The composers of Random Access Music would like to announce the line-up for the first-ever Queens New Music Festival:
SCHEDULE:
Thursday, May 10
7:30: RAM and the Cadillac Moon Ensemble
Friday, May 11
7:30: Todd Reynolds and Friends: side-by-side
Saturday, May 12
1:00: Tignor, Britt, Mazzariello: Rewired
3:00: Lost Dog
5:00: the Links
8:00: Kate Dillingham
Sunday, May 13
1:00: Daniel Neer and Narkissos
3:00: Quintet of the Americas
5:00: Parthenia
Congratulations to all the selected performers. We received over 40 proposals–almost all of which were amazing. The judges had a very, very difficult time whittling the pack down to the 8 we chose. We’ll be posting more info about the festival soon.
The composers of Random Access Music are pleased to announce the 2011 call for scores winner:
Nicholas Omiccioli
Kansas City, MO
for his work Piano Trio.
The judges for the 2011 call for scores were:
David Fetherolf
Gilbert Galindo
Manly Romero
B. Allen Schulz
Wang Jie
Stefan Weisman
All works were submitted anonymously and were judged solely on the panelists’ view of the work’s artistic merit. We are honored that so many composers submitted works to the call. We congratulate all the composers on their fine works and look forward to future submissions.
The composers of Random Access Music are pleased to announce a call for proposals from new music ensembles for the first-ever Queens New Music Festival on May 10-13, 2012. Random Access Music seeks adventurous proposals from new music ensembles or individual artists dedicated to performing new music to participate in the Queens New Music Festival.
While we are based in NYC, our home neighborhood is located in the borough of Queens–and several of our member composers reside in Queens neighborhoods. The borough of Queens has a long reputation of being under-represented and under-served by the new music community.
RAM plans to change this.
In May 2012, we will present live concerts of new music by some of the best ensembles and individual performers from New York (and elsewhere!) by offering performance space and logistical help to ensembles and individual performers that would like to help RAM further our mission of bringing new music to new audiences. Any ensemble that specializes in performing new music for the concert hall will be considered. Any genre or style will be accepted. The only requirement is that the proposed program must be music written in the last 50 years or by a living composer. Six proposals will be selected by the panel of judges, which consist of the member composers of Random Access Music. We’re looking forward to hearing from you!
WHEN: The Festival will take place over four days: May 10-13, 2012. Concerts will take place on the evenings of May 10 and 11, while both evening and afternoon shows will be presented on May 12 and 13.
WHERE: All the concerts will take place at the eGarage, 44-02 23rd Street, Long Island City, NY. The eGarage performance space is located just 3 blocks from the PS1 art museum and just a 4 block walk (or less) from the N, Q, R, E, V, G and 7 trains. Long Island City has a burgeoning arts scene, with the Fisher Landau Center for Art , the Dorsky Gallery, the Noguchi Museum, the SculptureCenter, the Flux Factory, the Secret Theatre, and a dozen other flourishing arts groups and venues all located nearby. eGarage will provide box office services for the concert, as well as light refreshments for purchase by the audience.
WHAT: RAM is accepting proposals from all groups and all genres of concert hall new music. While jazz-themed ensembles are acceptable, the festival’s emphasis will be on “concert hall” music (sometimes referred to as “serious” or “classical”). Jazz-themed ensembles should include in their proposal how their work transcends those boundaries. Proposals with electronic and digital instruments/equipment will be accepted. The eGarage specializes in audio-visual presentations, so we welcome proposals with visual aspects, too.
HOW: The agreement between RAM and the performing ensembles will stipulate that all ticket sales will be divided equally between RAM and the performers (50/50). RAM will provide the venue, marketing, and logistical support for each ensemble. No performers’ fees will be offered by RAM. No travel expenses will be provided by RAM. No cartage fees will be provided by RAM.
THE PROPOSAL: All proposals must be submitted via email to festival@ram-nyc.org. The proposal should be no longer than 2 pages, should be submitted as a pdf document, and should include the following information:
- Name of the ensemble or individual artists
- Names of ensemble artistic personnel (internet links to artist bios are appreciated, but not required)
- A short description (1 or 2 paragraphs) of the proposed concert, including the titles and approximate lengths of the works to be performed. Programs must contain a minimum of 1 hour of music. For ensembles that specialize in improvisatory styles/genres, the description of your intended program should include the kinds of works you will present. (For example, is there a theme to the improvisatory works? Is there a unifying thread? Is there a technical or musical approach to the proposed concert? Describe the feel/look/form of the concert so that the panel can judge the kind of program we can expect to hear and to present with the other festival performers.)
