Performers affiliated with the in the (VPA) are teaming up with the Society for New Music (SNM) for world premieres by two up-and-coming composers.
Gregory Wood. Photo by Ryan Wood
Cellist Gregory Wood and percussionist Rob Bridge, both VPA faculty members, are performing in a virtual concert on Sunday, Jan. 31, at 3 p.m. in the Onondaga Community College Recital Hall. They are joined by former VPA faculty members Kelly Covert and Sar Shalom Strong G鈥�98, who respectively play flute and piano, and violinist Sonya Stith Williams, a veteran of the University鈥檚 Women in Leadership initiative.
Tickets are $20 (regular), $15 (seniors/students) and free for ages 18 and under. For more information and tickets, visit .
The online concert is part of SNM鈥檚 annual 鈥淪ound-Futures鈥� series, which grew out of 黑料不打烊 Symposium in the .
Founding Director Neva Pilgrim says the concert reflects SNM鈥檚 yearlong theme of 鈥淪ound Worlds in Uncommon Time(s).鈥� 鈥淲e鈥檙e interested in the intersection and recontextualization of the old and new,鈥� says the former VPA faculty member, who is an artist-in-residence at Colgate University. 鈥淭he program uses music and technology to bring myths, stories and poetry from the past into the present鈥攁nd future.鈥�
Robert Bridge. Photo courtesy of SABIAN Ltd.
The concert features the world premieres of Ryan Carter鈥檚 鈥淔loating Points鈥� and Paul Leary鈥檚 鈥淗ephaestus鈥� Fire.鈥�
An assistant professor of music at Hamilton College, Carter has earned commissions from all over the country, including Carnegie Hall, and praise from The New York Times, which describes his music as 鈥渋maginative 鈥� like a Martian dance party.鈥� 鈥淔loating Points鈥� is scored for chamber ensemble and electronics and encourages audience participation via an app from his .
Later this semester, he will participate in an online forum in the Setnor School.
Leary鈥檚 piece is inspired by Hephaestus, the Greek god of blacksmiths. An assistant professor of music at the State University of New York at Oswego, Leary describes 鈥淗ephaestus鈥� Fire鈥� as a 鈥渏uxtaposition of ancient machinery and new technology.鈥� Case in point: It is written for antique anvil and electronics.
鈥淪ound-Futures鈥� continues with two pieces by women with ties to Cornell University. 鈥淐ereus: Night Blooms鈥� (2019) is by Kay Kyurim Rhie, a UCLA music professor who recently served as a Cornell Visiting Lecturer. The piece honors her late father, who gave up creative writing to move his family from Korea to the United States. Jihyun Kim, a doctoral student at Cornell, is the composer of 鈥淥nce Upon a Time鈥� (2018), which she characterizes as a 鈥渇anciful fairy tale.鈥�
Rounding out the program are two works foreshadowing 鈥淏lack History Month.鈥� Regina Baiocchi鈥檚 鈥淔eather and Bowties鈥� (2009) memorializes her composition mentor, Hale Smith, who 鈥渁lways wrote with a Montblanc pen and wore a bowtie.鈥� Valerie Coleman鈥檚 鈥淔anmi Im猫n鈥� (2018) is a nod to the Maya Angelou poem 鈥淗uman Family.鈥� The piece features French flute stylings, laced with elements of indigenous African and Asian music.
Now in its 49th year, SNM is one of the nation鈥檚 oldest and largest organizations dedicated to the commissioning and advocating of new works by regional composers.
SNM has enjoyed a long partnership with the University and, more recently, has provided mentoring opportunities for aspiring composers. Kevin Swenson, a master鈥檚 student in composition in VPA, is in his second year of working with SNM. Past mentees include Andrei Skorobogatykh G鈥�20 and Chris Cresswell 鈥�11.
