We’re pleased to announce our second collaborating ensemble for the 2009-2010 season: the Anubis Saxophone Quartet. We will present a concert with 6 world premieres, including the winner of our second annual call for scores. The concert in tentatively scheduled for May 22, 2010 at the historic Saint Peter’s Church in Chelsea, 346 West 20th Street (between 8th and 9th Avenues).

 
 The Anubis Saxophone Quartet is Sean Patayanikorn, Allison Balcetis, Ryan Muncy, and David Wegehaupt. Anubis is a new-generation modular saxophone ensemble committed to the creation, progression, and performance of new art music. The quartet establishes a symbolic connection between Anubis, the Egyptian God of the Underworld, and the volatile yet sensual world of sound, color, and transformation which is vital to contemporary music. Since they were formed in 2007, the group has quickly gained regard as one of North America’s major contemporary saxophone ensembles, having been guest artists at Bowling Green State University and at the North American Saxophone Alliance Biennial conference in Columbia, South Carolina. In addition to a Chicago debut performance at Nichols Concert Hall of the Music Institute of Chicago, engagements during the previous concert season included the presentation of new works in Bangkok, Thailand at the World Saxophone Congress, and a performance at the NASA Region IX conference in Edmonton, Alberta. The quartet has premiered works by Mikel Kuehn, Philippe Laval, Claudio Gabriele, Thierry Alla and Vincent Bouchot.

The composers of Random Access Music are excited about working with Anubis. Some mp3s of their work may be listened to below:

Durch by Fabien Levy

Rasch by Franco Donatoni

Rasch II by Franco Donatoni

Chace  by Anonymous, arr. Salvadore Sciarrino

Chose Grave sans Consequence by Philippe Laval

We’re excited to announce that the composers of Random Access Music will be working with two collaborators this up-coming season. Our first collaboration will be with violinist and concertmaster of the Austin Symphony, Jessica Mathaes.

Jessica and her accompanist will come to NYC to perform six new works on Saturday, February 13, 2010. While Jessica keeps busy as the youngest-ever concertmaster of the Austin Symphony, she is also developing her solo career. Jessica has recently released a CD with her accompanist, Rodney Waters on Centaur Records called Suites & Sweets, which includes music by Cowell, Stravinsky, Korngold, de Falla, Ravel, and Massenet.

We’re looking forward to writing new works for Jessica and to working with her next season.

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Random Access Music is proud to welcome our newest member, Andrew McKenna Lee. Andrew will be sitting in with us for this year, and will be participating in all of our collaboration concerts this year. We’re looking forward to hearing his music. We’ll be posting Andrew’s bio and other information to the site soon.

We’ll also be announcing our two collaborative ensembles in the next few weeks. Please check next week for all the details.

Random Access Music and the Lost Dog New Music Ensemble will, once again, team up to present a concert of 6 world premieres:

B. Allen Schulz Crazy Cat Lady for solo Flute
Jonathan Pieslak Shards for solo Piano
Erin Rogers  Rise Up Singing for Clarinet and Violoncello
Manly Romero Three Songs for a Wedding for Baritone and Piano
David Fetherolf Septuagenaria for Violin, Violoncello, and Piano
Massimo Lauricella Eco di un tempo perduto for Flute, Clarinet, Violin, Violoncello, and Piano

Please join us for one of our two concert dates:

Thursday, April 23, 2009 @ 8:00 p.m.
venue: Waltz-Astoria, 23-14 Ditmars Blvd., Astoria, Queens

or

Saturday, April 25, 2009 @ 8:00 p.m.
venue: University of the Streets, 130 E. 7th Street, New York, NY

Tickets will be $20 at the door, or may be purchased online for $15.

Joining the Lost Dog New Music Ensemble will be guest artists Theodore Sipes, Baritone, and Erica Sipes, Piano. The Lost Dog New Music Ensemble is Christine Perea, Flute; Thomas Piercy, Clarinet; Miranda Cuckson, Violin; Emily Brausa, Violoncello; and Laura Barger, Piano.

