News

Since last update…

geoffrey — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 21:11:26 +0000

It’s been almost two years since I’ve had the presence of mind to update this page…

I’m now on my third year at Eastman of a four year program to receive an MA in Composition and an MM in Conducting. I’m very lucky to be here and the opportunities have expanded enormously.

An update on the opera– Sarajevo Vespers is coming along slowly; more than ever it’s tough to balance my work in composition and work in conducting. But both feed the other and neither is something that’s “incidental” to my life, but central.

***I’ve done what I once considered almost unforgivable– I’m dating a wonderful violinist whose passion for chamber music and teaching and life inspires me beyond measure.***

Some of the best experiences I’ve had have happened over the past few months, including the chance to work with Oliver Knussen and Charles Castleman. My first commercial recording has just been released– Benjamin Boretz‘ Violin Concerto, with Castleman and the Eastman Composers’ Orchestra– on the Open Space label. I’m getting to work with Hilary Tann, the Welsh composer, this March, with the eminent Chien-Kwan Lin performing, and am also premiering and recording Frederick Lesemann’s Violin Concerto with Anyango Yarbo-Davenport in Kilbourn Hall earlier that month. My own music seems to have taken a turn for the better, too, although that’s as usual subject for debate.

Forgive the chattiness of this post and the cursory summary of my recent doings. All the very best to you for a New Year of joy and love and inspiration.

geoffrey — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 03:31:00 +0000

My first MA year at Eastman is coming to a close. I feel very lucky to have gotten to know a lot of wonderful people here.

The opera, as ever, is chugging along. On Monday, the Eastman Philharmonia is reading the second act interlude, so in a bit of a pensive stage right now and probably drinking too much [coffee]. Today I met with Aaron Yarmel, the assistant concertmaster, and Stephanie Titus, the pianist, who will be working as a sort of concerted unit in the piece. I’ve lately been criticized by a couple of people for being somewhat inarticulate about my music. There is no better situation for eloquence and concision when working with players, so I think maybe it’s easier for me when there’s music out and people are putting some investment into its interpretation. Monday (I should just about say “tomorrow” by EST) will be interesting; though the piece is short (ca. 6′) it is aesthetically challenging and the strings have a few awkward shifts. The rest of the group will hopefully put up blinders, do the whole “four-on-the-floor” thing and count like monsters. Winds are great at this, and the last orchestra piece I had read required a lot of this, which they executed really well. Oliver Hagen is conducting all of the readings, and we’re meeting tomorrow evening to discuss the piece. Readings are, in the immortal words of James Hopkins, “better than sex.” (I told him I thought it was worth considering who was up for sexing and the reading before deciding that.)

I’m very happy that Courtney Angela Brkic is working as the librettist— she’s well known as a writer and also highly regarded for her work with the UN’s ICTY and as a forensic anthropologist in Bosnia. And there seems to be a wonderful working chemistry as well, which is the most important thing. I’m continually reminded what a stake people are taking with this “fledgeling” composer and I’m very grateful. It looks like my trip to Bosnia will have to wait until next summer. This is good in many ways, as I’ll have most likely departed Rochester by then, and will have another situation on the horizon. I don’t want to keep speculating as to what that will be, but a number of great options seem to be emerging.

Unrelated to the opera, I recently sent revised versions of my oboe aphorisms to Imre Bojtár’s duo in Hungary, and I’m flattered by his interest in my music. The pieces will also be played in Los Angeles later this year by Alexandra von der Embse, an old friend of mine and a phenomenal young oboist. Looks like I’ve been commissioned to write a song cycle for mezzo, piano and tenor trombone— a strange and challenging instrumentation, no doubt— by two former Eastman students, one of whom premiered Srebrenica Fields last July. It’s a small and exciting world.
Next year holds some interesting opportunities. This fall, I’ll be conducting Allan Schindler’s piece Take Me Places, as well as a concerto night opening with Bob Morris’ concerto for piano and winds (Quaerere et Invenire), followed by my forthcoming oboe concerto for Liz Spector, and concluding with Agah Yarbo-Davenport’s premiere of Frederick Lesemann’s violin concerto. Should be great, once all the scheduling falls into place. I anticipate working a lot with OSSIA and the Composers’ Sinfonietta again (for the latter I’m writing a chamber orchestra piece this July). In the spring, I’d like to do a concert of opera scenes by Eastman composers— faculty and students alike.

