Announcements

Facebook | MySpace | Classical Lounge | Virb

Upcoming projects/premieres:
Wind Ens. and Electronics consortium, 2008
JWECC (Japanese) consortium, 3/14/2009
Upcoming concerts

NOTE: None of my pieces are out of print - if someone tells you otherwise, please let me know.

Blog

Hohenwerfen und Dachstein

The last few days we've visited Hohenwerfen Castle (outside of Salzburg) and the top of the Dachstein mountain (well, almost the top - you have to have ropes and gear to go the last 300 meters). Saw a fantastic falconry and bird demonstration at Hohenwerfen (they were flying right over our heads at insane speeds - none of the pictures I took are cropped - there were *that* close). Then we drove up to a traditional restaurant for lunch - the sign at the bottom of the hill said 4km, but they neglected to explain that they meant *straight UP*.

On Saturday, Michael Hancock (conductor, clarinetist, and all-around great guy) and I headed up to the Dachstein, which is one of the large mountains in the area (being in the Alps, it's not alone). The bus ride was nearly an hour up the mountain, and *then* we took the cable car the rest of the way - up to 2700 meters (that's 8850 ft). There's a glacier up there, with year-round skiing and snowboarding. It was also slightly chilly and windy (i.e. freezing). And spectacular.

Pictures are here.

Labels: Dachstein, Europe, Hohenwerfen, MidEurope, Schladming

Hausmusik

As promised, a few shots from yesterday's Gerburtstag Feier for Opa's 80th birthday:

Siegi und Verena:



Wolfgang on Zither, Siegi on Steirische, Steve on Hackbrett:



Fred und Hans, performing wild clarinet tricks:




Opa, Oma, and a subsection of the Eberschwanger Bauernkapelle (one of the two community bands in Eberscwhang). They provided music and fun for the party as well, in between beers. :)

Labels: Eberschwang, Geburtstag, Hackbrett, Hausmusik, Opa, Steirische, Zither

Hackbrett

On Friday I started learning a couple of tunes on Hackbrett (Hammered Dulcimer) so we can play some traditional songs for Opa's 80th birthday party today. The main tune is an "Innviertler Landler" (the Innviertel is the local region of Austria we're in). Lots of I and V7, which is good for me, because that's about the limit of my playing abilities at this point. Wolfgang will be playing Zither, Siegi on Steirische Harmonika (similar to an accordion) and vocals, and V on guitar and vocals. And a possible guest appearance on Clarinet by Johann Mösenbichler!

I hopefully will have pictures of our full ensemble later. For now, here's Wolfgang tuning the Hackbrett (Siegi in the background on Steirische).



And here's a quasi-player's-viewpoint shot:

Labels: Austria, Hackbrett, Hammered Dulcimer

Summer workshop(s) information

As I mentioned in the last post, I'm giving two masterclasses in composition this summer, the first (with Otto M. Schwarz) at MidEurope in Schladming Austria (July 8th-10th), and the second at the Bayerischen Musickakademie (Bavarian Music Academy) in Marktoberdorf, Germany (August 2nd-10th). If you're in Europe this summer, and feel the urge to study composition with me, by all means sign up! :)

Labels: Bavarian Summer Music Academy, Marktoberdorf, MidEurope, Schladming, Workshop

Austria again!

Tomorrow I leave for Austria, which of course I always eagerly look forward to (the 'being there' part, not the 'getting there' part). At Mid-Europe this summer I'll be giving a 3 day masterclass on composing, as well as a workshop for beginning composers, and then during the first week of August, I'll be guest composer in residence at the Bavarian Summer Music Academy (I can't find the link at the moment). All the while working madly on the Winds+Electronics piece, which is now scheduled for an October 23rd premiere by Bruce Moss and the Bowling Green Wind Ensemble (part of their annual New Music and Art Festival), followed mere days later on October 26th by Jerry Junkin and the UT Wind Ensemble. So...busy summer!

