Naxos announces the release on August 9 of Louis Karchin's highly acclaimed Jane Eyre, a full-length opera in three acts with a libretto by Diane Osen, based on Charlotte Brontë's novel. The world premiere staging of Jane Eyre took place in the Fall of 2016 at the Kaye Playhouse in New York City, under the auspices of the Center for Contemporary Opera.
The Naxos release (cat# 8669042-43) features all the singers from the original production, who bring an intense emotional depth to the recording, having been able to develop the dramatic impact of their roles on stage. Singers include soprano Jennifer Zetlan as Jane and tenor Ryan MacPherson as Rochester, who have performed on some of the most acclaimed stages in the world. Notably, Ms. Zetlan was featured in the premiere of Nico Muhly’s Two Boys at The Metropolitan Opera, and Mr. MacPherson has appeared extensively in leading roles with New York City Opera.
Also featured in the cast are soprano Katrina Thurman (Blanche Ingram) and baritone Thomas Meglioranza (Roderick Ingram/St. John Rivers), two singers long associated with Mr. Karchin’s music who participated in the cast of his previous opera, Romulus. Ms. Thurman and Mr. Meglioranza perform roles in Jane Eyre written expressly for them. All the singers from the original production are featured in the recording and bring to their roles the same intense emotional depth that distinguished their performances on stage.
The Orchestra of the League of Composers (OLC) provides the instrumental accompaniment on the recording. The Orchestra is devoted to contemporary music and known for performing the newest music of our time under the auspices of its parent organization, the League-ISCM. The New York Times has praised its “polished performances” and “boundary-erasing spirit,” making it a natural fit for this project.
The double CD is one of the very few composer-led recordings of a full-length opera by an American composer. It was recorded in dedicated sessions at Theatre C of SUNY Purchase over three days in September 2017. The recording was produced and digitally edited by Marlan Barry and runs 130 minutes. The full cast includes nine singers (performing 13 roles), a female chorus, and an orchestra of 36 musicians.
2019 Composers' Competition
Jihyun Kim’s Once Upon a Time... has been named winner of the League-ISCM prize, from more than 220 submissions! This prize comes with a $1000 award and a NYC performance. Congratulations!
Steven R. Gerber Prize Co-Winner: Cosmographia by Daniel Godsil
Steven R. Gerber Prize Co-Winner: Two Taylor Songs by Theo Chandler
Runner-Up: E piove in petto una dolcezza inquieta by Massimo Lauricella
Frank Retzel
We are saddened to inform you of the passing of our board member Frank Retzel.
Composer, Organist and Music Professor Frank Retzel passed away on December 19, 2018. His compositions were performed worldwide with critical acclaim. He received a Fulbright Fellowship, National Endowment for the Arts Award and was twice nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. His website frankretzel.com offers much information about Frank's life and works. He is survived by his wife, Kathleen.
Published in The New York Times on Jan. 23, 2019
Results of the 2017 League of Composers / ISCM Competition
The winning works are:
Sparks and Flares for fl, cl, perc, pf, vn, vc, by Michael Seltenreich
(ISCM Prize winner)
Gra-V for fl/bass fl, cl/bass cl, vn, vc, perc, pf, by Vasiliki Krimitza
(Steven R. Gerber Prize co-winner)
DEPO FLUX: concerto grosso for vn, va, cb, a.sax, elec. gtr, & ch. orch, by Ken Steen
(Steven R. Gerber Prize co-winner)
The competition was judged anonymously.
ISCM 2018 Young Composers Award
Michael Seltenreich, winner of the League of Composers/ISCM Composers' Competition 2017, is the winner of the ISCM 2018 Young Composers Award. This was announced at the ISCM World Music Days 2018 in Bejing, China.
