Ensemble Linea in Residency at the Center

This week, the Center is excited to welcome back Ensemble Linea for a residency which will include a concert of new works (April 6) and a graduate composer workshop (April 8).

Linea have been frequent guests of the Center since their first appearance at June in Buffalo 2011, at which they made a big impact with strong performances of David Felder's Partial [Dist]res[s]toration and Gerard Grisey's Talea.  Linea returned to the festival two years later (JiB 2013), and performed an exciting program which featured Brian Ferneyhough's Mnemosyne and Tristan Murial's Treize Couleurs du Soleil Couchant.  The program concluded with Rokh I, a new work by Raphaël Cendo, a composer with whom the ensemble has closely collaborated on numerous occasions (video of this performance can be seen below):

Linea have had many productive, collaborative relationships with both established and emerging composers.  Cendo is currently composing a piano concerto for the ensemble, and they have premiered and commissioned works by the likes of Klaus Huber, Ivo Malec, Younghi Pagh-Paan, and Michael Jarrell.  They recently began regularly programming the music of Peter Ëotvös, and have performed nearly all of his catalogue, including the 2008 premiere of his Octet Plus.  Linea recently premiered (and recorded) Brian Ferneyhough's Chronos Aion, and are looking forward to upcoming collaborations with Philippe Manoury, James Clarke, and Center artistic director, David Felder.

Linea's Keiko Murakami performs Mnemosyne at JiB 2013

As an internationally-recognized ensemble, Linea have regularly been featured at festivals around the world.  Currently on their third tour of the US, they have played a significant role in the "development of cultural exchanges between France and the US", and through their programming have become a "global ambassador of French music".  Their April 6th concert will feature music by three French composers:  Aurélien Dumont, Frédéric Durieux, and Pascal Dusapin.  Dusapin (recently featured in the NY Times) is known for a Xenakis-like combination of complex, intellectual composition and a more primal mythos.  Linea trombonist Thierry Spiesser will present the composer's solo trombone work, Indeed, which features 'micro-glissandi' and uses a pixie/plunger mute combination to produce bright, spectrally-dense multiphonics.  From Durieux, Linea will perform Etudes en alternance I, II, III, which consists of three short movements of dynamic, high-energy gestures which demand a significant level of skill and agility on the part of the ensemble:

In addition, the program will feature chamber works by Valerio Sannicandro and Marco Momi.  To begin the concert, the ensemble will present Brazilian composer Michelle Agnes Magalhaes' prepared piano solo, Mobile, which will be performed by Linea's Claudia Chan.  The work combines quiet sections focusing on subtle color changes like those the titular sculptures, with more active, deliberately-clumsy mechanical sections.  Composed for the Cage centenary in 2012, the work is an intriguing update to Cage's approach to the instrument.

To conclude their residency, Linea will present a workshop with UB graduate composers, which will feature performances of works by Roberto Azaretto, Matt Chamberlain, Weijun Chen, Meredith Gilna, Daniel Gostelow, Brien Henderson, Nathan Kelly, Su Lee, and Igor Marques.  Through their participation at June in Buffalo and other festivals, Linea have cultivated a reputation for helping young composers realize their ideas effectively.  The high level of proficiency they demonstrate both as individual players and as an ensemble provide a great avenue for composers to test out new musical ideas.  We can't wait to hear what our composers have in store, and how Linea will help realize these new works!

Composer Brian Ferneyhough at June in Buffalo 2013

We’ve been profiling some of the June in Buffalo 2013 ensembles and faculty composers, and thought we’d take a quick look at composer and longtime friend of the Center for 21st Century Music, Brian Ferneyhough.

Brian Ferneyhough

Ferneyhough was here for June in Buffalo 2005, and his music enjoyed some sensitive and virtuosic performances: Ensemble SurPlus performed his chamber work Incipits, Quatour Diotima interpretted his String Quartet No. 2, and pianist Ian Pace performed Epigrams. Ferneyhough later returned here for a short residency in February of 2009 alongside composer Hilda Paredes and the Arditti Quartet, who performed a concert in Slee Hall, as well as workshopped and recorded UB student works.

