EarShot ICO Readings & Competition: Composer Spotlight - Reinaldo Moya

Composer Reinaldo Moya’s music has been performed in Germany, Colombia, Brazil, Australia, Argentina, Venezuela and throughout the US by performers such as the New Jersey Symphony, the Juilliard Orchestra, the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela, the Da Capo Chamber Players, the Attacca Quartet, Zeitgeist, The St. Olaf Orchestra, as well as musicians from the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Minnesota Orchestra and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, and Alarm Will Sound, among others. He is the recipient of the 2015 McKnight Composers Fellowship, the Van Lier Fellowship from Meet the Composer, and the Aaron Copland Award from the Copland House.

Reinaldo has been commissioned by the Minnesota Opera to write a new opera as part of Minnesota Opera’s initiative Project Opera. An adaptation of Will Weaver’s book Memory Boy, the opera has a libretto by Mark Campbell and was premiered in the spring of 2016. Excerpts from his opera Generalissimo have been performed at Symphony Space, and Weill Recital Hall in Carnegie Hall. He graduated from The Juilliard School with both Master’s and Doctorate degrees, under the tutelage of Samuel Adler and Robert Beaser. Reinaldo is Assistant Professor of Composition at Augsburg College in Minneapolis, and has served on the faculty at St. Olaf, and Macalester colleges in Minnesota.

Reinaldo was selected for the 2016 EarShot Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra Readings & Competition for his piece Passacaglia for Orchestra. He answered these questions for SoundAdvice. 

Composer Reinaldo Moya

The readings are free and open to the public on Friday, September 23, 7PM at the Howard L. Schrott Center for the Arts.

American Composers Orchestra: You are an accomplished composer of opera, with a commission from Minnesota Opera that was premiered last spring and many performances of excerpts from your opera Generalissimo in New York City. Without the ability to directly communicate text or story in an instrumental work for orchestra, what artistic force do you find is lost or gained as a composer?

Reinaldo Moya: I don't necessarily think of it as a loss. I think different kinds of composing offer different possibilities for expression. While I do enjoy having the directness of the word, the sheer power of the orchestra to evoke emotions and paint aural pictures is perhaps unequaled in music. I'm just glad to have the opportunity to do both and go back and forth. I find that this process is beneficial to both my vocal music and my orchestral music. My music with text gets richer after I've worked on something orchestral, and my orchestra music grows as well after I've spent some time setting words to music. It's a wonderful and invigorating process.

ACO: Your Passacaglia for Orchestra uses a bass-ostinato with continuing variations above it. Can you talk about this bass line and the compositional process that brought you to it?

RM: The Passacaglia idea has intrigued me for a long time. It seems so simple, you take something that on its own might not be that remarkable (in the case of my piece a descent from the tonic to the dominant) and layer things on top of it, or around it. Then you see what comes out. It turned out to be harder than I thought but I really enjoyed the challenge.

In the case of this piece, my friend William Harvey, the founder and director of Cultures and Harmony (and a native of Indianapolis), had asked me to write this piece to celebrate 10 years of his organization going around the world and making music together. The idea of viewing the repeating bass line as a metaphor for our common humanity across cultural barriers really spoke to me. Despite all of our differences on the surface, underneath it all, we're all people with a deep desire to get along and lead fulfilling lives. I wish I'd come up with this metaphor myself, because I think it's fantastic, but once I heard it, it really inspired a lot of the piece.

ACO: What was your reaction to finding our your piece had been selected for the 2016 Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra Readings and Competition?

RM: I was actually overseas in Venezuela visiting family when I received the call. So, after I came back to the US and checked my phone, I had all of these voicemails, and when I listened to the one where it said I'd been selected, I had to pinch myself. It seemed kind of surreal. Once I called Greg Evans at ACO back, he confirmed it for me and then I was super thrilled.

ACO: What are you most looking forward to about the readings?

RM: Writing an orchestral work is a labor of love. It takes many hours of solitary work. After all of that, many of our pieces go unheard. The reasons are diverse, but it usually boils down to resources. Hearing a new orchestral piece live requires a lot of highly skilled people, and those wonderful performers do not come cheap. For me, the biggest reward that I will have this week is getting to share my music with an audience. It will now live outside of my head and be brought into existence by these wonderful musicians. The countless hours of lonely work will hopefully lead to an opportunity to have a shared moment, and I consider myself so lucky to have that opportunity.

Besides that, I'm very excited to get to make some new friends, hear wonderful new pieces, get some ideas, learn about the orchestra and get to work with the mentor composers. I'm so glad that these days here in Indianapolis will bring together so many talented, and generous people in the pursuit of musical beauty, and excellence.

