Dora, the Demolition Dancer

Nora was a lovely girl, even with the extra leg growing out of her back. She’d had it surgically removed twice by a noted appendagologist, but both times it had grown back. So she resolved to l ive with it as best as she could. It wasn’t easy. She never could get the hang of walking on three feet. Her coordination, never great to begin with, often failed her entirely and she found herself on the ground looking up. So Nora tied the leg behind her to get it out of the way. She was sensitive to how odd it looked, sticking up behind her head like that, so she adorned it with hats or shoes or other millinery. The only trouble was that it stuck up so far that it was constantly scraping ceilings and gett ing caught in door - ways. The final straw, though, occurred when she went on a blind date with a nice young man who liked her in spite of her deformity. After a lovely evening that included a friendly three - legged race, the nice young man leaned in to kiss her good night. But Nora’s vestigial leg suddenly cramped up, causing a knee - jerk reaction that decked her would - be suitor – whom she never heard from again. Despondent and lovelorn, she ran away to join the circus. In fact, this turned out to be an excell ent career move, because it was the oddity - friendly Flederer Family Circus. Within days, she and Yarn - girl were bosomly buddies, and it wasn’t long before she was headlining her own act as “Dora, the Demolition Dancer!”

David Gunn
www.DavidGunn.org

Upcoming Performances

COMPOSER'S VOICE:
EXPLORING NEW TIMBRES WITH
DUO ANOVA AND BATEIRA TRIO
IN WEILL RECITAL HALL AT CARNEGIE

Monday, January 27, 2014 at 7:30 PM

Composer’s Voice explores new sound timbres with Duo Anova and the Bateira Trio at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. These two new ensembles will color the evening with their unique instrumentation. Duo Anova consists of the emerging guitarist Kenji Haba and cellist Susan Davita Mandel. Industry veterans Sandy Huges playing flute, violinist Conway Kuo, and Satoshi Okamoto on Double Bass form the Bateira Trio.

The Bateira Trio brings new life to traditional works and has a bold approach to new music. A mixed ensemble of flute and strings, Bateira’s unique timbre is best described by composer, Vivian Li: “fresh sounds that, when pureed, make a wholesome drink for your spirit.” The New York City-based ensemble was born from a group of musicians and friends that enjoyed animated conversation over a platter of Bateira Sushi. The Bateira Trio seeks collaborations with both established and blossoming composers, enlarging the repertoire for this lovely combination of colors.

Sandy Hughes became a member of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra in the 2012-13 season. Called “one of the best young American flutists I’ve heard” by Sir James Galway, she has received critical acclaim for her “eloquent playing” and “detailed attention to the musical phrase.” Sandy plays second flute with the Akron Symphony Orchestra and also appears frequently with the New York Philharmonic.

Conway Kuo is currently the Associate Principal Second Violin of the New York City Ballet Orchestra and also a Section First Violinist with the New York City Opera Orchestra. Conway performs regularly with the Philadelphia Orchestra and has participated in the Aspen, Schleswig-Holstein, and Pacific Music Festivals.

Satoshi Okamoto is Acting Associate Principal Double Bass with the New York Philharmonic. He was Assistant Principal Double Bass in the San Antonio Symphony for eight years and a member of the New York City Ballet Orchestra for one before joining the New York Philharmonic.

The trio will be performing a work by Vivian Li and Concertino by Erwin Schulhoff. Bateira Trio will also encore their Fifteen Minutes of Fame – a set of 15 one-minute miniatures written by 15 different composers written specifically for the ensemble. "…the 15 Minutes of Fame project of Vox Novus is a godsend. It organizes competitions whereby ensembles commission worldwide calls for submissions of approximately one-minute pieces, and then select their 15 favorites for premieres. " - New York Music Culture Examiner

Emerging guitarist Kenji Haba and cellist Susan Davita Mandel of Duo Anova will present their talents in a dynamic program of music from living composers including Atanas Ourkouzounov and Dusan Bogdanovic. Bonding over their passion for contemporary music and their animated sense of humor, Susan Mandel and Kenji Haba formed Duo Anova to offer an exceptional experience; opening the listener’s mind to a new dimension of textures and sounds unique to cello and guitar.

Kenji Haba is a guitarist who heralds a new direction for classical guitar through his insight and work with the coloration of sounds, as well as through bringing new formats to the landscape. He is well known for his interpretation of Toru Takemitsu, his performances having been described as an “ideal match for Takemitsu’s music” by Fanfare. He is a champion performer of contemporary music, with over 20 pieces of music written for and premiered by him.

Susan Davita Mandel is a native of New York. In her classical training, she has studied with cellists Marion Feldman and Dr. Frederick Zlotkin. She performed at Weill Recital Hall as finalists of the AMTL Young Musicians concert series. In addition to her passion for classical performance, she has interests outside of the classical genre involving collaborations with hip-hop, pop, rock, and jazz artists. She has recently performed with indie artist, Feist, at Radio City Music Hall with a Mason Jar Music ensemble.

