The Audition

Auditions for the Assistant Principal Viola position of the Pringler Festival Orchestra were competitive indeed. Nearly a hundred candidates attempted to display their mastery of Daphnis et Chloé, the Haffner Symphony, Ein Heldenleben, the Appalachian Spring Suite, and, of course, Etude Bruté. After the preliminary, quarter-final, semi-final, and final rounds, six musicians were tied with identical scores. Too bad, because at that point, the audition committee had no choice but to hand the finalists over to Dr. Meptang, the orchestra’s ophthalmological coach, who subjected them to a simple test that measured their tolerance of pain. Regrettably, none of the candidates passed.

David Gunn
www.DavidGunn.org

Review of Eyal Maoz at The Stone

On the last night of his residency at The Stone, John Zorn’s East Village NYC music venue specializing in the experimental and avant-garde, guitarist Eyal Maoz was joined by Shoko Nagai on keyboards and Lukas Ligeti on drums to form the LMN Trio. The trio performed a 90 minute improvisation that ranged from frightening intensity to complete silence. Aptly described as “three of the best improvisers of the downtown scene”, the trio’s improvisations took the listener on a wild journey befitting the intimate space that is The Stone.

The performance began with Ligeti playing a tom from behind the closed restroom door, located just behind the performance area. It took a few seconds for some audience members to realize the performance had even begun, but it was a good indication of what they were getting themselves into. Soon Maoz and Nagai joined in and Ligeti sat down at the drum set, which he preceded to play with great intensity, initiating a 45 minute build characterized by distorted guitar shredding and repeated loops on keyboard.

The first section of the improvisation, while consistently loud and intense, was not without changes in mood or style. One of the best parts was, when, after a good portion of distorted, arhythmic noise, Ligeti and Maoz briefly broke out into straight ahead rock groove which would have sounded normal and uninteresting if it had been earlier in the performance, but rather sounded fresh in contrast to the preceding music. Another highlight of the first section was the change in color achieved by Ligeti’s liberal use of cowbell and other small percussion instruments part-way through.

After a short period of silence, Ligeti returned to the restroom to play the tom, and at one point flush the toilet, bringing the first section to a circular close. Next, Maoz played some delicate unamplified guitar sounds in a contrastingly light section which gave way to yet another build which eventually trailed off into silence. Nagai was the star of this section, introducing new, short patterns which she repeated at varying intervals, always leaving the audience wondering when they would come back. Interspersed between these patterns was an occasional burst of frenetic energy which covered the entire range of the keyboard.

The last ten minutes of the performance were almost completely silent, with the exception of noises coming from the street outside, the audience shuffling in their seats, and occasional movements from the performers. For most of this section, the trio exchanged hesitant glances, presumably deciding whether or not they were finished playing. During this period, the performers walked around the stage, turned off and on amps, and even began packing up their instruments. At one point, Ligeti yelled out “James Ilgenfritz on bass!”, in reference to the bassist who played on the next set and was standing in the back of the room. Not knowing if the performance was over, the entire audience sat and watched in confusion and silence.

This last section was some of the most intense silence I’ve ever heard (not heard?). It made me very uncomfortable, but in a way that I somehow appreciated. Eventually, the performers walked off into a side room, one by one, and the audience finally began to enthusiastically applaud; not, however, before two people walked out the room in protest.

The LMN Trio’s extended improvisation was beautifully performed by Maoz, Ligeti, and Nagai. They were very effective at communicating with each other and performing as a cohesive group. The performance was at times humorous and consistently engaging, not an easy task for a 90 minute improvisation, and made good use of space to contrast against the aural intensity of previous sections.

Led by artistic director John Zorn, The Stone is a not-for-profit performance space dedicated to the experimental and avant-garde. Residencies following Eyal Maoz’ include Billy Martin (July 22-27) and Tyshawn Sorey (July 29-August 3). You can find more information about The Stone at the following link: http://thestonenyc.com/

Joseph Bohigian
http://josephbohigian.wix.com/composer
Joseph Bohigian is a composer from Fresno, California and is interning for Vox Novus. He will be sharing his experiences on the New York New Music scene.

