Brave New Works concert in NYC

I am in New york city this week rehearsing with Brave New Works, a new music ensemble I founded when I was at Michigan. We are doing a program of new music at the invitation of the League of Composers [ISCM] in New York. The concert will be tonight [Friday, March 31, 2006 8 pm] at the Tenri Cultural institute [www.tenri.org]
If there are any alumni members of Cornell orchestras I would love to see you at the concert.

First rehearsal with Scott Tucker

tonight is our first rehearsal with Scott Tucker who will conduct Brahms Nanie on the May 7th concert with CSO.
Here is a link to his bio. We are very fortunate to be able to work with him.

Deadline to sign up for a masterclass with Detroit Winds

Here is a message from Cindi, be sure to sign up for a masterclass slot.


Hello All,

A reminder that the absolute deadline for signing up for master classes with the musicians from Detroit Chamber Winds and Strings is TOMORROW (Thursday, March 30). The manager of the ensemble needs final numbers by that date. Master classes will run Saturday, April 8 from 1:00 p.m--2:00 p.m. Sign up lists are posted on the CU Winds board downstairs. Master classes are available, FREE, for flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, horn, trumpet, trombone, violin, viola, cello, string bass, and conductor. Do not miss this opportunity.
Dr. Cynthia Johnston Turner, Director of Wind Ensembles

Bus to NYC

I e-mailed Swarthout Coaches, who had the best deal last year, and got this response:
"Based on todays rates, for the 47 passenger coach, you would be looking at $1150.00 per trip for a total of $2300.00. "

We would need two buses, putting us at $4600.00.

Our target dates are January 10-17. We can leave Ithaca the morning of the 10th and catch a 6:30 PM flight out of Newark to Berlin (nonstop), getting there the next morning. On the way back, we can get a flight that puts us back in New York at 1:10 PM, meaning we could easily be back in Ithaca that night.

My week in Denison

Here is a shoutout to everyone who I met and worked with at Denison University's Tutti festival.
I had a tremendous time with you all, the students of Denison Orchestra, members of Kalistos Chamber Orchestra, the soloists, Cora and Nicholas and the composers who wrote us such wonderful music, Greg Steinke, Allen Crossman, Yu-Hui Chang and Evan Chambers, Ching chu Hu and his staff and students who made it all possible.
Thanks
CK

concerts this week in Ithaca

So here is a short rundown of concerts this week in Ithaca;

Monday 3/27
The choruses return from their spring break tours and present a post concert tour in Sage Chapel

Tuesday 3/28
Xak Bjerken's piano recital featuring Rite of Spring!
8 pm in Barnes Hall
Xak Bjerken and Blaise Bryski, piano. Music for spring, featuring Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring for piano four hands and solo works by Stephen Hartke and Thelonious Monk.

Wednesday 3/29
Kevin Ernste's recital
8 pm in Barnes Hall
Kevin Ernste, composer. Features music by Ernste, faculty member in composition and digital music.

Thursday 3/30
B20 Midday music 1230 pm
Midday Music at Lincoln: soprano Judith Kellock and Ithaca College's Ariadne String Quartet perform Berg's Lyric Suite.
Also Thursday 3/30
Anabel Taylor Chapel at 8 pm
Annette Richards, organ. "From the Library of a Prussian Princess: Music by Buxtehude, Bruhns, J. S. Bach, and C. P. E. Bach."

Friday 3/31
Chris Kim and Brave New Works at Tenri Cultural center in New York City [in the Village]
8 pm concert featuring music of Sungji Hong, Magnus Lindberg, Leslie Bassett, Saariaho, Ming Hsiu Yen and Gordon Beeferman.

Saturday 4/1
Barnes Hall 8 pm
Ensemble X; Steven Stucky, artistic director, and Cynthia Johnston Turner, conductor. "Mit Schlag" features H. K. Gruber's Frankenstein!! with Scott Tucker as chansonnier, as well as "A Musical Joke" by Mozart and Alban Berg's Lyric Suite with soprano Judith Kellock--all for April Fools' Day.

Sunday 4/2
Sage Chapel 3 pm
Sage Chapel Choir and Cornell University Chorus; Richard Riley and Scott Tucker, conductors. Features Britten's Saint Nicolas, op. 42, with guest Thom Baker, tenor. [featuring some of our own CCO and CSO members]

wow that is a full week!

Tabula Rasa

There is a local new music group. There are giving a concert on Friday. Do support your local new music group.
Here is the program featuring many who should be familiar faces.

Tabula Rasa: new music by Ithaca composers
Spring Concert!

