Portland Youth Philharmonic To Premiere Debra Kaye's IKARUS AMONG THE STARS, 5/7

Composer Debra Kaye's Ikarus Among the Stars will premiere with the Portland Youth Philharmonic at 4 p.m. on Sunday, May 7 at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, Portland, OR. The program, under the direction of Music Director David Hattner, also includes Dvorak's Symphony No. 8 and Annie Zhang, winner of the 2017 PYP Concerto Competition, performing Elgar's Cello Concerto in E Minor. Tickets are $5-$55 and available through Ticketmaster or the box office. There will be a free Spring Preview Concert at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, May 1 at Pacific University's Taylor-Meade Performing Arts Center. No tickets necessary.

Kaye composed Ikarus Among the Stars in memory of Benjamin Yaphet Klatchko who played in the Portland Youth Philharmonic. The PYP and his parents commissioned the work, a 16-minute electro-acoustic composition in one movement. The work is framed as the story of Ikarus and Daedalus who attempted to escape the labyrinth with wings of wax and feathers. Although Daedalus cautioned his son, Ikarus flew too close to the sun and plunged to his death in the sea. With this piece, Kaye wanted to convey Binya's spirit and so took themes from the music he created. The composition includes orchestral adaptations of his themes and later, the original versions - excerpts from the recordings he made that appear four times in the course of the work.

Kaye has been hailed as "a unique voice in American music, transcendent...witty... colorful...profound," and a star whose brilliance continues to shine. Her body of work blends her deep classical roots with a wide range of influences including jazz, world music, folk, experimental improvisation, world events and sounds of daily life. Her catalogue includes chamber music, art songs, orchestral, choral and theatrical compositions. Recognized with ASCAP Plus Awards since 2009 for her "creative contributions to American music," Kaye is the recipient of additional grants and awards from Meet the Composer, Mannes College of Music, the Fort Wayne Children's Choir, the New School and the Edward T. Cone Foundation, among others. This season will see the premiere of four of her new works: including Mouth of the Sky and The Dance the Turtle Dreamed from Kaye's string Quartet No. 1 and Encountering Lorca for string orchestra. Her debut album on Ravello Records, And So It Begins, was include on Ted Gioia's list of top 100 CDs and recognized as "an album that will surely stand the test of time."

The Portland Youth Philharmonic is known for its fearless artistry, adventurous programming and excellent performances. The PYP supports two full symphony orchestras, chamber orchestra, wind ensemble and string orchestra.

Photo Credit: DebraKayeComposer.com

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