EarShot ICO Readings & Competition: Composer Spotlight - David A. Jones

Composer and horn player David A. Jones, from Olympia, Washington, is inspired by the music of Stravinsky, Debussy, Hindemith, Holst, and many others. David’s works include music for orchestra, wind band, string quartet, brass quintet, percussion ensemble, choir, and a variety of other ensembles.

David is a recent recipient of the 2015 Barlow Student Composition Award at BYU, won second prize in the 2016 Vera Hinckley Mayhew Composition Contest, and was one of fifteen winners selected in Vox Novus’s “Fifteen Minutes of Fame: Nautilus Brass Quintet” call for scores in 2014. He has had works premiered by the BYU Chamber Orchestra, the Nautilus Brass Quintet, the BYU-Idaho Symphony Band, and the RixStix Percussion Ensemble. He is currently studying for his Master’s in composition at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, where he lives with his wife and child. David graduated with a Bachelor of Musical Arts in Composition at Brigham Young University – Idaho in July 2015, where he studied with Darrell Brown.

David was selected for the 2016 EarShot Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra Readings & Competition for his piece Aspen. He answered these questions for SoundAdvice. 

The readings are free and open to the public on Friday, September 23, 7PM at the Howard L. Schrott Center for the Arts.

Composer David A. Jones

American Composers Orchestra: What was your reaction to finding our your piece had been selected for the 2016 Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra Readings and Competition?

David A. Jones: Honestly, I was quite surprised and amazed that my piece had won a contest of this caliber. I've learned in recent years that a composer really shouldn't enter contests like this expecting to actually win; the sheer number of applicants and the rigorous and subjective selection process involved makes one's chances of winning somewhat akin to winning the lottery. But that knowledge made me all the more thrilled and honored when I was informed that my piece had been selected for the ICO readings. I feel especially humbled after reading the profiles and listening to the music of the other winners; it's an honor to be in the company of such talented and well-established composers.

ACO: You write that your piece seeks to capture the unique quality of aspen trees, which do not grow as individual trees but rather grow as colonies, all connected by their roots. Can you talk about your compositional process and how you went about conveying this idea through music?

DAJ: Aspen began with a few motivic ideas and gestures, or "seeds," which are presented towards the beginning of the piece and which grow and develop and take new shapes throughout the piece. Some of these ideas are developed intentionally and concretely through the written music, but in many instances I've left it up to the performers to develop the gestures freely by means of unmetered, aleatoric sections. By tending carefully to the growth and development of these ideas, I sought to create a piece that is unified in its melodic and harmonic content, but which is allowed to expand and evolve organically.

ACO: What have you done to prepare for the readings since you found out your piece was selected?

DAJ: After I was informed that my piece was selected, I was instructed to send the score and a few of the parts to Bill Holab, a professional engraver, to look over and give suggestions on. His recommendations required a major overhaul of the format of the score and parts to bring them up to professional standards, and the changes took almost an entire week to complete. To my chagrin, even after making all of those changes, I still found a few obnoxious engraving errors in the score and parts after they had all been printed.

ACO: What are you most looking forward to about the readings?

DAJ: What I'm most looking forward to about the readings is the opportunity to meet and interact with professional performers and composers.  I think this is a wonderful opportunity to form relationships with other musicians and share ideas with them, and to continue to improve my own abilities and develop my career as a composer. I'm grateful for the chance to hear my music realized by a professional ensemble, but as a student composer, I'm especially grateful for the opportunity for my music to break out of the university environment and to be heard in the professional realm.

Learn more about David at www.davidajonescomposer.com

EarShot ICO Readings & Competition: Composer Spotlight - Jessica Rudman

Connecticut-based composer Jessica Rudman has had her music performed across the US and abroad by groups such as the International Contemporary Ensemble, the Cadillac Moon Ensemble, Mivos Quartet, the Omaha Symphony Chamber Orchestra, and the Yakima Symphony Orchestra. She has received awards from Boston Metro Opera, SCI/ASCAP, the College Music Society, the International Alliance for Women in Music, and others. Her recent commissions include works for the Riot Ensemble, the Blue Box Ensemble, bassist Gahlord Dewald, and the Hartford Independent Chamber Orchestra. Jessica has taught at The Hartt School, Central Connecticut State University, and Baruch College. She is currently the Director of the Young Composers Project and the Chair of the Creative Studies Department at The Hartt School Community Division. Jessica is also an active music theorist and arts advocate, serving on the board of the Women Composers Festival of Hartford. She holds degrees from the CUNY Graduate Center, The Hartt School, and the University of Virginia.

Jessica was selected for the 2016 EarShot Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra Readings & Competition for her piece Still I Rise! She answered these questions for SoundAdvice. 