In a general sense, life is great. The warmth I experienced (or humidity, perhaps) is returning, fragmented by occasional thunderstorms. It’s also a good time to think about musical time, pacing and large form, three areas I feel it’s time to reconsider. I’ve written a number of solo pieces this year in an effort to address this; one of my favorite experiences was working with Brad Hogarth on a piece for picc trumpet and piano resonance, ironically titled Two-Step. Brad’s now teaching in Japan and is missed around here.

Thank you all who’ve offered support, and I hope to see you soon.
g

first update in a while…

geoffrey — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 23:54:24 +0000

Srebrenica Fields and more

geoffrey — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 01:18:08 +0000

It’s been some time since I posted here; in truth, I have been having a small hiatus from working. It’s been a fallow– and in that sense, productive– two months, and I feel almost recharged.

Some exciting things are happening to/with Sarajevo Vespers, which I will elucidate as soon as they become more palpable and less private. They concern financial support, intercultural sponsorship, design and potential venues. It is hard to predict the timeline, but our goal is for a substantial production of the opera in 2012. I am currently working through channels within Bosnia and the US.

It was my recent honor to work with some distinguished performers at the “Art of Sound” Summer Brass Institute in Atherton, California. The premiere of the Srebrenica Fields commission was a success, and hailed by some as my “best work yet.” The piece was completed this past April, and features an antiphonal trumpet in dialogue (some would say in a stile Ivesia sort of manner) with the main ensemble that consists of a 12-instrument symphonic brass section. Earlier on the day of the performance, I managed to snag a runthrough on tape. It is posted in the “media” section of this website, and is a good representation of the caliber of musicians I was able to work with (including Thornton’s David McLemore and Indiana’s Scott Cook). Nora King Smith performed the solo trumpet part– both elegaic and martial– beautifully.

I shall be studying with Allan Schindler at Eastman, who is recognized for leading an incredible electronic music program as well as writing sensitively and accessibly on music perception and cognition. In the same vein, I move to Rochester in mid-August.

I hope the summer is treating you as well as it has me, and I’m looking forward to what’s to come in the near future.

And so it goes…

geoffrey — Thu, 08 May 2008 02:19:06 +0000

Graduation is coming up. I’m not quite sure what I’m doing this summer, aside from premiering Srebrenica Fields in northern California, and reviewing music history/voice leading for my placement exams at Eastman.

I’m going to miss USC a lot (by which I mean Thornton); it’s been an incredible time of growth, bonding and challenges. My (not-secret) hope is to return for my DMA in a few years, but only if I can swing a full ride. I think Los Angeles has some wonderful opportunities, and while I’ve exploited my resources at USC quite well, I’m hoping to get more involved with the broader contemporary music culture here. Maybe I’ll spend some time in NYC after Eastman? Who knows… I feel very fortunate to have had such a great experience here, but I’m very excited to move on.

Recital, Eastman, etc.

geoffrey — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 02:23:28 +0000

Well, the year is winding down in some ways. I have an orchestra reading next Thursday, of material to be used in the prelude to my upcoming opera, Sarajevo Vespers. The USC Thornton Symphony is at the end of its awesome season, and I’m grateful for their good attitude with these readings, etc.!

On another note, my degree recital went fabulously– I was impressed with the playing of everyone involved, and happy to have had a decent-sized audience. I will post recordings here soon. The program:

Fanfare (2008)

Prope Silvam (2006)

Three Settings of Masefield Texts (2005)

Spires Unceasing (2007)

Five Aphorisms for Oboe and Piano (2008)

Chamber Concerto for Two Violins (2007)

I’m looking forward to this summer’s premiere of Srebrenica Fields by scholarship students and members of the Bay Brass, at a fabulous brass festival/workshop in Atherton (northern California).

Next fall, I’ll be attending the Eastman School of Music. I’m rather excited… I will hopefully have a lot of good conducting experiences there, as that’s my other branch of life. The players are phenomenal, as are the instructors, and Rochester is not a gig city, so people (by which I mean string players) will really put some time into my music.

Thank you to all those who’ve supported me over the last few years. Things are going in a good direction.

-geoff

Chamber Concerto, etc.

geoffrey — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 10:16:45 +0000

I have recently added the recording of my Chamber Concerto for Two Violins, which was performed by Sakura Tsai and Helen Kim with the Starving Composers’ Ensemble on December 2, 2007.

