Composer night
presented by The New Ruckus
May 11, 2015
Studio Z: 275 East Fourth Street, Suite 200, St. Paul 7 p.m. Free |
Formerly known as the American Composers Forum’s Tuesday Salon, Composer Nights are an opportunity for composers to present their work, chat with the audience, receive feedback, and connect with others with a passion for musical adventure. These events are friendly, fun, and always surprisingly varied. Come to share, come to ask, come to listen.
Visit newruckus.org/composernights for more information. This Composer Night features music by:
Justin E. A. Busch presents The Sorceress of Zoom, a fantasy septet inspired by a 1940s comic book anti-heroine performed by The Esperanza Ensemble. Justin is a musical traditionalist whose chamber music nonetheless often features unusual or even unique combinations of instruments.
The Esperanza Ensemble: Andrea Myers, flute; Joe Jones, bassoon; Ellie Fregni, viola; Tamir Nolley, doublebass; Melanie Ditter, horn; Sophie Kerman, piano; Michael Burton, guest trombonist. Mary Scott and Aaron Thompson present a new improvised noise project called The Lifted Veil. Though they met just a few months ago, Mary and Aaron have exploded into a lovable noise act that has performed everywhere from house shows to theaters. In the fall, Mary will be moving to New Orleans to teach a program for girls interested in music technology. Aaron will be moving to Los Angeles to rave.
![]() Nicholas J. White presents On Outbreak for soprano (Kate Lamb) and piano. On Outbreak is a multi-cellular work for voice and piano in the tradition of dramatic concert works such as Pierrot Lunaire and A Soldiers Tale. Inspired by recent events, On Outbreak uses texts from traditional and digital media sources, twitter, and the podcast sphere to document the effects, emotions and reactions surrounding the idea of the "global epidemic.”
Nicholas J. White is a multifaceted, genre-bending composer. A recent transplant to the Twin Cities from New York City, his compositions have been heard at home and abroad. Highlights include: the Edvard Munch Museum in Oslo, Norway, the St. Petersburg Conservatory in Russia, and Carnegie Hall in New York City. He enjoys Lagavulin Whisky, baseball, and Star Trek. He currently resides in Minneapolis with his future wife. A complete bio can be found on his website at www.nicholasjwhite.com. Karel Suchy presents two new works: a video of Alleluia for Love performed by the Choral Arts Society of Southeastern Wisconsin, and Fake Is As Old As the Eden Tree performed by Karel and Julia Suchy.
Alleluia for Love is a tender musical celebration of love, intimacy and desire. The lyrics are adapted from the Bible’s Song of Songs, or Song of Solomon. It was composed for the Choral Arts Society of Southeastern Wisconsin (James Schatzman, Artistic Director) and recorded live at their Endless Hallelujahs concert on March 21, 2015 in First Presbyterian Church, Racine, WI. This composition is written for SATBB chorus, piano or organ, improvisational instrument (piano, guitar, or synthesizer), and spoken lyrics (female and male voices). A short instrumental passage introduces the choral Alleluias, which are divided in five verses of different lengths. The music is written in a parallel harmonic structure to evoke a chant-like feeling, and the piano/organ part doubles the chorus. The music performance is very flowing and of rather steady tempo. The lyrics are recited expressively and with strong emotion over the bitter-sweet choral alleluias. This composition can be performed with traditional staging, or alternately with the audience and spoken-word performers surrounded by the chorus. • • • “ Fake Is As Old As the Eden Tree is a preview of a piece to be premiered on May 14th for “National Composer Night Out.” The event will also be a celebration the 100th anniversary of Orson Welles’s birth in Kenosha, WI 100 years ago. The lyrics consist of quotations of Welles, both sung and spoken. |