2017 Champion of New Music Award Reviews Reports Awards and Honors Members’ News

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2017 In this issue: Champion of Deborah J. Anderson Elizabeth Bell New Music Award Paul-André Bempéchat Sheila Forrester Ellen Frankel For extraordinary commitment to living Luise Greger Hanne Tofte Jespersen composers and the work they create, the Anne LeBaron American Composers Forum presents Sonia Megías Claudia Montero Rain Nox INTERNATIONAL ALLIANCE Pauline Oliveros FOR WOMEN IN MUSIC Sarah Reid Meerenai Shim Mara Sidoni with its Elizabeth Vercoe 2017 Champion of New Music Award Reviews Reports Awards and Honors Members’ News

Volume 23, No. 1 • 2017 Table of Contents Volume 23, Number 1 (2017)

Articles The 2017 Champion of New Music Awards ...... Anne LeBaron ...... 1 Approaching Electronic/Acoustic Performance Practice Through Improvisation ...... Sarah Reid ...... 2 The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire: Turning History into Opera ...... Ellen Frankel ...... 7 El Salvador’s Song ...... Sonia Megías ...... 10 Claudia Montero Wins Her Second Latin Grammy ...... 12 Calliope’s Call ...... Elizabeth Vercoe ...... 14 Restoring Luise Greger: A Renaissance in Progress ...... Paul-André Bempéchat ...... 14 Under the Bridges of Paris ...... Deborah J. Anderson ...... 17 Meet Five New IAWM Members My Composition Process and Career ...... Sheila Forrester ...... 18 Music for the Mysteries and If the Land Could Talk: Two sides of the same coin ...... Hanne Tofte Jespersen ...... 19 Music and the Environment ...... Rain Nox ...... 21 Performing and Promoting Contemporary Music ...... Meerenai Shim ...... 21 Instead of Opera ...... Mara Sindoni ...... 22 In Memoriam: Pauline Oliveros (1932-2016) Memories of Pauline Oliveros ...... Casper Soluna, Carol Ann Weaver, Elizabeth Hinkle Turner ...... 23 Pauline Oliveros in Canada and the World ...... Gayle Young ...... 24 In Memoriam: Elizabeth Bell (1928-2016) ...... Amy Clemens, Marilyn Bliss, Chen Yi, Rain Worthington, Alla Pavlova ...26 Book Reviews Beth Abelson MacLeod: Fannie Bloomfield-Zeisler: The Life and Times of a Piano Virtuoso .... Christine Ammer ...... 28 Aisling Kenny and Susan Wollenberg, eds.: Women and the Nineteenth-Century Lied ...... Susan H. Borwick...... 28 Recent Publications ...... 29 Compact Disc Reviews Maya Beiser: TranceClassical ...... Nina C. Young ...... 30 Muses Trio: The Spirit and the Maiden ...... Kimberly Greene ...... 30 Danae Xanthe Vlasse: Celebrations and Commemoration...... Anna Rubin ...... 31 Recent Releases ...... 32 Concerts and Festivals “To Sing Again” ...... Stephanie Susberich ...... 34 Deon Nielsen Price: To the Children of War ...... Jeannie Gayle Pool ...... 34 Women in Music Festivals in Italy ...... Orietta Caianiello ...... 35 The 2017 Women Composers Festival of Hartford ...... Jessica Rudman ...... 36 Music by Women Festival ...... Krystal Folkestad Grant ...... 38

Reports Canada “You’re Welcome, Rossini!” ...... 39 The Association of Canadian Women Composers ...... Diane Berry ...... 39 Japan ...... Taeko Nishizaka ...... 40 The Kapralova Society Annual Report 2016 ...... Karla Hartl ...... 40 Awards and Honors ...... 41 Members’ News ...... Anita Hanawalt...... 43 The International Alliance for Women in Music (IAWM) is a global network of Journal of the IAWM Staff women and men working to increase and enhance musical activities and opportunities and to promote all aspects of the music of women. The IAWM builds awareness of EDITOR IN CHIEF women’s contributions to musical life through publications, website, free listserv, in- Eve R. Meyer ternational competitions for researchers and composers, conferences, and congresses, 8355 Sunmeadow Lane concerts, the entrepreneurial efforts of its members, and advocacy work. IAWM ac- Boca Raton, FL 33496 tivities ensure that the progress women have made in every aspect of musical life will [email protected] continue to flourish and multiply. PRODUCTION MANAGER IAWM MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION Members’ News Lynn Gumert IAWM membership includes a subscription Please send your news items to the Members’ MEMBERS’ NEWS EDITOR to the Journal of the IAWM (issued twice a News Editor, Anita Hanawalt, at anita@ year), participation in the optional IAWM e- hanawalthaus.net. Submissions are always Anita Hanawalt mail list, eligibility to participate in IAWM welcome concerning honors and awards, [email protected] competitions, and eligibility to apply for par- appointments, commissions, premieres, REVIEW EDITOR ticipation in the IAWM congress and annual performances, publications, recordings, concert. For information on joining, please and other news items. We recommend that Ellen Grolman see the IAWM website at iawm.org or con- you begin with the most significant news [email protected] tact the membership chair at membership@ first—an award, a major commission or EDITORIAL BOARD iawm.org publication, a new position—and follow Ellen Grolman JOURNAL: BACK ISSUES that with an organized presentation of the other information. Please note that she does Lynn Gumert For information on purchasing back issues, not monitor the listserv for members’ ac- Anita Hanawalt contact Deborah Hayes at membership@ tivities. Deborah Hayes iawm.org. Eve R. Meyer Reports and Announcements GUIDELINES FOR CONTRIBUTORS Reports on women-in-music activities from Articles our sister organizations and IAWM commit- IAWM Board of Directors Before submitting an article, please send an tees as well as reports on music festivals and abstract (two or three paragraphs), the ap- other special events should be sent to the PRESIDENT proximate number of words in the article, editor in chief, Dr. Eve R. Meyer, by e-mail: Susan Borwick and a brief biography to the editor in chief, [email protected]. Announcements Wake Forest University Dr. Eve R. Meyer, by e-mail at evemeyer45@ of future events and of recently released CDs gmail.com. Most articles range between 1,500 and publications should also be sent to the VICE PRESIDENT and 5,000 words. The subject matter should editor in chief. Carrie Leigh Page relate to women in all fields of music, either Deadlines Montana State University contemporary or historical. If the proposal is approved, the editor will send detailed infor- Reviews: March 1 and September 1 SECRETARY/TREASURER mation concerning the format, illustrations, Articles: March 15 and September 15 Christina Rusnak and musical examples. Musical examples and Members’ news, reports, advertisements: Oregon photos should be in high resolution (300 dpi March 30 and September 30. minimum) and must be sent in separate at- BOARD MEMBERS tachments. For questions of style, refer to the IAWM WEBSITE Elizabeth Blair, Chicago Manual of Style. Authors are respon- Please visit the IAWM Website at www. Western Michigan University sible for obtaining and providing copyright iawm.org. Beth Denisch permission, if necessary. Berklee College of Music PUBLICATION Reviews Jenn Kirby Copyright © 2017 by the International Wales, U.K. Compact discs and books for review should Alliance for Women in Music. All rights be submitted to Ellen Grolman, Review Edi- Pamela Marshall, tor. Scores will be considered for review if reserved. ISSN 1082-1872 Massachusetts accompanied by a recording. No part of this publication may be repro- Cecilia Montemayor Mexico Ellen K. Grolman duced or transmitted in any form or by any Maureen Reyes Lavastida, 192 Anastasia Lakes Drive means without permission. Any author has Cuba St. Augustine, FL 32080 the right to republish his or her article in whole or in part with permission from the Ingrid Stölzel Please contact Dr. Grolman if you wish to be IAWM. Please contact the editor. University of Kansas included on her list of reviewers, and indicate Natalie Williams your areas of specialization. The Journal of the IAWM is printed by University of Georgia E-mail: [email protected]. Cheetah Graphics, Sevierville, TN. ARTICLES The 2017 Champion of New Music Awards ANNE LEBARON

The American Composers Forum an- petitions for researchers and composers, The American Composers Forum is nounced on March 9, 2017 that it has conferences, congresses, radio campaign, committed to supporting composers and selected The International Alliance for and annual concerts featuring outstanding developing new markets for their music. Women in Music for one of three Cham- works by selected IAWM composers. By Founded in 1973 as the Minnesota Com- pion of New Music Awards given annu- its advocacy efforts, sustained from its in- posers Forum, the American Composers ally, a program that began in 2005. The ception, the IAWM is devoted to ending Forum has grown from an innovative re- award will be bestowed by John Nuech- discrimination against women in music. gional initiative into one of the nation’s terlein, President and CEO of the Ameri- I’ve been involved with the IAWM premier composer service organizations, can Composers Forum, during this year’s since the early days, specifically with reaching composers and communities in IAWM Annual Concert on Saturday, Octo- American Women Composers. [The Inter- all fifty states. Through granting, commis- ber 28, 2017, at 7:30 p.m. at the University national Alliance for Women in Music was sioning, and performance programs, the of Kansas School of Music. This year, the formed on January 1, 1995 through the Forum provides composers at all stages other two awardees are Donald Nally and merger of the International Congress for of their careers with valuable resources The Crossing, and Charles Amirkhanian Women in Music, the American Women for professional and artistic development, (Other Minds Festival). The ACF awards Composers, and the International League helping to develop the next generation of committee unanimously chose these three of Women Composers.] I have witnessed composers, musicians, and music patrons. candidates from a list of many others, and the unwavering integrity and sheer will- The Forum’s 2,000 members include the Board of Directors voted to approve. power that ultimately propelled the composers and performers, presenters The awards are made to individuals IAWM into ever more essential, and also and organizations that share the Forum’s or organizations with a substantial his- challenging, territory. As an ACF board goals, and individuals and institutions tory of supporting living composers in member who has chaired the Champion of with an interest in supporting new mu- some significant way or of making notable New Music Awards for the last two years, sic. They work in virtually every musical contributions to the field of new music it gives me great pride and satisfaction to genre, including orchestral and chamber in general. The awards committee deter- share this terrific news of another form of music, “world” music, opera and music mined that the IAWM has clearly done national recognition for the IAWM and for theater, jazz and improvisational music, both in extraordinary ways, and the ACF everyone who has labored, now or in the electronic and electro-acoustic music, and is excited to recognize what the IAWM past, to keep the organization visible, vi- sound art. does to promote and advocate new work. sionary, and viable. Recipients of the Champion Awards from past years include conductors Osmo Vän- Dear Anne LeBaron and the entire membership of the American Composers skä, Nicole Paiement, and Marin Alsop; Forum, performers Claire Chase, Steven Schick, and Gilbert Kalish; writer Alex Ross; the The members and supporters of the International Alliance for Women in American Composers Orchestra; and the Music, the entire IAWM Board, and I personally thank you for your vision, JACK Quartet, among others. kindness, and enthusiasm in selecting the IAWM for one of three Champion As chair of the awards committee, I of New Music Awards given this year. We look forward to President and CEO want to share with the readers of the Jour- of the ACF John Nuechterlein’s presence at our Saturday, October 28, IAWM nal of the IAWM how the fierce and vital Annual Concert, where he will bestow the Award. advocacy of women in music, demonstrat- Anne, you have a special place in this recognition that we in the Alliance ed over decades by the diverse activities consider a model for all of us. You exude vision as you serve in many roles in of the IAWM, left a strong and lasting im- the arts, including as chair of the ACF awards committee. You conduct your pression on the committee. They observed that the IAWM, a global network of wom- business with kindness and generosity of spirit, as your article in our Journal en and men in thirty-eight countries, has illustrates. Your enthusiasm toward the work of others builds community and worked unrelentingly to increase opportu- friendships well beyond the ordinary. nities for women in music across the globe. May all of us in the arts convey our gratitude toward you and the Ameri- Members of the committee noted that can Composers Forum for your vision, kindness and generosity of spirit, and the IAWM has elevated the valuation and enthusiasm. recognition of women composers, musi- You honor us and we are humbled. cians, conductors, teachers, scholars, and others in the field in so many ways: through Susan Borwick its publication (Journal of the IAWM), IAWM President website, free listserv, international com-

LeBaron, The 2017 Champion of New Music Awards 1 Approaching Electronic/Acoustic Performance Practice Through Improvisation SARAH REID Introduction ings, The New Atlantis served as a catalyst of sound and musical potential.6 These This article is the first in a three-part for great creative and technological ex- early experiments led to the formal devel- series focused on forming a collaborative ploration in the centuries to come. In the opment of musique concrète in France and electronic/acoustic performance practice. 1960s, more than three centuries later, an elektronische musik in Germany, two pillars This initial installment discusses electronic/ excerpt of this text was affixed to the wall of the electroacoustic music genre.7 In the acoustic improvisation and various strate- of Daphne Oram’s studio in the UK—the 1950s and 1960s, others across the world gies for approaching electronic/acoustic first electronic music studio to be founded (Daphne Oram, Norma Beecroft, and Pau- music-making. The second and third parts by a woman—providing readers with a line Oliveros, to name only a few) would will cover strategies for electronic/acous- reminder of how far electronic music had begin exploring this medium as well.8,9 tic notation and instrument design, respec- progressed, and how much uncharted terri- If we fast forward through history to tively. The overall approach described is tory still lay ahead.2 the current day, we can see tremendous one that combines innovative technology Electronic music is both old in con- creative and technological progress. A far with experimental aesthetics, with the pur- ception and young in practice. While the cry from the labor-intensive task of manu- pose of facilitating new creative opportu- musical advancements of the last century ally splicing together hundreds of pieces of nities. This series is intended to provide are significant and compelling, the technol- magnetic tape, the equipment we now have an introduction to the idea of integrating ogies we use in music today are still quite to record, edit, and synthesize new sounds electronic and acoustic instruments in live new, and has become more accessible, affordable, musical practice. As such, the reader needs their po- and portable—facilitating everything in no prior background in electronic music or tential has Bacon’s sound-houses, and more! Tools music technology. My goal is to introduce yet to be that were once prohibitively expensive electronic/acoustic music (music involv- exhaus- and too large to move from the studio in ing any combination of purely electronic, tively ex- which they were installed are now afford- purely acoustic, or hybrid electronic/acous- plored. able, commercially available, and portable. tic instruments), to provide you with some With new The technologies we now have open up a strategies on how to approach this practice, technolo- multitude of opportunities for electronic/ to highlight the work and contributions of gy comes acoustic performance, but in order to take Sarah Belle Reid women in this field, and—hopefully—to a need for full advantage of them, the divide between spark new interest, inquiry, and exploration. new exploration, discussion, questions, electronic and acoustic performance prac- A Glimpse Through History critique, and practices. tice must first be bridged. It is often emphasized that electronic The phrase “electroacoustic mu- Bridging the Electronic/Acoustic Col- music is still a relatively new practice. But sic” most commonly refers to a genre laborative Space if we were to trace it back to its origins, we that emerged during the late 1940s and The commercialization and prolif- would find ourselves much farther back early 1950s from radio broadcast sta- eration of electronic instruments has made in time than we might expect. As early as tions in France (Radiodiffusion-Télévision the possibility of live electronic/acoustic Française) and Germany (Nordwestdeut- 1626, English philosopher Francis Bacon 3 performance far more achievable. Despite wrote about the potential he saw for future scher Rundfunk). It was around this time these developments, there is still much work technology that could create the strange that magnetic tape recorders were being in- to be done to establish an electronic/acous- sounds he heard in his imagination. In his troduced to these studios to replace disc and tic performance practice in which electronic novel The New Atlantis,1 Bacon described a steel tape recorders. Although not the origi- musicians share the same presence onstage utopian civilization centered upon scientific nal intended use of these tools, technicians as their acoustic collaborators. Acoustic progress and innovation, a land far more and composers affiliated with the broadcast ensembles have scarcely begun to explore sophisticated than that of his own time. stations (such as Pierre Schaeffer and Pierre the inclusion of electronic instruments in Bacon anticipated the development of elec- Henry in Paris, and Herbert Eimert and performance.10 But the onus is not on acous- tronic music and instruments by centuries, Werner Meyer-Eppler in Cologne) started tic ensembles and musicians alone: many to explore the use of magnetic tape as a describing in great detail what he referred 4 electronic musicians are still predominantly to as “sound-houses.” These sound-houses compositional tool. Tape recorders gave independent studio artists and solo perform- were, in effect, electronic music studios composers the ability to capture sounds ers instead of ensemble collaborators.11 It is capable of producing and processing new from the outside world—anything from a easy enough to understand why electronic and artificial sounds. They could spatialize bird chirping on a windowsill to the sound musicians historically have tended to work of water filling a bathtub—and then edit sound, manipulate timbre, amplify, echo, 5 in relative isolation: their tools were rare, and distort sounds in unnatural ways, and the sounds by splicing the tape by hand. It cumbersome, anchored to a specific loca- even transcend traditional organization of was not an easy compositional process, re- tion, and often only available to them on sound by utilizing microtonal inflection quiring hours of painstaking work for only temporary loan. But as our technology and and novel tuning systems. Although in a few seconds of final audio, but for these tools evolve, shouldn’t our creative practice Bacon’s time these ideas were mere mus- composers it was a fascinating new world as well? There are a small number of pio-

2 IAWM Journal Volume 23, No. 1 2017 neering musicians who have explored the integration of electronic and acoustic sound practices for many decades (Micheline Coulombe Saint- Marcoux,12 Pauline Oliveros,13 Anthony Braxton,14 and David Rosen- boom,15 for example), but, on the whole, this practice is still uncommon. What strategies can we harness to help ourselves bridge the electronic/ acoustic collaborative space in our concert halls and music schools? How can we begin to build the foundation for an integrated approach to electronic/acoustic performance practice? The answers to these questions are not easy—nor is there an ab- solute right or wrong way to approach them. There are many years of history and established performance practice on the side of acoustic music and instrumentalists, and few years and much less established practice for electronic musicians. Despite this imbalance of established structure—or more truthfully, perhaps because of it—I would propose improvisation to be the best first step in approaching an integrated electronic/acoustic performance practice. There are many different im- provisatory traditions and practices, but here I am referring to “open” improvisation.16 In open improvisation, predefined musical form, riffs, harmonies, and rhythms are abandoned in place of an entirely spontaneous creative process. It is a process that is constantly evolving and in motion, like a conversation: an exchange that involves sharing, discovery, surprise, and most importantly, listening.17 Because improvised music of this kind is inherently exploratory and co-creative, there is ultimately no “wrong” way to do it. Like any skill, the practice of improvisation is developed and refined over time, and with practice. But the barrier to entry for improvisation is much lower than it is for a symphony orchestra or a string quartet. It doesn’t require decades of formal musical training in order to begin to open your ears and engage in spontaneous music-making. In an open improvisation setting, you are freed from the necessity to execute specific pitches and rhythms, or to fit into a predefined sound world or musical genre. Acoustic instrumentalists are free to deviate from common techniques and to explore unconventional means of producing sound that might lie outside of their typical performance practice. Similarly, electronic instrumentalists aren’t limited by a set of restrictions imposed by an acoustic practice they don’t fully fit into, and are free to use the full potential of their instruments. We will spend some time getting to know just what this potential entails later on. We liberated ourselves from necessary controls and developed trust in process through spontaneity.18 Strategies for Approaching an Electronic/Acoustic Improvisa- tion Practice The following points are initial strategies for approaching electronic/acoustic improvisation, or ideas to consider as a way to deepen your current practice. Many of these ideas are intentionally left open- ended, and as such, are intended to be a point of departure for further contemplation and discussion. 1. Listen deeply and be open I want to begin by taking a moment to carefully address the concept of listening, as it is central to this practice. The way that I now incorpo- rate listening into my own work has been greatly informed by Pauline Oliveros’s practice of Deep Listening.19 Oliveros was a profoundly gifted listener.20 I had hoped to be able to interview her in person for this article, but sadly did not have the chance before her passing in 2016. Like many others, it was through Pauline’s writing and the Deep Listening community21 that I was first introduced to the practice of sonic meditation and active listening.

Reid, Approaching Electronic/Acoustic Performance Practice Through Improvisation 3 The Deep Listening practice in many every sound affects you physically, men- short sonic meditation, or an improvisa- ways resists definition. Much like the tally, and emotionally.22 tion in which we only use found objects in spirit of improvisation itself, it is an In approaching a new improvising en- the room to create sound, rather than our evolving process—an active experience. semble, I extend an invitation to explore instruments. In this musical practice, ac- Central to Deep Listening is the act of freeing oneself from predetermined sounds tive listening becomes just as important as being open to and aware of any and all and structure in favor of opening one’s sound-making. Space or “silence” in mu- sounds; learning to expand perception ears and mind to receive the full spectrum sic is never empty or lacking in interesting and focus attention, and noticing how of sonic possibilities. This may include a material. It is just as charged and full of potential as the sounds produced. When I arrive on stage, I am listening and expanding to the whole of the space/time continuum of per- ceptible sound. I have no preconceived ideas. What I perceive as the continuum of sound and energy takes my attention and informs what I play. What I play is recognized consciously by me slightly (milliseconds) after I have played any sound. This altered state of consciousness in performance is exhilarating and inspiring.23 What strikes me about this passage from Pauline’s Deep Listening: A Composer’s Sound Practice is the openness and will- ingness to accept any sound or idea into the performance space. In many respects, this brings us back full circle to the spark of creative imagination discussed at the very beginning of this article. In the same way, our imagination fuels our development and progress in technology, our unlimited potential for deep listening feeds our improvisational practice. What could the outcome be if we focused our creativity on the act of integrating electronic and acoustic sound worlds through deep listening and improvisation? When we enter into this practice with our ears and imaginations open and receptive, a whole universe of musical possibilities becomes available. …we had to learn to listen in a new way. We had no plan, no written score, and had no discussion beforehand. We simply improvised, played, and learned…all this was unspoken and simply experienced…24 2. Understand how sound is produced In approaching the practice of electronic/ acoustic music, it is important to learn and understand the basics of all the instruments in the ensemble. Acoustic instrumentalists have an innate understanding of how other acoustic instruments function: we know a wind player needs to prepare by taking a breath or that a mallet striking a drumhead will produce sound at the point of contact. This knowledge, although rudimentary and

4 IAWM Journal Volume 23, No. 1 2017 easy to take for granted, enriches our ca- that performance practice with sound, there needs to be some sort of ac- pacity to interact with other musicians in a Sharon Chohi Kim…a mixture tion performed by the instrumentalist. meaningful way. of extended vocal techniques, tra- Acoustic instruments need to be bowed, As we start to bridge the electronic/ ditional opera singing and vocal struck, blown into, or otherwise vibrated acoustic collaborative space, the potential improvisation, mixed with ampli- for sound to be produced. In the absence of for new and unusual instruments to enter fied objects on stage. The ampli- physical gesture and effort, they lie silent. into our ensembles increases. These new in- fied objects, which are made with Electronic instruments, on the other hand, struments carry with them new methods and contact microphones, go through do not require physical effort or interaction capabilities for producing sound, some that distortion and various effects, so to produce sound. As long as they are re- may be familiar to us, and others that may be it’s an interaction between the ceiving electrical current, they are in an ac- entirely unfamiliar. I cannot express enough voice and these objects. We call it tive state. Interaction from the performer, the importance of collaborative knowledge an electroacoustic opera.26 then, becomes a means of altering or dis- sharing: ask questions, teach others, be curi- Even simple amplification has the ability to continuing the sound. This is a fascinating ous! Your own musical practice will flourish completely alter the sound of an acoustic difference between acoustic and electronic as a result. As we discussed earlier, electron- instrument, especially if you explore un- instruments; a fundamental difference in ic instruments are continuously evolving as conventional microphone placement (deep the resting state, and subsequently, the role new technology is developed and explored. inside the bell of a trumpet, for example) of the performers and their relationship to Despite this, there are some fundamental and can be an excellent starting point for the sounds they produce. The following differences between electronic and acoustic electronic/acoustic performance. passage is a wonderful way to visualize instruments that are worth considering as a this difference: “…acoustic musicians can starting point for your journey. b) Tonality and Pitch: On a very basic often come to think of silence as a canvas level, most acoustic instruments are built a) Timbre: The sound of a trumpet can around specific and fairly be modulated through the use of mutes narrow tuning systems. With and various playing techniques, but on the the exception of electronic whole, the timbre of the trumpet remains instruments whose designs relatively static. Unless in the hands of emulate acoustic counter- an exceptionally gifted player, a trumpet parts, such as electric guitars sounds predictably like a trumpet, and is and keyboard synthesizers, unlikely to suddenly sound like a choir many electronic instruments of voices or like inter-station radio static. do not adhere to any tonal Many electronic instruments, on the other center or tuning system. hand, have a much wider range of timbre Electronic musicians may variation available (laptop computers, for think of sound in terms of example, have a virtually unlimited range frequency rather than pitch. of sound resources and variability, depend- Experimental electronic/acoustic duo Burnt Dot (Sarah Belle Electronic instruments have Reid, trumpet, and Ryan Gaston, modular synthesizer) ing on the software and programming that is a much wider frequency/ utilized). Other electronic instruments such pitch range (to the extremes of human as the theremin much more closely mimic on which they apply their sonic imprint, hearing, both high and low, and beyond), whereas electronic musicians may learn to an acoustic instrument in the sense that they and they are not limited by semitone or- occupy a relatively fixed timbre space.25 think of sound as a block out of which they ganization. This is a double-edged sword, 27 The addition of electronics into acous- sculpt.” however. For many electronic instruments, The main challenge I have encoun- tic performance has the potential to greatly playing in a certain key or tonal center is expand timbre variability. Soprano and tered in electronic/acoustic collaboration very difficult, if not impossible—in the ab- is one of breath and gesture. Acoustic mu- sound artist Micaela Tobin is a musician sence of a more traditional user interface coming from a classically trained back- sicians commonly provide extramusical (common MIDI keyboards, wind control- cues to one another: using a sharp inhale ground who integrates electronics into her lers) or a pitch quantizer, this is sometimes live performance practice. For Micaela, the to indicate the onset of a new tempo, or a simply not what the instrument is designed large physical gesture to indicate a change process of augmenting her acoustic voice to do. As such, it may be beneficial for the with electronics is liberating and cathartic, in dynamic or intensity. These gestures not ensemble to focus on musical elements only provide musicians with the ability to allowing her to expand her instrument into other than pitch and tonality, like register, new textural and timbral worlds. anticipate and intuitively understand the timbre or texture. Over time, the ensemble direction of the music, but they are typi- The music that I make uses a will develop an understanding of the role cally necessary for the activation of the in- series of electronic effects ped- and capabilities of each instrument, and the struments themselves. Remember, without als, with my operatic voice being various ways in which they can comple- some physical input to vibrate an acoustic driven into those devices, creat- ment, contrast, and play off of one another. instrument, no sound will occur. Electronic ing a sort of layered soundscape c) Action, Breath and Gesture: In or- musicians typically have no need for phys- of sound-arias. Most recently, der for an acoustic instrument to produce ical gestures of this sort. A loud sound may I created an entire opera out of

Reid, Approaching Electronic/Acoustic Performance Practice Through Improvisation 5 not require any more effort to produce than able to work with. Also, learning deep does it go beyond the surface? These a quiet one, a high sound may be no more about all the equipment is very questions, much like the vocabulary ideas effortful than a low sound, and so on. Fur- useful—I like it as an extension of from above, are intended to force us away thermore, the sounds created by an elec- finding your voice acoustically.31 from defaulting into traditional or comfort- tronic musician may not have a one-to-one Expand Common Vocabulary able modes of thinking about and interact- physical gesture relationship at all—one Much of the vocabulary and language ing with sound. Adding electronics to an single button press could generate a long we use to discuss music is rooted in acous- acoustic ensemble gives us the ability to cluster of sounds that repeat indefinitely. tic performance practice. It is perfectly find new dimensionality within the group, This disconnect can be challenging in the logical to use this language when commu- and to broaden our consideration of time, early stages of collaboration, especially for nicating with a strictly acoustic ensemble. timbre, space, and interaction. acoustic instrumentalists who are accus- However, in an electronic/acoustic setting, An interesting way to view dimension- tomed to receiving physical cues in addi- I have found it beneficial to employ the fol- ality and perspective in sound is through tion to auditory ones. The solution to this lowing two ideas: focal and global attention, as described by challenge is one that comes with time and 1. Instrument-specific vocabulary Oliveros: experience. Simply having an understand- should be shared and learned. Much like a Sounds are both temporal and ing of these differences is an important first brass player learning the vocabulary used spatial. As we converse with a step, so the entire ensemble can learn to by string players to identify various tech- partner, there is space between tune into the collective digital and analog niques, it is important to know the pre-ex- us created by the sound of our breath of the music, forming a new com- isting vocabulary to better understand how voices and the proximity of our mon ground upon which to interact. to communicate musical ideas. This goes bodies….We can hear the dimen- d) Sound Source and Spatialization: both directions (electronic to acoustic, and sions of the space consciously and Acoustic instruments contain their own res- vice versa). unconsciously. Our global atten- onating bodies. When you strike a drum, or 2. Entirely new vocabulary should be tion is engaging with numerous play a violin, the sound comes from the in- introduced and explored. By “new” I am overlapping dimensions created strument itself. With electronic instruments, not referring to invented, gibberish words, by sounds….Focal attention is this may not be the case. Most electronic in- but to words that are new or uncommon for necessarily limited and specific.32 struments require external amplification in use in musical discussion; words that per- 28 There is, in any given moment, the musi- order to be heard. External amplification haps do not have a traditional function in cal object that occupies your primary field leads to a disconnect between the electronic either a purely electronic or acoustic prac- of attention, and everything in your periph- sounds and acoustic sounds—even between tice, but can be used to form a new, elec- eral mind—still in frame, though perhaps the electronic musician and their instru- tronic/acoustic vocabulary. In my ensem- 29 not quite as clear. Any one particular sound, ments’ output. If this is undesirable, I rec- bles, I particularly like to explore words gesture, or fellow improviser could occupy ommend considering localized amplifica- that pull the performers away from con- your focal attention at any given moment, tion that is positioned nearby the electronic ventional methods of thinking about and acting as a stronger gravitational center than instruments, in order to emulate the feeling organizing sound. The goal behind this is the rest of the ensemble. But as the impro- and directionality of acoustic instruments. to find new concepts that resonate equally visation progresses, you have the ability to That being said, the ability to disembody, (even if differently) with both acoustic and shift your focus, adjust your attention, and spatialize, and pan sounds has significant electronic instrumentalists. For example, if to push or pull the direction of the group. potential for interesting creative discover- I ask you to consider density and presence 30 An even stronger gravitational center may ies. Furthermore, acoustic musicians can as the two primary variable parameters in emerge, suddenly shifting your global and easily be included in spatialization either by your playing, you will approach the pro- focal attention more drastically. You may physically moving around the performance cess of making music in a very different find yourself abandoning course, settling space or by amplifying the instruments and way than if I asked you to consider dynam- on a new sonic focal point, or pulling your sending the amplified sound out through a ics and tempo. At the heart of this strategy focus inward and letting the rest of the en- distant speaker. The main difference here is the desire to divorce ourselves—even semble slip into a blurry peripheral realm. is that the acoustic instruments will always partially—from preconceived notions of produce some sound at their source, where- our instruments and how they might inter- Final Thoughts as the electronic instruments may not. To act with one another. By doing so, we are We have just begun a whirlwind jour- refer once again to Micaela Tobin’s work, better prepared to find ourselves on com- ney into electronic/acoustic music and the process of amplifying her voice enables mon ground, and able to build a new, col- improvisation—the briefest of tastings of her to reexamine space: lective experience. what I hope now seems to be an intriguing world worthy of further investigation. The Working with electronics and be- Explore Sound in Multiple Dimensions ideas put forth in this article are not to be ing able to disembody my voice, One of the most challenging—and taken as dogma, but as points of departure pitch it down, completely change exciting—ideas to explore through im- for further conversation and inquiry. I en- the color, and being able to make provisation is the multi-dimensionality courage you to explore some of these ideas it this otherworldly gigantic thing of sound. What’s on the other side of a in your own practice, to keep your ears has been very freeing, and I think sound? How many faces, angles, and cor- open, and to experiment with new sounds, it’s a great thing for vocalists to be ners does this sound world possess? How

