2019 Season Two

MOSTLY MODERN FESTIVAL 1 WELCOME

WELCOME to SEASON TWO of the music has been on National Public Radio’s Best MOSTLY MODERN FESTIVAL! Picks of the Year, and Dark Mountains was played Welcome to our brand-new, beautiful, and on NPR’s Performance Today with JoAnn Falletta exciting endeavor of ‘mostly modern’ music and the Buffalo Philharmonic in 2018. in Saratoga Springs, New York at Skidmore College! Composer & Artistic Director Robert His works have been played by over one-hundred Paterson, and Violinist & Executive Director ensembles, including the Louisville Orchestra, Victoria Paterson have long envisioned starting a Minnesota Orchestra, Delaware Symphony, summer music festival and this June, 2019, American Composers Orchestra, Austin marks their second season with the Mostly Symphony, Vermont Symphony, Pittsburgh Modern Festival. With the success of their new New Music Ensemble, AME, New York New music group, the American Modern Ensemble, Music Ensemble, BargeMusic, California EAR now in its 15th season in New York City, two Unit, and Ensemble Aleph in Paris. Recent thriving indie record labels, and robust lives performances include the world premiere of as professional musicians on Broadway and Ghost Theater, commissioned by the Albany beyond, they have expanded AME’s mission and Symphony’s Dogs of Desire. have created a broad educational component in Saratoga Springs, that serves over 100 Highlights include The Nashville Opera world composers, singers and instrumentalists, ages premiere of Three Way in January, 2017 and 18 and older. Past summers have included time then a BAM production in Brooklyn, June, at other festivals, whether as directors, faculty 2017. The New York Premiere of his opera, or guest artists at the Aspen Music Festival, The Whole Truth with a libretto by Mark Atlantic Music Festival, Rocky Ridge Music Campbell, sold out in January 2016, at Dixon Center, and the Walden School, and have held Place in New York City. Walt’s America was adjunct professorships at esteemed institutions premiered for orchestra and chorus by the Gulf including New York University and the Eastman Coast Symphony, Moon Music by the Claremont School of Music. Trio, and Graffiti Canons by the Volti choir in San Francisco. His string orchestra work, entitled I See You was performed by an all-star orchestra ROBERT PATERSON conducted by Delta David Gier, with the Jack Described as a “modern day master” and the Quartet, Del Sol Quartet, PUBLIQuartet “highlight of the program” (The New York and American Modern Ensemble in 2015. Times), Robert Paterson’s music is loved for In Aspen,Shine received its world premiere by its elegance, wit, structural integrity, and a the American Brass Quintet and is being wonderful sense of color. Paterson was named performed at Juilliard, Princeton, and on their The Composer of The Year from the Classical national tours. Recording Foundation with a celebration at Carnegie’s Weill Hall in 2011. His music has ® Paterson is passionate about composing for been on the Grammy ballot yearly and in 2019, choir. An album of Paterson’s choral music was won Best Producer of a Classical Album for his recorded by Musica Sacra and Maestro Kent opera, Three Way with the Nashville Opera. His

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Tritle, released in 2015. Paterson was one of VICTORIA PATERSON Volti Choir of San Francisco’s first Choral Arts Victoria Paterson is the Executive Director Laboratory composers, and won the Cincinnati of the Mostly Modern Festival. In addition to Camerata Competition for his setting of Do Not directing the festival, Victoria is a violinist in Stand at My Grave and Weep (text by Mary Frye). New York City, well-known and beloved for The panel chose his music for its “expressive her diversity and musicality. Recent shows on choral writing, text painting and imaginatively Broadway include performing first violin at; beautiful textures.” My Fair Lady, Sunset Boulevard, Heathers and The Addams Family. Having written over one-hundred works to date, Paterson has received accolades and won awards Equally comfortable with contemporary, for his works in virtually every classical genre. His awards include the Copland Award, a three-year classical, and pop music, Victoria performs Music Alive! grant from the League of American everywhere from Carnegie Hall, Birdland, and Orchestras and New Music USA, the American Madison Square Garden, to Late Night with Composers Forum, the Utah Arts Festival Seth Meyers and The Today Show. Highlights Commission Competition, Cincinnati Camerata include performing at Chelsea Clinton’s Composition Competitions, two ASCAP Young wedding, as well as for Pope Benedict XVI, Composer Awards, and fellowships to Yaddo, the Michelle Obama, Joe Biden, Diane Sawyer, MacDowell Colony, the Aspen Music Festival, Nancy Pelosi, and the Chief Rabbi of Israel. and the Atlantic Center for the Arts. Victoria toured with Barbara Streisand for two years in 2006 and 2007. Born in 1970, Paterson was raised in Buffalo, New York, the son of a sculptor and a painter. Victoria is also the Executive Director of the Although his first love was percussion, he soon American Modern Ensemble, and the founder discovered a passion for composition, writing of the Lumiere String Quartet, which performs his first piece at age thirteen. In the late 1980s, all over New York City. Her albums are top Paterson pioneered the development of a six- sellers in the classical genre on Amazon and mallet marimba technique. He presented the iTunes, and many of her tracks are in various world’s first all six-mallet marimba recital at the films, includingSocial Network, The Loft, and Eastman School of Music in 1993, and released The Secret Life of Pets. She also contracts for the first-ever album of six mallet music,Six opera companies, including On Site Opera, Mallet Marimba in 2012 (AMR) to a sold out American Opera Projects, Prototype, and many crowd at the Rubin Museum in Chelsea, NY. In others. Her favorite outreach work is performing 2005, Paterson founded the American Modern for Music That Heals at hospitals all around Ensemble (AME), which spotlights American New York City. music via lively thematic programming. He serves as artistic director for AME as well as house Victoria regularly gives masterclasses and lectures composer, frequently contributing new pieces to about entrepreneurship and the business of the ensemble, and he directs the affiliated record music. She has taught at the Eastman School of label, American Modern Recordings (AMR), Music’s Institute for Music Leadership, offering a which is distributed by NAXOS. class entitled Creating & Sustaining An Ensemble. Other schools where she has lectured include The He holds degrees from the Eastman School of Juilliard School, Cleveland Institute of Music, Music (BM), Indiana University (MM), and the New York Youth Symphony, Broadway Cornell University (DMA). Paterson gives master Backstage, Broadway Inside, and Chamber classes at numerous colleges and universities, Music America. Paterson studied at the Eastman most recently at the Curtis Institute of Music, School of Music and Indiana University. Aspen Music School & Festival, University of Denver, New York University, and the Cleveland She resides in New York City, and now in Institute of Music. He resides in New York City Saratoga Springs, with her husband, Robert and in Saratoga Springs, with his wife, Victoria, and son, Dylan. Paterson, and their son, Dylan

MOSTLY MODERN FESTIVAL 3 TH Monday June 10th 20 CENTURY 7:30 PM VOCAL MUSIC Arthur Zankel Music Center Saratoga Springs, New York

FLORENCE PRICE – Beside the Sea Sunset Night Hold fast to dreams FRANCIS POULENC – La courte paille I. Le Sommeil ERICH KORNGOLD – Das Stänchen II. Quelle aventure! Liebesbriefchen III. La reine de coeur IV. Ba, Be, Bi, Bo, Bu Versuchung V. Les anges musiciens VI. Le carafon Mond so gehst du wieder auf VII. Lune d’Avril INTERMISSION

ISABELLE ABOULKER – Savoir vivre et usages mondains A propos de la chausette blanche JOHN METCALF – Plas Bodorgan (Caneuon y gerddi) Comment on offre le bras Plas y ward (Caneuon y gerddi) Et à propos de gants Y Foelas (Caneuon y gerddi) ELLEN REID – Comme les ailes d’un oiseau CHRIS DEBLASIO – All the Way Through Evening I. The Disappearance of Light II. Train Station III. An Elegy to Paul Jacobs IV. Poussin V. Walt Whitman in 1989 JEFF BLUMENCRANZ – Recuerdo ROBERT PATERSON* – Crossing the Hudson

ARTISTS Rachel Shutz, soprano • Christopher Dylan Herbert, baritone • Timothy Long, piano

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RACHEL SCHUTZ Music Center, the Honolulu Chamber Music Hailed for her “diamantine high notes, witty Series, the Hawaii Concert Society, the Maui characterization, and giddily delirious coloratura” Arts and Cultural Center, and venues in China, (Boston Globe), Welsh-American soprano Taiwan, Korea, Thailand and Germany. Ms. Rachel Schutz is increasingly in demand Schutz has performed with famed artists such throughout the US, Asia and Europe for her as Dawn Upshaw, James Levine, James Conlon, sensitive and evocative performances and wide JoAnne Faletta, Keith Lockhart, Leon Botstein, range of repertoire. She enjoys a multi-faceted career which includes opera, concert, and recital Ms. Schutz is also a passionate supporter of new performances, and her upcoming engagements music and enjoys close working relationships include her debut with Opera Ithaca and with many young composers and new music Cornell’s Mayfest, and appearances at the Fall ensembles. She has premiered dozens of new Island Vocal Seminar, the Mostly Modern works, including pieces by Eugene Drucker (of Festival, and the Yellow Barn international the Emerson String Quartet), Michael-Thomas chamber music festival. Fumai, Jeff Myers, Thomas Osborne, and Peter Winkler, and has worked with composers Ms. Schutz has been praised for her “vibrant, Phillip Glass, George Crumb, Jonathan Dove, convincing stage presence” (San Francisco William Bolcom, Libby Larsen, and Augusta Examiner) and “vivacious spirit” (San Francisco Read-Thomas on their music. She is particularly Chronicle) on the opera stage. Her recent opera known for her renditions of Schönberg’s Pierrot roles have included Lise in Glass’s Les enfants Lunaire, Ligeti’s Mysteries of the Macabre, and terribles, Thérèse in Les mamelles de Tirésias Crumb’s Apparition. and Jessie in Mahagonny Songspiel with Opera Parallèle; Papagena in Die Zauberflöte, Johanna Ms. Schutz is also an active community arts in Sweeney Todd and Diana in Dove’s Siren Song organizer. In 2017, she founded Artists for Social with Hawai’i Opera Theatre; Gretel in Hänsel Justice Hawaii which unites artists of different und Gretel, Adele in Die Fledermaus and Susanna disciplines to bring awareness to pressing in Le nozze di Figaro with Stockton Opera; and social justice issues such as immigration, civil Giannetta in L’elisir d’amore with the Santa Fe rights, and climate change. The group presents Opera. Other roles have included Musetta in performances around Honolulu in collaboration La Bohème, Blondchen in Die Entführung aus with other arts organizations, and offers dem Serail, Euridice in Orpheus ed Euridice, education and community art opportunities. Sophie in Der Rosenkavalier, Rose in A Street Scene, Gloria in Handel’s O come chiare e belle, After making her professional debut at age 12 First Maid in Daphne, Zerlina in Don Giovanni, premiering John Hardy’s The Roswell Incident and St. Settlement in Four Saints in Three Acts. with Music Theatre Wales, Ms. Schutz began studying with Mark Gruett of the Deutsche Equally at home in concert repertoire, she has Oper, Berlin. She holds a BA in Music from performed Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, Dvorˇák’s Stony Brook University, received her MM Stabat Mater, Brahms’s Ein Deutsches Requiem, degree from the Dawn Upshaw-run Vocal Arts Ligeti’s Mysteries of the Macabre with the Stony Program at Bard College, completed an MA Brook Symphony, and has toured the Northeast in Linguistics at the University of Hawaii at with the Boston Pops Orchestra, singing, most M’noa, and in 2016 received her DMA from notably, Bernstein’s “Glitter and be gay.” Stony Brook University.

A seasoned recitalist known for her “communicative zest” (Boston Globe), Ms. Schutz has been invitedto perform at prestigious venues around the world including Carnegie Hall’s Stern, Zankel, and Weill Halls, the Ravinia Festival, the Ojai Festival, the Tanglewood

MOSTLY MODERN FESTIVAL 5 BIOGRAPHIES

CHRISTOPHER DYLAN HERBERT Before in Laura Kaminsky›s As One with the American baritone Christopher Dylan Herbert Fry Street Quartet for American Opera Projects performs concerts and opera throughout the at BAM, the title role in The War Reporter at world, frequently with his twice GRAMMY®- The Prototype Festival and Stanford LIVE, nominated ensemble, New York Polyphony. Henrik in A Little Night Music at Opera Theatre Hailed by Opera News for his “exceptional” of Saint Louis, Dover Beach at Lake George, singing, Christopher has also received acclaim Winterreise at the Austrian Cultural Forum of for his “smooth baritone voice”, his “consistently New York and Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in warm sound” and his “versatile dramatic Los Angeles, and various recitals with pianists abilities”. His outdoor Winterize/Winterreise Thomas Bagwell, William Kelley, Chris project with Make Music New York is described Reynolds, and Timothy Long. Christopher has by The New York Times as “brave and, in all also performed Sid in Britten’s Albert Herring senses, chilling... an elegantly lean performance with Opera Vivente, Connie in Gordon’s Grapes that would have been impressive in any context of Wrath at Hawaii Performing Arts Festival, and but was remarkable under these conditions.” Il prigioniero in Il piccolo Marat at Avery Fisher Hall. In addition, he has toured as a soloist Recent engagements in concert and opera with the Boston Pops and Mark Morris Dance include Vivier’s Koperninus in Buenos Aires, Group, and has appeared at Tanglewood, Wolf Bernstein’s Trouble in Tahiti at Tanglewood, Trap, and Central City Opera. concerts at the Cartagena International Music Festival in Colombia, John Cage’s Renga with Christopher graduated magna cum laude and the San Francisco Symphony, the title role in Phi Beta Kappa from Yale University with a Handel’s Saul for Trinity Wall Street’s Twelfth B.A. in Music. He also holds an M.A. in Middle Night Festival, performances of Schubert Eastern Studies from Harvard University, and lieder with Chamber Music Society of Lincoln a D.M.A. in Voice from The Juilliard School. Center, a Ginastera centennial celebration with He is an Assistant Professor at William Paterson the International Contemporary Ensemble, the University where he leads the Vocal Studies world premiere of Judd Greenstein’s A Marvelous program. Christopher lives in Brooklyn, New Order with the NOW Ensemble, Montresor York with his husband, pianist and conductor in Stewart Copeland’s The Cask of Amontillado Timothy Long, and their dog Pumpkin. with the American Modern Ensemble. Previous seasons included performances of Hannah-

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TIMOTHY LONG noise artist Raven Chacon at National Sawdust, Timothy Long is a pianist and conductor of and a concert with baritone Brian Mulligan on Muscogee Creek and Choctaw descent who is the Vocal Arts DC series at the Kennedy Center. Music Director of Opera at the Eastman School Upcoming performances include conducting of Music. Don Giovanni at Eastman Opera Theatre, and a return to Prague Summer Nights to conduct His early training as a pianist and violinist led to Le Nozze di Figaro. work with singers, and eventually to conducting engagements that have included companies such Off-Broadway, he was music director, conductor, as Boston Lyric Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, New and featured pianist for The New Group’s York City Opera, Opera Colorado, Utah Opera, production of The Music Teacher, an “opera Tulsa Opera, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, City within a play” by Wallace Shawn and Allen Opera Vancouver, the Brooklyn Philharmonic, Shawn. Bridge Records released a recording of the Oregon Bach Festival, and the Prague this unique show with Parker Posey and Wallace Summer Nights Festival. Shawn in the leading roles.

