history and past seasons
OVERVIEW
The League of Composers, created in 1923, is the nation’s oldest organization devoted to contemporary music. The League draws on a remarkably rich history, including such groundbreaking premieres as Schönberg’s Die Glückliche Hand, Béla Bartók’s Village Scenes, Samuel Barber’s Piano Sonata and Anton Webern’s Symphony for Chamber Orchestra. The League also sponsored the American premiere of Igor Stravinsky’s ballet, Le Sacre du Printemps, many pieces by Aaron Copland, György Ligeti’s Horn Trio, Karlheinz Stockhausen’s Harlequin, and many works by current honorary Board Co-Chairs Elliott Carter and Milton Babbitt.
During the League’s early years, prominent composers such as Samuel Barber, Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copland, Henry Cowell, Paul Hindemith, Serge Koussevitzky, Darius Milhaud, Roger Sessions, and many others served on the Board of Directors, as President, and/or as Chair of the Board.
In 1954, the League of Composers became the US chapter of the International Society of Contemporary Music (ISCM) and has since been known as the League of Composers/ISCM.
In recent decades, the League has devoted itself to chamber works, and the Chamber Players of the League of Composers has featured many of the finest new music specialists since its inception in 1983.
In 2008, the League returned to its roots in an effort to recapture the excitement and prestige it enjoyed in its heyday, refining its mission, launching new initiatives, and creating a new orchestral ensemble. Although New York City offers an unparalleled array of chamber music concerts throughout the year, there remains a limited number of opportunities to experience new music through the richness of the orchestra. The orchestral works of established living composers are rarely performed, and the works of emerging composers are performed even less. To fill this void, we created the Orchestra of the League of Composers by expanding the Chamber Players of the League/ISCM. In conjunction with the development of the orchestra and the new initiatives, the new administration made it a priority to widen the musical aesthetic of concert programming to better reflect the scope of today’s range of styles in new music and attract a new generation of listeners, much as the organization did in its early years. The 2008-09 season reflected all of these changes and culminated in the debut of the orchestra on our season finale.
THE 2010-2011 SEASON
January 25, 2011 - 8pm – Saint Peter’s Church (corner of Lexington Avenue and 54th Street) http://www.timetablepercussion.com/about/
Chosen as Critic’s Pick in Time Out NY, Chamber Players of the League Matthew Gold and Matt Ward, with fellow Timetable Percussion player Alex Lipowski teamed up with Talujon to perform Gérard Grisey’s LeNoir de l’Étoile for six percussionists. The concert was well attended and the audience was presented a stunning 60-minute work, expertly played by some of New York’s finest percussionists.
May 13, 2011 – 7pm – “Chinese Composers Elsewhere”
Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) – 215 Centre Street (between Howard and Grand Streets, 1 block north of Canal) NY, NY 10013 www.mocanyc.org
Violist Stephanie Griffin and Momenta Quartet members performed:
Chong Kee Yong: Silence Cosmos (2005) and “Yun Yong” (Clouds surging): String Quartet No. 4 (2011) (World Premiere & Koussevitzky commission)
Jason Kao Hwang: If We Live in Forgetfulness, We Die in a Dream (2011), World Premiere
Huang Ruo: String Quartet No. 2: The Flag Project (2009)
Melissa Hui: Map of Reality (2009)
A panel discussion with Kee Yong Chong, Huang Ruo, Jason Kao Hwang and the Momenta Quartet took place at intermission.
Season Finale – Orchestra of the League of Composers FIVE PREMIERES!
Saturday, June 18, 2011 – 8pm
Miller Theatre at Columbia University
Tickets: $20 gen. adm., $10 for students/seniors/ TDF Vouchers accepted
The Orchestra of the League returned to Miller Theatre for the season finale. The evening’s program was hosted by John Schaefer (WNYC) and conducted by Louis Karchin. The program opened with a tribute to the late Milton Babbitt, with Fred Sherry performing Babbitt’s More Melismata. Three newly-commissioned works were given their World premieres: Missy Mazzoli‘s, Violent, Violent Sea (2011) Arthur Kreiger‘s, Sound Merger (2011) and David Rakowski‘s Talking Points (Right Wing Echo Chamber)(2010). Fred Sherry, for whom Rakowski wrote his newest work, performed in the evening’s program. Completing the program were two U.S. premieres: Elliott Carter‘s Concertino for Bass Clarinet and Chamber Orchestra, (written in 2008 at the age of 100) featuring soloist Virgil Blackwell, and Shulamit Ran‘s Silent Voices (2010) which was based on a poem by “Draft of A Reparations Agreement” by Dan Pagis. Baritone Peter Van Derick recited the poem. The concert was presented in collaboration with Washington Square Contemporary Music Society and with assistance by Manhattan New Music Project.
