Under the direction of Keith Aleo, the Interlochen Center for the Arts Percussion Ensemble (Jonathan Lucke marimba, Eva Machado marimba and Ruyi Yuan vibes) will perform my piece Le Grand Bolonqui on November 2nd. Here is the concert program, I couldn’t be happier to be part of this event!

Interlochen Arts Academy Percussion Ensemble – Nov 2, 2018 – 730PM

CONCERT PROGRAM:

Corporel – Vinko Globokar

Prelude (Aria I) from Threads – Paul Lansky

Extremes – Jason Treuting

Shared Space – Ivan Trevino

La grand bolonqui – Jorge Variego

Spine – Michael Laurello

Percussion ensemble

Jakob Schoenfeld

Anne Hayes

Eli Reisz

Ava Machado

Abigail Dellovade

Jaelyn Quilizapa

Jonathan Lucke

Zhaohan Pan

Ruyi Yuan

Yizhang Qiang

Kyle Skarshaug

Sophia Bondi

Program notes:

Corporel – Vinko Globokar

Trombonist and composer Vinko Globokar (b. 1934) began as a jazz musician in Yugoslavia before studying composition in Paris and later in Berlin, with René Leibowitz and Luciano Berio respectively. His work can be distinguished by a generally energetic, spontaneous, and especially experimental nature, often incorporating extended instrumental techniques and blending extra-musical elements (movement, speech, theater, politics, etc.) into performance. The relationships between and roles of composer(s) and performer(s) have also provided Globokar a great source of interest, and as a performer, one can expect a certain level of freedom (or a required amount of personal involvement and contribution, depending on one’s perspective) when approaching his compositions. ?Corporel is for a percussionist, performed on his or her body.

Prelude (Aria I) from Threads – Paul Lansky

Threads, written for Sō Percussion in 2005, is a half-hour long “cantata” for percussion quartet in ten short movements. There are three “threads” that are interwoven in the piece: Arias and Preludes that focus on the metallic pitched sounds of vibraphones, glockenspiel and pipes; Choruses in which drumming predominates; and Recitatives made largely from Cage-like noise instruments, bottles, flower pots, crotales, etc. The aim of the different threads is to highlight the wide range of qualities that percussion instruments are capable of, from lyrical and tender to forceful and aggressive, and weave them into one continuous “thread”. The movements are performed without interruption. – Paul Lansky

Extremes – Jason Treuting

With Extremes, composer Jason Treuting bypasses traditional music notation altogether, creating a system in which consonants and vowels contained in the six city names of Denver, Helena, Burlington, Brooklyn, Houston, and Cleveland receive either a short or long rhythmic duration (eighth note versus dotted-eighth, respectively). With a steady quarter note pulse shared amongst the four players, entire sections of music are developed in which the six city names are placed in cannon – recall the precise same musical process as Row) Row) Row Your Boat. In other moments, two players perform a series of chords, in 7 /8 time, atop a rhythmic ostinato established by the very opening loop of “Denver/ Helena”. Extremes is part of a larger, evening length work entitled “Imaginary City”, composed by Treuting and realized by So Percussion.

Shared Space (2015) was commissioned by McCallum High School Percussion Ensemble for their 2015 Percussive Arts Society International Convention showcase concert. The piece is scored for seven percussionists who share a setup of one 5.0 octave marimba, one vibraphone, one glockenspiel, one cajon, and toms. At times, up to five players perform on the same keyboard instrument, some standing on the opposite side of the instrument, creating a challenging and fun learning and performing experience.

The idea of community is deeply embedded in the music world. We as musicians do best when we support one another and our projects. I’ve developed this kind of relationship with McCallum High School’s music program. The school is located just blocks from my home in Austin, TX. In the fall, during my morning coffee run, I can hear the McCallum drumline warming up in the distance. We’re that close. I’ve coached their percussion ensembles; they’ve hosted my band for concerts. I’ve given clinics there; they’ve let me utilize their rehearsal rooms. It really is a shared space, a shared understanding of supporting what we do as artists.-Ivan Trevino

Le Grand Bolonqui (2018)

Triggered by the sound of Takemitsu’s Rain tree, Le grand bolonqui proposes a sonic world of rhythmic densities and sonic blocks that intertwine to create a constantly changing texture.

For moments, the three performers are in different worlds, chasing and following each other. In other sections, they play in strict synchronicity creating the illusion of a single, much larger instrument.

