New York Philharmonic Presents New Music Series, CONTACT!

The eighth season of CONTACT!, the New York Philharmonic's new-music series, will conclude with two World Premieres of New York Philharmonic Commissions, Sam Pluta's binary/momentary ii: flow state/joy state and David Fulmer's Sky's Acetylene; the program also includes Eric Wubbels's katachi (2011) - featuring conductor Jeffrey Milarsky, Sam Pluta on live electronics, and a vocalist to be announced - and Jacob Druckman's Come Round (1992). The concert, performed by Musicians from the New York Philharmonic, takes place Monday, May 22, 2017, at 7:30 p.m. at National Sawdust.

The 2016-17 season of CONTACT! features works by New York-area composers, complementing the Philharmonic's 175th anniversary season celebrations, which highlight the Orchestra's rich history of commissioning and premiering important works and salute its hometown of New York City. Esa-Pekka Salonen, who is in the second year of his three-year tenure as the Philharmonic's Marie-Josée Kravis Composer-in-Residence, continues his advisory role on CONTACT!.

Eric Wubbels received his master's and doctorate degrees from Columbia University, and is currently co-director of the New York-based Wet Ink Ensemble - for which he wrote katachi, for flute, tenor saxophone/bass clarinet, voice, violin, percussion, piano, and live electronics. He writes that it is "a hybrid between a book of études and a variation set." "Katachi" is the Japanese word for "form; posture of the body," and "the piece puts the ensemble through a series of focused contexts ('postures') in which a given restriction produces a specific kind of acoustic fusion within the group. ... These contexts include a polyphony of 'gestalts,' each passed from one instrument to another, like a skein of yarn that continually changes color." This concert marks the first time that the New York Philharmonic has presented a work by Eric Wubbels.

Sam Pluta studied composition and electronic music at Columbia University, from which he received his doctorate in 2012. He is the technical director, member composer, and principal electronics performer for the New York-based Wet Ink Ensemble. His binary/momentary ii: flow state/joy state - a New York Philharmonic commission that is receiving its World Premiere in this performance - is written for piano, percussion, trumpet, and two trombones. Having spent the last decade-plus pursuing both composition and improvisation, much of his recent work explores those two ways of creative thinking and how they intersect. The composer writes: "binary/momentary ii: flow state/joy state is music about channeling the subconscious mind, the improvisatory mind, during the composing process. It is about engaging with a playground of ideas and expressing oneself without letting the censoring conscious mind interfere." This is the first work by Sam Pluta to be presented by the New York Philharmonic.

Composer, violinist, and conductor David Fulmer moved to New York City in 2004, received his doctorate from The Juilliard School (where he studied composition with Milton Babbitt and violin with Robert Mann), and was appointed to the faculty of Columbia University in 2009. He has scored Sky's Acetylene, a World Premiere-New York Philharmonic Commission, for a quintet of flute, percussion, harp, piano, and bass. The work is inspired by two poems by American poet Hart Crane, "Repose of Rivers" and "To Brooklyn Bridge," the latter of which includes the line, "A rip-tooth of sky's acetylene ... ." Fulmer describes the piece as a fantasy for quintet, and writes that it "comprises a series of tropes and ornamented figures that shift kaleidoscopically in shape from phrase to phrase. The flute and its variants are repeatedly exhibited in solo passages - at times explosive and charged, and at others tranquil and songlike - only to be rejoined by the other instruments in tightly knit rhythmic antiphony." At the 2016 NY PHIL BIENNIAL, David Fulmer conducted works by Alexandre Lunsqui, Unsuk Chin, Dai Fujikura, and Grisey on a Ligeti Forward program, performed by the Ensemble of the LUCERNE FESTIVAL ALUMNI.