The 2009-2010 season finale
Hear WNYC’s New Sounds July 16th broadcast of So Percussion’s oblique for 4 plus (blank)
Clips of WNYC’s John Schaefer interviewing the composers from our June 7 Orchestra Season Finale
Clips of the Season Finale Concert, presented June 7, 2010 at Miller Theatre, Columbia University:
- D.J. Sparr’s DACCA: DECCA: GaFfA (listen) (2009 – League Competition co-winner), featuring guitarists Oren Fader and William Anderson
- Joan Tower’s Purple Rhapsody (listen) (2005) NY Premiere, featuring viola soloist Paul Neubauer
- Elliott Carter’s On Conversing With Paradise (listen) (2008) NY Premiere, featuring baritone soloist Evan Hughes
- Jason Treuting’s oblique music for 4 plus (blank) (listen) (2010) League Commission and World Premiere featuring So Percussion
- Milton Babbitt’s Transfigured Notes (listen)(1986) NY Premiere
Previews of the 2010 Season Finale
The New York Times
The New Yorker
Time Out NY (Critics Picks)
NYC Arts
Reviews of the 2010 Season Finale
New York Times (June 8, 2010), Stylistically Omnivorous and Erasing Boundaries
Sequenza 21 (June 14, 2010), Orchestra of the ISCM, Concert Review
THE 2009-2010 SEASON CHAMBER CONCERTS
On Sunday, February 28, 2010 (3 PM), the Chamber Players of the League performed “From Barber to Berger” at New York’s intimate Tenri Cultural Institute. The inimitable ensemble of New York freelancers presented a program featuring Mark Berger‘s 2009 League of Composers/ISCM prize-winning string trio alongside Samuel Barber’s Sonata for Cello & Piano (premiered by the League in 1933), Ben Johnston’s Amazing Grace, and Eric Moe’s Strange Exclaiming Music. – Feb 28 Program
On March 23, 2010 (8 PM) at Merkin Concert Hall, Eliza Garth, Brian Ganz, Jonathan Haas, and Sean Statser presented “Music of Bartók and Crumb,” a dazzling contrast of piano and percussion repertoire: Bela Bartók’s Sonata for two pianos and percussion (premiered by the ISCM in Basel, Switzerland in 1938)and George Crumb’s Music for a Summer Evening. Read Steve Smith’s NY Times review of the concert. – March 23 Program
In April, the Chamber Players of the League went to Cleveland State University for our 2nd residency. Members of the Orchestra of the League of Composers were in residence at Cleveland State University. The Players read student works and selected one piece to perform on its concert the following evening. Also on the concert were new works by David Glaser (Aurora) and Stephen Dembski (Crepuscule), Hector Villa-Lobos’ Choros (premiered by the League in 1932), and Joan Tower‘s Petroushkates.
Violinist Esther Noh, percussionist Alex Lipowski, and pianist Jacob Rhodebeck presented “Contemporary Music For Violin, Percussion + Piano,” a dynamic program on May 26, 2010 (8 PM) at Roulette that included Sebastian Armoza‘s Triggers (NY Premiere), Lou Harrison‘s Varied Trio, Dary John Mizelle‘s Lemma (World Premiere), David Schober‘s Empty Shells, John Zorn‘s Music For Children, and John Arrigo-Nelson‘s newest work, Solo/Duo. – May 26 Program
John Schaefer of WNYC hosted the League’s Season Finale – “An Evening of Premieres” featuring the Orchestra of the League of Composers, conducted by Lou Karchin, on Monday, June 7, 2010 at Miller Theatre (8 PM). Mr. Schaefer interviewed Elliott Carter, D. J. Sparr, Joan Tower, and Jason Treuting throughout the concert.