6 IAWM Journal Volume 23, No. 1 2017 instrument combinations, and sonic possi- and Revolution (Montreal: Canadian Electro- 22 Ibid, 27–30. bilities. There is great opportunity in mak- acoustic Community, 2016). 23 Pauline Oliveros, Deep Listening, xix. 11 24 ing an effort to further integrate electronic Simon Emmerson, Living Electronic Pauline Oliveros, The Difference Be- and acoustic instruments in performance Music (England: Ashgate Publishing Ltd., tween Hearing and Listening (TEDxIndianapo- 2007), 30. lis, 2015). practice, in fostering creative environ- 12 Karin Pendle, Women & Music: A Histo- 25 Holmes, Electronic and Experimental ments that enable both types of instruments ry (USA: Indiana University Press, 2001), 375. Music, 18–21. to be explored in tandem, and in encourag- 13 Elizabeth Hinkle-Turner, Women Com- 26 Micaela Tobin, interview with author, ing the knowledge of one domain to enrich posers and Music Technology in the United March 2017. and excite the practice of another. States, 21. 27 Ryan Gaston, “Plays Well With Others.” 14 28 NOTES Nicole V. Gagné, Historical Dictionary Curtis Roads, Composing Electronic 1 Francis Bacon, The New Atlantis (Ox- of Modern and Contemporary Classical Music Music: A New Aesthetic (Oxford: Oxford Uni- ford: Clarendon Press, 1915), 42–44. (UK: Scarecrow Press, Inc., 2012), 45. versity Press, 2015), 241. 15 29 2 Daphne Oram, An Individual Note: Of Barry Schrader, “Live/electro-acoustic Scott Smallwood, et al., “A History of Music, Sound and Electronics (London: Gal- Music: A Perspective from History and Califor- Hemispherical Speakers at Princeton, Plus a liard Paperbacks, 1972), 37. nia,” Live Electronics 6 (1991): 91. DIY Guide,” in A NIME Reader: Fifteen Years 16 3 Simon Emmerson, The Language of Elec- Bruce Ellis Benson, The Improvisation of New Interfaces for Musical Expression, eds. troacoustic Music (London: The Macmillan of Musical Dialogue: A Phenomenology of Mu- Alexander Refsum Jensenius and Michael J. Press Ltd., 1986), 10. sic (UK: Cambridge University Press, 2003), Lyons (Switzerland: Springer International 4 Thom Holmes, ed., Electronic and Exper- 145. Publishing, 2017), 353. 17 30 imental Music: Technology, Music, and Culture David Rosenboom, Collapsing Distinc- Simon Emmerson, Living Electronic (New York: Routledge, 2016), 169–190. tions: Interacting with Fields of Intelligence on Music, 130. 31 5 Ibid, 174–176. Interstellar Scales and Parallel Musical Models Micaela Tobin, interview with author, 6 Ibid, 48–70. (USA: David Rosenboom Publishing, 2003), 6. March 2017. 18 32 7 Nicholas Collins, Margaret Schedel and Pauline Oliveros, “Memory of a Com- Pauline Oliveros, Deep Listening, 15. Scott Wilson, Electronic Music (UK: Cam- munity Enterprise” in The San Francisco Tape Sarah Reid is a performer/composer/technolo- bridge University Press, 2013), 15. Music Center: 1960s Counterculture and the gist, active in the fields of intermedia arts, mu- 8 Holmes, Electronic and Experimental Avant-Garde, ed. David Bernstein (USA: Uni- sic technology, and improvisation. Reid is a Music, 85. versity of California Press, Ltd., 2008), 80. 19 co-developer of the Minimally Invasive Gesture 9 Elizabeth Hinkle-Turner, Women Com- Pauline Oliveros, Deep Listening: A Sensing Interface (MIGSI) for trumpet: an open- posers and Music Technology in the United Composer’s Sound Practice (USA: Deep Lis- source, wireless interface that captures perfor- States: Crossing the Line (USA: Ashgate Pub- tening Publications, 2005). 20 mance data and provides real-time extended lishing Ltd., 2006), 21. Tara Rodgers, Pink Noises: Women on sonic and visual control. She is a founding 10 Ryan Gaston, “Plays Well With Others: Electronic Music and Sound (Durham and Lon- member of the trumpet/modular synthesizer duo Regarding Modular Synthesizer in Collabora- don: Duke University Press, 2010), 27. 21 Burnt Dot, dedicated to exploring open forms of tive Performance Practice” in eContact! 17.4 — “The Center for Deep Listening,” ac- spontaneous creation and electronic/acoustic Analogue and Modular Synthesis: Resurgence cessed March 15, 2017, http://www.deeplisten- collaboration. (http://sarahbellereid.com) ing.rpi.edu/ The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire: Turning History into Opera ELLEN FRANKEL Writers who compose works based on his- In this essay, I describe how one such recently arrived from Europe. Most of torical events try to honor two kinds of “imagined history,” a chamber opera en- the victims burned to death because the truth: historical truth, based on facts, such titled The Triangle Fire, emerged out of exit doors were locked to prevent worker as dates and the particulars of archival its creators’ negotiation between histori- theft. It was one of the worst industrial documentation; and aesthetic truth, which cal facts and creative imagination. Much accidents in American history. Ten days enables audiences to experience histori- is gained in crafting this cal events as though they were present at kind of a hybrid work. them. To accomplish this double goal, we But something is undeni- research primary and secondary sources― ably lost as well. It is up to archival records, such as newspapers, first the audience to determine person accounts, photographs, transcripts, whether truth is suitably letters, diaries, and histories―and also served in the process. plumb our imaginations to create charac- History ters, historical or fictional, and scenes to On March 25, 1911, dramatize what happened. If we are suf- a fire broke out at the Tri- ficiently skilled, our imagined history angle Shirtwaist Factory proves to be even truer than the real thing, in lower Manhattan, kill- because we are able to strip down our de- ing 146 garment work- piction to its essentials, distilling the es- ers, most of them young sence out of the raw grain. Jewish and Italian women The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, 1911

Frankel, The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire: Turning History into Opera 7 later, 400,000 New Yorkers participated tween the Triangle Factory owner, Max ern Europe in the early part of the twen- in a funeral march honoring the Triangle Blanck, and one of the seamstresses, Kate tieth century, settling on the Lower East victims. But when Max Blanck and Isaac Alterman―turned out to be historically Side and in Brooklyn. Both my grandfa- Harris, the Triangle’s owners, known inaccurate, about which more later.) thers were seasonally employed tailors, popularly as “the Shirtwaist Kings,” were The Contest working in sweatshops when work was put on trial for manslaughter nine months From 6 pm until 6 am in a chilly room available, idled for many months when it later, they were acquitted. The insur- in the basement of a Presbyterian church was not. My mother’s mother worked at ance company awarded Blanck and Har- on Peach Street, Bob and I developed home, sewing teddy bears. Like the gar- ris $400 per victim. Each of the victims’ our nano-opera. I did hasty research on ment workers in the Triangle Shirtwaist families received an average of $75 in the internet, wrote lyrics on my laptop, Factory, my grandfathers received low compensation. and shared my ideas with my collabora- wages and labored under dangerous con- Public outrage over the danger- tor; Bob experimented with melody lines ditions. Fortunately, they had not yet im- ous working conditions, including doors and motifs on his laptop, using compos- migrated to the United States at the time locked to prevent worker theft, led to ma- ing software, then tried them out on me. of the fire in 1911. But even had they been jor reforms in New York’s and then the At dawn the five librettist-composer teams employed at the Triangle Factory on that nation’s labor laws, and strengthened the adjourned to their hotel rooms, and the di- fateful Saturday, they would have escaped growing union movement, which many of rectors and singers took over, rehearsing the conflagration that killed 146 of their the Triangle workers had fought for in a the five nano-operas for the next twelve fellow workers because they were Ortho- strike two years before. hours. That night, in front of a public au- dox Jews who regularly gave up a day’s For over a century, the tragic events dience and a panel of opera critics, the pay to observe the Sabbath. In my imagi- surrounding the fire have been memorial- singers performed the five scenes, and the nation, what happened at the Triangle Fac- ized and re-imagined in almost every ar- audience and critics chose their favorites. tory a century ago hit close to home. These tistic form possible. But never before in It was not surprising that our scene didn’t were my people. They lived in the same an opera. So when I had an opportunity win. Neither did the other two serious pre- community as the Triangle workers when to participate in Atlanta Opera’s 24-Hour sentations. Without the benefit of program they first came to the goldeneh medinah, Opera Contest in January 2013, I con- notes, supertitles, or professionally trained the golden land of America. vinced my assigned partner, composer singers, it was the two farces that succeed- The Opera Robert Butts, to base our seven-to-ten ed with the audience and critics. But I was When Robert Butts and I left Atlanta, minute scene on the Triangle Fire. My not too disappointed. I now had a subject we agreed that our scene had potential case was strengthened by the objects we that gripped my imagination and called to become a chamber opera. However, were initially handed from the Atlanta out for artistic expression. because of poor health and other com- Opera prop room: an old-fashioned flat- Personal Background mitments, Bob was unable to continue iron and a bouquet of artificial flowers. working with me. Through networking, I (Unfortunately, the episode I created for A bit of personal background: my grandparents came to America from East- connected with another composer, Leonard my libretto—a romantic encounter be- Lehrman, whose prior work included several operas centered on the theme of social The Triangle Fire: Performance History justice: Sacco and Vanzetti; E.G.: A Musi- The Triangle Fire has been performed six times: at the American Labor Museum cal Portrait of Emma Goldman; and New in Haledon, NJ, on September 4, 2016; September 11 at the Puffin Cultural Forum World: An Opera About What Columbus in Teaneck, NJ; at the Long Beach Library in Long Island on March 5, 2017; Com- Did to the “Indians.” Leonard was already munity Church in lower Manhattan on March 12, 2017; and in the Brown Building at intimately familiar with the history of the New York University, the site of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, on March 25, 2017, Triangle Fire, references to which appear the 106th anniversary of the fire. in his work as far back as 1984, including a scene eventually cut from E.G. Review As preparation for writing the libret- The Triangle Fire, an opera with libretto by Ellen Frankel and music by Leonard to, I conducted extensive online research Lehrman, received its New York premiere, performed by The Metropolitan Philhar- in Cornell University’s Kheel Center for monic Chorus, conducted from the piano by the composer, at Long Beach Public Labor-Management Documentation & Library, March 5, 2017....The first half consisted of an exceptionally well-performed Archives at the ILR School, part of the and moving medley of labor songs in which the MPC was joined by the Solidarity Catherwood Library, which contains a Singers of the New Jersey Industrial Union Council. The second half [presented] the remarkable digital collection of primary very thoughtful and well-researched account of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, in sources related to the Triangle Factory which 146 people, mostly women, died....Like many post-Brechtian works, it has its Fire, including letters and first person tes- own form―it does not have the cycle of arias, as in the operatic tradition, but the cho- timonials from Triangle Factory workers, ral and solo writing is operatic and theatrical....I recommend it as a historical drama survivors, union organizers, funeral ora- with operatic music that is memorable and profound. Further performances are nearly tors, the fire chief, and safety inspectors; sold out. (Mark Greenfest, SoundWordSight: An Arts Magazine, March 12, 2017.) newspaper and magazine articles; official

8 IAWM Journal Volume 23, No. 1 2017 reports, lectures, trial transcripts, songs workers from pilfering shirtwaists, a prac- pols; and the conservative well-to-do New and plays; as well as educational resources tice which definitely increased the death York Assistant District Attorney, Charles and bibliographies. toll when fire broke out. They chose not to F. Bostwick. My research convinced me that I install sprinklers in their factory because The prosecution focuses its entire case wanted to base the libretto on the trial it was cheaper to buy fire insurance. And on a single victim, twenty-four-year-old following the fire, a subject never-before they profited greatly from the tragedy by Margaret Schwartz. Harris’s and Blanck’s treated in works about the Triangle Fire. receiving a handsome insurance payout. guilt or innocence hinges on the charred Focusing on the trial allowed me to ex- If anything, the glimpse into Max’s bet- door lock found in the rubble of the ninth plore issues like how courtroom trials ex- ter nature, presented in this revised scene, floor where Margaret worked—and died. ploit tragedy in the search for truth, how makes his callousness toward his workers Did the owners deliberately lock the door, human memory negotiates with historical even more unforgivable, because we see which trapped Margaret and her fellow fact, and how justice is refracted when that he is indeed capable of sympathy. workers inside the blazing inferno? Or if subjected to the evidence of hindsight. In the process of finalizing the li- they didn’t, did they culpably know that After ten drafts of the libretto, Leon- bretto, the composer and I frequently had the door was locked? The prosecution’s ard set the words to music in a piano-vocal to make choices between fact and fic- key witness is nineteen-year-old Kate Al- score. The scene that I had written for the tion. Occasionally, we edited a quotation terman, a sewing machine operator and Atlanta Opera Contest, now set to Leon- to fit the music, or edited out a character Margaret’s best friend, who watched her ard’s music, served as the musical center- to accommodate casting constraints. We friend burn in front of that locked door. In piece of the opera, presented as a flashback cropped photos for dramatic effect and put a flashback to that traumatic day, Kate re- set on the day of the fire. Because of the words in the mouths of characters. Each calls alerting Harris and Blanck about the scene’s romantic theme and music, Leon- decision was made in the service of dra- outbreak of fire on the floors below, her ard and his wife, soprano Helene Williams matic truth. In the end, we created what pleading with them to unlock the door to Spierman, performed it at a 2016 Valen- nowadays is called a “mash-up”: a histori- let the workers escape—and their choice tine’s Day concert in Florida. cally improbable fusion of art and docu- to save themselves and those with them by But when we began to share the libret- mentary sources that together retell the fleeing to the roof. to and music with the extended Triangle story of the Triangle Fire in a way quite Under intense questioning in the actu- Fire “family”—descendants of survivors different from the method of historians. al trial, Kate’s testimony is discredited by and victims, historians, and other mem- But nonetheless true. the defense attorney. When the jury returns bers of the Remember the Triangle Fire Synopsis of The Triangle Fire Opera its verdict, Blanck and Harris are acquit- Coalition in New York—we were told, to Focusing on the trial in the court- ted. But it is the victims who have the last our chagrin, that our central scene, and its room of Judge Thomas Crain, and draw- word. At the end of the opera, the ghosts fictional premise—a love affair between ing from the trial transcript and newspaper of the Triangle workers are joined by the the married owner and a young unmarried accounts, this artistic adaptation explores ghosts of other garment workers killed in seamstress—would likely offend most a human triangle central to this story, a 2013 Rana Plaza collapse in Bangladesh, people familiar with the historical facts. with the Triangle Factory’s owners, Max reminding us that the lessons of the Tri- Max Blanck was well regarded as a family Blanck and Isaac Harris, at its apex, and angle Shirtwaist Factory Fire have not yet man who lost several of his own relatives the two trial lawyers on opposing sides: been learned by those who hold the keys to in the fire. Implying that he had saved Kate Debating the owners’ culpability are de- power. Alterman because of his sexual attraction fense lawyer Max David Steuer, a Jewish Librettist Ellen Frankel’s works include The to her would be a misrepresentation. After immigrant and former garment worker, Golem Psalms, The Esther Diaries, Slaying the first considering cutting the scene alto- who has worked his way up to become Dragon, and Mothers of Moses―with various gether, we decided to recast it, including “the Million Dollar Lawyer,” favored de- composers. She is also the author of fourteen this time details that actually happened: fender of gangsters and Tammany Hall books. She is currently working on a thriller Kate demands that the doors be unlocked. about the Dead Sea Scrolls. Max saves his daughters. Women cry out as they burn. And Isaac Harris, Max’s Melodia Women’s Choir: Composer Competition business partner, saves as many as he can. Our decision to revise the flashback Melodia Women’s Choir Executive Director and Founder Jennifer Clarke announc- scene in the interests of historical accu- es Melodia’s Women Composer Commission Competition, deadline June 15. A racy unquestionably softens Max’s vil- prize of $2,000 will be awarded to a female composer based in the United States. lainy. He is sympathetically depicted as Founded in 2003, Melodia, New York City’s premier women’s choir, is exclusively his young daughters’ rescuer rather than dedicated to exploring, creating, and performing exemplary classical and contem- as a workplace philanderer. But he none- porary music composed for women’s voices. Melodia nurtures the next generation theless remains the villain of the opera, of women composers through commissions and performances and holds a com- together with his co-owner, Isaac Har- poser’s competition periodically. For full information about the competition, please ris. During the trial we learn that the two see: http://melodiawomenschoir.org/the-choir/melodia-composers/#competition owners regularly locked the doors on the eighth and ninth floors to prevent their

Frankel, The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire: Turning History into Opera 9 El Salvador’s Song SONIA MEGÍAS The following is a tale called “The Song of to the pandillas (gangs of criminals) that find their roots through music: in essence, the Soul,” written in 2007 by the African kill an average of twenty-four persons every to help them to find their song. poet Tolba Phanem. (I retell it here from a day; a much larger number of victims per- During this first visit I was able to female perspective, but it could also be told ished violently after the twelve-year Civil make contact with a group of poets who from a male viewpoint.) War than during the actual war itself. The wrote in Nahuat; they were called the When a woman from a certain African current period (the past twenty-five years) Sennemit shinakti (seed family) and were tribe knows she is pregnant, she goes to is called the “Peace Agreements Time.” A students of nantzin Guadalupe Estrada the jungle with other women, and together huge concert was held last January; no fa- (“nantzin” means lady or Mrs.). They sang they pray and meditate until they hear “the mous Salvadorian artists performed, just a few songs in their native language, and I song of the child.” When the child is born, singers from the U.S. who were brought by based my work on these songs following the tribe gets together and sings the child’s the United Nations to sing and dance for the these steps: 1) Record; 2) Make transcrip- song to her. When the child begins her wealthy people of the country to celebrate tions; 3) Prepare arrangements for SMA education, the village gathers and chants their concept of “peace.” choir and string orchestra with guitars; 4) the child’s song. When the child passes San Salvador, the capital city, has com- Rehearsals; 5) Final concert. This process through the initiation to adulthood, people mercial centers with restaurants, banks, was the basis of my work with people in El get together again and sing. At the time of offices, etc., which, due to the depressed Salvador. (See Example 1.) marriage, the person hears her song again. economy, 95% of the population cannot Finally, when the soul is about to pass from enjoy. And, of course, at the door of each this world, the tribe gathers and, just as one of these places (everywhere), there is they did at her birth, they sing the girl’s a guard with a large gun to give a feeling song to accompany her on the “journey.” of safety and security to its customers. All There’s another occasion for the vil- of this comes to my mind and flows onto lagers of this African tribe to sing to the the paper because, evidently, El Salvador child. If at any time during her life, the needs to hear its song. person commits a crime or aberrant social El Salvador in 2012 act, the tribe makes a circle around her and I live in Spain, and the first time I sings her song. The tribe recognizes that went to El Salvador was in 2012, when correction for antisocial behavior is not I received a call from cultural visionary through punishment, but through love and Fernando Fajardo to conduct the choirs the recognition of her true identity. When and orchestras of El Sistema. Venezuelan Ex. 1. Tacha Cuyután singing Nahaut we know our own song there’s no need or politician José Antonio Abreu founded El songs to Sonia Megías desire to harm anybody. Your friends and Sistema of El Salvador in 2010; this is the family know “your song” and sing it when same man who had proudly founded the When we were ready for the big concert, you forget it. Those who love you cannot same organization in his native Venezuela which involved more than 200 children be fooled by mistakes you have committed, four decades before. As a result, more than from seven choirs and three orchestras, or dark images you show to others. They 500,000 children and teenagers have ben- the former Secretary of Culture, Magda- remember your beauty even if you feel ugly efited from it. lena Granadino, attempted to nullify the or when you’re broke; they know your in- The Spanish Agency of Cooperation project and made me persona non-grata nocence when you feel guilty and know and Development (it is part of the Ministry for bringing indigenous music and people your true purpose when you’re confused. of Foreign Affairs) and the El Salvador Sec- to the largest theater in El Salvador, the retary of Culture brought me to the country Teatro Presidente. Despite her objections, The small Central American country the project “Singing in Nahuat” reached of El Salvador has suffered from continu- in August 2012. When I arrived, I found that most of the children had forgotten their hundreds of children who were able to sing ous violence: during the massacre in 1932, songs in their native language of Nahuat. General Maximiliano Hernández Martinez roots! They were dressed in the style of El Salvador 2015 assassinated more than 30,000 people just what they saw on TV; they were using U.S. because they were indigenous. The native currency to pay for goods; they could speak My second visit to El Salvador was tribes perished again from violence during in perfect Spanish and English. But what financed only by the Spanish organiza- El Mozote’s bombing in 1981, conducted about their own culture? I spent several tion. During this time, I was informed by Colonel Domingo Monterrosa, in which days asking the children in the choirs and that the previous director of El Sistema, more than 1,000 people, half of them under- orchestras the following question: “Who the Argentinian politician Alejo Campos aged, died. Now, subsequent to the Civil War speaks Nahuat?” (Nahuat is the language (Granadino’s right hand man), had sto- (1980-1992), and for far too many years, the of the indigenous people.) No hands went len all the money from the institution and country has earned the nefarious title of “the up. I knew then, deep down, that my mis- disappeared, leaving El Sistema with no most violent country in the world,” thanks sion was to help the people of El Salvador direction or resources. A new director, lo-

10 IAWM Journal Volume 23, No. 1 2017 cal cultural coordinator Mauricio Mena, cre. At night, we visited the common burial and a new headquarters had been recently pits where the indigenous victims were laid established. I found the institution fighting to rest; the next day at sunrise we performed to survive in a building with no windows. a Mayan ceremony to dignify their deaths. This was far removed from the original It was not a coincidence that the country ideals of the program: working inside the was also celebrating the 25 Years of Peace schools, neighborhoods, and prisons. Agreements at the same time. I had no opportunity to work with the In this sensitive climate of celebra- choirs or orchestras of El Sistema. Again, tions of roots and peace, I found it easier my mentor, Fernando Fajardo, identified than on my previous trips to connect with some choirs and instrumental groups that state institutions. Fernando and I had the were willing to collaborate with the proj- opportunity to speak with the current Sec- Ex. 2. Sonia Megías recording Paula’s song ect “Singing in Nahuat.” At the time, we retary of Culture of El Salvador, the poet ers, Antonia Ramírez, who created a song could count on the participation of the Vox Silvia Elena Regalado; she received our with this title. The performers included the Cordis, the National Youth Choir, and the project with joy and support. The Secretary National Choir, the Presidential Choir, the National Old People Choir, as well as the of Culture of San Salvador, dancer Suecy Vox Cordis choir, the National Symphonic National Orchestra of Guitars and sev- Callejas, also received our proposal with Orchestra, the Young Camerata of El Sal- eral teachers of El Sistema. The collective a smile and approval, and even offered to vador (JOCA) and again, the teachers of El of Nahuat poets, called the Tzunhejekat publish my transcriptions of Nahuat mu- Sistema; the luxurious ensemble gave the (Wind head), participated and were in con- sic! We were greeted with the same show project more weight and also more visibil- tinuous contact with the Nahuat-speaking of support by the director of the National ity. The choir and orchestras of El Sistema people of the communities. I visited these Museum of Anthropology, José Heriberto continue fighting to grow, and we expect communities with them and recorded the Erquicia, as well as the director of the Arts that students will join their teachers in the indigenous singers in their own homes. Department of the government, Marta Ro- future and be part of the project! (See Example 2.) sales; the director of the Indigenous People And…what about the future of “Sing- I added some new steps to my proce- Department, Rita de Araújo, and other en- ing in Nahuat”? dure: 1) Identify communities and people thusiastic people. The Cultural Center of Spain in El able to sing in Nahuat; 2) Record in their The Tzunhejekat collective, now com- Salvador, the institution that both brought homes; 3) Make transcriptions; 4) Call prised of only men, collaborated with me me and supported me on each trip, also for vocal and instrumental ensembles that by identifying the singers in the commu- commissioned a documentary about the wish to collaborate; 5) Prepare arrange- nities. The process was the same as previ- project, which is being made by Salvador- ments, this time for SATB choir and in- ously but with a difference: instead of just ian filmmaker Mario Piche. Subsequently, struments; 6) Rehearsals; 7) Final concert. one final concert we had many concerts! the Council of Culture of San Salvador has The Tzunhejekat collective organized the We performed them in various places in the offered to publish a book with the songs concert at the University of El Salvador country and for different audiences, thanks I transcribed in order to use it in primary (UES), and they brought a huge audience to both Secretaries of Culture. The arrange- schools as a way of learning (remember- of Nahuat-speaking people from the com- ments this time were for SMA choir and ing) Nahuat; the Ministry of Education is munities. (See Example 3.) full symphonic orchestra with harp. supporting the publication and its distri- El Salvador 2017 This mixture of personalities and art- bution. Furthermore, some soloists of the My third visit was the longest (45 days) ists was truly ideal for the development of National Orchestra with the singers of and was the most in-depth experience thus the project. The series of concerts for “Sing- the Vox Cordis choir, conducted by Enid far. On January 27th, I traveled to Izalco ing in Nahuat” this time was called NE Claramunt, have offered to make a CD of with some friends for the commemoration NAWAT SHUCHIKISA (Nahuat flourish- my last orchestral–choral arrangements of of the 85th anniversary of the 1932 massa- es), in honor of one of our indigenous sing- the Nahuat music. The recording of this CD is being supported by the Sal- vadorian bank Banco de Fomento Agropecuario. Maybe, after all this work, we will finally find El Salvador’s song! Spanish composer and performer So- nia Megías is conductor of the experimental vocal group CoroDelantal, and half of the vocal duet Dúa de Pel, along with Eva Guillamón. She received a Fulbright scholarship (2010- 2012) at New York University. More information and videos are available: Ex. 3. Concert at the University of El Salvador http://www.soniamegias.es.

Megías, El Salvador’s Song 11 Claudia Montero Wins Her Second Latin Grammy The winners of the Latin Grammy Awards String Quartet. Claudia won her first Latin each movement: elaborated, varied, and for 2016 were announced in Las Vegas on Grammy in 2014 for her Concerto for Vio- transformed. The work’s duration is sev- November 17: Claudia Montero won her lin and String Orchestra. (See the Journal enteen minutes. The first movement, an- second Latin Grammy in the category of of the IAWM 21, No. 1.) dante espressivo, begins in a fugal style Best Classical Contemporary Composi- Cuarteto para Buenos Aires: followed by the subject, which is now action for her Cuarteto para Buenos Aires. The quartet is in four movements and companied by the rhythm of the milonga The work was recorded by the American is cyclic, and the same themes appear in (3+3+2), a musical genre or dance style related to the Argentine tango. (See Example 1, m. 8.) The contrasting rhythmic patterns alternate in the movement and form a discourse, respecting the hierarchies of each instrument.

Ex. 1. Cuarteto para Buenos Aires, movement 1

Claudia Montero at the award ceremony The second movement, allegretto scher- zando, is in three sections. It opens with the milonga rhythm played pizzicato. (See Ex- ample 2.) The central section of the movement is romantic and lyric with syncopated rhythms, and it evokes the sound of the bandoneón, a type of concertina popular in Argentina. The movement concludes with a return of the opening section. The third movement, adagio cantabile, is filled with both lyricism and drama. (See Example 3.) It is based on a theme that is transformed by its changing colors, as though one is walking through different neighborhoods in Buenos Aires. The cello is featured near the end. The fourth movement, allegro con brio, provides the thematic synthesis of the Ex. 2. Cuarteto para Buenos Aires, movement 2 quartet; passages from the previous move-

12 IAWM Journal Volume 23, No. 1 2017 ments return, often in a varied form. In I have always believed that a com- instrumentalists need to learn a different this movement a tango technique called poser must have at least one string quar- technique and style when playing Argen- “chicharra” or “tambor” is used to intro- tet in her catalog; therefore, this was a tinian music.) After having achieved so duce the urban music of Buenos Aires. special project for me. From the moment much recognition with this quartet, I some- (See Example 4.) “Chicharra” is a sound I began working on the quartet, I had the times wonder if I will be able to match or effect that string players in a tango- or feeling and the confidence that it would surpass its quality in future works. It is a chestras create by using their bows on the be successful. I am delighted that it has challenge that motivates me to continue “wrong side” of the bridge; “tambor” is a won this major award and has attracted so composing. To watch the video of scenes technique used in Flamenco guitar music much attention. I am also fortunate that the from Buenos Aires and listen to excerpts, in which the player strikes the strings rap- American String Quartet’s performance please visit this link: https://www.youtube. idly just inside the bridge. was unsurpassed. (Non-Latin-American com/watch?v=3Yp_MxRGIdQ

Advertise in the Journal of the IAWM As a benefit of membership, you can place an ad at a reduced rate! And if you are a member of any organizations that would benefit from the exposure the Journal can provide, please encourage them to take advantage of our inex- pensive rates. Guidelines: Ads should be camera-ready in a graphic file. Graphic files should be 300 or higher resolution and saved at the highest quality. Do not use lzw compression. Page Size: 8½ x 11 Ex. 3. Cuarteto para Buenos Aires, movement 3 Ad prices: Full page $250 (members $175) 7½ x 9 ¾ Half page $150 (members $100) Horizontal or vertical Quarter page $80 (members $60 Eighth page (members only $30) Please send your ad as an email attach- ment to the editor: [email protected] Deadlines: March 30 and September 30 Payment: Checks should be sent, payable to IAWM, to our treasurer: Christina Rusnak 2712 NE 13th Ave Portland, OR 97212-3220

Ex. 4. Cuarteto para Buenos Aires, movement 4

Claudia Montero Wins Her Second Latin Grammy 13 Calliope’s Call ELIZABETH VERCOE Boston is well known as a major music cycles like Libby Larsen’s Cowboy Songs are an ongoing consideration for future town with the Boston Symphony, Handel and Leonard Bernstein’s I Hate Music with concerts. and Haydn Society, Cantata Singers, and more familiar works by Schumann and De- New to the agenda in 2016 was a Call dozens of other classical music groups. For bussy. They even polled their audiences for for Scores to solicit songs fitting the theme decades, it has also been considered a hot- reactions to gauge their success. of music and poetry by women, an initia- bed of new music with venerable groups Themed programming was the rule tive that brought music by some forty com- like the Boston Musica Viva and Dinosaur from the beginning: one concert about posers to their attention with some pieces Annex, both of which have been around for gypsies, cowboys and wanderers featured immediately scheduled for performance. over forty years, plus newer groups such Libby Larsen’s Cowboy Songs and Calam- The competition in 2017 is a little differ- as Guerilla Opera and Kadence Arts. In the ity Jane cycle; another concert of songs for ent; this time it is for composers (male or last few years a variety of groups, large and and about children included a group of Ives female) with songs with a connection to small, were added to both categories. One songs along with the Bernstein cycle men- New England for any combination of so- such group is Calliope’s Call, founded by tioned above; and a third concert of songs of prano, mezzo, tenor, and piano in solos, Megan Roth and dedicated to spreading the a spiritual nature presented Theodore Chan- duets, or trios with or without accompani- joys of art songs to new audiences. ler’s Eight Epitaphs, plus music by Rubin- ment. The group intends to include some of stein and Rebecca Clarke among others. these pieces on the next program. Calliope’s Call kicked off their current Another new undertaking they have season, their first based in Boston, taking initiated since their arrival in Boston is a new direction with a fall program show- a school outreach project. Their first ef- casing women composers setting women’s fort was a program for grades 3 to 5 in texts titled “In Her Words: Women’s Voic- Dorchester, Massachusetts, where the chil- es in Verse and Song.” The concert was dren expressed a high level of excitement, performed at Old North Church in Mar- perhaps partly because they heard their blehead and repeated at a fund-raiser in a music teacher sing and partly because they beautiful private salon in Boston’s historic sang rounds with the musicians afterwards. L to R: Clare Longendyke, Maggie Finnegan, North End. The experience was especially touching for Elizabeth Vercoe, Sonja Tengblad, and Unfamiliar with the new group and at- the performers as the youngsters seemed so Megan Roth tending the concert because a piece of mine delighted that they wanted to hug the sing- In their first two seasons, the group was was on the program, I was delighted to find ers and touch the hands of the pianist. based in Bloomington, Indiana, and focused an impressive level of musicianship in all As for the future, Megan Roth and on a mission of bringing the rich repertory three solo voices: Maggie Finnegan, Sonja Clare Longendyke muse that they would of art songs to those not necessarily famil- Tengblad, and founder Megan Roth, and in like to see more advanced planning, more iar with the tradition. They performed in their partnering with their superlative pia- concerts, and more financial stability along Bloomington, Cincinnati, and Boston, and nist and administrative director, Clare Lon- with continued outreach to new audiences found new audiences in venues that are not gendyke. The a cappella trio singing was and schools as well as the continued col- always associated with concert series, such especially memorable for the spot-on into- laboration between artist-dreamers and as churches and museums, with either low- nation and seamless blending of voices. In artist-administrators that has been at the cost or free admission. Their repertory was fact, a composer has already written a new heart of Calliope’s Call from its inception. adventurous and inclusive, interspersing trio for the group and new duos and trios (Please visit http://www.calliopescall.org/) Restoring Luise Greger: A Renaissance in Progress For Christa Ludwig, whose profound poetic intellect and reverence for the art of the Lied will forever remain an inspiration. PAUL-ANDRÉ BEMPÉCHAT Lost Soul Waiting for you to rediscover me since the publication of Hallmark’s useful, One day you will find me is undeniably misery. N. M. albeit repetitive, volume. For this, one may amongst all you’ve forgotten Schubert. Mendelssohn. Schumann. Brahms. remain thankful for the increasing, enthu- Maybe you’ll hear me in the Mahler. Wolf. Strauss. Thus reads the Table siastic research into the contributions of words of your favorite song of Contents in Rufus Hallmark’s German women composers into this subtle sphere. Or in that crumpled up paper Lieder in the Nineteenth Century (Schirm- Principal researchers into the major where I wrote it all wrong er, 1996), and those of many other pub- Austro-German Lieder composers during Until then I will lay in the pages lications centered almost exclusively on the late twentieth and early twenty-first cen- of love letters the genre. Thankfully, the glorious fresco turies succeeded in heightening curiosity And yearn for the yesterdays of this beloved and distinctively Austro- into the lives and works of their female com- filled with our memories German art form has evolved immensely panions: Clara Schumann (Reich, 1985),