The readings are free and open to the public on Friday, September 23, 7PM at the Howard L. Schrott Center for the Arts.

Composer Jessica Rudman

American Composers Orchestra: What was your reaction to finding our your piece had been selected for the 2016 Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra Readings and Competition?

Jessica Rudman: When I first found out, I was completely surprised! I had just finished a day of teaching at a summer composition workshop for pre-college students when I got the news and had to hold myself back from yelling or jumping up and down in excitement outside the building. I enjoyed the happy energy for about a night and then channeled it into getting the piece ready for the readings. Now that the score and parts have been sent off, I can’t wait to come out to Indianapolis to work with the orchestra and the mentors! 

ACO: Your piece is named after Maya Angelou’s eponymous poem Still I Rise! What drew you to this poem and the subject of perseverance against adversity as the inspiration for your piece?

JR: I love poetry and am often inspired by text, even in purely instrumental works. I began Still I Rise! when I was at the Atlantic Center for the Arts (a wonderful place for creativity and productivity!) and sketched out a large chunk of the music very quickly. After that initial burst, I had a general idea of the shape and emotional content for the piece but wanted a more concrete direction, so I started searching for some additional inspiration. When I read Angelou’s poem, it immediately resonated with the music I had written so far. I was drawn not only to the vivid language but also to the poem’s irrepressible spirit and message. I think most people can relate to the idea of overcoming adversity whether it be social or other, and I wanted to explore that universal theme in my composition.    

ACO: Aside from being an accomplished composer, you are an active arts advocate, serving on the board of the Women Composers Festival of Hartford. Can you talk about the ways you are currently celebrating the music of women composers, and the ways you hope to in the future?

JR: I’ve been involved with the Women Composers Festival of Hartford in various roles since 2005. As part of the board, I help produce an annual Festival featuring concerts, talks, workshops, and reading sessions. We present music by historical and living composers from across the U.S. and abroad, and commission new works as well. We are planning to continue offering the festival but are also hoping to extend our outreach and advocacy activities throughout the year.  

In addition to my work with the WCFH, I also try to encourage young women to compose. I teach composition through the Hartt Community Division, and am working to build the program in a way that shows all students have the potential to write their own music. For the most part, this is done through subtle means – making sure that publicity materials reflect a diverse study body, exposing students to the music of women composers in listening assignments, etc. – but also through informal mentoring.   

Lastly, participating in concerts and various service or outreach-related activities gives me an opportunity to meet students and community members, many of whom may not be familiar with contemporary concert music.  They see that there are living composers, including women, who are working today. I strongly believe the personal connection can help to change people’s perception of what a composer should be and to show that composition is a possible career path or creative outlet for music lovers regardless of external factors like gender.    

ACO: What are you most looking forward to about the readings?

JR: I am very excited to hear not only my piece but those of my fellow participants brought to life by the ICO. Working with such high-caliber musicians, mentors, and colleagues is an amazing opportunity, and I am looking forward to absorbing all of the feedback and applying it in my future work as a composer and teacher!

Learn more about Jessica at www.jessicarudman.com

Follow her on Twitter, Soundcloud, and YouTube

EarShot ICO Readings & Competition: Composer Spotlight - Aaron Severini

Composer Aaron Severini has written works for concert, dance, film, television, and new media. Aaron earned his Bachelor of Music degree at The Juilliard School, studying composition with Christopher Rouse. After a successful career dancing professionally with New York City Ballet, he is now pursuing his Master of Music degree in composition at Juilliard where he is studying with John Corigliano. Aaron’s unique background and talents have drawn special attention – most recently Hilary Hahn and Cory Smythe premiered Aaron’s Catch as an encore during their recital at Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco, CA. The San Francisco Examiner called it, “a lively bundle of manic energy that could not have made for a better encore.” Previous awards and honors include the 2015 Juilliard Orchestra Competition for Sleet, the ASCAP Foundation Morton Gould Young Composer Award, and multiple ASCAP Plus awards. A native of Greenfield, Massachusetts, Aaron lives in New York City.

Aaron was selected for the 2016 EarShot Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra Readings & Competition for his piece Sleet. He answered these questions for SoundAdvice. 

The readings are free and open to the public on Friday, September 23, 7PM at the Howard L. Schrott Center for the Arts.

Composer Aaron Severini 

American Composers Orchestra: Can you talk about the ways dance and your career as a ballet dancer influence your music?

