Ellen Taaffe Zwilich's Season Features Premieres of Commissioned Works

American composer Ellen Taaffe Zwilich will have three major new works premiered in 2011-2012 which will have performances throughout the season presented by the national and international commissioners (full schedule below):

- Quintet for Piano, Violin, Viola, Cello and Contrabass, written and commissioned for the Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio (Joseph Kalichstein, piano; Jaime Laredo, violin; and Sharon Robinson, cello), Michael Tree, viola; and Harold Robinson, contrabass, will have its world premiere presented by the La Jolla Music Society on August 7, 2011.
The Quintet will then be presented by most of the remaining commissioners throughout the season: Chamber Music Society of Detroit, Philadelphia Chamber Music Society; Carnegie Hall Corporation; Linton Chamber Music in Cincinnati; the Kennedy Center; Arizona Friends of Chamber Music in Tucson; Philharmonic Society of Orange County in Irvine; Seven Days of Opening Nights Festival in Tallahassee; and the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach.
The work follows hard upon the composer's Septet for Piano Trio and String Quartet, which premiered in April 2009. Written for the K-L-R Trio and the Miami String Quartet, the Septet was commissioned by a consortium of 12 presenting organizations; five of the Septet presenters are also commissioning the Quintet. The Quintet is the fourth work that Zwilich has written for the Trio.

- Shadows for Piano and Orchestra, a work commissioned by pianist Jeffrey Biegel - who will perform the work - and an international consortium of orchestras, will have its world premiere performed by Biegel and the Louisiana Philharmonic, Carlos Miguel Prieto conducting, on October 29 & 30, 2011. The Canadian premiere is performed by the Niagara Symphony on November 27, and performances in the 2011-12 season include those by the Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra of Boston, Wheeling Symphony Orchestra, and the auRORa Chamber Orchestra of Iceland. The piece continues to be performed by members of the consortia in 2012-13.

- Commedia dell'Arte, a work for solo violin and string orchestra written for and commissioned by violinist Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg and the New Century Chamber Orchestra of San Francisco (of which she is Music Director), will have its world premiere engagement on May 10, 11, 12, and 13, 2012, in Berkeley, Palo Alto, San Francisco, and San Rafael, California.
Zwilich will be the New Century Chamber Orchestra featured composer in 2011-12, the orchestra's 20th season; the ensemble will also perform her Prologue and Variations on December 13, 15, 16, and 18, 2011.
Commedia dell'Arte will also be performed by Salerno-Sonnenberg and the Seattle Symphony, conducted by Gerard Schwarz, on May 19, 2012.

Quintet - Echoes of Another Bass Quintet
Of her new Quintet, Zwilich says, "My Quintet (for the same instrumentation as the great ‘Trout' Quintet by Franz Schubert) is in three movements, the second of which has the title ‘Die Launische Forelle' (roughly translated: ‘The Moody Trout'). I couldn't resist using a very small quote from the Schubert song on which his Quintet is based. I also took the liberty of allowing that movement to spin out musical images of a ‘moody' trout. In all three movements the weight and character of the contrabass is an important element in the overall design. I'm especially interested in the possibilities offered by the contemporary contrabass player's virtuosity and artistry which allows the composer to reach for that chamber music ideal of equal partners."

The creation of the Quintet for the Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio, Michael Tree, viola and Harold Robinson, double-bass was made possible with the support of The La Jolla Music Society (world premiere), Chamber Music Society of Detroit (made possible by a gift from Cecilia Benner); Carnegie Hall Corporation; Emilio Gravagno; Linton Chamber Music Series (made possible with a gift from Ann and Harry Santen); The John F. Kennedy Center Abe Fortas Memorial Fund; Arizona Friends of Chamber Music (made possible with a gift from Jean-Paul Bierny and Chris Tanz); Philharmonic Society of Orange County; Seven Days of Opening Nights Festival; Regional Arts at the Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts; and Hudson Valley Chamber Music Circle; through the International Arts Foundation, Inc.

