News

NEWS

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Last updated: July 20, 2010.

- RECENT NEWS -

The upcoming 2009-2010 season includes the release of a CD recording of “Cantus” for trumpet and electronics on Origin Classical as well as scheduled performances of various other works at the Ravinia Festival, Tanglewood Music Center, Aspen Music Festival, Banff Centre, Symphony Space Composers Now, Sound Symposium in St. John’s (Newfoundland), Society of Composers Inc. National Student Conference, and by the Omaha Symphony, Aspen Contemporary Ensemble, Aspen Concert Orchestra, Cornell Festival Chamber Orchestra, Cornell Symphony Orchestra, Damocles Trio, Mirari Brass, Reveille Trumpet Collective, SUNY Purchase Contemporary Ensemble, University of Maryland Repertoire Orchestra, saxophonist James Noyes, sopranos Sarah Joanne Davis, Judith Kellock and Amanda Kohl, pianists Xak Bjerken and Mei Rui, violinists Joseph Lin and Elizabeth Reed Smith. Stay tuned for more information, and as more events are added to the site!

The 2008-2009 season included a reading by the American Composers Orchestra, and performances by the Cornell Contemporary Chamber Players, Cornell Wind Symphony, Damocles Trio, Indiana University New Music Ensemble, University of Maryland Wind Ensemble, and at the Spark Festival for Electronic Music and Arts, New York City Electroacoustic Music Festival (NYCEMF), and the Midwest Graduate Music Consortium at Northwestern University.

- Spring/Summer 2010 -

Eric’s “Icarus Dreamt” receives multiple performances, a premiere by the Cornell University Symphony Orchestra in May 2010, and subsequent performances by the Aspen Concert Orchestra, conducted by Jane Glover, on July 28, 2010 at the Aspen Music Festival and School, and the University of Maryland Repertoire Orchestra in November 2010. The work was performed at a public reading by the American Composers Orchestra in May 2009.

Eric’s “Three by Three” for piano was performed by Mei Rui on the June 30th Preview Concert at the Ravinia Festival in Bennett Gordon Hall. The performance preludes the Chicago Symphony Orchestra concert that evening at 8:00 p.m. For more information and to hear the performance from the festival click here.

For the second consecutive year, the Purchase Contemporary Ensemble at Purchase College will feature two works by Eric Nathan on their December concert - this December 2010 they feature “Walls of Light” for chamber ensemble and “Bright Light” for percussion quartet. The Purchase College Percussion Ensemble presents the world premiere of Bright Light at Purchase College on November 18, 2010.

The Hudson Valley Music Club presents a composer portrait concert in March 2011 of works by Eric Nathan including “Three by Three” and “Wing Over Wing,” with other works to be announced soon. See the Calendar page for information.

“Cantus” for trumpet and electronics receives radio broadcasts on the show “Music for Internets”. The broadcast recording is from John Adler’s CD “Confronting Inertia” on Origin Classical Records. The piece broadcasts July 18th at 9PM and July 19th at 2PM on WVVY 93.7 LPFM Martha’s Vineyard but may be streamed online here.

“Cantus” for trumpet and electronics will be featured at the 31st Annual New Music Festival at Bowling Green State University on October 22, 2010.

Eric has been awarded the Leonard Bernstein Fellowship to attend the Tanglewood Music Center for the summer of 2010. See the Calendar page for information about performances at Tanglewood this summer.

The Great Noise Ensemble presents a performance of “Wing Over Wing” for violin and soprano at the NewVoices@CUA Festival of New Vocal Music at the Catholic University of America on September 11, 2010.

Eric’s “One Voice” for chamber orchestra was performed by the Omaha Symphony Chamber Orchestra at the Omaha Symphony’s New Music Symposium June 1-3, 2010. “One Voice” was one of five scores chosen to be performed and workshopped with mentor composer Joseph Schwantner and Omaha Symphony conductors Thomas Wilkins and Ernest Richardson. The Cornell Festival Chamber Orchestra also presented a performance of the work (April 2010).