After working on Thomas Adès’s operatic tour- As a pianist and harpsichordist he has performed de-force, Powder Her Face, Tim was named by at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Robert Spano to be his assistant conductor for Center, Jordan Hall, Wigmore Hall in London, three years at the Brooklyn Philharmonic. He was the Alte Oper in Frankfurt, Dvorak Hall in subsequently named an associate conductor at Prague, the Aspen Music Festival, the Moab the New York City Opera for two years. Music Festival, the Oregon Bach Festival, the Caramoor Festival, and the Dame Myra Hess In the past year, Tim conducted the world Series in Chicago, among many others. premiere of Missing, by Marie Clements and Brian Current, at City Opera Vancouver Naxos recently released Tim’s recording of the and Pacific Opera Victoria, the Stony Brook Dominick Argento song cycles, The Andrée Symphony Orchestra with the great dramatic Expedition and From the Diary of Virginia Woolf, soprano Christine Goerke, Tulsa Opera’s 70th with the internationally renowned baritone Anniversary Gala starring famed mezzo-soprano Brian Mulligan. This recording has been Susan Graham, Die Zauberflöte at the Prague highly lauded, with Opera News stating that Summer Nights Festival, Ricky Ian Gordon’s he “provides masterfully sculpted renditions of Tibetan Book of the Dead at the Eastman Opera the varied and challenging piano parts, which Theatre, and the Oklahoma City Philharmonic. range from spare and crystalline (evoking the icy He has also played numerous recitals including North) to rolling and transcendent.” a world premiere by White Mountain Apache violinist/composer Laura Ortman with Navajo He lives in New York City and Rochester, NY with his husband, baritone Christopher Herbert, and their sweet basset hound-mix, Pumpkin.

MOSTLY MODERN FESTIVAL 7 PROGRAM NOTES

Our program explores the myriad and diverse by the Comtesse de Gencé, France’s equivalent styles to be found within the classification of of Emily Post. Caneuon y Gerddi by Welsh “modern music.” Often a thing to be feared composer John Metcalf diverge from Aboulker’s among audiences, modern music is considered at interest in the mundane and return to ancient turns difficult, unattractive, lacking in emotion, texts and descriptions of landscapes in North and altogether incomprehensible. What we hope Wales. Metcalf’s musical language match the to show through this evening’s program is that texts perfectly: the open and modal harmonies music written after 1900 is, in fact, rich, diverse, paired with complicated rhythms give the sense and perfectly accessible. of timelessness and freedom that the poems and landscapes themselves suggest. Finally, We begin with a set of beautifully melodic songs Ellen Reid brings the worldly and ethereal together by African-American composer Florence Price. in her song Comme les ailes d’un oiseau, a setting She was a composer of great renown during the of a passage of the novel Les Échelles du Levant early part of the twentieth century and became the by Amin Maalouf. The passage depicts a scene in first African-American woman to have a symphony which, after many years, a pair of estranged lovers premiered by a major American orchestra. meet once again. Much of her music, however, was lost during the latter half of the twentieth century and was In 1990, Chris DeBlasio selected five Perry Brass only rediscovered in 2009 in an attic in Illinois. poems to create All The Way Through Evening, Her songs are frequently lyrical and melodic and a personal response to the AIDS crisis and his often incorporate religious themes, and aspects of own HIV-positive status. DeBlasio made a living African American spirituals like syncopation. as a composer, pianist, and singer. He shows his brilliance as a composer of art song with We turn next to a combined set of songs by this cycle. The central song, An Elegy to Paul Francis Poulenc and Erich Korngold. These two Jacobs, is reminiscent of a French overture with men were not always taken seriously by scholars inegale figures throughout the piano part. These for much of the twentieth century, Poulenc figures, a deliberate allusion to Jacobs’ role as the because he dabbled in cabaret and humor, and harpsichordist of the New York Philharmonic, Korngold because he became known principally are foreshadowed at the end of the second song, as a composer of film music. Their music, quite Train Station, in the vocal part. The final song, different from one another, offers a rich contrast Walt Whitman in 1989 draws upon the experience of sonorities, textures, and themes. Poulenc’s of the AIDS crisis and connects it, as Brass cycle, La courte paille, was the last written before explains, “with a hidden history of grief and his death in 1963. The short straw is a set of seven transcendence.” After a quasi- recitative opening, short vignettes set in a nursery. First, we hear from DeBlasio reveals a deep largo closing section with the exhausted mother, but quickly move to the undulating quarter notes in the piano, providing a child’s daydreams, games, and antics. The light- sense of eternity and calm. hearted set epitomizes Poulenc’s irreverence and humorous approach to song writing and offers a Our final set this evening brings us much closer delightful contrast to Korngold’s more traditional to home. These two engaging duets celebrate New Lieder. Rich in late-nineteenth century German York City and the bodies of water that surround Romantic harmonies, dense textures, and set to it. Robert Paterson’s Crossing the Hudson was typical love poems, Korngold’s under-appreciated commissioned for the Five Borough Songbook songs are interspersed between Poulenc’s song and is an exciting celebration of life in New York cycle. We paired the two sets deliberately because City. Jeff Blumenkranz, known in the Musical of shared poetic themes. Although Poulenc and Theater world both for his performances and Korngold never met, their songs complement one compositions, wrote Recuerdo to a poem of Edna another effectively. St. Vincent Milay and the tuneful and sweetly interweaving lines beautifully invoke the intimacy We continue our journey through the twentieth of the text. Both pieces, written within the last 15 century with the cycle Savoir vivre et usages years, offer clear example that modern music can mondains by Isabelle Aboulker, a French be engaging, tuneful, and moving. composer living in Paris. Aboulker’s set, placed in a melodramatic cabaret style, employs texts

8 MOSTLY MODERN FESTIVAL MOSTLY MODERN FESTIVAL 9 Friday June 14th AMERICAN MODERN 7: 30 PM ENSEMBLE–CONCERT I Arthur Zankel Music Center Saratoga Springs, New York

ANNE LEBARON* – Noh Reflections MORGAN EASTERDAY – Rumination** I. failure to realize II. overthinking III. meditation JEREMI EDWARDS – Dream Sequence** TIMOTHY LEE MILLER – Something More** JACOB SNIDER – One Cricket Song** THOMAS WELSH – Inward** ROBERT PATERSON* – Star Crossing PHILIP FOSTER – Mashup 2 I. II. III.

*MMF Composition Faculty **World Premiere

Program order subject to change.

AMERICAN MODERN ENSEMBLE Sato Moughalian, flute • Keve Wilson, oboe • Tasha Warren, clarinet Charles McCracken, bassoon • Matthew Ward, percussion • Joseph Rebman, harp Esther Noh, violin • Victoria Paterson, violin • Philip Payton, viola Dave Eggar, cello • Anthony de Mare, piano

2019 CONDUCTING PROGRAM Duane Andrews • Jonathan Kirby • JaeEun Kim • Renée Anne Louprette John McKeever • Austin Philemon • Alfonoso Piacentini

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AMERICAN MODERN ENSEMBLE David Del Tredici, Aaron Jay Kernis, Libby American Modern Ensemble (AME) is Larsen, Steven Mackey, Paul Moravec, celebrating its 15th Season this fall and Christopher Rouse, Joan Tower, Chen Yi, and spotlights contemporary music via lively countless others. AME also enthusiastically thematic programming. AME performs a performs works by America’s most talented, wide repertoire, using a varied combination of emerging and mid-career composers. instrumentalists, vocalists, and conductors, and the ensemble often highlights AME’s house AME produces stellar recordings via its composer and founder, Robert Paterson. Since house label, American Modern Recordings it’s inception, AME has performed over 250 (AMR), which has received fantastic reviews works by living composers, and has received in Gramophone, theLA Music Examiner, critical success in The New York Times, Time The New York Times, Sequenza21, and New Out, the New Yorker, among others. Sold out Music Box, and all our albums have made it to crowds at BAM, Merkin Hall, Lincoln Center, the Grammy® Ballot for the past four seasons. the Rubin Museum, Dixon Place, and National Sawdust are a winning testament to AME’s AME’s summer home is now at the Mostly 15 year-track record as to what is ‘right’ about Modern Festival, located in Saratoga Springs, classical music today. New York. This festival celebrates the music of our time. It is educational, with robust AME includes on-stage chats with composers outreach initiatives. Other residencies include and the creative team, allowing audience Princeton University, James Madison University, members to learn even more about the creative Keene State College, the CUNY Graduate process. AME provides a welcoming environment Center, Adelphi, Rutgers, and many more. for audience, creators and performers. Over AME is deeply invested in collaboration. Some 95% of the composers we program participate examples are On Site Opera, Cutting Edge and attend our shows, including luminaries New Music Festival, Prototype Opera Festival, such as John Luther Adams, John Corigliano, American Opera Projects, the Dance Theater of Harlem, and the Mazzini Dance Collective.

MOSTLY MODERN FESTIVAL 11 PROGRAM NOTES

ANNE LEBARON – Noh Reflections and the fact that the pianist won’t be able to William P. Malm, in Japanese Music and play the actual keys until they realize what they Musical Instruments, describes Noh theater as have been capable of all along. The repeating a balance between “highly refined abstraction figures in the vibraphone, gong, and oboe are and the dramatic necessity of human there to symbolize a memory that gets replayed emotions.” This idea of contrast and balance and distorted over time in one’s mind, which was a motivating force behind Noh Reflections, creates feelings of self doubt and fear. scored for string trio: violin, viola, and cello. I was also attracted to the mosaic-like The second movement—overthinking, exhibits structure of a Noh play, with its juxtapositions that even though the pianist feels closer to who and overlapping of rigidly defined units. they are inside, they still can’t get over their Furthermore, the tension between order and feelings of anxiety. The mind is very disjunct plasticity in the music gives an impression of in this movement; this is shown through tightly controlled spontaneity. operating in different meters, registers, and rhythms to portray the feeling of going through My first exposure to this unparalleled art form a rollercoaster of emotions. occurred in 1983 in Tokyo. A year later, a Noh performance in New York revitalized my The third movement—meditation, is where the interest, and I began composing the string trio, body and the mind finally operate in harmony, impelled to capture the sound-sense of Noh. by integrating moments that were once fear My intention was to create a framework for the and self-doubt by turning them into a serene trio by exploring the ways that Western string experience. At the end, the pianist finds peace in instruments might simulate the sustaining the body and the mind. tones and blurring glissandi of the Noh flute, the crisp percussive attacks of the drums, and JEREMI EDWARDS – Dream Sequence the variations in vibrato, portamento, and tone Dream Sequence is a programmatic work projected by the voices. that musically personifies the voyage of the human sleep cycle. This piece displays Noh Reflections most clearly distills the sounds different styles of music to convey the different and music of Noh at the beginning of the piece. levels of the sleep cycle. As the piece progresses, Contrasting material later overpowers these each stage enters a deeper level of sleep eventually initial impressions until the very end, when the arriving into the dream sequence, where musical Noh-inspired material resurfaces. Noh Reflections phrases overlap, echo, and decay. The process was awarded the McCollin Prize by the Musical of researching and composing this piece has Fund Society of Philadelphia in 1986. opened a new world of musical writing for me. During this compositional process, I found MORGAN EASTERDAY – Rumination a new appreciation and inspiration from the Rumination: another word for overthinking. For scientific community. As a composer, finding me, this piece chronicles the stages of anxiety. new and creative ways to express ideas through The ensemble was chosen to represent two parts music is always a challenge. Creating this of a person, the body and the mind. The piano piece has given me the foundation to carry my acts as the roll of the body, and the ensemble compositional process into the field of scientific represents what goes on in their mind. research and I look forward to seeing this style of compositions develop into something new and The first movement—failure to realize, shows enjoyable both listeners and performers. how a person (pianist) in this scenario has thought themselves so deeply into self-doubt With the completion of this piece, I am interested and fear that they can’t remember how to in creating more musical pieces, which reflect function as themselves. This is represented in depth scientific research. through dialogue between the body and mind,

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TIMOTHY LEE MILLER – Something More JACOB SNIDER – One Cricket Song The current direction of my writing is to try One Cricket Song is a phrase from the poem to create a fusion of classical and jazz elements “On the Grasshopper and Cricket” by John that goes beyond just combining the styles, but Keats. In it, the poet describes the power of more to the point of blurring the lines so much nature as something unremitting, and worthy so that the two individually no longer exist, of our daily wonder. In this piece, I have tried instead giving way to something else entirely. to draw inspiration from my memories of east Something More is a step in that direction. coast summer, and all of the creatures that made up its song. Something More begins with a simple melody that floats unrestricted by time over the top of ROBERT PATERSON – Star Crossing an ostinato pattern in the piano that eventually Although I will probably never have an yields to a bossa nova in 5/4. The bossa beat opportunity to travel through outer space, has its own melody that fits out of time in a I often look up at the stars with wonderment, polymetric 6/8 pattern, which ultimately takes marveling at the vastness of the night sky, wishing over as the form evolves into a waltz-like feel. I could have that experience. This work is my Originally written in 2016 as more of a purely attempt to impart the sensation of what I think jazz composition, it was produced as the title it might feel like to travel through the galaxy, track of my 2018 Ansonica Records release and to give the feeling, through sound, of staring Something More: Jazz Music of Timothy Lee up at the star-filled sky on a quiet, clear night. Miller (AR00006). In this concert version, there are no improvised elements or solos; PHILIP FOSTER – Mashup 2 however, the chord structures and voicings, The idea for this piece came to me in Tallin, as well as the percussive patterns are most Estonia in June of 2018. Then I had been certainly borrowed from the jazz idiom. The asked to write a new piece for classically trained original version included extensive improvised student musicians. At the time I was not trained solos for each of the members of the ensemble, in traditional musical notation but needed which included soprano saxophone, electric to find a way to create a piece which those guitar, piano, bass, and drums. This rendering trained could easily play. An idea occurred to is more melodic in structure, but it does me to use standard repertoire, which musicians include a through-composed piano solo based would know, but to make something new on the original melody that explores the with it. For some time I had also felt that the underlying intrinsic theme of the work, which, frequent ongoing performance of classical music although is very subdued, to me is the highlight limited the exposure to contemporary audiences of the piece. in the richness of contemporary music. I thought this might be a good opportunity to At the end of the day, how we construct music is express this idea. This concept of this piece left for the critics to ponder, but what happens was first performed in New York City at the when we hear music played or performed is the Tenri Cultural Center in May 2019. ultimate goal of the composer. As we wrestle with our own personal struggles and challenges, there is always something more that we can do to make things just a little better for the people around us. There is always room for kindness, and room for hope. It is my hope then that Something More ultimately creates in you the desire to search for and find the true meaning in life

All program notes are by the composers unless otherwise noted.

