2006-07 Season

Earplay:22 Musing Monday, September 18, 2006, 7:00 PM

Earplay 22: Exploring Monday, March 12, 2007 James H. Carr Christopher Wendell Jones György Ligeti Kurt Rohde

Earplay 22: Visioning Monday, May 21, 2007 as part of the San Francisco International Arts Festival

Tickets: Free (Donations appreciated)

September 18, 2006 SPECIAL PRODUCTION:

Libby Larsen, Every Man Jack (2006) World Premiere Sonoma City Opera November 11, 12, 15, 18 & 19, 2006 www.sonomaopera.org elcome to an Earplay performance.performance. Our mission is to nuture new chamber music --composition, performance, and audience--all vital components. Each concert Wfeatures the renowned members of the Earplay ensemble performing as soloists and ensemble artists, along with special guests. Over twenty-one years, Earplay has made an enormous contribution to the bay area music community. Th e Earplay Earplay ensemble has performed hundreds of works by more than two hundred . Earplay hashas commissionedcommissioned anan averageaverage ofof twotwo Donald Aird new works per season, and has presented more than one hundred Memorial world premieres. Composers Competition Th is year the concerts are free to encourage more people to listen to new music. We appreciate your donations to make this possible. We look forward to meeting you and hearing your Downloadable application at: www.earplay.org/competitions responses..

Deadline: October 28, 2006 Richard Aldag President, Board of Directors

Special Thanks To: Earplay Earplay Staff Dennis Wadlington, Sherman-Clay Board of Directors San Francisco Girls Chorus Jennifer Burke, Industry Richard Aldag, president Aislinn Scofi eld Melissa Apuya Stephen Ness, secretary executive director Jeff Byers Dan Scharlin, treasurer Scott Koué Chris Froh technical director/stage manager Scott Koué Terrie Baune, musician representative Terrie Baune Jensine Martinez Mary Chun scheduling coordinator Steve Ness Christopher Wendell Jones Bill Beckerman Kevin Neuhoff Nicole Rodriguez- May Luke bookkeeping services Karen Rosenak Regina Sneed SAN FRANCISCO WAR MEMORIAL AND PERFORMING ARTS CENTER Monday Evening, September 18,, 2006, at 700 p.m. HERBST THEATRE

Owned and operated by the City and County of San Francisco The Herbst Theatre through the Board of Trustees of the War Memorial of San Francisco Th e Honorable Gavin Newsom, Mayor Musing TRUSTEES EARPLAY 22:

Wilkes Bashford, President Th omas E. Horn, Vice President Nancy H. Bechtle Mary Chun, conductor Bella Farrow Mrs. Walter A. Haas, Jr. Tod Brody, fl utes TerrieTerrie BauneBaune,, violin Claude M. Jarman, Jr. Peter Josheff, clarinets Ellen Ruth Rose, viola Chrysanthy Leones Karen Rosenak, piano Thalia Moore, cello Mrs. George R. Moscone Paul F. Pelosi Paul E. Reynolds Charlotte Mailliard Shultz Guest Artists Eleni Takopoulos-Kounalakis Elizabeth Murray, Managing Director Gregory P. Ridenour, Assistant Managing Director Jeremy Galyon, bass-baritone Chris Froh, percussion Kevin Neuhoff, percussion

Featured Soloist Terrie Baune

Earplay is funded in part by the Alice M. Ditson Fund of , Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation, The Amphion Foundation, the Aaron Copland Fund for New Music, the Bernard Osher Foundation, the James Irvine Foundation, Meet the , the Ross McKee Foundation, the San Francisco Foundation, the San Francisco Grants for the Arts, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and the Zellerbach Family Fund, and Generous Donors. Program Donors

