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Home , Carter Pann, Dalit Warshaw, Donald Sur, Ethel (string quartet), Helen Grime, Ivan Tcherepnin

42nd ANNUAL SEMINAR ON CONTEMPORARY MUSIC FOR THE YOUNG April 9 – 11, 2021 Keeril Makan, Commissioned

THE RIVERS SCHOOL CONSERVATORY Gabriella Sanna, Director Lindsey Robb, Assistant Director Ethel Farny, Seminar Chair A. Ramón Rivera, Director Emeritus

333 WINTER STREET, WESTON, MA 02493 WWW.RIVERSSCHOOLCONSERVATORY.ORG | 781-235-6840 i T became clear t H at i should stay in E urope

not kill M yself by going back and forth across the ocean b U t I couldn't get out of that engagement in we S ton Massachusetts "three hundred ch I ldren devoted to modern musi C " I couldn't believe it

S o instead of going from rome to C ologne i H ad t O cr O ss the ocean two extra times and here I am seventy years o L d but I don't regret it

the children pl A yed beau T ifully

and the pa R ents were w I de awake the day remains V ividly in my mind the school n E eds suppo R t here' S hoping they get it!

John Cage Seminar Guest 1983 THE RIVERS SCHOOL CONSERVATORY

The 42nd Annual Seminar on Contemporary Music for the Young April 9, 10, & 11, 2021

Gabriella Sanna, Director, The Rivers School Conservatory Chair, Rivers Performing Arts Department A. Ramón Rivera, Director Emeritus Lindsey Robb, Assistant Director Ethel Farny, Seminar Chair

The Rivers School Conservatory 333 Winter Street, Weston, Massachusetts 781-235-6840 www.riversschoolconservatory.org THE SEMINAR ON CONTEMPORARY MUSIC FOR THE YOUNG

This year Seminar concerts will be presented in two forms: live-streamed and virtual.

Friday, April 9, 2021

7:30 p.m. FACULTY RECITAL IN RIVERA HALL: Works of Lera Auerbach, Howard Frazin, Zachary Kaye, James Lee III, Allison Loggins- Hull, Keeril Makan, Andrew York, and Ellen Taafe Zwilich.

Saturday, April 10, 2021

11:00 a.m. STUDENT COMPOSITION SHOWCASE IN RIVERA HALL: Krista Buckland Reiser, Rohan Gregory, Peter Sulski, and David Russell, members of the Worcester Society, will per- form student works for . The student receive comments and suggestions on their music.

1:00 p.m. CONCERT IN RIVERA HALL: Music includes works by Jerry Liu, Dan Loschen, Wynne-Anne Rossi, and Paul Sullivan.

2:15 p.m. VIRTUAL CONCERT VIA ZOOM: Music by such composers as Matthew Aucoin, Philip Glass, Stefanie Lubkowski, and LI Qui.

3:30 p.m. CONCERT IN RIVERA HALL: Performances include music of , Henry Fraser, Stephen Halloran, and Konstantin Petrossian. Sunday, April 11, 2021

1:00 p.m. CONCERT IN RIVERA HALL: Music includes works of Xavier Dubois Foley, Helen Grime, Gordon Stout, and Adam Tan.

2:00 p.m. VIRTUAL CONCERT VIA ZOOM: Performances include works by Fraser Andras, Monique Gabus, Patrick Greene, and Dan Shore.

3:00 p.m. CONCERT IN RIVERA HALL: Music of composers Whitman Brown, Christa Duggan, Amy Reich, Chloe DeSteno, and Sarah Tenney.

5:00 p.m. FINALE IN KRAFT DINING HALL: Works by John McDonald, Michael Monroe, Andre Myers, Daniel Schnyder, and the world premiere of the 2021 commissioned work Abandon Fear: Part I by Keeril Makan.

Music for this year's Seminar is chosen from a body of work published within the last twenty-five years.

Program notes for works by commissioned composers have been included within the program book. They are listed in the order of performance throughout the weekend. Information and program notes for most repertoire performed is found in the biographical index. Commissioned Pieces since 1983 1983 Sonority Forms for Otto Luening 1984 After Glass Sorrel Hays 1985 Trio Fantasia Ivan Tcherepnin 1986 Piano Sonata, Op. 25 Dianne Goolkasian Rahbee 1987 Rivers Robert Strizich 1988 T.J. Anderson 1989 Seven Poems of Juan Ramón Jiménez John McDonald 1990 Rivers Daniel Pinkham 1991 Son et Lumière James Yannatos 1992 Arrows to the Sun Peter Child 1993 for String Quartet Inventions for Piano John Harbison Inventions for a Young Percussionist John Harbison O Magnum Mysterium John Harbison 1994 for and Chamber Ensemble Marti Epstein 1995 Prelude for Piano Donald Sur 1996 East, West of the Sun Arlene Zallman 1997 Rhinestones, Pinecones, and Telephones Andy Vores 1998 Riversonata Marjorie Merryman 1999 Fantastical Colloquy for Trumpet and Bass 2000 Rivers of Wood Gordon Stout 2001 Fantasy for Two and Jonathan McPhee 2002 In Memory... Sir John Tavener 2003 Music for Three for , marimba, and piano 2004 Concerto #3 for Piano and String Orchestra Samuel Adler 2005 Four Rivers David Rakowski 2006 Daydream and Nightmare, Op. 94 Lowell Liebermann 2007 for Guitar Trio, Op. 84 Larry Bell 2008 Slate River Scott Wheeler 2009 The Mountain Echo Eric Sawyer 2010 Jigsaw Patterns Michael Gandolfi 2011 Matryoshka Variations: Nesting Etudes for Robert Sirota 2012 On Simple Songs Brett Abigaña Prelude Brett Abigaña ...and as these wings expand... Justin Casinghino Sweet Suite Justin Casinghino A Warm Breeze in April Heather Gilligan New Beginnings Heather Gilligan Fleeting Moments for Solo Jeremy Van Buskirk Set of 3 a Double Bass Duet Jeremy Van Buskirk Legerdemain Andrew Smith Soothing Meditation Andrew Smith Becoming a Snowman PoChun Wang Brubeck's Daily Schedule PoChun Wang 2013 Elegy Howard Frazin Head Motive: Howard Frazin Five Views of Jaume Plensa's Humming, Op. 510 John McDonald Portrait Benjamin Pesetsky Hummingaire Tom Schnauber Piano Trio Adam Jacob Simon Humming Matthew Woodard 2014 Matinée: The Fantom of the Fair Libby Larsen 2015 Hypermelodia Lisa Bielawa 2016 Variations Julian Wachner 2017 Finery Forge for Two Pianos Matthew Aucoin 2018 The Bell for Narrator and Chamber Ensemble Robert Paterson 2019 White Dwarf Concerto for , Violin, Cello, and Piano Stephen Halloran

The Rivers School Conservatory Seminar on Contemporary Music for the Young was founded to address the need of young performers to hear, play, and learn the music of their time. Since 1978 the seminar has presented 3,185 pieces, represent- ing more than 1,884 composers, and 699 premieres including 217 commissioned pieces. Each seminar's programming is unique; pieces are performed only once, so that repertoire, composed within the last 25 years, is constantly being explored.

The idea of young performers, composers, and audiences interacting with one another in an artistic and creative way has sparked the imagination of educators. Our seminar has become the model for many such events throughout the and the world.