MOSTLY MODERN FESTIVAL 13 VOCAL ARIAS AND ART SONGS

AARON COPLAND – Twelve Poems of Emily Dickinson 1. Nature, the gentlest mother 2. There came a wind like a bugle 3. Why do they shut me out of heaven? 4. The world feels dusty 5. Heart, we will forget him 7. Sleep is supposed to be

HENRYK MIKOŁAJ GÓRECKI – Three Songs for Medium Voice 1. Do matki . 2. Jaiz do dzwon grobowy 3. Ptak

JOHN HARBISON – Mirabai Songs: 1,3,5 ALBERTO GINASTERA – Cinco canciones populares Argentinas Triste Zamba Chacerera

ROBERT PATERSON – Autumn Songs I. Ascension: Autumn Dusk in Central Park (Evelyn Scott) II. Under the Harvest Moon (Carl Sanburg)

ROBERT PATERSON* – Mother of Poisons (Aria from Carmilla) (John De Los Santos)

INTERMISSION

14 MOSTLY MODERN FESTIVAL Saturday June 15th 7:30 PM

Arthur Zankel Music Center Saratoga Springs, New York

KAIJA SAARIAHO – Leinolaulut: Lino Songs for soprano and piano 1. Sua katselen 2. Sydän 3. Iltarukuos 4. Rauha

BRETT DEAN – Equality

CHEN YI – Meditation Songs set to Emily Dickinson texts MARTHA SULLIVAN – The Sky Is Low ANDRÉ PREVIN – As Imperceptibly as Grief LORI LAITMAN – Four Dickinson Songs: 2, 4 ALEXANDER VON ZEMLINSKY – Songs Tiefe Sehnsucht Imerlin Rose Entietung

Program order subject to change

2019 VOCAL PROGRAM Sydney Branch, soprano • Laura Couch, mezzo-soprano • Blythe Giassert*, mezzo-soprano Ju Hyeon Han, soprano • Kerry Holahan, soprano • Natalia Hulse, soprano Sophia LeMaire, soprano • Juliet Schlefer, soprano • Brianna Weckerly, soprano Jeffrey Todd, baritone • Yifei Xu, piano • Lesi Mei, piano • Nicole Brancato, piano Erika Switzer*, piano • Antony de Mare*,piano

*MMF Faculty

MOSTLY MODERN FESTIVAL 15 Sunday June 16th AMERICAN MODERN 3 PM ORCHESTRA Arthur Zankel Music Center Saratoga Springs, New York

Ruth Reinhardt, Conductor Joseph Rebman, Harpist and Composer

ROBERT PATERSON* – Enlightened City

JOSEPH REBMAN*† – Hyperion: Concerto for Harp and Orchestra** I. Helios (Sun) II. Selene (Moon) Cadenza: (Twilight) III. Eos (Dawn) Joseph Rebman, harp

INTERMISSION

BOHUSLAV MARTINU – Symphony No. 4 I. Poco moderato II. Allegro vivo – Trio. Moderato – Allegro vivo III. Largo IV. Poco Allegro

*MMF Faculty ** World Premiere †Winner of AMO’s First Annual Concerto Competition

Program order subject to change

16 MOSTLY MODERN FESTIVAL BIOGRAPHIES

Highlights of her 2017/2018 season included guest engagements with the Indianapolis, San Diego, and North Carolina Symphonies, and the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra in the Primrose Viola Competition.

Ruth Reinhardt received her master’s degree in conducting from The Juilliard School, where she studied with Alan Gilbert. Born in Saarbrücken, Germany, she began studying violin at an early age and sang in the children’s chorus of Saarländisches Staatstheater, Saarbrücken’s opera company. She attended Zurich’s University of the Arts (Zürcher Hochschule der Künste) RUTH RIENHARDT to study violin with Rudolf Koelman, and began Ruth Reinhardt is quickly establishing herself conducting studies with Constantin Trinks, with as one of today’s most dynamic and nuanced additional training under Johannes Schlaefli. young conductors. She served as the Assistant She has also participated in conducting master Conductor of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra classes with, among others, Bernard Haitink, (DSO) for two seasons under Jaap van Zweden Michael Tilson Thomas, David Zinman, Paavo and concluded her tenure at the end of the Järvi, Neeme Järvi, Marin Alsop, and James Ross. 2017/2018 season. Having recently made her debut with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Prior to her appointment in Dallas, Ruth was in summer 2018, this season Ms. Reinhardt will a conducting fellow at the Seattle Symphony make debuts with the Grosses Orchester Graz (2015-16), Boston Symphony Orchestra’s and Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra; and in Tanglewood Music Center (2015), and North America with the symphony orchestras an associate conducting fellow of the Taki of Fort Worth, Omaha, Orlando, Portland, Concordia program (2015-17). During her Santa Fe, and Sarasota. Reinhardt will return to time at Juilliard, she led the Juilliard Orchestra the Dallas Symphony three times this season, to as well as concerts with New York City’s ÆON conduct a subscription week as well as several Ensemble, with whom she has led a collaboration concerts in the greater Dallas community with the Kronos Quartet. and the DSO’s contemporary alternative ReMix series. She will also return to conduct A precocious talent, by age 17 she had already the Cleveland Orchestra, Seattle Symphony, composed and conducted an opera, for and Malmö Symphony, and at the Impuls Festival performed by the children and youths of her in Germany. home town. While studying in Zurich, she also conducted the premieres of two chamber operas Last season, Reinhardt was selected as a Dudamel for children: Die Kleine Meerjungfrau (The Fellow of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and Little Mermaid) by Swiss composer Michal in summer 2018, she served as the assistant Muggli, and Wassilissa by German composer conductor of the Lucerne Festival Academy Dennis Bäsecke. Other opera productions she Orchestra. In addition, she worked with has conducted include Dvorˇák’s Rusalka and Carnegie Hall’s National Youth Orchestra Weber’s Der Freischütz for the North Czech (NYO-USA), assisting Michael Tilson Thomas. Opera Company, and Strauss’ Die Fledermaus at the Leipzig University of the Arts.

MOSTLY MODERN FESTIVAL 17 BIOGRAPHIES

of 2016. He first discovered a love of new music as principal harp for the FiveOne Experimental Orchestra in Cleveland.

After seeing a need for increased communication between harpists and composers, Rebman created a presentation and packet on the basics of composing for the harp. This lecture has been given to composition students at the Mostly Modern Festival, Atlantic Music Festival, Cleveland Institute of Music Young Composers Program, Rocky Ridge Music Festival, University of Oklahoma, Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, and University of Cincinnati College- Conservatory of Music. Based on this experience, Rebman was invited to be a featured presenter at the JOSEPH REBMAN 2018 American Harp Society National Conference, Joseph Rebman is a rising harpist and composer speaking as part of a panel on the topic of commissions with a passion for new music. A recipient of the Alice and working with composers. Chalifoux prize for harp, Rebman has performed solo and with ensembles in thirteen different states. As a composer, Rebman has written for a variety In the summer of 2019 he will be premiering his of ensembles, while also specializing in modern concerto “Hyperion” for harp and orchestra at the techniques of harp composition. 2017 featured Mostly Modern Festival in Saratoga Springs, NY. the premiere of Twilight for solo harp at the 2017 Previous accolades include semi-finalist for both the TUTTI New Music Festival at Denison University. Concert Artists Guild Victor Elmaleh competition 2016 premieres included He Would Not Stay: Seven and the Classics Alive Artists Competition, and a Poems of A.E. Housman for Baritone and piano, finalist for the National Collegiate Solo Competition premiered by “The Secret Opera” in New York City, hosted by The United States Army Band “Pershing’s Prana for solo violin, commissioned by Catherine Own”. He was also a finalist for the Anne Adams Rinderknecht, and Hyperion: Concerto for Harp Awards competition, and a finalist and honorable and Orchestra premiered by the composer with mention in the Coeur d’Alene Symphony’s Young piano. Mnemosyne, a suite of character pieces for Artist Competition. During the spring and summer harp and flute, was selected for performance at the of 2014 he performed the Debussy, Mozart, and NACUSA 2016 convention in Knoxville, Tennessee Handel concertos with orchestras in Oklahoma and and at the 2015 TUTTI New Music Festival. Eros Colorado. He was a winner of the Rocky Ridge Music for solo harp was featured at the 46th annual Ball Center’s concerto competition, and a finalist for State Festival of New Music in 2016, and won the Eastern Music Festival’s concerto competition. third prize in the Ohio Federation of Music Clubs’ Rebman is currently principal harpist with the Collegiate Composers competition. Summer of Kentucky Symphony, the Huntington Symphony 2014 found Rebman in Estes Park, Colorado, as a (WV) and the Queen City Opera (OH). Previously participant in RRMC’s composition program. The he was acting principal with the Amarillo Symphony Faculty Ensemble there premiered his song cycle He (TX), and guest principal with the Oklahoma City Would Not Stay: Seven Poems of A.E. Housman for Philharmonic and Fort Smith Symphony (AR). Baritone and pierrot ensemble.

A strong believer in new music, Rebman is frequently Rebman is a graduate of the Cleveland Institute involved in the premieres of new music and the of Music, the University of Oklahoma, and the promotion of the harp to young composers. 2017- University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of 2018 saw the culmination of a passion project to Music. He has studied harp with Michelle Gwynne, commission and premiere 11 new works for solo Yolanda Kondonassis, Gaye LeBlanc, and Gillian harp. These works will be the foundation of his first Benet Sella. Compositions studies have been with album of harp solos. Rebman was a featured harpist Jeremy Allen, Robert Paterson, and Marvin Lamb. and composer for the 2018 inaugural season of the A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Rebman discovered Mostly Modern Festival at Skidmore College, and the harp at age ten through Disney’s Fantasia, at the TUTTI 2017 and 2015 New Music Festival creating a love for all things harp that was fostered at Denison University. He was also harpist in the through study with the late Michelle Gwynne and Norfolk Chamber Music Festival–Yale School of performance in his school’s string orchestra for eight Music’s New Music Workshop in the summer years. Happiness is also found in video games, yoga, dogs, and Italian food.

18 MOSTLY MODERN FESTIVAL PROGRAM NOTES

ROBERT PATERSON – Enlightened City Throughout this work I explore the many facets The title of this work, Enlightened City, is both of the harp in this unique setting, utilizing literal and figurative. This piece was originally a wide array of extended techniques. These written for the one-hundreth anniversary of the special sounds are meant to help the harp slide Ithaca High School Orchestra, and is inspired through all the different characters and roles in by the glowing city lights that seem to appear the narrative, breaking out of the “pretty and from nowhere when driving at night towards angelic” mold the harp is all too often stuck in. Ithaca on Route 13. In a broader sense, the title may refer to any American city that is lit up at BOHUSLAV MARTINU – Symphony No. 4 night. The title also refers to Ithaca being called The Symphony No. 4, H. 305, by Bohuslav “the most enlightened city in America” by Utne Martin˚u was composed in New York City Reader magazine. Throughout the work, there from April 1945, and completed at Martin˚u’s are optimistic-sounding dance-like sections, but summer home at Cape Cod in June 1945. The also others that are colorful and dark, counter- finale bears the inscription South Orleans, 14th balancing the lighter, brighter moments. June, 1945.

JOSEPH REBMAN – Hyperion The work is in four movements and, according Hyperion is the god of light, one of the titans of to the composer, grows out of a single motif. Greek mythology. He had three children: Helios, The first movement alternates between lyrical god of the sun, Selene, goddess of the moon, and rhythmical material presented in variation. and Eos, goddess of the dawn. Helios rides his The second movement, in 6/8 time is a Scherzo, chariot through the sky, bringing the day behind marked by a rhythmically irregular Dvorˇákian him. Selene does the same, bringing the night. leading melody. The slow third movement is Eos rises from the water, clearing the mist of the dominated by the strings with short passagework morning to make way for Helios. for the woodwind. The finale is an energetic reworking of earlier material and concludes with This piece uses three main inspirations for each a vibrant tutti. movement: The character of the gods (Helios, Selene, Eos), the items they represent (sun, The work is dedicated to his friends Helen moon, dawn), and common correlations with and William Ziegler, and was premiered on these items (heat and action of the day, chill and 30 November 1945 at the Academy of Music peace of the night, rebirth and resetting the cycle in Philadelphia by the Philadelphia Orchestra at dawn). under Eugene Ormandy.

All program notes are by the composers unless otherwise noted.