Anonymous Richard Festinger Amelie C. Mel De Fontenay & Deborah O’Grady Stephanie & Donald Friedman Amy & Jeff Miller Carol & Brooke Aird Pablo Furman Mary Montella Vincent Persichetti Infanta Marina (1960) Linda Allen Jane Galante John Mugge & Ronald Caltabiano Ellen Ruth Rose and Karen Rosenak Allen Anderson Guillermo Galindo Bari & Stephen Ness Caroline Armstrong Stacy Garrop Florence Neuhoff Ann Basart Konstantin Gavrilov and H. Cross Professor Anthony Newcomb Ronald Caltabiano Lines from Poetry (1992) Ross Bauer Daniel Godfrey Samuel Nichols & Laurie San Martin William Beck & Yu-Hui Chang Stuart Gold Wendy Niles Terrie Baune William Beckerman Margot Golding Roger Nixon John Bell Violet & Douglas Gong Nora Norden Peter Josheff House and Garden Tales Diane & Stephen Bieneman Elinor Hagedorn Larry Ochs Frances L. Bennion Mark Haiman & Ellen Ruth Rose Pablo Ortiz (World Premiere, 2005, revised 2006) Herb Bielawa Alice Hannah Kurt Patzner Jeremy Galyon, Tod Brody, Ellen Ruth Seth Brenzel & Malcolm Gaines Stephen J. Harrison David Pereira Rose, Thalia Moore, and Karen Rosenak Kitty Brody Valerie & Richard Herr Wayne Peterson Mrs. William H. V. Brooke David Hollander Andrew Rindfl eisch Elva Buckhalter Martha Horst Jody Rockmaker

Ann Callaway Andrew W. Imbrie Kurt Rohde Intermission Henry Caltabiano Kenneth Johnson John & Mary Caris Christopher Wendell Jones Martin Rokeach Allen Shearer Bagatelles (2006) William B. Carlin Leslie Ann Jones Jerome Rosen James & April Carlson Yoshi Kakudo Karen Rosenak (World Premiere) James Carr Louis Karchin Dan Scharlin Tod Brody and Peter Josheff & Long Zhou Renu Karir & Ian Atlas Janice Schopfer John Chowning Hi Kyung Kim & John Sackett William Schottstaedt Mary Chun Ruth Knier Allen Shearer Chen Yi YangKo Raymond & Mary Chun William Kraft Steven D. Smith West Coast Premiere (2000, arranged 2004) Wayne Chun Arthur Kreiger Megan Solomon Alice Berg Cronin Ann Kroeber Jeff rey Stadelman Terrie Baune, Chris Froh, and Lori Dobbins Antoinette Kuhry & Thomas A. Kurt Stallmann Kevin Neuhoff Margaret Dorfman Haeuser John Swackhamer Barbara & Sanford Dornbusch Jules Langert David Tanenbaum Richard & Anna Carol Dudley Richard & Patricia Taylor Lee John Thow Libby Larsen Slang (1994) Patti Noel Dueter Amy Miller Levine Carla Wilson West Coast Premiere Edwin & Katherine Dugger Ursula & Dwight Mamlock John & Linda Wilson Drs. Michael & Jane Marmor Peter Josheff, Terrie Baune, and Jeff L. Dunn Daniel Weymouth George Edwards Paul & Ellen McKaskle Mark Winges Karen Rosenak Richard Felciano Nancy & Howard Mel Dan & Rachel Winheld Earplay Composers: Twenty-Two Years Notes on the Program

