A Yale Guitar Extravaganza Comes To Carnegie 11/9

After opening its season with a sold-out concert at Le Poisson Rouge this month, YALE IN NEW YORK begins its Carnegie Hall series with "Yale Guitar Music Today" on Tuesday, November 9 at 8:00pm in Weill RecitAl Hall.

The guitar takes center stage as Benjamin Verdery-chair of the guitar department at the Yale School of Music and "one of the classical guitar world's foremost personalities" (Classical Guitar Magazine)-and a host of his most gifted students pay homage to an instrument that is both a favorite of the public and not always sufficiently exposed in concert halls.

The composers-a who's who of distinguished winners of today's most towering prizes, including Pulitzers, Guggenheims, the Charles Ives Living Award, and a Grawemeyer- represent the best of three generations of Yale composers, from Ezra Laderman to David Lang to recent grad Samuel Adams.

The eclectic program will feature world premieres by Jack Vees (electric guitar and tape), Kathryn Alexander (four guitars), Ezra Laderman (solo guitar), and Samuel Adams (electric guitar and percussion). It also includes guitar works by David Lang (two electric guitars), Aaron Jay Kernis (string quartet and guitar), Ingram Marshall (alto flute and guitar), Martin Bresnick (solo guitar), and Verdery's own work for eight guitars.

When asked by David Shifrin to curate a guitar concert for the Yale in New York series, Verdery's starting point was to program music written for him by Yale School of Music composers Jack Vees, Ingram Marshall, Martin Bresnick, and Ezra Laderman. Verdery also chose a work for string quartet and guitar by Aaron Jay Kernis. Verdery elaborates: "I had heard that David Lang had written a stunning piece for two electric guitars. In addition I asked Kathryn Alexander to write a fanfare for four guitars which she has just completed. I then decided that a 2010 graduate should compose a work as well. Composer Sam Adams and guitarist Max Zuckerman seemed like a natural pairing, as they knew each other from high school. Max will premiere Sam's piece for electric guitar and percussion."

PROGRAM INFO:
Yale in New York presents "Yale Guitar Music Today" at Weill RecitAl Hall on Nov. 9
Ezra Laderman: "On Vineyard Sound," for solo guitar (world premiere)

Benjamin Verdery, guitar

Jack Vees: world premiere for solo electric guitar and tape

Benjamin Verdery, guitar

Martin Bresnick: "Joaquin Is Dreaming"

Ian O'Sullivan, '11 Mus.M, guitar

Ingram Marshall: "The Mentioning Of Love," for alto flute and guitar

Arash Noori, '12 Mus.M., guitar

Aaron Jay Kernis: "100 Greatest Dance Hits," for string quartet and guitar

Simon Powis, guitar
David Lang: world premiere for two electric guitars

Graham Banfield, '12 Mus.M. and Trevor Babb, '12 Mus.M., guitars

Samuel Adams: world premiere for guitar and percussion

Max Zuckerman, '11 Mus.M., guitar

Kathryn Alexander: world premiere for guitar quartet

Steffen Besser, '12 Mus.M., Noori, Alan Pawlowicz, '12 Mus.M., Hermelindo Ruiz, '12 Mus.M., guitars

Benjamin Verdery: "Give," for eight guitars (New York premiere)

O'Sullivan, Zuckerman, Besser, Babb, Banfield, Noori, Pawlowicz, Ruiz, guitars

UPCOMING YALE IN NEW YORK CONCERTS:

Sunday, December 12, 2009 at 8:00PM in Zankel Hall
Yale Percussion Group
Robert Van Sice, director
The virtuoso Yale Percussion Group-called "something truly extraordinary" by Steve Reich-
presents a dazzling and theatrical concert with works by Thierry de Mey, Steve Reich,
James Wood, and Mauricio Kagel.
YPG recently played in Central Park for the Make Music New York Xenakis festival,
and in Carnegie Hall as part of last year's Yale in New York series.

Monday, February 28, 2011 at 7:30PM in Zankel Hall
"Concertante": rarely-performed twentieth-century concerti grossi
Yale Philharmonia Chamber Orchestra
Shinik Hahm, conductor
This program brings the acclaimed Yale Philharmonia into the intimate space of Zankel Hall
to focus on rarely-performed concerti grossi from the twentieth century.
The orchestra-with celebrated soloists David Shifrin, Ransom Wilson, and Frank Morelli-
will perform works by Ernest Bloch, Richard Strauss, Alberto Ginastera, and Frank Martin,
whose Second Ballade for flute, string orchestra, piano, and percussion
will receive its American premiere 70 years after its composition.

Monday, April 25, 2011 at 8:00PM in Weill RecitAl Hall
"Stylus Fantasticus"
The Yale Baroque Ensemble
Robert Mealy, director
Seventeenth-century composer-violinists broke new ground with an inventive and flamboyant style called Stylus Fantasticus. Acclaimed baroque violinist Robert Mealy-"New York's world-class early music violinist" (The New Yorker)-directs the period instrument Yale Baroque Ensemble from the first violinist's chair in a program of extravagant and experimental music.