VERY SPECIAL THANKS FOR ASSISTANCE WITH THE SEMINAR: Marissa Birne, design and technical assistance Rosamond Hooper-Hamersley, editorial assistance Robert Lasher, stage manager Lindsey Robb, Seminar coordinator James Stewardson, recording engineer Seminar Guests since 1979 Mariann Abrahám Matthew Aucoin Dave MacNeil Vytas Baksys Julia Balter John McCabe Jeanne Bamberger John McDonald Paul Barringer Mark McSweeney Meade Bernard Sheldon Mirowitz Seymour Bernstein Lynn Freeman Olson Lisa Bielawa Nick Page Joy Blanchard Carter Pann Lisa Parker Allen Bonde Robert Paterson Composers' Coalition Danilo Perez Boston Musica Viva Benjamin Pesetsky Bruce Brubaker Konstantin Petrossian Dianne Goolkasian Rahbee Alice Canaday Vic Rawlings Nancy Cirillo Rhonda Rider Kurt Coble Daniel Riley Robert Cogan A. Ramón Rivera Michael Colgrass Richard Robbins Peter Maxwell Davies Wendy Rolfe Pamela Dellal Marc Ryser Nicole DeMaio Tom Schnauber Marti Epstein Peggy Senter Ross Lee Finney Anne Dhu Shapiro Harold Fortuin Lois Shapiro Howard Frazin Adam Jacob Simon Judith Gerratt Spectrum Percussion Trio Philip Glass Lewis Spratlan Judith Gordon Jean Stackhouse Leon Gruenbaum Charles Tarver Randall Hodgkinson Vivian Taylor Loren Hollander Sarah Tenney Roberta Humez Bruce Torff Meeyoung Im Roman Totenberg Reid Jorgensen Minuetta Kessler Louise Vosgerchian Bayla Keyes Newton Wayland Matthew Woodard Alyssa Voth Marguerite Ladd Cesar Villalobos John Langstaff Julian Wachner Libby Larsen Thomas Wolf Sue-Young Lee Yehudi Wyner Stefanie Lubkowski Robert J. Lurtsema Commissioned Composer for 2021

The Rivers School Conservatory has invited Keeril Makan to write the commissioned work, Abandon Fear: Part One for the 2021 Annual Seminar on Contemporary Music for the Young.

Described by The New Yorker as“empowered by modern technology but haunted by a spirit of immemorial darkness,” and by The Times as “consistently stimulating,” portrays Keeril Makan as a composer“wh ose music deserves to be more widely heard.” Makan, a recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship and the Luciano Berio Rome Prize from the American Academy in Rome, has also received awards from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the Fromm Foundation, Meet the Composer, the House, the Utah Arts Festival, the Fulbright Program, and ASCAP.

Makan’s work has been commissioned by the All-Stars, American Composers Orchestra, Harvard Musical Association, and Carnegie Hall, among others. His CDs, In Sound (Tzadik), Target (), and Afterglow (Mode) include performances by the , Either/Or, and the International Contemporary Ensemble. Persona, his , commissioned by Beth Morrison Projects and National Sawdust, is an adaptation of Ingmar Bergman’s classic film, with a libretto by Jay Scheib. Makan’s works include orchestral music, wind ensemble, an opera, chamber music, and solo music for piano, strings, saxophone, and percussion. Schott is publishing his compositions.

Makan was raised in New Jersey by parents of South African Indian and Russian Jewish descent. After training as a violinist, he received degrees in composition and religion from Oberlin and completed his PhD in composition at the University of California–Berkeley, with additional studies in Helsinki and Paris. Makan lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he is Associate Professor of Music at MIT. Faculty Recital in Rivera Recital Hall 7:30 p.m., Friday, April 9, 2021

Click Here for Link to Livestream.

Capture Sweetness...... Keeril Makan Minkyung Oh, piano

Fall Seas (Premiere)...... Zachary Kaye Dan Loschen, piano

Sanzen-in...... Andrew York Catherine O'Kelly, guitar Sven Rainey, guest guitarist

Anthem (Premiere)...... Howard Frazin Eleanor Perrone, piano

Excursion for Contrabass and Piano...... Ellen Taafe Zwilich Elizabeth Foulser, bass Vytas Baksys, piano

24 Preludes for Violin and Piano, Op. 46...... Lera Auerbach 6 Jenae Starikov, violin Eleanor Perrone, piano

Homeland for solo flute...... Allison Loggins-Hull Ann Bobo, flute

Abraham's Sons In Memoriam: Trayvon Martin...... James Lee III Steven Laven, cello Pre-recorded

Afterglow...... Keeril Makan Yoshiko Kline, piano Pre-recorded Program note for Capture Sweetness by Keeril Makan: …the hair on the back of my baby’s head brushing against my cheek…

P rogram note for Fall Seas by Zachary Kaye: Composition for me is primarily about storytelling. Fall Seas began unusually. I did not start writing the piece with a narrative idea in mind. It began instead from the harmony and the rising and falling motif that developed throughout the piece. It was only after completing the piece that I found the connection to the ocean in the rise and fall of waves.

Program note for Anthem by Howard Frazin: The solo piano work Anthem is a reworking of musical materials originally conceived for a choral setting I made of Wilfred Owen's WWI poem "Anthem for Doomed Youth". The Roxbury Latin Glee Club commissioned Anthem in 2016. It attempts to capture the essential sentiments of the poem's narrative that juxtaposes feelings of youthful possibility interrupted by unexpected loss.

Program note for Excursion by Ellen Taafe Zwilich: Zwilich was already imaging music for the contrabass when she was commissioned to write a piece for the International Society of Bassists Convention in 2017. The result, Excursion for Contrabass and Piano, combines lyricism with bluesy riffs and explores the ranges of the instrument with singing melodies and syncopated bass lines. Zwilich provides scores in two adjacent keys, as is the custom in contemporary bass solo writing. The performer can choose concert pitch, or solo tuning, a whole step higher. Ms. Foulser is playing in solo tuning.

Program note for Homeland by Allison Loggins-Hull: Homeland was written shortly after Hurricane Maria stormed through Puerto Rico in 2017. Maria represented the increasing strength of natural disasters and the intense, sometimes deadly, repercussions of climate change. Homeland is a musical interpretation and exploration of those questions. The flute opens with timbral trills representing troubled waters and then transitions into passages that are anxious and distorted. There is a moment of hope and optimism, a remembrance of past struggles that have been overcome. A disconcerting play on “The Star Spangled Banner” follows, representing an unraveling of patriotism. In the end we come full circle, with unanswered and unresolved questions.

Program note for Abraham's Sons by James Lee III: Abraham’s Sons, written in 2013 and dedicated to the family of slain Florida teen Trayvon Martin, is a powerful yet vulnerable work for solo cello. James Lee III musically depicts the scope of suffering and mourning inferred by the title of this elegiac solo piece in an intense and dramatic style.

Program note for Afterglow by Keeril Makan: In Afterglow, the player’s attunement to the resonance of the strings is meant to draw the audience into an intimate realm of listening. Each sound is to be reveled in: its essence and the lingering pleasure that it produces. Variation of attacks and sustains allows for excitation of different parts of the strings’ spectra, and each musical element has its own unique vibration. The beauty of the afterglow of the hammer hitting the string is central to the musical experience. To help bring it forth, the score includes suggestions on rests and repetitions and on interpretations of each figure. The performer is guided by the experience of the resonance of a particular instrument in a particular space, in shaping the music that becomes fully animate in each of its manifestations. Premieres of 2021 The Rivers School Conservatory has asked twelve composers to write new works to be premiered at the 42nd Annual Seminar. Their biographical material is listed here in the order that their music will be played. Nine other works will be premiered as well, and infor- mation about these composers is found in the biographical index.

Zachary Kaye plays euphonium and bass trombone. At age 11 he became interested in the euphonium while at Loring Elementary School. Kaye was involved in a number of ensembles from school concert bands, district bands, to All-State. He played in several ensembles in the New England Conservatory’s preparatory program, including the Youth Brass Ensemble led by Eli Epstein and the Festival Youth Orchestra led by Benjamin Boltor. In his junior year at Lincoln-Sudbury High School Kaye began playing bass trombone in the and in school musicals. Later that year he played bass trombone in NEC Prep’s Trombone . In 2017 Kaye attended UMass Boston, where he learned the basics of harmony and ear training under professor Timothy McFarland. In his second semester he composed his first short pieces, writing exclusively for piano. Kaye enrolled in in the fall of 2019 to further his composition studies, mainly for the purposes of media composition. Today, he primarily focuses on solo piano works, as well as writing for other instrumentations.