Local composers once again are featured in a program of new and  
recent chamber music.  All composers are Ithaca
area residents and will be present to speak to the audience about  
their work during the concert and also during the
light reception at intermission.

Friday, March 31st at 8:00pm
Unitarian Church in Ithaca
(on the corner of Aurora and Buffalo streets)

Composers and compositions to be featured:
Robert Singly, “Folk Songs for Violin and Piano”
Cayenna Ponchione, “Marimbarosa” (solo marimba)
Spencer Topel, “Gnomoncholia” (violin and electronics)
Ian Power, “Passages of Dreaming and Waking” (string quartet)
Antony Paasch, “Low End Sonata” (tuba, bass clarinet, bassoon)

Performers:
Rebecca Hunter, Graeme Bailey, Spencer Topel, Eric Callahan, Sean  
Shepherd, Cayenna Ponchione, Kyle Story, Joshua
Modney, Megan Atchley, Sarah Hart, Jennifer Chieffalo

There is no admission fee, although donations at the door make  
future performances possible.

For more information please email director@tabularasaithaca.org,  
visit our website at www.tabularasaithaca.org or call
(607) 594-4981.

Mahler's 1st and 2nd mvt

welcome back from Spring Break everyone.
It was nice to see that some of you have practiced over break. I am very much looking forward to working on Mahler's first symphony for the next month or so. It is such a luxury to be able to work on a master piece like this in such a period.
If you are interested in contributing a blog please contact me and I will add you to the Blog membership so you can post.

Concert master shuffle

Here is a link to an article about a recent concert in which a soloist, David Kim asked his friend, another concert master of a major symphony to take his place.

laptop orchestra

Here is a link to a wired magazine article about Laptop orchestra at Princeton.

Our Blog featured

Our Orchestra Blog was featured on the TopTenSources.com.

cso in the news

Here is an article that came out for the March 11 concert.

Stephen's recital

Here is an email from Stephen Palmer [principal cellist of CCO].

This is just one last reminder that my senior recital is tonight[3/16 Thursday] at 8 PM in Barnes Hall. I know many have prelims or are leaving for break, but if you're available, I'd love to see you there. I'll be playing the third Bach suite (in C Major), the Elgar cello concerto (my favorite concerto), and some improvisation. The concert should be about an hour.

Stephen

First rehearsal with Nick Walker

Today is our first rehearsal with Nick Walker. Chamber Orchestra will perform his Pop bass concerto on April 15th.
Here is a link to his bio. I especially like the picture of all his bass students in one of his pages.
This afternoon's rehearsal we will focus on his bass concerto.

More info on Thurston bridge construction

Here is another Chronicle Article regarding the Thurston Bridge construction. There is a helpful FAQ and also some altenate transportation option link.

A.D. White house Professor at Large

Here is a link to the Cornell Chronicle article covering the last lecture given by John Cleese on the campus of Cornell. It drew large crowds in Barton Hall. We expect similar sized crowd for the April 15th concert with the Chamber Orchestra. Also a link to the AD White House Professor-at-Large program website : http://web.cornell.edu/Professor-at-Large/

Construction on Thurston Bridge

Beginning on March 20, there will be construction on Thurston Bridge. This wil effect traffic on East avenue and one of only three bridges into Cornell Campus and thus into the Music building.
Please read the construction info and plan accordingly for rehearsals after Spring break.

Review of the Kirov orchestra in NY times

This is the big Shostakovich year.
Here is a review by Allan Kozinn of the NY times for the Shostakovich concert given by the Kirov Orchestra.

CCO with John Cleese

Here is the info about Peter and the Wolf with John Cleese at the State theater.

Saturday April 15, 2006 3 pm State Theater
Nicholas Walker Bass concerto with Nicholas Walker
Sergei Prokofiev Peter & the Wolf [John Cleese, Narrator]

Tickets will be available starting 7:30am the morning of Thursday, April 6 in the lobby of Willard Straight Hall, Cornell campus. 200 tickets will also be available the same day, starting at 10:00am at the Clinton House ticket office.
LIMIT: 2 per person. If someone wants more than 2 tickets, another person will have to be present to request tix.

Chris Mayes, CSO trombonist featured on website!

The trombone recital that was given recently was featured on a trombone website.
Christopher Mayes is the principal trombonist of the CSO. The trombone concert was organized by Ryan Zawel, who frequently coaches the brass section. He also has a website : http://www.activelistening.org/
nice work Chris!

Program notes from National Symphony

Here is another excellent program notes from the National Symphony website. Roberto Abbado's video talking about the symphony is quite interesting.
Tonight we will read the fourth movement of the first symphony by Mahler for the first time.

