Composer's Voice February 28, 2010 Jan Hus Church 351 East 74th Street New York, New York 10021

The Composer’s Voice Concert Series is an opportunity for contemporary composers to express their musical aesthetic and personal “voice” created in their compositions. Vox Novus collaborating with the Remarkable Theater Brigade and Jan Hus Church to produce a monthly concert series promoting the chamber works of contemporary composers.

Title Composer Performer Mist Robert Voisey Amy Berger-harp/td> Poem Roger Blanc Amy Berger- harp Roger Blanc, guitar/td> Crows (world premiere) Douglas DaSilva Amy Berger-harp Alex Stein, tenor saxophone/td> Flower and tiny Sugar Kai Watanabe .Kai Watanabe-guitar/td> Primeiras idéias H. David Korenchendler Duo Barrenechea: Lucia Barrenechea-piano Sergio Barrenechia-piccolo/td> Sonhos-Somnium Liduino Pitombeira Duo Barrenechea: Lucia Barrenechea-piano Sergio Barrenechia-flute/td> Tardes Goianas (dedicated to Duo Barrenechea) Rafael dos Santos Duo Barrenechea: Lucia Barrenechea-piano Sergio Barrenechia-flute/td>

Performers Lúcia Barrenechea currently holds a teaching position at the Instituto Villa-Lobos of the Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. She has a MM in piano performance from Boston University, where she studied with Maria-Clodes Jaguaribe. In 2008, Ms. Barrenechea recorded works for piano trio with violinist Mariana Salles and cellist Marcelo Salles, released by the label Brasil Meta Cultural. Her first solo album “Saracoteio - Brazilian Piano” has been released, in 2009, by the label Ethos Brasil. Sérgio Barrenechea started his musical studies at the Escola de Música de Brasília. He received his BM from the Universidade de Brasília MM from The Boston Conservatory and his DMA in Flute Pedagogy and Performance from the University of Iowa. He has been featured as soloist with the La Fosse Baroque Ensemble, the Orquestra Filarmônica de Goiás and the Orquestra Jovem de Brasília and principal flute with the Orquestra Filarmônica de Goiás. Mr. Barrenechea has been featured as flutist with the Quinteto Brasília and Quinteto Villa-Lobos. Harpist Amy Berger has worked with the New York Symphonic Ensemble, American Symphony, New York City Opera and was principal harpist with the Spoleto Festival Orchestra. She has recorded with Tony Bennett, Cy Coleman, Van Dyke Parks, Juan Luis Guerra, the String Orchestra of the Rockies, the Orchestra of the State of Mexico, and the Spoleto Festival Orchestra. Her solo CD, On Golden Harp was used in the soundtrack of the documentary, One Hundred Years of Baseball. Amy has been performing with the Stamford Symphony as Principal Harpist since 1987. Tenor saxophonist Alex Stein began his career at the late, lamented Peppermint Lounge in Orange, NJ with a longstanding Tuesday night jam session. There, alongside his brother, Asher, from the age of 13, he met and performed with such greats as Jimmy McGriff and Charles Earland. The Stein Brothers' debut CD Quixotic was released earlier this year on the Jazzed Media label; the disc got positive reviews and significant radio play, peaking at #16 on the Jazz Charts. Guitarist Kai Watanabe started playing guitar when he was 10 years old. He is currently studying as a classical guitar major at the Manhattan School of Music. In 2005, Kai had visited Cambodia as a reporter for “Medicins Sans Frontiers”. Having spent time with children orphaned by that country’s civil war, teaching them Japanese, English and guitar he wanted to expand his experience and “I started to think how I could share with the children I met there. I have been seeking the way within the sounds!”