One of the premier showcases for promising composers, Composer’s Voice Concert Series is an opportunity for contemporary composers and musicians to express their musical aesthetic and personal “voice.” Composer’s Voice has presented over 100 concerts in New York City and scores of concert performances throughout the world. "[Vox Novus offers] the presentation of serious works by established and emerging composers. Those voices should be heard, and they can even be reheard on the Vox Novus website (http://www.VoxNovus.com)..." - New Music Connoisseur

"[Vox Novus offers] the presentation of serious works by established and emerging composers. Those voices should be heard, and they can even be reheard on the Vox Novus website (http://www.VoxNovus.com)..." - New Music Connoisseur

Exploring New Timbres with Duo Anova and Bateira Trio
Monday, January 27, 2014 at 7:30 PM
Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall
154 West 57th Street
New York, New York 10019
Tickets $30
carnegiehall.org CarnegieCharge 212-247-7800
Box Office at 57th on Seventh
http://www.voxnovus.com/composersvoice/program/14-01-27.htm

CONTEMPORARY MUSIC MEETS MODERN DANCE AT COMPOSER’S VOICE

Sunday, January 26, 2014 at 1:00 PM

Sunday, January 26, 2014 (New York, New York) Composer’s Voice concert series presents a bounty of creation pairing contemporary music with modern dance. Choreographers and dancers bring a fluid and tantalizing visual to the new sounds of music written by their peer composers.

Choreographers Erin Bomboy, Callie Hatchett, and dance troupe Ruah create choreography to the music of Julius Bucsis, Douglas DaSilva, Vivian Li, Alex Kruchoski, and Douglas Townsend.

Erin Bomboy has been a professional classical ballet dancer and placed as a United States finalist in competitive ballroom dancing. She produced The Public Decides, in conjunction with Composer’s Voice and has been the dance director for 60x60 Dance.

Julius Bucsis was awarded the Excellent Achievement Prize by the Musicacoustica Beijing 2012 composition competition.

Douglas DaSilva, composer and Artistic Director for the Composer’s Voice concert series. Classical Guitar Magazine has described his compositions as “very individual, and to us has a very clear personality.”

Douglas Townsend, musicologist and native Manhattanite Douglas Townsend (1921-2012) composed well over 100 works, among them two string symphonies, two chamber symphonies, several chamber concertos, and many other symphonic and chamber works (including his well-known works for piano four-hands).

Performances of the music by Conway Kuo, Denise Stillwell, and Diego Vasquez will be joined by the dancers Stanton Jacinto, Lee Katherine, Stine Moen, Allison Schieler, Brittany Testone.

Conway Kuo, violist and violinist, is currently the Associate Principal Second Violin of the New York City Ballet Orchestra and a Section First Violinist with the New York City Opera Orchestra. Mr. Kuo performs regularly with the Philadelphia Orchestra and participated in theAspen, Schleswig-Holstein, and Pacific Music Festivals.

Denise Stillwell, violin and viola, has appeared in MTV videos and on "Live With Regis and Kelly" and "The View", and has recorded and toured with such artists as Placido Domingo, Barbra Streisand, and Don Henley. Ms. Stillwell performs regularly in Broadway shows and at Radio City Music Hall.

Brittany Testone is currently an artist with ToUch Performance Art, The People Movers and Carol Mendes and Artists. She is also an apprentice with the Seán Curran Company and performed in “Left Exit” at the Joyce Theater.

Lee Katherine has won numerous awards including first place overall National Dance Competition for solo, duet, small group, large group and production.

Allison Schieler’s was a selected performer in “The Face of Tisch Gala” honoring alum Billy Crystal, allowing her the opportunity to work with current Smash choreographer Joshua Bergasse, and perform alongside Whoopi Goldberg, Robin Williams, and Billy Crystal. Allison currently freelances as a professional dancer and choreographer.

Stine Moen has performed at Midsummer Night Swing at Lincoln Center, the Marc Jacobs Holiday Party, Biz Bash Style Awards at Nokia Theatre, Tribeca Film festival.

And always a Composer’s Voice favorite will be the latest performance of Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame featuring the duo andPlay. andPlay is committed to expanding the existing violin/viola duo repertoire through performing rarely heard works and commissioning emerging composers. Fifteen Minutes of Fame is 15 one-minute acoustic works by different composers. Fifteen Minutes of Fame gives a variety of new music by living composers to audiences hungry to hear what is being created in today's music scene. "...the 15 Minutes of Fame project of Vox Novus is a godsend. " - NY Music Culture Examiner

andPlay will be performing the one-minute works from composers: Rachel Graff, Matthew Hetz, Nathan R. Johnson, Shigeru Kan-no, Michael Lukaszuk, Michael Maiorana, Iain Matheson, Ryan Muar, Natalija Munda, Mike Perdue, Thomas S. Pottage, Ricardo Silva, Dale Trumbore, Luca Vanneschi, and Erqing Wang

One of the premier showcases for promising composers, Composer’s Voice Concert Series is an opportunity for contemporary composers and musicians to express their musical aesthetic and personal “voice.” Composer’s Voice has presented over 100 concerts in New York City and scores of concert performances throughout the world. "[Vox Novus offers] the presentation of serious works by established and emerging composers. Those voices should be heard, and they can even be reheard on the Vox Novus website (http://www.VoxNovus.com)..." - New Music Connoisseur

Composer’s Voice
Sunday, January 26, 2014 - 1:00PM
Jan Hus Church
351 East 74th Street, New York City
Free Admission
http://www.voxnovus.com/composersvoice/program/14-01-26.htm

Neither snow nor gloom nor water main break stays 60x60 from presenting composers' works.