Shadows of the Past
The composer describes Shadows as a work evoking the recollection of remnants of the past - the recalling of ancestral, religious, and cultural roots in the constant migration of people around the world. The work, scored for solo piano with flute, oboe, English horn, clarinet, bass clarinet, bassoon, two horns, percussion, and strings, will have performances throughout the U.S. and in England in 2012-13.

Recent Praise for the Septet and More
Ellen Taaffe Zwilich's Septet for Piano Trio and String Quartet, which had a dozen performances (including five in 2010-2011) since its April 2009 premiere, has garnered a chorus of critical praise, Gil French of the American Record Guide calling it "magnificent," and John Fleming in the St. Petersburg Times describing it as "a modern masterpiece." Donald Rosenberg called it "a finely wrought, organic and rich tapestry of ideas" in the Cleveland Plain Dealer, and Ken Keaton in the Palm Beach Daily News said, "Zwilich's Septet is a powerful, moving work, surely destined to become a part of the canon."

Works from every part of Ellen Taaffe Zwilich's oeuvre are performed constantly, and continue to attract notice: of a 2010 performance of her 1983 Divertimento for flute, clarinet, violin and cello, Allan Kozinn said in The New York Times, "the music is vital and inventive. ... Ms. Zwilich's work presented an updated, freewheeling look at Neo-Classicism." Janelle Gelfand said recently in the Cincinnati Enquirer, "Zwilich's Symphony No. 4 [1999]...is a stunning find. From the first note, one was struck by the bold, colorful and communicative writing." And George Grella of TheBigCityblog.com called the Lament for Cello and Piano (2000), "a simple, expressive and very beautiful piece."

Upcoming Commissioned Works
The family of the original Galimir String Quartet of Vienna - which featured the famed musician and pedagogue Felix Galimir and his three sisters (Felix later re-formed the quartet with the same name, but different members, in the U.S.) - has commissioned a work for string quartet to celebrate the centennials of the founding members of the Galimir String Quartet, to be performed by the St. Lawrence String Quartet, with the premiere to take place in fall 2012 at South Mountain Concerts in Pittsfield, MA (a co-commissioner of the work).

Ellen Taaffe Zwilich is the current chair of the BMI Student Composers Awards, a competition for young composers of classical music, and presents the awards to the winners each year. Following William Schuman and Milton Babbitt, she is the third chair in the Awards' 59-year history. The current Advisory Board for the competition includes John C. Adams, Del Byant, Elliott Carter, George Crumb, Susan Feder, Ralph N. Jackson, Lalo Schifrin, Gunther Schuller, and Joseph Schwantner.

Ellen Taaffe Zwilich
At a time when the musical offerings of the world are more varied than ever before, few composers have emerged with the unique personality of Ellen Taaffe Zwilich. Her music is widely known because it is performed, recorded, broadcast, and - above all - listened to and liked by all sorts of audiences the world over. Like the great masters of bygone times, Zwilich produces music "with fingerprints," music that is immediately recognized as her own. In her compositions, Zwilich combines craft and inspiration, reflecting an optimistic and humanistic spirit that gives her a unique musical voice.

Ellen Taaffe Zwilich celebrated her 70th birthday in the 2008-2009 season with the premières of two critically-acclaimed works: her Symphony No. 5 (Concerto for Orchestra), with the Juilliard Orchestra under James Conlon at Carnegie Hall, and the Septet for Piano Trio and String Quartet for the Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio and the Miami String Quartet.

Ellen Zwilich is the recipient of numerous prizes and honors, including the 1983 Pulitzer Prize in Music (the first woman ever to receive this coveted award), the Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge Chamber Music Prize, the Arturo Toscanini Music Critics Award, an Academy Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, a Guggenheim Fellowship, 4 Grammy nominations, and the NPR and WNYC Gotham Award for her contributions to the musical life of New York City. Among other distinctions, Zwilich has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 1995, she was named to the first Composer's Chair in the history of Carnegie Hall, and she was designated Musical America's Composer of the Year for 1999. Zwilich holds a doctorate from The Juilliard School and currently holds the Francis Eppes Distinguished Professorship at Florida State University.