Howard Frazin's works are commissioned and performed by many leading ensembles including A Far Cry, Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra of Boston, Boston Classical Orchestra, Claremont Trio, Florestan Recital Project, Lorelei Ensemble, Lydian String Quartet, and Triple Helix. His music has been programmed at festivals including Tanglewood, Aspen, Banff, Rockport, Monadnock, Bowdoin, Kneisel Hall, and Yellow Barn. Frazin’s works are published by Edition Peters and recorded on Ravello Records and MSR Classics. His oratorio, The Voice of Isaac, was commissioned by PALS Children’s Chorus and premiered at Boston’s Jordan Hall in 2003; the work was recently revised and performed by Coro Allegro at Sanders Theatre. Orchestral works include Of Echoes and Dreams premiered in 2018 by Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra and In the Forests of the Night, commissioned and premiered by the Boston Classical Orchestra, with subsequent performances by multiple across the United States. Other recent projects included a for the Bach, Beethoven, and Brahms Society featuring Kim Kashkashian, and a string quartet for Boston’s Arneis Quartet. A song cycle, Letting Go, in collaboration with the late U.S. Poet Laureate Donald Hall, was premiered by baritone Keith Phares. Upcoming commissioned projects include a new piano sonata for Jonathan Bass to be premiered on the Walden Chamber Players concert series, and a new work for guitarist Eliot Fisk, violinist James Buswell, and cellist Carol Ou, commissioned by Music for Peace. Frazin is co-founder and artistic director of WordSong. He was one of six commissioned composers from WordSong for the Seminar in 2013. Frazin has taught composition at the New England Conservatory and the Longy School of Music and currently serves as Composer-in-Residence with the Bach, Beethoven and Brahms Society.

Paul Sullivan has played concert tours throughout the United States and Europe, as well as the Middle East, Central America, and Asia as a soloist, with his trio, and as a member of the Paul Winter Consort. He has performed among the dunes of the Negev Desert, in ’s living room, and was a guest on Marian McPartland’s NPR program, Piano . Sullivan has also performed with the Philadelphia Orchestra under Eugene Ormandy, and the Boston Pops, under both and Keith Lockhart. He has worked in some of New York’s most prestigious jazz clubs with a wide variety of jazz mas- ters, including , , Red Mitchell, Lou Donaldson, George Mraz, and many other artists. Sullivan's 18 CDs have sold over 300 thousand copies and have won three Indie Awards. He received a Grammy Award for his work on the Paul Winter Consort CD, Silver Solstice. Sullivan has also worked as a musical director, pianist, and/or conductor for many off-Broadway and Broadway shows. He played keyboards and shared the duties for the original production of the musical Nine, which won a Tony Award for Best Musical. Sullivan’s composing also includes writing music for the Radio City Rockettes. He grew up in Boston and got his first professional training at the St. Paul Choir School in Cambridge. Sullivan went on to Phillips Exeter Academy and then to Yale, where he received his BA in music in 1977.

Stefanie Lubkowski’s early compositional efforts involved developing unusual timbres on her mother’s Wurlitzer organ and experimenting with sound collages in her high school electronic music studio. These explorations nurtured her interest in creating sound worlds guided by harmony and punctuated by melody. Lubkowski studied Music and Technology and Guitar Performance at Connecticut College in New , CT. She received her masters in composition from New England Conservatory. Lubkowski received her doctor-ate in composition from in 2014. She has written for orchestra, voice, various chamber ensembles, and electronic media. Lubkowski has been commissioned by such groups as New Gallery Concert Series, The Fourth Wall Ensemble, Transient Canvas, NakedEye Ensemble, Departure Duo, Peridot Duo, and soprano Elisabeth Halliday-Quan. Lubkowski taught composition and theory as a visiting faculty member at Brown University in 2014-2015. She is the recipient of a 2015 Massachusetts Cultural Council Music Composition Finalist Grant. Lubkowski currently serves as Development and Publications Manager at The Boston Modern Orchestra Project and teaches composition and theory at Concord Academy.

Stephen Halloran, the commissioned composer for the 2019 Seminar on Contemporary Music, earned his BM from the and his MM and DMA from Boston University. He studied composition with , Samuel Adler, Lukas Foss, and Stephen Albert. Halloran’s music is frequently performed around the world, including a recent performance by Berlin Counterpoint in Bonn, . He has taught countless young performers to find their voices through melody and harmony. Halloran does not believe that breaking the rules of harmony and counterpoint will lead to originality; instead, he believes that a true voice strives to master the music that is admired. Halloran serves as chair of the composition department at The Rivers School Conservatory and also teaches full-time at The Boston Conservatory at Berklee.

Konstantin Petrossian is a renowned Armenian composer of symphonic, choral, chamber, instrumental and vocal works, as well as sound tracks and theater music. His works are performed, recorded and published worldwide. Petrossian is a member of the Armenian Union of Composers, American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), and Armenian Musical Assembly. He is co-chair of the foreign relations department of the Composers’ Union of Armenia. Petrossian serves as the Cultural and Music Director of Sts. Sahag and Mesrob Armenian Church in Providence. He has also been the Artistic Director and Conductor of the Greater Worcester Armenian Chorale of Rhode Island. Petrossian is the Music Director and Conductor of the Erevan Choral Society. He has presented his own music in various cities of the U.S. and has performed at such prestigious venues as Carnegie Hall and in New York. Henry Fraser is a double bassist, bass guitarist and composer working from Boston, MA. He plays with a variety of New York groups including the Brandon Seabrook Trio, Sam Weinberg’s BLOAR, CP Unit, Ryan Power, and The Anthony Coleman Trio. Fraser regularly improvises with John McCowen, Erica Dicker, Joe Morris, Tony Malaby, and Weasel Walter. His solo double bass music explores the physical processes of technique, as well as the notion of biofeedback between instrumentalist and instrument as an aesthetic end-in-itself. Fraser is interested in techniques on the verge of controllability, creating unpredictable, inevitable action and working spontaneously in lieu of traditional notions of musical development. He has toured throughout the U.S., , South American, and Europe, playing such venues as the Panama Jazz Festival, Moers Festival, Jazz Jantar, Roulette Intermedium, Joe’s Pub, and The Stone. Fraser is featured on more than twenty albums, and his work has been reviewed in Rolling Stone, Bandcamp Daily, The Wire, and Downbeat. Fraser graduated from both The Rivers School and The Conservatory Program in 2010 and is now a member of the RSC faculty.

Gordon Stout was Professor of Percussion at the School of Music, , Ithaca, N.Y., where he taught from 1980 through 2019. A composer as well as a percussionist specializing on marimba, he has studied composition with Joseph Schwantner, Samuel Adler and Warren Benson, and percussion with James Salmon and John Beck. Many of Stout’s compositions for marimba are published and have already become standard repertoire for marimbists world-wide. Stout has appeared at more than a dozen International PAS Conventions as a featured soloist. In May of 1983 Stout performed in clinics and recitals in France, Germany, Holland and Belgium with "transcendental virtuosity"; he was described as "the Rubinstein of all aspects of the marimba". As part of the Taiwan International Percussion Convention on New Year’s Day in 2006, Stout conducted a 100-person marimba orchestra in the National Concert Hall in Taipei, Taiwan. His composition, New York Triptych, for marimba orchestra, was commissioned for the 50th anniversary celebration of the Percussive Arts Society, and premiered at PASIC 2011 in Indianapolis, IN. Stout was inducted into the Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame in November of 2012. He is the creator of Young Composers International(www.youngcomposersinternational.com), a service dedicated to promoting new works for marimba and percussion written by young composers from around the world. In 2019 Stout launched his newest venture, G & C Music, which will be the new home of Full Circle Publications and StoutWorks.