MOSTLY MODERN FESTIVAL 19 Wednesday June 19th ATLANTIC BRASS 7:30 PM QUINTET Arthur Zankel Music Center Saratoga Springs, New York

LUCIANO BERIO – Call

J.S. BACH – Prelude and Fugue in A Major BWV 888

DIMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH – Prelude and Fugue in A Major Op 87

JOSHUA BAERWALD – Palimpsest*

K. SCOTT EGGERT – Pentad*

BUNNY BECK – Fantasy for Brass*

ANDREW SORG – Existential Crisis* I. The Moment of Pain II. Regrets

*World Premiere

Program order subject to change

20 MOSTLY MODERN FESTIVAL BIOGRAPHIES

ATLANTIC BRASS QUINTET Quintet Competition. Following these Widely acclaimed as one of the world’s finest remarkable achievements, the ABQ was honored and most versatile brass chamber ensembles, by Musical America by being named “Young the Atlantic Brass Quintet has performed in Artists of 1988”. In May 1992, by unanimous 48 of the United States and dozens of countries decision, the Quintet won the “Premiere Prix” across four continents. Atlantic specializes at the International Brass Competition of in masterful and vibrant presentations of Narbonne, France, recognized worldwide as repertoire spanning five centuries and a broad the preeminent competition of its kind. spectrum of styles, from Bach and Brahms to Mehldau and Monk to Brazil and the Balkans. Highlights in the Quintet’s busy concert career Winner of six international chamber music include performances at Carnegie Hall, Weill competitions, the Quintet’s distinctive sound, Recital Hall, the Santa Fe Chamber Music impeccable ensemble, stunning virtuosity, and Festival, the Fleet Boston Celebrity Series, warm, inviting stage presence have won praise Tanglewood, and the White House. from scores of critics. Atlantic has been the resident brass quintet Founded in 1985, the Atlantic Brass Quintet of Boston University, the Boston University launched its career with a phenomenal string of Tanglewood Institute, and the Boston competition victories over a period of two years. Conservatory. The Atlantic Brass Quintet Grand prizes include the Coleman Chamber Seminar, an annual residential immersive Music Competition, Carmel Chamber Music summer program established in 1993, Society Competition, the Shoreline Alliance endures as one of the most popular summer Chamber Music Competition, the Summit Brass destinations for both student and professional First International Brass Ensemble Competition, brass players. and the Rafael Mendez International Brass

MOSTLY MODERN FESTIVAL 21 PROGRAM NOTES

JOSHUA BAERWALD – Palimpsest BUNNY BECK – Fantasy for Brass I have always been interested in the concept The piece begins with the performers playing of “rewriting” something. A palimpsest is a serious chorale style music. Unexpectedly, the manuscript or text where the original text has music takes a subtle turn, and the performers been removed or erased in order to make room suddenly find themselves playing swing riffs, for new text, but traces of the old remain. I which morph into a down and dirty blues, think of the phenomenon of rewriting our grows in intensity and suddenly stops! own memories: numerous psychology studies have shown that each revisiting of a memory The players “wake up” from their fantasy daze, leads to a revision of that memory. This piece become serious, and the chorale begins once takes that concept of revision by presenting again – this time with more musical freedom. a “memory” of sorts, then taking apart and putting back together various sections, turning I originally composed the piece for saxophone it into something new, while some of the old quartet as Fantasy for Saxophones, which was still remains. premiered in Montpelier VT, February 2018.

K. SCOTT EGGERT – Pentad ANDREW SORG – Existential Crisis Pentad is another word for the number 5, I composed Existential Crisis for my friend and and also for the pentachord. This piece tubist Joseph Ready. He requested a solo tuba is merely a meditation on the musical work in the stylings of my two brass quintets expressions of the number 5, which I deemed Mental Disorders and Voices In Da Fan, while an appropriate subject in writing for a quintet. keeping the integrity of original music. He The main theme, which begins the piece, is expressed his desire for this piece to be dark, a pentachord made up of the first 5 pitches beautiful and painful, with hope fighting of a G major scale, appearing in a 5/8 meter. against the struggle inside us. An existential crisis In Pythagorean philosophy, in which numbers is the moment you question the foundation are revered as gods, the number 5 is identified of your life. Did you make the right choices as the fulcrum point between the two sides of defining the meaning of your life in this world? a scale, and is thus the “dispenser of justice.” Feelings of pain, panic, regret, depression and The piece was therefore composed as interplay loneliness plague the soul as the mind painfully of opposing forces, or contrasting musical battles for clarity. dialects, even including quartertones in the mix, since they can be seen as .5 of a semitone. Movement I – The Moment of Pain. The opening And also because I like quartertones. I am also theme, which reoccurs throughout the piece, fascinated by the complex beat patterns created represents the pain. by tight clusters of frequencies. Dissonance is only a way of perceiving this complexity of Movement II– Regrets. The pain presents itself, tonal interaction. but turns into a passionate lament.

– Andrew Sorg

All program notes are by the composers unless otherwise noted.

22 MOSTLY MODERN FESTIVAL MOSTLY MODERN FESTIVAL 23 Friday June 21st AMERICAN MODERN 7:30 PM ENSEMBLE–CONCERT II Arthur Zankel Music Center Saratoga Springs, New York

ROBERT PATERSON* – Quintus

EUGENE MARLOW – Quirky**

ALPHONSO RAMIREZ – Tango Pierrot**

LEAH OFMAN – Never Anyone But You**

LEONID GALAGANOV – Transient Values**

STEPHEN CABELL* – The Distance to the Moon

NATHANIEL HEYDER – premonitions**

*MMF Composition Faculty **World Premiere

Program order subject to change

AMERICAN MODERN ENSEMBLE Lindsey Goodman, flute • Tasha Warren, clarinet • Charles McCracken, bassoon Joseph Rebman, harp • Matthew Ward, percussion • Esther Noh, violin Philip Payton, viola • Dave Eggar, cello • Blair McMillen, piano

2019 CONDUCTING PROGRAM Alex Arellano • JaeEun Kim • Renée Anne Louprette John McKeever • Austin Philemon • Andreas Salazar

24 MOSTLY MODERN FESTIVAL BIOGRAPHIES

AMERICAN MODERN ENSEMBLE Mackey, Paul Moravec, Christopher Rouse, American Modern Ensemble (AME) is Joan Tower, Chen Yi, and countless others. celebrating its 15th Season this fall and spotlights AME also enthusiastically performs works by contemporary music via lively thematic America’s most talented, emerging and mid- programming. AME performs a wide repertoire, career composers. using a varied combination of instrumentalists, vocalists, and conductors, and the ensemble AME produces stellar recordings via its often highlights AME’s house composer and house label, American Modern Recordings founder, Robert Paterson. Since it’s inception, (AMR), which has received fantastic reviews in AME has performed over 250 works by living Gramophone, theLA Music Examiner, The New composers, and has received critical success York Times, Sequenza21, and New Music Box, ® in The New York Times, Time Out, the New and all our albums have made it to the Grammy Yorker, among others. Sold out crowds at Ballot for the past four seasons. BAM, Merkin Hall, Lincoln Center, the Rubin Museum, Dixon Place, and National Sawdust AME’s summer home is now at the Mostly are a winning testament to AME’s 15 year- Modern Festival, located in Saratoga Springs, track record as to what is ‘right’ about classical New York. This festival celebrates the music of music today. our time. It is educational, with robust outreach initiatives. Other residencies include Princeton AME includes on-stage chats with composers and University, James Madison University, Keene the creative team, allowing audience members State College, the CUNY Graduate Center, to learn even more about the creative process. Adelphi, Rutgers, and many more. AME AME provides a welcoming environment for is deeply invested in collaboration. Some audience, creators and performers. Over 95% examples are On Site Opera, Cutting Edge of the composers we program participate and New Music Festival, Prototype Opera Festival, attend our shows, including luminaries such as American Opera Projects, the Dance Theater John Luther Adams, John Corigliano, David Del of Harlem, and the Mazzini Dance Collective. Tredici, Aaron Jay Kernis, Libby Larsen, Steven

MOSTLY MODERN FESTIVAL 25 PROGRAM NOTES

ROBERT PATERSON – Quintus ALPHONSO RAMIREZ – Tango Pierrot In medieval music, ‘quintus’ means the fifth Tango Pierrot, as its name suggests, is a voice or part. In Quintus, I highlight each part, tango scored for Pierrot Ensemble. I’ve been usually as a solo, but sometimes two at a time, drawn to the vibrancy and energy of the tangos either in rhythmic unison or with a kind of of Astor Piazzolla for as long as I have listened call and response. Unless the solos are exposed, to them. Something about the free nature of such as in the piano part, they are often backed the effects they use, and the almost prideful by a virtual drumset consisting of percussive melodrama of the music has always made sounds made by the other instruments. A them exciting to me, even if they can get to bass drum sound is created with deadstrokes be too over the top every now and then. With on the marimba and by striking the body of this piece I hope to capture some of that spirit the cello, a snare drum is created with clarinet that has defined the tradition for generations. multiphonics (playing more than one note at a time) and high marimba notes. Other sections LEAH OFMAN – Never Anyone But You just groove along, often with the marimbist This is a tone poem based off of an English playing a funky pattern using “marimshots” in translation of a French poem. the left hand (striking four notes at once, two with mallet heads and two with the shafts). LEONID GALAGANOV – Transient Values This composition is inspired by a meditation EUGENE MARLOW – Quirky on values. They direct the way of the Quirky was begun in 2001 as a character study individual and the collective, but also tend to of one of my twin (fraternal) sons: Samuel Josef. shift and transform throughout time. People Sam has always had great eyes from the moment make sense of the world and navigate their of his birth. The evidence of this finds expression lives based on the values they hold, and in his very early (at age three) manipulation although they are born into societies with of Sculpey Clay into all manner of forms, pre-existing codes of behavior many re-evaluate such as “Wallace and Gromit” of British stop- their systems of meaning at times of crisis. motion animation fame. He could take the clay Values may be ancient, deceptive, fashionable medium and in moments create the characters or expired. When the disheartened traveler with astonishing accuracy. Fast-forward to the reaches yet another dead end the sound of present day, Sam has become a masterful 3D a drum reveals the lighthouse at the center. and 2D animator and cartoonist—five of his The abstraction of values changing throughout cartoons have been published in The New Yorker. periods of our life is what informed the Not a small feat by any means. In this regard, narrative and process behind Transient Values. his cartoons as well as his in-person humor and personality are “quirky.” One definition STEPHEN CABELL* – of quirky is “... someone who’s interesting and unique.” Others include a person who “thinks The Distance to the Moon The Distance to the Moon is a realization outside the box,” is “creative,” and who “takes a of and reflection on the short story of a look at himself and asks questions.” This is Sam. similar title by Italian surrealist writer Italo The “character study” composition attempts to Calvino. The story begins with the 19th capture who he is at his core. century scientific premise that millions of years ago, the Moon was much closer to the Earth and was gradually pushed away by the tides. Calvino imagines, at one time, that

26 MOSTLY MODERN FESTIVAL PROGRAM NOTES these two bodies were so close that during Earth’s tides push the Moon further away, it high tide one could jump from a boat into becomes increasingly difficult to leap between the Moon’s gravitational pull. There are three the two. During their final journey, Captain main characters: the narrator Qfwfq, his Vhd Vhd’s wife intentionally maroons herself cousin, known only as “the Deaf One,” and on the Moon in an attempt to become closer the nameless wife of Captain Vhd Vhd. The to that which “the Deaf One” desires. Despite three make this journey for the purpose of attempts to reach her, she drifts further and harvesting Moon-milk, a viscous, fermented further away, but for a time, Qfwfq is able to mélange of terrestrial detritus, which has lifted catch glimpses of her lightly strumming her off the Earth and settled into scaly crevices harp until the distance is too great and her on the Moon’s surface. form fuses with the Moon, vanishing from sight.

Calvino’s peculiarly named characters form a In this work scored for flute, viola, and harp, love triangle—Qfwfq has an unrequited love the flute often represents the wife of Captain for the harp-wielding wife of Captain Vhd Vhd Vhd, the viola Qfwfq, and the harp the Vhd; her unrequited love, the “Deaf One,” is Deaf One and the Moon itself. himself enraptured only by the Moon. As the

All program notes are by the composers unless otherwise noted.

MOSTLY MODERN FESTIVAL 27 VOCAL ARIAS AND ART SONGS

Animals MAURICE RAVEL – Histoires naturelles Le Paon Le Grillon Le Cygne Le Martin-Pêcheur La Pintade ANDRÉ CAPLET – Trois fables de Jean de la Fonatine Le loup et l’agneau JAKE HEGGIE – Natural Selection Creation Alas Alak Animal Passion Connection Indian Summer JAKE HEGGIE – Hummingbird Duet RHIAN SAMUEL – The Hare in the Moon

INTERMISSION

DIMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH – Satires: 1,4,5 LIBBY LARSEN – Love After 1950 Big Sister Says, 1967 Blond Men The Empty Song

28 MOSTLY MODERN FESTIVAL Saturday June 22nd 7:30 PM

Arthur Zankel Music Center Saratoga Springs, New York

New York Theme LIBBY LARSEN – I have 10 legs ROBERT HEPPNER – New York PAOLA PRESTINI – Aquarium, Coney Island ALAN SMITH – Vignettes: Ellis Island CONRAD CUMMINGS – Lamento del Barista BORA YOON – Grand Central ROBERT PATERSON – Crossing the Hudson

Program order subject to change

2019 VOCAL PROGRAM Sydney Branch, soprano • Laura Couch, mezzo-soprano • Ju Hyeon Han, soprano Kerry Holahan, soprano • Natalia Hulse, soprano • Sophia LeMaire, soprano Juliet Schlefer, soprano • Brianna Weckerly, soprano • Thomas Bocchi, tenor Jeffrey Todd, baritone • Yifei Xu, piano • Lesi Mei, piano Nicole Brancato, piano • Chris Reynolds*, piano • Chantal Balestri, piano

* MMF Faculty

MOSTLY MODERN FESTIVAL 29 Sunday June 23rd AMERICAN MODERN 3 PM ORCHESTRA Arthur Zankel Music Center Saratoga Springs, New York

David Amado, Conductor

CLAUDE BAKER* – Tre Canzone** I. after Baude Cordier (1380-1440) II. after Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643) III. after Clément Janequin (1485-1558)

Written with the generous assistance of a grant from Indiana University’s New Frontiers of Creativity and Scholarship Program

ROBERT PATERSON* – Suite for String Orchestra I. Allegro vivace II. Trapped waltz III. Nocturne IV. Balinese scherzo V. Finale: allegro moderato

INTERMISSION

†Work by MMF Composition Institute Participant

TORU TAKEMITSU – Twill by Twilight – In Memory of Morton Feldman

*MMF Faculty ** World Premiere †This work will be chosen for performance from the works that receive orchestral readings earlier in the week at the festival, and will be conducted by one of the conducting participants.

Program order subject to change

30 MOSTLY MODERN FESTIVAL BIOGRAPHIES

Valley. In June of 2019, he will make his debut at the Mostly Modern Festival in Saratoga Springs, New York.