New Master Degree Program in Jerusalem
From our friends at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance:
Season Finale: Bielawa, Clement, Lerdahl, Pärt
Thursday, May 25, 2017 at 7:30 PM
Season Finale: World and NY Premieres by Bielawa, Clement, Lerdahl, and Pärt
The League of Composers/ISCM — the nation’s oldest organization devoted to contemporary music — presents the Orchestra of the League of Composers performing a World Premiere by Sheree Clement, commissioned by the League/ISCM, a NY Premiere by Fred Lerdahl, and works by Rome Prize winner Lisa Bielawa and Estonian composer Arvo Pärt. The program, taking place at Columbia University’s Miller Theatre, will be conducted by Orchestra of the League of Composers music director Louis Karchin and David Fulmer, and will feature pianist Andrew Armstrong as soloist.
Avro Part: Cantus in Memory of Benjamin Britten
Sheree Clement: Stories I Cannot Tell You (World Premiere, commissioned by the League/ISCM)
Lisa Bielawa: Start (Piano Concerto)
Andrew Armstrong, soloist
Fred Lerdahl: Time and Again NY Premiere
Miller Theatre at Columbia University:
2960 Broadway, New York, NY 10027
Tickets will be available at the door or online and can be purchased for $25 general admission or $15 for students and seniors.
Thursday, May 25, 2017 at 7:30 PM
Miller Theatre at Columbia University
The Orchestra of the League of Composers
Louis Karchin, music director
David Fulmer, conductor
Andrew Armstrong, piano
The League of Composers/ISCM 2017 Composers' Competition
The League of Composers/ISCM 2017 Composers' Competition is now open. Learn more about the competition and submit your work here.
Job Announcement
Performer-educator (at the rank of Clinical Assistant Professor)
Department of Music, Faculty of Arts and Science (FAS),
New York University, New York, NY
The FAS Department of Music at New York University invites applications for a
performer-educator to expand our multifaceted approach to the study of music, sound,
and listening. The ideal candidate will be an active performer who can demonstrate a
history of artistic excellence, a creative approach to teaching, and robust ties to a
number of musical scenes. Candidates must have earned a Bachelor’s degree or higher
at the time of appointment; prior college-level teaching experience is valued but not
required. We are especially interested in candidates whose musical practices increase
the diversity of perspectives available to our students. The appointment will begin
September 1, 2017, pending administrative and budgetary approval.
This full-time position is a three-year renewable clinical assistant professorship oriented
toward undergraduate teaching in a liberal arts environment. Professional responsibilities
include: teaching undergraduate lecture courses and advanced seminars on specific
music traditions or theoretical concepts; leading one or more ensembles; and presenting
performances, master classes, and other musical activities in the Department.
The Faculty of Arts and Science at NYU is at the heart of a leading research university
that spans the globe. We seek educators of the highest caliber, who embody the
diversity of the United States as well as the global society in which we live. We strongly
encourage applications from women, racial and ethnic minorities, and other individuals
who are under-represented in the profession, across color, creed, race, ethnic and
national origin, physical ability, gender and sexual identity, or any other legally protected
basis. NYU affirms the value of differing perspectives on the world as we strive to build
the strongest possible university with the widest reach. To learn more about the FAS
commitment to diversity, equality and inclusion, please
read http://as.nyu.edu/page/diversityinitiative.
Application Instructions
A complete application should include: (1) a letter detailing relevant experience and
teaching interests; (2) a CV or résumé; (3) names and e-mail addresses of three
references; and (4) no more than three links to representative performances. Review of
applications will commence on December 15 and will continue until the position is filled.
Applications should be uploaded through Interfolio at the following link:
https://apply.interfolio.com/39362
Composers' Competition
The League of Composers/ISCM will sponsor its annual composers' competition. The prize: $750 and a New York City performance, possible nomination to the next World Music Days. More details coming soon!