- 2-5 internet links to audio clips or videos of the performing ensemble. If links are not available, please submit 1 or 2 mp3 clips of representative performances–no more than 10 megabytes TOTAL. Do not send multiple files totaling more than 10 megabytes. The judges will listen to the audio clips to verify artistic quality, only–not to determine which compositions we like or don’t like.
- Email address and name of contact person
- Any dates that cannot be scheduled by your ensemble
- 1 paragraph detailing recent concert attendance (include number of established audience, the actual audience at a specific venue, or a reasonable estimate of the size of the audience that might attend your performance at the festival)
Preference will be given to proposals with a well-planned program and to performers who show past success or strong future potential to build an audience for new music concerts.
PROPOSAL DEADLINE:
December 11, 2011. We look forward to hearing from you!
RANDOM ACCESS MUSIC – 2011 Call for Scores
Receipt deadline: November 18, 2011
The composers of Random Access Music are pleased to to announce our third annual call for scores. The members of RAM are looking for adventurous new music regardless of style. One winning composition will be performed at RAM’s 2011 spring concert by the Austin Trio, led by Austin Symphony’s concert master, Jessica Mathaes. The winning work will be performed March 10 and 11 in New York City.
Please submit an unpublished and previously unawarded work 6-12 minutes in length, scored for Piano, Violin, and Violoncello. No substitutions in instrumentation will be accepted, and the work must be scored for all three instruments. Works requiring electronics are eligible, provided any technology required (beyond simple playback) be supplied and operated by the composer or the composer’s representative. There is no age or geographic requirement for the submitting composer. Works that have been published will not be accepted. Works that have previously been awarded a prize or placement in any contest will not be accepted. Works must be composed within the last 12 years.
Submission materials:
• one score
• CD recording (encouraged but not required–midi or other realization is acceptable)
• composer’s name, address, phone number, and e-mail address (on a separate sheet)
Key materials must be submitted ANONYMOUSLY. Only the title of the piece, a pseudonym, and instrumentation may appear on the score and CD. Due to our insistence on anonymity, we will NOT accept online or digital submissions. Please provide a hard copy of your score. So that your submission remains anonymous in the judging process, please write the title of the work and a pseudonym or other marker on the score itself. Then, attach a sealed envelope containing your full name, address, phone number, and email address with your materials. On the outside of the envelope, write the composer’s pseudonym and title of the work. If you would like your materials returned, enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope. All submissions must be received on or by November 18, 2011. Results will be announced in mid-December.
Mail materials to:
Random Access Music
38-11 Ditmars Blvd.
Box 102A
Astoria, NY 11105
For more information, please contact: info@ram-nyc.org. For tips and advice about the process, please visit our call for scores page.
The composers of Random Access Music would like to invite you to our first concert of the season! Please join us for Discreet Encounters on Thursday, October 6, 2011 @ 7:30pm. Featured on the concert will be music by RAM composers Wang Jie, Stefan Weisman, Manly Romero, B. Allen Schulz, David Fetherolf, and Gilbert Galindo.
Thursday, October 6, 2011 @ 7:30pm
The Gershwin Hotel
7 East 27th Street
New York, NY 10016
phone: 212.545.8000
Tickets are $15 if purchased online and $20 at the door.
Included on the program will be:
Wang Jie
Serenade in Isolation
Alicia Choi, violin
Stefan Weisman
Arias
Maeve Hoaglund, soprano
Eric Sedgwick, piano
Manly Romero
Night Music
Brendan Speltz, violin
Brook Speltz, cello
David Fetherolf
Two Ballades
Amir Khosrowpour, piano
Gilbert Galindo
Resolve
Joshua Modney, violin
Amir Khosrowpour, piano
Allen Schulz
Crazy Cat Lady
Christine Perea, flute
RAM would like to welcome our newest associate member, Wang Jie.
Born in Shanghai shortly after the Cultural Revolution, Ms. Wang was raised during an era of breathtaking economic expansion. She was a known piano prodigy by the age of five. A scholarship from Manhattan School of Music brought her to the US where she began her composition studies under the tutelage of Nils Vigeland and Richard Danielpour.
While still a student, her tragic opera NANNAN was showcased by New York City Opera’s annual VOX festival. This led to the production of her chamber opera FLOWN, a meditation on lovers who must separate, by Music-Theatre Group. The Emily Dickenson inspired song cycle I DIED FOR BEAUTY was featured at the opening ceremony of Beijing Modern Music Festival.
In 2010 Ms. Wang won the coveted Underwood Commission for her concert opera “From the Other Sky.” This piece was the centerpiece of the American Composers Orchestra’s season opening concert at Carnegie Hall.
RAM is proud to add Wang Jie’s unique and exciting voice to our group. We’re looking forward to working with her this year and beyond.