Fraser Andras is an active guitarist and composer based in New England. He is a versatile musician with a background in classical, jazz, and metal. Andras has composed music for solo classical guitar, solo piano, strings, and music for bands. Additionally he has written for chamber ensembles, including guitar duo and flute and guitar. Fraser's compositional style combines elements from his versatile background. In 2019 he received his BM in classical guitar performance at The Hartt School in West Hartford, CT, where he studied with Christopher Ladd. Fraser also received a minor in classical composition, studying with Gilda Lyons. Before his classical studies, he studied jazz guitar at Holyoke Community College with Bob Ferrier, graduating in 2014. Fraser also studied composition and guitar privately with A.J. Minette, Jon Donais, and Oli Herbert. He performs throughout New England on solo guitar with his own compositions and repertoire from the classical world. Fraser has performed with several bands on the radio and performed at large festivals, including Warped Tour 2015. He is currently working on his first CD of solo guitar works. Fraser resides in western Massachusetts, where he teaches and performs regularly. Patrick Greene, a composer, singer, and sound designer, is a "rising star of the composing world" (Boston Classical Review). has hailed him as a composer of “enticing” works. Greene’s music has been described as “shimmering” (New Music Box), “unearthly” (The New York Times), and constructed with “true musicality” (Boston Musical Intelligencer). Recent engagements include performances by the Boston Landmarks Orchestra, Boston Musica Viva, the Atlanta Chamber Players, the New Haven Orchestra, Skylark Vocal Ensemble, loadbang ensemble, Christopher Houlihan, Laura Usiskin, Transient Canvas, among others. Greene’s theatrical sound design has been called “disturbingly real” and “memorable” (ArtsImpulse). Recent design projects include the Boston premiere of Cassie Seinuk’s Eyes Shut. Door Open. (Wax Wings Productions) and D.W. Gregory’s Radium Girls (Flat Earth Theatre). Greene’s abstractEXTRACTION won the 2010 Rapido! New England Competition and took the Audience Prize at National Finals in 2011. In 2014, he was Guest Composer at the inaugural Birmingham New Music Festival. In 2015, Greene’s My Dearest Friend earned a C7Prize. Recently, the St. Botolph Club Foundation selected him for its Emerging Artist Award. Greene earned his MM degree in composition from Boston Conservatory in May 2010, where he studied with Andy Vores and . He graduated with a BA in Music from Trinity College in 2007 as a student of Gerald Moshell, Douglas Bruce Johnson, and John Rose. Greene is a member of the Society for Music Theory, the American Composers’ Forum, CompositionToday. com, and the Society of Composers, Inc. He is also a founding member of the Fifth Floor Collective and the Equilibrium Concert Series. Outside of music, Greene works for Oxfam, an international NGO. He also co-hosts the podcasts for Perfect Organism, Shoulder of Orion, and Just Winging It. Greene lives with his wife and their two sons in New England.

Christa Duggan is a Boston-based composer from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Her works combine elements of contemporary classical and experimental styles. Duggan's musical background includes classical training and private instruction in composition, percussion, and piano. She has composed for a variety of instruments and ensembles, ranging from solo to orchestral works. Each piece explores genre-pushing soundscapes. Duggan has also composed for multimedia and dance and is passionate about being involved in projects that encourage the intersection of different art forms. Her works have been performed by such groups as Florida Youth Orchestra, The FYO Percussion Ensemble, Transient Canvas, and Sentient Robots. In addition, performances have been done by Worcester Chamber Music Society, Music for Salem Summer Festival, Boston Conservatory's Choir, and by members of the Boston Conservatory's Classical Contemporary Program. Duggan is also featured as a composer for the woman-owned music library, Mpath LLC, which is the first music library ever to achieve gender parity.

Amy Reich is a composer and pianist and is currently on the faculty at Montclair State University Cali School of Music. Her works have been performed by such groups as the Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra, the Cleveland Chamber Collective, Dinosaur Annex, Chamber Music Series,Tanglewood Music Center, Ciao (Community Intergenerational Action Orchestra), Baroque Orchestra of New Jersey, Josquin Cage, and Composers in Red Sneakers, of which she is a founding member. Reich has received grants from Meet-the-Composer, the Massachusetts Council on the Arts, the American Harp Society, and . She attended the New England Conservatory of Music and Harvard University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Reich’s principal teachers were William Thomas McKinley, Earl Kim, and . Student Composition Showcase in Rivera Recital Hall 11:00 a.m., Saturday, April 10, 2021 Click Here for Link to Livestream

Stephen Halloran, director Members of the Worcester Chamber Music Society Krista Buckland Reisner, violin Rohan Gregory, violin Peter Sulski, viola David Russell, cello

The Antique House (Premieres) ...... Stavros First Matin Brumeux Kalinka The Trojan Gate Stephen Halloran, piano

Prelude (Premiere)...... Sadie Carroll

String Quartet (Premiere) ...... Edith Samuelsson

Gwydir Forest (Premiere)...... Stavros First

Virulent Words (Premiere) ...... Aspara Balamurugan

Penelope! (Premiere)...... Eva Khodier

Precipice (Premiere)...... Ian James Lin

Aurora (Premiere) ...... Chloe DeSteno

The Worcester Chamber Music Society was formed to enrich the greater Worcester community through exceptional performances and to empower youth through programs. It has become a recognized cultural presence within the Greater Worcester area by presenting sold-out concerts to captivated audiences. The group has received consistent critical acclaim since its initial concert in 2006. WCMS nurtures the community through a unique combination of affordable concerts, education and community engagement. Concert in Rivera Recital Hall 1:00 p.m., Saturday, April 10, 2021 Click Here for Link to Livestream

Red Bird...... Andrew Toovey Chloe Su, piano

Megansett Lullaby (Premiere)...... Paul Sullivan Joey Haverty, piano

Tre Laude Dolçe...... Gavin Bryars II Sarah Bo, cello

Winter Illuminations (Premiere)...... Wynn-Anne Rossi 2. Warm, Cozy Moments 3. Gliding on the Ice Arielle Chin, piano

Suite 7 Days...... Jerry Liu Friday Lexin Wang, cello

Mrs. Linklater's Tune...... Peter Maxwell Davies Max Dolmetsch, violin

For Latin Lovers (Premiere)...... Brian Chapple Max Dolmetsch, violin Vytas Baksys, faculty pianist

Russian Math (Premiere)...... Dan Loschen Teddy de Peyster, trumpet, Sam Kim, piano Daniel Ha, drums, Dan Loschen, faculty keyboard bass

Program note for Megansett Lullaby by Paul Sullivan: Megansett Lullaby is a piece that I wrote to conjure up the feeling of a Cape Cod village that Joey Haverty and I love. And though 40 years or more separates our time there, the feelings I am referring to are the same for both of us. Beyond that, I think that many people have their own 'Megansett', a place of peace and good memories and a magical summer retreat from the world. I dedicated this piece to Joey, and through his performance, I hope that it will find a responsive spot in many of the hearts that are listening.

Program note for Russian Math by Dan Loschen: The Seminar offers me an opportunity for creativity, challenging me to write jazz compositions for my ensembles. Often the biggest challenge is coming up with a title! When I composed this, my son Peter had been taking some extra math courses over the summer, run by the Russian School of Mathematics in Winchester. It struck me that their approach to teaching – intense, challenging, a bit high-pressured, always at a fast tempo – was similar to the mood of the piece I had written.

Virtual Concert via Zoom 2:15 p.m., Saturday, April 10, 2021 Click Here for Zoom Link

La danse des oiseaux du paradis...... Nicholas Lens Zoe Weng, piano

Dancing with Pannonica...... Gavin Bryars Elaine Peng, piano

John Donne Settings...... Dan Shore Breake of Day Payson Salyer, soprano Eve Budnick, faculty pianist

Three Melodies That Descend, Op 474, Nos. 96-98...... John McDonald 1. Rather Intense 2. Flowing. Simple 3. Moving Along Elizabeth Butter, flute

Winter Skates...... Martha Hill Duncan 2. At City Hall Wyatt Kaluzniacki, piano

Dawn...... Stacy Garrop Thomas Lohse, baritone Eve Budnick, faculty pianist

Fog...... LI Qi Chloe Zhong, flute

Orbit for unaccompanied cello...... Philip Glass Kayla Springer, cello

Three Whitman Songs...... Matthew Aucoin 3. A Clear Midnight Joshua Rocha, baritone Eve Budnick, faculty pianist

Three Scintillations for A and B-flat (Premiere)...... Stefanie Lubkowski for Mina I II III Mina Chae, clarinet Program note for Fog by LI Qi: “Stray Birds”: The mist, like love, plays upon the heart of the hills and brings out surprises of beauty.

Inspired by the poem “Stray Birds” by Rabindranath Tagore, Fog strives to capture the recurring interplay between fog and sunlight. It represents the circle of life, with all its sorrows, joy, and continuously unfolding beauty.