Aaron Severini: That’s a great question. My knowledge about music originated early on from my training as a dancer. Certainly, moving to music and learning about timing, phrasing, and syncopation as a dancer all impact the music I write today. As well, the adrenalin rush and energy I felt later in my career as a performer often finds its way into many of my compositions. When I first joined New York City Ballet (NYCB) I became obsessed with Stravinsky ballets and would often go to their orchestra rehearsals in the David H. Koch Theater to listen and watch from the edge of the stage. Those experiences were very influential for me as I began to compose more music. Additionally, while at NYCB, I would find time to study various scores and play or imitate them at the piano, including Stravinsky’s Symphony in Three Movements and Concerto in D (The Cage), Hindemith’s Kammermusik No. 2, Adam’s Fearful Symmetries, Gottschalk’s Tarantella, Gould’s Interplay, Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 1 in D Major, Op. 19, Ravel’s Valses Nobles et Sentimentales (La Valse), and many Hershy Kay orchestral arrangements. For me, it was an invaluable learning experience to have been immersed in NYCB’s repertoire for so many years.

ACO: You write that Sleet is influenced by your experiences as a dancer with New York City Ballet and studying composition at Juilliard – the “power, nerve, excitement, anticipation, fear, femininity, masculinity, and childlike exuberance.” What are the major similarities between your experiences as a dancer and a composer? What are the major differences?

AS: There are definitely numerous similarities I have found between my experience as a professional dancer and as a composer. Both require a similar intensity in discipline and focus. They both draw on one’s musicality and creativity. As well, the feeling of mental exhaustion after composing without pause for a long period of time likens itself to the way the body feels after performing a difficult ballet or a program of several demanding ballets. One main difference between the two art forms, and a quite obvious one, is physical activity. There can be hours of physical stagnation when composing a piece and it is important to find a healthy balance. I realized this after experiencing lower back problems about two years ago. Funny enough, I ended up seeing the same physical therapist that I had gone to while dancing with NYCB. Of course, it was humorous this time around because it was due to a lack of physical activity rather than over exertion. An additional difference is that composers tend to work in isolated environments during their creative process. By contrast, dancers work in a much more social environment. They collaborate in the moment with their fellow colleagues and create new works directly with the choreographer or learn previous works from a répétiteur.

ACO: Your piece Sleet won the 2015 Juilliard Orchestra Competition, so it's safe to say the work already holds tremendous merit. What about it do you hope to improve upon at the ICO Readings?

AS: It was an amazing experience to have Sleet performed by the Juilliard Orchestra under the direction of Jeffrey Milarsky in 2015. To have the piece played again by the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra under the direction of Matthew Kraemer this year is a tremendous honor. In preparation for the readings, I adapted Sleet to accommodate ICO’s instrumentation requirements. The composition originally included a larger wind, brass, percussion, and string section. Therefore, I reworked musical material and revised dynamics and various markings throughout the piece. During the ICO Readings, I hope to improve upon technical and musical elements within the revised score as well as apply what I have learned to the original orchestration of Sleet.

ACO: What are you most looking forward to about the readings?

AS: Being a part of the ICO Readings is an extraordinary and unique opportunity. I am most looking forward to hearing all the new works and learning as much as I can from my fellow participants as well as from Music Director Matthew Kraemer, principal ICO musicians, and mentor composers Melinda Wagner, Michael Schelle, and ACO’s Artistic Director Laureate Robert Beaser.

Learn more about Aaron at www.aaronseverini.com

EarShot ICO Readings & Competition: Composer Spotlight - Karena Ingram

Karena Ingram is an emerging contemporary composer based in Baltimore, Maryland. Karena composes for contemporary chamber ensembles, large symphonic works, video games, and interactive media. Her chamber ensemble works have been performed regularly throughout the Baltimore area, most notably as a part of the Livewire New Music Festival. Karena’s music is known for its imaginative use of color and textural exploration. Beginning her musical career at the age of nine, with self-teaching in violin and music theory, she is a recent graduate of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, receiving her Bachelor of Arts in music composition.

Karena was selected for the 2016 EarShot Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra Readings & Competition for her piece Animals of the Soltice; Calm of the Equinox. She answered these questions for SoundAdvice. 

The readings are free and open to the public on Friday, September 23, 7PM at the Howard L. Schrott Center for the Arts.

Composer Karena Ingram

American Composers Orchestra: What was your reaction to finding our your piece had been selected for the 2016 Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra Readings and Competition?

Karena Ingram: I was extremely enthusiastic when I first learned that my piece had been selected! I was so shocked, I could barely speak coherently on the phone! I knew that the competition was wildly competitive, so to know that my art was enjoyed enough by ACO that they wanted to include it in the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra readings, I was blown away! Overwhelming, but exciting!

ACO: Can you talk about your compositional process? Your piece “creates a narrative of a lively and bombastic progression animals from the summer solstice to the calm and tranquil autumn equinox.” Did you start with this idea, or did it naturally form as you started to put music on the page?

