Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Summer Symphony starts today

Here is information about Summer Symphony.
Damien Mahiet will be the conductor for Summer Symphony.
Summer Symphony will meet in Lincoln Hall, B20, 7pm, tonight (6/25). Enter the building on the side of the street. If you have difficulties coming in, call Damien(cell 607-342-4654). Please be on time!

Wednesday's schedule:
7pm-8pm, All (Sight-reading)
8pm-9pm, Strings (rehearsal)

Here is a first draft of our program:
Haydn, Symphony No. 6
Gluck, Overture to Alceste
Fauré, Sicilienne, from Pelleas et Mélisande
Tchaikovsky, Mozartiana

Haydn and Tchaikovsky will present some challenges, and include short solos for several instruments, in particular flute and bassoon. To be fully comfortable with this repertoire, we could welcome a few more violins, a second bassoon, and horns (Tchaikovsky). Below, a temporary roster. Don't hesitate to let your friends know about the ensemble! We'll read Fauré and Tchaikovsky this week, and Haydn and Gluck next week.

Let me know if you have any questions or suggestions. I look forward to working with you in the coming weeks!

Best,
Damien

Saturday, June 07, 2008

Orchestra Tour survey

Here is a three question survey regarding the orchestra tour to Ireland.
This survey is for current and future orchestra members only.
Please fill out the survey by June 15.

2007-2008 Cornell Orchestra season at a glance

These are the events of the 2007-2008 season.
I am deeply indebted to my wonderful colleagues Scott Tucker and Cynthia Johnston Turner who conducted the orchestras in the Spring semester, during my study leave.
They have brought their incredible musicianship and hard work to take care of the orchestras. I would also like to thank Spencer Topel, Norbert Palej, Damien Mahiet, Dorian Bandy and John Rowhel for their work as assistant conductors of the orchestras and sharing their passion for music with the orchestra. Also a big thank you goes out to the orchestra board and Alex Tsiatas our graduating orchestra librarian who served the orchestras for the last four years. Every concert would not have happened without the unseen but vital work by Dane Marion, Bill Esty, Andy Page and the Bailey Hall staff and finally Loralyn Light.

May 3, 2008
Cornell Symphony Orchestra
Cynthia Johnston Turner, guest conductor
Norbert Palej, assistant conductor
Rimsky Korsakov Capriccio Espagnol
Norbert Palej Berceuse : 1940 (world premiere of the orchestra version)
Vassily Kalinnikov Symphony No. 1

April 13, 2008
Cornell Chamber Orchestra
Scott Tucker, guest conductor
Damien Mahiet, assistant conductor
Alexander Borodin Nocturne
Antonin Dvorak Nocturne
P.I. Tchaikovsky Serenade for Strings

April 2-4, 2008
Sponsored by Cornell Orchestras, Mellon Corridor Initiative, CCA and Music dept.
Brave New Works
Barnes Hall at Cornell University
Chris Gendall Wax Lyrical (World Premiere)
new works by Cornell University and Syracuse University composers
Christopher Rouse Compline

March 8, 2008
Cornell Symphony Orchestra
Cindi Johnston Turner, guest conductor
Sergei Prokofiev Violin concerto No.1 with Cornell Concerto Competition winner Jian Liu
George Gershwin Porgy and Bess Suite (Arranged by R. Bennett)

March 1, 2008
Cornell Chamber Orchestra
Scott Tucker, guest conductor
Joseph Lin, guest conuctor/soloist
J.S. Bach Brandenburg Concerto No. 4
Benjamin Britten Simple Symphony

February 26, 2008
University of Michigan Symphony Orchestra
with Kenneth Kiesler, director of orchestras at University of Michigan
in Bailey Hall
Evan Chambers Old Burying Ground
Gustav Mahler Symphony No. 5 in c minor
Cornell Alma Mater (conducted by CK)
Michigan Fight song

2008
December 9, 2007
Fourth Annual Cornell Concerto Competition
in Barnes Hall
Finalists
* Andrew Yeo, violin
* Jian Liu, violin (winner)
* Chris Gerig, bass
* Adam Neumann, piano
* Jennifer Huang, piano

December 2, 2007
Cornell Symphony Orchestra and Cornell Chamber Orchestra
Joint concert in Bailey Hall, Ithaca, NY
J.S. Bach Double Concerto for two keyboards with Mike Lee an Chi-Chen Wu (CCO)
Paul Leary Do We See the Trends of Our Times! with Adam Matta, Beat Boxer (CCO) (world premiere)
Chris Gendall Holy Roller for Turntable and Orchestra with DJDouble8 Erik Spangler (CSO) (world premiere)
Bela Bartok Concerto for Orchesra (CSO)

