Few posts lately because I was concentrating on re-formatting the parts for my Chamber Concerto that Network for New Music will be doing in April. That job finally got finished yesterday, so I can now start to catch up a bit.

This past Thursday I was in New York to attend the “First Songs” concert put on at the Morgan Library by the Bard College Conservatory of Music Graduate Vocal Arts Program. This is the program that Dawn Upshaw directs, and her presence attracts students working on a quite high level. The idea of the concert was to feature the student singers performing new works created for them by young composers. Dawn herself rounded out the evening, performing songs written for or championed by her, with one such song, my own “Cinder”, performed by student soprano Kameryn Lueng, with pianist Christina Giuca. I agree with Zachary Woolfe in the Times, Kameryn did indeed “soar” in my piece - it was a lovely performance, and Christina finely balanced the soft, clustery chords of the accompaniment. Kameryn was enthusiastic about “Cinder”, and hopes to do more of my music. Here’s a picture of Kameryn and I:

and here I am with Dawn: