The winners of the American Music Project grant awards for 2015 are:
Nicholas Phillips, pianist
American P(i)anorama: New Music for a New Canon
National tour and CD
In a follow-up to his “American Vernacular” tour and CD, pianist Nicholas Phillips will embark on a national tour performing keyboard character pieces by prominent American composers from the 20th century to the present day. He hopes that championing this music will help these works to enter the canon long-term. The tour will take him to China in the summer of 2016, and many of these works will also be recorded for an “American P(i)anorama” CD.
Recitals are planned for the 2015-16 season in New York, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Ohio, Detroit, Chicago, Minneapolis, Wisconsin, North Dakota, Texas, San Francisco, and Seattle.
Composers to be represented include: John Luther Adams (Tukiliit), Samuel Barber (Excursions), Stacy Garrop (Keyboard of the Winds), George Gershwin (Three Preludes), Philip Glass (Wichita Vortex Sutra), Charles Tomlinson Griffes (Roman Sketches), Missy Mazzoli (Heartbreaker), Nico Muhly (A Hudson Cycle), Mark Olivieri (Hommage a trois), Carter Pann (She Steals Me), and Sarah Kirkland Snider (The Currents).
Third Angle New Music
Portland, Oregon
“Radio Happenings: Cage and Feldman, a conversation in words and music”
March 10-11, 2016
In 1966, John Cage and Morton Feldman began recording a series of conversations at WBAI in New York City. Called “Radio Happenings,”,these recordings totaled over six hours of commentary regarding art, artists, music, politics, philosophy, and provide a fascinating insight into the musical culture of the 1960’s avant-garde.
Third Angle New Music will use excerpts from these recordings to provide context for their music, with the voices of the composers enriching the experience of hearing the compositions discussed.
The repertory will include:
John Cage: Imaginary Landscape No. 4 (1951)
John Cage: Six Melodies for violin and keyboard instrument (1950)
Christian Wolff: Violist piece #1 (1997)
Morton Feldman: Projection 4 (1951)
Morton Feldman: The Possibility of a New Piece for Electric Guitar (1966)
Elgin Symphony Orchestra
Elgin, Illinois
“Connecting with American Music”
2015-16 season
The Elgin Symphony Orchestra will perform one American piece on each concert program throughout the 2015/16 season. In addition to the performances, we will dedicate a webpage to the importance of American music.
Repertory includes:
Ives: Symphony No. 2
Bernstein, Symphony No. 1 “Jeremiah”
Ives: Variations on America
Adams: Tromba Lontana
Theofanidis: Muse
Copland: Appalachian Spring
Stookey: The Composer is Dead
Aperio: Music of the Americas
Houston, Texas
Project: “Poetic Twilight” – Songs by Copland, Persichetti, Beach and Ives
November 2015
Pianist Michael Zuraw, and soprano Julia Fox will perform songs and piano works of American composers five times in and around the Houston area.
Repertory includes:
Vincent Persichetti: Six Poems for piano
Vincent Persichetti: Four Emily Dickinson Songs, Op. 77
Aaron Copland: Four Poems of Emily Dickinson
Amy Beach: Four Songs
Charles Ives: Two Songs
Charles Ives: “The Alcotts” from Piano Sonata No. 2
Applications for American Music Project awards for the 2016-17 season will be accepted from January 1 through April 1, 2016.