The work ends with an introspective melody that brings the apparent disorder to a final repose. -Jorge Variego

Spine was composed in 2014-15 for the Yale Percussion Group, featuring Yifei Fu. A single line—Yifei’s part—runs through most of the piece, and virtually all of the musical material is derived from it. This meta-line serves as the spine of the music, both in structural terms (backbone), but also with respect to the line’s perceived control over the direction and progression of the music (central nervous system). The music played by the other three members of the quartet serves to color and punctuate the main line. However, over the course of the work, players drift in and out of agreement with one another, and occasionally the primary line loses its unique identity within the texture of the ensemble. I tried to impart an almost biological sense to the way motives grow, attempting to balance intuitive—almost improvisatory—types of development with more structured patterns and processes. -Michael Laurello

What an amazing group of composers and fueling 4 weeks! Lots of great things in the future of these young talented artists.

For more information: https://goo.gl/jxEpzW

My most recent work “Enviolao” for viola and piano will be premiered by Ayn Balija at Old Cabell Hall in Charlottesville. This event is part of the UVA Chamber Music Series.

The 2017-2018 University of Virginia Chamber Music Series concludes on Sunday, April 22 at 3:30 pm with the Ayn Balija, viola. Balija will be joined by pianist Shelby Sender, violist Megan Gray and John D’earth will present dazzling selections that span the repertoire of the viola in the America’s. These diverse selections, sure to delight any audience, will include Lillain Fuchs’ Sonata Pastorale, Francisco Mignone’s Tres Valsas Brasileiras, Aaron Minsky’s Truckin’ Through the South, Ernst Bloch’s Suite Hebraique and a world premier of a new composition by composer Jorge Variego. The duo will also unveil a world premiere for viola and piano written by composer Jorge Variego.

Violist Ayn Balija leads a musically rich life performing and teaching throughout the country. She joined the faculty of the University of Virginia in 2007 as Lecturer of Viola. Along with maintaining a studio, she also serves as the principal violist of the Charlottesville Symphony at the University of Virginia and is the violist of the Rivanna String Quartet. In 2015-16, Ms. Balija also served as the interim viola instructor at James Madison University and in 2004 as an adjunct professor at Lorain County Community College.

Ms. Balija performs solo, chamber, and orchestral works around the country. She has soloed with Max Rabinovitsj and the Charlottesville Symphony Orchestra in Mozart’s Symphonia Concertante in 2009 as well as the Milhaud Concerto for Viola with the Tennessee Governor’s School Faculty Orchestra in 2015. For 12 years, Ms. Balija was a section member of the ProMusica Chamber Orchestra of Columbus championing new works and recording under the Summit label. She regularly substitutes for the Richmond Symphony, Williamsburg Symphony, and Roanoke Symphony. In 2005, Ms. Balija was invited to tour with the Pittsburgh Symphony on their East Coast Tour including a performance at Carnegie Hall. An enthusiastic supporter of new music in chamber music, she was part of a consortium for Fernghetti, a new work by Libby Larsen for clarinet, piano, and viola, and performances of works such composers as Michael Daugherty, Kenji Bunch, Matthew Burtner, and Judith Shatin.

Maestrissimo Dieter Hennings premiered my recent work for solo guitar “Milonga tuerta” for solo guitar at the University of South Florida New Music Festival and Symposium on April 6th. Wonderful times and an outstanding performance.

As part of the SEC grant activities, I will present work in collaboration with students and faculty at the University of Alabama, in Tuscaloosa. Thanks to Dr. Tim Feeney for making this possible! The activities will include a concert that will feature some of my compositions for vibraphone and an improvisation set with members of the UT EE, not to be missed!

https://art.ua.edu/gallery/sgg/

Justin Greene will perform subtle versions “Inner blues” and “Nunca tan lejos”. Not to be missed!

As part of the South Eastern Composers Collective concert season, my fixed media work “60 bandos 60” was presented at the University of North Georgia. The concert also included works by Joe Alexander, Peter Z. Lane, Martin Gendelman, William Price and David Peoples.

You can find the video of the show here.
Enjoy some incredibly wonderful works by Wayne Siegel, Annie Pirotta, Sláva Vorlová, Jorge Variego and Michael Smetanin! Special thanks to David Lempriere-Laughton for an amazing job on the piano!

Super excited to be part of this project that involves composers from Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama. The series includes an event at UA Birmingham (September), UT Knoxville (November), UN Georgia (December), UG (January) and UGS (February). The repertoire includes new electroacoustic works by Gendelman, Alexander, Lane, Price, Variego, Bryant and Peoples.