As usual, this was a two-rehearsal performance, and it went quite well considering the number of last minute logistical changes. The piece was well received, and I am particularly grateful to Ben Maas for expeditiously providing me with a great sounding recording to send out. The website hosts the optimized recording.

Many thanks to Donald Crockett for his advice and mentoring.

On another note, I recently conducted Berio’s “Riccorenze.” The piece is a wind quintet, but requires a conductor given the seating. Instrumentalists from left to right are ob/hn/cl/bsn/fl, all spaced two meters apart with a very slight arc. Gary Woodward coached the instrumentalists once a week and it was great to work with him for the first time. Hopefully, we’ll be performing the piece on a spring CME concert this year.

Cheers to a Happy New Year!

“Spires Unceasing” Premiere in Palo Alto, CA

geoffrey — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 06:19:43 +0000

Since/while indulging in the aforementioned respite, I’ve been busy working on a variety of projects.

Today, I conducted the premiere of Spires Unceasing with the Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra. It was received enormously well; I was cheered that a number of people who normally “dislike contemporary music” were mesmerized, apparently. I think this phenomenon has a lot to do with the color changes in the piece, which the players learned to achieve well. The program notes and pre-concert talk helped, I believe. There is a lot more energy and vitality in a string orchestra of this age than I’d expected, and I think it was put to good use. Had an enjoyable experienced. Rumored to be conducting it with them in Ashland, Oregon in a few weeks.
Another part of my life is beginning to materialize; the opera project set in Sarajevo which Peter Schueller and I are working on seems to be a worthy venture. I’ve been reading firsthand accounts (in Sarajevo, Srebrenica and Zagreb) of the “troubles” from 1991-1995 as well as some general Yugoslavian histories. It’s an easily misunderstood region and I think I will need to spend some time there to witness the sort of transcendence Bosnians achieve. I’ll be applying to a variety of organizations for support. The libretto team (headed by Peter) is starting to come together and includes a respected visual artist, a vocalist from the former USSR, and hopefully some U.N. personnel and journalists from the region. While there is no terminal deadline, I’m conceiving writing the piece within the next four years.

Finally, I am (continually) working on chamber music for various Los Angeles musicians as well as a dear friend from Bulgaria who’s beginning her studies at Guildhall (London) this autumn. I’m beginning to compile works for my final recital at USC as well as for graduate program admissions. It is wonderful to see old and new faces while I am on my “respite.” I feel enormously refreshed and enjoy the clean air, relative peace, and safety.
Best wishes.

Spring continues…

geoffrey — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 10:28:44 +0000

Things continue to go well.

This past weekend, Peter Schueller premiered Epigrams Thrice Untempered, a work for tenor and chamber ensemble, staged by renowned opera director Ken Kazan. The performance went well and there will soon be a posted recording on this site.

I completed revisions of Spires Unceasing for the Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra. They begin rehearsals next week. I will conduct the California premiere in June before the piece goes abroad.

The Starving Composers’ Ensemble continues to prosper; in addition to premiering my chamber work Prope Silvam and the song cycle for Peter Schueller earlier this month, we performed two works by Austin Wintory this past Monday evening. The players are phenomenal and quite generous. We are as ever seeking grant opportunities. Video will be uploaded soon from the concert of Roger Zare’s wind ensemble works, as will an HD recording of Epigrams Thrice Untempered.

Tonight I rehearse Thornton CME again with Bolcom’s Orphée Sérénade. The concert, conducted by Frank Ticheli, will take place April 17. Next week I begin coaching DMA candidate Robert Gross’ guitar quartet, and will prepare to conduct works by Eran Schweitzer and Justin Ross.

Many thanks to all who have supported me lately. I look forward to a brief respite in early May.

geoffrey — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 05:51:07 +0000

Having conducted six very different pieces in the past three weeks, I’m looking forward to one more this Sunday. Prope Silvam is being premiered by a subset of SCE in Newman Hall, USC at 4pm. Next week I cover for Frank Ticheli with CME for the first time; we’re playing Bolcom.

The song cycle for Peter Schueller (tenor) is almost complete— it’s about time! I’m constantly revisiting how I write for piano plus a single instrument… Contrary to my last post, I have not yet started sketching the concerto, but have been doing some very rudimentary conceptualization involving logarithims. (My younger brother, a math/comp. sci guy, has been very helpful— we have a good intellectual collaboration!)

Have a few smaller pieces to write as well as revisions for Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra. That will be my March, I think.