KI: For my composition process, I begin with a small concept and match it with a small musical idea. As I dive deeper into the concept, the music unravels and comes to life. For this piece, specifically, I began with just the idea of the summer solstice and autumn equinox; I focused on what made the two distinct from each other, and from that created a simple form for the entire piece. The music really took shape and character once I explored concepts of the zodiac constellations that are seen during these periods. I like to start work from a small cell, and as my imagination grows, the music grows into something alive and dynamic. 

ACO: What have you done to prepare for the readings since you found out your piece was selected?

KI: Of course, a lot of proper preparation of scores and parts and other materials has been done since finding out my piece was chosen, but the biggest preparation so far has been my confidence. I've always dealt with bouts of Imposter’s Syndrome, and faced with such an amazing opportunity, I ran across some self-doubt and disbelief. I've done a lot to realize myself as a composer and an artist, found the great amount of worth in my work, and now I am more than ready to participate in the readings with great optimism! 

ACO: What are you most looking forward to about the readings?

KI: I'm really excited to hear such great musicians bring this musical narrative to life! It'll be such a great learning experience to work with a professional ensemble so intimately. I am also really excited to hear the works of the other winning composers!

Learn more about Karena at www.karenaingrammusic.com

Buffalo Philharmonic JCOI: Composer Spotlight - Gene Knific

Pianist, composer and arranger Gene Knific has performed worldwide at major festivals in the United States, Russia, Denmark, Italy, and Mozambique, appearing with Joe Lovano, the Western Jazz Quartet, Kevin Mahogany, Roseanne Vitro, Kate Reid, Bobby Shew, and The Tom Knific Quartet. Gene also leads The Gene Knific Trio in original works and unique explorations of classical and modern genres. An active composer in both jazz and chamber music settings, Gene has written for the Stamps Foundation Distinguished Ensembles featuring guitarist/singer Steve Miller among other works. He received a grant from the Knight Foundation for the production of a self-produced feature film and is also the recipient of 7 Down Beat Music Awards for his performances and compositions in jazz and contemporary categories. Gene studied with Shelly Berg, Martin Bejerano, Lansing McLoskey, and Terence Blanchard at University of Miami Frost School of Music where he earned degrees in jazz performance and composition.

Gene participated in the Jazz Composers Orchestra Institute (JCOI) Summer Intensive last year and answered these questions for SoundAdvice. His piece Relapse will be workshopped and read at the Buffalo Philharmonic JCOI Readings, Wednesday, September 21, 2016 at Kleinhans Music Hall.

Composer and pianist Gene Knific

American Composers Orchestra: You are an accomplished performer as well as composer and arranger, with your own trio and appearances with some of the world's top jazz musicians. Can you talk about your experience when you are solely the composer, off stage and a spectator? What aspects of this role do you enjoy, not enjoy?

Gene Knific: I really do enjoy hearing my music from off stage. It can feel very relieving to have finished a work and to not have to worry about presenting it on top of all of the work that went into writing it. This is especially the case when I write to others’ performing strengths that are not my own. However, I do feel like I am presenting my music most honestly when I am on the stage. I am continuously striving to blend both my performing and composing careers. 

ACO: You are an active composer in both jazz and chamber music settings. In your opinion, where does classical and jazz music overlap? Where does it vary?

GK: It’s very hard to talk about music in terms of “classical” and “jazz” in the 21st century. Since the early 20th century and first sightings of jazz we’ve seen composers with classical training directly emulate aspects of jazz, and jazz musicians trained in classical repertoire. If working with ACO taught me anything, the walls have been coming down for a long, long time. In addition, when we say the term “jazz” we are referring to an extremely large range of styles of playing and repertoire, many with contradicting aesthetics - the same goes for “classical” music. 

I think it’s much more accurate to speak of these musics in terms of the people involved. Duke Ellington, a master composer who drew from both “jazz” and “classical” creative wells, wrote the names of the musicians in his orchestra directly on his scores, instead of “trumpet I, trumpet II, etc.” Different facets of music overlap when talented, open-minded musicians take on music that they may not be initially comfortable with. Musicians with more exclusively a chamber background can explore improvisation in new works of music. Musicians with more of a jazz background can explore “classical” playing styles and articulations. This is happening with more and more frequency. A growing number of musicians are training themselves in both “jazz” and “classical” historical practices equally. I find this very exciting, and a lot of amazing music is being written and performed with deep historical context and a genuinely open mind.

If you are speaking of Beethoven vs. Ellington, of course you can nit pick the musical elements that overlap and vary. However, in present times, the music varies when we ourselves decide to put up barriers.