More on Ferneyhough can be found through his publisher Edition Peters, on his wikipedia article, and at the guardian.

Ferneyhough will be giving daily master classes to June in Buffalo composers during June in Buffalo 2013, as well as give a lecture on his recent projects. His music will be featured throughout the evening concerts during the week, including his chamber work Terrain, to be performed by Ensemble Signal, and Mnémosyme, for bass flute and tape, to be performed by Ensemble Linea.

Check out the video of below of Ensemble Linea interpretting Ferneyhough’s 2008 ensemble piece Chronos Aion:

Link to this post here.

Welcoming French composer Raphaël Cendo to June in Buffalo 2013!

Following up on our last post on Ensemble Linea and the French constituency at June in Buffalo 2013, we thought we’d introduce French composer Raphaël Cendo, who will be on the June in Buffalo 2013 composition faculty. Cendo was born in Paris in 1975 and was educated at IRCAM, where he specialized in composition and electronics. Cendo has been teaching composition at the Conservatory of Nanterre since 2008.

Raphaël Cendo

Raphaël Cendo has had a very illustrious education and career, and has studied with many great composers, including Allain Gaussin, Brian Ferneyhough, Fausto Romitelli, and Philippe Manoury, and has had works commissioned and performed by L’Itinéraire, Ensemble Intercontemporain, Nouvel Ensemble Modern, Ictus, and MusikFabrik, among many other ensembles.

Alex Ross featured an interesting post on Raphaël Cendo and his percussion piece Scratch Data, performed by Belgian percussionist Tom De Cock, which can be found here.

Cendo's music has enjoyed tremendously popularity, as well as many performances at a diverse array of festivals, including Ars Musica Brussels, Donaueschinger Musiktage, Voix Nouvelles Royaumont, Présences, and Musica Strasbourg. From 2009 until 2011 he lived and worked at the Villa Medici in Rome.

Below is the audio from Cendo’s remarkable Charge, for seven instruments and electronics:

Link to this post here.

Ensemble Linea at June in Buffalo 2013!

We’re looking forward to having Ensemble Linea for June in Buffalo 2013 – they were a big hit here in 2011 and we’re happy to have them back for round 2. Adding to the French constituency will be composer Raphaël Cendo, who will be accompanying them from France as part of this year’s JiB Composition Faculty. While they’re here they’ll be interpreting works from June in Buffalo composition students, as well as JiB 2013 Faculty Composer Brian Ferneyhough’s flute piece Mnémosyne, and a fresh concert of contemporary music pieces from France.

Ensemble Linea

A little more on their approach and background from their mission statement:

“Founded in Strasbourg by pianist and conductor Jean-Philippe Wurtz in 1998, Ensemble Linea has, since its beginnings, been committed to promoting a democratization of contemporary music, giving priority to the encounter with the audience, to openness towards other artistic disciplines, and to an active booking strategy.

“Beyond any schools and trends, the artistic project of Linea covers quite diverse aesthetic perspectives, from musical theater to electronic music, from Western music to the rich Asian repertoires. Based in Alsace (eastern France, bordering on Germany and

Ensemble Linea

Switzerland), at the crossroads of many different cultures, Linea naturally approaches the repertoires in their multicultural dimension. Linea advocates an engaged music anchored in modernity: it favors works that question the mutations and complexities of our era.”

Coincidentally, another connection currently exists between Ensemble Linea and the University at Buffalo Music Department, as Daniel Bassin, the current conductor and music director of the University at Buffalo Symphony Orchestra, is now studying at the Abbaye de Royaumont Conductor Master Class, where he is rehearsing with Ensemble Linea the works of Iannis Xenakis, György Ligeti, Hanna Eimermacher, and others, under the tutelage of Péter Eötvös.

Below is a video of Ensemble Linea’s beautiful performance of Gerard Grisey’s Talea from June in Buffalo 2011:

Link to this post here.

June in Buffalo 2013 call for scores announced!