Eliane Aberdam Fredrik Fahlman David Lang Virginia Samuel American composer Vincent Sarah Aderholdt Richard Felciano Massimo Lauricella Laurie San Martin Infanta Marina Thomas Adès John Felder Richard Lavenda Carlos Sanchez-Gutiérrez This piece by Persichetti, an American, Persichetti (1915-87) was, Donald Aird Morton Feldman Mario Lavista Marc Satterwhite is for viola and piano and is based on a along with William Schuman Richard Aldag Richard Festinger Anne LeBaron Eric Sawyer literary source, a Wallace Stevens poem and Walter Piston, one of the Alexis Alrich Irving Fine Yinam Leef Allen Anderson Tom Flaherty David Schiff titled “Infanta Marina.” The dreamlike foremost representatives of Robert Basart Andrew Frank Peter ScottLewis David Schober text depicts a young woman emerging what has become known, somewhat Ross Bauer David Froom Jorge Liderman Philippe Schoeller from the sea into a world where “Her inappropriately, as the American Bruce Christian Bennett Pablo Furman Peter Lieberson terrace was the sand / And the palms Arthur Berger Guillermo Galindo György Ligeti academic school of composition. Born Jonathan Berger Michael Gandolfi Liza Lim and the twilight.” In life, an infanta was in Philadelphia during the First World Allen Shearer the daughter of a Spanish or Portuguese Guy Garnett Scott Lindroth Sheila Silver War, Persichetti began studying music at Stacy Garrop David Liptak Christophe Bertrand Reynold Simpson monarch. Herb Bielawa John Gibson Zhou Long the age of five, taking lessons in piano, Paul Siskind Susan Blaustein James Giroudonv Jing Jing Luo organ, and, later, theory and composition. Ronald Bruce Smith Stephen Blumberg Glenn Glasow Witold Lutoslawski Persichetti entered Combs College of David Soley Infanta Marina by Wallace Stevens Linda Bouchard Daniel Godfrey Drake Mabry Music, studying with composer Russel King Alexander Goehr John MacDonald Harvey Sollberger Claudio Spies Miller while still attending public school, Perry Goldstein Steven Mackey Her terrace was the sand Carolyn Bremer Michelle Green Katherine Malyi Jeff Stadelman and in 1935 he took a BM in composition Benjamin Britten Mark Grey Ursula Mamlock Kurt Stallman And the palms and the twilight. from Combs and was appointed Head of Ann Callaway Stephen Michael Gryc Dorrance Stalvey Music Theory at Combs immediately after Eitan Steinberg Ronald Caltabiano Susan Harding David Meckstroth graduating. Frank Stemper Edmund Campion Lou Harrison Marjorie Merryman She made of the motions of her wrist James Carr Ellen Ruth Harrison Olivier Messiaen Mark Stickman Donal Michalsky Igor Stravinsky The grandiose gestures Chris Chafe Hugh Hartwell Darius Milhaud Kotoka Suzuki Persichetti accepted an invitation to take Yu-Hui Chang Jonathan Harvey Eric Moe Toru Takemitsu Of her thought. over as head of theory and composition at Eric Chasalow Hans Werner Henze Paul Moravec Bruce Taub the Philadelphia Conservatory in 1941, and Yi Chen Martin Herman Gustavo Moretto John Thow in 1947 he joined the composition faculty The rumpling of the plumes Miguel Chuagui Jennifer Higdon Tristan Murail Leilei Tian of the Juilliard School. Three Guggenheim Timothy Vincent Clark Vincent Chee-yung Ho Thea Musgrave Ushio Torikai Of this creature of the evening Steven Clark Martha Callison Horst Hyo-Shin Na Fellowships, two grants from the National Aaron Copland Joan Huang William Neil Christopher Trapani Came to be sleights of sails Endowment for the Arts, the Brandeis Eleanor Cory Lee Hyla Olga Neuwirth Bertram Turetzky University Creative Award, the first ever Over the sea. Cindy Cox Igor Iachimciuc Roger Nixon Jason Uechi Kennedy Center Friedham Award, and the Ruth Crawford Seeger Victor Ialeggio