Composers Roger Blanc completed a Masters degree in Composition at the Juilliard School, where he was an assistant teacher in Ear Training and Theory for five years. He has had music performed at Alice Tully Hall, CAMI Hall, The Whitney Museum Sculpture Court, The New School, Brooklyn College, Pennsylvania University, and the Juilliard School. He has composed music for television, film, the recording industry and live performances. His instrument is the guitar, and he performs frequently in clubs around the city. Douglas DaSilva is a composer, guitarist, educator and Artistic Director of the Composer's Voice Concert Series in New York City. He composes in various styles including jazz, pop, children’s music, chamber music and experimental. Much of his writing is influenced by Brazilian music and self-inflicted stress. He is best known by his nom de guerre: Mr. Doug. His pieces “Sarabande” “How to Build a Totalitarian State” and “Contrails” have been included in 60x60 projects. David Korenchendler is one of the most compelling voices among contemporary Brazilian composers. He has won numerous awards for his work, and is also heard in concert as a pianist. Noted works include the Symphony no. 3 "Psalmi-Tehillim," with text in Latin and Hebrew, written for the visit of Pope John Paul II (recorded on the RioArte label, RD 018), six piano sonatas, and several sets of variations for piano, including one on "Happy Birthday," as well known in Brazil as it is in the United States. Son tre noti che non dormo" the Trentino International Prize (1994). The music of Liduino Pitombeira has been performed by The Berlin Philharmonic Wind Quintet, Louisiana Sinfonietta, Syntagma, Poznan Philharmonic Orchestra and Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo. He has received awards including the first prizes in the Camargo Guarnieri Composition Competition and "Sinfonia dos 500 Anos" as well as the MTNA-Shepherd Distinguished Composer of the Year Award for his "Brazilian Landscapes No.1". Dr. Pitombeira received his PhD in composition from the Louisiana State University. Rafael Dos Santos is a composer, arranger and piano professor at the Sao Paulo State University and co-director of the university's big band. He is also a very active performer of classical music, Brazilian music and jazz. In Brazil he has played solo and chamber music recitals throughout the country and has played with some of the country's leading jazz musicians. In recent years he has played in many shows with his samba-jazz quintet, the Cafe Forte (Strong coffee). http://www.iar.unicamp.br/docentes/docente_rdsantos.html Robert Voisey: “With few opportunities and much competition, young composers show creativity in just getting heard.” And in Chris Pasles’s article in the Los Angeles Times, Robert Voisey is highlighted as one of those composers. Composing electroacoustic and chamber music, his aesthetic oscillates from the ambient to the romantic. Rob Voisey embraces a variety of media for his compositions, and pioneers new venues to disseminate his music and reach audiences around the world.

Vox Novus collaborating with the Remarkable Theater Brigade and Jan Hus Church to produce a monthly concert series promoting the chamber works of contemporary composers. An opportunity for contemporary composers to express their musical aesthetic and personal “voice” created in their compositions. Vox Novus promotes contemporary music and its creators through concerts, recordings, publications, broadcasts, and online publicity. Vox Novus believes strongly in the intrinsic value of contemporary music, recognizing it as a force in the advancement of culture and art. Our goal is to keep music alive by strengthening the connection between composer and audience, providing greater exposure to new music. Vox Novus understands that without the creation of challenging, contemporary music there will be no future masterpieces to reflect our time. Exciting new music is being composed constantly and must be heard in order to complete the cycle of creativity. Vox Novus gets contemporary music heard: in concerts; over the radio; CD’s and on the Internet. While artists have always struggled to create and promote their art, one may argue that the situation is now more precarious than ever. Today's economic climate is competitive , and emerging composers inevitably act as their own writer, producer, publicist, agent, and sometimes performer. This daunting array of tasks overwhelms many composers. Vox Novus helps emerging composers face this challenge helping them to promote their music, expand their audience, and advance their career. Recognizing that a major obstacle for composers is finding performances, Vox Novus develops and produces concerts. These concerts expand the audience for new music beyond the established music community. Vox Novus concerts aim to build a new repertoire by creating friendly, approachable listening environments that integrate a growing body of contemporary composers. Remarkable Theater Brigade founded by Christian McLeer, Dan Jeselsohn and Monica Harte, creates and produces new operas and musicals and takes children’s versions out to special-needs and at-risk children free of charge. Remarkable Theater Brigade creates and produces new works including operas, orchestral pieces, ballets, musicals, and electro-acoustic works and co-produces the Composer’s Voice Concert Series concerts. Remarkable Theater Brigade was founded in 2002 by Christian McLeer, Monica Harte, and Dan Jeselsohn. This year we opened our 8th Season with Opera Shorts in Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall, October 1, 2009. Opera Shorts is Remarkable Theater Brigade’s set of 10 minute operas by composers Seymour Barab, Ben Bierman, George Brunner, Tom Cipullo, Anne Phillips, Patrick Soluri, Rob Voisey, and of course Christian McLeer. Support from the Puffin Foundation “…continuing the dialogue between art and the lives of ordinary people.”

The Composer’s Voice Concert Series is an opportunity for contemporary composers to express their musical aesthetic and personal “voice” created in their compositions. Vox Novus collaborating with the Remarkable Theater Brigade and Jan Hus Church to produce a monthly concert series promoting the chamber works of contemporary composers. Vox Novus is a collective of composers, musicians, and music enthusiasts collaborating together to create, produce, promote, and enjoy the new music of today. Our members are from a variety of composers committed to the creation and dissemination of new music. Their music is of a variety of styles, aesthetics, and ideologies. Vox Novus produces and promotes new music. They are dedicated to contemporary music, the musicians who perform, and the composers that write the music of today. Their mission is to cultivate a music community and make their work available to the greater public. Remarkable Theater Brigade founded by Christian McLeer, Dan Jeselsohn and Monica Harte, creates and produces new operas and musicals and takes children’s versions out to special-needs and at-risk children free of charge.

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