Soldier Songs

Thursday-Saturday June 23-25, 2011 THU & FRI at 8pm | SAT at 5pm Frederick Iseman Theater, 1156 Chapel Street, New Haven PROGRAM Tutte (Palm Beach Opera), the title role/Rands’ Vincent (guest artist David T. Little’s - Indiana University), Orff’s Carmina SOLDIER SONGS Burana (Saint Louis Symphony), and Schubert’s Winterreise (Houston). Music and Libretto David T. Little Future seasons bring him to Grand Produced By Beth Morrison Projects Théâtre de Genève, San Diego Opera, Stage Direction Yuval Sharon New Orleans Opera, and Orchestra of Conducted By Todd Reynolds St. Luke’s. Operatic engagements Starring David Adam Moore include Demetrius/a Midsummer and featuring Sam Poon Nights Dream and Maxmilian/ with the ensemble Newspeak Candide (Teatro alla Scala); Billy Budd, Set & Costume Design Chisato Uno Marcello/La Bohème (Pittsburgh Animation Design Corey Michael Opera); Zurga/Les Pêcheur De Perles, Smithson Guglielmo/Così Fan Tutte (Seattle Lighting Design Lucas Benjaminh Opera); Prior Walter/ Krech Eötvös’ Angels in America (BBC Sound Engineering Garth Macaleavey Symphony Orchestra, Fort Worth Video Engineering luckydave Opera); Maxmilian in Candide (Théâtre Associate Designer Brian Ireland du Châtelet; Hyogo and Tokyo, Production Stage Manager Lindsey Japan); Aeneas/Dido And Aeneas Turteltaub (Glimmerglass Opera); Billy Budd, Ned Assistant Stage Manager Allison Keene/Peter Grimes (New Israeli Johnson Opera); Figaro/Il Barbiere Di Siviglia, Technical Direction Ryan Gardner Don Giovanni (Staatsoper Hannover); This presentation is the World Papageno/Die Zauberflöte (New York Premiere of a re-orchestration of City Opera); Guglielmo/Così Fan Tutte (Arizona Opera), and Mercutio/ Soldier Songs. Roméo et Juliette (San Diego Opera, Opera Theater of Saint Louis, Utah BIOGRAPHIES Opera). Concert performances include David Adam Moore (the Soldier) Elgar’s The Apostles (Netherlands Recent engagements include Radio Philharmonic); Vaughan Figaro/il Barbiere Di Siviglia Williams’ Dona Nobis Pacem (Utah (Seattle Opera), Guglielmo/così Fan Symphony); Mozart’s Mass In C Minor And Vesperae Solemnae (Orquestra 60 International Festival of Arts & Ideas

Real de Sevilla), and Schumann’s Man- Q2 as a “rising star of the 21st century fred, Dargomizhsky’s The Stone Guest opera scene,” Little fuses classical and (American Symphony popular idioms to dramatic effect. His Orchestra). An advocate of music is widely performed— contemporary music, Moore has including at the Tanglewood, Aspen, premiered a number of other works and Cabrillo Festivals, and by eighth by American composers including blackbird, So Percussion, the London Martin Hennessy and Stephen Louis Sinfonietta and the Baltimore Bayne’s 9/11/01, Michael Webster and Symphony Orchestra under Marin Eileen Myles’ Hell, and Eaton’s Alsop. He recently completed a PhD Travelling With Guliver. at Princeton University, and holds davidadammoore.com degrees from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and Sam Poon (boy) NYC: New York Stage Susquehanna University. He is the Originals Northeast Tour: Scrooge in founding Artistic Director and Concert (Tiny Tim), a staged Equity drummer of Newspeak, and the reading of Pan directed by Jeffrey Executive Director for New York’s Seller (Slightly), a reading of Wonder MATA Festival. Recent and upcoming Wounded Heroes (Young Harry) with projects and performances include F. Murray Abraham.Regional/ the opera Dog Days commissioned Equity Credits: MUNY (St.Louis) by Montclair State University Peak – Miss Saigon, (Tam), Camelot (Royal Performances (2012, Robert Wood- Page), 90 Years of MUNY Magic (Toy ruff, director; Royce Vavrek, librettist), Soldier), Disney’s Beauty and the Haunt Of Last Nightfall for Third Coast Beast (Salt Shaker). Opera Theatre of Percussion, Radiant Child for the New St.Louis - Brundibar (Fido). Variety World Symphony, Charm for Marin Club of St.Louis- Tom Sawyer the Mu- Alsop and the Baltimore Symphony sical (Ensemble). Dramarama Orchestra, Vinkensport at New York Theatre Company- Disney’s Beauty City Opera’s VOX, and new works for and the Beast (Chip),It’s a Alarm Will Sound, Nadia Sirota, Wonderful Life Radio Play (Young Kathleen Supové, Lisa Moore and Harry and Tommy), Film/Video: Ashley Bathgate, and many others. An Portraits in Dramatic Time for 2011 active drummer, Little has performed Lincoln Center Festival (Holly Hunter’s and recorded with the International son),Other: Recordings as vocalist Contemporary Ensemble (ICE), and for Kimbo Ed., and Child Evangelism performs regularly with his ensemble Services. National and featured radio Newspeak, which recently released and television voice-overs, currently their first disc on New Amsterdam Bobby in the Chicken of the Sea ads. Records. Little’s music can also be Please visitwww.SamPoonOnline.com. heard on Todd Reynold’s recent Thanks to Nancy Carson, Bob Marks, Innova records release, Outerborough. Amelia DeMayo and Thommie Retter. davidtlittle.com