Joao Pedro Oliveira David Vayo Shintaro Imai Henry Onderdonk Juilliard Publication award are just some Curt Veeneman of his more noteworthy honors. Beth Custer Pablo Ortiz Caspar Johannes Walter And thus she roamed Marc-Andre Dalbavie Gabriela Ortiz Xi-Lin Wang In the roamings of her fan, Greg D’Alessio Edward Jacobs Jose Antonio Orts Anton von Webern Stephen Jaffe David Pereira Daniel Weymouth Partaking of the sea, Persichetti’s compositional language David Jaffe Jeffrey Perry James Dashow Scott Wheeler is a panorama of twentieth century Mario Davidovsky Ping Jin Wayne Peterson And of the evening, Frances White techniques; he moves between tonality, Adriana Verdié de Vas Betsy Jolas Alexander Post Romero Peter Josheff Laurie Radford Beth Wiemann As they fl owed around atonality, polytonality and modality Olly Wilson Tamar Diesendruck Louis Karchin David Rakowski And uttered their subsiding sound. with fluency. In addition to his ceaseless Lori Dobbins Arthur Keiger Shulamit Ran Mark Winges activities as a composer and educator, Walter Winslow Hi-Kyung Kim Bernard Rands Persichetti found the time to write Kui Dong Maurice Ravel Stefan Wolpe Online text © 1998-2006 Poetry X, an important textbook on modern Jérome Dorival Jerome Kitzke Belinda Reynolds All rights reserved. From Harmonium, 1923 Jacob Druckman Barbara Kolb Steve Ricks Iannis Xenakis compositional practice, Twentieth-Century Edwin Dugger Anthony Korf Andrew Rindfleisch Pagh-Paan Younghi Harmony: Creative Aspects and Practice, Joel Durand Paul Kozel Jody Rockmaker Isang Yun and a 1954 biography of composer William Eric Zivian David Dzubay William Kraft Kurt Rohde Schuman. Jason Eckardt Meyer Kupferman Mathew Rosenblum Ricardo Zohn-Muldoon George Edwards Gyorgy Kurtag Morris Rosenzweig Ellen Taafe Zwilich Leo Eylar Bun-ching Lam Chris Roze RONALD CALTABIANO, Lines from Poetry -pause- Mission: (1992) violin solo V.Adagio molto (Sandro Penna: La veneta piazzetta) Lines from Poetry was written in 1992 for [Copyright restrictions] my good friend, Mitchell Stern. Each of arplay nurtures new chamber music. the nine movements is based on personal VI.Andante moderato EARPLAY links audiences, performers, and composers through impressions of one or two brief poetic concerts, commissions, and recordings of the fi nest music of our time. statements, which are shown below. The (E. E. Cummings: the fi rst of all my dreams e was of) relationship of the music to the poetry is more impressionistic than programmatic. [Copyright restrictions] Founded in 1985 by a consortium of composers and musicians, EARPLAY is -pause- It was my desire to compose a work dedicated to the performance of new chamber music offering audiences a that would highlight both the virtuosic unique opportunity to hear eloquent, vivid performances of some of today’s and lyrical aspects of the violin. These VII.Adagio molto: Andante fi nest chamber music. Earplay concerts feature the Earplayers, a group of seven elements are often juxtaposed between artists who, as a group, have developed a lyrical and ferocious style. EARPLAY movements (as between the first and (W. H. Auden: Aubade) has performed over 400 works in its 22-year history including 107 world second), and sometimes within one [Copyright restrictions] premieres and 47 new works commissioned by the ensemble. The 2006-07 movement (as in the third). To provide season reinforces EARPLAY’s unwavering track record of presenting exceptional unity, all the movements share an ever- varying cantus firmus, as well as motivic VIII.Presto music in the 21st century. elements. Moreover, movements are attacca except for two short pauses. (John Ashbery: Heibun 4) --- R.C. [Copyright restrictions]