November 11, 2007
Cornell Chamber Orchestra Hall
Cornell Composer concert
Barnes Hall, Ithaca, NY
J.S. Bach Double Concerto with Anna Herforth (oboe), Daniel Kim(violin)
Steven Stucky Colburn Variations
Roberto Sierra Viola Concerto with Wendy Richman (viola)

November 9, 10, 11, 2007
Joint Production with Theater Dept and Cornell Orchestras
Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts
Black Box Theater
Carlisle Floyd Slow Dusk
Jennifer Williams Director
John Rowehl, Vocal coach, assistant conductor
Dorian Bandy Orchestral parts arranger, assistant conductor
Members of Cornell Chamber Orchestra, Ithaca, NY

October 31, 2007
Cornell Symphony Orchestra & Ithaca College Symphony Orchestra
Halloween Concert
Bailey Hall, Ithaca, NY
Adam Glaser March of the Little Goblins (CSO and ISO)
Mussorgsky/Rimsky Korsakov Night on Bald Mountain (CSO)
Camille Saint-Saëns Danse macabre, Op. 40 (ISO)
Hector Berlioz March to the Scaffold from Symphonie Fantastique (ISO)
John Williams Revenge of the Siths from Star Wars (CSO and ISO)

September 30, 2007
Cornell Symphony Orchestra and Cornell Chamber Orchestra
Bailey Hall, Ithaca, NY
Leoš Janáček Suite for Strings (CCO)
Osvaldo Golijov Last Round (CCO)
Christopher Rouse Bump (CSO)
Antonín Dvořák Symphony No. 8 in G Major (CSO)

What Chris has been up to during his study leave

Here is a list of concerts and masterclasses I have taken part in during my study leave. I have been very fortunate to be a visiting scholar at the Hochschule der Kunste in Zurich, Switzerland to work with Johannes Schlaefli.

I have been able to receive valuable feedback on my work as a conductor. The various conducting opportunities kept me quite busy but also provided a setting in which I could evaluate my conducting. I can't wait to share some of the insights with you in the fall.

The concerts listed below is a small portion of my work. There were also weekly ensemble workshop sessions, weekly private lessons with Johannes Schlaefli and numerous opportunities to observe rehearsals of the Tonhalle Orchestra, the Zurich Opera and many concerts around Switzerland and beyond.

My schedule in reverse chronological order;

July 21-August 4, 2008
Vendome Academy, Vendome/Paris, France
Participating conductor (6 are chosen and all will conduct in the final concert)
Masterclasses with Kenneth Kiesler and John Nelson and the Ensemble Orchestral de Paris
Repertoire
Beethoven, Symphony No. 7
Mahler, Adagietto, from Symphony No. 5
Mozart, Symphony No. 35
Mozart, Ballet Music from Idomeneo
Schubert, Symphony No. 5
Stravinsky, Dumbarton Oaks
Vaughan Williams, Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis

June 12, 2008
Teplice, Czech Republic
Teplice Symphony Orchestra
Johannes Brahms Symphony No. 1

May 13, 2008
Collegium Musicum Basel
workshop rehearsal
Arthur Honegger Pastoral d'été

April 24, 2008
Song project at Hochschule der Kunste in Zurich
recording session
Antonin Dvorak Biblical Songs Orchestrated by ZDH composers

April 12, 2008
Denison University Chamber Orchestra
Guest conductor for the Vail concert Series at Denison University
with Yuja Wang, Piano
Felix Mendelssohn Piano Concerto No. 1 in G minor

April 7 2008
Brave New Works in New York City
St Stephens and Christ Church
Chris Gendall Wax Lyrical
Steven Mackey Indigenous Instruments
Christopher Rouse Compline

April 6, 2008
Christ Church, Rochester, NY
Brave New Works Residency as part of the Mellon Corridor Initiative
Chris Gendall Wax Lyrical
new works by Cornell and Syracuse
Christopher Rouse Compline

April 5, 2008
Setnor Hall, Syracuse University
Brave New Works Residency as part of the Mellon Corridor Initiative
Chris Gendall Wax Lyrical
new works by Cornell, Syracuse and Estman School of Music
Christopher Rouse Compline

April 4, 2008
Brave New Works Residency as part of the Mellon Corridor Initiative and the CCA
Barnes Hall at Cornell University
Chris Gendall Wax Lyrical (World Premiere)
new works by Cornell, Syracuse and Estman School of Music
Christopher Rouse Compline

March 16, 2008
Palazzina Liberty, Milan, Italy
Ensemble Divertimento
Masterclass and concert (selected for final concert)
Manuell De Falla El Retablo De Maese Pedro