14 IAWM Journal Volume 23, No. 1 2017 Josephine Lang (Krebs, 2007), Fanny Men- tival was held August 14-16 in Wash- have received singing lessons from Hed- delssohn Hensel (Todd, 2010), Alma Mahler ington State, with venues in Langley at wig Wolf, in Berlin, and that none less than (Hilmes, 2015), and Pauline Viardot-Garcia the Northwest Language Academy, at Richard Strauss conferred upon her the of- (Borchard, 2016), for example. the Whidbey Island Center for the Arts, ficial, professional title of “composer.” Yet these illustrious figures remain the and in Clinton at Heron’s Crossing, on In 1888 Mme Greger married the phy- tip of the proverbial iceberg. So many lost Sunlight Beach. This second annual Lu- sician Dr. Ludwig Greger (1860-1919) souls yearning for recognition; so many ise Greger Music Festival, “Women in in Berlin. The family moved to Kassel in souls yearning for restoration of their ini- Music,” was expanded to four days in 1894 where Luise increasingly devoted tial recognition; near-incalculable numbers 2016, with events also scheduled at the herself to composing and performing. The of vital, vibrant legacies, yearning to be Langley United Methodist Church. following passage, written to her sister in freed from the shackles of convention and Most importantly, it is to the im- 1900, demonstrates the difficulties women snobbery. The most obvious corollary I can mense credit of the German publishing experienced to launch their careers. She project is the case of Rembrandt, during house Furore Verlag (www.furore-ver- explains that she had to wait several years whose lifetime over 40,000 painters were lag.de), devoted exclusively to publish- before being able to establish herself as an registered in the painters’ guilds of the Low ing works by women composers that artist: “At the beginning of April I shall Countries. Most remember but Rembrandt lovers of the Lied can begin to assess sing and play at two concerts, for which and a handful of others. the contributions of Luise Greger. I shall also receive a fee. Once the hiatus It has, for decades, been this author’s As the Greger family continues to un- has been lifted, this will happen more of- quest to restore as many unsung heroines cover additional compositions, correspon- ten.” After her divorce in 1911, she and and heroes of music into the conscious dence, concert programs, and reviews of her eldest son Helmuth held salons at her memory as possible, through the media their ancestor’s career, Furore Verlag has home in Kassel, where she performed her of performance, teaching, writing, and formally invited―by way of the introduc- many Lieder. Becoming increasingly frail broadcasting. Readers of the Journal of the tions prefacing each volume―everyone due to old age, she moved to the so-called IAWM may recall my article introducing who comes upon information of any kind “Hofgeismar Informary” in the summer of the French impressionist Rita Strohl, which regarding Luise Greger, to submit such 1939, all the while continuing to perform. appeared in 2010. Since then, the work of findings for the enhancement of their pre- Unfortunately, she was transported (de- dozens of exceptional women, acclaimed sentations both online and in-score: “A box ported?) along with other ill and elderly during their lifetimes, have entered into my of sleeping [sic] notes and a few meagre intellectual and emotional orbit. The resto- biographical details are all we have at the ration of French post-Romantic Mél(anie) moment. May we appeal to all who read Bonis (who shortened her name to trick this to follow up [with] any references to publishers into imagining she was male), Luise Greger’s person, her surroundings thanks to her descendants, is now well un- and her music and to pass them on to us? derway. Dame Ethel Smyth’s profile gains Thank you.” acclaim yearly, as does the Swedo-German It is particularly heartwarming to read Ingeborg Bronsart von Schellendorf. The this in the score, as this new, contemporary network must continue to broaden, and tradition of a “work-in-progress” (in aca- scholarship directed increasingly to restor- demia known as a “working paper”) is now ing the forgotten, lest our declining audi- directed to the sophisticated musical pub- ences become thoroughly discouraged and lic, in the spirit of Wikipedia. fed-up with the hackneyed repertoire they The Life in Brief Luise Greger are being force-fed. The following biographical material Luise Greger is adapted from Furore-Verlag’s introduc- patients to the Merxhausen mental institu- In Central Germany, as in Washing- tion to Luise Greger’s scores under their tion at the beginning of December 1943. ton State, the descendants of Luise Gre- copyright: Luise Henriette Caroline Greger, Luise Greger died just three weeks later, ger (1862-1944) have begun releasing her née Sumpf, born on December 27, 1862 in on January 25, 1944, at the age of 81. manuscripts and archives for publication, Greifswald as the daughter of a senator and During her lifetime Luise Greger so as to restore her legacy as a major com- factory director in Greifswald, a very pros- achieved great recognition in Germany and poser of Lieder. This arduous process began perous bourgeois family. She was eleven across Europe as a chamber singer and Lie- with the music faculty at Brigham Young when she began composing Lieder, and was der composer. Most notably, in 1930, the University in Utah, and continues now, privileged to begin her piano and composi- Elsass-Lothringische Bune (Alsace-Lor- through this article, a future monograph, tion studies with the noted professor Carl rain Association) declared her an honorary and the ongoing recital and recording proj- Ludwig Bemmann (1807-1893), who, soon member of their society, and during the fes- ects of the glorious Greek-American mez- after her tutelage began, had her perform- tivities, Greger’s Hymne an Elsass (Hymn zo-soprano Eleni Matos with American ing in public. Unconfirmed sources recount to Alsace) was performed at the Stadthalle pianist Rebecca Wilt, of the University of that she studied for a year at the Royal in Kassel. In an article to mark her 70th North Carolina, Greensboro. In 2015, the Academy of Music in Berlin (Königliche birthday in 1932, the Kasseler-Post offered first annual Luise Greger Music Fes- Hochschule), and she herself claimed to the following tribute: “Her Lieder belong

Bempéchat, Restoring Luise Gregor 15 in the repertoire of famous male and fe- tone and piano, titled after the first song her lifetime, indeed merited, and that her male singers. Her melodies have already within the collection; Malönchen, fifteen painstaking renaissance is entirely worth- been heard in Dresden and Leipzig, at Mu- songs for soprano and piano (no specified while. What has impressed me most is nich’s Odeon-Theater, the Gürzenich Hall dating), and named after one of the Lieder Greger’s sprawling―although never truly in Cologne, and in many other cities, most within the cycle, set to a poem by the famed explosive―emotional range and diversity frequently, of course, at concerts in Kassel, North German author of children’s prose tenor. Her kinship to the most genteel, yet garnering great applause….” and poetry, Gustav Falke; Lieder Album, 18 refined of Lieder composers, Schubert and Greger composed more than 100 Lie- songs with piano, ca. 1915; Weihnachtslie- Wolf, bespeaks in her unquestionable re- der. She began writing music for the stage der (“[5] Christmas Songs,” 1921-1923). spect for the minutest variations of the hu- only in old age: the piano excerpt from It is clear that Greger’s reputation as a man soul: from the simplest nursery songs her fairytale opera Gänseliesel (“The Girl significant composer of Lieder was, during to complex psychological frameworks, she with the Golden Goose”) is classified as Opus 170. Its premiere at the Stadttheater Baden-Baden on December 10, 1933 may well have been one of the high points of her life. Negotiations are underway to re- vive this charming work. As a result of the rediscovery of this remarkable woman’s work―in the proverbial old trunk―Greger’s works are now re-entering the public sphere. In 1993 and 2002, she was the focus of the Kasseler Frauen-Empfang (Kassel Women’s Day), and on July 8, 2012, at the sesquicentenary of her birth, an evening of her Lieder was performed at the North Hesse Summer Festival (“Kultursommer Nordhessen”). On September 1, 2013, a commemorative plaque was placed at her former residence at Wilhelmshöher Allee 259 in Kassel. At the unveiling ceremony, the Classic Brass Ensemble Schauenburg (Roland Sälzer, conductor) performed the prelude from Gänseliesel, arranged for this formation by Martin Forciniti. Another great honor was bestowed upon Luise Greger in July 2013: a footpath in Kassel, joining Niederwald- strasse and Baunsbergstrasse, was renamed Luise-Greger-Weg; it leads from her first residence in this city to a point close to her second residence. The city’s elders had decided upon this route so that an important component of the composer’s life experience could be traced both gracefully and sentimentally. The Compositions At the time of this writing, Furore Verlag has released six collections of Lu- ise Greger’s Lieder in addition to her children’s opera, Gänseliesel, in both piano and open-score versions: Zehn Plattdeut- sche Lieder (“Ten Low German Songs”), undated; Der Frühling lockt! (“Springtime Beckons!” 1873), 15 songs, one of which, Gruβ (Greeting), Greger composed at the age of 11; Auf den Schwingen der Nacht (commonly translated as “Fallen Angel”), Ex. 1. Luise Greger, Auf der Schwingen der Nacht (Nightfall), op. 125, no. 1 (Courtesy undated, a collection of nine songs for bari- of Furore Verlag Kassel, www.furore-verlag.de

16 IAWM Journal Volume 23, No. 1 2017 proves to be a master of the craft of pros- intimate post-Romantic idiom, and situates the full opus-number range evinced from ody. Her command of prosody is obvious, her squarely in the Austro-German tradi- the catalogue, ranging into the Opus 170s, as are her choices of harmonic procedures tions of Brahms, Strauss, and Mahler. Her will emerge. Furore has produced crisp, relative to the symbolic complexity of the rhapsodic setting develops a dialogue be- generously-spaced scores, which present poetry she sets. tween the voice and the tenor voice in the no reading problems at all; my only criti- What will be particularly intriguing piano, buttressed by brocades of arpeggios cal comment is the hope that the histori- for scholars of German and Comparative against a firmly tonal setting. The composer cal and biographical explications will, in Literature is Greger’s choice of poets. In dedicated her setting to the poet, her friend the future, be presented in full in English terms of name recognition, they range Gottfried Hertel, whose writings are also and also in French. I am not alone in my from the immortals Goethe and Heine to very worthy of discovery. (See Example 1.) hope that the excellent work begun in Utah the now-forgotten Theodor Storm (1817- Arguably, the crown jewel of Luise and in Washington State will be followed 1888), Julius Wolff (1834-1910), Rudolf Greger’s productivity, once her full legacy across North America and around the Baumbach (1840-1905, a k a Paul Bach), shall have been established, will be her world. We await, therefore, the release of relatively well-known during their life- children’s Singspiel operetta Gänseliesel, Eleni Matos’ and Rebecca Wilt’s compact times, but a myriad of poets who populated in ten tableaux, op. 170, and published by discs of this important legacy. her inner world. And it is clear that she was Furore in 2014. Its libretto, with its mo- French-Canadian pianist and historical mu- never one to ignore, for convenience’s or tives chiseled from several Grimm Broth- sicologist Paul-André Bempéchat (www.bem- appearance’s sake, her fellow female art- ers’ fairy tales, is by the even more, and pechat.com) is Artist-in-Residence at Harvard ists. Be the setting from the obscure Al- mysteriously obscure, Emilie Riedel (n.d.). University’s Leverett House. Renowned for his wine Wuthenow (1820-1908) and Marga- The (+/-) 50-minute work is scored for interpretations of the First Viennese School and rethe Thulcke (1879-?) to the best-known chamber ensemble―flute, with piccolo ad Chopin, he is a self-styled, rebellious product of (predictably male) poets of her times, libitum, bassoon, two violins, viola, double the Manhattan School of Music and The Juil- Greger’s assiduity is systematic. Her abil- bass (cello ad libitum), and piano―and in- liard School, where he worked with the legend- ary performer-teachers Artur Balsam, Nadia ity to incarnate both simple and complex cludes dialogue interspersed between arias, Reisenberg in piano and chamber music, and literary symbols into heartrending emo- vocal ensembles, and choral interjections. Martin Isepp in vocal accompanying. Sorbonne- tions harkens the greatness of Schubert This works presents an ideal project not trained in musicology, his foci have been Na- and Wolf. She achieves her goals through only for middle- and upper-schools with tionalism, Impressionism, and Gustav Mahler. harmonic textures, which are never dense, German-language components, but for His most significant publications include the and through progressions whichever nudge university-level folklore and mythology first biography of Jean Cras (Routledge, 2009; but never baffle. departments as well. An English transla- 2nd ed. Peter Lang, 2018) and the recent Fest- Auf der Schwingen der Nacht (Night- tion is, quite logically, overdue. schrift honoring the 90th birthday of Henry- fall), Luise Greger’s op. 125, no. 1 (fue As stated earlier, manuscripts are be- Louis de La Grange (Peter Lang, 2016), Natur- lauf, Scholarly Journeys Toward Gustav Mahler. 15022), is a perfect example of her mature, ing uncovered regularly, and eventually, Under the Bridges of Paris DEBORAH J. ANDERSON Under the Bridges of Paris came to frui- and I arranged them in order. I then gave struck by the ornate statuary and decora- tion in the summer of 2013. Composed for them to a videographer, Elise Anderson, tive details. (See Example 1.) Below, one the Tacoma [Washington] Concert Band, who created the special effects. The video, is impressed by the beautiful steel work, which presented the premiere in Novem- with my musical accompaniment, can now reminiscent of the Eiffel Tower, completed ber of 2016, it taps into memories from the be viewed on YouTube (https://www.you- just ten years before. The music it inspired many weeks and months I have spent in tube.com/watch?v=sQz2g31h2HU). represents the pomp and splendor of life at Paris over the years. The bridges of Paris For this work, I chose grace the city with varied history and archi- three actual bridges and tectural styles, and visitors can enjoy them one architectural concept. from many vantage points. I particularly The set opens with Paris’s appreciate the engineering work they rep- most extravagant bridge, resent (my father was a civil and structural Le Pont Alexandre III, engineer; childhood outings often centered completed in 1900 and around exploration of job sites), and I found named after Tsar Alexan- an interesting challenge in the attempt to der III, who had conclud- recreate the moods evoked by a stroll along ed the Franco-Russian the quays or a boat excursion beneath a few Alliance in 1892. One of of Paris’s famous bridges. Theodore Turn- the marvels of nineteenth- er accompanied me on a trip to Paris, and century engineering, it he took about 1,000 photos of the bridges. boasts a long single-span I chose the ones I wanted, he edited them, steel arch. Above, one is Ex. 1: Le Pont Alexandre III

Anderson, Under the Bridges of Paris 17 the end of the nineteenth century as well as ing revealed the exact pitches of the bells, over the water is an event in itself. We impressions from passing underneath the as well as the slow tempo of the largest bell, wanted the pedestrian to find this feeling. bridge. A theme, which appears in the first called Emmanuel. To showcase the other It’s like a perilous flirt with the Seine.” Ac- movement, returns in snatches at different half of the instruments normally found in cordingly, the music takes a perilous path, points in the subsequent three. a symphonic band, they are featured in this revealing what it might feel like to attempt The second movement, inspired by movement. The tuba represents Emmanu- a crossing during a storm. Paris’s oldest bridge―ironically called Le el, and the double bass represents the next Deborah J. Anderson, from Tacoma, Washing- Pont Neuf (the New Bridge), transports the largest bell, called Marie. Tubular bells ton, studied piano and voice and majored in lan- listener to a much earlier time. Inaugurated take center stage, of course. guages in college. She served in the Peace Corps by Henri IV in 1607, the bridge conveys The last movement found inspiration (Tunisia), where she taught English and studied strength and simple beauty. Imitating the not in an actual bridge, but in an archi- Arabic music, later returning to Seattle to earn music of the Renaissance for this move- tect’s vision. According to a news release a master’s degree in French. Deborah taught on ment, I imagined Henri IV often meeting the in 2012, “Architecture studio bureau faceB the college level for a number of years, and from great love of his life, Gabrielle d’Estrées, at is developing a new bridge on Paris’s Seine 2000 to 2011 sang in the PLU Choral Union. She began composing at age six. Her works range in the bridge during its construction. Woven River that’s inspired by that tiny, cautious setting from solo voice and choir to instrumental into the piece, you will find portions of two voice in our heads.…The pedestrian bridge ensembles, solo works, duets, chamber works, famous Renaissance love songs: John Dow- is constructed from steel cables, strung and works for brass ensemble and concert band. land’s “Come Again,” and the heartbreaking between banks by springs. It contains two She especially enjoys the challenges of compos- “Mille Regretz,” attributed to Josquin Des ways to cross. One is a relatively typical ing for unusual settings and of evoking various Préz. In honor of a simpler music style, I bridge with a concrete mesh bottom. But moods in the listener. To date, thirty pieces have used only half of the instruments normally by its side is a more ‘perilous’ option, a been published. She is honored to serve on the found in a symphonic band. series of extremely narrow, wobbly paths Board of Directors of Symphony Tacoma. See The third movement, Le Pont au Dou- reminiscent of Himalayan footbridges.” www.deborahjanderson.com for more information about Deborah and her work. If your band ble, reproduces the pealing of the bells of “The objective was to get closer to the wa- might be interested in performing Under the Notre Dame Cathedral, located a stone’s ter, to regain contact with the river,” bureau Bridges of Paris along with the video presenta- throw away from this bridge. Some sleuth- faceB’s Camille Mourier tells me. “Going tion, contact Deborah at [email protected]. Meet Five New IAWM Members My Composition Process and more dramatic. An early work, Eating Sal- with a soprano doubling on the vibraphone. Career tine Peanuts on a Desert Island for tape, In addition, I used a tape recorder for one tape jockey, and three singer/actors, used a of the characters—a bass voice reciting SHEILA FORRESTER collage of my own texts. Some were short, “The Point” by Charles Simic. I was very When I compose, I aim for simple, direct painfully beautiful songs; others were lines interested in tone color, in blending various communication with the listener. To do of spoken poetry interrupted by music. The instruments to create an interesting timbre, this, I often use extremes: in range, volume, piece was multi-thematic, often polytex- and in juxtaposing unusual instruments to- dissonance, consonance, et cetera. My goal tural, and occasionally contained extended gether (the chamber orchestra had a man- is to capture a mood or solidifying gesture, vocal technique. The tape recorder did not dolin and drum set). The soprano interacted so calmness is important. When successful, play continuously, but was turned on and with the recorded voice by playing the I am able to lose myself in this calmness as off by a tape jockey who asked the sing- tape, then one does after reading a poem. Improvisa- ers if it was time. I made sound collages by rewinding tion follows until something attractive and multi-tracking layers of Pentecostal sing- and playing true to the mood I want to convey occurs. ing in an auditorium mixed with tracks of parts again. Only then can my training take over to en- people arguing. At one point in the piece Toward the able me to write the piece. This is how I there is silence. Then a performer begins a end of the currently understand my composition pro- soliloquy while the other two start impro- soprano’s cess; but this was not always the way. vising distractedly, causing the speaker to aria, a cho- As an undergraduate at Wilfrid Lau- raise his voice only to be interrupted by the rus of social rier University (Waterloo, Canada), I was tape jockey yelling, “Now?” before turning archetypes trained by Owen Underhill to prize original- the tape recorder on. The piece was heav- parades on ity above all else. I struggled to reinvent the ily influenced by the Theatre of the Absurd: stage sing- the works of Samuel Beckett, Ionesco and ing a “tough wheel, exploring new combinations of in- Sheila Forrester struments (tuba and alto recorder, suspend- Pinter; but to me, it was realism. Sometimes luck” song. ed door stopper on a timpani drum), forms moments in life seemed like compositions. The orchestra both accompanies and op- (proportional notation, moment form), and I remember feeling as though I was getting poses the chorus, sometimes supporting, new textures. My early music was, and con- somewhere in terms of self-expression. sometimes blurring the text due to a long tinues to be, inspired by other arts: poetry My final project was a surreal one-act ostinato in the vibraphone, orchestral so- and theatre. I delighted in putting theatrical opera, The Ugly Side of Medium for sopra- prano, and cello. The piece was far too per- elements into my music to make the piece no, baritone, chorus, and chamber orchestra sonal, but it resulted in full tuition to the

18 IAWM Journal Volume 23, No. 1 2017 first Music Theatre program at the Banff In 1992, I moved from my native that the context of a hexachordal mutation School of Fine Arts. There I learned that I Canada to the U.S. and entered the studio leads to recognition of expressive, descrip- was not really interested in pursuing mu- of Ladislav Kubik, my mentor and compo- tive, and formal functions in the music. sic theatre—I wanted to compose theatri- sition professor at Florida State University, I attained my goal of earning a tenure- cal music. ready to change everything if need be. I track position in music theory at Missis- I performed in a musical comedy wrote instrumental pieces with traditional sippi State University the year I graduated. group “The Beirdo Brothers and Sister titles―Four Etudes for Piano, Five Minia- Many of my compositions were performed Sheila”―for the next nine years. We sang tures for B-flat Clarinet, Three Movements there, and I continued to thrive in academe. and played more than twenty different infor Viol Consort―and began to win com- Unfortunately, in Mississippi there was no struments. My contribution was synthesiz- petitions. When I returned to working with work for my husband, a television broad- ers, melodica, euphonium, and assorted a text, I chose poetry from Christian Mor- cast engineer. After a time, we decided to percussion instruments. We played in all genstern’s Gallows Songs. This time I let move to Gainesville, Florida, where he was sorts of venues, sometimes improvising the musical language serve the poetry, and recruited to be Chief Engineer at a CBS af- audience requests and other times per- the poetry provide the form of the piece. I filiated station. There I met Nansi Carroll, forming a fast-paced comedic set. I didn’t won a CRS recording grant and life-time a composer, conductor, and soprano who have much opportunity to perform original membership with the piece Vice Versa, a commissioned a choral piece for Gaines- music; instead, we began to specialize in multi-movement chamber work for so- ville’s Jubilus concert series. Nansi en- children’s music. This led to larger venues prano, B-flat clarinet, bass clarinet, violin, couraged me to write choral music using (such as Roy Thompson Hall in Toronto, cello, bass, piano (playing the celesta), and sacred Latin texts for her vocal ensemble Canada), six independent recordings (for two percussionists. The final movement, called Voices, a group that I joined. I also which I created arrangements), a tour of the “Das Große Lalula,” was a nonsense sound began teaching music fundamentals and Department of National Defense schools in poem set as a cabaret song. To increase the later music theory and skills at Santa Fe Germany, and a featured performance on excitement at the end, I had a secret male College in Gainesville, where I was instru- the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s chorus sitting in the audience that jumped- mental in developing the curriculum. In internationally syndicated television pro- up and exclaimed their part. This song cycle 2015, my book, Music Theory Fundamen- gram “The Elephant Show.” remains my favorite of my compositions. tals: A Workbook, was published by Ken- During this band period, I completed a The Florida State years were wonder- dall-Hunt (available on Amazon), and it is master’s degree in composition at the Uni- ful; I felt as if I’d found my voice. After used at Santa Fe College, where I continue versity of Western Ontario. Once again, I graduating with a doctorate in composi- to teach ([email protected]). experimented with text making a multi- tion, I filled two consecutive temporary Thank you, IAWM, for this opportunity to movement sound poem by deconstruct- nine-month positions teaching music the- review my love of music through composi- ing the words “Marry a Ukulele.” It was a ory and composition at FSU. I registered tion, performance, research, and teaching. piece for women’s choir, six ukuleles with for Charles Brewer’s seminar on Hildegard electronic pick-ups, and an electric gui- von Bingen while applying for a tenure- Music for the Mysteries and If tar. This was the early ’80s, far from the track position. We sang a number of her the Land Could Talk: Two sides avant-garde sound poetry of Dadaists like chants in Hufnagel four-line staff nota- of the same coin Kurt Schwitters and too early for eclectic tion, and I was hooked on both the beauty HANNE TOFTE JESPERSEN twenty-first century postmodern sensibili- of Hildegard’s melodies and studying the ties. My thesis, How Fast a Circle, was a history of music theory. Thus began my Sacred space may appear where you least composition for ten percussionists, piano, doctoral research in music theory. My dis- expect it. We had an old bathroom with a harp, string quartet, and electric guitar. sertation, “Hexachordal Segmentation as noisy ventilator. I was working on an early The guitar was silent for most of the piece, Analytic Method Applied to Hildegard commission in the winter of 2007 and had then entered as an antagonist, changing the von Bingen’s Symphonia,” presents hexa- chosen a wonderful text for the music, the course of the piece and effecting a dramatic chordal analysis as an alternative to the Essene “Vision of Enoch,” with a through- climax after a long “dominant-type” har- modal analysis of Marianne Richert Pfau going line Be still know I am God. The monic prolongation. and the centonate motivic analysis of Bro- theme for this emerged through intuitive As well as performing and completing narski. My view is that the hexachordal singing with the ventilator’s bass frequen- a master’s degree, I began teaching music system was itself a compositional con- cy as a drone tone. (Example 1). theory part-time at Wilfrid Laurier Univer- struct that provides the necessary point of Exploring what such a handed-down sity. I loved teaching, perhaps because of contact between the modes, the gamut, and script might reveal to my inner ear helped the performer in me. Teaching turned me the extant music of Hildegard von Bingen. me find my way of expression as a compos- into a researcher, which was empowering, Hexachordal analysis much as the study of music theory is to ameliorates the appar- performance. After filling a twelve-month ent division between sabbatical replacement position, my goal the treatises discussing became to earn a doctoral degree in com- chant and Hildegard’s position so that I might earn a tenure-track actual practice. My position in the future. analysis demonstrates Ex. 1. ”Vision of Enoch”

Meet Five New IAWM Members 19 er. I applied the same method of absorption is a tendency to forget that the land under also from the Danish Arts Foundation, and, to two other scripts. The method worked, our feet is a living entity, its species, trees, in the first year, from the Danish Musicians leading to a piece for two voices, violin, and plants as well. So I decided to set its Union. The works are available for free double bass, piano, and percussion includ- silent speech to music together with four- streaming and download on www.hvis- ing balophone (wooden xylophone) and an to-five-year-old children. We walk and sing landetkunnetale.dk (one click on an image integrated recital titled The Seven Natures.1 the land of their local landscape, I compose takes you to the music, the art works, the I derived another important source of based on the walks―on what they respond scores and lyrics). inspiration from an African concept of art to when I ask them during the walks what In Danish as well as other in Nordic that I had experienced in the 1990s when I they hear and see―and on their spontane- languages, the grammatical gender of the lived and worked in Ghana, West Africa. ous singing, which I record whilst walking. word for man, mankind―menneske―is (My home is in Denmark.) In the tradi- I base the lyrics on the children’s ut- feminine. According to the “way of the tional context, the artist is someone who terances, maintaining their language. And I Celtic and Nordic mysteries,” man and bridges the visible and the invisible. The use their spontaneous vocal motives as the landscape are closely related. With “If the same year that I was inspired by my venti- key material for the compositions. As such, land could talk” I have tried to reinterpret lator, 2007, I dedicated myself to exploring these become artistic adaptations of our ex- this concept in a modern urban context to the invisible world with my voice, striving periences during the walks. The visual art- form a contemporary artist’s humble con- to make it audible, and I formed Ensemble ist takes the children through workshops in tribution to preserve planet Earth. Music for the Mysteries. which they create a major canvas reflecting Recent commissions and upcoming Since 2008, this group has performed the walks and what they have noticed. As collaborative works in Denmark, UK, Faroe Island, and Ice- soon as the compositions are ready―I have In March 2017, I completed a commis- land. In 2011, we toured with The Tes- learned to write much faster than before―I sioned duo for violin and organ, Gottorfer timony of Melangell in which I set Mike return with professional musicians to teach Tongewebe. The piece was premiered in Harris’ adaptation of the tale of a Celtic/ the children Germany in late April 2017 in a concert early Christian female hermit and mystic to their vocal series at Gottorf Castle, former residency one hour of music. Her name, Melangell, parts and the of the dukes of Schleswig-Holstein. Pres- means “Honey Angel,” and visual artist integrated ently, it is a centre and museum for art and Alison Michell (UK/DK) created an in- choreogra- culture with an amazing chapel dating from stallation in which the music could be per- phy, as they before 1600, including a historic organ. I formed. In the setting, the audience is seat- themselves spent a weekend there and also researched ed alongside the performers in a squared are going to the history of the place, trying to weave it circle, “The Magical Clearing,” shaped as be the actual into the composition and the chosen stops a modern adaptation of the Honey Angel’s singers when for the organ. Tongewebe (German) means sacred space in a remote valley in Wales Hanne Tofte Jespersen we finally 2 both “weaving of tones” and “tone-web.” around 500 AD. perform the music for their families. The Till mid-August 2017 I will be work- The Ghanaian inspiration also holds works of “If the land could talk” manifest ing on 3 tales on a garden theme, a com- a performance culture where audiences shared remembrance and experiences of mission for a thirty-minute work for En- play an active role and a concept in which the nearby land. semble Storstrøm, one of the regional, story tales, dance, and music are inti- Details public-funded ensembles in Denmark. It mately related. I have transferred this to By June 2017, in all 48 kindergartens has eight members (vl, vla, vcl, fl, cl, bs, p my Scandinavian context in works for in- that are participating in the project, 1,250 and harp), so scoring for them has its inter- strumentalists, storyteller, and children’s children will have taken part. Each kinder- esting challenges. The piece is for an out- choreographed voices. One is Farves- garten joins a six weeks’ project alongside reach project with single-day programs: (1) pillet/ The Play of Colours from 2013 (40 four other kindergartens, that is, in all, 150 An introduction to the cultural heritage of minutes, for cl, bs, vl, perc), which was children from the same part of the district. Fuglsang mansion house and life there 100 commissioned after my draft proposal had Each kindergarten gets its own route and to 150 years ago for servants as a well as the won a competition on creating new inter- its own song. Since 2014 I have taken 280 master and mistress. The place used to host active music tales for children. (Please one-hour walks with children and com- artists, composers, and musicians of that visit www.musicforthemysteries.org) posed seven major works (each approxi- age. (2) A concert of my work performed If the Land Could Talk (Hvis Landet mately 25 minutes); another will follow by the resident ensemble. (3) A workshop Kunne Tale) in June so that the grand total will be 42 visit to the Fuglsang new art museum with Since 2014, I have been engaged as songs and 31 interludes, scored for choreo- its reflection of landscapes seen through the a composer and artistic director of “If the graphed children’s voices and professional eyes of artists mainly of that region. land could talk,” a major collaborative trios, with classical instruments such as An upcoming work will be performed project which involves kindergartens, in- clarinet, French horn, bassoon, recorder, by the Esbjerg Ensemble, a regional pro- strumentalists, and a visual artist. The idea viola, cello, and double bass, together with fessional ensemble of South-West Jutland. is: If the land could talk, it would have a ethnic percussion. Together with their artistic leader I have lot to tell―the land being that local part of The funding has come primarily from developed a collaborative project that will planet Earth that the children inhabit. There the Roskilde District, with some support bring their ten members together with tal-

20 IAWM Journal Volume 23, No. 1 2017 ented young people. We intend to create a did not come naturally to me. I still enjoyed Even though I was finally starting to musical work, to be performed in spring learning theory, orchestration, etc., but I find a balance between classical and pop 2018, that will add vibrancy to a local area did not find my true compositional voice music in the form of musical theater I still selected by the local youth. As to my hopes prior to graduation. For a short time after- wasn’t prepared to proclaim myself as a and dreams for the coming years: I would wards I composed music for videogames, composer by vocation. I returned to school love to write an opera. including a PC flight simulator game The to get a doctorate in environmental geogra- My background includes both classi- Wright Experience, and several games for phy. No sooner was I immersed in school cal and world music. I graduated from the the early generations of cellular phones. again when I was inspired to write a set of University of Copenhagen, departments of Feeling that I didn’t have the composi- classical art songs for soprano and piano. music and of film/TV, and later as an organ- tion or business skills to make a living as These became Water Songs, a setting of six ist from Zealand’s School for Church Mu- a composer I texts by various poets where water was a sic. I have performed professionally since turned back key element. Water Songs was premiered 1995; my main instruments are voice and to my other in November of 2016 by the local Austin piano. My career as a composer developed passion, the opera company, One Ounce Opera, a group first alongside a part-time position as an or- environment, dedicated to bringing classical music back ganist (2001-13). Previously (1993-2000), and obtained to mainstream audiences by holding con- I was co-leader and intercultural consul- a master’s certs in non-traditional venues. tant of Agoro Project, a Danida-sponsored degree in ap- Although my music degree focused on intercultural centre for music, dance, and plied geogra- instrumental composition, my main focus drama in Ghana. phy. One of now is choral and vocal works. In 2015, I I taught music and film on the high my first jobs Rain Nox wrote What Dreams May Come, an a cap- school level from 1989 to 1993. Before in that field pella piece for mixed choir, and in 2016 that I was a researcher for four years at the involved surveying prairie dog populations I wrote Tis So Much Joy for a cappella University of Copenhagen conducting an in the Texas Panhandle. During the field women’s choir. My latest work, Problems, empiric study of the learning processes in work I discovered first hand that many a fifteen-minute micro-opera for five voices music and of the role of the music teacher landowners still believed misinformation and piano, was premiered by One Ounce and of his/her personality accordingly. about the effects of prairie dog colonies on Opera in April of 2017. NOTES their farming and ranching business. This Although I have finally developed my 1 Based on a short extract from Genesis ac- led to the composition of my very first one- true classical style, particularly for vocal cording to Enoch from late First Century AD, act musical, Little Dog on the Prairie, in works, I also still have a great passion for which, like the Essene scripts, was revealed which I performed the role of the prairie rock music. My band Rise from Fire is cur- in the early 20th century thanks to Edmond B. dog who gets poisoned by a farmer. It was rently recording our first CD, which will Szekely’s amazing translations from Aramaic; presented at a local theater festival. be released in summer of 2017. While Rise and a much later Celtic-Arthurian manus thanks This somewhat quirky show led my from Fire is definitely rock music, the al- to author Mike Harris, Wales. The lyrics are voice teacher at the time, opera singer Liz bum has a component of classical choral found on http://www.musicforthemysteries.org/ Cass, to volunteer to star in my next mu- influence, with many layers of backing vo- texts.php 2 Music for the Mysteries has recorded the sical. The knowledge that such a talented cal harmonies. Not surprisingly, the album Melangell work and the first mentioned works artist was willing to perform my work was contains two songs about the environment. inspirational, to say the least. I composed on two CDs: The Seven Natures on label TUTL Performing and Promoting (2009); The Testimony of Melangell on Merid- both the music and book to Sisters of the ian Records (2011). Links to video and audio Sea, a one-act musical comedy about a ship Contemporary Music are found on www.musicforthemysteries.org. of female pirates and their man-hating cap- MEERENAI SHIM tain, and it was selected for Best of Fest Music and the Environment I am a flutist and chamber musician in the at Austin’s Fronterafest theater festival. San Francisco Bay Area, but my musical RAIN NOX This success lead to three full-length mu- career didn’t follow the traditional path sicals for which I wrote the music, book, Ever since I can remember music and the that I envisioned when I was in college. I and lyrics, beginning with The Devil in the environment have been my two main pas- spent my college years training to become Details, the story of a lonely office worker sions. In recent years, the environment an orchestral conductor and practicing just who falls in love with his computer. The has taken a forefront career-wise, but life enough to earn a flute performance degree. second musical, Crazy Like a Person, always leads me back to music, and it is While studying conducting at the Aspen about a woman seeking to find happiness music that is my main focus now. Music Festival after graduation, I realized with the aid of a psychologist, psychiatrist, When it came time to pick an under- that a conducting career was not for me. and life coach, won Best Original Play at graduate major, music won out. I found un- Instead of continuing in graduate school the City Theatre’s Summer Acts festival. dergraduate music school to be daunting, as a conducting major, I started my gradu- Home(less) Economics, about marketing humbling, even discouraging. Whether ate studies in Information Technology. It students who do their senior project on the real or not, I perceived that I was expected was the height of the “dot com” era, and I effectiveness of homeless people’s signs, to compose in a certain way, a “modern” left school to work in Silicon Valley. I also received Best Original Script. and dissonant, often virtuosic sound that completely abandoned music for those few

Meet Five New IAWM Members 21 years before realizing that my job at the include live electronics, and I am planning fortunately, it is much more difficult to get time was to make rich people richer. a work for invented instruments. reviews and radio-play today. I quit my management consulting job, The New Music community may seem My future projects that involve com- picked up the flute again, went back to more forward thinking than the traditional bining a well-known name with a contem- school for a master’s degree in flute perfor- classical community, but we have a long porary woman composer include (1) vocal mance, and practiced harder than ever. I had way to go when it comes to the inclusion of chamber music by Luigi Dallapiccola (with a lot of catching up to do. By the time of my women and minorities. Men’s voices tend the composer conducting) along with mu- graduate recital, I suffered from practice- to be more prominent on the concert stage, sic by Ruth Lomon, and (2) a Yiddish song related injuries, and I feared that I would in calls for scores, in media coverage, cycle that I commissioned from the com- have to give up the flute forever. Luckily, and, of course, on the internet. I joined the poser and pianist Minuetta Kessler (1914- I found excellent Alexander Technique, IAWM to hear more from and about other 2002) along with a song no one else has Feldenkrais, and Body Mapping teachers women and to be inspired by their energy. recorded by Rimsky-Korsakov’s student who helped me recover and retrain. A part (Please visit my website: meerenai.com) and daughter-in-law, composer and music of the recov- critic Yulia Weysberg Rimsky-Korsakov ery process Instead of Opera (1880-1942). was that I stay MARA SINDONI When searching for music, students― away from the young and not-so-young, beginner and ad- The IAWM is a wonderful organization, standard flute vanced, even professionals―tend to go and I am pleased and honored to become repertoire and first to YouTube before they visit a library a new member. I am a singer and in the try my hand or explore Amazon.com. I have found that 1980s I began performing recitals of music at learning my few spots on YouTube have attracted by women whom I personally researched contemporary a considerable amount of attention. There- and by women who wrote specifically for music and ex- fore, I am currently adding excerpts from me or who invited me to sing their songs. I tended tech- two personally-researched lecture-recitals: lived in Boston and participated in numer- niques for the “Women Composers of Past and Present” ous concerts given by American Women first time. My and “A Living Memorial: Songs by Com- Composers of Massachusetts, founded by injuries helped posers the Nazis Silenced.” At a later date, Ruth Lomon, including a major three-day me to become I will add examples from my two CDs: Meerenai Shim festival at Tufts University. In addition to a new music Lieder of Alma Mahler and Juli Nunlist presenting solo recitals, I wrote publicity specialist, and my detour into information (remastered from my AFKA but with up- for them. technology helped me to perform comfort- dated liner notes) and A Quilt of Songs for At the time, I had hoped to embark ably with electronics. Parlor, Music Hall and Church by Ameri- on an operatic career in New York and in I currently play in a flute and percus- can Women Composers (1790-1890), from Europe, but with two young children and sion duo, A/B Duo, and a flute trio, the the American Antiquarian Society’s Col- a husband who objected, it was not pos- award-winning Areon Flutes, which is lection. The re- sible. I wiped away the tears and resigned noted for its innovative programming. cording was the myself to remaining in Boston. I complet- Both groups commission new works regu- result of three ed a second master’s degree in vocal per- larly and exclusively perform works com- years of research formance (the first was in musicology), posed within the last fifteen years. Lately at the American and I began teaching in the Boston and I have been focusing on performing with Antiquarian So- Worcester area. It was at that point that electronics in my solo projects. My third ciety. The CD I resolved to focus on music by women solo album, Pheromone, is an all-elec- includes military, composers who were being neglected and troacoustic collection of recent composi- minstrel show, disrespected. tions. In 2015, I started Aerocade Music, parlor, Abolition- When Worcester composer Juli Nun- Mara Sindoni a record label specializing in contempo- ist, Civil War, list asked me to record her “Rilke Lieder,” rary classical, electronic, and experimen- and Temperance songs, a bel canto aria, an I decided to combine them on an LP with tal music. I recently finished my two-year oratorio aria, hymns, and dance variations songs by Alma Mahler that I had located term as a curator at the Center for New by twenty-one women. (Available on my at the Library of Congress; the songs had Music in San Francisco. website: www.marisindoni.com) never been recorded. Part of my plan was In addition to performances and re- My other YouTube plans include to record music by a well-known name― cordings with my two chamber groups, adding excerpts from my proposed CD the “notorious” Alma Mahler―as a plot my future plans include exploring my own programs, and I hope that will help me to attract attention to the unknown name voice as a composer. I have learned that to obtain funding. My web page has a of Juli Nunlist. It worked! My recording I do not have to wait for any authority to description of some of the proposed pro- received excellent reviews in the New give me permission to be a flutist, artist, grams. I am also thinking about an In- York Times and Boston Globe as well as or composer. I presented my first compo- ternet-published version of my master’s radio-play worldwide. Friends told me sition at the 2016 Soundwave Biennial in thesis (in musicology), which compares that they heard it in Europe and Japan as San Francisco. My next compositions will modernist art and music. At the time, my well as in New York and California. Un-

22 IAWM Journal Volume 23, No. 1 2017 advisers―Karl Geiringer, Pauline Alder- music. I have successfully taught such a recorded all of my concerts. It is too late, man, and George Levitine―urged me course to both high school and college of course. Soprano voices have term lim- to publish it. Another potential project students, and it obviously would include its and at the age of 82, I must settle for would be a video-taped course introduc- music by women. cabaret songs. I am, however, busy passing classical music to students by begin- I have performed such a large amount ing on my repertoire by women compos- ning with cross-overs and contemporary of music over the years, and I wish I had ers to my private voice students. In Memoriam: Pauline Oliveros (1932-2016) Memories of Pauline Oliveros musician. She used a cane and had a couple Canada) listening workshops a few years of students lead her out, help her get seated ago, coordinated by Gayle Young. It was Casper Soluna (formerly Casper Sunn) on a tiny stool, and also set-up the miniature one of the most meaningful, uniquely As a past music composition student music stand with the little score in front of holistic, grounding moments in my life, at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, her (which she supposedly couldn’t see any- where dreams, martial arts, silence, sound, I was blessed to have received a Hilldale way). Her performance, which was brilliant and relating to the natural earth all became Fellowship to study “Deep Listening” and very funny, included some of her best one unified energy. My most treasured mo- with Pauline Oliveros and her wife, Ione, pig snort sounds. It will never be forgotten! ments were when I had the opportunity to in the Swiss Alps for a week in 1998. I Pauline Oliveros is the creator of the canoe her, silently, around the lake at dusk. have wonderful memories of learning con- “Deep Listening” meditation practice, Her humility and utter “human-ness” were templative walking surrounded by beauty, which I have continued to use on a regu- possibly the most intangibly awesome and silent cafeteria meals, paying attention lar basis. I have also taught it to many of to my dreams, practicing Deep Listening the Threshold Singers in the Midwest (who Meditation on the hillside with the chim- sing in small groups at hospice bedsides). ing of the cowbells all around us, and en- I have found that it helps the singers and tertaining each other with improvisations me to “be in the moment,” to truly listen and much humor and laughter. to―and blend with―each other, and to be As part of the Hilldale Fellowship, my in touch with what the recipient and family sponsoring Women’s Studies/Music Pro- members need to help them find peace. fessor, Susan C. Cook, received a smaller In my pursuit of learning from women award, which she used to attend a Deep composers about all aspects of healing mu- Listening Retreat with Oliveros in New sic, three of my most important mentors Mexico. This connection between Prof. have been Hildegard of Bingen, Kay Gard- Pauline Oliveros Cook and Oliveros later led to Pauline be- ner, and Pauline Oliveros. I am grateful for ing invited for a one-semester residency each of them! inspiring parts of her, carrying remarkable and the production of her opera Io and Her warmth, wisdom, awareness, and curiosity Carol Ann Weaver and the Trouble with Him at UW-Madison about the world both within and without. I for the spring of 2001. I had the privilege Recently, we said goodbye to one of can’t believe she’s gone. Somehow, we all of working as Oliveros’ assistant for that the most influential musicians, composers, assumed she’d live “forever.” But she will semester―a never-boring position with innovators, philosophers, and human beings live forever in our hearts and minds and extremely varied duties ranging from of our time―American composer Pauline memories. We commemorated her in our chauffeuring to collecting oral histories Oliveros. We mourn her passing as one of most recent ACWC Skype member meet- and finding recordings of crow calls. the greatest musical inspirations of our gen- ing in November, and we held a minute of I was honored to have Pauline agree to eration, a person who transcended musical, silence for her in our most recent CASE let me write a piece for her to perform in national, artistic, and stylistic boundaries. (Canadian Association for Sound Ecology) my Senior Composition Recital at the end She was an outspoken feminist whose mu- Skype meeting. We here in Canada miss of the semester. I wrote a solo for miniature sical impact was arguably comparable to her deeply. eight-inch accordion with a music score that of John Cage or R. Murray Schafer. Her Elizabeth Hinkle Turner about four inches tall―to sit on a miniature legacy includes the widest possible range of music stand (an authentic adjustable black innovative compositional, improvisational, “Pauline Oliveros is the same age as stand just like the ones orchestras use―but meditational, philosophical, electroacoustic, my mother,” I remember thinking the first made for American Girl dolls). In the Oli- and interactive work incorporating medita- time I heard of the composer. Pauline al- veros composition style, I created a score tion, dream, sound, space, movement, mar- ways was what my mother would eventu- with just three sentences, which were “sug- tial arts, software, graphics, poetics, and ally become; Pauline was a composer with gestions,” and after each suggestion were both local and natural environments. She a busy professional life from the early the words: “Or not” (meaning she had the coined the term and concept Sonic Medita- 1960s, only a few years after she received freewill to choose not to use any or all of tion, which is widely practiced. the gift of a tape recorder from her mother. the suggestions). Pauline surprised me (and Pauline Oliveros was definitely a men- My mother―Anna Hinkle―was a young the packed audience that turned out for the tor to me in multiple ways. I was fortunate school librarian working to put her husband recital) by entering the stage as a “blind” to be in one of her Haliburton (Ontario, through his graduate studies and looking to-

In Memoriam Pauline Oliveros 23 wards when she would at last leave profes- cal world owes Pauline and other pioneers mer course at York University, the class sional life behind and “enjoy” her work as like her much gratitude. cohered into a community that marked the a minister’s wife; her gift from her family beginning of many Canadian friendships. was learning to drive a pick-up truck and a Pauline Oliveros in Canada and In the mid-1980s Pauline came to Toron- tractor when she was only eght years old. the World to for a lengthy residency that included My mother would, decades later, re- GAYLE YOUNG a Deep Listening workshop at my rural turn to the classroom as a classicist and home in the Niagara region. We began Latin teacher with a Fulbright scholarship Pauline Oliveros, who died unexpectedly with sonic meditations indoors and then to study ancient languages at the Vatican… but peacefully at home on November 24, hiked into the nearby Forty Creek valley, her emergence as a “Pauline” took consid- 2016, was immensely influential in many where waterfalls cascade over the Niagara erable time. The similarities and differences areas of music and sound exploration. She escarpment. We climbed past rocks and between these two extraordinary women in maintained long-standing connections with trees, crossed the creek, and sang together my life―one still living and one now, sad- Canada, as outlined in the first section of in an abandoned concrete water cistern in ly, gone from us―has often struck me as this article; the second section outlines the forest partway up the other side of the I compare and chronicle the work of com- some broader connections. valley. posing women in my research. My moth- Pauline in Canada Tina Pearson’s two extensive 1985 in- er―due to the family and environment in Pauline’s first visit to Canada took terviews with Pauline, published in Music- which she was born―knew little of her place in 1966, when she attended a summer works 31 and 33, introduced Pauline’s mu- possibilities beyond the traditional for quite course in electronic music at the University sic, scores, and sonic meditations to many some time. Pauline seems to have always of Toronto. Since she was working with the readers. The interviews describe a broad known of hers. San Francisco Tape Music Center that had range of music practice: the importance Like many of my contemporaries, the opened in 1962, she wanted to learn about of moving beyond assumed or habitual re- whole subject of “women composers” did the studio in Toronto that opened in 1959. sponses by asking questions, the observa- not register until relatively late in our musi- One of the pieces she did that summer, I tion and cultivation of different forms of cal careers. I had been studying and prac- of IV, demonstrates the resourcefulness attention experienced in performance, and ticing piano and violin since the age of six that marks her music, and the active role the ongoing awareness of space as well as and even earned an undergraduate degree in of listening in her integrated composition- time in listening. music composition before I had ever heard al and performance practice. Essentially, Pauline and her partner, Ione (author of Pauline or ever had a thought that what she controlled oscillators that generated and vocalist), were guests at many festivals I myself was doing (or what Pauline was pitches that were inaudible because they across Canada, with multiple residencies at doing and had done) was unusual or unex- were above the human range of hearing, the Newfoundland Sound Symposium in pected (or unwelcome!) in any way. Once and made a live recording as she derived St. John’s, at Open Space in Victoria, and I got through the first few years in gradu- audible difference tones from the higher many locations between. I am more famil- ate school of “Oh wow, gee, really?” then I pitches. (Two pitches played together of iar with the Ontario events, like the Guelph stopped thinking so much about the novelty 45,000 and 45,440 Hz, for example, will Jazz Festival that Pauline attended many and could finally appreciate the music of a produce a tone at A-440, the difference be- times, performing a stunning duet for solo much wider selection of composers than the tween the two generating pitches.) To do accordion and thunder storm in 1997. In ones I had been brought up on (all white, all this she relied solely on her ability to listen 1999, she played in an abandoned depart- male, most European, most dead). Like my and respond, adjusting the high frequen- ment store outfitted with several sound in- mother, I knew little of possibilities beyond cies and other electronic components to stallations during the Open Ears Festival in the traditional for quite some time. create a web of interaction. Kitchener. In July 2000 Pauline and Ione Pauline was all about listening and I, By coincidence, and unknown to facilitated a week-long Deep Listening Re- along with so many others, got to enjoy Pauline, Marshall McLuhan was work- treat at the Haliburton Forest, adjacent to both acoustic and electroacoustic deep lis- ing nearby at the Centre for Culture and Algonquin Park. Here our sounds were ac- tening experiences with her. But most of Technology that summer. In his 1964 Un- companied by loons calling on a quiet lake, all, I appreciate the fact that she was one derstanding Media he described sound as and each night clouds of sparks from our of the first “composing women” of whom a unified field of instant relationships, and campfire swirled toward the stars. I was even aware and as such was a terrific Pauline’s I of IV demonstrates this concept Pauline presented the keynote address introduction to much musical listening I in action. She was working with sound as at the Canadian New Music Network Fo- would have never experienced had she and a medium, almost a material, an approach rum in Ottawa in January 2016, and played so many others of our gender remained that questioned then-accepted understand- a wonderful concert with other Forum par- buried in obscurity, never recorded, never ings of the nature of music. Over the years, ticipants, organized by Jesse Stewart. Her acknowledged, and never performed. Now she thoroughly explored that unified field last visit to Canada took place in October, when I meet emerging composers (male of relationships, engaging with many inno- when she played at the Music Gallery in and female) they are in no way like me or vative technologies to enhance listening in Toronto with Ione, Anne Bourne, and like my mother; they KNOW and do not a multitude of communities. Doug Van Nort, followed by a solo concert need to wait to hear or realize the possibili- In the early 1970s, when Austin at the Montréal Planetarium during the Red ties of the creative life. For this, the musi- Clarkson invited Pauline to teach a sum- Bull Festival, and a talk the next day.

24 IAWM Journal Volume 23, No. 1 2017 Pauline in the World reliance on such identities, engaging in- also reminds us to remember what we Pauline redefined and expanded our stead in a web of interaction, we enhance have achieved as a culture, and the impor- understandings of performance and com- our individual musical voices. tance of keeping channels of communica- position, often combining the two and In this context, I see Pauline’s achieve- tion open. Each of the five pillars listed by bringing background elements into the ments in relation to observations of broader Jane Jacobs is reliant on communication, foreground of our awareness. Her emphasis cultural trends outlined in Jane Jacobs’ and communication skills are today being on the importance of each site expanded on 2004 book on cultural forgetting, Dark undermined on a broad scale. We are now the standard practice by which musicians Age Ahead. The Wikipedia text summa- in a time when we collectively seem to adapt to the acoustics of each hall, and play rizing Jacobs’ book points out that Jacobs have forgotten how to listen to anyone we differently outdoors. By acknowledging noticed the weakening of five key pillars do not already agree with. As many have the acoustics of specific sites, often giving of our civilization: community and fam- commented, we need Deep Listening now a site an explicit creative role, Pauline in- ily, higher education, science and technol- more than ever. At various times and places tegrated the location of an event with her ogy, taxes and government responsiveness humans have established formal systems performances, and raised the overall level to citizens’ needs, and self-regulation by for discussion, for resolution, for taking ac- of attention we give our surroundings. the learned professions. The entry contin- tion to remedy injustice: the rules of formal One of the most important areas of ues: “She argues that this decay threatens debate, the rule of law, the Universal Dec- Pauline’s philosophy was her emphasis to create a dark age unless the trends are laration of Human Rights. At other times on bridging difference. Her redefinition of reversed. Jacobs characterizes a dark age as these systems have been forgotten. Instead a virtuoso musician as one who can play a ‘mass amnesia’ where even the memory of engaging with the complexity that sur- with anyone, in any style, expands our mu- of what was lost is lost.” In one chapter Ja- rounds us we retreat unchallenged to the sical identities, and puts entirely new sets cobs tells of the destruction, over one gen- comfort of habit, to the echo chambers of of expectations in place. Who among us eration, of China’s extensive international familiarity. Listening to the unfamiliar is can imagine possessing the skill to play in trading system, after a victorious political the only way out of the labyrinth. Listen- HipHop, Klezmer, and Bluegrass bands, faction made ship-building illegal. This left ing to sounds, even without words, begins plus the Boulez Ensemble? Not only does leaving China defenseless when other sea- the interchange. Pauline shows us the way. the immense variety of musical experience going nations arrived. The resonance of this Gayle Young is a Canadian composer and au- require listening to different sets of details cultural forgetting lasted many centuries: I thor. She is an adherent of microtonality who in our playing, it also suggests that we was surprised to learn that China ever had has invented a number of musical instruments cease identifying ourselves as one kind of a merchant marine heritage. I realized that and notational systems. She began writing for musician rather than another. Group identi- the loss of our shared cultural knowledge is Musicworks magazine in 1978, becoming its ties can provide excuses to exclude forms possible, that it needs active protection. managing editor in 1987. Young has authored of music that we think are irrelevant to our Pauline’s redefinition of virtuosity a biography of Hugh LeCaine, the foremost Ca- nadian inventor of electronic instruments. Her interests―to stop listening. We might be takes Deep Listening beyond the hope that article on Pauline Oliveros first appeared in the challenged if we lose our easily-understood through listening we can support one an- Fall/Winter 2016 issue of the Journal of the As- identities because they provide a sense of other in our personal and community cre- sociation of Canadian Women Composers and belonging. Paradoxically, in reducing our ative development. It includes this, and is reprinted here with permission. In Memoriam: Elizabeth Bell (1928-2016) Elizabeth (Betty) Bell Friou, an award-win- Eastern Europe, Russia, and Armenia. On own accompaniments. She would sit and ning composer, died on December 19, 2016 March 14, North/South Chamber Orches- entertain our parents but always ask us for in Tarrytown, New York, at the age of 88. A tra, under the direction of Max Lifschitz, a performance. She made us feel as if we direct descendant of the ninth U. S. presi- remembered her with a performance of her were stars. She would critique us and add dent, William Henry Harrison, she was born Concertino for Chamber Orchestra, a work input in a way no other adult would, and in Cincinnati in 1928 and graduated from first performed by the orchestra in 2014. that meant a lot. She didn’t treat us as chil- Wellesley College and the Juilliard School. dren who had nothing to offer but childlike She was a co-founder of New York Women Remembering Betty Bell performances; she treated us as if we mat- Composers, Inc. and a member of the Board Amy Clemens tered―as if our ear for music was special, of Governors of the American Composers and she would always make time for us. I have many memories of music with Alliance (ACA). A lifelong advocate for the I said the my grandmother. I saw many musicals and role of women in music composition, she following at concerts in NYC with her, both her own and was a leading member of the IAWM. As a her memo- others, but the moments that I cherished composer, she received commissions from rial service: As the most were the ones we would spend at the New York State Council on the Arts, the many of you her house. She had two music rooms: one Bradshaw/Buono duo, the Inoue Chamber know, I am held her collections as well as an electric Ensemble, North/South Consonance, the Betty’s grand- piano and the other, which was the living Putnam Valley Orchestra, and Vienna Mod- daughter. Well, room, held a beautiful piano. My brother ern Masters. Her compositions have been to be technical, and I would always opt for the “cooler” performed world-wide from New York to I am Betty’s electric piano because we could make our Elizabeth Bell

In Memoriam Elizabeth Bell 25 late husband’s daughter’s daughter...but just because or to celebrate either of our nized and supported by the NYWC. Betty those arbitrary labels mean nothing. She was birthdays, and we would talk on the phone and her husband, Bob, hosted a group of my grandmother, so we will leave it at that. or exchange emails on a fairly regular ba- women composers in their apartment and I currently live in the far-off land of Brook- sis. We grew much closer as we spent more had performances of small chamber works, lyn, NY, and have for almost ten years now. time together, and I appreciated her always plus an introduction to the music and a dis- However, I grew up about six hours away including me when her sons and their fami- cussion. In one of many such gatherings, I in Buffalo. Every fall we would come to lies came to town and on any occasion. played Betty’s beautiful and technically de- “the big city” to celebrate my grandfather’s I am blessed to be part of a family that manding violin solo work and talked about birthday, and I remember always making includes many women who have chosen the violin writing with extended technique, my friends jealous that I had the cool grand- to live their own lives. My grandma really with feedback from her and other compos- parents who lived “in” NYC. My grand- embodied that. She really taught me to let ers. I believe that Betty and Bob provided mother was, in my eyes, a star composer. your opinions be known, to fight for what a fantastic environment for many women She seemed to know everyone and everyone you believe, and to live life in full color. I composers in the community. You would knew her. My grandmother wasn’t one you miss her every day, but I know she lives never know how much time and energy baked apple pie with, but went to concerts through me, and I hope I do her justice. they spent working for the NYWC organi- and Broadway shows with. I would see her zation to promote women composers and Marilyn Bliss works played at different venues around the their music. I have followed Betty’s path of Betty Bell has been a part of my per- city, and I would always beam with pride as creative work over the years as a friend, and sonal and professional life for so many a young musician would come up to her and was amazed that she had never stopped; she years that I cannot even imagine that I will tell her how fun it was to play her pieces. kept composing wonderful and thoughtful not be seeing her gracious smile and feeling My grandma was always dressed to the 9’s new works, and attending many concerts her enthusiasm and determination again. A with eccentric jewelry, some accent of or- around the city, because of her genuine love few years after moving to New York, I hap- ange or red, and always the matching lip- of music and the people around her! Her pened to hear about a newly formed group stick. She was a boss...I mean, in a land full great support and contribution in promot- called New York Women Composers, and of people calling yoga pants “athletic wear” ing women composers and their music is immediately I joined as a member. Betty and thinking that’s acceptable attire to dine unmistakable. She is a role model for many and her husband, Robert Friou, were among in, my grandma rose above. of us to follow. I miss her, and believe that the founders in 1982, and their expertise and After I moved to NYC, our visits be- her spirit and inspiration will encourage us dedication brought many composers and came more frequent than the once or twice forever. performers together for fruitful discussions a year I had been accustomed to. We would and collaborations. Betty’s warmth and hos- Rain Worthington meet in the city to hear her pieces played at pitality particularly welcomed composers It is with great sadness that I received different venues, we would meet for dinner new to New York, whether (like me) from the news of Elizabeth Bell’s passing. She the Midwest or as new immigrants from oth- was an exceptional composer with an im- In Memoriam: Joyce Hope er countries such as Russia, Bulgaria, Japan, pressive catalog of beautiful and provoca- and China. Everyone found common inter- tive music. On a personal note, I had a tre- Suskind (1928-2017) ests and common language in their love for mendous amount of respect and admiration Joyce Hope Suskind passed away at music, and no one felt she was a stranger. for her. She had an amazing resilience and her home in New York City on Sunday, Over the years, I had the privilege of strength of character. She always seemed to February 26th. She enjoyed a varied repeated hearings of many of Betty’s fine respond to the challenges of life and career career as composer, performer, and compositions, not only in New York but in with an elegant grace and positive, upbeat teacher in New York, her native city. concerts in Cincinnati, Toronto, Bulgaria, spirit. Throughout her life, she was always a After entering the Juilliard School on and Armenia, with performances by many vibrant advocate for contemporary women an oboe scholarship, she transferred talented musicians who have added her mu- composers. And, in keeping with her spirit her major to the study of voice. She sic to their repertoires and are keeping her of positive action, she was one of the found- was a self-taught composer, and her spirit alive. I hope that many more performers of the NYWC organization in 1984, composing career grew out of her ers will discover and savor her music in the which has thrived and grown to become a work as improvisational pianist for the years to come. valuable and respected resource for the discovery of music by women composers. Martha Graham School. She was com- Chen Yi missioned by Lehman College to com- I was very sad when I learned that Alla Pavlova pose a score for Balinese dance, using Betty had passed away. I remember when I My “musical” life in New York started gamelons and other instruments. Her first came to the States as a DMA composi- with my meeting Betty and her husband, art songs were published by Hildegard tion student at Columbia University, I was Robert Friou, in the spring of 1991. They and American Composers Edition. In introduced to Betty by Ms. Kazuko Inoue, invited me to be a member of New York addition to instructing and composing the founder and director of Inoue Chamber Women Composers, Inc. They were very music, she became a master teacher of Ensemble in New York in 1989. I joined the kind and generous people whom I deeply the movement and posture-based Alex- New York Women Composers and partici- loved and respected. We kept this friend- ander Technique. pated in some very inspiring activities orga- ship for almost quarter of the century.