COMPOSER BIOGRAPHY DIRECTOR BIOGRAPHY David T. Little has been described as Yuval Sharon (stage director) The “dramatically wild…rustling, raunchy work of Yuval Sharon has been and eclectic,” showing “real described as “magical” (The Village imagination” by New York Times critic Voice), “ingenious” (San Francisco Anthony Tommasini, and his work Chronicle) and “having a keen eye to “completely gripped” New Yorker mythology in the modern world” (The- critic Alex Ross: “every bad-ass atermania New York). The Los Angeles new-music ensemble in the city will Times called his latest production, want to play him.” Hailed by WQXR/ Veronika Krausas’s opera The Mortal 61 International Festival of Arts & Ideas

Thoughts Of Lady Macbeth, which integrating minimalist, pop, Jazz, took place at an abandoned dance Indian, African, Celtic and indigenous hall, “a major event, where surprise folk musics into his own sonic blend. sidesteps operatic convention.” He has As a cross-genre improviser and worked both with large international collaborator, he has appeared and/or houses like the San Francisco Opera, recorded with such artists as Anthony the Mariinsky Theater, the Bregenzer Braxton, Uri Caine, , Steve Festspiele in Austria, Komische Oper Coleman, Joe Jackson, Dave Liebman, Berlin and New York City Opera, Yo-Yo Ma, Graham Nash, Greg Osby, as well as experimental venues like Steve Reich, Marcus Roberts and Todd Berkeley Opera, Le Poisson Rouge, Rundgren, and has commissioned and and the Deitch Projects. He was premiered countless numbers of new assistant director to Achim Freyer on works by America’s most compelling the Los Angeles Ring Cycle. A composers, including John King, Phil passionate advocate for new music, Kline, Michael Gordon, Neil Rolnick, Yuval was Project Director for four Julia Wolfe, David Lang, Evan Ziporyn years of New York City Opera’s VOX, and Randall Wolff. His interdisciplinary an annual workshop of new American work includes ongoing collaborations compositions, which became the most with SoundPainter Walter Thompson important crucible for new opera in as well as media artists Bill Morrison the country under his direction. He is and Luke DuBois and sound artist now Artistic Director of The Jody Elff. Reynolds is a founder of the Industry, an initiative for new opera band known as , a critically and interdisciplinary performance in acclaimed amplified string quartet, Los Angeles, with an inaugural with whom he wrote and toured production of Anne LeBaron’s internationally. He has also produced hyperopera Crescent City planned for Still Life With Microphone, an ongoing the spring of 2012. theater piece which incorporates his yuvalsharon.com own written and improvised music, compositions written for him, and CONDUCTOR BIOGRAPHY elements of video and theatrical arts. Todd Reynolds (conductor) is a Nuove Uova [new eggs], new works composer, conductor, arranger, for violin and electricity, another Todd violinist, and a longtime member of Reynolds production is a ‘new-music , Steve Reich and cabaret’ of sorts, having as its home Musicians and an early member of Joe’s Pub in Manhattan. He is the Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Project. His recipient of ASCAP awards, an commitment to genre-bending and American Composers Forum Grant technology-driven innovation in music for Still Life with Mic and a 2003 has produced innumerable Meet-the-Composer Commissioning collaborations with artists that Music/USA award. His current string regularly cross musical and quartet featuring all-stars from New disciplinary boundaries, regularly York’s new music scene is currently on placing him in venues from clubs to tour with Meredith Monk’s Songs of concert halls around the world. A Ascension and engaged in forerunner in the expansion of the collaborations with composers and violin beyond its classical and performers such as Kenny Werner, ‘wood-bound’ tradition, Reynolds Neil Rolnick and Theo Bleckmann. electrifies in concert, weaves together Current commissions include music composed and improvised segments, for dance, theater and orchestra, as and makes use of computer well as a double CD to which was technology and digital loops to sculpt released on March 29th, 2011. his sounds in real time, seamlessly toddreynolds.wordpress.com 62 International Festival of Arts & Ideas

