Dolce Suono, Mahler, and Schoenberg

A great concert tonight in Philly by Dolce Suono with the amazing Eric Owens as soloist in new works by David Ludwig, Stratis Minakakis (both Penn alums), Fang Man, Steve Stucky, and Steve Mackey. (The Steves were absent due to performances in Carnegie Hall (Stucky) and with the LA Phil (Mackey). Ah, to have such problems…) Owens also did the Mahler Songs of a Wayfarer in the Schoenberg arrangement, and the underappreciated pianist Charles Abramovic offered an elegant performance of the Schoenberg Op. 19 piano pieces (with some idiot’s cell phone ringing during the last delicate movement). This is the first concert in a project commemorating the 100th anniversary of Mahler’s death and the 60th anniversary of Schoenberg’s death, and the commissioned works all had threads of connection with those composers.

New site-ings and Dolce Suono

A new website for violinist extraordinaire Miranda Cuckson - check out the media page for lots of video and audio; and a newly revamped website, now with a blog, for composer extraordinaire Steve Mackey. A Mackey premiere here in Philly at the Dolce Suono concert this coming Wednesday, along with new pieces by Steven Stucky, Fang Man, Stratis Minakakis, and David Ludwig. Eric Owens will be the soloist.

Prismatic Schedule

The sax quartet Prism has announced its performance schedule for the current season. I’m happy to say this includes a performance of my Straight Up, which I wrote for the group’s 20th anniversary a few years ago. My piece was one of a group of twenty-three short pieces written for the occasion, and all of them have been recorded for Innova. CD release concerts will take place at WXPN’s World Cafe here in Philly, and at The Stone in New York, May 28 and May 31, respectively. (I’m a Penn faculty member, but I can’t get my music heard on Penn’s quite commercial “non-commercial” radio station, despite that station’s supposed allegiance to “real musical variety” - at least my music can sneak into the station’s live performance space.) The Prism season also features a program of music by Greek composers, including Xenakis and Penn alum Stratis Minakakis; and a program of premieres, including music by David Rakowski, Lisa Bielawa, Perry Goldstein, Caro Haxo, and the quartet’s own Matthew Levy.