26 IAWM Journal Volume 23, No. 1 2017 27 BOOK REVIEWS Beth Abelson MacLeod: Fan- lons, which were, Macleod holds, a reflec- terial from the Newberry Library and Jew- nie Bloomfield-Zeisler: The tion of Fannie’s Jewish identity. Salons, ish Archives. Life and Times of a Piano especially those dedicated to musicians, Christine Ammer is the author of Unsung: A became popular among prominent Jewish History of Women in American Music, 3rd Virtuoso families in Berlin and Vienna in the late edition (2016; available on Amazon and in all Urbana, Chicago, and Springfield: Uni- 1800s; the Zeislers adopted this custom retail bookstores, both as e-book and print-on- versity of Illinois Press (2015). 197 pages. in the early 1900s. Fannie’s concert tours demand paperback). She is also author of The ISBN 978025203948 hardcover, ISBN Facts on File Dictionary of Music, 3rd edition; 978025209739 3 e-book sometimes prevented her attendance at these gatherings, but she did her best to be The A to Z of Foreign Musical Terms (E.C. CHRISTINE AMMER there. Her husband continued the custom Schirmer; translation of expression marks from 3,000 scores); and numerous books on linguis- Beth Abelson MacLeod’s biography of pi- even after Fannie’s death (due to heart dis- tics, including The American Heritage Diction- anist Fannie Bloomfield-Zeisler, part of the ease in 1927) until his own demise in 1931. ary of Idioms and The Facts on File Dictionary U of Illinois Press Music in American Life To depict the musical life of the era, of Clichés. series, details the musician’s more than Macleod has largely relied on both books half-century of performances. Macleod, and music reviews, outlining the nine- Aisling Kenny and Susan Wol- former music and arts librarian of Central teenth-century love for German music and lenberg, eds.: Women and the Michigan University, mines unpublished musicians, admiration for Americans who Nineteenth-Century Lied materials from Chicago’s Newberry Li- had studied music abroad, a growing ac- Farnham, Surrey, and Burlington, Ver- brary and the American Jewish Archives ceptance for women performers, increasing mont: Ashgate (2015). 275 pages. ISBN in Cincinnati, Ohio, making excellent use anti-Semitism on both sides of the Atlantic, 978-1-4724-3025-0 hbk, 978-1-4724- 3026-7 ebk, 978-1-4724-3027-4 epub, of a partial biography of the pianist by her and the relationship of the Jewish people to music. The increasing American anti-Sem- $124.95. Includes: lists of figures, tables, husband, Sigmund Zeisler. musical examples, abbreviations, notes on itism did not seem to affect the Zeislers, Annie Blumenfeld was born in 1863 contributors, acknowledgments, bibliogra- although reviews sometimes described her in Bielitz, Silesia (Austria), but owing to phy, index. economic difficulties moved with her fam- as a “Jewess.” The author also discusses ily to the United States in 1867. They first touring companies, the Germania Society, SUSAN H. BORWICK joined Fannie’s uncle in Wisconsin and the the emphasis on interpretation of compos- In the book’s introduction, editors Aisling following year moved to Chicago, hav- ers’ intentions, and historical events such Kenny and Susan Wollenberg explain that ing changed their surname to Bloomfield. as the Haymarket Riot, in which Sigmund much of their collection of essays was Fannie’s piano studies began early, first in Zeisler was a defending lawyer. sparked by the December 2011 “Women America and then for several years in Vi- The biographical material is exhaus- and the Nineteenth-Century Lied” interna- enna. Despite favorable European perfor- tive and well documented. An entire chap- tional conference at the National Universi- mance reviews and study with a preeminent ter (out of eight) is devoted to Sigmund ty of Ireland at Maynooth, outside Dublin. teacher, Fannie found it difficult to advance Zeisler, and another to Fannie’s relation- Although approximately half the authors her career in America and secure a U.S. de- ship to Judaism (neither she nor her hus- were also conference presenters, this vol- but in New York. Her close friend, lawyer, band was religious). Macleod is adept at ume is not a conference proceeding. Kenny and future spouse, Sigmund Zeisler, ad- describing gender issues of the time, such and Wollenberg have broadened and bal- vised her to seek out conductor Theodore as a performer’s appearance on the stage anced their coverage of nineteenth-centu- Thomas and to find an agent and endorse- (clothing, body movement, physical man- ry women and the lied. The book begins ment from a piano company. Fannie finally nerisms) and women’s ability to compose and ends with contexts for women’s lieder appeared in New York in early 1885, and music. more generally (chapters 2-4 and 12-14) later that year she married Zeisler. The book contains fourteen photo- and then fills the two central parts (chap- In 1907, she signed a contract to re- graphs and the program from Fannie’s ters 5-7 and 8-11) with a variety of ap- cord some short pieces on the Welte-Mi- Golden Jubilee (50th anniversary) concert. proaches to individual women and lieder: gnon “reproducing piano.” Unlike the ear- It also contains an alphabetical list of visi- in the early century, Fanny Hensel, Jose- lier player pianos, this machine indicated tors to the Zeisler salon from 1904 to 1931, phine Lang, and Clara Schumann; then lat- dynamics and other features of an artist’s a list of her concert dates and their loca- er in the century, Pauline Viardot-Garcia, performance. Fannie recorded twelve en- tions from 1875 to 1908, Fannie’s reper- Ingeborg von Bronsart, Ethel Smyth, and, core pieces on it in 1908, 1912, and 1924. toire (including a few works dedicated to as she is referred to by the author, Alma A reviewer said they showed her impetu- her), chapter notes, a selected bibliogra- Schindler(-Mahler). osity and abandon but had strange tempo phy, and a perfunctory index. Short shrift is The fourteen articles by twelve authors variations. Though they are not regarded as given to her fellow-Chicagoan, pianist Ju- explore themes including “the connections faithful to her work, these are among the lie Rivé-King, where a comparison would (whether speculative or demonstrable) be- few recordings available. be useful. tween biography and art at various levels” Fannie’s contemporary and fellow- The book is written in a readable style, (p. 5). For example, in chapter 8, Kadja Chicagoan, Julie Rivé-King (1857-1937), and it is a useful addition to the literature, Grönke looks at the impact of Pauline often attended the Zeislers’ monthly sa- principally owing to the unpublished ma- Viardot-Garcia’s concert tour to Russia in

28 IAWM Journal Volume 23, No. 1 2017 the 1840s and her extensive knowledge setting of a poem by Rückert (1902) in First, it provides a historical review of pre- of Russian literature on her contributions a similarly complex analytical method, vious looks at the subject, beginning with to the genre of the Russian Romance. In comparing the lieder methods of the two the original New Grove of 1980 and Marcia chapter 11 the same author employs quite composers, and then mapping conclu- J. Citron’s chapter, “Women and the Lied, a different approach by comparing her ana- sions about their lieder onto the Schindler- 1775-1850,” in the wonderful warhorse in lytic interpretation of nineteen-year-old Mahler marriage (1902), is mind-boggling. feminist musicology, Women Making Mu- Alma Schindler’s setting of the poet Heine The reader is left intrigued and exhausted. sic: The Western Art Tradition, 1150-1950 (1899) with his text itself, making specific, A main strength in the entirety of the vol- (1986). They also include the revised New measure-by-measure, beat-by-beat, and ume is its diversity of approaches. Grove Dictionary of Women Composers word-by-word observations and anchoring Another theme of the volume assures a (1994), which includes a few women as them with evidence lying in letters, docu- consistent scholarly position toward women appendages to male lieder composers, and ments, and biographical details about the and lieder, not as appendages attached to then the 2001 edition, which says a little composer. Grönke’s complex psychologi- men, but as individual, significant mediators more on, e.g., Fanny Hensel and Clara cal/literary/musical/historical analysis is of the lied, which, in the nineteenth-century, Schumann, but only in sections on the males presented carefully; however, her approach was simultaneously a miniature of “minor with whom they continued to be associated. and conclusions would call for more than a rank” (p. 2) and an increasingly authorita- Next, the introduction discusses our grow- chapter here to explain convincingly. That tive genre. Both of its identities—minia- ing knowledge of nineteenth-century wom- the author analyzes not only Schindler’s, ture and authoritative—attracted women. en and the lied within a context of women’s but also her later spouse Gustav Mahler’s Perhaps some musical women felt free to studies and also the historical approach of be associated with a small form, “an appro- bias in favor of the male over the female Recent Publications priate outlet for feminine artistic pursuits” composer of lied. Several of the chapters (p. 163); they may have felt somewhat are introduced as comparative studies, such Florence Price, ClarNan Editions hidden from the musical equivalent of the as female power and the male gaze (chapter ClarNan Editions (www clarnan. male gaze. Perhaps other women wished to 12), a jointly composed group of lieder vs. com; [email protected]) announc- explore creatively this expanding and in- a song cycle (chapter 5), gender and genre es the 2016-17 publication of several creasingly respected genre. One outcome of (chapter 9), and two collections of German works by Florence Beatrice Price, nèe this theme in the volume is that poets are Lieder of Ethel Smyth (chapter 10). The Smith (1887, Little Rock-1953, Chica- brought forward, as creators of emotion- initial chapter also discusses poets, con- go). These works are from a large num- ally charged, deeply felt, beautiful thoughts textual and analytical factors, and potential ber of manuscripts, letters, diaries, and beautifully expressed—lyrics well aligned contributions to the development of ana- photographs recently processed for use with the conventional understanding of lytical discourse on women’s lieder that the by the Special Collections Department women’s lives and interests in the 1800s. volume offers. Finally, the editors give due of the Mullins Library of the Universi- A third theme in the volume is an praise to the authors of the volume that is ty of Arkansas in Fayetteville. They in- emphasis on scholarly materials not yet “peopled with a series of gifted women for clude: (CN100) Three Suites for Piano, published. In Chapter 13, Ita Beausang re- whom the Lied provided stimulus for their edited by Barbara Jackson; (CN101) views “women’s vocal repertoire in nine- creativity” (p. 8). An Album of Piano Pieces, edited by teenth-century Ireland,” from Angelica My only disappointment is that many Barbara Jackson; (CN102) Quintet in Catalani, one of Italy’s most renowned and composers were omitted, including Amer- A Minor for Strings and Piano, edited highest paid sopranos, who sang in Dub- icans such as Amy Beach and her early, by Lia Jensen-Abbott; (CN103) Three lin between 1807 and 1829, to Australian well-known songs. I wait patiently for Negro Spirituals for Two Pianos, edited singer Nellie Melba, leading lyric soprano Volume 2. by Barbara Jackson; (CN104) A Sec- at Covent Garden beginning in 1888, who Susan Borwick, musicologist, theorist, compos- ond Album of Piano Pieces, edited by went to Ireland to sing or visit. Beausang er, is Professor of Music at Wake Forest Uni- Barbara Jackson; and (CN105) String announces her intent “to follow in the versity, where she teaches Music and Women’s Quartet in G Major (1929), edited by footsteps of the singers and to identify the Studies, and in the Divinity School. Her scholar- Er-Gene Kahng. influences that determined their choice of ly publications range from Lotte Lenya to Amy The University of Arkansas now repertoire” (p. 251). The last chapter, com- Beach, from incorporating women into a men’s college to reclaiming gender in modernism. Her has one of the largest holdings of mate- piled by Tammy Hensrud, Aisling Kenny, and Susan Wollenberg, introduces “Wom- vocal, choral, and chamber compositions have rials relating to Florence Price. The re- been featured by The Riverside Church, NYC, cent acquisition includes many works en Composers of Lieder: Selected Sourc- and religious institutions throughout the United formerly thought to have been lost, es,” followed by the bibliography. The States, the United Kingdom, and Australia; the such as the Quintet in A Minor listed volume serves as a fine source for lieder Phyllis Trible Lecture Series and other aca- above, now available in a modern edi- scholars and a useful tool for those familiar demic venues including The Manhattan School tion. The University of Arkansas Press only with male composers of the genre. of Music; all-state honors women’s choirs in- also publishes a video documentary In the initial chapter, the introduction, cluding New York, California, Florida, and about Price, entitled The Caged Bird: the editors provide a succinct, nuanced es- Minnesota; and professional ensembles such as Vox Femina Los Angeles. She is the president The Life and Work of Florence Price. say that should be read by anyone interested in women and the nineteenth-century lied. of IAWM.

Book Reviews 29 COMPACT DISC REVIEWS Maya Beiser: TranceClassical rewarded search for resolution, perhaps beauty and impacting the senses, the intel- Works for cello, voice, and electronics a metaphor for the journey towards faith. lect, and the emotions of the audience. Ac- by J.S. Bach, Michael Gordon, Imogen Resolve is found in Mohammed Fairouz’s cordingly, at the premiere of Amy Beach’s Heap, Glenn Kotche, Lou Reed, David Kol Nidrei (All Vows) in which Maya sings earliest composition for violin and piano, Lang, Julia Wolfe, Mohammed Fairouz, the Aramaic text in dialogue with gorgeous Romance, op. 23, at the World’s Columbian David T. Little, Hildegard of Bingen, and cello melodies―this is true incantation. Exposition in Chicago (1893), the audience Maya Beiser. Innova 952 (2016). UPC: David T. Little’s driving Hellbound is was so enraptured by the impressive me- 726708695224 based on Robert Johnson’s Hellbound On lodic material that an encore performance NINA C. YOUNG My Trail (1937), with direct nods at distor- occurred before the concert could continue. tion, riffs, shredding, and black metal. In a In addition, although Nadia Boulanger de- Maya Beiser’s TranceClassical is a time contrast, thoroughly complete and perhaps clared to the press her disinterest in promot- machine that transports the listener through intentional, the album closes with Beiser’s ing the performance of any of her composi- a very personal retrospective of diverse mu- solemn and reverent cello arrangement of tions, sadly, due to her belief that the works sical interests encapsulated in a hazy scrim Hildegard von Bingen’s O Virtus Sapien- served as a “testament to her inadequacy” of cello, voice, and electronics. With the fa- tiae (Strength of Wisdom). as a composer, Trois pieces pour violoncelle miliar, soft crackling of an old vinyl record If you have any qualms about cover et piano stands as a stylistic departure and popping and hissing during an all-cello ar- songs, genre-blending, or electronics, sus- surpasses most of the compositions of the rangement of Bach’s famous Air on the G pend the disbelief and enter a trance-state men of this period—even the works of her String, avant-garde cello star Maya Beiser with Maya Beiser. This is an album that celebrated students and the formidable con- invites you into her surreal, genre-crossing, you listen to—with great relish—from tribution of François Poulenc, et al. (Rosen- post-modern patchwork quilt threaded to- start to finish. stiel, Nadia Boulanger: A Life in Music, gether with themes of reverie, meditation, 1982). As the final member of the historical and Jewish liturgy. Michael Gordon’s All Nina C. Young is a New York based composer vanguard of women composers included on Vows coats Maya’s melancholic and me- who works in acoustic, electronic, and mixed this CD, Vítězslava Kaprálová’s Elegie for andering solo cello line in vast resonances music. She is an Assistant Professor of Music and Multimedia Performance at Rensselaer violin and piano reflects theZeitgeist of her that carry one to a (Jewish) house of prayer. Polytechnic Institute and is co-Artistic Director times. Written in Paris a year and a half be- Beiser’s cover of synth-pop artist Imogen of the new music sinfonietta Ensemble Échappé. fore her untimely death, Elegie exemplified Heap’s Hide and Seek enhances the origi- Her music is published by peermusic Classical. the impending horror that would engulf Eu- nal’s mesmerizing use of vocal processing (www.ninacyoung.com) rope through the somber melody, the cul- with the addition of cello lines. These both tural musical language, and the dissonant double the processed harmonies and intro- Muses Trio: The Spirit and the harmonic material occurring in the piano. duce new melodic lines that create a rising Maiden The Spirit and the Maiden also pres- textural arc to the song’s form. A beautiful Christa Powell, violin; Louise King, cel- ents the music of some of the most sig- duality is established between the mechani- lo; Therese Milanovic, piano. Published nificant and active Australian women cal and robotic feel of the vocoded vocals by Muses Trio; Australian Music Center, 2760 (2016) composers who participate in that enthu- and the timbral warmth of the cello. Delays siastic and vibrant national musical mi- and reverb tails mixed around energetic KIMBERLY GREENE lieu. The stunning but delicate piano solo cello arpeggios and tremolos allow you to The Muses Trio, buoyed by their devotion Song for a Comb Man by award-winning lose yourself in textural and harmonic bliss to music by women and their audiences’ and former Princeton Graduate Fellow in Three Parts Wisdom by Wilco drummer enthusiastic response to their live perfor- Kate Neal bathes the listener in its shim- Glenn Kotche. Beiser’s voice returns as the mances, conceived of and recorded The mering simplicity and exquisite melodic central focus in David Lang’s abstracted Spirit and the Maiden, a CD which con- passages, accomplishing the composer’s arrangement of Lou Reed’s Heroin. Al- tains some of the most rare and beautiful desire to “create an experience for my au- though the juxtaposition of Maya’s dreamy, compositions in the repertoire. According dience that may engage or transport them” breathy vocals with the cello arpeggios are to violinist Christa Powell, “What started (Australian Music Center). Similarly, the initially transfixing, the temporal pacing as merely addressing the imbalance of languid and sauntering Soñando de tí and drags, despite the introduction of some tex- female representation in music has very Contemplación (Two Boleros) (Dream- tural distortion near the end. quickly evolved into a social movement ing of You and Contemplation) arranged If this album is to take you in and out of for us, with the focus of connecting and for piano trio by jazz artist and composer a trance in 67 minutes, MacArthur Fellow supporting creative women and highlight- Louise Denson, envelop the audience with and Pulitzer Prize winning composer Julia ing stories of powerful women and gender luxurious, rich, captivating Cuban melodic Wolfe’s Emunah (Hebrew for “belief”) is inequality” (Eslake, CutCommon, 2016). and harmonic material. Cécile Elton’s most the central and deepest part of the journey. Rather than a haphazard sampling recent and compelling composition, Tango The music is reminiscent of the ancient of the works of eminent women compos- Insomnio de la cuidad (Tango for a Sleep- and sacred, as the restless and turbulent ers, this eclectic and extraordinary assem- less City), was written specifically for the dissonances of the voice and cello duet blage of compositions shares the governing Muses Trio, and was inspired by “her vivid masterfully maintain a constant and never- premise of aestheticism by engendering experiences of the grandeur of New York

30 IAWM Journal Volume 23, No. 1 2017 City.” The Trio’s deft handling of nuance village. As she glances into the well, she lerton. She completed her PhD in musicology and dynamics here is admirable. sees, then feels, the hand of a beautiful at Claremont Graduate University and is a re- With over eighty performances in the young man who then emerges from the cipient of the Walker Parker Memorial Endow- first four years after its composition, Judith water. The music captures the mystical and ment Fellowship (CGU, 2008) and the Albert A. Friedman Research Grant (CGU, 2009). She Bingham’s Chapman’s Pool, for piano trio, alluring aspects of the romantic encounter holds a master’s degree in Music History & Lit- communicates directly with the audience with the agitated violin and cello entrance, erature from CSUF, with additional degrees in and engenders, according to the composer, closely followed by the introduction of the German Studies, French Language & Litera- a “painful kind of beauty” (Thomas, Mu- passionate, yet pensive, thematic material ture, and Business Administration. sic Web International, 2002). The four- introduced dramatically in octaves by the movement work depicts a cove on the Isle piano. Kats-Chernin exploits the beauty Danae Xanthe Vlasse: Celebra- of Purbeck in the county of Dorset that re- of the piano trio through her deft mastery tions and Commemoration mains calm in fine weather, but is perilous of duet and trio passages. The exceptional Original works for piano (2017) in stormy conditions. The composition was performance by the Muses Trio dwells in ANNA RUBIN inspired by the composer’s personal strug- their aggressive and impassioned engage- gle with the “complex and dark relation- ment with the musical narrative and their Danae Xanthe Vlasse, composer, pia- ship with her mother and the despair that unified musical aesthetic and nuanced in- nist, and teacher, is a self-described neo- comes with the end of such a relationship,” terpretation of the musical material. Romantic, as illustrated in the new CD, which is reflected in the juxtaposition of a Reminiscent of the fervent Russian which she has produced, Celebrations and quiet and agitated musical language, simi- dances in quadruple meter, the second Commemoration. She performs a selection lar to the ebb and flow of the sea (The Spirit movement depicts the maiden and the wa- of her original works for piano. The mu- and the Maiden, Liner Notes, 2016). Great ter spirit in a flirtatious, yet ultimately dan- sic shows a strong command of chromatic delicacy was required on the part of the gerous danse macabre. Overwhelmed with harmony and traditional thematic develop- Muses Trio to effect the emotional ranges delight, the maiden fails to notice that the ment. Stylistically, a listener may be for- the composer required of the performers. beautiful water spirit is evaporating right given for thinking that these works were The piano trio movements Pale Yellow before her eyes. When she twirls to face written in the nineteenth century. Vlasse and Fiery Red by the Pulitzer prize-win- him, he transforms back to water and falls includes an improvisation on a Brahms in- ning composer Jennifer Higdon represent a to the ground. In keeping with the narra- termezzo; other works show strong influ- challenge in capturing the essence of color tive, the vehement, uncompromising me- ences from Beethoven, Chopin, and Rach- musically: “The colors that I have chosen lodic material begins to disappear, the mu- maninoff. One track includes a backtrack in both movement titles of the Piano Trio sical texture diminishes, the tempo slows, of atmospheric MIDI strings. Vlasse com- and the music itself reflect very different and the music dissipates. poses for film and television and has been moods and energy levels, which I find fas- The narrative of the solemn third move- awarded amply for her work. cinating, as it begs the question, can colors ment follows the maiden as she returns the I found her three-movement Sonata actually convey a mood?” (The Kennedy spirit to the well and is drawn down after in F-sharp minor to be the most compel- Center). In this context, Pale Yellow com- him. The music expresses this Liebestod (or ling work on the disc. Entitled “Farewell,” mences in a pensive manner, then devel- tragedy of misbegotten love) with a more it begins with a slow, simple, and haunting ops and transforms, “perhaps reflecting the dissonant musical language than is pres- chord progression and a chain of effective spreading light at sunrise” (The Kennedy ent in the earlier movements. The melody suspensions. The second movement, “Ab- Center). The expressive second piano trio is played mournfully by the violin, with an sence,” moves from spare, high octaves; movement, Fiery Red, explodes immedi- occasional dialogue with the cello and a a melancholy tune is then developed in ately, remains relentless, and is permeated delicate piano performance that resembles a series of modulations and 2:3 rhythms with thematic repetition and transforma- falling tears or raindrops. As the maiden between the voices. It builds to a satisfy- tions that are crafted adeptly by the com- dies, the music unexpectedly becomes agi- ing climax and ends with an evocation of poser. The Muses Trio is equally adept at tated and increasingly more dissonant; the the opening high notes. “Return,” the last conveying the composer’s intentions. texture dissolves and finally disappears. movement, begins with a lively dance that The title track, The Spirit and the The quality of the performances of constantly changes in registration, texture, Maiden, is by Australian composer and the Muses Trio throughout speaks to their and mood; it varies from turbulent figura- pianist Elena Kats-Chernin (born in Tash- ability to seemingly effortlessly access an tion to lighter sections with mazurka-like kent, Uzbekistan, 1957), heralded by her extensive range of emotions and technique. dotted rhythmic figures. It ends quietly, as country as one of its leading and most pro- Their commitment and dedication to pro- do the other movements. ductive contemporary composers. Origi- mote the music of women is equally im- Unfortunately, Vlasse’s work, while nally entitled The Maiden and the Well pressive and should stand as a call to arms competently performed, has not been well- Spirit and composed for the Macquarie for a resurgence in the scholarship, perfor- served by the recording, which lacks clarity Trio, the three-movement composition for mance, and recording of the repertoire of and spatial resonance. The CD is available violin, cello, and piano musically renders women. Also notable is the twelve-page on iTunes, along with her earlier albums. a Russian fable. The first movement re- booklet that accompanies the CD. Anna Rubin is an associate professor of mu- counts the tale of a young Russian maiden Kimberly Greene serves as a professor of music at the University of Maryland/Baltimore transporting buckets of water back to her sic history at California State University, Ful- County (UMBC). Her compositions encompass

Compact Disc Reviews 31 acoustic and electroacoustic media and have Nostalgia. The album is available through of Liz Johnson’s chamber music and songs been heard on four continents. Recent works Amazon and other retailers. is deeply influenced by poetry, art, and the include an electronic score for the Baltimore natural world. Johnson’s new tour de force, Love’s Signature: Songs for Counter- Dance Project, liturgical music for the Colum- the Clarinet Quintet Sea-change, involves bia Jewish Congregation, and a work for the tenor and Soprano by Juliana Hall five different clarinets ranging from the UMBC Wind Ensemble. Countertenor Darryl Taylor, pianist Juliana Hall, soprano Susan Narucki, and pianist Don- giant contrabass to the tiny E-flat clarinet, plus string quartet, egg shakers and Swan- Recent Releases ald Berman. MSR Classics MS1603 (2017) The disc includes the song cycles O nee whistles. The music spans out from Elaine R. Barkin Mistress Mine; Syllables of Velvet, Sen- a meditative beginning into a world of The 2-CD set of Elaine R. Barkin’s music writ- tence of Plush; and Propriety. Love’s Sig- dreams and nightmares inspired by David ten between 1955 and 2013 has been issued by nature traverses time and space to celebrate Hart’s poem Crag Inspector. The unac- OPEN SPACE MUSIC, OS 34 various types of love: characters from the companied Cello Suite is based around the Solo and ensemble music for strings, plays of William Shakespeare (1564-1616) life and work of artist Ben Hartley, and is piano, winds, and gamelan as well as MIDI reveal universal human experiences of love woven together with Hildegard’s exquisite works are included on the discs. To pur- throughout different times in our lives; the medieval plainchant hymn Ave generosa. chase, see and click letters of Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) ex- on New. BERLIN: a memoir: a year abroad Lydia Kakabadse: Concertato emplify the love we have for those specific Sound collective chamber ensemble. Divine Art is also available on that website and ready people in our circles who touch us more (2017) for download. The memoir contains photos personally; and the poems of Marianne Lydia Kakabadse’s Concertato is writ- and artwork that recall Barkin’s Fulbright Moore (1887-1972) speak of how one’s ten for the “alternative” string quartet: year, September 1956-57, in West Berlin love for an art form like music can provide violin, viola, cello and double bass rather studying composition with Boris Blacher inspiration and beauty to enrich life. than the traditional quartet, and it features at the Hochschule für Musik while explor- a challenging duet for double bass and ing and experiencing scores of new worlds Jennifer Higdon: All Things Majestic cello. The CD contains four string quartets as foreigner, outsider, participant, masked Roberto Díaz, viola; James Button, oboe; and two short chamber songs for mezzo- and undisguised. Giancarlo Guerrero conducts the Nashville Symphony. American Classics, Naxos 8.559823 soprano with string quartet accompani- Jennifer Bellor: The Return (2017) ment. Kakabadse feels that the double bass University of Nevada Las Vegas Wind Orches- The disc includes three works by Pu- adds a great richness and abundance of tra under the direction of Tom Leslie. Klavier litzer Prize winning composer Jennifer color to the sonority of a quartet and has Records K11217 Higdon. All Things Majestic is a four- been unfairly neglected in small chamber Jennifer Bellor’s composition Bordel- movement symphonic suite that honors works. The instrument is included in all her lo Nights was released on the album The the national parks through musical images chamber works. A review in The Chronicle Return. It features the wind orchestra with of the Grand Teton National Park in Wyo- states: “This charming album is already jazz soloists Eric Marienthal, Colin Gor- ming such as the green pastures, the rug- one of our favourites.” don, Mitch Forman, Kevin Axt, and Bernie ged peaks, and the Snake River. Her ex- Dressel. The reviewer in Fanfare maga- Ruth Lomon: Shadowing pressive Concerto for Viola and Concerto zine praised the work as a “terrific piece Eileen Hutchins, piano; Katherine Winterstein, for Oboe bring out the unique textures and of big band jazz,” and he commented that violin; Scott Woolweaver, viola; Patrick Owen, sonorities of these frequently overlooked it evoked the “smoky erotic haunts in New cello. Navona Records 6080 (2017) solo instruments. The CD showcases acclaimed Cana- Orleans.” Liz Johnson: Intricate Web dian-born composer and pianist Ruth Lo- Andrea Clearfield:Women of Valor The double album includes string quartets and mon’s remarkable skill in writing for the Tovah Feldshuh, narrator; Hila Pitmann, sopra- selected chamber works and songs. The per- piano, pushing the instrument’s timbre and no; Rinat Shaham, mezzo soprano; Los Angeles formers include Fitzwilliam Quartet, Ronald color to its limits to create animated sound Jewish Symphony, Noreen Green, conductor. Woodley (clarinet), Loré Lixenberg (voice), worlds such as those of the title work, Shad- Albany Troy 1667 (2017) and Heather Tuach (cello). Métier Contempo- owing, for piano quartet. She uses more The oratorio Women of Valor is a cel- rary (Divine Art Records) msv 77206 (2017) radical colors―such as prepared piano―in ebration of strong, successful women from String Quartets: no. 1, Images of Trees; Five Ceremonial Masks, inspired by masks the Old Testament: Sarah, Leah, Rachel, no. 2, For Elliott; no. 3, Intricate Web; used by the Navajo people in their Yeibichai Jocheved, Miriam, Hannah, Jael, Michal, no. 4, Sky-burial (winner of the IAWM Night Chant ceremonies. Native American Ruth, and Esther. Gideon Prize, 2016); Tide purl; Fantasia imagery also appears in the second move- Mary Dawood: Nostalgia Forty-something. Clarinet quintet, Sea- ment of Esquisses, “La Fete,” which draws The album by pianist Mary Dawood change for multiple clarinets and stings on rhythmic and melodic elements of the was produced and recorded at Studios7em- quartet. Cello Suite: Reflections of an Ec- Turtle Dance as seen by Lomon at New eCiel (France), and it includes timeless centric English Artist. Songs on poems by Mexico’s Taos Pueblo. The first move- classics: J.S. Bach, Preludes and Fugues; Jo Shapcott: “Elephant Woman,” “Pig,” ment, “Les Cloches,” incorporates over- Beethoven, “Moonlight” Sonata; Satie, “Watching Medusa,” “Cabbage Dreams,” tone partials and change-ringing patterns Gymnopédies; Rachmaninoff, Morceaux “Sleep Close.” Trio for clarinet, viola and of European flared tower bells, while the de fantasie; plus Dawood’s original work, cello, “Towards the Sea.” This exploration third movement, “Memoires de…” is in-

32 IAWM Journal Volume 23, No. 1 2017 trospective and balladic. Sunflower Varia- title from the poetry of Dermot Healy and The compositions highlight the spiritual tions, a theme and variations for solo piano, the string quartet featured on the disc. The values of the aboriginal people and in so takes its theme from “The Sunflower,” a work, with its soaring string writing, epito- doing seek to encourage a dialogue between song for contralto and viola from Lomon’s mizes O’Leary’s unique ability to evoke generations and cultures mediated through Five Songs After Poems by William Blake. vivid emotions. Other works on the disc art and culture. Music has the unique ability Since 1998 Lomon has been a scholar and are for one, two, and three instruments. to transform an artist’s feelings and ideas composer at the Women’s Studies Research The disc is available through Amazon, into a powerful cultural phenomenon that Center at Brandeis University. Spotify, iTunes, etc. embraces the past, the present, and the future. This CD project embraces and cel- Margaret Mills: A Celebration of Early Ava Ordman: It’s About Time, Music ebrates in musical form the universal need American Composers for Trombone by Women Composers for love and forgiveness. Cambria CD-1242 (2017) Ava Ordman, trombone; Derek Polischuk, pia- Pianist Margaret Mills’ new CD is a no. Blue Griffin (2017) Hilary Tann: Exultet Terra tribute to Amy Beach on her 150th birth- Ava Ordman was principal trombon- Cappella Clausura. Navona Records 6069 day and also a celebration of two other ist with the Grand Rapids Michigan Sym- (2017) Americans: Ruth Crawford and Charles phony Orchestra and professor of trom- Exultet Terra is an extended song of Ives. Beach is represented by some of her bone at Michigan State University. She has praise for antiphonal choirs and double- early works and also her improvisations: been playing for more than 55 years and reed quintet. The text of this five-move- By the Still Waters, op. 114; Out of the this is her first solo CD. She says: “It’s ment work has been adapted by the com- Depths, op. 130; Scottish Legend, op. 54, about time.” The disc includes: Andrea poser from the Vulgate Bible and King No. 1; Gavotte Fantastique, op. 54, No. 2; Clearfield: River Melos; Lauren Bernof- James Bible, and it incorporates three po- and Five Improvisations for Piano, op. 148 sky: The Devil’s Dermish; Joelle Wallach: ems by George Herbert (Welsh poet and (1944). The disc includes Nine Preludes Loveletter, (Postmark, San Jose); Karen priest, 1593-1633). The CD also includes by Ruth Crawford as well as the last two Thomas: Four Delineations of Curtmantle; Tann’s Contemplations and The Moor, plus movements from Charles Ives’ “Concord” Ida Gotkovsky: Concerto for Trombone; two works by Hildegard von Bingen. Sonata, “The Alcotts” and “Thoreau.” Elizabeth Raum: Fantasy for Trombone; Danaë Xanthe Vlasse: Trilogies and Barbara York: A Caged Bird. The Twelve piano solos, MP3 (2017) Nicole Murphy: War Letters CD is available from , Works by Elliot Gyger, Nicole Murphy, Larry Composer and pianist Danaë Xanthe Sitsky and Diana Blom and performed by Hal- iTunes, and amazon. Vlasse’s Trilogies is a collection of new cyon: Alison Morgan, soprano; Jenny Duck- Deon Nielsen Price: Radiance in works for piano in the style of the great 19th- Chong, mezzo soprano; Clive Birch, bass; James Motion century Romantic tradition, combining lush Wannan, viola; Kaylie Dunstan, percussion; Jo Price, piano, and various artists. Cambria (2016) melodic lines and emotional harmonies. Allan, piano; and Geoffrey Gartner, conductor. These works vary in scope: some pieces are Four Australian composers, represent- The disc includes recordings of Price’s dramatic trio for two pianos and violin, grandiose and full of lengthy story-telling, ing four generations, were commissioned while others convey complete serenity and to set letters from WWI for the new music troubadour songs with harpsichord accompaniment, modern love songs, spiritual simple introspective moments. Each type of ensemble Halcyon. The thoughts, reflec- piece seeks a different sort of experience, tions, and feelings expressed in these per- songs, Renaissance carols for guitar duo, a rare contrabass clarinet solo, and a rivet- from feeling simple moments of quiet plea- sonal letters are as fresh today as they were sure to great prolonged adventures full of 100 years ago. War Letters brings into fo- ing remembrance of the terror of the 1965 Watts Riots in Los Angeles with a lament- contrasting moods. The three “Fantaisies” cus the day to day experiences of the men are grandest in scope and tell epic stories and women taken up by war. From these ing blues “Curfew” section for saxophones and piano. Several tracks are from scores of emotional battles such as succumbing personal memories we can reflect on the to madness, facing the unknown, defying enormous impact of the war, as it continues lost in a studio fire that have resurfaced in private libraries across the country. The disc death, and overcoming great internal ob- in our present lives, and truly empathize stacles. The “Nocturnes” seek to explore with those individuals who are speaking to also includes a re-release of an archival trio recording for violin, saxophone, and piano. different night-time landscapes; some are us from both the past and the present. quite serene while others are more impos- Jane O’Leary: The Passing Sound of Evelyn Stroobach: Reverberations of ing. The “Petite Valses” were all conceived Forever Aboriginal Inspirations as little lullabies. The three “Préludes” cel- The CD was released on April 21st, Navona NV 6068 (2017) ebrate scenes of daily life, each one inspired The CD contains O’Leary’s recent 2017 at the Bulgarian Embassy in Ot- by a different mood. Download the album chamber music, written between 2010 and tawa, Canada. One of the featured works through all major online retailers. 2015, performed by musicians from Con- is Stroobach’s Fire Dance for flute (Ron corde ensemble, which she has directed Korb), viola (Ralitsa Tcholakova) and ab- Speranza Scappucci was named princi- since 1976, and ConTempo String Quartet, original drum (Dominique Moreau). The pal conductor of Opéra Royal Liége in an ensemble of Romanian musicians in compositions on this CD were composed Belgium. During the 2016-17 season, residence in Galway, Ireland since 2003. by eight Ottawa-based or -born composers she was the first Italian woman to con- The Passing Sound of Forever takes its whose music was inspired by Canadian ab- duct at the Vienna State Opera. original myths, legends, symbols, or issues.