Wednesday
January 29, 2014
8:00 PM

Melissa Grey will be presenting 60x60 (2012) New York Minutes Mix along with her work Appasionata at the Arnold and Sheila Aronson Galleries Sheila C. Johnson Design Center, 66 Fifth Avenue in New York City. It will be part of the Earlids Sound festival at The New School.

Composer's in the 60x60 (2012) New York mix include:
Sara Ayers, Kenneth Babb, Arnold Brooks, Fabrizio Brua, David Charles Calabrese, David Hal Campbell, Joel Chadabe, Dan Cooper, Jerome Covington, Lin Culbertson, Douglas DaSilva, Robert Dick, Lainie Fefferman, Dana Flavin, Allen Fogelsanger, Douglas Geers, Patrick Grant, Melissa Grey, Joshua Groffman, Donald Hagar, Jaclyn Heyen, Reena Katz, Howard Kenty, Mari Kimura, Gregory Kramer, Drew Krause, Joan La Barbara, Robert Lepre, John Liberatore, John Link, J Henry Hartman Lowengard, Chris Mann, Matt Marble, David Morneau, Tim Mukherjee, Jascha Narveson, Daniel Palkowski, Milica Paranosic, Joseph Pehrson, Samuel Pellman, Miles Pflanz, Dylan Thomas Price, Gene Pritsker, Jeffrey Raheb, Leah Raintree, James Ross, Edward Ruchalski, Sila Shaman, Nivedita ShivRaj, Mary Simoni, Pamela Sklar, Beth Sorrentino, David Jason Snow, Laurie Spiegel, Phillip David Stearns, Hans Tammen, Robert Voisey, Daniel Weymouth, John Wiggins, David Wolfson, and Charles David Younger

You can find the complete concert here:
http://www.60x60.com/2012_New_York_Minutes_Mix.htm

60x60 (2014) New York Mix
Wednesday, January 29, 2014 - 8:00PM
Arnold and Sheila Aronson Galleries
Sheila C. Johnson Design Center, Hallway
66 Fifth Avenue
New York, New York
Free Admission
More information can be found here:
http://www.newschool.edu/parsons/currentExhibitions.aspx?id=99185&_ga=1.54637935.597378898.1390486587

Calendar

Announcing results for Fifteen Minutes of Fame with andPlay

andPlay selects its 15 composers for its Fifteen Minutes of Fame to be premiered on Composer's Voice on January 26, 2014 at Jan Hus Church in New York City.

The New York City based duo comprises of violinist Maya Bennardo and violist Hannah Levinson. andPlay is committed to expanding the existing violin/viola duo repertoire through performing rarely heard works and commissioning emerging composers.

Selected composers for Fifteen Minutes of Fame include:
Rachel Graff, Matthew Hetz, Nathan R. Johnson, Shigeru Kan-no, Michael Lukaszuk, Michael Maiorana, Iain Matheson, Ryan Muar, Natalija Munda, Mike Perdue, Thomas S. Pottage, Ricardo Silva, Dale Trumbore, Luca Vanneschi, and Erqing Wang

You can find more information here
http://www.voxnovus.com/15_Minutes_of_Fame/featuring/andPlay/

Vox Novus Projects

Opportunities

Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame:
The Four Elements:
earth, wind, fire, water
with Mark Robson

Deadline: January 25, 2014

Vox Novus is calling for one-minute solos for piano and/or toy piano composed for Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame: The Four Elements: earth, wind, fire, water with Mark Robson to be premiered in Spring 2014 at the Brand Library & Art Center in Glendale, California (www.brandlibrary.org). Brand Library is currently closed for renovation so this 15 Minutes of Fame program will be included as part of the reopening festivities in Spring 2014 (date TBA). The theme for this Fifteen Minutes of Fame call is: The Four Elements: earth, wind, fire, water. The composers can interpret this creatively.

Mark Robson has been lauded by the Los Angeles Times on numerous occasions, singled out as a pianist with “one of the great techniques” and “an inquiring mind”. His career has included performance as a keyboard soloist, chamber artist, composer, conductor and vocal coach. He was a regular member of the music staff of the Los Angeles Opera from 1991 to 2005 as an assistant conductor and has worked as a musical assistant at the Salzburg and Spoleto (Italy) festivals. Mr. Robson has been on the faculties of USC, Chapman University, Cal State Fullerton and Cal Arts in the capacity of vocal coach and piano teacher. His music has been performed widely, including orchestral works premiered by the Brentwood - Westwood Symphony Orchestra and the Idyllwild Orchestra.

Click here for more details

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