Symphony Space Announces COMPOSERS NOW Celebration 2/22 At Symphony Space

The weeklong Composers Now celebration launches February 22 at the festival's hub, Symphony Space, to provide a citywide platform for unprecedented recognition of living composers through concerts and activities at a diverse array of performance spaces. This ear-opening, provocative and daring festival brings arts organizations together to develop this broad-ranging program initiative.

The festival begins with The Music of Now kick-off marathon and Speaking of the Arts: Composers Today discussion. Composers Now continues through the week at Symphony Space with the world-renowned Cassatt Quartet performing three world premieres on February 25, Eisa Davis performing new works on February 26 and two performances by Arturo O'Farrill's Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra on February 26 and 27.

Composers Now is conceived as a way to shed light on composers who tell the stories of our time. Arts organizations across the city are banding together in a time of considerable economic challenges to support and honor our living composers who work in all genres and reach many different communities. Composers Now also aims to strengthen each institution's presence and service to their respective audiences and locales. Other participating institutions include the Miller Theater, Merkin Concert Hall, Rubin Museum, Morgan Library, El Museo Del Barrio, ,the St. Luke's Chamber Players, Harlem Stage, the Jazz Gallery, Roulette, Jazzmobile, Greenwich House Music School, the American Composers Orchestra, and the Americas Society.

Highlights of the Music of Now marathon-which begins at 10:00 a.m. with a panel discussion led by Composers Now organizers and composers Laura Kaminsky and Tania Leon-include the world premiere of Jovino Santos Neto's "Agrecendo" for two flutes and piano, commissioned with support from the Cheswatyr Foundation, as well as premieres by a diverse collection of composers including Du Yun, Victor Adan, Mario Diaz de Leon, Suzanne Farrin, Avner Dorman and Nkeiru Okoye. Among the performers participating are the iO and Cassatt Quartets, Talea Ensemble, Gabriel Alegria Afro-Peruvian Sextet and Son Sonora Ensemble.

Also on February 22, the Speaking of the Arts: Composers Today panel discussion at 7:30 p.m. is presented in collaboration with The New York Times Community Affairs. Moderated by The New York Times culture writer Daniel J. Wakin, it features composers Joan Tower, Jeanine Tesori, Henry Threadgill, Arturo O'Farrill and Eisa Davis.

"As a composer and presenter, I am delighted to see how so many of us in the field came together to create this new initiative that puts the spotlight on living composers," says Symphony Space Associate Artistic Director and Music Curator Laura Kaminsky. "Making as wide a stylistic range of music available and accessible to all and celebrating it in venues across the city is a wonderful way to brighten the darkness of mid-February. It has been a joy planning Composers Now with my colleagues, all of whom joined in wholeheartedly to create this first celebration-one that we intend to be an annual event."

Additional performance highlights include: a Thea Musgrave world premiere at the Morgan Library (February 22); a special edition of WNYC's New Sounds at Merkin Concert Hall featuring works by composers including Nik Bärtsch; avant-garde jazz artists William Parker, Connie Bauer and Hamid Drake (February 26) and Steve Swell Quintet (February 27) at Roulette; St. Luke's Chamber Ensemble performing Henry Purcell, Joan Tower, Arthur Foote and John Adams at the Brooklyn Museum (February 27/28); and Grammy-winning Van Hunt at The Harlem Stage Gatehouse (February 27).

Since opening in 1978 with a 12-hour marathon concert called Wall to Wall Bach, Symphony Space has earned its place as an innovative, multi-disciplinary cultural center in the heart of New York City's acclaimed Upper West Side neighborhood. In its two performance spaces, diverse programs bring great actors, musicians, writers, and dancers together with the public in a unique melding of world-class artistry in an informal and intimate setting.