Program note for Three Scintillations by Stefanie Lubkowski: This set of three miniatures explores the expansion of long tones through various levels of ornamentation and figuration. These expansions create an array of moods from light and playful to mysterious and contemplative. Concert in Rivera Recital Hall 3:30 p.m., Saturday, April 10, 2021 Click Here for Livestream Spark (Premieres) ...... Stephen Halloran Torque Hannah Zupancic, Abra Hwang, celli Stephen Halloran, faculty pianist

Bagatelle in Folk Style...... Grigor Arakelian Caroline Dwyer, violin Vytas Baksys, faculty pianist

Suite 7 Days...... Jerry Liu Thursday Ellie Tillman-Schwartz, cello

Trembling Leaves...... Stanley Glasser Charles Liu, piano

Tamzara (Premiere)...... Konstantin Petrossian Hannah Takasaki, piano

Four Pioneer Shorts, Op. 606a...... John McDonald 1. Wishfully 2. Loop 3. To Go Easily 4. With Simple Heart Jonathan Liu, cello

Two Southern Appalachian Folk Songs...... Samuel Adler I. Married and Single Life II. Brennan on the Moor Iris Tian, violin Vytas Baksys, faculty pianist

Two Occasions for solo cello, Op. 615, No. 1-2...... John McDonald 1. For G.H. In Echoes (celebrating Geoffrey Hudson) 2. Lachrymatory Samuel de los Reyes, cello

Pink as Dawn (Premiere)...... Henry Fraser Select Combo I Frank Kasparian-Weisman, guitar William Randall, tenor saxophone Calvin Smith, Ian Behrstock, trumpets Jonathan Snow, drums Henry Fraser, coach, faculty bass pre-recorded Program notes for Spark and Torque by Stephen Halloran: Spark is meant to capture the spirit of a surreal nightscape. Nocturnal lyrical phrases are repeatedly interrupted by various contrasting elements, perhaps like distant lightning or a spark in an otherwise dark place.

In physics, a torque is a rotational force characterized by a turning effect. As I imagined this work, one of the persistent ideas had a spinning or oscillating nature. The work as a whole is in an arch form with a toccata-like middle surrounded by a sorrowful lyrical section that drives and swells.

Program note for Tamzara by Konstantin Petrossian: Tamzara is written with a unique blend of harmony, polyphony, and polyrhythms of Armenian folk music. I used two rhythmic constructions in this piece: 9/8 and 6/8. The 6/8 pattern is characteristic of Armenian dances, but the 9/8 meter is unusual. This piece was written specifically for students to play at music schools. The performer has the opportunity to join the rich politra, representing colors on the canvas of Armenian music.

Program note for Pink as Dawn by Henry Fraser: Composing Pink as Dawn brought me back to my roots in a certain sense. The creation of this work evoked my time at the conservatory program at Rivers, where I was a pupil of Philippe Crettien. As for the piece itself, form follows function. In this case, the function is creating opportunities for the players to occupy roles they may be less familiar with - trum- pets creating an oscillating drone, saxophone comping for guitar, improvising based on fully notated parts as well as chord symbols. The players must understand their notated parts and their improvisations as contributing to a larger developmental scheme, casting their playing in a more compositional light than is often asked of young jazz musicians. Concert in Rivera Recital Hall 1:00 p.m., Sunday, April 11, 2021 Click Here for Livestream

Sarah's Dance for percussion ensemble (Premiere)...... Gordon Stout The Marimba Magic® Ensemble Sarah Tenney, conductor Lucas Boyd, vibraphone Ian Chang, Reuven Wolfe, marimba Caleb Graupera, vibraphone Juliette Loschen, xylophone Jacqueline Lee, marimba Nathan Manasseh, glockenspiel Lilliana Tobe, tambourine

Romance...... Helen Grime Lauren Hogan, violin Vytas Baksys, faculty pianist

A Simple Song (Premiere)...... Beau Zhao For Sasha Sasha Iskoz, piano

Twilight of the Medici...... Max Raimi I: Siciliana II: Aria Elliot Do, viola Vytas Baksys, faculty pianist

Tuesday for solo double bass...... Xavier Dubois Foley Connor Rader, double bass

Flying Colours...... Adam Tan Jonathan Henry, vibraphone Juliette Loschen, marimba

Program note for Sarah's Dance by Gordon Stout I was thrilled when Sarah Tenney asked me to compose a second composition for her and the Marimba Magic® Ensemble. She and her students are just that – magic! Tenney always encourages the students to play at a level of maturity and musicianship beyond their young ages. The first commission in 2000 was a work for marimba solo and chamber orchestra, Rivers of Wood. This time I composed a work for percussion ensemble. Each part was written for a specific instrument and student, drawn from the available inventory of percussion instruments. The music for Sarah’s Dance is essentially melodic in nature, alternating with rhythmic and conversational sections to create a counterpoint of melody and rhythm. It is a “dance”, reflecting the amazing job that Tenney and her students do in bringing music and joy to life through their compositions. The piece might be seen as an overture of better things to come in the middle of difficult times in our world. Program note for Romance by Helen Grime: Romance, for violin and piano, is a short, reflective piece that exploits the lyrical qualities inherent in the combination. After a gentle opening, it travels through numerous moods and colours, with ever more dramatic outbursts of sforzandi in the violin and parallel sixths in the piano. Romance culminates in a fiery climax. It finally subsides into calmer yet more melancholy strains of the earlier material, ending with a sense of incompleteness.

Program note for Flying Colours by Adam Tan: Flying Colours is an energetic and whimsical reflection on the central theme of 'experiencing new things together'. The piece is written as a duo to illustrate that journeys are better with someone by your side. The energetic nature is based on my recent travels to Hong Kong, Japan and Korea, where I discovered new cultural experiences. Flying Colours takes inspiration from energetic video game and anime theme music, where themes interchange between colourful solo parts with accompaniment and powerful unison sections. The work concludes with a build up towards a sparkling cascade of notes. A simple unison ending signals the end of this journey until the next. Virtual Concert via Zoom 2:00 p.m., Sunday, April 11, 2021 Click Here for Zoom Link

Relentless...... Kevin Olson Justin Shi, piano

Valse...... Hans-Jürgen von Bose Arya Lal, piano

Flute Forest for solo flute...... Gary Schocker IV. Above the Treeline Maria Huang, flute

A Rustling of Angels...... Thomas Pasatieri I. How Sweet the Answer Serena DeSteno, mezzo-soprano Eve Budnick, faculty pianist

Harvest Moon (Premiere)...... Fraser Andras Devin Howe, guitar

Emergence (Premiere)...... Patrick Greene Alicia Kim, flute

Freedom Ride...... Dan Shore Marc's Aria: Tikkun olam Stavros First, baritone, Julia Lanzendorf, clarinet Eve Budnick, faculty pianist

Déploration pour une amie défunte...... Monique Gabus Walker Whitehouse, cello

Program note for Harvest Moon by Fraser Andras: The idea for Harvest Moon began one night while stargazing, inspired by the Chopin Nocturnes. The piece is loosely based on sonata form, with many changes to the key center during the development. The return of the main section in major symbolizes the calm night.

Program note for Emergence by Patrick Greene: Like many others living through this bizarre COVID-19 period, I have spent much of the past year inside a sort of cocoon. So much changed quickly. We shifted our lives to ensure our children were safe, our livelihoods secure, and our parents protected. Music, that life- blood for many of us, felt like it vanished for awhile. This commission comes from my friend and colleague, Ann Bobo, for her gifted student Alicia Kim. It was a personal emer- gence for me, the first project I worked on since COVID-19 changed everything. The title also refers to something Ms. Kim wanted the piece to express: self-discovery. The ending of Emergence is unwritten; I have supplied some colors for her palette, but other than that, the ending is up to the performer. It is my hope that this act of spontaneous composition gives Ms. Kim an opportunity to end the piece on her terms each time she plays it. Concert in Rivera Recital Hall 3:00 p.m., Sunday, April 11, 2021 Click Here for Livestream

Inspiration (Premiere)...... Sarah Tenney Charles Yang, marimba and Aluphone

Moon Prayer (Premiere)...... Kavita Shah Gaiyatri Mathew, piano

Etude...... Aram Satian Cheerful Train Varvara Zvereva, piano

5 Miniature Pieces...... Edward McGuire No. 5 Nicole Wettstein, piano

Miserere Paraphrase...... Michael Nyman Emma Reddy, violin Vytas Baksys, faculty pianist

Scenes From A Day (Premiere)...... Whitman Brown 1. Early Morning 2. Up and Running 3. Endless Possibilities 4. Daydream 5. Evening Dance 6. What will Tomorrow Bring? Audrey Tushman, piano

Wishful (Premieres)...... Amy Reich Henry Tushman, piano

Gaia (Premiere)...... Chloe DeSteno Winner of 2020 Rivers School Conservatory Composition Competition Allison Liu, piano Sandra Hebert, faculty pianist

Snow Impressions (Premiere)...... Christa Duggan Julia Lanzendorf, clarinet Vytas Baksys, faculty pianist Program note for Inspiration by Sarah Tenney: Every new breath, every “inspiration", invites us to new awareness. Breathing supports each phrase a musician plays. As I was composing Inspiration, my breath invited my unconscious to create each phrase. I invite the performer, Charles Yang, for whom I composed the piece, to breathe with each phrase and each pause, as he co-creates this dreamlike soundscape, playing marimba and aluphone (a series of tuned aluminum bells).