Upcoming Performances

Circuit Bridges

Did you miss the last Circuit Bridges at the Gallery MC in New York City? You can see and hear some of the performances at the following link: www.circuitbridges.com

COMPOSER’S VOICE
PRESENTING THE MUSIC OF TOMORROW, TODAY

Sunday, July 27th at 1:00 PM

The Composer’s Voice Concert Series is a collaboration between Vox Novus and Jan Hus Church. Performances are short chamber concerts held at Jan Hus Church and are an opportunity for contemporary composers to express their aesthetic and personal voice.

The July 27th afternoon concert will feature the work of a wide variety of composers and performers from across the world.

“it’s on the edge of what’s happening” –Brant Lyon, Great Weather for Media

This concert will be guest curated by Vox Novus intern Joseph Bohigian. Joseph is a composer and performer from Fresno, California whose music has been performed across the US and Armenia. He currently attends California State University Fresno where he performs with the New Music Ensemble, Symphony Orchestra, and Percussion Ensemble and serves as President of the Composers’ Guild. Joseph’s internship with Vox Novus is sponsored by the Armenian General Benevolent Union New York Summer Internship Program. The Internship Program provides unique career opportunities in New York City for Armenian university students from around the world.

I am doing my internship through the Armenian General Benevolent Union New York Summer Internship Program. The AGBU is the world’s largest non-profit organization devoted to preserving and promoting the Armenian identity and heritage through educational, cultural and humanitarian programs. Since 1987, the AGBU New York Summer Internship Program has provided unique career opportunities for Armenian university students from around the world.

This year, 33 interns from Armenia, Brazil, Canada, France, Lebanon, Romania, Russia, Syria, the United Kingdom, and the United States in fields as diverse as architecture, advertising, business, engineering, finance, healthcare, international relations, journalism, law, marketing, and music have gathered in New York City for two months to gain professional experience and explore the city.

My works that I will be performing are Dzirani Dzar and Short Pieces for Piano. I wrote and premiered Dzirani Dzar in the summer of 2012 in Yerevan, Armenia while I was studying there with Artur Avanesov and participating in the AGBU Musical Armenia Program. It has since been performed in Fresno, California and in Dubuque, Iowa for the SCI Region V Conference. For this piece, which is for piano four hands, I will be be joined in performance by composer and pianist Anna Aidinian.

The concert will end with my performance of Short Pieces for Piano. This work is a collection of short, solo piano pieces meant to be performed in any combination or order according to the performer’s taste. Pieces from this collection have been performed in California, Michigan, New York, and Bremen, Germany and more performances are planned for this fall.

The rest of the concert will feature music by Benjamin Boone, Kenneth Froelich, Joshua Marquez, Anna Aidinian, Octavio Vazquez, and Rain Worthington and performances by Eva Ingolf, Beth Griffith, Anne Goldberg, Sarah Carrier, and Anna Aidinian. Their work has been heard around the world and they are frequent contributors to Composer’s Voice." -Joey

Listed as “One of the premier showcases for promising composers” by Time Out New York, this performance includes works from a unique set of composers: Benjamin Boone, Kenneth Froelich, Joshua Marquez, Anna Aidinian, and Joseph Bohigian, which reflect the curator’s aesthetic and experiences.

These composers’ works have been performed around the world at such prestigious venues as Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Walt Disney Concert Hall, and the Aram Khachaturian Museum Hall by such ensembles as the JACK Quartet, American Composers Orchestra, Pacific Serenades, Empyrean Ensemble, Akropolis Reed Quintet, and California E.A.R Unit.

The concert will feature performances by violinist Eva Ingolf, soprano Beth Griffith, oboist Anne Goldberg, flutist Sarah Carrier, and pianists Joseph Bohigian and Anna Aidinian. They have performed around the world in the United States, Europe, Russia, Armenia, Japan; in venues including: Carnegie Hall, the Corcoran Gallery of Art, the Darmstadt International Summer Courses for New Music, the Institute and Festival for Contemporary Performance at Mannes, Gaudeamus Vertolkers Concours, and Avery Fisher Hall. They are champions of contemporary music and are frequent Composer’s Voice concert often.

Calendar

Announcing results for
Fifteen Minutes of Fame with Robert Botti

Vox Novus called for one minute works with a New York City theme for oboist Robert Botti to be performed on August 6th New Music for Double Reeds concert at SubCulture 45 Bleecker street in New York City.