A prolific composer in virtually all media, Ellen Taaffe Zwilich's works have been performed by most of the leading American orchestras and by major ensembles abroad. Her music first came to public attention when Pierre Boulez conducted her Symposium for Orchestra at Juilliard (1975), but it was the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for the Symphony No. 1 - commissioned and premiered by the American Composers Orchestra, conducted by Gunther Schuller - that brought her instantly into international focus. Commissions, major performances and recordings soon followed: the Symphony No. 2 (Cello Symphony), premiered by Edo de Waart and the San Francisco Symphony; Symphony No. 3, commissioned by the New York Philharmonic for its 150th anniversary; Symphony No. 4 "The Gardens" (with chorus), commissioned by Michigan State University and the subject of a PBS documentary seen nationally; and the Symphony No. 5, commissioned by The Juilliard School; and the string of concertos commissioned and performed over the past two decades by the nation's top orchestras.

Many of Ellen Taaffe Zwilich's works have been issued on recordings, and Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians [8th edition] states: "There are not many composers in the modern world who possess the lucky combination of writing music of substance and at the same time exercising an immediate appeal to mixed audiences. Zwilich offers this happy combination of purely technical excellence and a distinct power of communication."

For more information, including a full list of Ellen Taaffe Zwilich's works and recordings, visit the Theodore Presser Company web site: www.presser.com

Ellen Taaffe Zwilich - New Works 2011-2012 Season

August 7, 2011 - Quintet - World Premiere - La Jolla Music Society, La Jolla, CA

September 17, 2011 - Quintet - Chamber Music Society of Detroit (made possible by a gift from Cecilia Benner), Detroit, MI

October 19, 2011 - Quintet - Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, Philadelphia, PA

October 29 & 30, 2011 - Shadows - World Premiere - Louisiana Philharmonic, Carlos Miguel Prieto, conductor, New Orleans, LA

November 27, 2011 - Shadows - Niagara Symphony, Bradley Thachuk, conductor,
St. Catharines, Ontario

November 29, 2011 - Quintet - New York Premiere - Carnegie Hall Corporation, New York, NY

January 15 & 16, 2012 - Quintet - Linton Chamber Music (made possible with a gift from Ann and Harry Santen), Cincinnati, OH

February 14, 2012 - Quintet - John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, DC

February 22, 2012 - Quintet - Arizona Friends of Chamber Music (made possible with a gift from Jean-Paul Bierny and Chris Tanz), Tucson, AZ

February 23, 2012 - Quintet - Philharmonic Society of Orange County, Irvine, CA

February 26, 2012 - Quintet - Seven Days of Opening Nights Festival, Tallahassee, FL

February 28, 2012 - Quintet - Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, West Palm Beach, FL

March 9, 2012 - Shadows - Wheeling Symphony Orchestra, André Raphel, conductor, Wheeling, WV

Spring 2012 - Shadows - Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra of Boston, Kevin Rhodes, conductor

Date TBA - Shadows - auRORa Chamber Orchestra, Iceland

May 10, 2012 - Commedia dell'Arte - World Premiere - New Century Chamber Orchestra, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, violinist/leader, Berkeley, CA

May 11, 2012 - Commedia dell'Arte - New Century Chamber Orchestra, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, violinist/leader, Palo Alto, CA

May 12, 2012 - Commedia dell'Arte - New Century Chamber Orchestra, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, violinist/leader, San Francisco, CA

May 13, 2012 - Commedia dell'Arte - New Century Chamber Orchestra, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, violinist/leader, San Rafael, CA

May 19, 2012 - Commedia dell'Arte - Seattle Symphony, Gerard Schwarz, conductor