Composer's Voice Thanksgiving Performance November 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 Syrinx Claude Debussy (b.1862) Rebecca Ashe-flute Taint Robert Voisey (b. 1969) Rebecca Ashe-flute The Seven Sisters George Brunner Rebecca Ashe-flute The Emperor and the Bird of Paradise Alan Ridout (1934–1996) Rebecca Ashe-flute Robert Voisey-narrator

Performers Flutist, Rebecca Ashe is currently on the faculty of the University of Missouri-Kansas City, as Adjunct Instructor of Flute. She is also a freelance musician and appears across the country as a performer, lecturer, and masterclass clinician. A new music performer and collaborator, she has partnered with several composers and has performed at several festivals, including SEAMUS and the Electroacoustic Juke Joint. She is the featured artist for the 2010 Electronic Music Midwest Conference in Joliet, Illinois. Dr. Ashe earned her Bachelor degree in Applied Music (flute) at the Eastman School of Music, where her principal teacher was Bonita Boyd. She earned both Master of Musical Arts and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees from the University of Missouri –Kansas City, studying with Dr. Mary Posses. In 1998, she was the only American and one of four flutists worldwide to be chosen for Trevor Wye’s prestigious one-year course in Kent, England. Other major teachers have included William Bennett and Karl Kraber. In 2007, Dr. Ashe collaborated with composers Christopher Biggs, Ryan Oldham, and Jorge Sosa to premiere three new pieces for flute. A recording project for the pieces is underway, with a release expected in 2010. Dr. Ashe has performed recitals throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe. In 2003, Dr. Ashe and pianist, Inara Zandmane, gave a recital at the Academy of Music in Riga, Latvia. Ms. Ashe was the first American flutist to perform a recital at the Academy, which was broadcast on national radio. She also gave a master class at the E. Darzins Academy of Music, the most prestigious preparatory music school in Latvia. Along with her recent collaborations, Dr. Ashe has premiered several pieces, including the Kansas City premier of Chen Yi’s The Golden Flute, for flute and orchestra, in 2003, and Hsueh-Yung Shen’s …And Then Things Changed, for flute and piano. She has won several local and national grants and awards.