ACO: Your write that your piece Relapse “reflects struggles with addiction, the various psychological effects of using, and the public association of drugs with jazz with reference to various interviews, biographies, and articles on the subject.” Can you talk about any specific musical elements that convey these aspects? How do you reference these interviews, biographies, and articles through music?

GK: First, I’d like to elaborate a little bit on the concept. Being a white kid born in 1992 in Kalamazoo, Michigan, it can be easy to feel pretty distant from the genius musicians and composers of the 1940’s bebop scene of New York, both musically and culturally. Many of the musicians who collaborated during that period have passed away. Even my own teachers in jazz (incredible as they are) have been at least few generations removed. For me, it is striking when I have the chance to hear an older master musician say the phrase “when I played with Charlie Parker…” because for me, that period of time is drenched in a sort of nostalgia similarly reserved for the likes of turn-of-the-20th Century Paris. One heavily romanticized aspect of jazz from the mid-20th Century I consistently come across is drug use. 

I find it interesting that, after their music, the second thing I learned about jazz icons such as Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, and Bill Evans, is their drug use. I’m sure it is similar for many who learn about these musicians in a historical context. It should be noted that there have always been attempts to disparage Black art music in America, and that I would be surprised if the inflation of this image of jazz musicians and drug use wasn’t related. Conversely, in many situations I have heard very young jazz musicians comment on how heroin abuse may have helped the legends play better. A notable heroin resurgence occurred in New York in the 90’s within jazz circles - some quoting this romanticized aspect as a cause. 

Alright, now to address your question. I thought Berlioz’ iconic 19th century orchestral work, Symphonie Fantastique, a programatic piece about an artist overdosing on opiates, would be a great bridge conceptually bringing in my inspiration for the piece to the orchestra. The piece takes on the concept “the visions of an artist on opiates” but rather from the perspective of a jazz musician at a gig vaguely in the late 40’s-60’s. First we hear a solo piano intro quasi-a la Oscar Peterson that quotes Berlioz’ main theme. The orchestra begins to layer in and we eventually have begun the “tune” - which is a variation of a blues form. Various aspects of a typical jazz performance are heard - “solos” emerge, although not improvised, different small group and big band textures are emulated, and a “rhythm section” is established in the orchestra. We then begin to feel the effects of the jazz musician’s drug use - from nodding off into a blissfully serene daze to the feeling of reality being stripped away. I employ textures derived from composers such as Béla Bartók and György Ligeti to achieve some of these effects.

ACO: Can you talk about your experience at the JCOI Intensive? What aspects of your piece were influenced by techniques you learned or ideas you encountered during the program?

GK: The JCOI Intensive was incredible enlightening. I had always had a deep interest in the histories of jazz and classical music and how they have interacted. The lectures at the intensive taught me that these histories have been intermingling for longer and more intimately that I could ever had imagined. It really helped me feel validated in my intuitions as a young composer, but also I found that I had a lot more to learn. Perhaps the best part for me was meeting so many great other composers with similar intuitions, but incredibly distinct and exciting voices. I have never become a fan of so many new artists all at once! 

Less than techniques, the JCOI Intensive made me want to dig deeper into the histories of the music. It also made me want to take more risks and chances in my writing, while feeling comfortable in my own shoes, so to speak. 

ACO: What are you looking forward to about the Buffalo Philharmonic JCOI Readings?

GK: Everything. First of all, it is such an amazing honor to be able to interact with such a high level orchestra. I still kind of can’t believe it’s happening. I’m also looking forward to valuable constructive feedback I will receive, both positive and negative. As a composer if I’m doing something wrong, it’s incredible hard to know if I’m doing something wrong - especially in the context of an orchestra, since writing/reading opportunities like these are so rare. Similarly, I will find out if I’m doing something right when I get to hear the piece!

Learn more about Gene at www.geneknific.com

Follow Gene on Facebook

Buffalo Philharmonic JCOI: Composer Spotlight - Emilio Solla

Emilio Solla made his start in Buenos Aires and has since led a vibrant career as a pianist, composer, arranger, bandleader, and educator. He has performed all around Europe, Japan, the US and Latin America to rave reviews in many of the most important Jazz houses and Festivals. As a composer, Solla’s music has been performed at the Palau de la Musica during the Barcelona Jazz Festival, Chicago Symphony Hall, and Rutgers University. Emilio has recorded CDs as band leader on Fresh Sound Records and produced, composed for, arranged for more than forty other albums. His band La Inestable de Brooklyn’s first CD, Second Half, was nominated for a 2015 Grammy Award as Best Latin Jazz Album. Emilio is currently a Faculty Member at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music and has given clinics in Jazz Composition at Emory University, Bates College, Gotemburg Music School (Sweden), Jazz & Pop Conservatory (Helsinki, Finland) along with past teaching positions in Argentina and Spain. Emilio Solla got his degree in Classical Piano at the National Conservatory of Music in Buenos Aires and his MA in Jazz Composition at Queens College in New York.