I. Moderato Prestissimo “The air broke into a mist with bells” (Margaret Atwood: The Red Shirt) (Robert Browning: The Patriot) [Copyright restrictions]

II.Allegro fl essibile IX.Andante “An avalanche of stars, last night the “The breezy call of incense breathing Leonids Morn” fi red every farm with ancient light” (Thomas Gray: Elegy in a Country Churchyard) (Jim Barnes: Last Night in La Plata)

Adagio III. Andante “Now fades the glimmering landscape on the C.P. Cavafy: Walls night” [Copyright restrictions] (Thomas Gray: Elegy in a Country Churchyard) IV. Andante moderato “The sobbing of the bells” (: Leaves of Grass) onoma City Opera presents a Ronald Caltabiano’s PETER JOSHEFF , House and Garden Tales wonderfully theatrical exploration (b.1959) music has Scott Koué (technical director/stage S (2005) revised 2006, for voice, fl ute, of Sonoma’s most famous historical been hailed as manager) is a sound recordist, editor and viola, cello, and piano figure and literary icon, Jack London, in a having achieved “a designer with thirty years of experience provocative, newly commissioned opera, remarkable synthesis in film, advertising and the theater. His House and Garden Tales, Six Poems by Every Man Jack. Inspired by London’s of modernism and work can be heard in over thirty films Jaime Robles (2005, 2006)was premiered groundbreaking biographical work, John including The Legend of Drunken Master romanticism, of violence and lyricism, of by Allen Shearer at last year’s Harvest of Barleycorn, the opera tells the compelling (starring Jackie Chan) and the award- integrity and accessibility.” Song. It is a nine-minute set of miniatures story, through a Vaudeville-like format, of winning Titanic. His credits on these and He first came to international attention exploring the comings and goings of this adventurer, writer, and charismatic other projects include sound supervisor, in the early 1980s with his String Quartet the animals in the Robles household. genius’s lifelong struggle with alcohol. sound editor, creator of specialized sound No. 1, premiered in Great Britain by the The poems are domestic portraits of her effects and Foley recordist. Industry Arditti Quartet and in the chickens, birds and cats, the territory in awards include the SILVER HUGO, New Every Man Jack by the Juilliard Quartet, and a series which they roam and the sounds they York Festival, the London International of prominent orchestral commissions make as they go about their daily business. Advertising Award and Golden Reel A Jack London Opera soon followed. Works written for the It was originally written for baritone, flute (Titanic, Best Sound). He also collaborated by composer Libby Larsen San Francisco Symphony, the Dallas (piccolo), harp, viola and double bass. with photographer David Waldorf in Symphony Orchestra, and the Cincinnati and librettist Philip Littell The in-a-nutshell qualities of House and Experience & Exchange: Documentary Symphony exhibit kaleidoscopic colors Garden Tales make it a kind of preamble, as the Art of Collaboration, Kent State Mary Chun, Music Director and provocative designs. Performances a final fling at concision before plunging University. Scott’s formal training includes Joseph Graves, Stage Director by international orchestras include into the wild passions of the Inferno. those of the BBC Symphony, the Hong Theatrical Design at U.C. Davis. Earplay, Orchestra Kong Sinfonietta, and the Royal Scottish & National Orchestra. The composer would like to thank Mary Rod Gilfry, as Jack London Chun and Ellen Ruth Rose for initiating the process that has made this performance Aislinn Scofield (executive director) Jennifer Lane, as Charmian London Major awards from the American Academy possible, and to acknowledge the support has extensive experience with a wide John Duykers, as Older Man of Arts and Letters, the Guggenheim and encouragement of Jaime, Allen and range of Asian performing arts from her Foundation, and the Rockefeller Susan Narucki, as Older Woman Eliza O’Malley to all of whom this work is sixteen years at the Asian Art Museum Foundation were anticipated by a number dedicated. --P.J.P.J. (final position was Manager of Cultural Ilana Davidson, as Young Girl of awards from BMI and ASCAP as well Programs). She has received awards for Brad Bradshaw, as Young Boy as two Bearns Prizes. Since working as her work including The Bernard Osher assistant to Aaron Copland during the HOUSE AND GARDEN TALES, SIX Cultural Award, a special Izzy Award last five years of that composer’s life, POEMS BY JAIME ROBLES (Isadora Duncan), travel awards from Performances: Caltabiano has served on the faculties of I. Haiku the Korea Foundation, the Republic of November 11, 12, 15, 18 , 19, 2006 the Manhattan School of Music and the China (Taiwan), and the East-West Center Peabody Conservatory. He currently lives Person Theatre, Sonoma State University in Honolulu, Hawaii. Formal studies in San Francisco. Flapping up down fl utter, cornered in the include a B.A. in Theater, Washington eye—a small brown bird State University, a B.A. in Studio Art Presented in association with the (Photography and Textiles), and an MA. Caltabiano is a BM/MM/DMA graduate Interdisciplinary Art, San Francisco State Green Music Festival of The Juilliard School, where he studied II. Aversion with Elliott Carter and Vincent Persichetti. University. Yow! grinned cat. In addition, he has studied composition www.sonomacityopera.org with Peter Maxwell Davies and conducting That’s the biggest wingy thing I’ve ever seen. with Harold Farberman and Gennadi Chicken raises an open beak from the gritty Rozdesvensky. dirt, turns her feathery gaze toward cat, and cat, � seeing big-toothed dinosaurs in the history

