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info at avianmusic dot comLast updated 6/23/08
© 2002-2008
by Avian Music LLC
past events
(visit the Music Samples page to hear clips from these concerts.)FOUR PERFORMANCES IN FOUR CITIES in SPRING 2008!!!
LOCKED TO PICTURE
Video art and live musical performanceAvian Music launches their first Northeast "mini tour", bringing our latest show to Delaware, Ohio, Boston, and New York. We will present a feast for your eyes as well as your ears with an evening of new music and video art that touches on themes both local and global. Abstract and organic visual images illuminate music that ranges from classical to jazz to electronica, played on both traditional instruments and contraptions like the bicycle-based Cyclophone. Featuring works by composers Michael Gandolfi, Tom Lopez, Neil Rolnick, Peter Flint, Bret Battey, John Mallia, Andreia Pinto Correia, and Ben Dorfan.
Flint will unveil his new bicycle-based percussion instrument, the Cyclophone! Pinto Correia brings a look at The Square in Marrakesh. Rolnick counts Digits in his piece for solo piano. Ben Dorfan gives us a look at Chance Creek in Ohio, and more. The Avian musicians will perform this thrilling evening of new music accompanied by a wall of video art created by the artists and the composers.
Thurs, April 17, 7:00 pm
Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts
200 South Madison Street, Wilmington, DelawareThurs, April 24, 8 pm
The Cat in the Cream Coffeehouse
180 West Lorain Street, Oberlin, OhioTues, May 6, 8 pm
Jordan Hall, New England Conservatory
290 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MASaturday, May 10, 8 pm
The Performance Project@University Settlement
184 Eldridge Street, New York, NY
Friday, September 8, 2006, 8pm
Spontaneous Combustion
with Blair McMillenTenri Cultural Institute
43A W. 13th Street, NYCA program of music inspired by the art of improvisation, with acclaimed pianist, BLAIR MCMILLEN.
The program included two commissioned world premieres written specifically for this evening: a high-octane solo piece by NYC-downtown composer ANNIE GOSFIELD; and Avian Music founder PETER FLINT’s perpetual-motion semi-improvised Microconcerto for string quartet and piano. Also on the program will be CHARLES IVES’ “3 Improvisations”, C.P.E. BACH’s “Eb Major Fantasia” (Wq 58/6), GIACINTO SCELSI’s hushed, tranquil "Un Adieu”, MORTON FELDMAN’s graphically-notated, aleatoric “Intersection 3”, two movements from KYLE GANN’s jazzy, melancholic “Private Dances”, a New York premiere, and McMillen’s trio arrangement (piano, elec. guitar, double bass) of rock band KING CRIMSON’s 1969 tune “21st-Century Schizoid Man”.
The performance of classical music at the beginning of the twenty-first century leaves almost nothing to chance. Improvisation was once expected of all reasonably talented musicians: for over a century now it has become a dying art form. Defying boundaries and straddling musical genres, the music in Spontaneous Combustion is all directly or indirectly inspired by the art of musical extemporization. Blair McMillen’s multifarious musical background and his long-standing love of improvisation in its many forms provided the impetus for this concert. In addition to performing the music on tonight’s concert, McMillen improvised between certain pieces; a practice once commonplace but now quite unusual in classical performance.Joining Mr. McMillen were violinists SARAH SCHWARTZ and CYRUS BEROUKHIM, violist DOV SCHEINDLIN, cellist ARASH AMINI, electric guitarist OREN FADER, and bassist MARC SCHMIED.
This performance was a part of Avian Music’s ongoing series, A Bird’s Eye View On..., designed to spotlight exceptional musicians playing contemporary music.
April 23, 2006, 8pm
FOR THOSE ABOUT TO ROCK!Tenri Cultural Institute
43A W. 13th St, Greenwich Village, NYCAvian Music rips into an evening of chamber music inspired by American rock and roll! The program will include Michael Gandolfi's Cable Ready, Michael Daugherty's Sinatra Shag, Conrad Cummings' California surf inspired I Wish They All Could Be, Jacob Ter Veldhuis' searing Grab It! for electric guitar and boom box, along with four world premiers from Jonathan Newman, Richard Belcastro, David Laganella, and Peter Flint.
The music will be performed by the crack team of Avian players including Blair McMillen, piano; Sarah Schwartz, violin; Arash Amini, cello; Chris Nappi, percussion; Ann Cecil Sterman, flute, and Andrew Sterman, woodwinds; with special guest performer, Kevin Gallagher, guitar
May 13, 2005
A Bird's Eye View On...Andrew StermanSt. Peter's Church, Chelsea, NYC
In Avian Music's first concert in a new series featuring our talented musicians, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and regular Avian Music performer ANDREW STERMAN celebrated his birthday with a solo offering of both music written for him by friends as well as his own compositions which blend his jazz and classical roots. The first half of the program featured World Premieres by his long time collaborators PHILIP GLASS, STEWART WALLACE, and PETER FLINT, along with a piece written for Andrew by DAVID LANG. In the second half, Andrew presented his own ‘comprovisations’ for two marimbas, violin, bass, and saxophone, all assisted by special guests of Avian Music.
Philip Glass contributed his composition Love Divided for flute and piano; Stewart Wallace presented the brand new Urban Organics for sax, violin, and two marimbas; Peter Flint premiered his concert opener, Ten Thirteenths for sax and piano; and from David Lang there was his classic Vent for flute and marimba. In addition to Andrew performing on flute and saxophones, the concert featured Mark Feldman (violin), Frank Cassara (marimba), Mick Rossi (marimba, piano), and Jeff Carney (bass).