Emilio participated in the Jazz Composers Orchestra Institute (JCOI) Summer Intensive last year and answered these questions for SoundAdvice. His piece Ñandú will be workshopped and read at the Buffalo Philharmonic JCOI Readings, Wednesday, September 21, 2016 at Kleinhans Music Hall.

Pianist and composer Emilio Solla

American Composers Orchestra: You have been a successful band leader throughout your career, with a Grammy nomination for your band La Inestable de Brooklyn‘s first CD, Second Half. Can you talk about how your experience in front of a band, leading the music in real time, translates to communicating with an orchestra on the page?

Emilio Solla: I think that what you learn the most out of that experience is the importance of writing out everything into the parts, with verse and chapter, every small gesture, articulations, dynamics, everything you can give the musicians to make it sound already in the ballpark of how you need the music to sound at the first reading. My music is strongly based on the Folk and Tango languages from Argentina, so many times I still make the mistake of thinking musicians from all over the world will understand what for me is obvious, for example, about how to phrase or play a certain rhythm. I keep making the same mistake: big band, orchestra, any large ensemble need everything you can give them in the parts. The other important thing is, if you know the people you are writing for, try to write FOR them, use your writing tools to accommodate as much as possible to the ensemble, as opposed to sit in a “composer throne” and expect people to play your music no matter what.

ACO: Theme One of your piece Ñandú is based on an Argentinean folk dance known as Malambo, which uses the superposition of the time signatures 3/4 and 6/8 as its rhythmic core. In what ways is this rhythm well-suited for an orchestral setting? In what ways do you think you are pushing the orchestra out of its comfort zone?

ES: Well, in fact, it is not! (LOL) It is much easier to play this music with less musicians, and ones that know those rhythms well! So this aspect, Rhythm, is, I believe, where they will feel less comfortable. The accents and phrasing are not your obvious ones if you want to play this right, and also the string players might find some unusual bow markings. 

ACO: Can you talk about your experience at the JCOI Intensive? What aspects of your piece were influenced by techniques you learned or ideas you encountered during the program?

ES: The workshop was awesome, so much good music in just a few days, ideas, writing contemporary techniques... I am not sure I can identify specific tools I am using from that experience itself, but I am sure some of them are there. That is the way I normally learn, I absorb and let things decant, later on I usually surprise myself by identifying things that show up in the new music and I can sometimes relate them to things I have been listening or investigating.

ACO: What are you looking forward to about the Buffalo Philharmonic JCOI Readings?

ES: Experience, learning, and finding how much of what I hear in my head has been properly translated for this huge instrument, the orchestra. I hate MIDI, so I only use the piano and the color palette is in my head all the time. I want to see that painting now, as I am sure I will go back to my brushes and adjust a good bunch of things!

Learn more about Emilio at www.emiliosolla.com

Follow Emilio on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube

Buffalo Philharmonic JCOI: Composer Spotlight - Hitomi Oba

Saxophonist and composer Hitomi Oba was raised in Berkeley, California and studied at the University of California Los Angeles in Music Composition where she received a BA in Ethnomusicology/Jazz Studies and completed her MA. Recent projects include her small ensembles, sixteen‐piece jazz orchestra, Jazz Nexus, electro‐acoustic pop duo, Nova, and the jazz opera, STRANGE FELLOWE.  Her second jazz album, Negai, released under Japanese label M&I and distributor Pony Canyon, received a prestigious Swing Journal 42nd Annual Jazz Disc Award. Hitomi's commissions include works for the Los Angeles Asian American Jazz Festival, Kenny Burrell’s Los Angeles Jazz Orchestra Unlimited, and the Indian classical/jazz collaborative Aditya Prakash Ensemble. Hitomi is one of the co-founders of the new music collective, LA Signal Lab, comprised of fellow composer-performers with backgrounds in both jazz and classical traditions. Hitomi currently teaches music theory at UCLA, integrating Western classical, jazz, American popular music, and various world musical genres.

Hitomi participated in the Jazz Composers Orchestra Institute (JCOI) Summer Intensive last year and answered these questions for SoundAdvice. Her piece September Coming will be workshopped and read at the Buffalo Philharmonic JCOI Readings, Wednesday, September 21, 2016 at Kleinhans Music Hall.

Saxophonist and composer Hitomi Oba

American Composers Orchestra: You are an accomplished performer as a saxophonist as well as a composer. Can you talk about in what ways playing the saxophone has influenced your compositional style? Do you write music on the saxophone?

