nicole PAIEMENT
conductor

Nicole Paiement

BluePrint
building a new music for the city
Artistic Director, Nicole Paiement

Laura Schwendinger

Arnold Schoenberg : Insights
Friday, October 14, 2005- 8:00 pm, pre-concert talk, 7:30 pm, Hellman Hall

Derided early on as a "musical anarchist", Arnold Schoenberg as a composer proved to be more influential than anyone could ever have imagined. With his masterpieces, such as The First Chamer Symphony, Op. 9, Schoenberg opened the doors through which he would later lead hundreds of students on both sides of the Atlantic. This concert puts the spotlight on the music of his most famous American students, including a remarkable work for the percussion ensemble by John Cage. Also featured is a newly-commissioned work by former Conservatory student and Preparatory faculty member Laura Scwendinger, written for Ensemble Parallèle and Conservatory voice faculty member Wendy Hillhouse, mezzo-soprano.

Arnold Schoenberg
Kammersymphonie, Op. 9 (1906), New Music Ensemble

Olga Neuwirth
Spleen, Jeff Anderle, bass clarinet

John Cage
Construction III, Conesrvatory Percussion Ensemble

Leon Kichner
Trio III, New Music Ensemble

Laura Schwendinger
New Commissioned Work titled Lady Lazarus featuring Patricia Green, mezzo-soprano, and the Ensemble Parallèle (world premiere)

Olga Neuwirth

Anton Webern : Sturn und Klang
Friday, November 11, 2005 - 8:00 pm, pre-concert talk, 7:30 pm, Hellman Hall

From today's perspective it seems clear that Anton Webern most convincingly connected his teacher Arnold Schoenberg's discoveries with an intuitive awareness of the future. His fragile, yet highly potent miniatures seem to foreshadow an increasingly introspective society, while his emphasis on texture and timbre influenced generations of composers' interest in vast soundscapes of tactile sound. Presented here are two of his most important works for string quartet, representing the development of his style from its initial appearance ti its later maturity. More recent explorations of timbre and color are presented in large chamber works by Russian composer Alfred Schnittke and a luscious, mystical work full of ringing bells by American Joseph Schwantner. Also featured is a work by Austrian composer and Conservatory alumna Olga Neuwirth.

Anton Webern
Fünf Sätze für Steichquartett (1909), Ensemble Parallèle
Quartett, Op. 22 (1928-30), New Music Ensemble

Olga Neuwirth
Torsion, Jonathan Steney, basson

Alfred Schnittke
Hymns for Chamber Ensemble, Hymn N° 1,2,4, New Music Ensemble

Brian Cherney

Alban Berg : Lyrical Modernism
Friday, March 10, 2006 - 8:00 pm, pre-concert talk 7:30 pm, Hellman Hall

Like his great German Romantic idols, Alban Berg drew his primary inspiration from the human voice, and no theme of his was ever far from song. His ability to bring a sense of lyricism to the increasingly cerebral experiments of his teacher enabled Berg to connect to the past in a way few composers have been able to match. In the process he took the Romantic spirit to its utmost limits of expression, and assured himself a place alongside the great masters he loved so dearly. Join the Conservatory New Music Ensemble as they present striking exqmples of four composers' works endeavouring to balance the past <ith the present, while keeping an eye on the future - from the early songs of Alban Berg to a recent work by composer Brian Cheney. This concert features performances by Jodi Levitz, viola faculty, and Hannah Addario-Berry, cello.

Alban Berg
Sieben Frühe Lieder (1905-08/1928), New Music Ensemble

Frank Martin
Ballade for viola solo (1972), Jodi Levitz, viola; New Music Ensemble

Brian Cherney
Apparitions (1991), Hannah Addario-Berry, solo cello; New Music Ensemble

Olga Neuwirth
Marsyas, Mack McCray, piano