Amado has been praised by the media, audiences, and fellow musicians for his deep musical insight and visceral energy. These qualities have allowed him to reinvigorate the Delaware Symphony, which has become a premier regional orchestra during his tenure. In 2010 the DSO released a critically acclaimed CD on the Telarc label, partnering with the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet in concertos by Joaquín Rodrigo and Sergio Assad; the DAVID AMADO recording debuted at number 11 on the David Amado has been music director of Billboard charts and earned a Latin Grammy the Delaware Symphony Orchestra since nomination. April of 2018 saw the release of 2003, and in July 2016 he began a second a NAXOS recording featuring the DSO and music directorship at the Atlantic Classical Brasil Guitar Duo under Amado’s direction in Orchestra in Florida. concerti by Paulo Bellinati and Leo Brouwer.

As a guest conductor Amado has led numerous He began his musical training in piano, prominent orchestras. In addition to the St. studying in The Juilliard School’s pre-college Louis Symphony, where he served as associate and college divisions before going on to conductor from 2001 to 2004, he has led Indiana University, where he received a master’s the Philadelphia Orchestra, Los Angeles degree in instrumental conducting. Returning Philharmonic, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, to New York, he pursued further conducting Rochester Philharmonic, and the Chicago, studies at Juilliard with Otto-Werner Mueller. Detroit, Houston, Milwaukee, National, New His first professional conducting post, an World, and Toronto symphonies. Recent apprenticeship with the Oregon Symphony, engagements have included the Mobile, New was followed by a six-year tenure with the St. Bedford, New Haven and Toronto symphony Louis Symphony, where he served as both a staff orchestras and California’s Symphony Silicon conductor at the orchestra and music director of the St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra.

MOSTLY MODERN FESTIVAL 31 PROGRAM NOTES

CLAUDE BAKER – Tre Canzone movement, Cordier’s piece emerges gradually— The term “canzona” refers to a genre of one could say “secretly”—from a texture Italian instrumental music first made popular of scurrying, furtive gestures, following the in the sixteenth century. The earliest pieces formal scheme above, until, at movement’s end, were simply arrangements of French chansons the brass play the original three-voice chanson for keyboard, lute, or other plucked string in a transcribed version. instruments, written in tablature. However, by the middle of that century, composers were The middle movement is inspired by the creating canzonas that completely transformed second work in Claudio Monteverdi’s eighth the referenced chansons, rather than merely book of madrigals, Madrigali guerrieri ed arranging and ornamenting them. amorosi (Madrigals of War and Love), published in 1638. Monteverdi’s piece, “Hor che’l ciel In a similar fashion, my Tre Canzone provides e la terra,” is a setting of a sonnet by Petrarch reworkings—or “reimaginings”—of three for six voices, two violins, and continuo, and is vocal compositions from the late Middle unquestionably one of his greatest achievements: Ages, Renaissance, and early Baroque. These preexisting pieces form both the structural and Now that heaven and earth and wind are still programmatic bases of my composition and and slumber has enthralled wild beasts and birds, serve as points of departure for my own musical and night leads her starry chariot about, ideas. At certain times, elements of the older and the waveless sea reposes on his bed, music emerge quite clearly, while at others, I wake, I ponder, I burn, I weep, and she who they are presented obliquely. In general, the undoes me texts are the driving force of my work—I try is always before me in my sweet pain: to capture the essence of the poetry through war is my lot, full of wrath and grief, non-vocal commentary with allusions to the and only in thinking of her do I have original composers’ settings. some peace. Thus, from a single, clear, living spring Beyond these general observations, the poems flow both the sweet and the bitter that themselves provide the best descriptions of comfort me; the music. The opening movement is based a single hand both cures me and wounds. on a chanson written in the old rondeau And since my martyrdom has no end, form by the late fourteenth-century composer a thousandfold each day I die, and a Baude Cordier: thousandfold I am reborn: so far am I from my salvation. Lovers, love secretly If you wish to love long. Like the book of madrigals as a whole, Receive this advice: Monteverdi divides this work into two parts, Lovers, love secretly; the first corresponding to the opening eight Because whoever does differently lines of Petrarch’s sonnet, and the second, to Makes the sweetness of love bitter. its final six lines. Further mirroring the overall Lovers, love secretly structure of the volume, the first part depicts If you wish to love long. the pursuit of love through the allegory of war (the battle to conquer love), and the The form of this eight-line text can be second part chronicles the uncertainty and represented as ABaAabAB, with the capital unhappiness of being in love. Too, each part letters indicating the refrain. In the chanson, is split into three sections, conforming to the two musical phrases are provided for “A” and layout of the text. “B” respectively and are repeated according to this pattern. During the course of my

32 MOSTLY MODERN FESTIVAL PROGRAM NOTES

In my treatment of the madrigal, I adhere his famous chanson: superimposing or sharply to the general construction of the original, juxtaposing disparate musical ideas; metrically making both distorted and literal references to displacing otherwise straightforward rhythmic Monteverdi’s music. The voices, violins, and motifs; rapidly tossing fragments of lines back continuo, however, are supplanted by a full and forth among members of the ensemble; and string section and a modest percussion even attempting to replicate instrumentally some complement of membranes, woods, and metals. of the sounds of sixteenth-century warfare.

The third movement of Tre Canzone uses as its –Claude Baker generative source Clément Janequin’s La bataille (Escoutez tous gentilz), published in 1528. This ROBERT PATERSON – programmatic chanson was written to celebrate Suite for String Orchestra the French victory over the Swiss in the Battle Unlike some of my previous works, Suite of Marignano in 1515. In the work, Janequin for String Orchestra is not inspired by an over- imitates the noises of battle, including the arching programmatic theme. Although there sounds of various weapons, the cries of the are some technical and motivic relationships wounded, and the calls of trumpets, fifes, and between some of the movements—particularly drums – all accomplished with only four solo the first and fifth—the movements are voices! Herewith is an excerpt from the rather generally unrelated and are meant to long text that is illustrative of the onomatopoeias: be noticeably distinct. It is in five short movements and is intentionally written in Frere le le lan fan fan fan feyne an “old-fashioned,” somewhat archaic style. Fire! Thunder! I initially played around with the idea of Fire, bombards and cannons. titling this work Old-fashioned Suite or Old Charge! great swords and foils Time Suite, but there seems to be a sufficient to relieve the comrades. sprinkling of “new fangled ideas” in this work Von pa ti pa toc von von to make these alternative titles seem inadequate. Ta ri ra ri ra ri ra reyne Pon, pon, pon, pon The first movement,Allegro vivace, is written la la la … poin poin in a “mid-20th century American” style. le re le ron My model for a few of the sections in this France! Courage! movement is the evocative, German phrase Strike some blows. Sturm und Drang, which literally translated Chipe chope, torche lorgne means “storm and stress.” Pa ti pa toc tricque, trac zin zin Kill! To death! Close ranks! In the second movement, Trapped waltz, I Take courage, Galant gentlemen. imagine an ethereal, yet cognizant waltz floating above the stratosphere, looking for a place to Janequin’s genius lies in rhythmic invention and rest, but hobbled and shackled by a pounding the skillful interweaving of these onomatopoeic rock and roll drumset. I see this as a metaphor effects. Although, on the surface, the music for the various dances throughout history itself is quite static melodically and harmonically, that have come and gone but are continually it nonetheless contains a great many clever vying for attention in contemporary culture. and subtle contrapuntal devices that contribute The movement fades out at the end, as if the to its effectiveness as programmatic “battle waltz is eternally looking for a place to settle music.” To convey a sense of strife and combat down. Admittedly, I was somewhat inspired in my own score, I utilized the same sorts of by the collage works of Charles Ives. compositional techniques Janequin employed in

MOSTLY MODERN FESTIVAL 33 PROGRAM NOTES

The third movement, Nocturne, begins slowly and The first Japanese composer to achieve sadly, and I imagine the pulse in the beginning worldwide recognition, thanks in some part as similar to the gentle breathing of someone to a fortuitous meeting with Igor Stravinsky who is asleep. The middle of the movement is in 1957, Toru Takemitsu was an autodidact much more intense and violent, and the end who began his musical studies during the is as soft and calm as the beginning. The first U.S. occupation of Japan after World War chair violin and the first chair violoncello have II. In reaction to the toxic nationalism that brief solos in this movement. had gripped Japan during the war, the young Takemitsu turned his musical attention to Although material from the middle of the Western styles, particularly 12- tone and serial fourth movement, Balinese scherzo, is derived methods. Over time, through his friendship with from a Balinese scale, the beginning is somewhat American composer John Cage, who introduced chromatic and the ending is essentially based Takemitsu to traditional Japanese music, on the E-major scale. This movement is Takemitsu began to explore the philosophies distinctive in that the orchestra is asked to and aesthetics of his native culture. His later play pizzicato almost the entire time. music, including the award-winning score to Akira Kurosawa’s 1985 filmRan , combines a The fifth movement,Finale: allegro moderato, unique blend of Western and Eastern elements is the movement that is most reminiscent of with a personal understanding of sound and its the first movement. The ending combines relationship to silence. material from the beginning of both the first and fifth movements. Takemitsu discovered both personal and musical affinities with American composer –Robert Paterson Morton Feldman; both men wrote understated music that tends to evolve slowly over time. TORU TAKEMITSU – Twill by Twilight Along with John Cage, Feldman helped create One of the most versatile composers of the concept of indeterminate music, in which Japan has been Toru Takemitsu, who, some components of the music are determined until his death in 1996 was able to achieve a by chance or the performer’s choices. After style of music which brought together the Feldman died, Takemitsu wrote, “His music techniques of Western classical music with was without strong contrasts, unassertive, the traditional music of Japan in beautiful, arising from his sensitivity—a unique surprising and even haunting ways. He did this minimalism without excesses. Thus the inner in music for concert halls as well as scores for content of his music is clearly defined.” 93 films. As he stated it, his purpose was to Takemitsu began writing Twill by Twilight always achieve “a sound that was as intense as a commission from the Yomiuri Nippon as silence.” His study of Western classical Symphony Orchestra to commemorate that music came first, a task that was made all the ensemble’s 25th anniversary. Morton Feldman more difficult by World War II, when it was died in the autumn of 1987, while Takemitsu forbidden to listen to Western music in was working on the commission; as he wrote, Japan. In fact, it was not until the mid-1950’s Takemitsu decided to dedicate his work-in- that Takemitsu began to study the music of his progress to his late friend. “[Feldman] was own country. extremely nearsighted and wrote his music as if touching the notes with his eyes,” Takemitsu remembers. “Whenever I hear his music I think of its tactile quality, of his eyes ‘hearing’ the sounds.”

34 MOSTLY MODERN FESTIVAL PROGRAM NOTES

The idea of touchable music informs Twill by “In Twill by Twilight, the twill weave of the Twilight, whose title references twill, a textile music takes effect by means of an extremely weave characterized by diagonal stitches. “The limited musical unit or what we might better twill weave of the music takes effect by means call the musical principle which exists prior of an extremely limited musical unit—or to the forming of the melody or the taking what we might better call the musical principle shape of the rhythm. Subtle variations in pastel which exists prior to the forming of the colors express the moment just after sunset melody or the taking shape of the rhythm,” when twilight turns toward darkness. The Takemitsu writes. “Subtle variations in pastel- work was commissioned by the Yomiuri like colors express the moment just after Nippon Symphony Orchestra on the occasion sunset, when twilight turns toward darkness.” of its 25th anniversary. It was composed as a fond reminiscence of a man who was both Notes adapted from Elizabeth Schwartz and The my friend and a unique composer, Morton Oregon Symphony Feldman, who died in 1987.”

–Toru Takemitsu

All program notes are by the composers unless otherwise noted.

MOSTLY MODERN FESTIVAL 35 Monday June 24th PIANO VIRTUOSOS 7:30 PM

Arthur Zankel Music Center Saratoga Springs, New York

EINOJUHANI RAUTAVAARA – Etydit Op. 42, No. 1 Terssit

CLAUDE DEBUSSY – Douze Études pour le piano, XI. Pour les arpèges composes

ROBERT PATERSON* – Joy Ride

ROY HARRIS – Piano Sonata, Op. 1

MAURICE RAVEL – Selections from Valses Nobles et Sentimentales

IGOR STRAVINSKY – Piano Etude Op. 7, No. 4

INTERMISSION

CLAUDE DEBUSSY – Isle Joyeuse

ANNIE GOSFIELD – Shattered Apparitions of the Western Wind, Movt 1-2 for Piano and Electronics (2011)

ROBERTO PIANA – Impressioni di danza No. 1 (for piano, four hands)

MARK APPLEBAUM – Meditation (for piano, six hands)

STEVE REICH / DIONYSIS BOUKOUVALAS – Fantasy on a theme by Steve Reich 1999, 2013 (for piano, six hands)

Program order subject to change

2019 PIANO PROGRAM Chantal Balestri • Nicole Brancato • Geoffrey Burleson* • Lesi Mei *MMF Faculty

36 MOSTLY MODERN FESTIVAL BIOGRAPHIES

CHANTAL BALESTRI NICOLE BRANCATO Praised for her “confidence and sound technique” New York-based pianist Nicole Brancato is a (South Florida Classical Review), Italian/Swiss stimulating and adventurous musician. As an pianist Chantal Balestri is a versatile classical award-winning young artist, she has performed musician active in the music scenes worldwide. throughout America and Italy, appearing in such Highlights of her recent career include her venues as Lincoln Center, the Guggenheim, debut at the Harbin Concert Hall, Freiburg and the 92Y, as well as the “underground” Konzertsaal, Theatre du Martolet beside others performance spaces in New York City and on for her Spring tourney both in Europe and Asia. New York Public Radio.

