Java Monkey, Outwrite, the Decatur Book Festival, and the Portfolio Center.

New Online Work: Piano Etudes

Wanted to let you all know about a new web-based work of mine that launched today, Piano Etudes. On the site, you can create and share your own unique versions of four open-form piano works; these can also be performed live in concert by a pianist. (The first performance in Atlanta will be in April at Spivey.) Hope you enjoy!

duoATL Concert on Tuesday (2/10) featuring 3 Atlanta Composers

Flutist Nicole Randall and Guitarist Brian Luckett team up as duoATL to perform February 10 at 8pm at Emerson Hall in the Schwartz Center at Emory University. Admission is Free!

duoATL was founded in 2005 by classical guitarist Brian Luckett and flutist and composer Nicole Randall. The duo aspires to explore the incredibly intriguing and ever growing repertoire written for flute and guitar. This dynamic pairing of instruments has inspired a great diversity of composers to write for it, resulting in an exciting body of repertoire from the 20th and continuing into the 21st century. In addition to performing and recording music from the current repertoire, duoATL aims to bring both newly commissioned and original music to the concert stage. To learn more about duoATL got to http://www.duoatl.com/

Below is the program for the duoATL concert:

Libertango (1973) - Astor Piazzolla(1921–1992) arr. duoATL

Lost Hollow Road (2007) - Brian Chamberlain (b. 1977)
I . Glimpses
II . Reflections
III . Shadows

Serenata al Alba del Dia (1985) - Joaquin Rodrigo (1901–1999)
I . Andante moderato
II . Allegro

West End Funk (2007) - Brian Luckett

I Loved Lucy (1996) - Michael Daugherty (b. 1954)

Confidencial No. 2 (1989) - Alejandro Yague (b. 1947)

Suite Buenos Aires (1995) - Maximo Diego Pujol (b. 1957)
I. Pompeya

Acrobats (2002) - David Leisner (b. 1953)
I . In the Wings
II. Flashback
III . Up in the Air

Mangosteen (2008) - Nicole Randall (b. 1977)

Marc Mellits interview: Food for Your Ears

And as one of those being overheard at the Sonic Generator concert, here is the link to my telephone interview of Marc Mellits on my EarRelevant blog: Food for your Ears.

(Thanks, Brian, for taking up the pen to write a review.)

—Mark Gresham

Concert Review: Sonic Generator 2/2/09

Inspired by a discussion overheard at the conclusion of last night's Sonic Generator concert down at Georgia Tech, I decided to take matters into my own hand and share my views on the program over at my website in the Music News section. You can also get there by clicking on the above link. I hope you enjoy!

Thanks for listening,

Brian Skutle
www.sonic-cinema.com