“I am spectacularly grateful to Katy for premiering Rahassya!” — Susan Kander On April 9, 2022, Susan Kander’s newest vocal work Rahassya will be premiered by mezzo-soprano Katherine Pracht-Phares at Bowling Green State University’s Bryan Hall (Ohio). Joining Pracht-Phares are percussionists Nick Fox on vibraphone and David Esselburn on marimba. The 20-minute work is based […]
“I wanted to commission works that would speak to the times we’re living in.” So notes, Kenneth Kiesler – University of Michigan’s director of orchestras — on the eve of the University of Michigan Symphony Orchestra’s April 6, 2022 world premiere of James Lee III’s newest orchestral work Tethered Voices, narrated by Myah Paden. The […]
“I am spectacularly grateful to Katy for premiering Rahassya!” — Susan Kander On April 9, 2022, Susan Kander’s newest vocal work Rahassya will be premiered by mezzo-soprano Katherine Pracht-Phares at Bowling Green State University’s Bryan Hall (Ohio). Joining Pracht-Phares are percussionists Nick Fox on vibraphone and David Esselburn on marimba. The 20-minute work is based […]
“I wanted to commission works that would speak to the times we’re living in.” So notes, Kenneth Kiesler – University of Michigan’s director of orchestras — on the eve of the University of Michigan Symphony Orchestra’s April 6, 2022 world premiere of James Lee III’s newest orchestral work Tethered Voices, narrated by Myah Paden. The […]
On January 20, 2022, the Baltimore Symphony premieres James Lee III’s Freedom’s Genuine Dawn with spoken word artist Wordsmith. Roberto Trevino conducts the concert in Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. Co-commissioned by the Baltimore Symphony, Boston Symphony and the Rochester Philharmonic, the one-movement, 18-minute work is scored for narrator and orchestra, and features texts by African-American author, […]
On January 20, 2022, the Baltimore Symphony premieres James Lee III’s Freedom’s Genuine Dawn with spoken word artist Wordsmith. Robert Trevino conducts the concert in Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. Co-commissioned by the Baltimore Symphony, Boston Symphony and the Rochester Philharmonic, the one-movement, 18-minute work is scored for narrator and orchestra, and features texts by African-American author, […]
“I’ve said before that I want to create bulletproof music.” And so, David Harrington, founder and artistic director of the San Francisco-based Kronos Quartet, shares his vision into the ensemble’s latest commissioned work — At War With Ourselves. Composed by Michael Abels, the evening-length work is scored for narrator, string quartet and chorus, and features […]
On November 14, the Calyx Piano Trio premieres James Lee III’s new 18-minute chamber piece Piano Trio No. 3, “Tones of Clay,” at the Linde Center at the Tanglewood Music Center. Lee comments on his new work. “Piano Trio No. 3 ‘Tones of Clay’ uses the words ‘tones’ and ‘clay’ for two reasons. In my […]
Composer Faye-Ellen Silverman’s new choreographed work The Song of the Trees receives its world premiere on November 5, 2021, as part of Composers Concordance’s Woodwind “Motion” series. The Songs of the Trees is a three-moment work that features the Sylvan Winds joined by choreographer Max Pollak in its first performance. The concert takes place at […]
On October 29, 2021, the Detroit Symphony presents the world premiere of James Lee III’s orchestral work Amer’ican, conducted by Eric Jacobsen. Commissioned by the orchestra, Amer’ican was originally scheduled to premiere in April 2020; but due to the Covid pandemic it was postponed until this season. The 13-minute work was inspired by Dvorak’s celebrated […]