Compact Disc Reviews 33 CONCERTS AND FESTIVALS “To Sing Again” “Source,” “Emergence,” and “Imago.” fested rhapsodic vocal writing, showcasing Brandeis Women’s Studies Research Cen- Motivic quarter tones are reworked into fo- the beauty and fluidity of the human voice. ter, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massa- cal points in the first two movements, with With graceful and balanced instrumental chusetts, March 12, 2017 otherworldly plucking of the piano strings textures interwoven throughout, Martines’ creating a numinous mood from the outset. psalms are brilliant examples of the elegant STEPHANIE SUSBERICH A dramatic cello entrance enhances the sur- galant style. On Sunday, March 12th, I attended an an- real atmosphere. Lomon’s spellbinding use Eudaimonia’s eight instrumentalists nual concert that I wish took place more of dynamics, resonance, tone, and texture, and five singers (two female and three than once a year. This year’s Alfredo and coupled with modern techniques, strum- male) encapsulated the auditorium in Mar- Dimitra Deluzio Concert, presented by the ming, and cello slides crafted a spell over tines’ acoustically gorgeous harmonies. So- Women and Music Mix of the Brandeis the listeners. Ms. Bob’s fierce, confident prano Kathryn Aaron’s dulcet voice, along Women’s Studies Research Center, was playing enlisted the attention of everyone with Carrie Cheron’s soothing mezzo, entitled “To Sing Again.” In honor of present, while Rhonda Rider’s consum- helped conjure the composer’s sonorous Women’s History Month, it featured music mate cello chops highlighted the instru- magic. The ensemble played continuously by Amy Beach, Rebecca Clarke, Ruth Lo- ment’s extended possibilities. The second throughout In Exitu’s six movements and mon, and Marianna von Martines, whose movement ended in a fury of cello bowing, Quemadmodum’s eleven. Montgomery, gorgeous, masterful works remain woe- and Rider’s passion was such that after the seated in the center with her harpsichord, fully underperformed in today’s classical conclusion of her very last phrase, her bow cultivated an unrelenting, impressive musi- concert world. hit the side of the instrument. The atmo- cality, rounding off each fascinating move- After a warm, informative welcome spheric sound created by this chance colli- ment with Martines’ exquisite cadences. by its organizer, Liane Curtis, the program sion was a perfect accomplice to Lomon’s After the show the performers re- began with Beach’s devastatingly beauti- musical incantation. A disjointed, hypnotic vealed that learning this centuries-old mu- ful Dreaming. Originally composed for third movement involving percussive pi- sic is akin to undertaking a contemporary solo piano and published in 1892, it was ano textures and excited momentum left work because there are no recordings or arranged by the composer in 1937 for cello one in awe of how masterfully crafted and previous performances to draw from. Es- and piano. Rhonda Rider’s cello sang sen- trailblazing this piece is. Written in 1984, it sentially, for the interpreter—as well as for suously expansive phrases as Sarah Bob’s is a must for every aspiring contemporary the listener—this is new music. If this con- piano spun fine harmonic webs, making composer and lover of contemporary clas- cert is any indication of the future of clas- this opener a lyrical gem. Its entrancing sical works. sical music, it is this: the future is female. music built into a climactic crescendo, and Ms. Lomon, who was present, re- Stephanie Susberich is a soprano and composer then dissipated into a peaceful, suspended ceived a loving ovation from the audience. living in Somerville. She writes about music on beauty. Rider’s passionate, lucid playing Born in 1930, she has been a scholar and her blog, www.sopranointhecity.com complimented Bob’s tasteful dexterity, composer at the Women’s Studies Re- leaving the audience captivated. search Center at Brandeis since 1998 and Deon Nielsen Price: To the Binnorie: A Ballad by Rebecca Clarke is perhaps best known for her song-cycle, Children of War followed. Although she composed many Songs of Remembrance, and her oratorio, Metro Chamber Orchestra, Phil Nuzzo, pieces that went unpublished during her Testimony of Witnesses. Both pieces are director, Brooklyn Playhouse, NYC, April lifetime, today she is best known for her based on the poetry of Holocaust victims 1, 2017 1919 Violin Sonata. Binnorie: A Ballad and survivors. During the applause she JEANNIE GAYLE POOL was discovered in Clarke’s estate in 1997 received two large bouquets of flowers, and was most likely completed in the late which she sweetly handed to each of the In a program titled “To the Children of 1940s or early 1950s. Its text is a traditional performers onstage. It was a heartwarm- War,” the world premiere of Deon Nielsen Scottish ballad, telling the story of a young ing, unforgettable moment. Price’s orchestrated song cycle of the same princess who is murdered—drowned—by After intermission, we were treated to name was featured on April 1, 2017, with her own sister over the love of a knight. A two psalm settings by the 18th-century Vi- soprano Victoria Rodriguez and the Metro musician builds a harp out of her body, and ennese composer Marianna von Martines. Chamber Orchestra, Phil Nuzzo, artistic upon entering the court where the maiden A contemporary and friend of Mozart, director, at the Brooklyn Playhouse in New once lived, it begins playing by itself—re- she was known in Vienna and throughout York City. Price herself performed the pia- vealing truths and cursing the treacherous Europe for her compositional genius and no part, often playing the strings inside the sister. Accompanied by Sarah Bob, baritone remarkable vocal talents. Eudaimonia, a piano to create poignant colors. The songs, Brian Church sang this haunting, epic tale. conductorless period orchestra co-led by based on poetry by Maya Angelou, with His resonant voice intelligently captured Vivian Montgomery (harpsichordist and her gracious permission, began innocently the lengthy song’s tragedy while simultane- scholar at the WSRC) and violinist Julia with “Life Doesn’t Frighten Me” but im- ously making it a dramatic show-stopper. McKenzie, performed In Exitu Israel de mediately descended to the depths of de- Next came Ruth Lomon’s piece, Aegypto and Quemadmodum desiderat spair in “We Saw Beyond Our Seeming” Metamorphosis. It transforms thematic el- cervus. The two psalms set Italian trans- and “Tears.” “Alone” described the frus- ements throughout its three movements— lations of the traditional Latin and mani- trated plight of those who escaped from

34 IAWM Journal Volume 23, No. 1 2017 the terror. Compassion and hope began activities of the Conservatory: courses, ex- found them (some works were housed at to emerge in the cantabile “Give Me Your ams, and public performances. the British Library, and were not in print). Hand.” The final song, “Ships?” described The music festival “L’ombra illumi- The concert on the 23rd was dedicated the determined resolve of these young ref- nata” is a relevant part of the project and to Francesca Caccini and her famous opera, ugees to live their lives to full productivity. consists of a series of three concerts held La liberazione di Ruggiero dall’isola di Al- Interspersed between the six songs in a public auditorium in Bari with stu- cina, which was performed in concert form were recitatives based on the tragic stories dents, professors, and scholars engaged under the direction of Prof. Elena Sartori. of teenagers who had fled from Central in programs entirely dedicated to female The concert was introduced by an infor- America and Southeast Asia in the 1980s, composers, with many Italian “first per- mative lecture given by the musicologist as reported in the Los Angeles Times in July formances.” The concert series is preceded Prof. Lorenzo Mattei and by Elena Sartori, 1988. Price was deeply moved by their de- by a lecture/recital given by a guest Italian a well-known conductor and specialist on sire to help bring peace to their war-torn composer; a concert is offered as a tribute 17th-century music; she has just recently countries when she personally heard sev- to her accomplishments. released an acclaimed CD of the work. eral discussions by the youths themselves L’ombra illuminata 2017 Festival “Le Compositrici” – Rome, through their organization called Children This year, on March 9-10, we were April 2017 of War. At the time, Price had also been pleased to invite a woman of exceptional The festival “Le Compositrici,” held in reading and selecting poetry by Maya An- renown, a pioneer in ethnomusicological Rome at the beautiful Teatro Palladium, gelou. When asked to prepare a song cycle research in our country, an activist in her had its fourth edition on April 6th, 8th, on short notice for the National Association support of hundreds of movements for so- and 9th. The festival was organized by of Composers, she readily combined the cial reforms, and a unique presence in our the Scuola Popolare di Musica di Testac- two sources to compose the cycle To the musical world, Giovanna Marini, who has cio (SPMT)―a very well-known liberal Children of War for voice and piano. Tenor just recently turned eighty. Her presence in music institution in Rome―in partnership Darryl Taylor and Price performed the first Bari was a major event, and the welcome with the Università degli Studi Roma Tre; version and recorded it in 1990 on SunRays she received by over a hundred people who the SPMT was in charge of the musical (Cambria Master Recordings CD1056). had known her work through the years and artistic organization but a number of In keeping with the theme of the con- witnessed that. Since both of her parents cultural events were promoted by the Uni cert, the other works on this intense and (Giovanni Salviucci and Iditta Parpagliolo) Roma3. The persons who made the festi- moving program were Kurt Weill and were composers, the teachers and students val possible were Andrea Fossà, Francesca Bertolt Brecht’s ground breaking tale of of the Conservatory dedicated their concert Pellegrini (SPMT), who worked with me, decadence and despair, the Mahogonny on the 7th to her by performing music by plus Luca Aversano and Milena Gammai- Songspiel, Maurice Ravel’s Kaddisch, and both of her parents. They found most of the toni (UniRomaTre). Arnold Schoenberg’s arrangement of Al- music in the archives and some works were exander Zemlinsky’s setting of the 23rd unknown even to Giovanna Marini. She Victoria Bond: The Miracle Psalm. was enormously happy and moved, and of- of Hanukkah Women in Music Festivals in fered us a marvelous concert the next day, Italy playing the guitar and singing some of her A new one-act children’s opera, The best-known works. Miracle of Hanukkah, by composer ORIETTA CAIANIELLO The next part of the festival was held Victoria Bond and librettist Susan L. L’ombra Illuminata. Donne Nella Mu- March 21 to 23 and included many dif- Roth, received its world premiere by sica (Illuminating the Shadow. Women ferent pieces and several premieres. The Chamber Opera Chicago on December in Music) concert on the 21st was presented by the 11 and 18, 2016 at the Royal George The project “L’ombra illuminata” was born students and included works by Thea Mus- Theatre. It was paired with a perfor- in 2014 at the Conservatory of Music “N. grave, Imogen Holst, Marie Jaëll, Amy mance of Gian Carlo Menotti’s Amahl Piccinni” of Bari, Italy, as the result of the Beach, Ella Adaïewsky, and Liza Lehmann and the Night Visitors. Bond has been artistic and research experience of its two (whom we admire very much; the program conducting annual performances of promoters, Angela Annese and me; we are included her exceptional vocal duet, The Menotti’s Christmas-themed opera both professors at the institution. The proj- Secrets of the Heart). The students were since 2005, and she was inspired to ect focuses on the work of women compos- brilliant and received much applause. create a similar piece for the Jewish ers through the last two centuries, both in On the 22nd the professors had their holiday. The Miracle of Hanukkah was research and in performance, and has as its turn, and they dedicated the entire evening commissioned by The Young Peoples purpose the integration of their forgotten to Amy Beach, in honor of the 150th anni- Chorus of New York City and was de- music into the mainstream of the canon- versary of her birth. The pieces on program veloped in workshop performances. ized Western music repertoire. The project were the Violin Sonata, op. 34; two pieces Set in a contemporary high school aims to involve both students and profes- for flute and piano, op. 40 (arranged for vi- classroom, the opera tells the story of a sors in seminars, concerts, and research olin); Two Pieces for flute, cello and piano, boy who experiences his own personal projects meant to improve awareness of the op. 90; and the Piano Trio, op. 150. Every- miracle while learning about the his- female presence in music; that is the reason body was astonished by the beauty of the toric miracle of Hanukkah. we are trying to root it in the very life and music, and we felt very proud for having

Concerts and Festivals 35 The opening event was a Giornata di tet, with Antonella Vitale, voice; Danielle for flute, cello, and piano, op. 90; and the Studi (Study Day) on women musicians, Di Majo, saxophone; Giulia Salson, guitar; Piano Trio, op. 150. As in the Bari concert, which took place at the Department of Sci- and Gaia Possenti, piano. everyone in the audience was amazed by enze della Formazione of the Università, The University had established a part- the beauty of the music, and again, we felt and many lectures were given. My personal nership with the Conservatorio “Piccinni” very proud for having discovered the some contribution was a lecture on Amy Beach: of Bari, which enabled us to invite the of the pieces. The concert on the 23rd was her background and compositions. It was twelve students who had performed in the dedicated to Francesca Caccini, and her paired with a lecture given by my colleague Caccini opera in Bari (together with their famous opera La liberazione di Ruggiero Angela Annese, who spoke about Beach’s director, Prof. Elena Sartori) to perform the dall’isola di Alcina, which was performed writings and relationship with other wom- same work in Rome on April 8. It was a in concert version under the knowledge- en composers and about the MacDowell very interesting initiative; the boys and girls able direction of Prof. Elena Sartori. Colony. We wanted to honor the memory were really thrilled with the experience. As of Amy Beach, whose work we have come in the Bari festival, the final concert was The 2017 Women Composers to love and greatly appreciate. Many stu- dedicated to Amy Beach, but with differ- Festival of Hartford dents attended the lectures. The afternoon ent performers (except for myself) and dif- March 30-April 2, 2017 in Hartford, Con- session was devoted to the opening of an ferent pieces. Special focus was placed on necticut exhibition on women composers, consist- Beach’s art songs with instrumental accom- JESSICA RUDMAN ing of pictures and short biographies de- paniment, such as Chanson d’amour with scribing the work of the major European cello and piano, Ecstasy and June with vio- Now in its seventeenth year, the Women and some American composers, divided by lin and piano, and A Mirage and Stella Via- Composers Festival of Hartford featured geographical areas: Italy, France, Germany toris with voice and piano trio. The soprano music by more than sixty women compos- and Northern Europe, England, the USA. was Maria Chiara Pavone; violin, Caterina ers from different countries and histori- The festival concerts on April 8 and 9 Bono; and cello, Andrea Fossà (one of the cal eras. Events included five concerts, a were held at the Teatro Palladium, which is organizers). The concert also had the pieces day-long music marathon, an emerging managed by the University of Roma Tre. with flute, played this time by Giuseppe composer reading session, two panel dis- The first two concerts were very different Pelura, whose performance was highly ap- cussions, and various scholarly presenta- in style: the opening one was on contempo- preciated. tions. As is the case every year, the sense rary music, performed by the brilliant Echo On April 22nd, the professors had their of community created by this gathering of Ensemble, flute and piano (Morena Mes- turn, and they dedicated the entire evening composers, performers, scholars, students, tieri and Anna Bellagamba); they played to Amy Beach, in honor of the 150th an- and listeners was intense. It is this feeling music by Ada Gentile, Teresa Procaccini, niversary of her birth. The pieces were of connection, of support, of bonding to- Madeleine Dring, Cristina Landuzzi, and the Violin Sonata, op. 34, for violin and gether that brings me and many of the oth- Paola Livorsi. The evening concert was de- piano; Two Pieces for flute and piano, op. er organizers, participants, and audience voted to jazz, played by the Ajugada Quar- 40 (arranged from the violin); Two Pieces members back again and again. We were pleased to welcome as the 2017 Composer-in-Residence Dr. Paula Conference on Women in the Creative Arts Matthusen, an acclaimed composer (and The School of Music at the Australian National University, Canberra, Australia, is past winner of IAWM’s “New Genre Prize” pleased to host an innovative conference on Women in the Creative Arts, on campus from the Search for New Music) who teach- August 10-12, 2017. This event is a unique opportunity to engage in the work of cre- es at Wesleyan University. Leading up to ative women, past and present. the Festival, Dr. Matthusen presented about The role of women in the creative arts is a growing and increasingly visible one. her music at the University of Connecti- Many women contribute to the development and creation of new artistic works in cut and Western New England University. creative literature, music and the visual and performing arts, often lacking mentorship She also led masterclasses with pre-college and networking support systems. This conference provides a research spotlight for composers at the Hartt Community Divi- professionals to gather, present their methodologies, discuss the unique issues sur- sion’s Young Composers Project and with rounding the creative arena, and propose strategies to enhance and enrich their work- undergraduate and graduate composers at ing lives as strong members of an international cultural and artistic voice. Our aim is The Hartt School. Her music was featured to capture the emerging ideas and trends from the work of conference delegates, to on multiple events, including the premiere enhance practices for women in the field. of a new commission for the 2017 Ensem- Current musical works by women composers will also be featured at the confer- ble-in-Residence forty/sixty string trio. ence. The Muses Trio (Brisbane, Australia) will perform as the ensemble in residence, This year’s Festival opened on Thurs- presenting pieces by four contemporary women composers, alongside works from the day, March 30, with the concert “Music nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. This conference is supported by the Gender in the Time of Women’s Suffrage.” The Institute and the College of Arts & Social Sciences at the Australian National Univer- program included compositions by Flor- sity and the Australia Council for the Arts. (Information about The Muses Trio: http:// ence Price, Ethyl Smyth, and Amy Beach. www.musestrio.com/. Conference information: http://music.anu.edu.au/content/ Renowned musicologist Elizabeth Wood women-creative-arts. Enquiries to, Dr. Natalie Williams: [email protected] gave an engaging pre-concert talk discussing the concert’s theme and providing in-

36 IAWM Journal Volume 23, No. 1 2017 sight into the work of the composers fea- Friday’s events also included a work- first half of the concert included songs, tured on the concert. shop for emerging composers by Ensem- operas, and fixed media works by Undine Friday brought the return of our an- ble-in-Residence forty/sixty. Featuring the Smith Moore, Elsa Olivieri Sangiacomo nual WCForum, which provides a venue unique instrumentation of violin, cello, and (Respighi’s wife, who was a talented com- for scholarly talks and lecture-recitals on bass, this effervescent trio regularly - per poser in her own right), Paula Matthusen, women composers and other topics related forms new music and champions the work Beyoncé, and Nina Simone. My work Trig- to women in music. Each year, the subjects of women composers. As part of their resi- ger, a miniature opera about the aftermath of the presentations range widely, and this dency, they led a reading session for com- of domestic violence, was presented by year was no exception. It also was particu- posers Elizabeth Duers, Hanna Kim, and soprano Jennifer Sgroe Kirchman and pia- larly sentimental for us, as we were able Ivonne Paredes. In addition to reading and nist Stephen Scarlato of the Hartford Op- to welcome back some former WCF orga- rehearsing these composers’ works, the era Theater. Also under the Hartford Opera nizers to share their research. Saxophonist ensemble discussed idiomatic writing for Theater umbrella, soprano Louise Fauteux and former Assistant to the Festival Direc- their instruments and considerations for and Miguel Campinho premiered Niloufar tor Maggie Weisensel shared her research choosing repertoire. Nourbakhsh’s An Aria for the Executive on women composers and body image, The second day of the Festival con- Order, which was commissioned for this and was joined by composer and former cluded with forty/sixty’s headlining re- concert. The Festival Director Gala Flagello to present cital, where Matthusen’s Festival commis- second half a new work commissioned for this proj- sion, pursuing invariably the same Object of the pro- ect. Daniel Morel, another former Festival evinces a design, was premiered. The work gram fea- Director, gave an informative talk about features the trio with electronic sounds in a tured a per- ways to approach analyzing the music of lush, floating sound world that envelopes formance Meredith Monk. They were joined by three the listeners and takes them out of time of Tawnie other presenters from across the U.S. Com- for a brief respite. The concert also in- Olson’s No poser Krista Connelly’s talk focused on the cluded Jean Ahn’s Lasso, Lassus; Melika Capacity to collaborative process between composer Fitzhugh’s Expansion, Test, and Journey Consent, an and choreographer in relation to her dance Revisited; Maja Lindroth’s Passage; Nata- oratorio in- requiem Life, After. Meredith Bowen dis- lie Williams’s Repartee; and an improvisa- spired by an Paula Matthusen cussed her efforts to restore music by tion by the trio. incident in twelve different Italian nuns from the sev- Saturday featured our second annual 2013 where a woman in Ferguson, MO enteenth century and make that music ac- Music Marathon. Conceived as a counter- was raped by a corrections officer. The cessible for contemporary women’s choirs. point to the many ensembles that do not work juxtaposes text from the legal com- Anna Kijas introduced her digital project include a single woman composer in their plaint relating to the attack with other pub- “Documenting Teresa Carreño,” combin- entire season, this day-long event included lic records such as Ferguson’s town budget ing musicology and digital scholarship to more than twenty soloists and ensembles to make a significant statement about sys- trace the pianist and composer’s career. presenting works by more than thirty com- temic injustice. Beyond the engaging and informa- posers. The diverse program featured fixed Sunday featured two additional con- tive presentations given during the Forum, media works by Paula Matthusen; saxo- certs. The afternoon concert—Many Voic- the festival also featured two panel dis- phone and bassoon duets performed by Ja- es, One Song—brought together choirs cussions. The first, “Issues and strategies mie Leigh Sampson and Jacob Swanson; a from CT and MA, including Saecula for women artists/activists in the age of collection of works drawn from trumpeter Women’s Choir, the United Girls’ Choir, Trump,” included an open discussion led Kate Amrine’s upcoming album of mu- the Unitarian Society of Hartford Choir, by Elizabeth Wood, Liane Curtis, Tawnie sic by women; a unique work by Rosalie the Children’s Choir of Springfield, the Olson, and Penny Brandt. Amelia Nagoski Burrell written for the patchtax duo (viola Connecticut Children’s Chorus, and sing- has provided a detailed write-up of this and saxophone) with dancer Elizabeth Ep- ers from the WCF. Each choir presented a event online (https://medium.com/@ame- sen that got the audience up on stage; an in- set of repertoire by women and then came lianp/iswaaat-a9d22f3355b6). I moderated tense set of solo vocal music performed by together to close with an arrangement by the second panel discussion, “Promoting soprano Ana Spasic; a delicate collection Gwyneth Walker. The concert included Yourself as an Artist,” which included pan- of pieces for soprano, flute, and/or piano works by Ashi Day, Katherine Bodor, elists Marcia Killian of Foundry Music, vi- performed by Ensemble 365; and much and high school student Abbey Monreal olinist Luciana Arraes, and composer/bas- more. A full listing of Marathon perform- that were selected through a highly com- soonist Jamie Leigh Sampson of Adjective ers, works, and composers is available on petitive score call. The final concert of New Music. While the first panel explored our website. the 2017 Festival was a percussion re- philosophical and social issues, the second The Marathon concluded with a con- cital presented by Nathaniel Gworek, Mi- focused on practical considerations relat- cert titled “Triggered: Gendered Violence chael Anderson, and Joseph Van Hassel. ing to marketing/PR, social media, web in Music,” which brought together a num- The concert included works by Charlotte design, e-commerce, professionalism, and ber of local ensembles to present powerful Dumsenil, Olivia Kieffer, Marissa DiPrio- achieving a balance between one’s differ- music responding to a variety of different nio, Jessica Rugani, Claire Pawlewitz, and ent activities. contemporary and historical events. The Alexis Bacon.

Concerts and Festivals 37 There are many exciting plans for next Each day of the Music by Women formance of works for woodwind duo and year’s Festival already underway, including Festival had three concerts that were open trio by composer Thea Musgrave. Wendy a new application process for future Com- to the public. Sizes of audiences varied, Bergin brought the Prairie View A&M posers-in-Residence and Featured Perform- and the mayor of Columbus gave the wel- University flute ensemble for their first ers. Please check our website for details on coming address at the first concert. The performance outside of Texas: Elena Re- those applications and additional calls for university president, Jim Borsig, hosted a uhr’s quintet The Law of Floating Objects. participation. We hope you will join us next welcoming reception for participants and The ethos of community that emerged year for more wonderful music! shared during his concert address that he during the festival was evident in the gen- The Women Composers Festival of Hart- first heard about the idea of the festival erosity of a few performers in response to ford is held annually each March as part when he interviewed Mortyakova for a pianist Leslie Spotz’s arrival without her of Women’s History Month. It is generously faculty position. In describing the found- vocalist: “One of the special moments dur- supported by the Greater Hartford Arts ing of the festival, Mortyakova noted the ing the festival was when three different Council; the Edward C. and Ann T. Roberts significance of the heritage of the location: singers combined their forces to perform Foundation; The Hartt School at the Uni- Since Mississippi University on a day’s notice a composer’s song cycle versity of Hartford; the University of Con- for Women was the first public which was in danger of not being heard necticut; Western New England University; higher education institution for due to the illness of the original perform- Charter Oak Cultural Center; and others. women in the country, I thought it er.” The song cycle was Diane Tuiofu’s On Details about upcoming Festivals, program would be the perfect setting for a Wings of Hope. listings for past events, and audio/video festival highlighting the works by Mortyakova performed two works clips can be accessed online at womencom- women. The idea for the festival with fellow MUW piano faculty Valentin posersfestivalhartford.com. To find out how was first proposed by me during Bogdan: Pieces Romantics, Op. 55, by Ce- you can participate in or contribute to the my interview at MUW in spring cile Chaminade and Nostalgia-Variations Festival, please contact us at womencom- of 2012. I was very happy for the on a Theme Dark Eyes by Olga Harris. [email protected]. project to come to fruition after I Harris is Mortyakova’s mother, and I asked received official institutional sup- her how her mother’s career has influenced Jessica Rudman has been involved with the hers as a pianist and an advocate for music Women Composers Festival of Hartford since port in the fall of 2016. written and performed by women: 2005. She is an active composer currently writ- The university started admitting men in ing an opera about Marie Curie with librettist 1982 and continues to foster and recognize Specializing in Cecile Chaminade Kendra Preston Leonard. Rudman is the Chair the achievements of women. and music by my mother, Olga of the Creative Studies Department and the Di- Harris, made me aware of the lack rector of the Young Composers Project at the of presence of women composers Hartt School Community Division on concert programs and the need Music by Women Festival to include more works by women Mississippi University for Women in the classical performance can- (MUW), Poindexter Hall, March 3-4, on. I often perform solo recitals 2017 comprised entirely of works by women composers and this past KRYSTAL FOLKESTAD GRANT summer I released an album of As a native of Birmingham, Alabama, I had solo piano music titled A Celebra- never visited Columbus, Mississippi until tion of Women in Music. earlier this year. I participated as a compos- The festival presentations included er-pianist in the inaugural Music by Women papers, panels, and lecture recitals. They Julia Mortyakova Festival at the Mississippi University for consisted of music from the Middle Ages Women (MUW). It took place on March The festival concerts included a vari- to the present by composers from Eu- 3-4, 2017 in historic Poindexter Hall. More ety of music, from art song and piano solos rope, the Americas, and Asia. In addition than 150 composers, performers, and schol- to performance art and mixed ensembles. to talks about Amy Beach, Nadia and Lili ars gathered from Canada and throughout One of the highlights for me was hearing Boulanger, Libby Larsen, and Kaija Saa- the United States for six concerts and al- singers Matthew Hoch and Bronwen For- riaho, the diversity of topics encompassed most ten hours of presentations focused on bay with pianist Joshua Pifer perform duet music by Hawaiian Queen Lili’uokalani, music from more than seventy-five women excerpts from Mary Alice Rich’s opera French harpist Henriette Renie, Louisiana composers. Department of Music Chair Ju- Wading Home; interwoven stories of lost Creole folk song arrangers Maud Cuney- lia Mortyakova initiated the festival and ex- fathers are set against the backdrop of New Hare and Camille Nickerson, and Cuban ecuted it with the help of faculty and student Orleans during Hurricane Katrina and its pedagogues Gisela Hernandez and Olga volunteers. After the event, I interviewed aftermath. Also notable were saxophonist de Blanck y Martin. IAWM members were Mortyakova, whom I have known since Jonathan Hulting-Cohen’s playing of Kati well represented. In addition to the perfor- we both were undergraduates in piano per- Agocs’ unaccompanied piece As Biddeth mance of a work by Elena Ruehr and both formance at Vanderbilt University’s Blair Thy Tongue and Elizabeth Sullivan, Re- performances and lecture/recitals of music School of Music in Nashville, Tennessee. becca Johnson, and Jessica Lindsey’s per- by Libby Larsen, the festival included a

38 IAWM Journal Volume 23, No. 1 2017 lecture/recital on a work by Victoria Bond prior to the festival, and whom I beautiful atmosphere of the build- and a paper on a Holocaust work by Marta am now interested in exploring..... ing and the intimate acoustics in Ptaszynska and performances of music by One of my goals for the festival the auditorium make it a perfect Marilyn Shrude, Judith Lang Zaimont, and was for it to serve as a catalyst space to host a festival. Andrea Clearfield, plus my performance of for dialogue, future collabora- Festival participants were as diverse my Burning Bush Variations for piano. tions, and performances. I believe as the music they shared, including full- Ross Smith organized a student re- a lot of friendships were made at time faculty, part-time faculty, independent search group which explored the rarity of the festival, several composers musicians, graduate and undergraduate stu- feature film scores composed by women. and performers will continue col- dents, and retirees. At next year’s festival, Their collaborative presentation featured laborating in the future, and the Mortyakova hopes for equally inclusive and video clips of interviews with several fe- music performed will also be pro- more international participation. For any- male film composers. Pyero Talone exam- grammed in the participants’ own one planning an event that features music ined the limited presence of women in the communities. I also observed fes- by women, she gives this advice: “I would history of the Brazilian popular genre choro tival participants being inspired to encourage [you] to reach out to performers and shared online resources for scores. Car- explore the music they have heard to solicit volunteers for new music perfor- olyn Hart’s lecture recital concluded with from others, and I hope that will mances, as well as for performances of their her giving away her CD of vocal music by also lead to future performances. choice. Many performers enjoy playing mu- Jean Coultard, Violet Archer, Barbara Pent- Poindexter Hall was a stunning and mean- sic by women, and providing such an oppor- land, and other Canadian composers. Anne ingful setting for these discussions and dis- tunity is sure to elicit a great response and Wick shared the initial results from her on- coveries. Mortyakova explained: enrich the program of the event.” going survey and research about how the study of art songs by women inspires and Originally built in 1905 and newly Composer-pianist Krystal J. Folkestad Grant’s career has broadened from giving lecture-recit- challenges young singers. From Deborah renovated and reopened in 2012, als in elementary schools of her hometown, Bir- Popham’s presentation, I wondered why I Poindexter Hall is an historic building which houses the beau- mingham, Alabama, to presenting multimedia had never heard of Pauline Viardot, com- installations in New York City. Besides college poser of hundreds of vocal pieces, singer tiful Kossen Auditorium. Origi- classrooms, she has taught music appreciation of operas by Rossini, Wagner, and Gluck, nally nicknamed “The Temple of in after-school programs, choir at a homeless friend to Chopin and to Clara Schumann. Music,” it has always been the shelter, and musical theater at a senior center. Mortyakova and other participants also home of the MUW department of With her Ph.D. in composition from Stony Brook encountered new repertoire by women. music. The building is named af- University and B.M. in piano performance from Mortyakova commented: ter the founder of the department, Vanderbilt University, she is the Assistant Pro- Weenona Poindexter, who laid the fessor of Music Composition at Lancaster Bible There were several composers, first brick. Kossen Auditorium College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. She also both contemporary and historic, is named after one of our music continues to share diverse piano repertoire and improvisations with others. whose music I have not heard alumna, Connie Sills Kossen. The REPORTS Canada opera house, which invariably featured the underrepresented female composers of the multi-talented diva. nineteenth century while reexamining the “You’re Welcome, Rossini!” Isabella Colbran, Maria Malibran, diva stereotype and empowering the mod- March 2018, Royal Conservatory of Music, To- Caroline Sabatier, Pauline Viardot, Giudit- ern concert producer. To sample the pro- ronto, Canada ta Pasta, and Adelina Patti were all famous gram, visit the link below for audio and Giacomo Rossini lived a bacchanalian for their performances and premieres of video selections by Rossini, Pauline Viar- life, enjoying good food, wine, and wom- Rossini’s works. From the comic roles of dot, and Giuditta Pasta. (https://youtu.be/ en and pausing to write new operas when Rosina and Fiorilla, to the dramatic Des- ghhMzTbe214) money ran low. In his operas, he portrayed demona and Queen Elizabeth, to the wild The Association of Canadian Women his heroines as pleasure-loving and light- women in Il viaggio a Rheims, these wom- Composers hearted as he, and his real-life prima don- en elevated both his music and his pub- nas were as extraordinary as his music. lic profile. This recital program of songs, DIANE BERRY The term “prima donna” is synonymous arias, and duets salutes these amazing The Association of Canadian Women Com- with melodrama, and these women were women and, of course, Signore Rossini. posers continues to grow in its membership famous for their tantrums, their jewels and Set to debut in March 2018 at the as well as its presence in the cultural com- fees, their private lives, and of course their Royal Conservatory of Music’s Mazzoleni munity. At the time of this report there are public performances. What history has Masters Series, You’re Welcome, Rossini is sixty-eight paid members, with hopes to obscured, however, is that Rossini’s sing- curated and performed by pianist Rachel keep increasing that number. ers were talented composers in their own Andrist, mezzo-soprano Allyson McHardy, Improvements continue to be made to right. Their songs were first performed in and soprano Lucia Cesaroni. These inter- our website (www.acwc.ca), with more up- private salon concerts, and later inserted nationally acclaimed artists have created to-date information on the activities of the directly into Rossini’s current hit at the a program which sheds light on the vastly