Eric’s “Four Sculptures” for two trumpets received its Canadian Premiere this July with the Reveille Trumpet Collective at the Sound Symposium festival in St. John’s, Newfoundland. To read the review click here (see the last three paragraphs). “Four Sculptures” receives a repeat performance by the Reveille Trumpet Collective at the Banff Centre in August 2010.

Eric received a commission to compose a new wind ensemble work, “Jump Start”, for British conductor Timothy Reynish to be published by Macaenas Music Publishing (UK). Stay tuned for the premiere in Fall 2010.

The NYC premiere of Eric’s “Gathering” for piano trio was given by the Damocles Trio at the COMPOSERS NOW Festival at Symphony Space on February 22, 2010. Click here for more information.

The Mirari Brass Quintet premiered “Spires” on their 2010 tour. “Wing Over Wing” for violin and soprano (commissioned by ASCAP and the Society of Composers Inc.) was premiered at the SCI Student National Conference at Marshall University, March 5, 2010 with a subsequent performance at Cornell University. Premieres of ”Three by Three” (2009) for solo piano, composed for pianist Mei Rui, were presented by Mei Rui and Xak Bjerken at SUNY Stony Brook and Cornell Universities, respectively.

Eric has been awarded his second ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Award. Click here to read the press release.

Eric has been awarded a 2010 Charles Ives Scholarship from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. To see the press release, click here.

CD RELEASE:

Eric’s “Cantus” for trumpet and electronics was released on trumpeter John Adler’s debut solo CD Confronting Inertia on Origin Classical in October 2009. To purchase via Amazon.com or iTunes, visit the website below:

Origin Classical: http://www.originclassical.com/c/recording.php?title=33007

A review of the CD in the February 2010 issue of Gramophone Magazine (http://gramophone.co.uk/) writes of “Cantus”: “Nathan’s exquisite ‘Cantus’ is emotion laid bare, using electronics to create a [...] sonic landscape of trumpet sounds and fears.” (Laurence Vittes, Gramophone)

- Fall 2009 -

Eric’s “Icarus Dreamt” for orchestra has been awarded the 2010 Aspen Music Festival and School’s Jacob Druckman Prize for orchestral composition. His work was selected by Maestro David Zinman and will be performed by one of the Aspen orchestras at the Aspen Music Festival in the summer of 2010.

The Mirari Brass have asked Eric to write a new work for brass quintet for performance on their Northeast tour in March 2010.

Eric received an ASCAP-PLUS Award.

- Summer 2009 -

Eric will be attending the Aspen Music Festival for the premiere of his new mixed sextet, “Walls of Light,” by the Aspen Contemporary Ensemble.

- Spring 2009 -

“Icarus Dreamt” was recently read by the American Composers Orchestra at their Underwood New Music Readings. The piece was conducted by José Serebrier at Columbia University’s Miller Theater on May 7-8, 2009. For more information, see here: http://www.americancomposers.org/press/unmr09.html

Eric was awarded 1st Prize in the 2008 ASCAP/SCI Student Commission Competition for his chamber work “Onement.” In addition to the prize, SCI will commission a new work to be premiered at a SCI National Student Conference (March 2010), as well as inclusion of the commissioned piece on the SCI CD series and SCI Journal of Music Scores.

“One Voice” for chamber orchestra was recently premiered by the Indiana University New Music Ensemble on April 21, 2009. The recording has been added to the listening section of the website.

“Falling Up” for wind ensemble (from Autumn Triptych) was recently performed by the University of Maryland Wind Ensemble (March 9, 2009), and “Fanfare” for wind ensemble was also recently performed by the Cornell Wind Symphony (March 7+12, 2009). Conductor Timothy Reynish has written on his website about both of these wind ensemble works, as well as Eric’s “Nightscape/Daybreak.” For more information: click here

“Gathering” for piano trio was premiered by the Damocles Trio; “Let Us Light” was premiered by the Community Unitarian Church Choir of White Plains, NY (directed by Lisa Meyer); and “Meditation” for solo piano was premiered by pianist Adam Kent. These three pieces were commissioned by the Community Unitarian Church as part of their centennial celebration.