Program note for Moon Prayer by Kavita Shah: Any ancient cultures—from the Greeks and Romans to the Mesopotamians to the Egyptians to the Mesoamericans—worshipped the moon and lunar deities. Moon Prayer, as the title suggests, is a supplication to the moon to manifest one’s deepest desires. In writing this piece, I hoped to play to Gaiyatri’s abilities and also introduce her to more contemporary harmony and rhythmic structures than those she had been previously exposed to.

Program note for Wishful and Tarantella by Amy Reich: Wishful and Tarantella are two of four pieces from a set of pieces written expressly for Henry Tushman. When I was writing these pieces, I was thinking of what might be especially fun for a youthful person to play.

Program note for Gaia by Chloe DeSteno: I attempted in this composition to weave in the emotions felt throughout the past year from loss and loneliness to hope. We have endured much hardship, yet we have also witnessed the incredible capacity of humans to care for one another. I hope this music brings a sense of comfort and healing as we anticipate Earth’s emergence on the other end of our journey together.

Program note for Snow Impressions by Christa Duggan: Snow Impressions is a piece that explores the beauty and stillness that snow can bring. When snow falls, the environment around us slowly begins to transform, allowing us to experience our surroundings with a new perspective. I love observing this transformation, while seeing the snow flurries move effortlessly in the wind, making our surroundings crisp- er and brighter. I hope you find joy and peace while experiencing this piece. Thank you to Julia for the performance. Concert at Kraft Dining Hall, Rivers School Campus 5:00 p.m., Sunday, April 11, 2021 Click Here for Livestream

Suite for the Sweets...... Catherine McMichael Celtic Queen Elisabeth Halberstadt, Nathaniel Jarrett, Caleb Halberstadt, cello Vytas Baksys, faculty pianist

Puzzle Cube (Premiere)...... Michael Monroe Henry Monroe, cello

Partita for Solo Violin...... Andre Myers IV. Sarabande Fei Yang-Sady, violin

Tres Piezas en Clave de ...... Adriano Isabel Figueroa Mañas II. Lento ad lib., Misterioso Hannah Stairs, cello Vytas Baksys, faculty pianist

The Four Winds for violin...... Daniel Schnyder I EUROS (Boreas Notos Zephyros) IV Zephyros Sophia Berry, violin

Cello Eroico, Op. 513...... John McDonald Andrew Y. Kim, cello

Abandon Fear: Part I (Premiere)...... Keeril Makan Rivers Youth Symphony Christopher Memoli, conductor Chocoria Jiang,* Max Schiewe-Weliky, Justin Mao, violin I Amelie Martin,* Eliza Manasas, Jack McCahan, violin II Joshua Halberstadt,* Nina Lei, Adrian Yemin, viola Nicole Zermani,* Sarah Bo, Hannah Stairs, cello Connor Rader, string bass Casey Zhang, flute June Kim, oboe Jessica Klurfeld, clarinet Jacob Keeley, bassoon Arden Caldicott, French horn Gabriel Proia, trumpet Joshua Zhang, trombone

* Section leader

Program note for Puzzle Cube by Michael Monroe: This piece is inspired by the love of my cellist son, Henry, for puzzle cubes. Instead of six colors, the music uses only six different pitches (though across various registers), and the use of 9/8 is meant to reflect the nine squares that appear on each side of a puzzle cube. The Adagio introduction suggests a period of careful inspection of a scrambled cube. The solution begins at the Presto!

Program note for The Four Winds by Daniel Schnyder: Musical ideas from faraway places can be heard in The Four Winds…Euros, the wind from the East, reflects Middle Eastern music and also incorporates ideas derived from Chinese music. Zephyros reflects the Caribbean world, the wind from the west, and is based on a theme and variation form.

Program note for Abandon Fear by Keeril Makan: In Buddhism there is a saying, “abandon hope, abandon fear.” By remaining focused on the present moment, one can avoid attachment to fantasies, whether positive or negative. These delusions, hope and fear, take us away from our ability to experience the life that is in front of us. FACULTY

Alexander Badalov, cello Ian Lindsey, piano Vytas Baksys, accompanist Dan Loschen, piano, Assistant Jazz Chair Kelly Barr, violin Ronald Lowry, cello Deborah Yardley Beers, piano Colleen MacDonald, Conductor, Geraldine Bergonzi, Philharmonia Orchestra Jason Bielik, Conductor, Rivers Youth Wind Lucia May, violin Ensemble Christopher Memoli, Conductor, Marissa Birne, Marketing, Youth Symphony Orchestra Communications Manager Susan Memoli, Conductor, Sinfonia Ann Bobo, flute Orchestra Chris Brainard, Conductor, Primo Orchestra Velleda Miragias, chamber music, cello Heidi Braun-Hill, violin Kenneth Mok, Suzuki violin, violin Piotr Buczek, violin, chamber music Dubravka Moshfegh, violin, viola Eve Budnick, voice, Voice Chair Patrick Mottaz, jazz guitar Justin Casinghino, composition Minkyung Oh, piano Young-Shin Choi, violin Catherine O'Kelly, guitar Michael Connors, jazz drums Kirstin Peltz, cello Bruce Coppock, cello, Chamber Music Eleanor Perrone, piano, theory Philippe Crettien, saxophone, Jazz Chair Tiffany Thompson Pomeroy, violin Anthony D'Aveni, jazz trumpet Margaret Phillips. bassoon Clayton DeWalt, jazz trombone Ana Popa, piano, theory, Music Box Gabriela Diaz, violin Jenna Potts, violin, Suzuki Chair Nancy Dimock, oboe A. Ramón Rivera, piano Malcolm Dyer, Administrative Assistant, Lindsey Robb, piano, Theory Chair Program Coordinator Assistant Director John Emery, violin, chamber music, Music Box Timur Rubinshteyn, percussion Sean Farias, bass, jazz bass Marc Ryser, piano Ethel Farny, flute, Wind Chair Gabriella Sanna, Director Elizabeth Foulser, bass Philip Sargent, jazz guitar Susanne Friedrich, cello Lois Shapiro, piano Katherine Greene, Orchestra Manager Daniel Shaud, horn, Ernie Gurish, Registrar Conservatory Program Administrator Stephen Halloran, Composition Chair Jane Sheena, cello Alison Hannah, marimba, Chair, Music Box Jenae Starikov, violin Sandra Hebert, piano Steven Sussman, piano Karen Heninger, clarinet Klaudia Szlachta, violin Jin-Kyung Joen, violin, String Chair Whitney Tandon, Conductor, William Jones, jazz saxophone Preparatory Orchestra Lilit Karapetian-Shougarian, piano, Sarah Tenney, percussion, Marimba Magic Daniel Kim, viola David Tobin, piano Eugene Kim, cello Adam Vaubel, violin Yoshiko Kline, piano Andrew Voelker, jazz saxophone Leah Kosch, piano Junko Watanabe, voice Kristen Krauss, violin, Suzuki violin Anne Hooper Webb, violin Steven Laven, cello Liana Zaretsky, violin, viola, Summer Music Lisa Lederer, Suzuki violin Director Jeanie Lee, piano Marta Zurad, violin, Conductor, Camerata Soomi Lee, piano Strings Erin Lindsey, piano, Piano Chair The Composers

ADLER, SAMUEL (U.S.A., 1928- ) Adler is a composer, conductor, author, and professor. He has published over 400 compositions using a wide range of compositional techniques, including , diatonicism, and . Some of Adler’s music is known for the integration of dance rhythms, folk themes, ostinati, and elements of aleatoric music. He was the commissioned composer for the Seminar in 2004.