Reports 39 association both past and upcoming. The essays are titled: 1. Castrati: border-cross- finis in Tokyo and was organized and per- recent inclusion of pictures from events ing of gender. 2. Music at home: Fanny formed by Ex Novo Chamber Choir. It in- around the country has made it more en- Hensel’s Sunday concerts. 3. Emergence of cluded sacred music, mainly excerpts from gaging. At the same time, the information professional women musicians. 4. Open- Leonarda’s Salmi concertati and from her on the individual member pages is still be- ness and solidarity: Society of Women other works, plus excerpts from L’armonia ing added and updated. Musicians in Britain. 5. Western art mu- sacra dell’antifone by Maurizio Cazzati, The association is becoming more ac- sic in school and women in the Meiji-era Musiche sacre by Francesco Cavalli, and tive in presenting its own concerts, as op- in Japan. (The Meiji-era [1868-1912] was Antifona Gregoriana. The unusual and imposed to only working with other organiza- a period when new economic, political, pressive concert was appropriately given tions. A concert to celebrate 100 years of and social institutions were established.) on the first Sunday of Advent. women’s suffrage in the British Columbia 6. Musical accomplishments of women in Dr. Taeko Nishizaka is currently revising her province was given on April 7th in Vic- modern Japan. doctoral dissertation, “A Study of W.W. Cob- toria. All of the music on the programme The fourth of these essays, “Openness bett: Observations on Being an Amateur,” for was written by women composers; the and solidarity,” is mine. The title refers to publication in book form. One of her study’s works were chosen from a call for scores the Society of Women Musicians’ aim to main topics is the cooperation between Cob- plus compositions already in the repertoire develop solidarity and friendship among bett, a male amateur musician and patron of the of the performers. The oldest piece dates women musicians, while, at the same time, arts, and the Society of Women Musicians; she from the early 1700s, written by an Ursu- maintaining an open and positive attitude discusses discrimination against both women and amateurs by professional male musicians. line nun in Quebec and is the first known toward male composers. The Society held music written by a woman in this country. its first public concert in 1912, and it con- The Kapralova Society Annual The program also presented songs by the sisted entirely of works by women. Over granddaughter of a local coal baron (Eli- the years, however, the members became Report 2016 nor Dunsmuir, 1887-1938), dating from increasingly dependent upon male com- KARLA HARTL the early years of the last century. These posers, and their 1937 concert featured The year 2016 was notable particularly songs have been sitting in the archives of no works by women, although composi- for the record number of recordings of the original family home, only recently tions by outstanding women were avail- Vítězslava Kaprálová’s music released by coming to light, and this may be the first able. Even the 60th anniversary concert of various labels around the globe. The most performance of some of them. their founding, in 1971, included only one ambitious project among them was the On May 28th, in Waterloo, Ontario, a woman’s work on the program. When the Czech Radio double-CD of five orchestral concert of piano music was presented by Society dissolved the following year, the works by Kaprálová: Military Sinfonietta, the piano collective within the association. original spirit of solidarity among women Suita Rustica, Piano Concerto in D-Minor, They had a very successful call for scores, seemed to be forgotten. My impression is Partita, and Concertino for Violin, Clarinet and the pieces chosen reflected a range of that in a male-dominated society, it was and Orchestra, re- styles and difficulty with the emphasis on a not easy to cherish both solidarity among corded live in 2015 variety of pedagogical levels. women and openness toward men. It was in Brno and featur- A concert is being planned for Toronto, probably easier to assimilate the status quo. ing the Brno Phil- Ontario in October celebrating Canada’s A concert of music for harp and flute harmonic, under 150th birthday, with an emphasis on the by women composers was held on No- the baton of Olga environment and endangered species. The vember 12, 2016 at Tokyo Women’s Plaza Pavlů, with soloists call for scores is currently active and the Hall, organized by Midori Kobayashi. The Alice Rajnohová, organization of the concert is ongoing. The performers were Ritsuko Arima (harp) Lucie Czajkowska, Association is also involved in a discussion and Tomoko Ito (flute). Most of the mu- Pavel Wallinger, with its members and potential members sic was generally unknown but deserves Vítězslava Kaprálová and Lukáš Daňhel. about how it can better serve them, and be to become known. The program included The Swedish label DB Productions re- more reflective of them. This will prove to the following harp solos: Sonata by So- leased Kaprálová’s April Preludes as part be an interesting and important discussion phia Corri-Dussek; Fantaisie sur un thème of their “Grammis” nominated album Ne- as we strive to grow in the future. de l’opéra “Eugène Onegin” par Tchai- glected Works for Piano, featuring Bengt kovsky by Ekaterina Walter-Kühne; and Forsberg. The Australian ensemble Muses Japan Deuxième Ballade and Contemplation by Trio released their debut album, The Spirit Henriette Renié; plus two works for flute TAEKO NISHIZAKA and the Maiden, featuring Kaprálová’s El- and harp: Sicilienne by Maria Theresia egy. Finally, the Kapralova Society’s digi- A significant book on women in music, Paradis; and Valse mélancolique by Marie tal release on SoundCloud made available Kurashikku Ongaku to Josei-tachi (Clas- de Grandval. Kaprálová’s music for piano, violin, and sical Music and Women), edited by Yuko A concert titled “Vespro di Sant’Andrea piano, violoncello and piano, and the opus Tamagawa, was published by Seikyusha, apostolo: Isabella Leonarda. Portrait of a 10 songs, featuring Canadian artists An- Tokyo, in November 2015. It consists pri- Nun Composer” was devoted especially to ton Kubalek, Gerard Kantarjian, Coenraad marily of six essays focusing on the places music by Isabella Leonarda (1620-1704). It Bloemendal, and Dana Campbell, as well where women make music: theater, home, was held on November 27, 2016 at Hall Af- concert hall, associations, and school. The as German pianist Axel Gremmelspacher.

40 IAWM Journal Volume 23, No. 1 2017 The past year also offered a re- but as a television star, appearing in Season cisco Chronicle, The Columbus Dispatch cord number of country premieres of 3 of the Amazon produced, award-winning (Daniel Wiegand), and forbiddenmusic Kaprálová’s orchestral music, including series Mozart in the Jungle as a trailblazer (Michael Haas). the Swiss premiere of Kaprálová’s or- character from the past who has inspired The fourteenth volume of the Kapralo- chestral song Sbohem a šáteček (orches- the series’ heroine, Hailey (Lola Kirke), va Society Journal featured texts of Maria tra L’anima giusta, conducted by Jessica and her friend Lizzy (Hannah Dunne) to Norriega Rachwal and Hye-Bin Song, in- Horsley and featuring Olga Pavlů as solo- take on new creative challenges. The series terviews with women conductors Jessica ist), North American premieres of Military even sampled some of Kaprálová’s music, Horsley and Odaline de la Martinez, and Sinfonietta (University of Michigan Sym- while its soundtrack, released by Sony in a symposium report by Judith Mabary. phony Orchestra, conducted by Kenneth December, featured an orchestra named af- Rachwal’s article “Feminizing the Stage: Kiesler) and Suita Rustica (Eastern Con- ter Kaprálová. Early Lady Orchestras and Their Mae- necticut Symphony Orchestra, conducted In 2016, Czech Radio made avail- stras” was printed in the spring issue, while by Toshiyuki Shimada), and the Austrian able an orchestral score of Smutný večer Song’s analytical text “Influence, Individu- premiere of Concertino for Violin, Clari- (ed. Timothy Cheek), one of the orchestral ality and Stylistic Evolution in the Music net, and Orchestra (Vienna Concert-Ver- songs Kaprálová originally envisaged as of Fanny Hensel and Felix Mendelssohn” ein, conducted by Doron Salomon, with a cycle of three. The Kapralova Society was published in the fall issue. Thomas Alebertus Irnberger and Reinhard published Kaprálová’s piano miniature Thanks to worldwide volunteers, our Wieser as soloists). There were seven radio Slavnostní fanfara (Festive fanfare) and databases of women composers and con- broadcasts featuring Kaprálová’s music in volume 2 of its anthology of Kaprálová’s ductors and other online resources on 2016, by three national broadcasters: Ra- correspondence (ed. Karla Hartl). Reviews women in music continue to expand and dio France, BBC, and Czech Radio. The of Kaprálová’s music appeared in a vari- attract visitors to our website. While the most important among them was Radio ety of periodicals and on various blogs. databases are frequently bookmarked by France’s four-part series dedicated mostly Kaprálová was also featured or mentioned online discussion groups and blogs, many to Kaprálová’s music and broadcast by in articles published by Societatea Muzi- college libraries also link to our journal France Musique during its Le Passage de cala (Cosmina Cornea), The Wall Street and the Woman Composer Question bibli- midi program. Kaprálová also made her de- Journal (Norman Lebrecht), San Fran- ography. AWARDS AND HONORS Adrienne Albert’s choral work, MALALA electric organ was the winner of the Ele- Consortium Commissioning Project, in for SSAA, was a finalist in the Choral Di- vate Ensemble’s Call for Scores. The work which she became the Malaysian represen- vision of The American Prize. It was com- was performed in San Francisco on March tative performer for Vera Ivanova’s newly missioned by The Cornell University Cho- 4 at a concert entitled “After Dark.” Her al- commissioned piece for solo piano with rus, Robert Isaacs, conductor. bum Stay was selected in December for the optional electronics soundtrack. Lori Ardovino was awarded a Creative NewMusicBox 2016 Staff Picks by Frank The short film Sleep that María Euge- and Special Projects Grant from the Uni- J. Oteri. nia León scored in 2016 is very active versity of Montevallo, Alabama, to fund The Society for American Music has an- her recording project, Music for Saxo- nounced that Dr. Chen Yi and Dr. Zhou phone by Living Women Composers. The Long will be named the society’s newest Pulitzer Prize in Music CD will include Hillary Tann’s Songs of honorary members at the 2018 Kansas City The IAWM congratulates Pulitzer Prize the Cotton Grass for soprano and soprano conference. Chen Yi (violinist and compos- winner Du Yun and finalists Ashley saxophone and Windover for solo soprano er) and Zhou Long (composer) were both Fure and Kate Soper: all of whom are saxophone; Nancy Van de Vate’s A Quiet born in China, have contributed immensely women! Du Yun won the Pulitzer Prize Place for solo saxophone; and two works to musical culture in the United States and for music for her opera Angel’s Bone, by Lori Ardovino: Eloquence for solo sax- beyond, and are currently distinguished which the Pulitzer jury described as a ophone and Drinking with the Moon Alone professors of composition at the Univer- bold work “that integrates vocal and infor soprano, alto saxophone and piano. The sity of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory strumental elements and a wide range of performers will be Melanie Williams, so- of Music and Dance. The Society honors styles into a harrowing allegory for hu- prano; Laurie Middaugh, piano; and Lori both for convincingly blending Chinese man trafficking in the modern world.” Ardonino, saxophone. The CD will be re- and Western traditions, successfully tran- The story concerns the plight of two leased in the fall of 2017. scending cultural and musical boundaries, angels who are discovered on earth and Jennifer Bellor’s Chase the Stars was and achieving honors of the highest order. are forced into spiritual and sexual slav- the winner of the 2016 American Prize Andrea Clearfield was awarded a 2016 ery at the hands of a financially troubled in the orchestra category. The piece is for Pew Fellowship and a 2017 Independence couple. The libretto is by Royce Vavrek. soprano, rapper, string quartet, flute, bass Foundation Fellowship in the Arts. The opera was commissioned by New York’s Prototype Festival and Trinity clarinet, percussion, electric guitar, piano, Yen-Lin Goh was a member of one of the electric bass, and drums. The composer Wall Street, which staged the world pre- two composer/performer teams that were miere on January 6, 2016. also sings on the recording. Her Moments awarded the 2017-18 Global Première Shared, Moments Lost for clarinet and

Reports 41 in the festival circuit. It recently received Kendra Leonard has been named Ru- design, and acting. The awards are selected an award of Excellence for Direction and dolph Ganz Long-Term Fellow at the New- by an independent judging committee and Original Score at the Depth of Field Inter- berry Library, where she will be conduct- are presented to individuals who, through national Film Festival 2017. It has been ing research on women in/and music for their art, generously share knowledge, aes- selected at other festivals as well, for ex- early cinema. thetic culture, education and entertainment ample, at Los Angeles Independent Film Eleni Lomvardou has been nominated by with the audience. Festival Awards 2017, where it won several the Cyprus Theatre Organisation for a Best Sky Macklay was awarded a Charles Ives awards; also at the California Film Awards Original Music in a Play Award in the 2017 Scholarship from the American Academy 2016, where it won a Silver Award; it was Cyprus Theatre Awards, for her music for of Arts and Letters. She is one of five nomi- selected for the Amarcord Arthouse Tele- the play Two for the Seesaw by William nees for the Gaudeamus International Com- vision & Video Awards, Studio City Film Gibson, produced by Ano Throsko Technis posers Award and three of her pieces will be Festival and Los Angeles Film & Script Productions last year in Cyprus, Greece. programmed at Gaudeamus Muziekweek Festival as well. The short film A Gift, The Cyprus Theatre Awards were institut- in Utrecht, Netherlands in September. which María also scored last year, has con- ed in 2001 (until 2014 they were known as tinued screening in new festivals, includ- Nicole Murphy was one of two winners of THOC Theatre Awards) and are awarded the Iceburg New Music competition (250 ing the StoneFair International Film Fes- to artists for exceptional work in a par- tival 2016, where it won two awards; the works were submitted). Iceberg is based ticular production in the following fields: in New York City. Her untangled was per- Macabre Faire Film Festival 2017, Berlin playwriting/ dramaturgical adaptation/text International Cinefest (selected in autumn formed by the New York ensemble Con- composition, acting, directing, stage de- temporaneous on April 6. The other winner 2016), and the Pasadena International Film sign, costume design, music, choreogra- Festival 2017. was Heather Stebbins, whose Quiver was phy/movement, stage lighting/multimedia performed by Loadbang on May 10. Kristin Norderval’s opera The Trials of Grant to Promote the Role of Women in Music Patricia Isasa was nominated for Quebec’s Opus Prize for 2016 in two categories: Best The PRS Foundation has secured a $200,000 grant from the Creative Europe pro- Contemporary Music and Best Concert of gramme of the European Union to develop a new initiative aimed at promoting the the Year in Montreal. role of women across the music industry. The grant will help fund the Foundation’s new Keychange programme, which is designed to highlight the potential creative and Jane O’Leary’s string quartet, The Pass- economic contribution women could be making to Europe’s music industry. Build- ing Sound Forever (2015), has been selecting on the Women Make Music Fund in the UK, Keychange will seek to boost tal- ed from more than 1,100 submissions for ent development and innovation in music by creating new international opportunities performance at the MISE-EN Music Festi- for performance, collaboration and learning amongst female artists and professionals val 2017 in New York City, June 20-25. She looking to break into new markets. said: “I look forward to joining the musi- PRS Foundation has teamed up with a number of European partners for the initia- cians of the ensemble mise-en in New York tive, including Iceland Airwaves, BIME (Spain), Reeperbahn (Germany), The Great that week, and hopefully meeting other Escape (UK), Tallinn Music Week (Estonia), MusickCentrum/Way out West (Swe- musicians/members of IAWM in the area.” den) and Mutek (Canada). Additional sponsorship has been secured from Spotify and (The balanced program will present music STEF (The Performing Rights Society of Iceland). More partners are expected to be by several other women including a work announced over the coming months. Activities announced so far include two gather- by the Irish composer Linda Buckley.) ings of the Keychange network at Tallinn Music Week and BIME in 2018, smaller Kotoka Suzuki’s In Praise of Shadows re- groups showcasing and networking at other partners’ music festivals, a programme of cently received the following prizes: First creative labs and online content, a high profile social media campaign and an event Prize at the Musica Nova International in Brussels at the European Parliament in 2019, where partners will jointly present a Competition of Electro-Acoustic Music manifesto for change. in the Czech Republic and The American All supported artists and professionals will be selected through a nomination Prize Special Judges’ Citation Award in the process led by local partners and their industry colleagues. A joint selection panel will Chamber Music category. It was selected take place at Reeperbahn Festival in September 2017. Vanessa Reed, chief executive as one of Canada’s official submissions in of PRS Foundation, said: “I’m delighted that we’ve succeeded as lead partner in our the ISCM World Music Days Festival in application to Creative Europe in spite of uncertainties posed by the UK’s decision to Vancouver in November 2017. The work leave the European Union. European and international collaboration is essential to the will be featured on the ISCM Canadian creative and business development of individual artists and the industry as a whole. Section website soon. In Praise of Shad- Keychange’s focus on giving talented women access to international networks and ows was commissioned by the Contem- new markets at critical stages in their career will help them realise their potential as porary Music Festival at Arizona State future leaders of an industry that is ready for change. I’m proud to be working with University. It was written for three paper such an impressive line-up of festivals and music organisations to realise this ambi- players and electronics, and all instruments tious European project which is based on shared values and a joint commitment to were constructed out of paper. The work shifting the status quo.” was inspired by Junichiro Tanizaki’s essay, “In Praise of Shadows” (1933), at the birth

42 IAWM Journal Volume 23, No. 1 2017 of the modern technological era in impe- In the summer of 2015, the Göteborg Op- performers to produce the score, composed rial Japan. The essay describes the ways era and ShareMusic & Performing Arts specifically for the unique voices cast for in which shadows/emptiness are integral placed an open call for an operatic score, this production, a cast that includes both to traditional Japanese aesthetics in music, and 155 composers from all over the world opera singers and performers with disabili- architecture, and food, right down to the answered the call. The artistic leaders of ties. design of everyday objects. The essay is the two organizations selected composer Judith Lang Zaimont was honored by concerned with how the modern sensibil- Line Tjørnhøj’s new opera SHANGHAI. the American Pianists Association, which ity and excessive illumination of Edison’s It received its world premiere at the Göte- commissioned her to compose a work to be modern light affect Japanese aesthetics and borg Opera (Sweden) on April 7, with nine- performed by the five finalists in the APA culture. In Praise of Shadows is a eulogy teen performances scheduled until May competition. Her work Attars received its for our collective loss of the tangible as our 14. Erik Fägerborn was the librettist and premiere performance on April 3 at The modern life has become increasingly alien- Stephen Langridge, director. For the past American Pianists Awards New Music Re- ated from materiality, pushing into virtual/ year, Tjørnhøj has worked closely with the cital in Indianapolis. digital domain. Members’ News Compiled by Anita Hanawalt News items are listed alphabetically by mem- and virtuosic contest. Pianist Eric Ferrand such as refugees. She attended the meeting ber’s name and include recent and forthcom- N’Kaoua made the recording in Bourg- in Pula on April 6. The project will be coming activities. Submissions are always welcome Saint-Maurice, France, on June 17, 2016. pleted in September 2017 and launched in concerning honors and awards, appointments, While in Grenoble, Aberdam was invited January 2018, to last three years. commissions, premieres, performances, publi- by Claude Cadoz, director of ACROE (As- cations, recordings, and other items. We recom- Beth Anderson’s Dark Songs were per- mend that you begin with the most significant sociation pour la Creation et la Recherche formed at National Opera Center (Man- news first and follow that with an organized pre- d’Outils d’Expression) to study Genesis, a hattan) by the Borzova-Tonna Vocal Duo sentation of the other information. Due to space musician-oriented software environment in October 2016. In January 2017, Marvin limitations, information such as lengthy descrip- for sound synthesis and musical composi- Rosen performed her piano solo History at tions, lists of performers, long websites, and re- tion by physical modeling, at the Institut Bristol Chapel of Westminster Choir Col- views may sometimes be edited. National Polytechnique. Please send information about your activi- lege in Princeton, NJ; and her choral com- ties to members’ news editor Anita Hanawalt at Aslı Giray Akyunak gave three concerts positions were performed at Spectrum [email protected]. The deadline for the in Bonn and Cologne between March 20 (New York City): Precious Memories, next issue is September 30, 2017. Anita does and 24, 2017. The first was a recital in Dream Song, Wyken Blynken and Nod, May not monitor announcements sent to the IAWM which she accompanied six opera singers, We Ever Mindful Be, and The Good Christ- listserv; be sure to send the information directly students, and graduates from the opera de- mas Cat. In March, her piano pieces were to her. partment of Yaşar University (Turkey) at performed at the National Opera Center Information about awards and honors and Stella Rheni, Bad Godesberg Bonn. The by Joseph Kubera: September Swale, Wal- about recent CD releases are in separate col- second was with the Aloisiuskolleg Bonn lonian Waltz, Weirwood Chase, History, umns. Please see Awards and Honors and Re- Orchestra and Parafonia Choir (a fine Belgian Tango, Greta Garbo Waltz, and cent Releases. arts high school choir conducted by Ilhan Net Work. Also in March, Mourning Dove Harpist Marissa Knaub and Amiche (Italian Akyunak), where she played the solo piano Swale for string orchestra was premiered by for “women friends”), founded by libret- part in the renown Turkish composer Fazıl David Fanning, conductor, and the National tist Sarah Carleton and soprano Lara Lynn Say’s large scale work Nazım Oratorio. String Symphonia at Kussmaul Theater in Cottrill in 2013, gave the world premiere The soloists were again university gradu- Frederick, MD and at BlackRock Center of The Heart of Shahrazad with music by ates. These last two concerts were impor- for the Arts in Germantown, MD. In April, Eliane Aberdam on August 13, 2015. For tant in building bridges between the youth her Cat Songs were performed at Townsend harp, actress, and soprano, The Heart of of Turkey and Germany, thus the concerts University by Leneida M. Crawford. Shahrazad is a monodrama telling the sto- had artistic as well as social value. In May, Symphony Tacoma presented the ry of a young woman, Shahrahzad, fighting She was selected to be a member of world premiere of Deborah J. Anderson’s through violence and anger with hope and International Music Academy organized by piece for very young audiences, Kitty’s courage. Following the premiere, Aber- the Music Academy of Pula, Juraj Dobrial Big Adventure. Composed as a companion dam spent a sabbatical year (2015-2016) in University in Croatia. There is one repre- piece to Peter and the Wolf, it is scored for Grenoble, France, where she experimented sentative member from each of ten differ- the same instruments and combines narra- with writing for piano Disklavier. This led ent Southeastern European countries. Their tive story-telling with music. to the recording of Encounter, a piece in aim is to prepare and present an EU project four movements for pianist and piano (the which is geared towards providing educa- Anna Appleby was appointed Music Fel- piano has its own part) built on the idea that tion and performance possibilities for tal- low at Rambert Dance Company for 2016- the two protagonists, the pianist in the flesh ented youth from these countries who are 17. The Music Fellowship was created in and the piano-robot, are rivals in a musical not so fortunate in their financial status, 2010 as part of a commitment to developing

Members’ News 43 future generations “of artists in all aspects Las Vegas Master Singers on April 1, 2017, the premiere of Bond’s opera The Miracle of the company’s creative work.” Please and was reviewed by KNPR’s Dave Becker of Hanukkah. Bond conducted. see her blog: “Our new Music Fellow now prior to the performance. North Star: Lis- Jerry Casey completed her chamber op- has a sense of ‘Perpetual Movement’ in teners Guide to the Flute Choir was pre- era, Pilate’s Wife, in July 2016. A scene her music.” (http://www.rambert.org.uk/ miered by Sirocco Flutes; the performance from the opera was performed at the Soci- explore/news-and-blog/blog/new-music- was made possible by a Nevada Jackpot ety of Composers, Inc. Region VI Confer- fellow-perpetual-movement-in-her-music/) grant. Querencia for wind ensemble featur- ence at the University of Texas-Arlington, Appleby was the recipient of the Alan Raw- ing vibraphone was premiered on January on February 4, 2017 as a part of the op- sthorne Prize (2016), the Rosamond Prize 26 at the Colorado Music Education As- era workshop under the direction of Ron (2015), and a finalist in the RNCM Gold sociation Conference by the Adams State Montgomery. The singers were Kimber Medal competition (2015). She has also re- University wind ensemble featuring vi- Carter and Randi Bivens, and the pianist ceived second prize at the Northern Sinfo- braphonist James Doyle. From My Doleful was Charlene Sutton. nia’s “Mozarts of Tomorrow” competition. Prison for soprano, piano, electronics, and Her piano miniature In the Beginning was projected imagery was commissioned and Tamara Cashour’s string quartet Love Is the Word was commissioned and premiered premiered by soprano Emily Mills for the Not A Subaru (a musical “rebuttal” to the car by pianist Grace Francis on BBC Radio 3 February 17 performance at the Composers commercial) was performed in an abridged for International Women’s Day 2015 and Now Festival; the second performance was version at the Vermont College of Fine Arts released as part of the album Sacred by at the UNLV Nextet Concert on March 15. in February 2017 by the 2017 Grammy- Launch Music International. Appleby is Jennifer was Guest Composer at the Mis- nominated Spektral Quartet. The full ver- currently the Manchester composer in resi- souri State University Composition Festi- sion, complete with guitarist/country-west- dence with Streetwise Opera and the artist val February 27-March 1; her compositions ern singer and video stills/installation, will in residence with Quay Voices. Stay and Remember were performed. She be essayed at New York City’s Symphony Space in February 2018. Cashour con- Lori Ardovino is a finalist in the Interna- was commissioned to write Crystalline for two pianos and percussion for its July 2nd ducted her arrangement of “Ride On King tional Clarinet Association Research Com- Jesus” in April at The Presbyterian Church petition. The final round will take place on premiere on Olga Shupyatskaya’s faculty recital at the Eastman School of Music. of New Rochelle, where she continues as July 26, 2017. Her paper is entitled, “The Music Director/Organist/Choir Director Jazz Clarinet and its use in the Early Jazz Victoria Bond celebrated the 20th anniver- and composer-in-residence of anthems and Orchestra.” sary of her series “Cutting Edge Concerts introits premiered by the choir and soloists. Elizabeth R. Austin’s Litauische Lieder New Music Festival.” The concerts, which The world premiere performance of Make (Lithuanian Lieder) for baritone and piano took place in April and May at Symphony The Heart of This People Fat (an art song was performed on April 5, 2017 at Die Space in Manhattan, featured the premiere taken from the Book of Isaiah) was given at Akademie der Künste Berlin. The occa- of Bond’s opera Sirens based on episode Scola Cantorum in Paris, France as part of sion was the centennial celebration of the eleven of James Joyce’s Ulysses. Bond the European American Musical Alliance poet Johannes Bobrowski, who was born conducted a cast of four singers, a narrator, program of study during summer 2016. In in East Prussia. The performers were Wol- and the Cygnus Ensemble, and the opera fall 2016, pianist Llewellyn Sanchez-Wer- fram Tessmer, baritone, and Frank Guts- drew an ecstatic response from the capacity ner premiered Baldi Buddy Ol’ Pal, a set chmidt, piano. audience. Also presented on the series was of contemporary piano variations based on a string orchestra arrangement of Bond’s the well-known Frescobaldi Cento partite Pianist and composer Deborah Yardley Frescoes and Ash performed by the String Beers performed her own set of three piec- sopra passacagli for Juilliard composition Orchestra of New York City (SONYC). In students. es for piano solo, In a Few Words, at the December, Chamber Opera Chicago gave Women Composers Festival of Hartford on April 1, and at the Rivers School Conser- Canary Retires from Radio vatory Seminar on Contemporary Music I have decided to retire as host of my radio program, “The Latest Score,” on station for the Young, in Weston, MA, on April WOMR in Provincetown, Massachusetts, after twenty years! The part that makes me 7. The commissioned composer for the sad is that I will no longer be playing your music; in fact, I stayed two years longer Rivers Seminar, Matthew Aucoin (http:// than I had planned because I was reluctant to let go of the music by so many wonderful matthewaucoin.com/), who is also artist in IAWM composers. I enjoyed listening to all the CDs that you sent to me, and I was es- residence at Los Angeles Opera, wrote after pecially pleased to air newly minted works. Some composers sent me their entire collec- hearing Deborah’s performance: “It’s a spe- tions. There are about eight radio program that will play some of the music, but I was the cial and mesmerizing experience to witness only one who was willing to play all kinds of classical music by both men and women. Deborah Yardley Beers performing her own I plan to continue composing. I have recently finished writing a Mass and am com- piano music. The sequence In a Few Words mitted to completing several commissions. I also need to build a website and write a is simultaneously eloquent and inscrutable: book. When people listened to my stories over the years, they often said, “You should this music has a natural slyness that never write a book!” I have started but I need uninterrupted time for both the book and my degenerates into mere irony.” music. So I am saying farewell to radio, and I hope to donate my collection of 400 Jennifer Bellor’s 898 Hildegard was pre- recordings to a university library or radio station. miered by the Las Vegas Philharmonic and

44 IAWM Journal Volume 23, No. 1 2017 Pianist Ana Cervantes was invited by the Unformed attempts to depict his idea musi- On April 2, 2017, Mothers of Moses, with State Institute of Culture of Guanajuato to cally by using the same musical material music by composer Rene Orth and lyrics tour the interior of the State of Guanajuato to express “manifestation” and “hiding.” by librettist Ellen Frankel, had its Phila- at the end of March 2017. She presented a Im Nebel for baritone and large ensemble delphia premiere as part of an interfaith mixed program of J. S. Bach, Beethoven, was premiered by the Illinois Modern Seder, hosted by the Germantown Jewish and Debussy, plus three pieces by women Ensemble, conducted by Carlos Carrillo, Centre. Commissioned by the Women’s composers: Marcela Rodríguez, Alex Sha- featuring soloist Ricardo Sepulveda at the Sacred Music Project, Mothers of Moses is piro, and Silvia Cabrera Berg from her Faculty Composition Recital on March 15. an extraordinary tale of female heroism and Rumor de Páramo collection in honor of This piece is based on Hermann Hesse’s Im cooperation, of the maternal spirit triumph- the Month of the Woman. Her interview Nebel and is dedicated to the composer’s ing. At a time when the world struggles to on TV4, in which she speaks of her con- beloved father. Im Nebel was performed by live side by side in peace, this reminds us victions about the vital importance of the the Illinois Modern Ensemble conducted of how much we share in common. arts as part of public health, is now avail- by Stephen Taylor featuring soloist Ri- Susan Frykberg was fortunate enough to able on YouTube in Spanish with Eng- cardo Sepulveda at the UIUC New Music have been awarded a five-month sound- lish subtitles (https://www.youtube.com/ Ensemble concert on March 31. Slight Un- art/composer residence at the Sergeant Art watch?v=vM3GAolFqf8). certainty is Very Attractive was performed Gallery in Whanganui, New Zealand. She Kyong Mee Choi’s Water Bloom II for by Jill DeGroot at the Symphony Center lived in one of the oldest homes in New orchestra was premiered by the Chicago Buntrok Hall for a benefit concert on Inter- Zealand (1853), the Tylee Cottage Art- Composers Orchestra conducted by Allen national Women’s Day on March 8, as well ist Residency; in addition, she received a Tinkham on April 22, 2017 at St. James as at Narloch Piano Studios on March 11. stipend and was given free rein! Her main Episcopal Cathedral. For this concert, the Andrea Clearfield’s HVATI for tuba and work, on the local painter Edith Collier orchestra collaborated with the Chicago piano, commissioned by Froydis Ree (1885-1964), was in two versions: an au- Composers’ Consortium (c3), a grass-roots Wekre, was premiered by Oystein Baads- dio/video installation combined with Col- organization of composers dedicated to vik in Sweden last February. Alleluia lier’s paintings and a composition for flute, creating new music in Chicago. The perfor- (SATB), Shape of my Soul and Now Close voices, and video. Three performances mance featured a collection of works by c3 the Windows (treble choir), and That Sum- of the latter were given on February 11 members expressing a wide range of rep- mer: A Fantasia on Family (cantata for titled “It Shows Really, a Rather Beauti- resentations, impressions, and responses to men’s choir) will be published by Boosey ful Spirit,” a quote about the artist by her life in Chicago. Choi’s rare yet soft for elec- & Hawkes this spring. Farlorn Alemen niece. The performance tells the story of tronics was presented at the 2017 National was recently published by G. Schirmer. Collier’s life through flute, song, story, and Conference of the Society for Electro- Clearfield’s Tibetan cantata Tse Go La is video. Susan’s string quartet titled Whan- Acoustic Music in the United States (SEA- now published by Seeadot Publishing. ganui Soundscapes was premiered by the MUS) on April 20 at the Ritsche Auditori- River Melos (arranged for trombone), com- local Richdale Quartet and The Artists of um at St. Cloud State University. The piece missioned by Denise Tryon, was recorded Tylee Cottage. It is a collaborative sound was dedicated to the composer’s beloved by Ava Ordman on Clearfield’s CD: It’s art work with Joe Salmon and Kerry Gird- father, Soon Bong Choi. The work was About Time. Women of Valor (hour long wood (voice, electronic music, and audi- presented at the Chicago Electro-Acoustic oratorio on the women of the Bible) was ence participation), and it is based on the Music Festival on April 7 in Ganz Hall at released on the Albany label on April 1 names of all the Tylee artists who had Roosevelt University. The festival featured (see Recent Releases). Round for Three preceded Susan. She also led the people works by Chicago College of Performing Muses, commissioned by the Yun Ju Pan of Whanganui on a sound walk and kept Arts composition students, featured guest percussion ensemble, was premiered on a “sonic diary” of her time there, since composer Elainie Lillios, and the members April 22 at Michigan State with subsequent she wanted to approach the residency of Chicago Composers Consortium: Beth performances in China, Taiwan, and Japan through “listening to the town as if for Bradfish, Kyong Mee Choi, Timothy Ed- to take place this summer. the first time” and creating the work from wards, Kathleen Ginther, Timothy Ernest Giovanna Dongu reports that her work, that perspective. Her listening diary can Johnson, and Elizabeth Start. rare yet Cantico delle creature, was performed by be found at: https://www.facebook.com/ soft was presented at the Rocky Mountain her ensemble from the Asnieres Conserva- Susan-Frykberg-Sound-and-Listening- Chapter Conference of the College Music tory and Azuni Liceo of Sassari, Sardinia, Practice-302840856759892/ Society at ENMU Buchanan Hall, Eastern on March 11 at the Notre-Dame du Sec- Yen-Lin Goh was invited to perform at New Mexico University on March 25. ours Perpétuel church in Asnières sur Seine four concerts of the monthly music series To Unformed for piano and electronics (Paris). The world premiere of her compo- Serious Play Improv Lab (SPIL) in Kuala was performed by Aitor Lasa in Musikene sition for flute entitled Indugia, canta, si Lumpur, Malaysia, from September 2016 in San Sebastián, Spain on April 5. The attorciglia e svanisce was performed by through April 2017. The international piece was inspired by Thich Nhat Hanh’s Birgit Nolte on March 19 in Milan, Italy, guest artists she collaborated with in these book No Death, No Fear. He describes life at the Museo del Novecento during the fes- concerts include Japanese “space guitarist” and death by saying, “When conditions are tival “Le Cinque giornate” concert entitled Yoshitake EXPE, Korean taegum player sufficient we manifest and when conditions “Hommage à Pierre Boulez.” Hyelim Kim, Singaporean guitarist Yuen are not sufficient we go into hiding.” To Chee Wai, and German musicians Frank