The Orchestra of the League of Composers Performs U.S. and New York Premieres
Wednesday, June 1, 2016, 7:30 PM
Season Finale:
The Orchestra of the League of Composers Performs U.S. and New York Premieres
The League of Composers/ISCM — the nation’s oldest organization devoted to contemporary music — joins the NY PHIL BIENNIAL to present the Orchestra of the League of Composers performing a New York Premiere by Huck Hodge (United States, b. 1977), a U.S. Premiere by Felipe Lara (Brazil, b. 1979), and works by Pulitzer Prize–winning composers Charles Wuorinen (United States, b. 1938) and Paul Moravec (United States, b. 1957). The program, taking place at Columbia University’s Miller Theatre, will be conducted by Orchestra of the League of Composers music director Louis Karchin, and will feature pianist Anne-Marie McDermott as soloist.
Huck Hodge
Alêtheia (New York Premiere)
Felipe Lara
Fringes (U.S. Premiere)
Paul Moravec
Sempre Diritto!
Charles Wuorinen
Flying to Kahani for piano and chamber orchestra
Louis Karchin, music director
Charles Wuorinen, conductor
Anne-Marie McDermott, piano
Orchestra of the League of Composers
Miller Theatre at Columbia University:
2960 Broadway, New York, NY 10027
Tickets will be available at the door or online and can be purchased for $25 general admission or $15 for students and seniors.
New Music from France: The Chamber Players of the League/ISCM
Thursday, March 3, 2016 7:00 PM
New Music from France:
The Chamber Players of the League/ISCM
The Chamber Players of the League/ISCM present a concert of new works by French composers who are not well known in the US. We are very pleased to bring four excellent works – curated by a team of French and American composers – to the US because their contrasting style and approach demonstrate the diversity within the French new music scene.
Featured composers:
Gérard Buquet
Carlos Grätzer
Patrick Marcland
François Paris
The Chamber Players of the League/ISCM
La Maison Française at New York University:
16 Washington Mews, New York, NY 10003
Connections: New Music from the West/Midwest
Friday, February 19, 2016 8:00 PM
Connections: New Music from the West/Midwest
ensemble mise-en
5 new works written for ensemble mise-en by West Coast and Midwest composers. Featured composers:
Carl W. Schimmel
Stephen Andrew Taylor
Texu Kim
Kurt Rohde
Aaron Gervais
ensemble mise-en
the cell:
338 W 23rd St, New York, NY 10011
Tickets will be available at the door and can be purchased for $20 general admission or $15 for students and seniors. Your ticket will also include a complimentary drink.
The Traps: Reich, Wolfe, and Brooke
Tuesday, February 9, 2016 8:00 PM
The Traps: Reich, Wolfe, and Brooke
Talujon
Talujon presents a program of works for multiples of individual instruments featuring two landmark works for percussion and the New York premiere of Nick Brooke’s The Traps.
Steve Reich
Six Marimbas (1986)
Julia Wolfe
Dark Full Ride (2002)*
Nick Brooke
The Traps (2014)*
*Written for Talujon
Talujon
Ian Antonio
David Cossin
Matthew Gold
Michael Lipsey
Bill Solomon
Matt Ward
The DiMenna Center for Classical Music Cary Hall:
450 W 37th St, New York, NY 10018
Tickets will be available at the door and can be purchased for $10 general admission or $5 for students and seniors.
Season Finale: The Orchestra of the League of Composers
Thursday, June 11, 2015 8:00 PM
Season Finale: The Orchestra of the League of Composers
Louis Karchin and Scott Voyles will conduct the Orchestra of the League of Composers in our final concert of the season. Our enthusiastic commitment to the performance of new orchestral music culminates in the performance of our commissioned work A League of Notions, by Morris Rosenzweig, and other exciting premieres and compositions by David Felder, Irving Fine, and Kaaija Saariaho.