Composer collective Circles and Lines teams up with the International Double Reed Society for an evening of music featuring virtuosi of the double reed world. C + L celebrates five years of concerts with commissions for The New York Philharmonic’s Rob Botti

Oboist Robert Botti has performed throughout North America, South America, Europe, and Asia as an orchestral player, chamber musician, and soloist. A native of New York, he studied with Ronald Roseman and Harlold Gomberg at the Juilliard School where he received his bacherlor’s and master’s degrees. While still a student he made his solo debut with the Juilliard Orchestra performing the Richard Strauss Oboe Concerto in Alice Tully Hall. Mr. Botti joined the New York Philharmonic in 1992 after serving as Principal Oboist of the New York City Opera Orchestra and Opera Orchestra of New York. As a soloist he has performed numerous concerti including the Mozart Oboe Concerto with the New York Symphonic Ensemble. Solo recitals have included Weil Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. Mr. Botti performs frequently throughout the season with the New York Philharmonic Ensembles in both Avery Fisher and Merkin concert halls. He performed the Tafelmusik Quartet by Telemann as a guest on Judith LeClair’s New York Legends recording. He is featured on the premiere recording of Arnold Sturm’s Suite for Oboe and Piano, and he has participated in numerous other recordings and performances with ensembles including the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Sylvan Winds, Philharmonia Virtuosi, New York Kammermusiker, Amadeus Ensemble, and Harmonie Ensemble. As a guest artist with Jazz at Lincoln Center he has collaborated and recorded with Gunther Schuller, Wynton Marsalis, and Joe Lovano among others. In 2003-2004 Mr. Botti was Visiting Professor of Oboe and B.A. Nugent Professor of Performance Studies at the University of Illinois. He remains on both the Woodwind Performance and Orchestral Performance faculties at the Manhattan School of Music.

Selected composers for Fifteen Minutes of Fame include:
Ground Zero, 2:00 AM by David Avshalomov,
Here and Now by Robert Botti,
West 83rd Street Choro by Douglas DaSilva,
Cityscape by David Grossman,
City Shadows by Robert Magnuson,
New & York by David Mastikosa,
A Million Numbered Streets by Gary Powell Nash,
Gospel Giallo by Norberto Oldrini,
Intersection by Nicholas O'Neill,
Zip Codes 100-116 by Naftali Schindler,
Penn Station for Oboe by Jose Jesus de Azevedo Souza,
Carriage Ride in Central Park by Samuel Stokes,
Per Un Oboe by Luca Vanneschi,
Slide in Central Park by Jean-Pierre Vial, and
Sunrise over New York by Blair Whittington

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

Vox Novus Projects

Opportunities

Fifteen Minutes of "Infamy" - Robert Dick - extended flute

Deadline: July 25, 2014

Vox Novus is calling for one-minute pieces for the flutist Robert Dick utilizing extended flute technique from Robert Dick's book the "Other flute". http://www.robertdick.net/products/The_Other_Flute-4-3.html The 15 selected works will be presented on the Composer's Voice concert series January 25, 2015 in New York City. The one-minute pieces are to be written specifically for this project, which will be premiered by Robert Dick.

"Dick held the audience in rapt attention with his spellbinding virtuosity" - Washington Post

"There are few musicians that are truly revolutionary. Robert Dick is one of them." - Bill Shoemaker, JazzTimes

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH...................." - Dizzy Gillespie

With equally deep roots in classical music old and new and in free improvisation and new jazz, Robert Dick has established himself as an artist who has not only mastered, but redefined the flute. Known worldwide for creating revolutionary visions of the flute's musical role, listening to Robert Dick play solo has been likened to the experience of hearing a full orchestra. His performances typically include flute (with his invention, the Glissando HeadjointR)piccolo, alto flute, and bass flutes in C and F. On special occasions, he'll bring out the giant, stand-up contrabass flute. http://www.robertdick.net

Click here for more details

Opportunities on Music Avatar

Music Avatar is a great new way to upload works for composer opportunities hassle free! You will be able to submit, update, and modify your submission all the way up to the deadline date of the opportunity. www.MusicAvatar.org

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Click Here for Expiring Opportunities

Vox Novus Projects

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