� of her VI. Absence where he was a special audit student of slanted marimbist Keiko Abe. He is a member of the San Francisco Contemporary Music yellow eye, Guest Artists Under the juniper bushes Players, Empyrean Ensemble, the new- fl ees. gnarled wood music improvisation group sfSound, and Gamelan Sekar Jaya. He has also performed Under the junipers III. Desire with Earplay, Berkeley Contemporary between ancient branches and feathery Jeremy Galyon, (bass-baritone), a Chamber Players, Santa Cruz New Music foliage— 2006 SF Opera Adler Fellow, was seen Works, and at the Other Minds, Berkeley Curved in the window of emerging day, junipers dark, pungent, nested warp of this past summer as Nick Shadow in the EdgeFest, Festival Nuovi Spazi Musicali, cat attends branch, weft of scaly leaves— Merola Opera Program production of The and Pacific Rim Music Festivals. to the conversation of birds. Rake’s Progress. After spending four years Under feathery dark junipers, as a Resident Artist with Binghamton’s Tri- Kekk ka ka kkkkek, whispers cat, a clutch of green eggs, one broken, Cities Opera he recently returned there to perform the role of Raimondo in Lucia di nestled sticky in a mulch of matted leaves, Kevin Neuhoff (per- Lammermoor. Other roles with Tri-Cities dreaming of soaring woody sediment cussion) is a soloist and Opera include Figaro in The Marriage of into the pinioned sky new-music chamber mu- Figaro, Sparafucile in Rigoletto, Colline sician who has performed Poems Copyright © 2004 by Jaime Robles. in La Bohème and Dulcamara in The UsedUsed wwithith ppermissionermission with the Cabrillo Festival, IV. Flourish Elixir of Love. He has been a Young Artist the Oakland Ballet, Left with the Glimmerglass Opera where he performed the roles of Larkens in The Girl Coast Chamber Ensemble, the Other Minds Festival, New Century Chamber Orchestra, 4 a.m. Cat enters, of the Golden West and Masetto in Don Giovanni. Other engagements include and the Paul Dresher Ensemble. He promenades the bedroom holds the post of principal timpanist with [b. 1954] Theseus in A Midsummer Night’s Dream PETER JOSHEFF the International Carmel Bach Festival is a founding member with Chicago Opera Theatre and 2nd Orchestra, the Western Opera Orchestra, —puhrrrrrruh puhrrrrruh puhrrrrrruh— of Earplay. Over the Armored Man in The Magic Flute with the Berkeley Symphony, and the Fremont past twenty years he Florida Grand Opera. His awards include Symphony, and is principal percussionist has established himself Regional Finalist for the Metropolitan with the Marin Symphony. Neuhoff is and waves his hindquarters out the sliding as a leading performer Opera National Council Auditions and an frequently invited to play with the San glass door and advocate of Opera Index Encouragement Award. Francisco, Oakland, Santa Rosa, and contemporary music. Sacramento Symphonies and can be heard V. Fervor His most recent compositions grow out of on recordings made on the Harmonia a decade of collaboration with Bay Area Mundi, Triloka, New Albion, Wide Hive, poet and book artist Jaime Robles. What and Nonesuch labels. Chicken runs as fast as she can: started as bass clarinet improvisations in wing tips tucked, feathered trousers, lacy response to her readings has expanded to fringed, song-cycle and chamber opera. The larger Chris Froh (per- cussion) is a San bobbling. Did she hear the back door open? scope of their recent work was inspired by Harvest of Song, an annual autumn concert Francisco freelance Is the cat food out? Cat on the kitchen counter at the Berkeley Art Center, organized by percussionist complains, “Mine, Josheff, Robles and composer/baritone specializing in new that food is mine.” Chicken—ping, ping— Allen Shearer. A previous work, Diary music written for keeps—ping, ping—eating—ping, ping— (2002), seven songs for soprano, baritone, solo and chamber alto flute, bass clarinet, guitar and double settings. He received his Bachelor’s till—ping, ping—she’s—ping, ping—thrown and Master’s degrees at the University out. Whoosh. bass, premiered at Harvest of Song. It received a second performance at an of Michigan and has also studied at � Flap fl ap. American Composers Forum Salon and the Eastman School of Music and the was later staged by Goat Hall Productions Toho Gakuen Conservatory of Music, Theater of Saint Louis, Opera Idaho, the Ellen Ruth Rose in San Francisco. Memento (2001), Diary Allen Shearer has Texas Shakespeare Festival, Cleveland (viola) relocated to the and 3 Hands (2003) are all attempts, in received many awards Lyric Opera, Pacifi c Repertory Opera, the Bay Area in 1998 after part, to think about the issues of writing in music, including Los Angeles Music Center Opera and San having spent several for the stage, and have led to Josheff and the Aaron Copland Francisco Opera. In Fall 2006 she premieres years in Cologne, Robles’ current chamber opera project, Award, the Rome Prize Every Man Jack, a new chamber opera Germany, where she Inferno. The first completed music Fellowship, a Charles Ives based on the life of writer Jack London, first became immersed from that work, Francesca’s Complaint