The composers of Random Access Music would like to thank all of our supporters who attended concerts or who gave a financial contribution to RAM this past season! We had a wonderful concert season working with our collaborating ensembles, The Gotham Ensemble, and URSULA. We were also excited and proud to complete our first new music concert series featuring emerging new music ensembles.
While we appreciate your past support, we’d like to ask you to consider helping us just a little bit more this season. We’re holding an end-of-the-concert-year fundraising campaign. The money we raise will help us to begin our preparations for next year’s concert season. We’ll be collaborating with two new ensembles; presenting a concert of some of our older works; producing a new music 4-day new music festival in Long Island City; and conducting an international call for scores. We plan to produce 10 concerts of new music in 2011-2012!
Please consider making a donation to RAM. Even small gifts of $10, $15, or $20 will help us to bring new music to you and our audiences. Without your generous support, our concerts would not be possible.
It’s easy to make a donation to Random Access Music with any major credit card via PayPal, a secure online payment system. Simply click on the “Donate” box and enter an amount.
You may also make a donation by standard mail. Make your check payable to “Random Access Music” and mail it to:
Random Access Music
38-11 Ditmars Blvd.
Box 102A
Astoria, NY 11105
Random Access Music is a certified 501(c)3 US non-profit corporation. All donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.
Please join us for our second concert of the season, entitled Electric Ayres. Six world premiere works composed by RAM members and performed by the URSULA ensemble will be presented twice:
Friday, May 20, 2011, 8:00 p.m.
the eGarage at the Secret Theatre, 4402 23rd Street, Studio 104
Long Island City, Queens 11101 [map]
(Subways: 7 to 45th Rd/Courthouse Square; E, M, G to 23rd St./Ely)
and
Saturday, May 21, 2011, 8:30 p.m.
Ann Goodman Recital Hall
Kaufman Center
129 West 67th Street
New York, NY 10023
(please note the 8:30 start time!)
The lineup includes new works by David Fetherolf, Andrew Lee, B. Allen Schulz, Stefan Weisman, Manly Romero, and David Nadal.
URSULA is Holly Nadal and Megan Schubert, sopranos; Silvie Jensen, Alto; Jeffrey Gavett, Baritone and Keyboards; David Nadal and Andrew Lee, Electric Guitars; and Michael McCurdy, Drums and Percussion.
The performance on May 20th in Queens is part of the inaugural season of the Long Island City Arts Open and Festival. The 2011 Festival will include workshops, musical and theatrical performances, art gallery openings, and a host of other events showcasing the wide variety of artistic activity taking place in Queens’ Long Island City.
The performance on May 20th in Queens is made possible, in part, with funding from the Queens Council on the Arts, with public funding from New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. This concert is also made possible, in part with funds from the Decentralization Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts, administered by the Queens Council on the Arts.
Both concerts are made possible, in part, with support from the Bill Graham Foundation.
RAM Noir
The composers of Random Access Music are looking forward to our first concert of the 2010-2011 season. This year, we’ll be kicking off our season by collaborating with The Gotham Ensemble. Gotham is a mixed instrumental ensemble based in New York City and led by the superb clarinetist Tom Piercy. The Gotham Ensemble premieres, performs and records a wide variety of repertoire, from the Classical to the avant-garde. A New York Times review of Gotham’s Merkin Hall, New York City, performance of a program of Olav Thommessen’s music specifically encouraged the public to go out and purchase the recordings. After a performance of Ned Rorem’s Ariel at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Mr. Rorem wrote of Gotham as one of America’s important chamber music groups performing new music today. Albany Records recently released Gotham Ensemble Plays Ned Rorem, a CD of Ned Rorem’s chamber music featuring the clarinet.
Gotham will perform 6 world premieres by RAM composers at
The Tank
354 West 45th Street (between 8th and 9th Ave.)
New York, NY
Friday, March 4, 2011 @ 7:30 p.m.
Purchase tickets
Ann Goodman Recital Hall
Kaufman Center
129 West 67th Street
New York, NY 10023
Saturday March 5, 2011 @ 8:00 p.m.
(reception in the Molly Goodman Reception Room–located next to Ann Goodman–to follow)
Purchase Tickets
Please join us for one of the performances!
Dates and ensembles have been set for the 1st year of RAM’s “Secret Series” of new music concerts. Congratulations to all who submitted proposals.
Feb. 12, 2011
Carlos Cordeiro
A Puppet’s Tale
Mar. 12, 2011
Melanie Sehman
Percussion
Apr. 9, 2011
ThingNY & Panoply Performance Laboratory
Time: A Complete Explanation in Three Parts
Apr. 30, 2011
Kevin Baldwin
Electric Saxophone
May 20, 2011
Random Access Music & URSULA
June 4, 2011
IMPULSE Ensemble
All the concerts will begin at 8:00 pm and take place at The Secret Theatre, 44-02 23rd Street, Long Island City, NY.