After her debut as a soloist with orchestra at age Brancato is a champion of creative and 13, she has concertized through Europe and conceptual performance. She participated in North America at venues including Carnegie Hall the Guggenheim’s marathon performance of (Weill and Stern), Lincoln Center, DiMenna Satie’s Vexations honoring John Cage’s legendary Center, Greenfield Hall (New York, USA), premiere of the work in 1963. This unique 19- Miniaci Performing Art Center (Miami, USA), hour concert was featured in The New York Times Wiener Saal (Austria), Sala Piatti (Bergamo, and Art News. On the international network Italy), Sala Stradivari (Cremona, Italy), Kaisersaal Rai Italia, Brancato gave an intimate televised der Historisches Kaufhaus (Freiburg, Germany), concert and interview for the series “L’altra Auditorium de La Lonja (Orihuela, Spain), Italia” in which she explored her roots and her Auditorium De Universidade (Aveiro, Portugal). love for New York’s exhilarating music scene. Her modern big band project “The Titanics,” for Since the age of seven, Chantal has won which she acted as pianist and lead arranger, was numerous national and international deemed “brilliant” by New York Magazine and competitions, including the Osimo International appeared multiple times in The New Yorker and Piano Competition and, most recently, the Time Out New York. She is also a key member Miami Piano Festival 2017 and the NYU Piano of 2Squared—a dynamic piano duo that tackles Concerto Competition 2016. Her repertoire great canonic works, new compositions, and includes a wide range of styles, from Baroque to multidisciplinary collaborations. contemporary eras. She has presented premieres of solo and chamber music works in important With her passion for programming both contemporary music Festivals, including traditional and avant-garde music in thought- “Composers Now Festival”. Collaborations provoking ways, Brancato has won multiple include Massimo Giuntoli (with Yamaha competitions during her career. She holds Europe), Rodion Shchedrin, Barbara Jazwinski, an M.A. in piano performance from Hunter Gilead Mishory, Annie Gosfield, Roberto Piana, College in New York City and a B.M. in piano Paolo Marchettini, David Winkler e.g. performance from Georgia State University in Atlanta, GA. Chantal resides in NYC and is a staff pianist at the New York University and piano professor in different academies.

She is the Founder and Artistic Director of the Lunigiana International Music Festival and the President of the NY Chapter of the World Piano Teachers Association.

MOSTLY MODERN FESTIVAL 37 PROGRAM NOTES

GEOFFREY BURLESON LESI MEI Equally active as a recitalist, concerto soloist, Pianist Lesi Mei has been involved in chamber musician, and jazz performer, many fields—such as bioengineering and Geoffrey Burleson, pianist, has performed to kinesiology—but piano and classical music wide acclaim throughout Europe and North have molded her in to the person she is. In America. Current recording projects include front of the keys, her background and Camille Saint-Saëns: Complete Piano Works, personality manifest in dazzling virtuosity on 6 CDs, for the new Naxos Grand Piano and stunning musicality. She has participated label. Volumes 1 (Complete Piano Études), 2, 3 in festivals such as International Keyboard and 4 have been released to high acclaim from Institute and Festival in New York City, Gramophone, International Record Review, Olympiad Piano festival (Semifinalist in Diapason (France) and elsewhere. Other Concerto Competition) in Colorado Springs, noteworthy recordings by Burleson include and received the performance diploma from Vincent Persichetti: Complete Piano Sonatas European Music Institute Vienna from Prof. (New World Records), which received a BBC Martin Hughes. Here in San Diego, California, Music Choice award from the BBC Music Lesi is a force to reckon with. Lesi maintains Magazine, and AKOKA (Oxingale Records), an active career as soloist and chamber featuring Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of musician, performing in venues such as Time, as well as companion works, for which Athenaeum Library, Temecula’s Merc Theater, Burleson was nominated for a 2015 JUNO the San Diego International Airport, and Award for Classical Album of the Year. Mr. various libraries and community centers. Burleson’s concerto appearances include Away from the concert hall, Lesi not only the Buffalo Philharmonic, New England maintains a private piano studio, but also enjoys Philharmonic, Boston Musica Viva, and the accompanying other student and professional Holland Symfonia in the Netherlands. He has musicians. Also, In 2016, Lesi served on the also appeared as featured soloist at the Bard panel for the San Diego International Piano Music Festival, International Keyboard Institute Competition for Outstanding Amateurs. and Festival (New York), Monadnock Music Festival, Santander Festival (Spain) and the Having just graduated from San Diego State Talloires International Festival (France). He University with Master of Music degree in is a core member of the American Modern Piano Performance, Lesi looks forward to Ensemble and Boston Musica Viva. Mr. even more performances and collaboration Burleson teaches piano at Princeton University with other musicians. Lesi also holds Master and is Professor of Music and Director of of Science degree in Exercise Physiology from Piano Studies at Hunter College-City University Florida State University, FL, and Bachelor of of New York. He is also on the piano faculties of Engineering in Biological Engineering from the CUNY Graduate Center, the International Beijing Institute of Technology, CHINA. Keyboard Institute & Festival (New York), and the Interharmony International Music Festival (Italy).

38 MOSTLY MODERN FESTIVAL Tuesday June 25th EUCLID STRING 7:30 PM QUARTET Arthur Zankel Music Center Saratoga Springs, New York

CLAUDE DEBUSSY – String Quartet in G minor, L. 85, Op. 10 I. Animé et très decide II. Assez vif et bien rythmé III. Andantino, doucement expressif IV. Très modéré – En animant peu à peu – Très mouvementé et avec passion

MICHAEL JANZ – Translations I-VI; When Walking in Los Angeles** I. At Angels Flight II. At Olvera Street III. Skateboarding IV. Bernie! V. 3.4 Mile Collage VI. Grand Central Market

GILLIAN RAE PERRY – Looking for Friends**

INTERMISSION

KEVIN MCCARTER – Come Along** GUANG YANG – Night Clouds** ROBERT PATERSON* – String Quartet No. 2** I. Colored Fields II. Rigor Mortis III. Dolente IV. Scherzando V. Collage

Comissioned by J.K. Billman and written for and dedicated to the Euclid Quartet

*MMF Composition Faculty ** World Premiere

Program subject to change

MOSTLY MODERN FESTIVAL 39 BIOGRAPHIES

EUCLID QUARTET In 2007, the Euclid Quartet was appointed Celebrating its 18th anniversary season, the to the prestigious string quartet residency Euclid Quartet enjoys one of the most at Indiana University South Bend, where highly regarded reputations of any chamber its members teach private lessons and coach ensemble of its generation, with its members’ chamber music. Passionately devoted to constituting a multinational mix representing presenting the highest quality chamber music four continents: violinist Jameson Cooper to young audiences, these seasoned teaching (Great Britain), violinist Brendan Shea (United artists have performed for thousands and States), violist Luis Enrique Vargas (Venezuela), thousands of students and young adults, in part cellist Jacqueline Choi (South Korea). through support from the National Endowment for the Arts and collaborations with Carnegie Highlights of the Euclid Quartet’s career Hall’s Weill Music Institute and the Fischoff include significant global recognition as the National Chamber Music Association. first American string quartet to be awarded a top prize at the prestigious Osaka International Active in the recording studio, the Euclid Chamber Music Competition. Prior to its Quartet issued, most recently, a pair of CDs, Japanese laurels, the quartet also won awards comprising the six string quartets of Béla Bartók in numerous United States competitions, on Artek Recordings. The American Record including the Hugo Kauder International Guide raved about these discs, “rarely has a Competition for String Quartets, The Carmel group found such meaning and vision.” Their Chamber Music Competition and the Chamber debut CD, on Centaur records, features the Music Yellow Springs Competition. In 2009, first four quartets of Hugo Kauder, a refugee the Euclid Quartet was awarded the esteemed from Nazi-occupied Austria who fled to the “American Masterpieces” grant from the United States in the 1940s. He defied the National Endowment for the Arts. atonal trend of his generation with his uniquely harmonic, contrapuntal style.

40 MOSTLY MODERN FESTIVAL PROGRAM NOTES

CLAUDE DEBUSSY – Those who think of Debussy as the composer of misty impressionism are in for a shock with his String Quartet in G minor, L. 85, Op. 10 Early in 1893, Debussy met the famed Belgian quartet, for it has the most slashing, powerful violinist Eugene Ysaÿe. Debussy was at this opening Debussy ever wrote: his marking for the beginning is “Animated and very resolute.” time almost unknown (Prelude to the Afternoon This first theme, with its characteristic triplet of a Faun was still a year in the future), but he and Ysaÿe instantly became friends—though spring, is the backbone of the entire quartet: Ysaÿe was only four years older than Debussy, the singing second theme grows directly out he treated the diminutive Frenchman like “his of this opening (though the third introduces little brother.” That summer, Debussy composed new material). The development is marked a string quartet for Ysaÿe’s quartet, which gave by powerful accents, long crescendos, and the first performance in Paris on December shimmering colors as this movement drives to an 29, 1893. Debussy was already notorious with unrelenting close in G minor. his teachers for his refusal to follow musical custom, and so it comes as a surprise to find him Notes adapted from Eric Bromberger and the choosing to write in this most demanding of La Jolla Music Society. classical forms. Early audiences were baffled. Reviewers used words like “fantastic” and MICHAEL JANZ – “oriental,” and Debussy’s friend Ernest Chausson Translations I-VI; When Walking confessed mystification. Debussy must have felt in Los Angeles the sting of these reactions, for he promised Translations are always imperfect, even more Chausson: “Well, I’ll write another for you … so when the material being translated is as rich and I’ll try to bring more dignity to the form.” and dense as a city soundscape. I have always been drawn to field recordings, and much of my But Debussy did not write another string recent work revolves around using field quartet, and his Quartet in G Minor has become recordings as a means of generating musical one of the cornerstones of the quartet literature. content, not by simply sampling or quoting, but The entire quartet grows directly out of its by deriving fundamental musical ideas from the first theme, presented at the very opening, vast sonic textures I have turned my microphone and this sharply rhythmic figure reappears in towards. Translations I-VI is based off a series various shapes in all four movements, taking of field recordings I made while wandering on a different character, a different color, and through Los Angeles. I processed, filtered, and a different harmony on each reappearance. analyzed these recordings, finding within them What struck early audiences as “fantastic” now all the pitch material I needed for the work. seems an utterly original conception of what a The piece is made up of six small movements, string quartet might be. Here is a combination each representing a kind of sound-collage of a of energy, drama, thematic imagination, and certain location within the city. Each movement attention to color never heard before in a string is succinct, needing no longer than a minute to quartet. Debussy may have felt pushed to perform. My hope is that you will hear a quick apologize for a lack of “dignity” in this music, aural snapshot, an interesting cloud of notes that, but we value it today just for that failure. in some small way, can serve as a translation of the city I call home into music.

MOSTLY MODERN FESTIVAL 41 PROGRAM NOTES

GILLIAN RAE PERRY – Looking for Friends phasing or phase modulation, as opposed to The title of the piece is a reference to tempo phasing. In these transitions, two or the children’s book The Little Prince by more instruments gradually modulate (raise or Antione de Saint-Exupéry. In the part of the lower) notes, motives, or phrases by gradual, very book being referenced, the little prince is very refined, microtonal, non-chromatic increments, sad and meets a fox. The fox asks him what settling on new areas of pitches that directly he is doing, to which the little prince eventually reflect the previous areas, just modulated up responds that he is looking for friends. or down. The movement ends softly with a virtual desaturation of the rhythmic material, in that I remove notes, one by one, until KEVIN MCCARTER – Come Along there’s nothing left. Come Along begins with the four instruments playing short figures that interact to create a buoyant composite texture. After the initial The second movement, Rigor Mortis, is inspired exploration of this idea, it yields to a second idea by a comic strip by David Lynch that ran in characterized by lyrical phrases and sustained newspapers for many years. In this strip, Lynch tones. Eventually, the lyrical phrases gain sketched a stressed-out, black dog, looking momentum and lead to a variant of the opening very mean and almost buzzing with anger; texture. The music develops through expanding it looked like it was about to explode. Every on these two ideas, sometimes combining strip began with an accompanying paragraph portions of them. that read, “The dog who is so angry he cannot move. He cannot eat. He cannot sleep. He can just barely growl. Bound so tightly with tension GUANG YANG – Night Clouds and anger, he approaches the state of rigor I drew the idea of this piece from a sound mortis.” This made me envision musicians in my head: a powerful sound representing playing with such ferocity and tension that the lightning and thunder in the night sky. the music seems to eventually cancel itself out, While writing I thought upon Night Clouds anger imploding in on itself. The movement the memories of my hometown, (Hangzhou begins with loud barking, represented by China) with its night skies. I could see the scratch tones on the strings. It then moves to moonlight penetrating layers of clouds, there a section representing the insane, growling is lightning, there is wind, there are birds. dog running in circles. Next, there is a section inspired by some of the philosophical sentences ROBERT PATERSON – String Quartet No. 2 Lynch used in this comic strip series. Then In some ways, String Quartet No. 2 is similar to we hear the dog barking again, but he hears a my String Quartet No. 1: the five movements are familiar theme reminding him of his long lost stylistically diverse, I use a few snippets of pre- love, so he simmers down for a bit. However, existing music, and the music, while idiomatic, he soon remembers his predicament and is technically demanding. This work explores becomes angry again. The movement ends technical and aesthetic ideas I didn’t have a with more furious barking: he is overcome by chance to explore in other works. distilled tension, imploding inward with a final, loud, buzzing unison tremolo. The first movement,Colored Fields, is inspired by abstract expressionist colored field painters, The third movement, Dolente, is sad, lush, such as; Mark Rothko, Kenneth Noland, and and mournful. The only request I had when Barnett Newman, but also pointillist painters writing this quartet was to incorporate either such as Georges Seurat, Paul Signac. There a Norwegian fiddle tune or theme by Edvard are textures that emerge and submerge using Grieg, so I chose to use a theme or two from articulations that gradually shift from soft to Grieg’s String Quartet No. 1. The form of loud, or short to long, and there are a few this movement mimics the form of a song by transitions that utilize a technique I call pitch Edvard Grieg’s entitled Spillemaend (Minstrels,

42 MOSTLY MODERN FESTIVAL PROGRAM NOTES or Fiddlers). The poem that Grieg set in 1876 The fourth movement, Scherzando, is meant as the first of Six Ibsen Songs (Op. 25) is based to be humorous, and capitalizes on effects that on the Norwegian folktale of the fossegrim, a at times, often make the string players sound male water spirit who could teach the art of inebriated. Copious glissandi and tempos that violin-playing, but often at the price of personal fluctuate between 3/4 and 6/8 give a sense happiness, and in some case, with the poor of unease. violinist drowning in the end. Like the song, and echoing the second movement, this The final movement,Collage , is similar the movement beginning with the protagonist’s the first movement in that it is inspired by the longing, his desire for the beloved. Next, he visual arts, and specifically, collage painting encounters the fossegrim, who promises that and works by surrealists. Many themes from becoming a master of music will allow the the first four movements are brought together protagonist to become master of the beloved, in this odd-metered movement. as well. In the final stanza, the protagonist has become a master fiddler, but is now a cursed; String Quartet No. 2 is commissioned by J. K. wandering musician deprived of earthly Billman and is written for and dedicated to the love, and drowns himself. The supernatural Euclid Quartet. fossegrim, like in Grieg’s work, is represented by tremolos, chromatic descents, unexpected dynamic contrasts, and dissonant harmonies such as fully-diminished seventh chords and augmented chords.