Another Alumni sighting

[On the Right]
Peter Chen began playing the violin at age 4. From ages 6 to 19 he studied with John Bauer, who is on the music faculty at the University of South Carolina. Throughout high school, he played with the Columbia Philharmonic Orchestra, the South Carolina Chamber Orchestra, and the SC All-State Orchestra. He was also served as concertmaster for the Columbia Youth Orchestra for three years. During college, he played with the Cornell Symphony Orchestra and took lessons with Sonya Monosoff. While earning his graduate degree, he played with the University of Wisconsin-Madison Symphony Orchestra and studied with Tyrone Greive. Peter spends his days as a chemistry professor at a local college.

If you are a former Cornell Orchestra member we would love to hear from you.

Cornell Cellist in Santa Monica

Cellist Steve Hirschhorn joined the orchestra in 2000. He was the principal cellist of the Cornell Symphony orchestra from 1985-1988, attended the Tanglewood summer music program, and has studied under John Hsu and Richard Serbagi in New York. Steve holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell and a JD/MBA from UCLA.
Steve is on the Right. If you are a former member of the Cornell Orchestras we would love to hear from you.
Please get in touch with us.

St Louis Symphony's Blog

The Saint Louis Symphony started a blog to help patrons better access to behind-the-scenes information. The blog gives readers a day-to-day perspective on orchestra members, staff, and concerts, making them feel closer to the institution. The blog also aims to attract potential ticket buyers to the SLSO web site.

Eddie Silva, a former arts journalist, writes the blog. He adds posts almost daily, including recaps of recent concerts and especially the backstage buzz.
[quoted from ASOL website]
Check it out

Panopticon

Today at the Johnson Museum members of CSO, after a great performance of the Shostakovich 9th symphony and Lalo cello conceto last night, will perform a world premiere of Panopticon by Kevin Ernste. The Panopticon was new to me also. Here is a link to website which has some background on the concept. Interesting read. Given the climate of the times today, veyr appropriate piece for us to explore.
Dress rehearsal will be in the Museum at 2 pm. We will gather in B20 at 145 pm to bring stands and percussion instruments over to the Museum. Concert will start at 3 pm and also feature John Cage's Living Room Music.

A documentary about Philadelphia orchestra musicians

Here is an NPR story about a film by Daniel Ankers called Music from the inside out.
The NPR website has three film clips of the musicians and also a 9 minute segment with an interview with the film maker and some high lights from the movie.

directions to Ford Hall at Ithaca College

Here is map of the Ithaca college campus. The concert is in the Ford Whalen center for music. It is building #12 on the map

The vertical line above the building is a walkway that connects the upper parking lots to the 4th floor of the Whalen Center (School of Music). If you enter the building from here, Ford Hall will be straight ahead.

And directions to Ithaca college
http://www.ithaca.edu/directions.php

Symphony Concert is tonight

Tonight is our concert featuring the Cornell concerto competition winner Sarah Rice.
We will also be performing Shostakovich's 9th symphony. The concert will be shared with the Wind Ensemble.
Concert is at Ford Hall which is our home for these past two years as Bailey hall is being renovated. Concert is free and open to the public. We won't have quite as many people on stage at the same time, but if we were to combine both members of CUWE and CSO we would have about the same amount of people on stage.

Directions to Ford hall is on our orchestra website.

Picture is from
Musicians Perform in Global 9/11 Remembrance

The School of Music joined thousands of groups around the world in performing Mozart's Requiem on the first anniversary of the September 11 attacks. (See also Remembrances in "Chronicle.") The concept, christened "Rolling Requiem" by organizers, originated in Seattle and grew to include a performance in every time zone beginning at 8:46 a.m. local time, the time of the first attack in New York City one year before. The final tally included 200 events in 26 countries, involving more than 17,000 singers and almost 5,000 instrumental musicians. While many of the events were full-scale performances of the Requiem, some participants unable to prepare the entire work performed parts of it, or simply listened to it. For example, the South Pole station participated by listening to the Requiem.
Here is the website about the event;
http://www.ithaca.edu/icq/2002v4/chronrep/rmusic.htm

Bailey hall plaza article

here is a follow up letter to the editor in the Cornell Chronicle concerning Bailey hall plaza. As Bailey hall plaza will be the first encounter to the Hall for our future audience members, let's keep our eyes on this thread.

learn how to play cello online?

Here is an interesting site that has video lessons on better cello playing technique.
check it out!