March 7, 2008
Marienbad, Czech Republic
Marienbad Symphony Orchestra
Berich Smetana Sarka from Ma Vlast

February 19, 2008
Luzern, Switzerland
Masterclass with Luzern Festival Strings
Othmar Schoeck Sommernacht
Bela Bartok Divertimento for Strings

January 25, 2008
Karlovy Vary Symphony Orchestra
Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic
Igor Stravinsky Firebird Suite (v.1919)

Chamber Orchestra Fall 08 schedule

CCO concert #1
10/5 Sun 8 pm in Barnes Hall
Program
Anton Webern Langsamersatz
Samuel Barber Summer of Knoxville 1915 with Judith Kellock
Chambers Concerto for Fiddle and violin (Chamber version)
with Susan Waterbury(violin) and Evan Chambers(fiddle)

CCO/Chorale
CCO concert #2
11/23 Sun 4 pm in Sage Chapel joint with chorale
11/22 Sat 8 pm performance in off campus location TBA
Tom Schnauber In Memory of Henri Temianka
HyeKyung Lee Gust of Embers (world premiere)
W.A. Mozart Requiem - Robert Levin

12/2 and 12/4
Composer reading session

Fall 2008 CSO schedule

Here is the concert dates and repertoire for the Cornell Symphony Orchestra during the Fall semester. (Repertoire subject to change)

CSO concert #1
(Note performance and recording session is during first 2 days of Fall break)
(As part of the Astronomy conference)
10/10/08 Fri 4-630 pm Extra rehearsal for Planets with Extra players CSO+ICSO in Bailey Hall
10/11/08 Sat 1030-1 pm CSO+ICSO Dress rehearsal in Bailey Hall
10/12/08 Sat 8 pm CSO + ICSO Performance in Bailey Hall
Roberto Sierra World Premiere Commissioned by the Astronomy conference
Gustav Holst Planets
10/13/08 Sun 12-4 pm Recording session in Bailey Hall
for Roberto Sierra's piece
Program
Roberto Sierra New Commission featuring Tim Feeney
Gustav Holst Planets

Halloween concert
joint concert between CSO and Ithaca College Symphony Orchestra
10/31/08 Friday 8 pm in Bailey Hall
Program TBA
Adam Glaser March of the Little Goblins
Gustav Holst Mars from the Planets
ISO piece TBD
John Williams Raisders of the Lost Arc
John Williams Revenge of the Siths

CSO concert #2
12/6 Sat 8 pm in Bailey Hall
Tour repertoire
Leonard Bernstein West Story Suite
Roberto Sierra Commission with Tim Feeney
Dmitri Shostakovich Symphony no. 1

Special event
Concerto Competition
12/14 Sun 1-5 pm in Barnes Hall preliminary round
8 pm Final round concert

Ireland Tour
January 6-16, 2009
1/6-7 rehearsal in Ithaca
1/8 travel day
1/9 arrival in Shannon, Ireland
1/10 sight seeing and collaboration in Limerick, Ireland
1/11 concert at University Concert Hall in Limerick
1/12 rehearsal with RIAM, conducting masterclass at RIAM
1/14 concert at Christ Church in Dublin, Ireland
1/15 concert at third Irish City TBA
1/16 travel day back to Ithaca

January 25, 2009
CSO performs at Light in Winter Festival, Bailey Hall
Roberto Sierra's commissioned piece

Fall 2008 Audition info

Fall 2008 Audition info is up on both CSO and CCO websites.

Auditions will be held over five days beginning August 25.
The schedule is as follows;
Monday
August 25
10 AM - 12 PM
Woodwinds (flutes), with Liz Shuhan
2 PM - 5 PM
Woodwinds (flutes), with Liz Shuhan
7 PM - 10 PM
Woodwinds (clarinets)

Tuesday
August 26
10 AM - 12 PM
Woodwinds (double reeds)
1 PM - 5 PM
Violas, with Wendy Richman
7 PM - 10 PM
Brass, with Ryan Zawel

Wednesday
August 27
10 AM - 12 PM
Basses, with Nicholas Walker
1 PM - 5 PM
Cellos and basses, with John Haines Eitzen
7 PM - 9 PM
Percussion, with tim Feeney

Thursday
August 28
10 AM - 12 PM
Violins, with Joseph Lin
1 PM - 5 PM
Violins, with Joseph Lin
7 PM - 10 PM
Violins, with Joseph Lin

Friday
August 29
10 AM - 12 PM
Violins, with Joseph Lin
1 PM - 5 PM
Violins, with Joseph Lin
7 PM - 10 PM
Violins, with Joseph Lin

To schedule an audition, send an email to professor Kim.

For more info visit the orchestra website.