Paul Chihara News

Orpheus Chamber Orchestra today announced its 43rd season at Carnegie Hall, opening with a premiere by Wolfgang Rihm performed with soloists Jan Vogler and Mira Wang on October 15 and closing with Pinchas Zukerman on March 19. Additional concerts feature Augustin Hadelich on December 5 and Khatia Buniatishvili on January 30.

Pacific Symphony's critically-acclaimed American Composers Festival (ACF) continues for the 14th year with 'From Screen to Score: New Concert Music by Famous Film Composers'-who happen to be four of today's biggest Hollywood heavy-hitters: John Williams ('Star Wars,' 'Raiders of the Lost Ark,' 'E.T., the Extra Terrestrial'), Howard Shore ('Lord of the Rings,' 'The Hobbit,' 'Hugo'), James Horner ('Titanic,' 'Star Trek,' 'Apollo 13') and Elliot Goldenthal ('Alien 3,' 'Batman Forever' and 'Batman and Robin'). Together, these iconic composers boast 11 Oscars and countless billions of box office dollars. They also hold the ironic position of simultaneously being the most-heard orchestral composers ever (the soundtrack for 'Titanic' sold 30 million copies), yet their music is the least performed.

Pacific Symphony's critically-acclaimed American Composers Festival (ACF) continues for the 14th year with "From Screen to Score: New Concert Music by Famous Film Composers"-who happen to be four of today's biggest Hollywood heavy-hitters: John Williams ("Star Wars," "Raiders of the Lost Ark," "E.T., the Extra Terrestrial"), Howard Shore ("Lord of the Rings," "The Hobbit," "Hugo"), James Horner ("Titanic," "Star Trek," "Apollo 13") and Elliot Goldenthal ("Alien 3," "Batman Forever" and "Batman and Robin"). Together, these iconic composers boast 11 Oscars and countless billions of box office dollars. They also hold the ironic position of simultaneously being the most-heard orchestral composers ever (the soundtrack for "Titanic" sold 30 million copies), yet their music is the least performed.

The Manhattan Choral Ensemble (MCE) will present an imaginative program titled Requiem in Stone under the baton of guest conductor Andrew Megill. The concert will include early Baroque masterworks by Heinrich Sch'tz and Johann Hermann Schein and a new piece commissioned by the MCE from Caleb Burhans'works that render the subjects of spirituality, grief and death in exquisite detail.

Musiqa, winner of the 2013 Chamber Music America/American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers Award for Adventurous Programming of Contemporary Music, presents a free Loft Concert, Strings Outside the Lines, at the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston tonight, February 27, at 6:30 p.m. The concert's program spotlights several evocative works for strings by a group of groundbreaking contemporary composers, including a tribute to the late Elliott Carter, who passed away at 104 in 2012. Held in collaboration with the museum and in coordination with the CAMH's exhibition, Outside the Lines, the concert also celebrates the museum's 65th anniversary with the world premiere of a quartet by Yann Jaffrennou. The concert, part of Musiqa's ongoing partnership with CAMH, is free and open to the public.

The Manhattan Choral Ensemble (MCE) will present an imaginative program titled Requiem in Stone under the baton of guest conductor Andrew Megill. The concert will include early Baroque masterworks by Heinrich Sch'tz and Johann Hermann Schein and a new piece commissioned by the MCE from Caleb Burhans'works that render the subjects of spirituality, grief and death in exquisite detail.

Musiqa, winner of the 2013 Chamber Music America/American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers Award for Adventurous Programming of Contemporary Music, presents a free Loft Concert, Strings Outside the Lines, at the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston on Thursday, February 27, at 6:30 p.m. The concert's program spotlights several evocative works for strings by a group of groundbreaking contemporary composers, including a tribute to the late Elliott Carter, who passed away at 104 in 2012. Held in collaboration with the museum and in coordination with the CAMH's exhibition, Outside the Lines, the concert also celebrates the museum's 65th anniversary with the world premiere of a quartet by Yann Jaffrennou. The concert, part of Musiqa's ongoing partnership with CAMH, is free and open to the public.

The Los Angeles Master Chorale (LAMC), following on the heels of its wildly successful and critically applauded 50th Anniversary Season opening night concert, has released its first all-digital album featuring 17 of its signature a cappella works conducted by Music Director Grant Gershon and recorded live at that historic concert on September 22, 2013, at Walt Disney Concert Hall. The album, entitled '50th Season Celebration Concert,' celebrates the most beloved, groundbreaking and inspiring a cappella works that have defined the Los Angeles Master Chorale and its music directors over the past 50 years. Priced at $9.99, it is available online-only, at LAMC.org, iTunes and Amazon.com. Featuring 115 singers, it is the Chorale's ninth album and its sixth conducted by Gershon.