David Felder
Les Quatre Temps Cardinaux (Excerpts) (2013) NY Premiere
Irving Fine
Notturno for Strings and Harp (in honor of the composer’s
centennial) (1951)
Morris Rosenzweig
A League of Notions (2015) World Premiere,
League-ISCM Commission
Kaija Saariaho
Leino Songs (2008) NY Premiere
Heather Buck, soprano; Ethan Herschenfeld, bass;
Louis Karchin, Scott Voyles, conductors.
Miller Theatre at Columbia University, New York City
($20/$10)
Slam Creek Buzz: Mivos Quartet plays New American Music
Saturday, May 23, 2015 7:00 PM
Slam Creek Buzz:
Mivos Quartet plays New American Music
Andrew Greenwald
A thing is a hole in a thing it is not (2014 Kanter prize winner)
Richard Carrick
String Quartet #2, “Space-Time” (Fromm Commission premiere)
Carl Kanter
Four Pieces (premiere)
Sam Nichols
Refuge
Katie Young
slam creak buzz (premiere)
Dimenna Center, New York City
($15/$10)
Lois Martin: New Music for Viola
Sunday, May 10, 2015 5:00 PM
Lois Martin: New Music for Viola
Violist Lois Martin brings together some of New York’s finest musicians to collaborate on world premieres by Neil Kirkwood, Richard Festinger, Sheree Clement, and Diego Tedesco.
Sheree Clement
Viola Trio, world premiere, commissioned by Lois Martin
Edward T. Cone
Ostinato, Cadenza & Finale for viola, cello and piano
Philip Hurel
Recueil for viola and percussion
Richard Festinger
Récit for solo viola, world premiere, written for Lois Martin
Neal Kirkwood
Three Boppisms and Four Thinking Songs for viola and marimba,
world premiere, written for Lois Martin
Diego Tedesco
Divertimento, world premiere, written for
Lois Martin, viola
Tenri Cultural Institute
($15/$10)
Silent Beats: The Music of Akira Miyoshi
Friday, February 13, 2015 8:00 PM
Silent Beats: The Music of Akira Miyoshi
Rolf Schulte (violin) and Kumi Ogano (piano) present a program celebrating the life and legacy of the late composer Akira Miyoshi (1933-2013), one of Japan’s leading voices of the past century. Miyoshi’s rich palette combines a noticeable influence of French post-impressionism with melodic and rhythmic expressions from his native Japanese heritage. Miyoshi’s works are complemented on the program by Maurice Ravel’s 1897 Sonata for Violin and Piano and Donald Martino’s 1962 Fantasy-Variations for solo violin.
Maurice Ravel
Sonata Posthumous (1897)
Akira Miyoshi
En Vers (1980)
Donald Martino
Fantasy-Variations (1962)
Akira Miyoshi
Pour le Piano-Mouvement Circulaire et Croisé
(Part I 1995/Part II 1998)
Akira Miyoshi
Miroir (1983/rev.2008)
Akira Miyoshi
Chaînes-Préludes (1973)
Tenri Cultural Institute
Rolf Schulte, violin; Kumi Ogano, piano.
Elegiac Arabesques: New Music for Oboe, Clarinet, and Contrabassoon
Thursday, November 13, 2014 7:30 PM
Elegiac Arabesques: New Music for Oboe, Clarinet, and Contrabassoon
Marianne Gythfeldt, Jacqueline Leclair and Brad Balliett present two world premieres and exciting masterpieces from the woodwind repertoire- free admission!
Charles Wuorinen
Epithalamium (1997) for oboe and clarinet
Neil Saunders
Incantations (1981) for oboe alone
Oliver Knussen
Elegiac Arabesques (1991) for English horn and clarinet
Brad Balliett
Variations for oboe and contra-bassoon (2011) world premiere
Elizabeth Hoffman
Figure-Ground for clarinet and electronics (2014) w premiere
Judith Bingham
Ave Maris Stella (1972/2002) for oboe, clarinet, and piano
Marianne Gythfeldt, Jacqueline Leclair and Brad Balliett
Brooklyn College of Music