DESIGN TEAM BIOGRAPHIES Chisato also enjoys working on Lucas Benjaminh Krech feature films and commercials that (lighting design) Krech is a designer have unusual design requirements, for opera, dance, theater, installation such as her recent collaboration with and performance. Previous HBO in which she designed and collaborations with Yuval Sharon created reinterpretations of famous include Aida with Berkeley Opera and movie sets for hermit crabs for the premier of Soldier Songs at Le promotional spots. chisatouno.com Poisson Rouge. A former lighting assistant at San Francisco Opera, Corey Michael Smithson Lucas has designed for opera (animation design) is a multi-media directors Mark Streshinsky, Elkhanah artist currently living in Brooklyn. He Pulitzer, Roy Rallo, Yuval Sharon and creates art within several overlapping others. Off-Broadway credits include; disciplines, including painting, Perry Street Theater, St. Clements, The photography, film, video, computer Clurman, Players Theatre, and more. design, animation, printmaking, drag, Internationally Lucas has designed drawing, installation, sculpture, in Rumania, Puerto Rico, and the UK. lecturing, and writing. He has earned Regional credits include The Magic, a BFA in Painting from the Memphis Marin Theater Company, Berkeley College of Art, and an MFA in Opera, Westedge Opera, The Shotgun Interrelated Media from the Players, Thick Description, TJT, SF Massachusetts College of Art. Playhouse, Barter Theater, and others. coreymichaelsmithson.com His lighting for Shotgun Player’s Of The Earth was recently nominated luckydave (video engineering) for a BATCC Award for Best Lighting Recent projections design credits Design. Dance Collaborations include include Intríngulis (LAByrinth Nicolo Fonte, Matthew Neenan, Sean Theater Company, Southern Rep), Curran, Johannes Weiland, Gemze De Ibsen’s Ghosts (Extant Arts Co), There Lappe, Sallie Wilson, Viktor Kabaniaev, Are No More Big Secrets (Rattlestick Trebien Pollard, Anandha Ray, David Playwrights Theater), Associate to S. Brick, and Ben Levy. Lucas writes Katy Tucker for Underneathmybed on performance theory, design, and (Rattlestick), Gato Loco Coconino aesthetics on his blog. His writing has (Ars Nova), The Colored Museum been featured in several national pub- (Crossroads Theater Company) and lications including PLSN and Stage A View From 151st St (LAByrinth). Directions. MFA, New York University. He is honored to be a Stable Hand lucaskrech.com with Horse Trade Theater Company. He also supports QLab. FIGURE53. Chisato Uno (costume designer) was COM/QLAB born in Tokyo, Japan and grew up moving back and forth between her Brian Ireland (associate costume & native country and the United States. scenic designer) is a scenographer She has designed numerous and draftsman living in Brooklyn, NY. productions of dance, theatre, and His design work has supported live opera in California, England, Alaska, theatrical events from New York City and New York. She has also assisted to Buenos Aires. Credits include Jitney many prominent set designers, (The Gallery Players, NYC), Dance Of including George Tsypin (Little The Stones (Theater 80, NYC), Dios Mermaid, Broadway and others) and Desnudo (Sala Remedios de Escalada Thomas Lynch (The Public Theater de San Martin, Buenos Aires), Four and others). While thriving in a Short Plays By Tennessee Williams traditional theatre environment, (Ensemble Studio Theatre, NY), Ubu 63 International Festival of Arts & Ideas

