I enjoyed a very useful and agreeable Sound Lab residency in Cottbus in September (see previous post), for which I thank conductor and Music Director Evan Christ and the Orchester des Staatstheaters Cottbus. This is a new and generous approach to modern music making for the orchestra: Invite the composers and have them actually interact with the orchestra in rehearsal sessions, without having to finalise everything. I believe I did find and test some ideas which will become part of the two pieces to be composed for the concerts in March and April. The working title is Cottbus Diptych, thus, two parts premiered separately but part of a ten minute Diptych form.
During my stay the orchestra also perfomed Mani once more at the final concert of the Brandenburg summer concert series. A rather packed Johanneskirche in Trebbin hosted the event, which was also broadcast on RBB. Mani will be performed yet again at the ISCM festival in Vienna on November 13, by the Webern Symphony Orchestra this time, in the Sendesaal of the Radiokulturhaus in Vienna at 19:30.
Ensemble 61 gave the American Premiere of my quintet The Elves’ Accent in Saint Paul, Minnesota on June 1st.
Radioflakes for accordeon might probably claim Norwegian citizenship…if it weren’t just a piece of music. Oslo is the city of Frode Haltli who commissioned it and in Oslo – at the Music Academy - it will be played on October 22 by Luca Pignatta, who prepared it’s performance with Haltli.
Here is a link to Chiara Telleri's performance of the small and lyrical Trattofor oboe, composed for the ten year anniversary of FontanaMix Ensemble in Bologna, of which I am cofounder.