Pacific Symphony announces what is perhaps its most significant season to date for the 36-year-old orchestra-the 2014-15 Hal and Jeanette Segerstrom Family Foundation Classical Series and special events, celebrating Music Director Carl St. Clair's 25 years at the helm. Filled with giant stars and giants of the repertoire that have moved listeners for centuries, the season is pure St. Clair-embracing and celebrating all that great music can mean to the human heart.

Seven category-defying new works for symphony orchestra will be unveiled in two days of public readings that take the symphony orchestra in new directions. Featured composers are Jennifer Bellor, Jose Bevia, Courtney Bryan, Ingrid Laubrock, Andy Milne, Richard Sussman, and Sumi Tonooka.

Jazz Composers Orchestra Institute will host new music readings featuring seven new works, presented by the American Composers Orchestra tonight, June 3 at 10am (working rehearsal) and tomorrow, June 4 at 7:30pm (run-through performance).

Conductors Delta David Gier and Oliver Hagen will replace Gil Rose for American Composers Orchestra's Jazz Composers Orchestra Institute (JCOI) Readings on Monday, June 3 at 10am (working rehearsal) and Tuesday, June 4 at 7:30pm(run-through) at Columbia University's Miller Theatre (2960 Broadway). Rose has withdrawn with regrets, due to a family emergency. Both events are free and open to the public, but reservations are suggested. ACO is one of three orchestras participating this year in JCOI Readings - the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra (April 23 & 24) and La Jolla Symphony & Chorus (September 19 & 20) are also workshopping, rehearsing, and giving public readings of new works for symphony orchestra by jazz composers.

Jazz Composers Orchestra Institute will host new music readings featuring seven new works, presented by the American Composers Orchestra on Monday, June 3 at 10am (working rehearsal) and Tuesday, June 4 at 7:30pm (run-through performance).

American Composers Orchestra (ACO) and The Center for Jazz Studies at Columbia University (CJS), in cooperation with EarShot, the National Orchestra Composition Discovery Network, will present the second Jazz Composers Orchestra Institute (JCOI) Readings in 2013. Three orchestras - the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra (April 23 & 24), ACO (June 3 & 4), and La Jolla Symphony & Chorus (September 19 & 20) - will workshop, rehearse, and give public readings of new works for symphony orchestra written by seventeen jazz composers.

American Composers Orchestra's (ACO) 2012-13 concert season is a banner year for the orchestra, marked by unprecedented opportunities for composers through three initiatives that illustrate ACO's role as a catalyst for the creation of new orchestral music: CoLABoratory: Playing It UNsafe, ACO's groundbreaking composition and performance laboratory; the 22nd annual Underwood New Music Readings, one of the country's most sought-after programs for emerging composers (DiMenna Center, May 30-31, 2013); and the nationwide expansion of the Jazz Composers Orchestra Institute Readings in partnership with The Center for Jazz Studies at Columbia University and The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music (DiMenna Center, June 1-2, 2013).

The American Composers Orchestra (ACO) and Center for Jazz Studies at Columbia University (CJS), in cooperation with The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, and EarShot, the National Orchestra Composition Discovery Network, will present the second Jazz Composers Orchestra Institute (JCOI) in 2012 and 2013. The Institute will bring together up to 35 jazz composers at various stages in their careers, chosen from a national pool of applicants, to explore the challenges of writing for the symphony orchestra. Composers working in jazz, improvised, and creative music will be selected based on their excellent musicianship, originality, and potential for future growth in orchestral composition. Previous orchestral experience is not expected. The deadline for receipt of applications is Monday, April 16, 2012 at 5pm (EST). Guidelines and applications are available online at www.americancomposers.org/jcoi.

Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO) has appointed Andrew Norman composer-in-residence for three years beginning July 2012, it was announced by Music Director Jeffrey Kahane

For six extraordinary days, internationally acclaimed composer John Corigliano will join fellow international classical music superstars, cellist Matt Haimovitz, violist Kim Kashkashian, violinists Anastasia Khitruk and Lara St, John in the inaugural SoBe Arts American Masterworks String Festival to be presented, Monday, December 5 through Saturday, December 10 at the SoBe Institute of the Arts, it was announced by Executive Artistic Director Dr. Carson Kievman.

For six extraordinary days, internationally acclaimed composer John Corigliano will join fellow international classical music superstars, cellist Matt Haimovitz, violist Kim Kashkashian, violinists Anastasia Khitruk and Lara St, John in the inaugural SoBe Arts American Masterworks String Festival to be presented, Monday, December 5 through Saturday, December 10 at the SoBe Institute of the Arts, it was announced by Executive Artistic Director Dr. Carson Kievman.