Scholarship, an Alfred written by composer Libby Larsen and in contemporary music. (2006), will premiere at the sixth annual Hertz Fellowship, librettist Philip Littell, and commissioned As a member of the experimental Harvest of Song, October 28 and 29 at the residencies at the MacDowell Colony, by the Sonoma City Opera. ensembles Musik Fabrik and Thürmchen Berkeley Art Center. He is also working several grants from the National Ensemble, and as a frequent guest on a commission from the Empyrean Endowment for the Arts, including one with Frankfurt’s Ensemble Modern, she Ensemble to be premiered in April 2007. for the creation of his opera The Goddess, toured throughout Europe, premiering Josheff has received grants from the and grants from Meet The Composer. His American Composers Forum and Meet Thalia Moore (cello), and recording countless works. She choral works have been performed in the Composer, and has been in residence attended the Juilliard has performed as soloist with the West nearly every state of the U.S. as well as in at the MacDowell Colony. He did graduate School of Music as a German Radio Chorus and appeared at Europe, the former Soviet Union, Asia, and work in composition at the University scholarship student of the Cologne Triennial, Berlin Biennial, South Africa. Recent premieres include of , Berkeley, studying with Lynn Harrell, and received Salzburg Zeitfluss, Brussels Ars Nova, Memory Beams for violin and guitar, Olly Wilson, Andrew Imbrie and Edwin her bachelor’s and mas- Venice Biennial, and Budapest Autumn Outbound Passenger for mixed chamber Dugger. ter’s degrees in 1979 and 1980. Since festivals. Ms. Rose holds degrees in viola group, Hymn to Gaia for men’s voices 1982, Ms. Moore has been Associate performance from The Juilliard School and and instruments, and Secrets for mezzo the Northwest German Music Academy; soprano, flute, cello and piano. Also a Principal Cellist of the San Francisco ALLEN SHEARER, Bagatelles (2006) for Opera Orchestra, and in 1989 joined the and a degree in English and American flute and clarinet, World Premiere baritone, he frequently performs vocal cello section of the San Francisco Ballet history and literature from Harvard music old and new, including his own. He Orchestra. University. is artistic codirector of the San Francisco These seven duos for flute and clarinet are new music presenter Composers, Inc. quite brief. They range from a minute to He holds degrees from the University of Karen Rosenak(piano) a minute and a half each. I began them California at Berkeley and the Akademie is an “almost native” of as compositional studies in order to take Mozarteum in Salzburg, and teaches at Peter Josheff (clar- the Bay Area. She was stock of my own musical language, and California State University, East Bay and at net) is active both founding member/pianist also to practice some basic techniques the University of California at Berkeley. as a composer and a of Bay Area new-music such as inversion without having to performer. Based in the groups Earplay and the struggle with a large form. Though there San Francisco Bay Area, Empyrean Ensemble, is no real thematic link between the he is a founding member and she currently performs with those movements, some prominent element of Earplay, a member of CHEN YI , (2000), arranged groups. She studied modern piano with of each connects with the beginning of YangKo 2004 for violin and two percussion the Paul Dresher Ensemble,the Empyrean Carlo Bussotti and Nathan Schwartz, and the next. My instrumental music tends Ensemble, and the Berkeley Contemporary credits Margaret Fabrizio with introducing to be descriptive, but the Bagatelles are Chamber Players. He has performed with her to the fortepiano during her graduate an exception. Some of them do chirp, YangKo, originating in northern China, most of the new-music ensembles in the work in early music at Stanford University. but that seems to be my way with these is a major folk dance form in mass Bay Area, including the San Francisco She has found the balance between old instruments. I did not intend to evoke any performance popularized in the country. Contemporary Music Players and and new music, and between old and new pastoral associations. In a YangKo performance, people always Composers Inc. pianos, to be an ongoing, most satisfying My thanks to Tod Brody and Peter Josheff, play rhythmic patterns on the drums pursuit. Since 1990, she has been on the for whom the piece was written. --A.S. hung around their waists while singing faculty at UC Berkeley, where she teaches and dancing. In my piece YangKo, I have musicianship and contemporary chamber imagined a warm scene of YangKo dancing music. in the distance. The solo violin plays a sweet and gracious melody line imitating a beautiful girl’s singing. Supported by the Music Society of Lincoln Center, the Modern Prometheus was selected as one credits include concertmaster positions sound produced two percussionists, who Friendship Ambassador Award from of the eight best classical music events with the Women’s Philharmonic, Fresno play instruments and recite percussive Edgar Snow Fund, an