Composers George Brunner is a composer and performer, researcher/writer, recording engineer/producer and teacher. His music has been performed throughout the United States, in Europe, Asia, and South America. Brunner has been composer-in-residence in 1996, 1998, 2001 at EMS (Electroacoustic Music Studios) in Stockholm, Sweden and in 2001 also at Kungliga Musikhögskolan i Stockholm (Royal College of Music in Stockholm), Sweden. A recent recipient of research grants from the American Scandinavian Foundation and the Svenska Institutet of Sweden, he is at present writing a book on Text Sound Composition and is considered an authority on the subjec In February, 2005 Brunner was invited to participate in the SPARK Festival at the University of Minnesota where he presented a paper, “Text Sound: Interlingua, Intermedia and Electronica”; and, had a concert of “Pianelan”, a quasi-electroacoustic music work for piano, voice and flute. In Spring 2004 Brunner was commissioned to write a percussion piece for Morris Lang (plus ensemble). The “Elixir of the Central Fire” for timpani soloist and 3 percussionists plus CD playback had its first performance at The Helix in Dublin, Ireland in June 2004 as part of the first International Percussion Music Festival in Dublin. In April 2004, Brunner presented “Constellation 2: Fragile Light” for soprano, flute, percussion and live electronics at The International Electroacoustic Music Festival at Brooklyn College, New York and at The New Music Days Festival sponsored by Istanbul Bilgi University, Istanbul, Turkey. In January/February 2003, Mr. Brunner was composer-in-residence at the Institut International de Musique Electroacoustique de Bourges (France) and composed “Within/Without”, an electroacoustic work commissioned by the IMEB and designed for LE CYBERNEPHONE, a 20-60 speaker, multi-dimensional sound diffusion system. The work was premiered at Festival Synthese 2003 Bourges, France at the Palais Jaques-Coeur. In June of 2003, Brunner completed “Union” for percussion trio. The work was commissioned by the Royal Irish Academy of Music, Dublin Ireland and was first presented at The University of Dublin June 2003 and again in San Sebastien, Spain. In May 2002, Mr. Brunner was Co-Director of the first Electroacoustic Music Festival in Istanbul, Turkey sponsored by Istanbul Bilgi University. Istanbul Bilgi University commissioned Brunner to write an interactive work for the festival based upon spoken text (in Turkish and English) and field recordings of the sounds of the City of Istanbul. In 2002 Mr. Brunner received a commission to create an all electronic score for sixteen 45 minute radio programs on Sound Poetry for the Radio/Radio program, London England; Martin Spinelli, produce Brunner is the Director of the Music Technology Program for the Conservatory of Music at Brooklyn College and is the founder of the Brooklyn College Electroacoustic Music Ensemble, which under his direction produces an annual CD. He also founded and coordinates the biannual International Electroacoustic Music Festival at Brooklyn College, New York City. Mr. Brunner was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Claude-Achille Debussy (22 August 1862 – 25 March 1918) was a French composer. Along with Maurice Ravel, he was one of the most prominent figures working within the field of impressionist music, though he himself intensely disliked the term when applied to his compositions. Debussy is among the most important of all French composers, and a central figure in European music of the turn of the 20th century. He was made Chevalier of the Legion of Honour in 1903. His music is noted for its sensory component and for not often forming around one key or pitch. Often Debussy's work reflected the activities or turbulence in his own life. His music virtually defines the transition from late-Romantic music to 20th century modernist music. In French literary circles, the style of this period was known as symbolism, a movement that directly inspired Debussy both as a composer and as an active cultural participant. Alan Ridout (9 December 1934 - 19 March 1996) was a British composer and teacher. Born at West Wickham, Greater London, England, Alan Ridout studied briefly at the Guildhall School of Music before commencing four years of study at the Royal College of Music, London with Herbert Howells and Gordon Jacob. He was later taught by Michael Tippett, Peter Fricker and (under a Dutch government scholarship) Henk Badings. He went on to teach at the Royal College of Music, the University of Birmingham, the University of Cambridge, the University of London, and at The King's School, Canterbury. He also broadcast musical talks on the radio. His works include church, orchestral and chamber music, much of it for children. His style is mostly tonal, though in younger life he wrote some microtonal works. Alan Ridout worked regularly with the Leicestershire Schools Symphony Orchestra. Ridout's Three Pictures of Picasso, originally written for the National Youth Orchestra, was performed by the LSSO at a De Montfort Hall concert conducted by Rudolf Schwarz in 1964 in the presence of the composer. Ridout then composed his second symphony for the LSSO and dedicated it to Sir Michael Tippett to mark his 60th birthday (though Ridout did not hold Tippett in high regard). The symphony was first performed in 1965 and also featured in the television programme Overture with Beginners (see video link below). The 1967 Leicestershire Schools Music Festival included a number of LSSO commissions and in May that year Ridout’s dance drama Funeral Games for a Greek Warrior made its debut at De Montfort Hall. In July 1967 the LSSO made its first commercial disc for the Pye Golden Guinea label and Ridout responded to a request for a short work for inclusion on the disc by composing a lively Concertante Music. The work’s debut took place on a record rather than at a public concert. Concertante Music was then taken on the LSSO tour of Denmark and Germany in September 1967 (see external video link below). Alan Ridout lived for much of his life in Canterbury. He died in Caen, France. “With few opportunities and much competition,...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 Romantic to the Post Modern Mash-Up. His work has been performed in venues throughout the world including: Carnegie Hall, World Financial Center Winter Garden Atrium, and Stratford Circus in London. Voisey has been profiled and music broadcasted on HEC-TV public television in St Louis, Elektramusik in France, as well as radio stations all around the world including: Cityscape NPR St. Louis Public Radio; Arts & Answers & Art Waves on WKCR, Upbeat with Eva Radich on Radio New Zealand; and Kol Yisrael Israeli Radio. Rob Voisey’s neo-romantic chamber works are routinely performed in New York City on the Composer’s Voice concert series and his 10 minute opera was featured on “Opera Shorts” produced by the Remarkable Theater Brigade. Voisey’s electronic work ranges wildly in style and aesthetic but has the common feature of being collaborative and community orientated. Some of his current projects include: one minute electronic works for 60x60; 50 second miniatures named for each State in the Union; Constellations, a project of miniature ambient pieces put together in a mobile form. On the less short more romantic side, Voisey’s 10 minute opera, “Poppetjie” premiered at Carnegie Hall presented by the Remarkable Theater Brigade’s Opera Shorts. “Poppetjie” is a story about a little girl who projects her notions of marriage and relationships onto her doll and teddy bear. Rob Voisey’s romantic art songs “Dos Palabras” which are based on the work of Argentinean poet Alfonsina Storni. It is a duet commissioned by Agueda Pages and has been premiered by her in New York City, Bremen, Germany and Valencia, Spain. This song cycle has had several performances in New York City at Jan Hus Church at the Composer’s Voice Concert series; the Argentinean Consulate, and at Christ & St Stevens Church for the XL performance. “Dos Palabras” has also been performed in Barcelona, Spain. Before taking up the role of Director of Public Relations at Electronic Music Midwest, Voisey’s works was regularly chosen for the festival and personally brought 60x60 there since 2005. Works performed at EMM include: “Flute Lust” performed by Rebecca Ashe on Electronic Music Midwest was performed in 2010 as well as “Mandala: Soft Fire” a video collaboration with Patrick Liddell; “Monkey Lab,” a collaboration with David Morneau, was performed in 2009; “Shades of Forte” an electronic collage piece was performed in 2008; “Constellations EMM Mix” electronics and voice was performed in 2007; “We are all 60x60” included in the 60x60 Midwest Mix performed in 2006. Robert Voisey and his 60x60 Midwest Mix was featured on the 2005 Electronic Music Midwest Festival. Since then he brought 60x60 Midwest to the festival in 2006; presented a live video collaboration of the 60x60 Midwest Mix with Zlatko Cosic in 2007; in 2008 he presented an installation of 60x60 containing works from all the Midwest Mixes; in 2009 he debuted 60x60 Dance; and in 2010 Robert Voisey in collaboration with Patrick Liddell presented a video installation of all six hours of the 60x60 ICMC “RED” mixes (Burgundy, Crimson, Magenta, Sanguine, Scarlet, and Vermillion.)

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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