All program notes are by the composers unless otherwise noted.

MOSTLY MODERN FESTIVAL 43 Wednesday June 26th CHAMBER HITS 7:30 PM

Arthur Zankel Music Center Saratoga Springs, New York

This program will consist of chamber pieces performed by MMF participants and faculty. An updated program insert with all artists and pieces will be provided at the concert and listed online.

KEITH FITCH* – Ruthless Voicings

ROBERT PATERSON* – Spring Songs**

*MMF Composition Faculty **World Premiere Version for Chamber Ensemble

Program subject to change

ARTISTS John McKeever, conductor • Austin Philemon, conductor Alok Kumar, tenor • Thomas Robertello, flute • Tasha Warren, clarinet Victoria Paterson, violin • Orlando Wells, viola • Dave Eggar, cello Sam Soloman, percussion • Geoffrey Burleson, piano other artists to be announced from the stage

44 MOSTLY MODERN FESTIVAL PROGRAM NOTES

KEITH FITCH – Ruthless Voicings ROBERT PATERSON – Spring Songs Mondegreen: a word or phrase that results Spring Songs for tenor and chamber ensemble from a mishearing of something said or sung, or piano is my third song cycle celebrating e.g., Ruthless Voicings, a mondegreen of the the seasons. As with the first two,Winter jazz term “rootless voicing” (a harmonization Songs for bass-baritone and Summer Songs for without the root of the chord, a.k.a “Bill soprano, this cycle contains settings of poems Evans” voicing). by various American poets.

Ruthless Voicings is a one-movement work, Whereas both Winter Songs and Summer Songs comprised of five sections, all connected by end with scenes in New York City, Spring Songs related melodic, harmonic and/or rhythmic begins with New York: a setting of English material. The work is based on three key Sparrows (Washington Square) by Edna St. musical elements: a fifteen-chord progression Vincent Millay, a poem about about a scene (marked “gentle, floating”) first introduced that takes place in the morning in Greenwich in the vibraphone, the melodic thread which Village, a neighborhood in New York City it accompanies, and fast, angular rhythmic where Millay lived in the early 1900s. The music (marked “jaunty, quirky”) which initially second movement is s setting of April 5, 1974 appears in the bass clarinet and is soon picked by Richard Wilbur, a poem about Wilbur up by the rest of the ensemble. Throughout wrote in honor of Robert Frost’s one-hundredth much of the piece, the bass clarinet often serves birthday, and I interpret as being about as a foil to the others, until it eventually fully overcoming self-doubt through wisdom, and joins them in the penultimate, climatic section also about understanding the change of seasons, and the final, coda-like music (although it but also a change of mind. The third movement, does have the last word!). The work lasts Done With by Ann Stanford, I interpret to be approximately twelve minutes in performance. about death and rebirth, and is symbolized by a house being torn down and the ground Ruthless Voicings was commissioned by the No paved over, and the now suffocated plant life Exit ensemble, Timothy Beyer, director, in yearning to break through. The Widow’s Lament celebration of its tenth anniversary season and in Springtime, the fourth movement, is a setting was premiered by them in February 2019. of a poem by William Carlos Williams, and Additional funding was generously provided by I interpret as a modernist, pastoral elegy that the Ohio Arts Council uses images of nature to lament the death of a loved one. The final movement, a setting of the poem Spring Rain by Sara Teasdale, is about a happy memory of a lover brought about by an evening thunderstorm.

Spring Songs was commissioned by Rick Teller and the piano/vocal version was premiered at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall in 2018 by, Alok Kumar, tenor, and Geoffrey Burleson, piano.

MOSTLY MODERN FESTIVAL 45 Thursday June 27th AKROPOLIS REED 7:30 PM QUINTET Arthur Zankel Music Center Saratoga Springs, New York

MARC MELLITS – Splinter I. Scarlet Oak II. Sugar Maple III. Linden IV. Black Ash V. Cherry VI. River Birch VII. Weeping Willow VIII. Red Pine

THOMAS PALMER – Red-Eye* BENJAMIN WEST – Why Fest* OSWALD HUYNH – In Contrary Winds*

INTERMISSION

THEO CHANDLER – Seed to Snag… I. Sprout II. Stretch III. Sew

STEVEN SNOWDEN – Sprocket** I. II. III. IV. V.

*World Premiere **Including MMF Faculty Percussionist, Samuel Solomon

Program subject to change

46 MOSTLY MODERN FESTIVAL BIOGRAPHIES

AKROPOLIS REED QUINTET Akropolis’ recent and upcoming appearances Hailed for their “imagination, infallible includes stops at Caramoor, Chamber Music musicality, and huge vitality” (Fanfare Northwest, the Oneppo Series at Yale University, Magazine), Akropolis was founded in 2009 at the Chautauqua Institution, Artist Series of the University of Michigan and has won seven Sarasota, Chamber Music Abu Dhabi, Chamber national chamber music prizes since 2011, Music Columbus, and more. Akropolis has been including the 2014 Fischoff Gold Medal and awarded a juried showcase at APAP (YPCA), the 2015 Fischoff Educator Award. Akropolis Chamber Music America twice, Performing Arts is an alumnus of APAP’s prestigious Young Exchange, Western Arts Alliance, and the Mid- Performer’s Career Advancement Program Atlantic Performing Arts Market. With three and is generously supported by grants from studio albums, including its March 2017 release the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), of The Space Between Us, called “pure gold” by Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural the San Francisco Chronicle, Akropolis has Affairs, CultureSource, Paul M. Angell Family recorded 17 original reed quintet works. Foundation, Aaron Copland Fund for Music, Chamber Music America, Alice M. Ditson Akropolis’ 2018 Together We Sound festival Fund, Amphion Foundation, High Wire Lab, featured an improvisatory new work with and Quicken Loans. YAK and a concert with acclaimed soprano Shara Nova. Akropolis premiered the first Celebrating their 10th anniversary, Akropolis’ work for reed quintet and string quartet 19/20 season features 10 commissions for the by David Schiff with the Dover Quartet in ensemble including the first concerto for reed 2015 and has performed with artists like the quintet and wind band by Roshanne Etezady, Miró Quartet and renowned clarinetist David a chamber concerto by Jenni Brandon with Shifrin. Akropolis has even performed with guest bassoonist Monica Ellis of Imani Winds, HarperCollins published author and scientist, a work for reed quintet and rideable percussion Vic Strecher. In April 2017, Akropolis’ residency bicycle by Steven Snowden, and more. The in Abu Dhabi featured a performance of Marc season also features a 10-show, choreographed Mellits’ Splinter with original Arabic poetry and staged production with BodyVox Dance performed by Khalifa University students, in Portland, OR and Akropolis’ 3rd annual written around Mellits’ music. Together We Sound festival in Detroit featuring a multimedia collaboration with Detroit projection artist, L05 (Carlos Garcia).

MOSTLY MODERN FESTIVAL 47 BIOGRAPHIES

Establishing Akropolis WORKS in 2016, Akropolis regularly appears in unconventional Akropolis’ members teach an annual 7-week settings, including performances in office spaces music business mini-course at the University of in Detroit as part of its Corporate-to-Corner Michigan as well as two semester-long courses Tour in January 2017. In May 2016 Akropolis at Michigan State University. They have conducted a live recording session featuring delivered WORKS lectures to university audience participation for John Steinmetz’s musicians around the United States on Sorrow and Celebration for reed quintet and marketing, financial planning, brand identity, audience, which Akropolis commissioned in and more. Equally committed to students K-12, 2014. Akropolis presents its annual Together We Akropolis reached over 10,000 K-12 students Sound festival in Detroit each June, bringing in 2018. They conduct an annual school year together multidisciplinary collaborators, new long residency with students at three Detroit works, and educational outreach to increase high schools including chamber music and arts access throughout the city. music composition. Akropolis is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization Winner of a coveted Chamber Music America generously supported by individuals around the Classical Commissioning Grant, Akropolis has world. All Akropolis events include informative premiered more than 50 works from composers musical introductions and a chance to greet in 7 countries and was selected to adjudicate the artists. Originating at the University of and premiere the 2018 Barlow Prize funded by Michigan in Ann Arbor, Akropolis remains its the Barlow Endowment, the first time the prize founding members: Tim Gocklin (oboe), Kari was given for a reed quintet work. Akropolis’ Landry (clarinet), Matt Landry (saxophone), members are the first of any reed quintet to Andrew Koeppe (bass clarinet), and Ryan judge major chamber music competitions Reynolds (bassoon). including the Fischoff (2018) and Chamber Music Yellow Springs (2019) competitions. Akropolis produces a YouTube Web Premiere Series with more than 50,000 views, showcasing new works, arrangements, and composer interviews for a live Internet audience. In 2012 Akropolis created Akropolis Collection and has now sold over 400 original and arranged sheet music works to more than 100 new and established reed quintets.

48 MOSTLY MODERN FESTIVAL PROGRAM NOTES

MARC MELLITS – Splinter BENJAMIN WEST – Why Fest Composer Marc Mellits’ music contains Why Fest is my attempt at blending modern driving rhythms, soaring lyricism, and colorful political discourse with influences from the orchestrations, which might seem difficult to emotive drumming of percussionists such as capture with just five instruments. In the case of Greg Saunier and Zach Hill. At its core, this his first work for reed quintet—formed in short piece aims to map out the machine-like and miniatures like almost all of Mellits’ music– programmatic ways of capitalism and how all the listener experiences repetitious motives of the moving parts involved within the current which, through subtle harmonic changes, structure of society are implicit in environmental create elongated phrases and broader musical and social disasters. While this description may structures. Even among the identical openings sound pompous, I really hope that the structures of movements 1 and 6 (as well as a few bars of presented in this piece can encourage listeners directly transplanted content in movements 5 to get into the visceral mindset of some of the and 8), the listener gets a broader sense of the events that could ensue if society continues greater architecture in the work, even as motives to map out in the ways that it has. Is there continue to drive, repeat, and subtlety evolve. actually a calm after the storm? My title Mellits’ musical upbringing was varied, including specifically refers to an abbreviated version of rock and electronic music influences, which “Why Fester”, as I am directly trying to provoke became a part of his musical instincts early on thoughts of why society seems to be complacent and make a thrilling contribution to his classical in the negative oscillations it has been going compositions today. through. Can this change? Can the emotionality behind music and art in general help us THOMAS PALMER – Red-Eye through this process? I sure hope so. Red-Eye is a piece about the feeling I often have finding myself awake very late at I also want to take the time to say that it is night. I’ve found that the world in the dead of such an honor to get to work with Akropolis night can be incredibly still, but just as often be on this piece. Not only can they play anything filled with a flurry of activity and action. In a thrown in their direction, but also the inquisitive similar vein, I’ve often found these perceptions nature they embody when approaching new of the world around me mirrored in myself— music absolutely blows me away. Thank so sometimes being awake when no one else is much to Mostly Modern and everyone involved is peaceful and calming, and makes me look for making this musical experience come to life! forward to joining the rest of the world in sleep. However, finding myself still awake OSWALD HUYNH – In Contrary Winds when the rest of the world has gone to sleep is In Contrary Winds is inspired by a quote often a more sobering, anxious experience that attributed to Peter Marshall: follows marathon days and sleepless nights. On the longest of nights like these, I’ve found “When we long for life without difficulties, myself noticing how the night can seem so remind us that oaks grow strong in contrary different when your eyes are red. winds and diamonds are made under pressure.”

The image of the oak tree was both vivid and powerful to me, and a reed quintet, inherently full of timbral possibilities, seemed to be the perfect ensemble to recreate this image musically. The oak tree is represented by two melodic themes, which are enveloped by flurries of notes to represent the wind. In Contrary Winds constantly and quickly changes between

MOSTLY MODERN FESTIVAL 49 PROGRAM NOTES the two themes as the oak is jostled in the wind. but unorthodox canon. Seed to Snag... was As the winds grow stronger, the rhythmic activity commissioned by Akropolis and the I-Park becomes more frantic with polyrhythm, Foundation. polymeter, and hockets. STEVEN SNOWDEN – Sprocket THEO CHANDLER – Seed to Snag… Sprocket was composed by Steven Snowden Composer Theo Chandler has a diverse musical for Akropolis’ Together We Sound festival and educational background for a traditionally- in Detroit, MI, and premiered in June 2019. trained classical composer (Oberlin, Juilliard, Commissioned by Akropolis with support Rice), and so he explores textures in more from the National Endowment for the Arts, ways than other composers might think to. If Sprocket combines reed quintet with percussion. we define texture in music as the way two or In Detroit the percussion instruments were more instruments’ sounds combine to create combined into a rideable percussion bicycle, new sounds, Chandler is able to do this not which reflected the massive cycling culture just through various registers and chords, but of Detroit. Each movement utilizes different through rapid scalar runs which weave different components of the reed quintet timbre in instruments together in the first movement, combination with different percussive elements. through layers of loud and quiet sounds such The original percussion bike was designed as in the second movement bassoon solo, and built by Detroit resident and Kresge Arts and in the third movement through a playful Fellow, Juan Martinez, and premiered at Wasserman Projects gallery and the Dequindre Cut bike path in Detroit.

All program notes are by the composers unless otherwise noted.

50 MOSTLY MODERN FESTIVAL Plant Trees!

MOSTLY MODERN FESTIVAL 51 Friday June 28th AMERICAN MODERN 7:30 PM ORCHESTRA Arthur Zankel Music Center Saratoga Springs, New York

Ward Stare, Conductor Bradley Adam Bascon, Violin

ROBERT PATERSON* – Dark Mountains

ERICH KORNGOLD – Violin Concerto‡ Moderato Romanze Allegro assai vivace Bradley Adam Bascon, violin

INTERMISSION

†Work by MMF Composition Institute Participant

JOHN ADAMS – Harmonielehre I. The First Movement II. The Anfortas Wound III. Meister Eckhardt and Quackie

*MMF Faculty **World Premiere ‡ Winner of AMO’s First Annual Concerto Competition †This work will be chosen for performance from the works that receive orchestral readings earlier in the week at the festival, and will be conducted by one of the conducting participants.