Honorary Doctorate of 1990 by USA Today. The first woman Philharmonic, Santa Cruz County sounds, with the evergoing pulse, the from Lawrence University. Her music is to serve as a resident composer with a Symphony, and Rohnert Park Symphony. music recalls a warm scene of the dance published by , major orchestra, she has held residencies A member of the National Symphony parade in the background. Under request performed world wide, and recorded on with the California Institute of the Arts, Orchestra for four years, she also spent of Network for New Music ensemble, various labels. the Arnold Schoenberg Institute, the two years as a member of the Auckland the piece is adapted from the second Philadelphia School of the Arts, the Philharmonia Orchestra of New Zealand, movement of my Chinese Folk Dance Suite Cincinnati Conservatory, the Minnesota where she toured and recorded for Radio for violin and orchestra, and premiered by LIBBY LARSEN, Slang (1990), for Orchestra, the Charlotte Symphony, and New Zealand with the Gabrielli Trio NNM in Philadelphia on March 8 and 9, violin, clarinet, and piano, West Coast the Symphony. and performed with the New Zealand 2005. – C.Y. Premiere Holder of the 2003-2004 Harissios Symphony Orchestra. Papamarkou Chair in Education at the Slang (1990) is a one-movement work Library of Congress and recipient of (flute) has in three sections. Its title references a the Eugene McDermott Award in the Tod Brody been in the forefront of CHEN YI (b.1953) is the culture’s evolution of its own lexicon of Arts from the Massachusetts Institute contemporary music activity Cravens/Millsap/Missouri sound-bytes to express itself to itself in of Technology as well as a Lifetime in northern California Distinguished Professor short hand. I’m fascinated by this idea. Achievement Award from the American through his performances at the Conservatory of the Considering the vast array of musical Academy of Arts and Letters, Libby Larsen and recordings with the San University of Missouri- languages which are available to us on a is a vigorous, articulate champion of the Francisco Contemporary Kansas City, and the recipient of the daily basis, I set about to compose SLANG. music and musicians of our time. In 1973, Music Players, Earplay, prestigious Charles Ives Living Award (01- An abstracted country fiddle gesture she co-founded (with Stephen Paulus) 04) from the American Academy of Arts provides a structure in which jazz and the Minnesota Composers Forum, now and the Empyrean Ensemble. He maintains and Letters, Dr. Chen Yi has been elected to boogie slang combine twentieth century the American Composers Forum, which an active freelance career, teaches at the the American Academy of Arts & Sciences ‘new music’ slang, rounded off by a coda has been an invaluable advocate for University of California, Davis, and directs in 2005. Chen Yi has received bachelor cadenza build on a rock and roll strumming composers in a difficult, transitional time the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of the and master degrees in music composition pattern. SLANG asks the performers to for American arts. American Composers Forum. from the Central Conservatory in Beijing, freely change performance styles as the China, and Doctor of Musical Arts degree musical language dictates. This piece was from Columbia University in the City of commissioned by the Verdehr Trio, 1990. New York. Her composition teachers have --- L.L. included Wu Zu-qiang, Chou Wen-chung, � Mary Chun (conduc- Mario Davidovsky, and Alexander Goehr. tor) has premiered She has served as Composer-in-Residence the works of many for the Women’s Philharmonic, the vocal LIBBY LARSEN (b. 1950) composers, including ensemble Chanticleer, & Aptos Creative Arts has created a catalogue of Performers John Adams’ earth- Center supported by Meet The Composer, over 200 works spanning quake romance I Was and as a member of the composition virtually every genre Looking at the Ceiling faculty at Peabody Conservatory of Johns from intimate vocal and Terrie Baune and Then I SawSaw thethe Sky,Sky, Hopkins University. Fellowships have been chamber music (violin), in addition to received from Guggenheim Foundation, which she conducted in Paris, Hamburg, to massive orchestral and choral scores. being a member of American Academy of Arts and Letters, and and Montreal. In demand as a collaborator Libby Larsen has received numerous Earplay, is associate National Endowment for the Arts in the for new lyric work and traditional operatic awards and accolades, including a 1994 concertmaster of United States. Honors include a first prize repertoire, she has worked with opera Grammy as producer of the CD: The Art the Oakland-East from the Chinese National Composition companies in Europe and the U.S. such of Arlene Augér, an acclaimed recording Bay Symphony and Competition, the Lili Boulanger Award, as Opera de Lyon, La Monnaie, Kosice that features Larsen’s Sonnets from the a member of the - Stoeger Award from Chamber State Opera, Hawaii Opera Theater, Opera the Elise Portuguese. Her opera Frankenstein, The Empyrean Ensemble. Her professional