RAM and the Lost Dog New Music Ensemble will once again collaborate to present a concert of world and US premieres. We’ll be presenting two concerts:

Thursday, April 23, 2009 @ 8:00 p.m.
venue: Waltz-Astoria, 23-14 Ditmars Blvd., Astoria, Queens

and

Saturday, April 25, 2009 @ 8:00 p.m.
venue: University of the Streets, 130 E. 7th Street, New York, NY

Lost Dog will be performing new works by B. Allen Schulz, Jonathan Pieslak, David Fetherolf, Manly Romero, Erin Rogers, and the winner of the 2009 RAM call for scores, Massimo Lauricella.

Please join us for one (or both!) of these concerts.

We’re proud to announce the winner of our 2009 call for scores:

Massimo Lauricella (Italy) for his work entitled Eco di un tempo perduto (in memoria di Arnold Schonberg) for Fl., Cl., Vn., Vc., and Piano

Mr. Lauricella will receive a performance of his work by the Lost Dog New Music Ensemble in New York City this April. (We are trying to arrange a second performance at this time. We’ll announce those details as soon as our plans are solidified.)

Out of the 122 composers who submitted works anonymously, we would like to recognize 7 composers (in alphabetical order) whose works the judges deemed to be exceptional:

 
l’appel
by Philippe Bodin (Brooklyn, NY)
 

Peripeteia
by Richard Festinger (Richmond, CA)
 

Confession
by Vera Ivanova (Orange, CA)

Memoir of Dong-Hak
by Hee Yun Kim (Champaign, IL)
 

Concert House
by Alex Kotch (Durham, NC)
 

One More Moment
by Philip Schuessler (Champaign, IL)

Five Elements
by Peiying Yuan (Kansas City)

These 7 composers and Mr. Lauricella were the finalists culled from the entire list of submissions, and their compositions were still anonymous when we selected our winner from this group.

If you’d like to know more about our judging process, we have created a page that explains it in detail, along with some caveats about how to give yourself the best chance to break through a deluge of submissions.

Again, congratulations to Massimo Lauricella.

We’d like to announce our upcoming collaboration with the Lost Dog New Music Ensemble. Please join us on Friday, April 24, 2009, 8:00 pm, at the
LaGuardia Performing Arts Center - Little Theater (31-10 Thompson Ave., Long Island City, NY 11101) for the premieres of 5 new works by the composers of Random Access Music. As a special treat, we’re going to be choosing a work from an open call for scores and including it on the concert. As soon as we make our choice (mid-february), we’ll announce the winner.

Ram is excited to announce our first open call for scores. We are looking for adventurous new music, regardless of style. One winning composition will be performed at RAM’s 2009 spring concert with the Lost Dog New Music Ensemble.

Please submit a solo or chamber ensemble work 6-12 minutes in length, and scored for any of the following instruments (no more than one per part):  flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano.

Submission materials:

        • one score

        • CD recording (encouraged but not required)

        • composer’s name, address, phone number, and e-mail address

Key materials must be submitted ANONYMOUSLY. Only the title of the piece and instrumentation may appear on the score and CD. On a separate sheet, the composer will provide full name, address, phone number and email address. Materials will be returned only if a self-addressed stamped envelope is enclosed.

All submissions must be received on or by Feb. 1, 2009.

RAM was founded in 2005 to help composers find performance opportunities with like-minded performing ensembles and individuals.  

Mail materials to:

Jonathan Pieslak

CCNY Music Department

Shepard Hall, Rm. 72

160 Convent Avenue

New York, NY 10031

I’d like to take this platform to second Allen’s message. IKTUS gave us six incredible performances on Saturday night, both a reflection of their exceptional hard work and extraordinary ensemble skills. The composers of RAM are priviledged and thankful to have had the opportunity to work with such a talented and dedicated group. We look forward to collaborating with Chris, Danielle, Justin and Roy again soon!

Highly recommend you check out IKTUS on Thursday, Nov. 20th at 1pm, at Trinity Church (74 Trinity Place, New York, New York 10006) with works by Ligeti, Wolf, White, and Reich.

Best wishes!
Erin