ARAKELIAN, GRIGOR (ARMENIA, 1963- ) Arakelian created the djut, the Armenian viola, with the assistance of a luthier. His compositions are inspired by Komitas, founder of Armenian classical music. Arakelian’s and compositions champion Armenian ancient and medieval music. Bagatelle is a jaunty set of folk tunes with variations in 5/8 and 7/8.

AUCOIN, MATTHEW (U.S.A., 1990- ) Aucoin is a composer, conductor, writer, pianist, and a 2018 MacArthur Fellow. He is the artist-in-residence at Los Angeles Opera. Aucoin has worked as a composer and conductor with the , Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and Music Academy of the West. He was the commissioned composer for the Seminar in 2017.

AUERBACH, LERA (RUSSIA, 1973- ) Auerbach is a poet, composer, concert pianist, and visual artist. She studied at the School of Music and The . Auerbach has published more than 100 works for opera, , orchestral and chamber music. Her music is championed by leading artists, conductors, stage directors, and choreographers.

BOSE, HANS-JÜRGEN VON (GERMANY, 1953- ) Von Bose teaches at the University of Music and Theater in Munich. He has written string quartets, stage works, chamber and orchestral pieces, as well as many vocal works. Von Bose’s work has been described with terms such as “new simplicity,” “new subjectivity,” and “post-structuralism.” His musical style is viewed as a link between modernism and post-modernism, using elements from the past and the present.

BROWN, WHITMAN (U.S.A., 1957- ) Brown has received awards and commissions from organizations including ASCAP, BMI, Yaddo and Millay artist colonies, Bedford Springs and Stroud Festivals, Warebrook Festival of Contemporary Music, and Cremona International Music Academy. He is the head of theory and composition at Walnut Hill School for the Arts. Brown composed Scenes From a Day for today’s performer, Audrey Tushman.

BRYARS, GAVIN (U.K., 1943- ) Bryars is a composer and double bassist. He has written music in many styles. Since 2001 Bryars has written a number of pieces based on the texts and format of the lauda, songs from 13th century Cortona, capturing the spirit and form of these non-liturgical songs. Tre Laude Dolce was written for a cellist with whom Bryars was working closely. The composer writes about Dancing with Pannonica: “The title refers to the English aristocrat Pannonica Rothschild, who was deeply involved with jazz. She lived with Thelonious Monk for several years and later with Charlie Parker. The piece has several references to Monk’s music.”

CHAPPLE, BRIAN (U.K., 1945- ) Chapple studied with Lennox Berkeley at the Royal Academy of Music. In 2014 his choral work, Hymn to God the Father, was commissioned and performed at Wells Cathedral. In addition to significant choral pieces, Chapple has written for piano and violin. Jazz and swing influences are found in several of his latest compositions.

DAVIES, PETER MAXWELL (U.K., 1934-2016) Davies, the guest speaker at the 1985 Seminar, is recognized as one of the foremost composers of our time. He published over 200 works that have been performed world- wide. After his move to the Orkney Islands in 1966, Davies often drew on Orcadian or more generally, Scottish themes, in his music. Mrs Linklater’s Tune for solo violin was written in 1998.”

DESTENO, CHLOE (U.S.A., 2002- ) DeSteno is a composer and soprano who writes music for a variety of instruments including piano, voice, and orchestra. DeSteno’s recent projects include Aurora, a string quartet, and Reconciliation, a piano trio. She has also worked as a music director at LINX Theater in Wellesley. DeSteno was a 2019 recipient of The Rivers School Conservatory Director’s Award, She is a first-year student at the Berklee College of Music, where she is studying film scoring and vocal performance.

DUNCAN, MARTHA HILL (U.S.A., 1955- ) Duncan is an award-winning composer, choral conductor, and music educator. She graduated from Houston High School for Performing and Visual Arts. Duncan received a degree in composition from the University of Texas at Austin, with piano as her principal instrument. She is a founding member of RED LEAF PIANOWORKS and is the artistic director of SHE SINGS!, the Women’s Choir in Kingston, Ontario.

FOLEY, XAVIER DUBOIS (U.S.A., 1994- ) Foley is an African-American bassist and composer and a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, where he studied with Edgar Meyer and Hal Robinson. Foley is a former first prizewinner at the Young Concert Artists International Auditions, Astral National Auditions, and the Sphinx Competition. He was the recent recipient of a prestigious 2018 Avery Fisher Career Grant.

GABUS, MONIQUE (FRANCE, 1924-2012) Gabus was a student of Magda Tagliaferro, Nöel Gallon, and Olivier Messiaen. She used the expression of interior life as inspiration for compositions. Gabus was sensitive to the power of visual images such as landscapes, pictures, and photos.

GARROP, STACY (U.S.A., 1969- ) Garrop’s music is centered on dramatic and lyrical storytelling. She served as the first Emerging Opera Composer of Chicago Opera Theater’s Vanguard Program. Garrop held a three-year composer-in-residence position with the Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra. She earned a bachelor’s degree at the University of Michigan, a master’s degree at the University of Chicago, and a DMA from Indiana University.

GLASS, PHILIP (U.S.A., 1937- ) Glass is known for his minimalist music. He has written many , , and soundtracks for movies. Orbit is not his first work for cello. Songs and Poems for Solo Cello was written in 2007. Orbit shows a kinship to the Suites by Bach in the way that the music moves through harmonies. Glass was the guest speaker at the Seminar in 1982.

GLASSER, STANLEY (U.K., 1926-2018) Glasser was a South African-born composer who studied with Matyas Seiber at Cambridge University. His concert music was deeply influenced by his study of African music. Glasser’s visionary interest in contemporary musical development led his department at Goldsmith to become a pioneering influence in the exploration of electronic music.

GRIME, HELEN (SCOTLAND, 1981- ) Grime started composition at age 12. Also an oboist, she earned a master’s degree with first-class honors, from the . Grime has composed several commissioned works and received numerous awards, most notably for her work, Virga. Romance is lyrical but develops into fiery outbursts, ultimately subsidizing into unresolved melancholy.

LEE, JAMES III (U.S.A., 1975- ) Lee studied with , William Bolcom, , Betsy Jolas, Susan Botti, Erik Santos, and James Aikman. As a composition fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center in 2012, Lee worked with Osvaldo Golijov, Michael Gandolfi, Steven Mackey, and . He studied conducting with Stefan Asbury.

LENS, NICHOLAS (BELGIUM, 1957- ) Lens is a multi-disciplinary artist, a composer, author, and director. He is well-known for his operas. Some of Lens' most important works include The Accacha Chronicles and 100 Etudes, Exercises, and Simple Tonal Phrases for Piano.

LIU, JERRY (U.S.A., 1995- ) Liu, a cellist, studied with Yeesun Kim at New England Conservatory. He currently lives and works in . Liu writes mostly for cello and experiments with a classically influenced genre. " Saturday was intended as a short concert encore. After receiving positive feedback, I decided to compose the remaining "six days”. I approached Bay Area composer Harry Whitney, for his guidance. His constant support and patience encouraged me to explore different forms of expression."

LOGGINS-HULL, ALLISON (U.S.A.) Loggins-Hull is a flutist, composer and producer with an active career performing and creating music of multiple genres. She is a co-founder of the acclaimed group, Flutronix, and is on the flute faculty of The John J. Cali School of Music at Montclair State University. LOSCHEN, DAN (U.S.A., 1963- ) Loschen is a graduate of Oberlin and New England Conservatories. He is the assistant chair of the Jazz Department at The Rivers School Conservatory, where he teaches classical and jazz piano students. Loschen also coaches jazz ensembles and teaches music theory at the school. He is the music director and arranger for Boston Musical Theater and performs as a pianist throughout New England.