Kevin Ernste's website

Here is a link to Kevin Ernste's website. Members of CSO will be premiering his work at the Johnson Museum on Sunday March 12 a t 3 pm.
There will be a rehearsal with Kevin on Friday 3-4 pm in B21 of Lincoln Hall and a dress rehearsal with Kevin at 2 pm in the Johnson Museum.

Improvisation concert at the Johnson Museum

So this is a very busy week here at Cornell. On top of the 3 Beethoven violin and piano sonata concerts in Barnes on Thursday, Friday and Sunday nights at 8 pm, on Saturday night will feature both the Wind Ensemble and the Symphony's concert. CSO's half will feature Sarah Rice, the Concerto competition winner performing Lalo's cello concerto and Shostakovich's 9th Symphony. Sunday's Improvisation concert at the Johnson Museum at 3 pm will feature two pieces; John Cage's Living Room music Panopticon. A brief description of the piece follows. Considering all that is going on now in America a very timely piece.

Panopticon for 11 players

This piece takes it's title from Jeremy Bentham's 1791 architectural/philosophical design of the ultimate surveillance system, one in which the "sentiment of an invisible omniscience" oversees the workings of individuals. The presence of the observer is obscured, thus the observed never know when or if they are being watched.

The piece is dedicated to Chris Kim.

Kevin Ernste

Beethoven violin and piano sonatas, all of them!

This concert wass an example of why I love Ithaca and Cornell. Last night Xak Bjerken and Miri Yampolsky started a 3 concert series featuring all 10 violin and piano sonatas over three concerts featuring world class violinists. Concert started with Ariadne Daskalakis [link to her bio is above] playing the Spring sonata. What a pleasure it was to hear the partnership of two sensitive master musicians. Miri was playing on fortepiano, which was I believe her debut on the instrument. She is an amazing musician. The second half featured Ellen Jewett performing the A major "Kreutzer" sonata with Miri. What a fearless performance! If you missed it, you still have two more chances to see the rest of the sonatas.

Organ concert featuring members of CCO

In anabel Taylor Chapel CCO members Brightin Schlumpf, Claire Barbasch will be joined by Sarah Rice and Kimberly Wong to accompany Andrew Justice, viola, and David Yearsley, organ. Features concertos by Handel, Stamitz, and Michael Haydn.

Of course Sarah will have to run over to the tail end of the CSO rehearsal for the Lalo cello concerto.

Article about bass player in the LA Phil

Here is an article about bass players life in a major orchestra.
Good reading.
It cheered me up after having to clean out my office due to water damage.
CK

message from our audience member for CCO

Hi Chris,
A friend and I went to see Peter and the Wolf this afternoon. You guys did a
terrific job! We thought the story was nice (neither of us had heard it
before), and the narrator could not have been more appropriate. Thanks for
suggesting it!
Ram

message from our audience member to CCO

Dear Chris and Graeme,
I just wanted to thank you both (and the orchestra, of course), for a wonderful "Peter and the Wolf" on Sunday. My 2 1/2-year-old, Ariadne, pronounced it "great!", and my 5-year-old, Miranda, said it was "amazing" and added that she "really liked the strings, oboe, and flute."
Best,
Maria

Poster for our joint concert with Wind Ensemble

CSO will join with Cornell Wind Ensemble on March 11 for a concert featuring Sarah Rice the Cornell Concerto competition winner performing Lalo's Cello concerto and also Shostakovich's 9th Symphony.

Concert will be free and open to the public and will take place on March 11 Saturday night at 815 pm.
Wind ensemble's program will be on the first half and CSO's program will be on the second half.
Visit CUwinds' website at http://www.cuwinds.com

CCO featured on Ithaca journal article

Great concert on Sunday. So many young music lovers who came and enjoyed our performance of Peter and the Wolf.
Here is an article that came out on Ithaca Journal before the concert. Has a great picture of our narrator Graeme Bailey. [Photo by Robert Barker]

Clemson University Orchestra website

Here is a link to Clemson University Orchestra website. Very well layed out.
I believe the picture is the Andrew Levin conducting.
CK

CCO on Sunday March 5

Cornell Chamber Orchestra's poster has a small typo. The concert on Sunday March 5 at 3 pm in Barnes Hall will feature Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf with Guest artist Graeme Bailey as narrator. If there is an overflow of people as it is expected. There will be a second performance shortly following the first performance.

New collection of manuscripts donated to Juilliard School

Imagine being able to look at the actual manuscipt of Beethoven's Grosse Fugue or the sketches to Petruchka. A large collection of original manuscripts that was never before available to the public has been donated to the Juilliard School.
Check out the link.
CK