South Oxford 6 now accepting applications for composition seminar in Serbia

Summer in Sombor 2008 is a week-long composition seminar led by the members of the South Oxford Six composers collective. Held in beautiful Sombor, Serbia, this seminar is an opportunity for 12 students to spend a week with the members of the collective and a resident ensemble, Season String Quartet, exploring the art and craft of composition from a variety of perspectives. The seminar includes group sessions, individual instruction, guest lectures, quartet rehearsals and concerts. Instruction is in English, and this year’s dates are July 21-27.

The South Oxford Six met as participants in the inaugural season of American Opera Projects’ “Composers and the Voice” series, with meetings held on South Oxford Street in Brooklyn. Together they present concerts of their work, create new collaborative works, and mentor younger composers. For full details, application materials, and a video highlighting last year’s Sombor experience, see www.southoxfordsix.org.

The Music of Tobias Picker Showcased at Dicapo Opera Theatre

The Music of Tobias Picker Showcased at Dicapo Opera Theatre

On Saturday, February 2 at 8:00 PM New York’s Dicapo Opera Theatre presents The Music of Tobias Picker: a full evening of selected scenes and arias from the composer’s acclaimed operas Emmeline, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Therese Raquin and An American Tragedy. Following a successful run of Therese Raquin in its chamber version last February, Picker was appointed to the position of Artistic Advisor to Dicapo. The Music of Tobias Picker is Dicapo’s first presentation of Picker’s music since his appointment. The scenes and arias will be performed by the young singers in Dicapo’s Resident Artists program. In addition to his counsel on repertoire and artistic planning, Mr. Picker has been actively working with the Resident Artists in developing their craft. For the February 2 program, Mr. Picker selected each of the singers and has personally coached them for this performance. Accompanying the singers on February 2 will be British pianist and composer Simon Mulligan.In other Picker happenings, his lush orchestral tone poem Old and Lost Rivers will be performed by the Redwood Symphony of Belmont, California, under conductor Eric Kujawsky on Wednesday, February 9 and his Suite, for cello and piano, can be heard at Temple University’s Rock Hall in Philadelphia with cellist Jeffrey Solow and pianist Charles Abramovic on Tuesday, February 5. Tobias Picker is a Composer Chair for AOP’s annual series Composers & the Voice.

Lee Hoiby’s Summer Suite Given World Premiere

Lee Hoiby’s Summer Suite Given World Premiere by Austin Peay State University Wind Ensemble

On February 25 the Austin Peay State University Wind Ensemble under conductor Greg Wolynec performs the world premiere of Lee Hoiby’s Summer Suite, the composer’s first work scored for wind ensemble. The band work was commissioned by Austin Peay State University expressly for the university wind ensemble. The composer elaborates on the history of the piece: Summer Suite is a transcription for concert band of one of my first orchestral works. The last movement is a rousing parade, and when the opportunity presented itself last year I decided to recast it for concert band. Greg Wolynec and his players at Austin Peay State University enjoyed it sufficiently to encourage me to work on the first two movements for them. Rethinking the first movement (which was originally titled Scherzo) was a challenge and education, particularly in dealing with the lack of high strings, and tempo considerations. The second movement was a piece of cake, and I’m especially pleased with the way the long theme fits the french horn. I feel like my twenty-six year old self has made a gift to my present self. Lee Hoiby is the composer of several works produced by AOP including “The Darkling Thrush”, Geographies & Selves, and the World Professional Premiere of This is the Rill Speaking in April 2008.