MAÑAS, ADRIANA ISABEL FIGUEROA (ARGENTINA, 1966- ) Mañas graduated from National University of Cuyo in 1997. She has had works premiered in more than a dozen countries. Tres Piezas en Clave de Tango uses colors and rhythms of the tango in a contemporary manner, creating an original form of chamber music that combines the two styles.

MCDONALD, JOHN (U.S.A., 1959- ) McDonald is professor of music at , where he teaches composition, theory, and performance. His output concentrates on vocal, chamber, and solo instrumental works. McDonald was the Valentine Visiting Professor of Music at Amherst College in 2016-2017. He was the commissioned composer for the Seminar in 1989 and again in 2013 with the composers of Wordsong.

MCGUIRE, EDWARD (SCOTLAND, 1948- ) McGuire’s work ranges from music for solo instruments and voice to orchestral and operatic works. He received the British Composers' Award in 2003 and the Creative Scotland Award in 2004. McGuire's most well-known work has been his three-act ballet, Peter Pan, staged many times by the Scottish Ballet and Hong Kong Ballet.

MCMICHAEL, CATHERINE (U.S.A., 1954- ) McMichael is a composer, performer, arranger, and teacher. She holds degrees from the University of Michigan in piano performance and chamber music. McMichael’s works have won many awards, appear on numerous Guild lists, and have been recorded by professionals across the country.

MONROE, MICHAEL (U.S.A., 1966- ) Monroe is a pianist, organist, conductor, composer, arranger, writer, and educator. He earned his DMA at New England Conservatory. He serves as director of music at Catholic Memorial, a boys’ preparatory school in West Roxbury. He is the music director at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Bedford, where his own compositions are often featured.

MYERS, ANDRE (U.S.A., 1973- ) Myers teaches composition, music theory, and electronic music at the University of Redland in California. His music mixes narrative drama, poetry, and meditations on color to create work that evokes moments of honesty, poignancy, and depth. Partita for Solo Violin was written for the celebrated Los Angeles Philharmonic violinist and MacArthur Fellow Vijay Gupta.

NYMAN, MICHAEL (U.K., 1944- ) Nyman is a minimalist composer, a pianist, librettist, and musicologist. He is known for many film scores, concerti, and string quartets but prefers to write opera above all other forms of music. Nyman displays openness to collaboration, a spry sense of humor, a literate imagination, and the ability to engage a highly diverse audience.

OLSON, KEVIN (U.S.A., 1970- ) Olson is a pianist and composer at Utah State University, where he teaches piano literature, pedagogy, and accompanying courses. Olson began composing at the age of five. When he was 12, his composition An American Train Ride received the Overall First Prize at the National PTA Convention at Albuquerque, New Mexico. Olson has written music for such groups as the American Piano Quartet, Chicago a cappella, and the Rich Matteson Jazz Festival.

PASATIERI, THOMAS (U.S.A., 1945- ) Pasatieri has taught composition at The Juilliard School, the Manhattan School of Music, and the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. He began writing operas while in his teens. It was after he developed a career orchestrating film scores, that he resumed his career as an opera composer. He has written numerous operas, songs, and instrumental music.

QI, LI (CHINA, 1990- ) Qi is a master’s degree student majoring in composition at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University. Her teachers include Suen-David Sandström, Don Freund, Claude Baker, Aaron Travers, and P.Q. Phan.

RAIMI, MAX (U.S.A., 1956- ) Raimi has received commissions from many institutions, including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, where he plays viola. Twilight of the Medici is about the Medici dynasty in its final days. The work is based on 18th century binary form dances in the Baroque style. Originally written for a PBS station program in , Raimi rescored the music for viola and harp in 2005.

ROSSI, WYNN-ANNE (U.S.A., 1956- ) Rossi is a renowned composer who has written over 100 publications, primarily for piano. She has received commissions from such groups as Public Radio, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. Rossi has studied with Pulitzer Prize winner . She has received degrees from University of Colorado, Harvard University, and the University of Illinois.

SATIAN, ARAM (ARMENIA, 1947- ) Satian is a well-known composer, educator, and editor. In his music, Armenian melodies and traditions interlink with different forms, structure, and style. Satian has written the pop opera, Lilit, music for symphony and chamber orchestras, film and theater, as well as a number of teaching pieces for pianists. He is a professor of music at the Komitas State Conservatory of Armenia.

SCHNYDER, DANIEL (SWITZERLAND, 1961- ) Schnyder is a jazz reedist and composer. He attended the Winterthur Conservatory of Music in Zurich and the Berklee College of Music. Groups including the Vienna Art Orchestra, Opera Philadelphia, and the Berlin Philharmonic have commissioned Schnyder. The Four Winds reflects musical influences from the East, North, West, and South. The work was written for a violin competition and created in collaboration with renowned musicians.

SCHOCKER, GARY (U.S.A., 1959- ) Schocker, a prominent flutist and prolific composer, made his professional debut at the age of 15 and attended The Juilliard School. He has won numerous high profile performing competitions and writes for almost every orchestral instrument. Almost half of Schocker’s nearly 300 works in print are written for flute.

SHAH, KAVITA (U.S.A., 1985- ) Shah is a composer and Grammy-nominated vocalist from . Hailed for her “amazing dexterity for musical languages”, (NPR), Shah’s projects draw from modern jazz, new music, and her own field research on diverse folk traditions. Her music has been performed on six continents and received support from Chamber Music America, Jerome Foundation, and Camargo Foundation.

SHORE, DAN (U.S.A., 1975- ) Shore’s operas include The Beautiful Bridegroom, An Embarrassing Position, Anne Hutchinson, Lady Orchid, and Freedom Ride. He is a two-time winner of the National Opera Association’s Chamber Opera Competition. Shore earned a BM and MM from New England Conservatory and a PhD from City University of New York. He teaches at Boston Conservatory at Berklee and is the resident page-turner for Opera del West.

TAN, ADAM (AUSTRALIA, 1994- ) Tan is a marimbist, educator, and composer from Perth. He has performed and presented both locally and internationally, as a soloist and as a duo with marimbist, Therese Ng. Tan is founder and director of Marimbafest Australia. He holds a BM and MM from the University of Western Australia Conservatorium of Music.

TENNEY, SARAH (U.S.A., 1948- ) Tenney has enjoyed teaching percussion at The Rivers School Conservatory since 1982. For many years she has composed a premiere for Seminar. In 1988 Tenney founded Marimba Magic®, a class that introduces children to the joy of learning musical concepts through improvising and playing music in ensembles on drums and chromatic xylophones. Inspiration, written for Charles Yang, is for marimba and Aluphone, a new consisting of tuned bells.

TOOVEY, ANDREW (U.K., 1962- ) Toovey studied with Morton Feldman, Jonathan Harvey, and Michael Finnissy. His music embraces the influences of the poetry of cummings, Rilke, and Artaud and the visual art of Rothko, Bacon, and Miro. His works include opera and orchestral music, works for chamber groups, and solo instruments.

YORK, ANDREW (U.S.A., 1958- ) York is a beloved classical guitar composer and an internationally renowned performer. His compositions blend ancient subjects and sounds with modern musical language, enchanting listeners while remaining accessible. His guitar duet, Sanzen-in, is named after the 1000-year old temple in Kyoto, Japan. York captures the peaceful and profound atmosphere of the temple through the idioms of the modern guitar. ZHAO, BEAU (U.S.A., 1991- ) Zhao was trained at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. He studied mathematics and music at New York University. He then earned a Masters of Finance degree at the MIT Sloan School of Management. Zhao describes his style as “classical contemporary”, which, for him, is a combination of “East meets West”. A Simple Song for Sasha is dedicated to today’s performer, Sasha Iskoz.

ZWILICH, ELLEN TAAFE (U.S.A., 1939- ) Zwilich was the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize, achieving this honor in 1983 for her Symphony No. 1. The recipient of many awards and honors, Zwilich was the first person to hold the Carnegie Hall Composers Chair. Michael Cameron, a bassist at the University of Illinois, commissioned Excursion for Contrabass and Piano. The work was premiered at the 2017 International Society of Bassists Convention in Ithaca, NY.