On the program was Milton Babbitt’s Transfigured Notes (NY Premiere), Elliott Carter’s On Conversing with Paradise (NY Premiere – composed at age 99!), Joan Tower’s Purple Rhapsody (NY Premiere), the League’s 2009 competition winning piece by D. J. Sparr, DACCA:DECCA:GaFfA, and Jason Treuting’s oblique music for 4 plus (blank) (World Premiere and League commission with So Percussion and the League orchestra). Concert presented with the assistance of Manhattan New Music Project. -June 7 Program
THE 2008-2009 SEASON
The League of Composers, the oldest American organization devoted to American contemporary classical music, is delighted to announce a thrilling season of premieres and debuts. The season culminates on June 10 with the Debut of the Orchestra of the League, conducted by Louis Karchin with soloists Kate Lindsey, Robert Ingliss, Alan R. Kay, Patrick Pridemore and Timothy Cobb.
John Schaefer (WNYC) interviews the evening’s composers, who include Elliott Carter, Charles Wuorinen, Alvin Singleton, Julia Wolfe, and Christopher Dietz (winner of the 2009 League Composers Competition). Music includes world premieres by Wuorinen and Singleton (a League commission) as well as fanfares by Benjamin Britten and Igor Stravinsky, both important figures in the League’s illustrious history, and works by Carter and Wolfe.
Past Meets Present, February 7, 2009, 8 p.m.,
Tenri Cultural Institute, 43A West 13th Street New York, NY
The League’s annual composition competition draws more than 100 submissions per year, and this season’s first concert offers the chance to hear winning compositions from the past several years. Works include John Aylward’s Dragonfly, Laurie San Martin’s Concerto for Four, Matthew Fields’ Fireheart, Brian Robison’s Neo-/meta, Igor Stravinsky’s Suite Italienne and Aaron Copland’s Piano Variations, which was premiered by the League in 1933. With composers ranging widely in age, experience and geography, these works strikingly represent the diverse and varied voices in the contemporary classical music world.
The Enchanted Piano, February 14, 2009, 8 p.m.,
Tenri Cultural Institute, 43A West 13th Street New York, NY
In a League co-sponsored event, Eliza Garth presents a concert of works for solo piano and electronics, piano strings and amplified piano in this enchanting program. Repertoire includes Mei-Fang Lin’s Interaction, Henry Cowell’s Fleeting, Mario Davidovsky’s Synchronisms No.6, Maurice Wright’s Chamber Symphony and George Crumb’s Eine Kliene Mitternachtmusik.
Look & Listen Festival, May 1, 2009, 8 p.m., OK Harris Works of Art, 383 West Broadway, NY, NY
The Chamber Players present Aaron Copland’s Elegies for Violin and Viola, commissioned and premiered by the League in 1933, and Martin Bresnick’s Three Intermezzi for solo cello alongside Bang on a Can in repertoire including Arnold Dreyblatt’s Escalator, Paul Lansky’s A is for… and Louis Andriessen’s Worker’s Union.
Debut of the Orchestra of the League, June 10, 2009, 8 p.m.,
Miller Theatre at Columbia University, 2960 Broadway at 116th St., NYC
The League is thrilled to introduce the Orchestra of the League of Composers/ISCM, an expansion of the renowned Chamber Players, long a gathering place for the finest players in New York’s new music scene. The concert, conducted by Louis Karchin, will feature soloists Kate Lindsey, Alan Kay, Timothy Cobb, Robert Ingliss, and Patrick Pridemore. Host John Schaefer of WNYC interviews the evening’s composers Elliott Carter, Christopher Dietz, Alvin Singleton, Julia Wolfe, and Charles Wuorinen – an amazing array of talent and legend! Celebrating master composers of the 20th century alongside the current and rising stars of contemporary classical music, the evening will include Stravinsky’s Fanfare for a New Theatre, Benjamin Britten’s Fanfare for St. Edmundsbury, Julia Wolfe’s Vermeer Room (1989) (listen), Christopher Dietz’s Gharra (2007) (Winner of the League’s 2009 Composition Competition) (listen), Elliott Carter’s In the Distances of Sleep (2006) (listen) and world premieres of Charles Wuorinen‘s Synaxis and Alvin Singleton‘s After Choice, which was commissioned by the Barlow Foundation for the League of Composers/ISCM and also made possible by support from the Argosy and Reed Foundations. After Choice will be the League’s first commission in decades, harkening back to the early years of the League, when it commissioned many new works. The Brooklyn-born composer of TRUTH, a work for chorus, ensemble and dance based on the life of Sojourner Truth, Mr. Singleton is the recipient of numerous awards and commissions, including a 2003 Guggenheim Fellowship and commissions by The Serge Koussevitsky Music Foundation and the American Composers Orchestra.