Program order subject to change

52 MOSTLY MODERN FESTIVAL BIOGRAPHIES

As passionate advocate for arts education, Ward Stare has served as a Distinguished Artist at the Robert McDuffie Center for Strings at Mercer University since 2012. In the fall of 2016, Stare recorded Concerto for Violin, Rock Band and String Orchestra, by R.E.M. bassist and songwriter Mike Mills, with the ensemble and its founder, Robert McDuffie.

Stare is an enthusiastic collaborator and performer of new music, including the world premiere performance of ‘Pravda’, by Academy Award-winning composer Elliot Goldenthal and the regional premiere of Pulitzer Prize and Grammy WARD STARE Award-winning composer Aaron Jay Kernis’ Hailed by the Chicago Tribune as “A rising- Flute Concerto, performed by Marina Piccinini. star in the conducting firmament,” Ward Stare In the Spring of 2019, Stare and the Rochester was appointed the 12th music director of the Philharmonic Orchestra will release their first Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra in 2014. recording—an all American album featuring He has been praised for “inspiring musicians to the world-premiere recordings of Grammy impressive heights” by The New York Times, Award-winning composer Jennifer Higdon’s and as “a dynamic music director” by Rochester Harp Concerto, with Yolanda Kondonassis CITY Newspaper. In demand as a guest as soloist, and Patrick Harlin’s Rapture. conductor, Stare has conducted the Symphony Orchestras of Baltimore, Sydney (Australia), Ward Stare was trained as a trombonist at The Pittsburgh, Grant Park (Chicago), Atlanta, Juilliard School in Manhattan. At 18, he was Detroit, Toronto as well as the New World appointed principal trombonist of the Lyric Symphony and Calgary Philharmonic. Stare Opera of Chicago and has performed as an made his debut with the Metropolitan Opera orchestral musician with the Chicago Symphony in 2017, conducting nine performances of Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic, Franz Lehár’s The Merry Widow, with Grammy- among others. As a soloist, he has concertized winning mezzo-soprano Susan Graham in the in both the U.S. and Europe. title role. Stare’s frequent collaborations with the Lyric Opera of Chicago began in 2012, conducting a production of Hansel and Gretel, returning in 2013 for Die Fledermaus, and again in 2014 to lead Porgy and Bess to rave reviews. Stare served as resident conductor of the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra from 2008 to 2012 and, in 2009, made his highly successful Carnegie Hall debut with the orchestra, stepping in to lead H. K. Gruber’s Frankenstein. Stare has enjoyed an ongoing relationship with the SLSO and returns frequently as a guest.

MOSTLY MODERN FESTIVAL 53 BIOGRAPHIES

recipient in the Junior Division of Redlands Bowl. Bradley has performed as a soloist at the Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, and international performances include the 2012 London Olympics with the Irvine Classical Players Orchestra, Mozarteum in Austria, Concertmaster with Teatro Verdi in Italy with Claremont Young Musician’s Orchestra, and additional performances in Spain, Portugal, and Germany. Bradley is an alumnus of the Aspen International Music Festival and School where he studied with Paul Kantor, and performed with the Aspen Philharmonic Orchestra. Bradley is a performing member of the Young Artist Guild BRADLEY ADAM BASCON of California, and is currently an undergraduate Bradley Adam Bascon started playing violin student with Dr. Lina Bahn at the University at the age of four, and at the age of six won his of Southern California’s Thornton School first solo competition with theSouthwestern of Music. Youth Music Festival. He is a 2015 grand prize

54 MOSTLY MODERN FESTIVAL PROGRAM NOTES

ROBERT PATERSON – Dark Mountains most modern musical styles of the day. He Vermont is famous for its green mountains, grew up to be an extremely successful opera but I often find myself taking long drives composer-his most talked-about work, Die tote through the mountains on overcast days or Stadt (The Dead City), was written when he even at night, when the mountains lose color was twenty. Yet he was equally attracted to and become gray silhouettes. Many roads operetta, and was considered an expert on in Vermont are so dark, particularly in the Johann Strauss, Jr. His involvement with Northeast Kingdom that you need to use new productions of Die Fledermaus and other headlights, even during the day. Dark Mountains Strauss operettas (as arranger and conductor) is meant to portray the beauty and grandeur became legendary, and brought him into of the mountains and the peacefulness of the contact with Max Reinhardt (1873-1943), the open roads, but also the darkness and occasional foremost German stage director of the time. treacherous passes one may encounter during This turned out to be a life-saver, as it was the evening hours. The piece is in three with Reinhardt that Korngold first went to connected sections. The first section portrays Hollywood, where he soon became the star the calmness and austerity of a quiet evening. among film composers. After the Nazi The second is inspired by a fast drive down occupation of Austria in 1938, Korngold lost winding country roads, with twists and turns, his original home base and settled permanently frequent tempo changes and shifting gears. in Los Angeles. The final section evokes the feeling of looking at the nighttime sky with moonlight shining His father, who in his seventies was forced to through the trees and the sounds of nature in flee Austria and joined his son in Southern the distance. California, was deeply disappointed that Erich had given up serious” composition in favor This piece is commissioned by and dedicated of the movies. To his last day, the old man to the Vermont Symphony Orchestra and kept exhorting his son to return to concert Jaime Laredo, and was originally written for music. His advice went unheeded for years, yet the Made in Vermont Music Festival. towards the end of Julius’s life, Erich wrote a string quartet (his third) and, after his father’s death, he returned to a project started years ERICH KORNGOLD – Violin Concerto earlier but never completed: a concerto for Erich Wolfgang Korngold was born in Brünn, violin and orchestra. [now Brno, Czech Republic] on May 29, 1897, and died in Hollywood on November 29, 1957. The great violinist Bronislaw Huberman-an He worked on his Violin Concerto between old family friend since Vienna days-had long 1937 and 1939, revising and completing the been asking Korngold for a violin concerto. score in 1945. The first performance was given When the work was finally completed, by Jascha Heifetz and the St. Louis Symphony however, Huberman found himself unable to Orchestra, conducted by Vladimir Golschmann, commit to a performance date. (The Polish on February 15, 1947.The published score is violinist was in poor health and died in June dedicated to Alma Mahler-Werfel. 1947 at the age of 64). Korngold showed the When Erich Wolfgang Korngold was nine concerto to Jascha Heifetz, who learned it years old, his father-who happened to be Julius within a few weeks and, with Huberman’s Korngold, the most influential music critic in blessing, gave the world premiere in St. Louis Vienna-showed the boy’s first compositions on February 15, 1947. to Gustav Mahler, who exclaimed: “A genius!” Mahler’s reaction was understandable. The At this point in Korngold’s career, the two young Korngold was a unique composing aspects of his creative world-concert and film prodigy who had an instinctive grasp of the music—had become completely intertwined. His movie scores (of which the most famous

MOSTLY MODERN FESTIVAL 55 PROGRAM NOTES are Captain Blood and The Adventures of a dream image I had shortly before starting Robin Hood) were symphonic, even operatic, the piece. In the dream I’d watched a gigantic in their scope. The Violin Concerto, on the supertanker take off from the surface of San other hand, owes much to Korngold’s work in Francisco Bay and thrust itself into the sky the film industry. Many of the major themes like a Saturn rocket. At the time (1984–85) I were taken over from film scores, and there was still deeply involved in the study of C. G. are moments where the instrumentation and Jung’s writings, particularly his examination of the thematic development also bring back medieval mythology. I was deeply affected by Hollywood memories. Jung’s discussion of the character of Anfortas, the king whose wounds could never be healed. The opening theme of the concerto comes As a critical archetype, Anfortas symbolized a from a score written for a film that failed and condition of sickness of the soul that curses it was quickly forgotten (Another Dawn, 1937), with a feeling of impotence and depression. the second from the historical movie Juarez In this slow, moody movement entitled “The (1939). The folk-dance theme of the last Anfortas Wound” a long, elegiac trumpet movement originated in the film adaptation solo floats over a delicately shifting screen of Mark Twain’s The Prince and the Pauper of minor triads that pass like spectral shapes (1937), and became the starting point for a from one family of instruments to the other. set of brilliant variations. These different Two enormous climaxes rise up out of the sources form a completely new entity in the otherwise melancholy landscape, the second Violin Concerto, quite independent from the one being an obvious homage to Mahler’s last, screen originals. (The beautiful melody of the unfinished symphony. second-movement: Romance seems to have been written especially for this concerto.) The final part, “Meister Eckhardt and Quackie,” begins with a simple berceuse, or cradle-song, Since the 1970s, Korngold’s Violin Concerto that is as airy, serene and blissful as “The has enjoyed a spectacular comeback, with at Anfortas Wound” is earthbound, shadowy, least half a dozen new recordings and and bleak. The Zappaesque title refers to a increasingly frequent concert performances all dream I’d had shortly after the birth of our over the world. daughter, Emily, who was briefly dubbed “Quackie” during her infancy. In the dream, Notes adapted from Peter Laki she rode perched on the shoulder of the and The Kennedy Center. medieval mystic Meister Eckhardt, as they hover among the heavenly bodies like figures JOHN ADAMS – Harmonielehre painted on the high ceilings of old cathedrals. The first part is a seventeen-minute inverted The tender berceuse gradually picks up speed arch form: high energy at the beginning and mass … and culminates in a tidal wave and end, with a long, roaming Sehnsucht of brass and percussion over a pedal point on section in between. The pounding E minor E-flat major. chords at the beginning and end of the movement are the musical counterparts of –John Adams

All program notes are by the composers unless otherwise noted.

56 MOSTLY MODERN FESTIVAL 2019 AMERICAN MODERN ORCHESTRA PERSONNEL

CONDUCTORS TRUMPET VIOLIN David Amado* Thomas Bergeron*, Benjamin Sung*, Ruth Reinhardt* Principal Bryan Hernandez-Luch*, Ward Stare* Tim Leopold* Concertmaster Sam Friedman Robin Braun*, Esther Noh*, FLUTE Steffi Tetzloff Principal Second Lindsey Goodman*, Eric Latini Bradley Adam Bascon Sato Moughalian*, Che Hong Liu Thomas Robertello*, TROMBONE Colleen Mahoney Principal Tim Albright*, Elizabeth Mandic-Nowac Yi-Ping Chou Principal Victoria Paterson* Baltazar Diaz Justin Coyne Dan Qiao Laken Emerson Thanasit Pimnipapatrakul Paige Towsey Savannah Gentry Robin Tozzie Joshua Weinberg TUBA Esther Tran John Manning* Alphonso Ramirez OBOE Jordan DeWester Amanda Brin Keve Wilson*, Principal Logan Jungman Jameson Cooper Marke Doerr Sonia Susi Tyler Kuehn PERCUSSION Alexis Mitchell Samuel Soloman*, VIOLA Matt Ward*, Philip Payton*, CLARINET Principal Orlando Wells*, Tasha Warren*, Principal Michael Barnes Principal Taylor Barlow Hayden Busby Josiah Baarbé Raymond Brein Hunter Gross Eric Eakes Kim Cassisa Andrew Grishaw Melissa Demarjian 2019 PIANO PROGRAM Sarah Ordonez Elisabeth Hartmark Geoffrey Burleson*, Noel Liakos Anthony de Mare*, CELLO Justin Wisner Blair McMillen*, Dave Eggar*, Principal Principal BASSOON Amir Farid* Joshua Baerwald Charles McCracken*, Erika Switzer* Rocio Diaz de Cossio Principal Chris Reynolds* Carolyn Regula Jake Fowler Chantal Balestri Tom Valdez Alexandra Johnson Nicole Brancato Emily Bivona-Maldonado Lesi Mei BASS Yifei Xu Jaqui Danilow*, HORN Louis Levitt*, Seth Orgel*, HARP Principal Principal Joseph Rebman*, Cooke Harvey Wesley Ballard Principal Andrew O’Connor Evan McAleer Anna Dunlap Dylan Rader Hanah Rahman Autumn Selover Isaac Said Joseph Venezia

MOSTLY MODERN FESTIVAL 57 2019 AMERICAN MODERN ORCHESTRA PERSONNEL

2019 VOCAL PROGRAM 2019 CONDUCTING Leah Ofman Rachel Shutz, Soprano* PROGRAM Thomas Palmer Blythe Gaissert, Duane Andrews Gillian Rae Perry Mezzo-Soprano* Alex Arellano Alphonso Ramirez Christopher Herbert, Johnathan Kirby Jacob Snider Baritone* JaeEun Kim Thomas Welsh Timothy Long, Vocal Coach* Renée Anne Louprette Benjamin West Sydney Branch, Soprano John McKeever Guang Yang Ju Hyeon Han, Soprano Austin Philemon Kerry Holahan, Soprano Alfonso Piacentini *2019 MMF Institute Faculty Natalia Hulse, Soprano Andreas Salazar Sophia Lemaire, Soprano MOSTLY MODERN Juliet Schlefer, Soprano 2019 COMPOSITION FESTIVAL STAFF Brianna Weckerly, Soprano PROGRAM Robert Paterson, Laura Couch, Mezzo-Soprano Claude Baker* Artistic Director Thomas Bocchi, Tenor Stephen Cabell* Victoria Paterson, Jeffrey Todd, Baritone Keith Fitch* Executive Director Anne LeBaron* Grace Law, 2019 GUITAR PROGRAM Robert Paterson* Artistic Operations Oren Fader* Joshua Baerwald Coordinator Thomas Clippinger Bunny Beck Stephen Cabell, Daniel Conant Morgan Easterday Composition Program Colin Fullerton Jeremi Edwards Coordinator Kenneth Scott Eggert Sebastian Danila, 2019 SAXOPHONE PROGRAM Philip Foster Librarian & Stage Manager Christopher Creviston* Leonid Galaganov Anniemeke de Keijzer, Jonathan Dufresne Nathaniel Heyder Social Media Strategist Kathleen Faracy Oswald Huynh Holly Hickman, Marketing Wilson Poffenberger Michael Janz Ken Yanagisawa, Photographer Nicholas Suoso Eugene Marlow Christian Amonson, Audio & Kevin McCarter Video Producer Timothy Lee Miller

58 MOSTLY MODERN FESTIVAL PATRON SUPPORT

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MOSTLY MODERN FESTIVAL 59 PATRON SUPPORT

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