Members’ News 45 Gratkowski and Max Riefer, in addition dent Composition Seminar and on March variety of diversity issues including updat- to several local musicians. She presented a 20 at Westminster Choir College of Rider ing organizational materials, policies, and multidisciplinary piano recital at Arts With- University in Princeton, New Jersey for an procedures to reflect inclusivity and the out Borders? International Conference in Art Song Seminar. desire to broaden the reach of SEAMUS Helsinki, Finland, in October 2016, which Dreams in War Time was performed and its projects as well as soliciting data included collaborations with Finnish musi- by Lorraine Yaros Sullivan, mezzo sopra- and feedback to assist in these tasks. She is cian Arja Paju from the Sibelius Academy no, and Kirk Severtson, piano, on February completing a chapter on the composer and and dancer/choreographer Jenni Nikolajeff 6 at the State University of New York in inventor Carla Scaletti for an upcoming from the University of the Arts in Helsinki. Potsdam. A Certain Tune was performed text (Analytical Essays on Music by Wom- In November 2016, she gave a presentation by English hornist Margaret Marco on en Composers [multiple volumes], Laurel entitled Beyond the Keyboard, featuring the February 9 at the University of Costa Rica Parsons and Brenda Ravenscroft, editors) Asian premiere of the two-piano version of in San José, on February 14 at the Univer- published by Oxford University Press. her Jigsaw Concerto and a performance of sity of Kansas, Overland Park, on February Heidi Jacob was appointed Associate Mayke Nas’ Digit #2 at the 2nd Internation- 25 for the Double Reed Festival at Western Conductor of the Chamber Orchestra of al Music & Performing Arts Conference Michigan University in Kalamazoo, and at First Editions, which performs in the Phil- in Malaysia. This was soon followed by a the 2017 Conference of the International adelphia area. collaborative performance with Taiwanese Double Reed Society at Lawrence Uni- artist Liu Fangyi at the Kuala Lumpur Ex- versity in Appleton, Wisconsin. Bells and Kendra Leonard’s book The Art Songs perimental Film, Video & Music Festival Grass was performed by Lauren Alfano- of Louise Talma was recently published (KLEX) in Malaysia. Ishida, soprano, and Rachel Alexander, by Routledge. She was named Rudolph She was selected by German artist Ig- violin, on February 11 for Project 142 at Ganz Long-Term Fellow at the Newberry naz Schick to collaborate for the Publika the DiMenna Center in New York City. Library, where she will be conducting re- and Goethe-Institute sponsored event Ig- Soprano Korliss Uecker, mezzo so- search on women in music and on music naz Schick (DE): Graphic Score & Impro- prano Tammy Hensrud, and pianist Kevin for early cinema. Jessica Rudman is set- visation, a performance of a graphic score Chance performed Music like a Curve of ting Leonard’s opera libretto for Marie created specifically for the performers and Gold on March 3 at the Music by Women Curie Learns to Swim, which will be pre- the event on March 23, 2017 at Black Box Festival held at the Mississippi University miered in early 2018. MAP, Publika, Kuala Lumpur. On May 3, for Women in Columbus and on March 10 To start its multi-year celebration of her piano duo Tham to Goh gave the world on the Carnegie Music Series held at the women in music, Close Encounters with premiere of Wesley Johnson’s Sedap Cy- Nyack (New York) Library, this time with Music (Great Barrington, Massachusetts) cle at Sultan Idris Education University in pianist Christopher Oldfather. Sopranos has commissioned a “musical quilt.” One Malaysia. Sedap Cycle, six movements for Stephanie Ball and Kristen Smith, mezzo segment of the quilt is Patricia Leonard’s four hands piano, was inspired by Malay- sopranos Sarah Reynolds and Hallie Spoor, “Remember the Ladies” from her opera sian cuisine and was written specifically and pianist Mallory Bernstein performed My Dearest Friend, based on the corre- for her piano duo. Tham 2 Goh will also be various songs on March 9 for the Denver spondence between Abigail Adams and touring around Malaysia featuring Sedap (Colorado) Art Song Project. Fables for a U.S. President John Adams. The quilt also Cycle in a concert entitled Piano Campur Prince was performed by the Fourth Coast includes miniatures by composers Thea from May to September. Yen-Lin will give Ensemble on April 4 at Robert Morris Uni- Musgrave, Tamar Muskal, Joan Tower, a recital with Polish clarinetist Maciej Bo- versity in Chicago. Night Dances was per- and Judith Zaimont who will be providing sak at the Russian Centre of Science & formed by soprano Anna Ward and pianist musical portraits of suffragettes and women Culture in Malaysia on June 10, 2017. Elaine Rombola on April 29 for “A World of valor who advanced the causes of every- The world premiere performance of Juli- of Music” series at Middlesex Community one with their steadfastness, ingenuity and ana Hall’s A World Turned Upside Down College in Lowell, Massachusetts; by so- idealism. The gala Fanfare for the Uncom- was given by soprano Kathleen Roland- prano Corinne Cowling and pianist Dylan mon Woman―Celebrating 100 Years of Silverstein and pianist Lisa Sylvester on Perez on May 15 for the “Song in the City” Women’s Suffrage will be held on June 10 March 10, 2017 during the Song Collabo- series in London, England; and by soprano at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center. Hanna van Rooijen and pianist Martien rators Consortia Art Song Festival held in Pianist and toy pianist Monica Jakuc Maas on June 20 at the Fontys Conservato- Amarillo, Texas. Hall was the recipient Leverett recently gave two lecture/recit- rium in Tilburg, The Netherlands. of the Sorel Commission from SongFest als entitled “Women Composers, Then 2017, where her song cycle When the Elizabeth Hinkle-Turner gave a presen- and Now.” She played works by Clara South Wind Sings (seven songs for soprano tation on challenges for women in music Schumann, Elisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre, and piano on poems by Carl Sandburg) technology at the Center for Arts and En- Fanny Hensel, Ruth Crawford Seeger, will be premiered by a professional fellow tertainment Technologies at the University Dorothy Rudd Moore, and Julia Nieber- soprano and pianist at the Colburn School of Texas at Austin in March 2017. She has gall, plus A Week in the Life of a Toy Piano in Los Angeles in June. She presented a been selected as the first Diversity Officer (2016), newly commissioned by her from guest lecture, “Art Songs of Juliana Hall,” on the board of the Society for Electro- Kaeza Fearn, and written especially for on February 15 at the Hartt School of Mu- Acoustic Music in the United States (SEA- her toy piano named “Spunky.” Her lec- sic in West Hartford, Connecticut for a Stu- MUS) and as such will be working on a ture focuses on the questions: “Why are

46 IAWM Journal Volume 23, No. 1 2017 there fewer women composers than men, During the 2016-2017 season, Eleni Lom- New York City. MEGA-ORGAN is an in- and why have we not heard about them vardou wrote the music scores for the the- teractive and touchable sonic and kinetic until recently?” atrical productions of the play Aggela by sculpture installation of inflatable harmon- Cellist Rhonda Rider and pianist Sarah the renowned Greek playwright George ica-playing bellow beds. Video documen- Bob performed Ruth Lomon’s 1984 work, Sevastikoglou, performed in Athens, tation is coming soon! Metamorphosis, on March 12 as part of Greece. She also composed the score for Nanette McGuinness and Ensemble for the Second Annual Alfredo and Dimitra the play Celestina by Fernando de Rojas, These Times (www.E4TT.org), with Dale DiLuzio Concert at the Slosberg Hall at performed in Nicosia, Cyprus. Tsang, piano, and Anne Lerner-Wright, cel- Brandeis University. The work was com- Selected songs from Janice Macaulay’s lo, joined by guest violinist Dawn Harms, posed for the Canadian cellist Elizabeth Seven Love Poems of Emily Dickinson performed The “Guernica” Project in April Dolin’s 1984 New York debut. The three were performed by Annie Gill, soprano, in Berkeley and San Francisco, California movements, “Source,” “Emergence,” and and Timothy McReynolds, piano, on the in commemoration of the 80th Anniver- “Imago,” share salient thematic elements Baltimore Composers Forum concert, sary of Picasso’s iconic painting and the germane to the overall structure. A large November 19, 2016 at Christ Lutheran horrific bombing of the town of Gernika audience attended a reception after the Church. in Spain that inspired him. The premiere performance to meet the soloists and to From March 26th to April 4th Sky Mack- includes works by Spanish composer Mer- celebrate the release of Lomon’s new CD, lay’s installation MEGA-ORGAN was cedes Zavala (from E4TT’s 2016 Call for Shadowing, on Navona Records. presented by Judson Memorial Church in Scores) as well as a new six-language, Peak Performances: Women Innovators in the Performing Arts Montclair State University in New Jersey has announced that its new Peak Performances season, which involves music, theater, and dance, will consist entirely of new works by women: “Women Innovators in the Performing Arts.” The first musical event will be the American premiere of composer Ashley Fure’s The Force of Things: An Opera for Objects, which will be performed by the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE), October 6-8. Fure was named “one of the finest young composers around” by The New York Times. She will create an immersive installation in which audience members sit beneath a dense canopy of hanging things that transform through kinetic, sonic, and lighting effects as the piece unfolds. Simone Dinnerstein, a pianist of “true expressive force” (The Washington Post) and choreographer Pam Tanowitz will collaborate on an evening-length dance set to Bach’s Goldberg Variations in a piece titled New Work for Goldberg Variations (October 19-22). The Shanghai Quartet will introduce Yiwen Lu, one of China’s top erhu players, in her first major US concert on December 16. Israeli choreographer Inbal Oshman will use Giovanni Battistia Pergolesi’s 1736 composition Stabat Mater as the point of departure for a contemporary dance work that explores universal aspects of motherhood. Oshman takes inspiration from the story of the Virgin Mary, the dark raging Hindu goddess Kali, and the Four Matriarchs of the Bible. Singers and musicians from the period orchestra New York Baroque Incorporated, led by Wen Yang, will perform Pergolesi’s score (April 12-15). The season will conclude with the world premiere of Julia Wolfe’s Spinning. Wolfe is a 2016 MacArthur Fellow and winner of the 2015 Pulitzer Prize in Music. She will collaborate with genre-bending cellist Maya Beiser, described by Rolling Stone as “a cello rock star.” (Her CD is reviewed on page 30.) Spinning draws on history, legend, metaphor, and iconic imagery of the simple labor of spinning thread, incorporating sounds of cello, accordion, percussion, singing, and speaking with multi-media projections and textiles by innovative visual artist Laurie Olinder (May 10-13). Peak Performances includes several theatrical and dance presentations including the American premiere of theater director Karin Coonrod’s version of The Merchant of Venice, with five performers of diverse race, ethnicity, and gender playing the pivotal role of Shylock (September 19-October 1). Italian director Emma Dante’s company makes a rare US appearance with The Sisters Macaluso. In a fantastical world suspended between earth and heavens, the seven Macaluso sisters form a family of crows participating of the funerals of their own family members (Nov. 16-19). The Camille A. Brown & Dancers will present the premiere of ink, the final installment in TED Fellow and Bessie Award-winner Camille A. Brown’s trilogy of dance-theater works about culture, race, and identity. It reclaims African American narratives and examines elements of them that have been appropriated, rewritten, or silenced, drawing on African American social dance, African dance, tap, jazz, modern, and hip hop (Feb 1-4). Stacy Klein and the Double Edge Theatre will present the world premiere of Leonora and Alejandro: La Maga y el Maestro, an imagined conversation between Leonora Carrington, the British-born Mexican surrealist painter, novelist, and founding member of Mexico’s Women’s Liberation Movement, and Alejandro Jodorowsky, the Chilean-French filmmaker. Leonora and Alejandro reflects on the silencing of women, the role of military puppets and corporate thugs, and the purposeful devastation of land, water, and people (March 17-25). Spanish writer, director, and performance artist Angélica Liddell is known for subjecting herself and her performers to physical pain to explore politics and the human condition. In Esta Breve Tragedia de la Carne (This Brief Tragedy of the Flesh) she takes inspiration from Emily Dickinson, who spent much of her life secluded in a room in her father’s house. Liddell reflects on Dickinson’s fascination with bees as well as her confinement, performing enclosed onstage with live bees (April 19-22).

Members’ News 47 four-movement commission, Guernica by cago, Clameurs, Melodie, for speaking cel- concert in Nicosia. The Cluster Festival Jeffrey Hoover, and several other related list and speaking percussionist. Later that commissioned Olson to rewrite/arrange works. The San Francisco premiere will month Misurell-Mitchell premiered Kar- Grimes’s 2012 song “Know the Way” for also include a traditional Basque dance by awane, for voice/alto flute and electronics the Plumes Ensemble, who performed the the Zazpiak Bat Dance Group, as well as at the Green Mill in Chicago. The text is new work eight times on their spring 2017 rare historical images from the Museo de from the Dada poem by Hugo Ball. cross-Canada tour. In April, Olson’s cham- la Paz in Gernika-Lumo, Spain. In June, Flutist Erin K. Murphy performed award- ber oratorio, No Capacity to Consent, com- E4TT will perform their second full con- winning Chicago-based composer Lita missioned and premiered by Third Practice cert of music from their Call for Scores in Grier’s Renascence concertino with the Ra- (with assistance from New Music USA) in San Francisco, 56x54 #2. The performance venswood Community Orchestra at Chica- 2016, was performed at the 2017 Women will include the United States premiere go’s DANK Haus on Saturday, May 20 at Composers Festival of Hartford. of Nepheles by Polish composer Martyna 7:30 pm. Other works on this all-American Hasu Patel has composed a new Sitar Kosecka (commissioned by E4TT and program included Samuel Barber’s Knox- Concerto with Chorus and Orchestra. The premiered last June at the Krakow Culture ville, Summer of 1915, Aaron Copland’s premiere performance was given on April Festival) and a piece for soprano and piano Rodeo, and a premiere of Kelsey Green’s 29, 2017 at Lafayette College in Easton, entitled One by IAWM member Molly Meditation by Tangleweed. Pennsylvania, at the invitation of Jennifer Joyce. The ensemble is hard at work tour- Kelly. ing and finalizing their 2017/18 season. Annie Neikirk began a tenure-track position in theory/composition at Norfolk State Deon Nielsen Price performed the piano RadioartsIndonesia, a non-profit radio sta- University in Virginia this academic year. solo version of Opertura from her orato- tion known for showcasing the music of During this time, her works have been pre- rio Christus, along with music by Chopin, women composers, which broadcasts from sented at the 2016 Electroacoustic Barn- on October 23, 2016 and December 18 at Jakarta to many countries, selected Mar- dance at the University of Mary Washing- the Santa Monica Church of Jesus Christ garet Meier as their Artist of the Week for ton in November, the 2017 College Music of Latter-day Saints, on November 9 for the first week in March. Six of her compo- Society Northeast Conference at SUNY the MiMoDa Studio Series in Los Ange- sitions were aired each day for a total of Plattsburgh in March, and the 2017 SCI les, and on December 3 and December 8 42 compositions being broadcast. A revival National Conference and SEAMUS Con- for the Los Angeles Temple Hill Celebra- of Petronella, a 30 minute “musical fable” ference in April. tion of Light concerts. Watts 1965: A Re- for chamber trio and narrator, was present- In 2016 Tawnie Olson was commis- membrance (saxophones and piano) was ed at the music conservatory of Lawrence performed November 15 at California University, directed by flutist Sara Larsen. sioned by the Canadian Art Song Project to compose a song cycle for the winner of State University Dominguez Hills and on Meier has been focusing on choral works March 9, 2017 for a Los Angeles Alum- centered around thoughts about aging. The the Jeunesses Musicales 2016-2017 Mau- reen Forrester Tour. The resulting work, ni Mu Phi Epsilon Concert. Price’s new Pilgrim Place Chorale premiered the most CD, Radiance in Motion, was released on recent such work, Last Home, on April 29 Three Songs on Poems of Lorri Neilsen Glenn, has been performed more than two Cambria and CD Baby on December 23, and 30 as a tribute to the unique retirement 2016. Three arias from the oratorio Chris- community where she lives. dozen times over the course of soprano Magali Simard-Galdès’s 2016-2017 tour. tus and the carol “Mary’s Lullaby” were Pianist Margaret Mills presented a concert Simard-Galdès and pianist Olivier Hébert- performed January 9, 2017 on Concerts at on March 26 in New York City to celebrate Bouchard have also released a recording the Ranch in Culver City (California) co- the 150th birthday of Amy Beach. The of the work on their new album, Muses. sponsored by the Los Angeles Chapter of program included not only her solo piano Meadowlark, for marimba and electronics, the National Association of Composers/ works but also the Opus 21 Songs and the was released on Ian David Rosenbaum’s USA. Price collaborated with tenor Cor- Piano Trio, Op. 150. On April 21, she pre- album Memory Palace (VIA Records) in nelius Johnson on Zenobia Powell Perry’s sented a seminar at the New England Con- January 2017; the album was a Q2 album song cycle Life (texts by Paul Laurence servatory of Music entitled “Three Early of the week, and Olson’s composition was Dunbar) on February 11 at the African Americans and a Recording,” in which she featured on an episode of WNYC’s New American Art Song Alliance 20th Anni- played solo piano works from her new CD, Sounds. (Rosenbaum gave the premiere of versary Celebration held at the University A Celebration of Early American Compos- the complete work at National Sawdust in of California Irvine. ers. It features works by Ruth Crawford, New York City in November 2016.) Serenade in the Chambers for Clari- Beach, and Charles Ives. She also spoke In 2016, The Sebastians commissioned net, Viola and Piano and Stile Antico for about their fascinating lives. Olson’s Summer’s End, which they pre- violin were performed March 9 and April Janice Misurell-Mitchell performed her miered in New York City in December. In 15 for the Culver City Centennial Celebra- work for solo alto flute, The Light that February, soprano Stacie Dunlop gave the tion. Behind Barbed Wire (alto saxophone Burns, at the Chicago Soundings concert European premiere of Olson’s Le Revenant and piano), a reflection on the Japanese- in September 2016 at the Queen of An- in Katowice, Poland. Olson’s Paraclete, American Incarceration 1942-1946, was gels Church. In October, members of the for clarinet doubling kick drum and Tibetan performed on March 9 in Culver City, on MAVerick Ensemble premiered her com- singing bowl, received its Cypriot premiere March 17 at California State University mission for the Ear Taxi Festival in Chi- in February at a Donne in Musica Cyprus Fresno, on March 23 at Emeritus College in Santa Monica, and on April 18 at Cali-

48 IAWM Journal Volume 23, No. 1 2017 fornia State University Dominguez Hills. Judith Shatin’s Black Moon (conductor- York City. Radio Arts Indonesia named Tableaux for String Quartet and Clari- controlled electronics and orchestra) was Silverman Artist of the Week, December net, based on the history of Culver City, premiered by the American Composers Or- 23, 2016, broadcasting Three Guitars, Wil- was performed by the Lyris Quartet and chestra on October 28, 2016 with an addi- de’s World, Love Songs, Danish Delights, Berkeley Price on April 18 for the Culver tional performance (orchestra and electron- Protected Sleep, Pregnant Pauses, Left Be- City Centennial Celebration “Music in the ic playback) given on April 13, 2017 by the hind, Processional and Translations during Chambers” concert. On April 1, the Met- St. Mary’s College Orchestra conducted by that week. Many of her works have also ro Chamber Orchestra (with Price at the Jeffery Silberschlag. Susan Fancher gave been broadcast by Radio Arts Indonesia piano) presented the premiere of Price’s the premiere of Storm (amplified tenor sax in 2016 and 2017. Combined Efforts was orchestrated song cycle To the Children of and electronics) at the University of Vir- broadcast on Classical Discoveries with War, based on poetry by Maya Angelou, at ginia TechnoSonics Festival on October Marvin Rosen, streamed live on WPRB the Brooklyn (New York) Playhouse. 20, 2016 with the Israel premiere given from Princeton, New Jersey as part of the Andrea Reinkemeyer was commissioned by Tom Solovetzik on a program of the Viva 21st Century Marathon on December by the Lacroute Arts Series at Linfield Col- Musica Nova Consort at Hateiva in Jaffa. 28. Transatlantic Tales was broadcast on lege to set Janine Applegate’s poem When The Da Capo Chamber Players performed Richard Beckman’s Worldwide Classical Justice Reigns for mixed choir; the Lin- Gazebo Music on November 21 at Merkin Music Show on KNHD in Eugene, Oregon field Concert Choir, Anna Song, director, Hall in New York City. Pianist Seunghye on February 19 and 26 and on March 5 and recently toured with the work in Austin, Kim performed Plain Song for amplified 12, 2017. Heartland Marimba Quartet in- Texas. In Mulieribus, a women’s vocal piano and electronics (from readings of cluded Of Wood and Skins (second move- ensemble from Portland, Oregon, commis- poet Charles Wright) on the Third Prac- ment) in their spring tour, offering multiple sioned a setting of Henrietta Cordelia Rays’ tice Festival in Richmond, Virginia. Three performances in Iowa and Minnesota dur- poem Life in celebration of their tenth con- movements of Ockeghem Variations (wind ing March. Oren Fader performed excerpts cert season; it was premiered in May 2017 quintet plus piano) were performed on the from The Mercurial Guitarist on the Com- by Arwen Myers. Two of Reinkemeyer’s London New Music Festival on November poser Concordance’s Generations VII con- works were chosen for the 2017 Society 18 at Regent Hall in London. cert in New York City on April 22. of Composers, Inc. National Conference in Lindsey Goodman has continued to Jamie K. Sims’s work Midnight Mocking- Kalamazoo, Michigan. In September, the tour Penelope’s Song (amplified flute and bird was aired on March 8, 2017, on 88.9 A/B Duo released their first full-length CD electronics from weaving sounds) follow- WCVE-FM, Central Virginia’s NPR radio on Aerocade Records, featuring Wrought ing its release on Shatin’s Reach Through station. Originally written as part of a small Iron for flute and percussion. Reinkemeyer the Sky CD, with performances at Capital opera, this version for alto saxophone and has joined the ADJ•ective Composers’ University in Ohio (August 31), West Vir- piano was recorded in 2002, with Doug- Collective, which distributes many of her ginia University (November 1), and Wash- las Wandersee on sax and Sims on piano. scores and parts. ington State Community College (March The piece was also used as part of the 11). Elijah’s Chariot (amplified string Alex Shapiro has been re-elected to the soundtrack to documentary film Marii quartet and electronics) was performed Hasegawa: Gentle Woman of a Dangerous Board of Directors of ASCAP as the sole on November 13 by the American Mod- symphonic and concert writer represen- Kind (2012). This track and the entire score ern Ensemble at Rutgers University on a by Sims, Gentle Woman of a Dangerous tative, and she has also been appointed program called “A Celebration of Gen- to the Board of the Aaron Copland Fund Kind: Documentary Film Score, was re- erations,” in honor of long-time Rutgers leased on CD by Mooscular Phonic Tunes. for Music. CD releases and premieres in faculty member, Robert Moevs. Spin (fl, Elizabeth (Betsy) Start reports many 2016-2017 include a broad span of works cl, bssn, vln, vla, vcl) was featured on the premieres and performances since August for chamber ensembles and electroacous- Michigan Philharmonic’s Musical Minia- 2016. On August 11, Katelin Spencer and tic symphonic wind bands from the United tures program, conducted by Nan Wash- Octocelli premiered Silence for soprano States, Germany, and Italy. Shapiro appears burn, on January 20, 2017 at the Detroit and eight cellos and David Peshlakai per- in two recent DVDs directed by Michael Institute for the Arts and on January 22 at formed Verdisimilitude at First Baptist Stillwater, currently showing at documen- The Inn at St. John’s Chapel, Plymouth, Church of Kalamazoo, Michigan. On Au- tary film festivals around the world. Recent Michigan. Please visit www.judithshatin. gust 14, Start performed Enormous Leaf composer residencies include those at Uni- com for upcoming performances and ad- for electric cello and processing at Con- versity of Montana, University of Hawaii, ditional information. Roosevelt University, and University of stellation, Chicago, on the Chicago Com- Minnesota, and she was the featured guest Hristina Biafoeva of the Iktus Duo played posers Orchestra’s Club Night. Lacrimosa at University of British Columbia’s 2016 Faye-Ellen Silverman’s Speaking Alone at e Gioia (composed in memory of Phyllis Wind Conducting Symposium. In Febru- the Multicultural Sonic Evolution Festival Jansma, founder of the Chamber Music ary 2017, Music for Two Big Instruments in Long Island City, New York on Novem- for Fun adult chamber music camp), was (tuba sonata) was the subject of an episode ber 19, 2016. On November 20, Victoria premiered at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp of Composers Dateline, a daily syndicated Esposito (soprano), Melanie Ashkar (mez- on August 25. On September 17, Burn- radio program produced by American Pub- zo), and Sarah Schoeffler (cello) performed ham Block Bolero Boogie (clarinet and lic Media in association with the American Manhattan Fixation on the Music Under cello) was premiered during Doors Open Composers Forum. Construction series at Mannes in New Milwaukee. On October 30, Gibbons was

Members’ News 49 premiered by Quintet Attacca woodwind on December 8, at Place Resurgo Place in Sonata II, Variations on a Folk Melody, quintet on a Chicago Composers’ Consor- Moncton on December 10 and on Decem- Night Visions Suite (movements I and II), tium concert at the Music Institute of Chi- ber 11 at the Saint John Arts Centre. On Toccata III, Remembrance, Toccata II, cago in Evanston, Illinois. December 22, 2016, Kath Fraser, producer Prelude I and the premiere of Preludes Start performed her eight Fused Art and host of “Gathering Her Notes” at ECR II and IV by Betty R. Wishart were per- works and premiered Multiple Choice radio in Ellensburg, Washington aired O formed by Jeri-Mae G. Astolfi at Ruggero Piece, an audience participation piece, at Come, O Come, Emmanuel (SATB cho- Piano in Raleigh, North Carolina on Febru- the Gail Borden Public Library in Elgin, rus and violoncello). Ellen Grolman also ary 24. The program was repeated on Feb- Illinois, in collaboration with the Elgin aired the piece on December 7 on “Music ruary 26 at the Steinway Piano Gallery in Symphony on February 26, 2017. Multiple of our Mothers: Celebrating Women” at Charlotte, North Carolina. Brad Blackham Choice Piece was also performed on the WFCF radio, in Jacksonville, Florida. On performed all four movements of Night Vi- March 19 Cello Explosion concert at Ran- December 20, Canary Burton, producer sions Suite at the Southeastern Composers’ som Public Library in Plainwell, Michigan. and host of “The Latest Score” at WOMR League Forum at Washington and Lee Uni- On March 14, the Kalamazoo Symphony radio in Provincetown, Massachusetts, also versity in Lexington, Virginia on March woodwind trio performed Tangled Tango aired it as well as Aurora Borealis (orches- 25. Awaking and Frolicking are included and True Blue at First Presbyterian Church tra) and all three movements of Aria for on flutist Iwona Glinka’s One-Minute CD, in Kalamazoo. Start performed Arioso Strings (string orchestra). released by Sarton Records on March 12. from Air Swiftly Flies and Union for solo The Excess by Kotoka Suzuki for sub- On June 8 pianist Max Lifchitz will per- cello on an Early Music Michigan concert bass recorder with electronics by Ulrike form Toccata III on the NACUSA concert at First Congregational Church in Kalama- Mayer-Spohn (UMS’n JIP) received its at Christ & St. Stephen’s Church in New zoo on March 26. April performances in- world premiere at Zeughaus Kulture, York City. Lisa Hansen and Max Lifchitz clude the April 7 premiere of A Cellist in Brig-Glis, Switzerland on May 13, 2017, will perform Oracles for flute and piano on Alaska at the Electro-Acoustic Music Fes- followed by a performance tour in Swit- the North South Consonance concert at the tival at Roosevelt University, Chicago, the zerland (Basel, Zürich, and Bern) through- Tenri Cultural Institute in New York City April 8 premiere of Flight for flute and out May. A new chamber work for music on June 9. On May 12 Navona Records cello at a memorial celebration for Mi- boxes and electronics commissioned by released Concertante No.1 “Journey into chael Chen in Kalamazoo and the April 22 the 21C Music Festival will be premiered the Unknown” for winds, strings and horn premiere of With the Flow (based on the at the festival in Toronto, Canada on May on Passage: Contemporary Works for Or- Chicago River), by the Chicago Compos- 27. Pianist Geoffrey Conquer will give the chestra (nv6094). ers Orchestra. premiere performance of Shimmer, Tree | On March 24, 2017, the world premiere Ann Stimson premiered her solo piano In Memoriam Jonathan Harvey at the fes- of Rain Worthington’s orchestral work piece Rio de Janeiro on March 12 at the tival. Recognized as one of the most im- In Passages for violin soloist and string Faculty Recital sponsored by the Perform- portant annual festivals in the city, the 21C orchestra was given by the Missouri ing Arts Center of MetroWest, where she Music Festival offers nine concerts and 31 State University Symphony with conduc- teaches piano to fourteen students. The premieres (twelve world premieres). Guest tor Christopher Kelts and soloist Pamela recital was held at the Heineman Ecu- composers/artists include Unsuk Chin, Davis. John Oswald, Bang on a Call All-Stars, and menical and Cultural Center at Framing- ’s PURE, COOL Alexina Louie. Judith Lang Zaimont ham State University. The work is a sort (Water) - Symphony No. 4 was a finalist of dream of Rio written by someone who Hilary Tann’s Measuring the Distance in The American Prize in Composition— has never been there but found that it made (choir and small ensemble) was premiered orchestra music, professional division for a nice mental break from the winter of April 22 by the Concord Chamber Sing- 2016. Read about the piece at http://www. 2014-15. It features very lively rhythms, ers (Bethlehem, Pennsylvania) conducted subitomusic.com/zaimont-pure-cool- fast passage work, and transitions using by Jennifer Kelly. The commission cel- water/. Listen to the first movement at inside-the-piano techniques. ebrates the 50th anniversary of the choir. https://youtu.be/QtkfuLk5aiA. To start its As part of Canada’s 150th birthday celebra- The United States premiere of Seven Po- multi-year celebration of women in music, tion, Evelyn Stroobach’s carillon compo- ems of Stillness for solo cello and narra- Close Encounters with Music (Great Bar- sition Daydream will be performed on July tor was given by Esther Rogers at Saranac rington, Massachusetts) has commissioned 18, 2017 at the Peace Tower Carillon at the Lake, New York on April 30. In the Theater a “quilt” of miniatures by composers Thea Houses of Parliament in Ottawa, Canada of Air (flute, cello, and piano) was commis- Musgrave, Tamar Muskal, Joan Tower, and by Gordon Slater, the former Dominion sioned by the London-based Marsyas Trio, Judith Zaimont for musical portraits of Carillonneur, during his summer Caril- and inspired by seven poems about birds suffragettes and women of valor who ad- lon Recital. All four movements of Be- by celebrated United States poet Mary Oli- vanced the causes of everyone with their reft (duo strings) were performed in New ver. The world premiere is scheduled for steadfastness, ingenuity and idealism. The Brunswick, Canada in December 2016 as the Vale of Glamorgan Festival (Wales) on gala Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman― part of Symphony New Brunswick’s “Vir- May 25 (Ewenny Priory) with numerous Celebrating 100 Years of Women’s Suf- tuoso Series,” featuring the Saint John other performances to follow, including the frage will be held on June 10 at the Ma- String Quartet. Performances were given Three Choirs Festival, Worcester, July 26. haiwe Performing Arts Center. at Saint Thomas University in Fredericton

50 IAWM Journal Volume 23, No. 1 2017