Eric’s music was also performed at the Spark Festival for Electronic Music and Arts, New York City Electroacoustic Music Festival (NYCEMF), and the Midwest Graduate Music Consortium at Northwestern University.

- 2008 -

Eric was awarded the William Schuman Prize in the 2008 BMI Student Composer Awards for his orchestral work “Icarus Dreamt.” For press release: click here

Eric was awarded a 2008 ASCAP/Morton Gould Young Composer Award for his composition “Onement.” http://www.ascap.com/press/2008/0421_concertMusicAwards.aspx

Eric was awarded 2nd Prize in the 2007 National Association of Composers USA (NACUSA) Young Composer Competition for his trumpet duet “Four Sculptures.” The prize includes a possible performance on an upcoming NACUSA concert.

Eric was awarded the 2008 Dean’s Prize in Music Composition from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. The prize includes a commission (“One Voice”) for the Indiana University New Music Ensemble, to be premiered in their 2008-2009 season.

Eric was awarded the Grant for Young and Emerging Wind Band Composers from the Atlantic Coast Conference Band Directors Association (ACCBDA). This consortium commission by the 12 member schools of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is for a new three-movement work for wind ensemble - to be entitled “Autumn Triptych.” The 12 member schools of the ACC have performance exclusivity of the work until December 31, 2009 and the commissioned piece may receive up to 12 performances by the member schools.

Member schools include: Boston College, Clemson University, Duke University, Florida State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, North Carolina State University, University of Maryland, University of North Carolina, University of Miami, University of Virginia, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Wake Forest University.

Eric attended the Composers Conference at Wellesley College where his work commissioned by the Chamber Music Center and the Composers Conference, “Three Sculpture Meditations” for piano quintet, was premiered.

Eric was commissioned to compose a new multi-movement work for Piano Trio and Choir to mark the centennial of the Community Unitarian Church of White Plains, NY (1909-2009). The commissioned piece, “Centennial: A Celebration,” a 15-minute, three-movement work that includes the three works: “Gathering” for piano trio, “Meditation” for solo piano, and “Let Us Light” for solo piano and choir (SATB). The piece was premiered April 26, 2009 by the Damocles Trio, pianist Adam Kent, and the CUC Choir, directed by Lisa Meyer.

Eric received a 2008 ASCAPLUS award.

- 2007 -

Awarded the 2008 Composers Conference and Chamber Music Center Commission. As Commissioned Composer of the 2008 Composers Conference, he will be in residence during the two-week conference at Wellesley College to conduct and rehearse his commissioned piece (“Three Sculpture Meditations”) in two performances with the amateur musicians of the Chamber Music Center.

“Onement” was awarded the 2007 Brian M. Israel Prize from the New York Federation of Music Clubs. The work will be performed by the Syracuse Society for New Music in their 2007-2008 season.

Eric attended the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music Music07 Festival where his “Rothko Musings” for Bass Trombone and Percussion was performed.

Eric received a fellowship to the Wellesley Composers Conference where his “Onement” will be performed.

Eric received a 2007 ASCAPLUS award.

- 2006 -

“Nightscape/Daybreak” awarded honorable mention in the 2006 ASCAP/CBDNA Frederick Fennell Prize.

“Nightscape/Daybreak” chosen by the Virginia Chapter of the College Band Directors National Association for its Symposium 32 for New Band Music to be one of three featured works at the festival. Eric will conduct his work with the Virginia Intercollegiate Band and will serve as a guest composer of the festival. Trumpet professor John Adler will perform the solo trumpet part of NIghtscape/Daybreak. The festival takes place at Virginia Tech in February 2007.

Eric was awarded the Beekman Canon Friends of Music Prize from Yale College and the Paul F. Festersen Award from the Yale Bands.

“Nightscape/Daybreak” was performed by the Nishi High School Band in Hakodate, Japan with Yoshiaki Onishi conducting.

“Collage Ritmico” was performed by the Yale Symphony Orchestra (Toshiyuki Shimada, conductor) on their Pacific Northwest Tour (Seattle, WA; Portland, OR; Vancouver, Canada; and Bellingham, WA).