COMPOSERS NOW
Composers Now: The Music of Now
at Symphony Space
February 22 at 10:00 a.m. $15; $35 All Day Pass
Music pervades our world, yet who are the men and women creating the sounds we hear? Composers Now is a weeklong festival presented collaboratively by organizations citywide offering concerts, performances, lectures, conversations and other activities highlighting the contribution that composers make to the cultural fabric of our lives. This event puts a public face on the vitality, diversity, and innovations that composers bring to the world.

10:00: Panel discussion moderated by festival organizers Laura Kaminsky and Tania Leon with guest composers

12 noon-6 pm: Marathon Concert featuring works by John Duffy, George Walker, Fernando Otero, Du Yun, Nkeiru Okoye, Suzanne Farrin, Gabriel Alegria, Tamar Diesendruck,Victor Adan, Mario Diaz de Leon, and others, and the world premiere of "Agradecendo" by Jovino Santos Neto, commissioned with support from the Cheswatyr Foundation.

Special performances by Son Sonora Ensemble, iO Quartet, Talea Ensemble, Cassatt Quartet, flutists Tara Helen O'Connor and Alice Jones, and guest narrator, Symphony Space Artistic Director, Isaiah Sheffer

7:30 pm: Speaking of the Arts: Composers Today: A conversation with Joan Tower, Arturo O'Farrill, Henry Threadgill, Eisa Davis and Jeanine Tesori, moderated by Daniel J. Wakin, New York Times Culture Writer. In collaboration with The New York Times Community Affairs

Composers OutFront!: DonAl Fox
at Flushing Branch of the Queens Public Library
February 22 at 6:00 p.m. Free
Presented by American Composers Orchestra

American Composers Orchestra presents DonAl Fox in a solo performance. Fox is a composer/pianist equally adept in the classical as well as jazz worlds.

We: An intimate set of duets with Wycliffe Gordon & Eric Reed
at Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
February 22 at 7:00 p.m. $15
Presented by Jazzmobile

