Sonic Possibilities & Exploration of Sound
Paul Moravec’s spring calendar is full!
On March 29th, his new Wind Symphony receives its world premiere by the University of Florida Concert Band (Gainesville) led by David Waybright. “It’s terrific to have an award-winning composer of Paul’s stature write a new work for the repertoire,” Waybright shares. “It’s an extensive new piece for wind band and it’s well-written.”
Waybright continues, “It’s clear that when writing the Wind Symphony, Paul took great care to explore the sonic possibilities of the ensemble. It’s not the same thing as composing for orchestra. You can see and hear in the music that he really focused on the unique character and distinct sonorities of the wind band throughout the three contrasting movements. The first movement – the longest – delves into the traditional elements of wind band music and includes a march, the featuring of saxophones, etc. The second movement is a quiet, lyrical exploration of sound. The final movement is a tour de force all the way to the finish. It’s a challenging and exciting piece.” Moravec’s other major March performance is the Buffalo Philharmonic’s concerts of Montserrat Concerto on March 9th and 10th featuring cellist Roman Mekinulov, conducted by JoAnn Falletta.
In April, Moravec sees two premieres on the 21st: Shakuhachi Quintet and the Prayer of St. Francis. Shakuhachi Quintet was written for flutist James Nyoraku Schlefer and the Colorado String Quartet who’ll perform it at the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage. (Schlefer—joined by the Voxare Quartet—later offers the New York premiere at the World Financial Center on May 5th.) Moravec’s Prayer of St. Francis was composed for the German ensembles Calmus (vocal quintet) and Quartet New Generation (recorder ensemble) who will premiere the work in Milwaukee as a featured highlight of their spring 2012 American tour. April 28th brings yet another world premiere as the Parnus Duo presents Moravec’s new work for violin and cello—Duo Parnas—in New York at Fordham University’s Lincoln Center campus. The ensemble previously recorded Duo Parnas in March for their forthcoming Sheffield Lab CD which will be released in late summer.
More April 21st news includes pianist Anthony de Mare’s New York premiere of Moravec’s I Think About You at Symphony Space. Commissioned by de Mare for his “Liaisons: Re-Imagining Sondheim” project, Moravec selected the song “Losing My Mind” from Sondheim’s Follies as the inspiration for his new solo piano piece. Sondheim will also be in attendance and participate in a composer talk moderated by Mark Eden Horowitz.
And…last but not least, the American Academy of Arts and Letters has named Moravec a recipient of the Academy’s 2012 Arts and Letters Award in Music. The $7500 award honors outstanding artistic achievement, and an additional $7500 will be allocated toward the recording of one work.
Stay tuned for more Moravec news later this spring!