My newest ensemble work is A Symphony of Spiral and Light (PARADES), for orchestral winds, brass and percussion (41 musicians!). The work was commissioned by the University of Maryland who will give the first performance in May, 2019 under the leadership of Michael Votta, and ten other co-commissioners who will present premiere performances during 2020. read more
Category Archives: Uncategorized
A FOREST UNFOLDING Premiere in New Hampshire and Maine
August 2, 2018 – 10:55 am
Premiere Performances: Sunday August 12 at 5 PM (Peterborough, New Hampshire) by Electric Earth Concerts Sunday August 18 at 7:30 (Portland Chamber Music Festival, Portland, Maine) A FOREST UNFOLDING (Collaborative Cantata by Eric Moe, Stephen Jaffe, David Kirkland Garner and Melinda Wagner) with texts by W.S. Merwin, Anne LaBastille, Richard Powers, Henry David Thoreau and read more
MIGRATIONS Concert Video
August 2, 2018 – 10:38 am
An archival performance of the September, 2017 premiere of MIGRATIONS (Chamber Concerto No. 4) featuring Gabriel Richard, violin and chamber ensemble. Many listeners asked for a link to the video of the first performance, which has now been made available by the Franklin Humanities Center. The music starts at 3.20” on the video, and is read more
Jane Hawkins
March 16, 2018 – 10:31 am
Our dear friend and colleague Jane Hawkins passed away just after Thanksgiving. Here is a link to a Department of Music post about her life: https://music.duke.edu/news/pianist-jane-hawkins-1950-2017-professor-practice-and-former-chair-department-music At a faculty meeting in December, I read a poem by Zelda, the Israeli poet: “Everybody has a name.” A link to Marcia Falk’s translation: http://www.poetryinternationalweb.net/pi/site/poem/item/3275/auto/EACH-OF-US-HAS-A-NAME
Olly Wilson
March 16, 2018 – 9:56 am
Very sad this morning to learn of the death of OLLY WILSON. Olly was a composer of versatile originality and commitment, and one of the most agreeable and effective colleagues one could have. Olly comported himself with almost regal, diplomatic bearing, assuming with dignity and poise the privileged position he came to occupy by virtue read more
MIGRATIONS: Chamber Concerto No. 4 for violin solo and ensemble
August 24, 2017 – 9:09 am
MIGRATIONS, commissioned for the Department of Music by our alumna PENKA KOUNEVA, will receive its premiere by Gabriel Richard, violin and ensemble, on September 16, 2017. The concert also features Gustav Mahler’s Lieder eines Fahrenden Gesellen (Songs of a Wayfearer) in Arnold Schoenberg’s arrangement, with Susan Dunn, soprano, attractive compositions by Bright Sheng and Penka read more
Karel Husa, An Appreciation
January 2, 2017 – 10:03 am
The following was submitted to Raleigh’s News and Observer, December 30, 2016, and appeared January 4, 2017. It is intended for general audiences. Karel Husa, An Appreciation of the Composer in Our Midst North Carolinians busy with holidays and overwhelmed by the political events of 2016 may have missed news of the passing of composer read more
In Utah
November 17, 2015 – 9:20 pm
Canyonlands New Music, University of Utah Looking forward to meeting colleague Morris Rosenszweig, the students and faculty at University of Utah. Lois Martin, viola, and Stephen Gosling, piano will perform FOUR PIECES QUASI SONATA.
Homage to the Breath and Maw
November 17, 2015 – 9:07 pm
On November 7, Washington, DC’s 21st Century Consort began a celebration of their 40th anniversary with a concert at the Smithsonian Museum of American Art, commemorating Nicolas Maw’s 80th birthday, and also including works by David Froom and Caroline Shaw. I was honored that the group–long time colleagues–performed HOMAGE TO THE BREATH, which I created read more
FIGURE-GROUND receives premiere
July 14, 2015 – 10:23 pm
FIGURE-GROUND, for flute, violin, viola, and cello was commissioned by Electric Earth Concerts and given its premiere at the Old Francestown Meetinghouse in New Hampshire on July 9, 2015. (In the video linked above, there are initial comments and examples–the music starts about 4’50”). A previous performance was given at the Duke Gardens in Durham.