June in Buffalo 2013 call for scores announced! June in Buffalo will be very special this year with the addition of the Performance Institute, which will begin on Thursday, May 30th, and then run concurrently with June in Buffalo from Monday, June 3 – Sunday, June 9th. This will be the first year ever where emerging contemporary music performers and ensembles will be studying, practicing, and workshopping alongside participant composers. We expect one of the most dynamic, collaborative, and compelling June in Buffalo Festivals ever this year, as young contemporary music performers and composers blend together and form relationships with not only faculty composers and performers, but each other as well. Full details on applying as an auditor or participant composer below: 

June in Buffalo

Presented by the Department of Music and The Robert and Carol Morris Center for 21st Century Music, June in Buffalo, a festival and conference dedicated to composers, will take place from June 3 -9, 2013 at the University at Buffalo. June in Buffalo offers an intensive schedule of seminars, lectures, workshops, professional presentations, participant forums and open rehearsals as well as afternoon and evening concerts open to the general public and critics. Each of the invited composers will have one of his/her pieces performed during the festival. Evening performances feature faculty composers, resident ensembles and soloists renowned internationally as interpreters of contemporary music.

Artistic Director

David Felder

Senior Faculty

David Felder

Augusta Read Thomas

Charles Wuorinen

Yehudi Wyner

Resident Ensembles

Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra

Ensemble Linea

JACK Quartet

SIGNAL

Slee Sinfonietta

Talea Ensemble

Talujon Percussion Ensemble

APPLICATION PROCEDURES

To apply to June in Buffalo, please send all materials by mail. Applications must include the following materials:

1. A résumé or curriculum vitae detailing your education, experience, and creative activity.

2. A letter of reference from someone acquainted with your current compositional activity.

3. A proposal (including score and brief description) requesting the performance of a recent work for

a) Percussion Quartet (or subset)

b) String Quartet (or subset)

c) flute, clarinet, piano, percussion, violin, cello (or subset)

d) solo for any orchestral instrument

e) works with electronics will be considered

f) other instrumentations will be announced shortly

4. One or two scores that demonstrate your recent work and accompanying recordings, if available.

5. A $25 non-refundable processing fee. Checks or money orders should be made payable to June in Buffalo. Foreign applicants must pay by international money order in US currency. Do not send cash.

6. A SASE for the return of materials (optional) and an e-mail address at which you can be easily contacted.

If the performance of a selected work by a participating composer becomes impossible due to circumstances beyond the control of the June in Buffalo festival, every attempt will be made to arrange a substitution where possible.

To apply as an auditor, please send a résumé and the processing fee. Auditors attend all June in Buffalo events, but will not have a piece performed.

All application materials must be postmarked by

FEBRUARY 15, 2013.

Mail to:

June in Buffalo

220 Baird Hall

Music Department

University at Buffalo

Buffalo, NY 14260-4700

Fees

Tuition fee: $700

Auditing fee: $350

Housing

On-campus housing, 7 nights, single occupancy: $300. Additional: $30/night. No double occupancy discounts; no meals included.

For general information, contact J.T. Rinker

phone: (716) 645-0624

fax: (716) 645-3824

email: jtrinker@buffalo.edu

Link to this post here.

June in Buffalo: a timely reminder

If you're reading this blog, you're no doubt aware of June in Buffalo, the annual festival and conference that offers a select group of rising composers the opportunity to study with leading teachers in the field, and have scores performed by top ensembles. For those interested in applying, the deadline is Friday, February 25. Application and program details can be found here. 

Presented by University at Buffalo's Department of Music and the Robert and Carol Morris Center for 21st Century Music, June in Buffalo features an enticing of seminars, lectures, workshops, professional presentations, participant forums and open rehearsals as well as afternoon and evening concerts open to the general public and critics. Each of the invited composers will have one of his/her pieces performed during the festival. Evening performances feature faculty composers, resident ensembles and soloists renowned internationally as interpreters of contemporary music. Here's the rundown on this year's luminaries:

Senior Faculty
Edmund Campion
Eric Chasalow
David Felder
Hilda Paredes
Brice Pauset
Jeffrey Stadelman
 
Resident Ensembles and Special Guests
Magnus Andersson
Irvine Arditti
Roberto Fabbriciani
Ensemble Linea
Brad Lubman
SIGNAL
Slee Sinfonietta