Zaimont: Important & Groundbreaking

From February 14-19, 2021, The University of South Florida (USF) School of Music (Tampa, FL) presents Judith Lang Zaimont in a virtual composer-residency, hosted by the school’s New-Music Consortium. Zaimont’s residency includes: an interview with local station Classical WSMR; a presentation to the USF Composition Department, and a portrait concert of her music featuring three world premieres. Performers will include students and faculty from the USF School of Music, with additional guest artists violinist Sini Virtanen and cellist Yeil Park. Events are open to the public, and will be broadcast and live-streamed.

USF faculty member Dr. Benjamin D. Whiting (Visiting Instructor of Composition and Electronic Music) comments. “Part of the mission of the New Music Consortium at the University of South Florida is to invite important, groundbreaking composers to present to the School of Music’s student body. This year, the consortium made the decision to invite Judith Lang Zaimont. We couldn’t be happier with how enthusiastic Zaimont has approached this residency, and our students are incredibly excited to have the opportunity to learn from and be inspired by this incredible composer, along with putting together a concert dedicated to her works, featuring the world premiere of Tendrils, When Darkness Falls, and My heart within me is desolate.”

On February 14th, Zaimont will take be interviewed on Classical WSMR’s new music program “Modern Notebook,” hosted by Tyler Kline. The next day, Zaimont presents her composer talk which will be live-streamed on the New-Music Consortium’s Facebook page. The Zaimont portrait concert takes place on February 19tth (live-streamed via YouTube), and showcases the following works: Music for Two (flute and oboe), Tanya Poems (solo cello), Wizards (solo piano), and the world premieres of When Darkness Falls (solo violin), Tendrils (flute, clarinet & vibraphone), and My heart within me is desolate (solo piano). Tendrils is a study in sustained resonance among three instrumental voices. My heart within me is desolate is based on Psalm 143:4. When Darkness Falls was composed in March 2020, and in Zaimont’s words, “reflects a state of uncertainty in response to the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.”