Oct 28-29, 2004
The Sweet Sounds Of PoliticsLoft 343, 343 Canal Street, NYC
As a prelude to the Presidential elections, Avian Music performed an evening of contemporary music inspired by the political process. Works by Avian Music director Peter Flint, Scott Wheeler, Fredric Rzewski, and Conrad Cummings were interspersed with campaign songs from the last hundred years of presidential elections sung by singer/songwriter Brian Dewan.
The program included Conrad Cummings’ political campaign opera, Photo-Op, in which two political candidates unknowingly reveal their true thoughts; the world premiere of Campaign Dances by Scott Wheeler, drawn from his new opera Democracy:an American Comedy; a world premiere opera scene, John Brown, by Peter Flint based on the last days of the infamous 19th century slavery abolitionist; and Frederic Rzewski’s musical setting of the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson.
The performers included special guests Gregory Fulkerson-violin, Laura Heimes-soprano, Curtis Streetman-bass, Enrique Torál-tenor, and singer/performer Brian Dewan, along with the regular Avian Music sextet.
On Friday, Oct 29 immediately after the performance, there was a “Composers’ Debate”, moderated by Frank Oteri of NewMusicBox.org in which the composers went head-to-head with each other and the audience on the issues of politics and music.
Jan. 15-16, 2004
Play Ball
Where music slides into the home plate of sports...Arts at University Settlement, 6th Floor Gymnasium
184 Eldridge Street, NYCThe Avian Orchestra explored the interesection of professional sports and the world of art music.
The program included world premieres by Conrad Cummings, Peter Flint, Ray Lustig, Sophocles Papavasilopoulos, and Arlene Sierra, as well as other works by Philip Bimstein, David Rubinstein, Annie Gosfield, and Erik Satie, all inspired by the worlds of baseball, basketball, soccer, duelling, ping pong, fishing, tennis, horse racing, yachting, and roller derby! And to top it all off, the performances took place in a stunning 19th century gymnasium with panoramic views of the city!
CONCERT PROGRAM
Arlene Sierra: Truel
Erik Satie: "Le Yachting" from Sports et Divertissements
Raymond Lustig: "You Catching?"
Erik Satie: "Le Tennis" from Sports et Divertissements
Conrad Cummings: In Memorium, Marge Lazlo
Erik Satie: "Les Courses" from Sports et Divertissements
Peter Flint: Gooooooooooooal!!
David Rubinstein: The Ping Pong Prelude
Phillip K. Bimstein: The Bushy Wushy Rag
Annie Gosfield: Brooklyn, October 5, 1941
Sophocles Papavasilopoulos: Blue Airball Rising
Feb. 13-14, 2003
Love Machines & Shameless Hussies
Songs of Love, Lust, Sex, and JealousyBill Young Studio - 100 Grand Street, NYC
The Avian Orchestra, with featured artists soprano Laura Heimes and baritone Chris Pedro Trakas, performed songs of love, lust, sex, and jealousy. The program included Conrad Cummings’ Positions 1956, a song cycle with lyrics by Michael Korie drawn from 1950’s sex manuals; Fragments from “The Golden Gate”, also by Conrad Cummings, with lyrics from Vikram Seth’s novel in verse, “The Golden Gate”; The Feast of Love by Virgil Thomson, a rarely performed setting of an anonymous second century erotic Latin poem in praise of Venus; the world premiere of The International Lover by Peter Flint, a song cycle of love and loss with texts from around the world; and Lust in Action, also by Peter Flint with lyrics from Shakespeare’s sonnets.
In addition to the musical performances, contemporary burlesque dancer Dirty Martini performed interlude dances between the musical works, including a reconstruction of Sally Rand’s legendary fan dance set to Debussy’s Clair de Lune, originally performed by Rand at Chicago’s Century of Progress Exhibition in 1933.
Performers for this concert will be Laura Heimes, soprano; Chris Pedro Trakas, baritone, Andrew Sterman, woodwinds; Sarah Schwartz, violin; Clarice Jensen, cello; Blair McMillen, keyboards; Conrad Cummings, keyboards, musical direction.
May 31 - June 1, 2002
Birds of a Feather
A multistylistic exploration of birds in modern music.HERE Arts Center - 145 6th Avenue, NYC
The Avian Orchestra and the Flux Quartet performed bird-inspired music by six American composers, including the world premieres of Migratory Routes by Peter Flint and Ornatornithic by Matthew Welch, as well as the New York premiere of Sleeping on a Wire by Scott Wheeler. Other pieces included Mythic Birds of Saugerties by Lee Hyla, Praise for the Beauty of Hummingsbirds by Lou Harrison and Awakening at the Inn of Birds by Michael Byron.
The musical performances were accompanied by projected videos of various birds including rare historic footage of the now extinct Ivory Billed Woodpecker.
Performers were Darrett Adkins, cello; Tom Chiu, violin; Lisa Hansen, flute; Sashka Korzenzska, violin; Max Mandel, viola; Blair McMillen, piano; Jesse Mills, violin; Chris Nappi, percussion; Sarah Schwartz, violin; Andrew Sterman, clarinet and bass clarinet; Matthew Welch, conductor; Conrad Cummings, conductor.