Now I must figure out how to fit all these hard drives in my backpack...

Labels: Austria, Bavarian Summer Music Academy, Bowling Green, Bruce Moss, Jerry Junkin, MidEurope, WIndtronica

Short Ride in a Grand Pianola

Last night's concert by the Jerry Junkin and the UT Wind Ensemble was intense. This was the final concert of John Adams' residency at UT, and the group opened with his Short Ride in a Fast Machine (which I know well, but had never heard live), and followed up with his Grand Pianola music, both of which were really, really good. Junkin maintained an unbelievably intense pace and conducting style throughout, and the ensemble was obviously on top of their game - both works are quite difficult, but they pulled it off with ease. And that was just the first half. At intermission, they added one or two chairs for: the UT choir (big), a children's choir from Hill Country Middle School, and three soloists, in addition to the enter wind ensemble for Carl Orff's Carmina Burana. This is a transcription of the entire work for band - I believe it's fairly new, but not sure. From the very first O Fortuna it exuded epic-ness (epicity? epicality?), and didn't let up for a full hour. Just to top it all off, Junkin conducted the entire work from memory. Because really, why not?

It was spectacular, and special shout-out to V and Franklin Gross for their piano artistry in the concert!

Fun side-note: V and I were John Adams' taxi back to his hotel in the afternoon, and can report that he's an extremely down-to-earth and friendly man. I neglected to make any jokes about it being a "short ride in an old machine" (namely, my 12 year old Saturn). Probably for the best.

Labels: Carmina Burana, Grand Pianola, Jerry Junkin, John Adams, Short Ride in a Fast Machine, UT Wind Ensemble

Back from Baylor

Bob Reynolds and the Baylor Wind Ensemble gave a really fine performance of the piece last night. There were a few odd moments in the opening of the piece (there usually are - the vast silent spaces and exposed single notes seem to make the players nervous, unfortunately), and the elderly audience member's mechanized breathing machine added an interesting element to the work (it wasn't really that bad - just had to mention it for the David Lynch quality it adds to the narrative).

Regardless, the energy and presence of the group was deeply satisfying, and Maestro Reynolds did a masterful job of unleashing the full ensemble throughout the tutti section of the work. It was great to hear him do the work live, and I wish I could be at the Carnegie and Tanglewood performances! Big thanks to the group and to their director, Eric Wilson, and congratulations to them on their selection to play at CBDNA next year in Austin - I look forward to hearing you all next March!

Now, I'm procrastinating on the windtronica piece until the UT New Music Ensemble concert tonight with John Adams... (at least I've managed to resist firing up MarioKart Wii!!).

Labels: Baylor Wind Ensemble, Bob Reynolds, CBDNA, Eric Wilson, John Adams, MarioKart, Wii

Bloom yesterday, Alchemy tonight

Verena and the UT Symphony Band gave a truly stellar performance of Bloom yesterday. In fact, the entire concert was superb - Damon Talley, the director of that group, has done a fantastic job with them this year.

Tonight, V and I head up to Baylor to hear Bob Reynolds guest conduct Alchemy in Silent Spaces: I the logic of all my dreams.. He's already done it with USC, and has it programmed for the National Collegiate Wind Ensemble concert in Carnegie on May 25th, and then again at Tanglewood this summer. I get the impression he's taken a liking to that movement of the work. :)

Also, John Adams is here in residence this week, with concerts of his music by the orchestra, new music ensemble, and the wind ensemble on three consecutive nights. I don't know exactly what I'll say to him besides the usual slobbering nerdy fan standby "I love your music!"

And lastly, the winds+electronics piece is slowing moving forward - the first movement is more than half finished. Perhaps considerably more - can't quite tell yet. The first minute or so is essentially a celesta and vibraphone duet. Very bright and shiny, as Newman would say.

Labels: Alchemy, Bloom, Bob Reynolds, John Adams, logic of all my dreams, Verena, WIndtronica