Rock! (John Jay College, NYC), players are so great! …first-rate.” Equality Playwrights Festival (Clurman Newspeak’s debut album, sweet light Theater, NYC), and Stop Kiss (Atlas crude “could easily keep a whole Room, NYU Graduate Acting Dept). nation full of chamber rock lovers well Brian is a member of United Scenic lubricated for a whole year.” (Arcane Artists, Local 829. Candy) It “is a provocative recording that’s also fun and satisfying to listen Garth MacAleavey (sound engineer) to, and it may be as seminal for the A classically trained percussionist next generation of composers as and Jazz drummer, (University of CA, Icebreaker’s debut CD was for this Santa Cruz) Garth moved to NYC in one.” (George Grella, The Big City). 2004 to pursue music and recording They “inhabit a world in which all engineering. After a year of studio genres are on an equal playing engineering and postproduction audio field. And that’s the way they like it” for film, he began mixing live sound (The Silent Ballet). Named after the professionally. Currently a house thought-limiting language in George engineer at New York City’s own le Orwell’s 1984, Newspeak is a Poisson Rouge, Garth specializes in powerhouse ensemble that blends new music classical amplification and the anthems of Godspeed You! Black sound design for everything from Emperor and Mogwai with the frenetic Carnegie Hall level shows (Helene and politicized aggression of Black Grimaud) to minimalist legends (Terry Sabbath and the Dead Kennedys. Riley, Steve Reich). Fusing the music-for-use directness of Louis Andriessen and Frederic MUSICIAN BIOGRAPHIES Rzewski, the ornate complexity of Newspeak (instrumental ensemble) King Crimson and the Mahavishnu has been featured as a part of the Orchestra, and the emotional depths Tune-In Festival with Eighth of Elliot Smith and The Cure, they Blackbird at the Park Avenue Armory, create a mysterious, nuanced, and the Ecstatic Music Festival In NYC, on compelling sound. Comprised of New Sounds Live, and at the violinist/composer Caleb Burhans, International Festival of Arts and composer/drummer David T. Little, Ideas. They have headlined on the singer Mellissa Hughes, clarinetist MATA Festival, shared bills with The Eileen Mack, guitarist Taylor Levine, Fiery Furnaces as part of Wordless cellist Brian Snow, pianist James Music, and performed as part of John Johnston, and percussionist Peter Zorn’s Full Force festival. Newspeak Wise, Newspeak is actively committed released their first CD with New to the music of its time. In addition to Amsterdam Records in Novem- band member/composers Little and ber 2010. “You could call this punk Burhans, Newspeak has classical,” Lucid Culture says of the commissioned, work-shopped, and New York-based amplified octet, premiered work by some of the most Newspeak. “Fearlessly aware…(and) exciting composers of the new gen- resolutely defiant.” “If more groups eration, including Corey Dargel, Darcy played music with such life, power, James Argue, Oscar Bettison, Sean and passion,” says Sequenza21 Friar, Ted Hearne, Judd “nobody would think this music is Greenstein, William Brittelle, Sarah “dead.” New Sounds host and Kirkland Snider, Matt Marks, Lisa tastemaker John Schafer has called Coons, and Missy Mazzoli, as well as them “important players on the new established composers like Frederic music scene here in New York” and Rzewski and Paul Lansky. An early Danny Johnson, of the New Haven standout within New York’s Advocate has proclaimed: “these “indie-classical” scene, members of 64

International Festival of Arts & Ideas Body Against Body

Newspeak met in New York City in the Eileen Mack, Eugene and Joanne 2005. The current ensemble began Woznicki, Joe and Ann Little, Jeffrey performing together in 2008. Edelstein, Beth Morrison, Brian Rady, newspeakmusic.org New York City Opera, Yuval Sharon, Todd Reynolds, Newspeak, David Caleb Burhans violin Adam Moore, Peter Robles, Kevin Eileen Mack clarinet Noe and the Pittsburgh New Music Brian Snow cello Ensemble, and all of the interviewed James Johnston piano veterans represented in Soldier Songs, Peter Wise percussion including Justen Bennett, Amber Kelli Kathman, flute Ferenz, Richard Girardin, Joseph W. Little, Gene Little, and Gene Woznicki. PRODUCER BIOGRAPHY Beth Morrison Projects (producer) This project is supported in part by a BMP supports the work of emerging grant from the National Endowment and established composers and their for the Arts. multi-media collaborators through the commission, development, and With the support of production of contemporary The Aaron Copland music-theatre work. Established in Fund for Music, Inc. 2006, the company has quickly developed a reputation for David T. Little’s appearances are successfully “envisioning new funded in part by a grant from Meet possibilities and finding ways to the Composer’s MetLife Creative facilitate their realization.” (The New Connections Program. York Times). The company’s critically acclaimed work has been Leadership support for Meet The seen throughout the United States, Composer’s MetLife Creative Europe, and Asia in some of the connections program is generously world’s premier venues, including provided by MetLife Foundation. Lincoln Center, Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Next Wave Festival, The Kitchen, Performance Space 122, the Estates National Theater of Prague, The Seoul Performing Arts Festival, Additional support is provided by The New York Public Library Live!, Le Amphion Foundation, Argosy Poisson Rouge, Music on McDougal, Foundation Contemporary Music and The Walker Art Center. BMP has Fund, BMI Foundation, Inc., Mary garnered support from the Flagler Cary Charitable Trust, Aaron Department of Cultural Affairs, New Copland Fund for Music, Inc., The York State Council for the Arts, The William & Flora Hewlett Foundation, Map Fund, the Puffin Foundation, and the James Irvine Foundation, Jerome the Anna Sosenko Assist Trust. Foundation, mediaThe Foundation, bethmorrisonprojects.org National Endowment for the Arts, New York City Department of Cultural SPECIAL THANKS TO: Affairs, New York State Council on Yale School of Drama, Yale School of the Arts, Pennsylvania Council on the Music, Vicki Nolan, Robert Blocker, Arts, and Virgil Thomson Foundation, and Tom Duffy, Laurie Harkness, Amy Ltd. Oetzel, Mary Lou Aleskie, and Cathy Edwards

David T. Little would like to thank: 65