Bear witness to the unique pairing of trombone and piano and the supreme musicianship of jazz innovators Wycliffe Gordon and Eric Reed performing an intimate set of duets from their collaborative project "We" featuring an assembly of original compositions, jazz standards and spirituals.
Carol Wincenc Ruby Anniversary Series: Les Amies
at The Morgan Library & Museum
February 22 at 7:30 p.m. $35; $25 Members
The acclaimed flutist Carol Wincenc celebrates her fortieth-anniversary season with the second concert of a three-part series. This Morgan concert marks the New York debut of Les Amies, a trio of friends formed by Wincenc and virtuoso New York Philharmonic principal players Cynthia Phelps (viola) and Nancy Allen (harp).
Speaking of the Arts: Composers Today
at Symphony Space
February 22 at 7:30 p.m. $25; $35 All Day Pass
Part of the Symphony Space-New York Times "Speaking of the Arts" series, Composers Today will feature conversations with eminent composers that will be moderated by New York Times correspondent Daniel Wakin.
Steve Coleman Presents
at The Jazz Gallery
February 22 at 9:00 p.m. $15; $10 Members & Students
Weekly workshop/master class in its 6th season run by Steve Coleman.
Momenta Quartet
at 680 Park Avenue
February 24 at 7:00 p.m. Free
Presented by Americas Society
Momenta Quartet will premiere Kamplela's quartet "Uma Faca So? Lâmina" (A Knife All Blade, 1998) and music by Manena Contreras, Agustin Fernandez and Cergio Prudencio.
Bang on a Can All-Stars: The 2010 People's Commissioning Fund Concert
at Merkin Concert Hall
February 24 at 7:30 p.m. $25; $30 Premium Seats
Three world premieres commissioned by the people! New York's electric chamber ensemble Bang on a Can All-Stars take on new works by Nik Bärtsch, Oscar Bettison and Christine Southworth, plus more in their highly anticipated annual celebration at Merkin Hall. The PCF is a radical partnership between artists and audiences to commission works from adventurous composers. A special edition of WNYC's New Sounds® Live with host John Schaefer.
Bang on a Can All-Stars: The 2010 People's Commissioning Fund Concert
at Merkin Concert Hall
February 24 at 7:30 p.m. $25; $30 Premium Seats
Three world premieres commissioned by the people! New York's electric chamber ensemble Bang on a Can All-Stars take on new works by Nik Bärtsch, Oscar Bettison and Christine Southworth, plus more in their highly anticipated annual celebration at Merkin Hall. The PCF is a radical partnership between artists and audiences to commission works from adventurous composers. A special edition of WNYC's New Sounds® Live with host John Schaefer.
American Journey with the Cassatt Quartet
at Symphony Space
February 25 at 7:30 p.m. $25 Advance; $30 Day of Show; $20 Members
The ever-adventurous Cassatt Quartet offers Pulitzer prize-winner Steve Reich's groundbreaking work, Different Trains (1988), which, using recorded interviews with Reich's governess, a Pullman porter and Holocaust survivors, juxtaposes memories of Reich's cross-country train trips as a child with those of Jews traversing Europe during WWII.
North River Music presents NOW Ensemble
at Renee Weiler Concert Hall, Greenwich House Music School
February 25 at 8:00 p.m. $15; $10 Students & Seniors
The acclaimed five-member chamber group presents a series of World and New York premieres by young composers, including Patrick Burke, Stephen Gorbos, Judd Greenstein, Joshua Penman, Kirsten Volness, and Samson Young.
Composer Portraits: Benet Casablancas
at Miller Theatre, Columbia University
February 25 at 8:00 p.m. $7-25
Catalan composer Benet Casablancas (b. 1956) seeks personal and aesthetic independence in his work. Marked by a rhythmic spirit, his music moves with shimmering harmonic language often at a whimsical register. This Portrait includes his acclaimed Seven Scenes from Hamlet, for narrator and ensemble, along with a world premiere commission, Four Darks in Red, inspired by Mark Rothkos painting of the same name. This performance will include an onstage discussion with Benet Casablancas and feature the following repetoire: New Epigrams (1997); Little Night Music (1992); Four Darks in Red (World premiere, Miller Theatre commission); and Seven Scenes from Hamlet (1988-1989).
Theo Hill Trio
at The Jazz Gallery
February 25 at 9:00 p.m. & 10:30 p.m. $15; $10 Members
A debut performance by a pianist Theo Hill.
Harlem in the Himalayas
at The Rubin Museum of Art
February 26 at 7:00 p.m. $20
A new jazz composition inspired by Himalayan art.
Eisa Davis
at Symphony Space
February 26 at 7:30 p.m. $25 Advance; $30 Day of Show; $20 Members
After a stunning and entertaining sold-out show in the Thalia last year, and the success of her recent Angela's Mixtape, the engaging singer-songwriter returns with some of her favorite musicians to present an evening of favorite material mixed with new songs.
The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra goes Carioca
at Symphony Space
February 26 at 8:00 p.m. $35 Advance; $40 Day of Show; $30 Members; $20 Students & Seniors
