Gathering Note

Notes from the concert hall

Tag: Composer

  • X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X was a groundbreaking work. Its 1986 premiere marked a significant moment for both the composer and the opera world. X finally graced the stage of the Metropolitan Opera in late 2023, further – if belatedly – recognizing the opera’s impact. And in early 2024 it was eagerly…

  • Bright Sheng, a name familiar to SSO audiences, sat down with the Gathering Note earlier this month. The composer was in town to hear the orchestra perform two of his short pieces. One of them, Prelude to Black Swan, a world premiere. The other, Shanghai Overture, a Seattle premiere. Sheng came onto the classical music…

  • It’s been a busy week for Cornish College, the college’s faculty, and one of the school’s talented soon to be graduates. A new president was unveiled — a violist — Nancy Uscher. That evening student composer Alexander Bishop’s music for viola was the focus at Poncho Hall. Toward the end of the week — innovative…

  • Local composer Nat Evans has embarked on a project that fuses nature, music, community, and subjectivity of experience. Sunrise September 18, 2010 is a completely new piece of music written by Evans. It is a site specific, time specific, event specific work experienced differently by everyone who participates in the premiere. Listeners will gather at…

  • By Peter A. Klein The poetry of teenaged Jewish boys imprisoned in the Terezín concentration camp will be given new life in the oratorio “Vedem,” by composer Lori Laitman and librettist David Mason. “Vedem” will receive its world premiere at Music of Remembrance’s spring concert on Monday evening, May 10 at 8:00 PM in Benaroya…

  • Nico Muhly talks about his piece for the upcoming NY Phil CONTACT! concert. Here’s a more formal discussion of his piece hd films

  • The Third Angle New Music Ensemble will play several works by Jennifer Higdon in its upcoming concert this Friday at 7:30 pm at the Old Church in downtown Portland. Higdon’s music has been much in demand by vocal and instrumental ensembles, and she has garnered a couple of Grammys as well. I talked with Higdon…