A graduate of The Juilliard School, where he subsequently taught until 1972, Jacob Druckman was the New York Philharmonic's Composer-in-Residence from 1982 to 1986, and in 1983 and 1984 he was Artistic Director of the Orchestra's new-music series Horizons, focusing on "The New Romanticism" (a term he is widely credited as having originated) and "Music and Theater." His son Daniel is Associate Principal Percussion of the Philharmonic. Jacob Druckman's 1992 sextet Come Round is a continuum of six equal sections that are variations on each other, rather than the traditional theme-and-variations format. Composed for flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano, and percussion, its title refers to the music's circular nature and use of canonic forms like the round. The Philharmonic gave the World Premieres of Jacob Druckman's Lamia for Soprano and Orchestra (revised) in October 1975, led by Pierre Boulez; Viola Concerto in November 1978, with soloist Sol Greiyzer and led by James Levine; Aureole in June 1979, led by Leonard Bernstein; and Athanor in May 1986, led by Zubin Mehta.

CONTACT!, established by Music Director Alan Gilbert in the 2009-10 season, highlights the works of both emerging and established contemporary composers, performed by smaller ensembles of Philharmonic musicians in intimate venues outside the Lincoln Center campus. Since its inception, CONTACT! has presented 21 World Premieres, including Matthias Pintscher's songs from Solomon's garden, Sean Shepherd's These Particular Circumstances, Carter's Two Controversies and a Conversation, Paola Prestini's Eight Takes, and Dai Fujikura's Infinite String.

Artists
Making his fourth appearance in New York Philharmonic presentations, American conductor Jeffrey Milarsky is acclaimed worldwide for his impeccable musicianship, exhilarating presence, and innovative programming. His repertoire ranges from J.S. Bach to Xenakis. In recent seasons he has worked with ensembles including the San Francisco Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, MET Chamber Ensemble, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, New World Symphony, and Tanglewood Festival Orchestra. Mr. Milarsky has a long history of premiering, recording, and performing works by American composers, reflected in his recently receiving the prestigious Ditson Conductor's Award, which was established in 1945 and is the oldest award honoring conductors for their commitment to the performance of American music (with past honorees including Leonard Bernstein, Leopold Stokowski, Alan Gilbert, and James Levine). A dedicated teacher, Jeffrey Milarsky is a senior lecturer in music at Columbia University, where he is the music director and conductor of the Columbia University Orchestra. In addition to conducting the Juilliard Orchestra, he is the music director of AXIOM, The Juilliard School's critically acclaimed contemporary music ensemble, and serves on the conducting faculty. Jeffrey Milarsky first worked with New York Philharmonic musicians on the Ensembles series at Merkin Concert Hall, when he led Jacob Druckman's Dark Upon the Harp on February 15, 1998; his most recent Philharmonic collaboration was conducting works by Zosha Di Castri and Steven Mackey on the CONTACT! concert at National Sawdust on January 23, 2017.

About National Sawdust
Located in the heart of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, the non-profit National Sawdust is a dynamic home for artists and new music of all kinds. It is a place for exploration and discovery - where emerging and established artists can share their music with serious music fans and casual listeners alike. In a city teeming with venues, National Sawdust is a singular space founded with an expansive vision: to provide composers and musicians across genres with a setting in which they can flourish, and a place where they are given unprecedented support and critical resources essential to create, and then share, their work. A diversity of world-class artists, arts organizations, and institutions are collaborating with National Sawdust's Creative and Executive Director, the composer Paola Prestini, as curators. In addition to hosting rehearsals, performances, recordings, and broadcasts in state-of-the art facilities, National Sawdust commissions new works and arranges workshops and residencies. It aims to be a resource not only for the community of musicians, but also for audiences in search of remarkable musical experiences at accessible ticket prices. For the local community, National Sawdust creates progressive public programs and educational initiatives. Other offerings include talks, publications, and mentorship programs for composers and musicians, and for related fields. Designed by Brooklyn's Bureau V, National Sawdust is constructed within the existing shell of a century-old sawdust factory, preserving the authenticity of Williamsburg's industrial past while providing a refined and intimate setting for the exploration of new music. At the venue's core is a flexible chamber hall, acoustically designed by renowned engineering firm Arup to provide the highest-quality experience of both unamplified and amplified music.