The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra goes Carioca features guest Music Director Cliff Korman, and friends. The evening will be a celebration of the Samba, the Bossa Nova, and other Afro Brazilian rhythms. We will explore the genius of Hermeto Pascoal and feature special guests Vanderlei Pereira and Paul Leiberman, amongst many others.
New Voices: The Jazz Gallery Commissions 2009 - 2010 featuring Amir Elsaffar
at The Jazz Gallery
February 26 at 9:00 p.m. & 10:30 p.m. $15; $10 Members
The last installment of our most recent composers' series, which explores and expands the possibilities of vocal jazz music.
St. Luke's Chamber Ensemble presents Magical History Tour
at Brooklyn Museum
February 27 at 2:00 p.m. $35; $25 Museum Members
Presented by Orchestra of St. Luke's
Journey through four centuries of music as we celebrate the Hudson River Quadricentennial, Purcell's 350th birthday and our own 35th anniversary in a program that highlights St. Luke's hallmark energy and versatility; including music by Purcell, American composers John Adams and Arthur Foote and the world premiere of a new work by Joan Tower.
Transit Circle Presents: Michael Hersch's Last Autumn for Saxophone and Cello
at Merkin Concert Hall
February 27 at 8:00 p.m. $20; $15 Students & Seniors
Michael Hersch's Last Autumn, completed in 2008, is the second piece in a cycle of three monumental works which he began 2001. The first work of the cycle, The Vanishing Pavilions, a work for solo piano, was premiered by the composer in 2006. Directed by violinist Miranda Cuckson, TRANSIT CIRCLE is a series of concerts of contemporary chamber music. Involving a flexible collection the highest caliber performers, rather than a fixed ensemble roster, TRANSIT CIRCLE concerts offer accomplished, imaginative performances of an array of works from the present and the recent past. They expose listeners to important, intriguing styles and developments of our era, and provide a chance to enjoy the synergetic energy of musical talents in performances of exciting compositions. Among the composers whose work it has presented are Elliott Carter, Mario Davidovsky, Beat Furrer, Donald Martino, Frederic Rzewski, Salvatore Sciarrino, and Ralph Shapey.
The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra goes Carioca
at Symphony Space
February 27 at 8:00 p.m. $35 Advance; $40 Day of Show; $30 Members; $20 Students & Seniors
The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra goes Carioca features guest Music Director Cliff Korman, and friends. The evening will be a celebration of the Samba, the Bossa Nova, and other Afro Brazilian rhythms. We will explore the genius of Hermeto Pascoal and feature special guests Vanderlei Pereira and Paul Leiberman, amongst many others.
Uptown Nights at Harlem Stage
at Harlem Stage
February 27 at 8:30 p.m. $20
In the anticipation of his 2010 release, join us as Grammy Award winning Van Hunt graces the stage for an unforgettable Uptown Nights! With a diverse collection of masterful compositions showcasing influences that range from Thelonious Monk, Sly Stone and Prince, to Bach and Franz Liszt, Van Hunt and his powerhouse band will present new work from his upcoming album and masterful classics from Van Hunt, On the Jungle Floor, Popular and Use In Case of Emergency.
New Voices: The Jazz Gallery Commissions 2009 - 2010 featuring Amir Elsaffar
at The Jazz Gallery
February 27 at 9:00 p.m. & 10:30 p.m. $15; $10 Members
The last installment of our most recent composers' series, which explores and expands the possibilities of vocal jazz music.
St. Luke's Chamber Ensemble presents Magical History Tour
at DIA: Beacon
February 28 at 2:00 p.m. $35; $25 Museum Members
Presented by Orchestra of St. Luke's
Journey through four centuries of music as we celebrate the Hudson River Quadricentennial, Purcell's 350th birthday and our own 35th anniversary in a program that highlights St. Luke's hallmark energy and versatility; including music by Purcell, American composers John Adams and Arthur Foote and the world premiere of a new work by Joan Tower.
Concert/Panel: Heitor Villa-Lobos's music by Damocles Trio
at El Museum Del Barrio
February 28 at 6:30 p.m. Tickets tbd
El Museo invites you to a concert and panel discussion focusing on the music of Heitor Villa-Lobos and Oscar Lorenzo Fernândez, celebrating of the recent release of Trios Brasileiros, a new recording of Villa-Lobos' three piano trios by the New York-based Damocles Trio.
ICE plays Columbia Composers
at Roulette
February 28 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets tbd
ICE plays Columbia Composers International Contemporary Ensemble is performing the world premiers of the works by:
Paul Clift
Alec Hall
Ashley Nail
Bryan Jacobs
Lu Wang

BOX OFFICE
Tickets for Symphony Space performances are available:

• In person at 2537 Broadway at 95th Street, Tuesday-Sunday, 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

• Over the telephone at (212) 864-5400, Tuesday-Sunday, 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.,

• Online at symphonyspace.org.