Hitomi Oba: My compositional process usually does not involve actual saxophone playing. That said, as an improviser of a melodic wind instrument, I often find myself very specifically shaping melodic phrasings that reflect the way I conceive them on the saxophone. The pitches themselves are not necessarily reflective of my saxophone improvisations, but the way in which a melody is played is often based in my how I might play it myself. Melodic phrasing is an area I have been exploring with great interest on the saxophone, and I believe it has made me very particular about it as a composer.  

ACO: Your musical endeavors also include “American popular music” - music that most of us would consider mainstream pop and far away from the worlds of classical and jazz music. Can you talk about your efforts to connect them, through music and otherwise?

HO: I don’t consider many kinds of “American popular music” to be very far away from the worlds of classical and jazz music, especially given the vast variety of music within all three genres. Their similarities, compared to, for instance, many non-Western-affiliated musical practices in the world, result in many “cross-overs”, or “in-betweens.” With the easy access and exposure to all kinds of music today, it seems like many artists are naturally integrating their mixed musical backgrounds into their own works, yielding exciting and unique music. In my experience, novelty additions generally do fall flat. My own approach has been to organically compose a work that comes from my personal language, which, then, has to have been heavily influenced already by the genres present. Outside of composition, I have been teaching a theory course that integrates Western classical, jazz, other American popular, and various world musical genres. Simultaneously exploring the diversity and similarities in concepts and applications of various musical practices has been enriching to myself as a musician.

ACO: You write that the most intriguing idea you took away from the JCOI intensive program last summer was to use your own musical voice as an improviser to guide your composing. Can you talk about how you were able to do this in September Coming?

HO: As mentioned above, my melodic language as an improvising saxophonist has had an enormous influence on my composing, but I had never actually utilized the saxophone in my compositional process. After the JCOI intensive program, I sought to actively incorporate my saxophone improvisations, a closely personal aspect of my musical self. In particular, I have spent much care, as an improviser, on exploring organic phrases, with emphasis on gestures, textures, and momentum. While improvising, I am able to control the ebb and flow of time to be precisely musically right in the moment. When composing from my head, the subtleties of such timing, especially with disregard to meter, are often hard to pin down and translate on to paper.  In order to take down such timings, I took the completely new approach of transcribing some solo saxophone improvisations, and using the transcriptions to base my material off of for this piece. This allowed me to preserve the arcs of phrases free from metric confines, as well as notate the implicit musical nuances. Based on this material, I composed and orchestrated to further enhance the spirit of the improvised material.

ACO: Can you talk about your experience at the JCOI Intensive? What aspects of your piece were influenced by techniques you learned or ideas you encountered during the program?

HO: The JCOI Intensive was an extremely inspirational and stimulating program that challenged and encouraged us participants as musicians. Being able to delve into what is often a solitary process, with brilliant, like-minded but diverse musicians was one of the most enriching experiences for me as a composer. The faculty not only were sharing their tools and knowledge, but their personal insights, philosophies, and passion. Being in a community of inspiring peers provided a unique, enriching environment I am grateful to have experienced.  

The compositional process for this piece was heavily directed by the ideas I took away from the program. The emphasis on the composer’s personal improvisatory voice, and how to bring that out in an orchestral (and notated) setting were central for me. Discussions on how to relay the nuances of one’s language, being uninhibited to phrase across bar lines and other notational confines, and compositional processes were taken into consideration for this piece.

ACO: What are you looking forward to about the Buffalo Philharmonic JCOI Readings?

HO: I can’t wait to hear the pieces by the other JCOI composers; I imagine we will have a very diverse array of music.  I’m really looking forward to the process of working with the Buffalo Philharmonic and what I anticipate will be intensive and stimulating discussions with the faculty mentors and peers. And, of course, I’m quite anxious to hear my piece, September Coming, come to life.

Learn more about Hitomi at www.hitomioba.com

Follow Hitomi on Facebook

Buffalo Philharmonic JCOI: Composer Spotlight - Amina Figarova

Amina Figarova is a New York-based, Azerbaijan-born pianist and composer who is fast developing a reputation on the international scene. Amina has studied as a classical concert pianist at the Baku Conservatory as well as Jazz Performance at the Rotterdam Conservatory, Netherlands and Berklee College of Music; she has also attended the Thelonious Monk Institute’s summer jazz colony in Aspen. Amina has composed a musical, Diana, as well as several other projects, including Tehora for Israeli singer Shlomit Butbul. Amina’s recorded releases include 13 albums of her original compositions earning her the Downbeat Rising Star Composer in the Critics Poll of 2014 and 2015.

Amina participated in the Jazz Composers Orchestra Institute (JCOI) Summer Intensive last year and answered these questions for SoundAdvice. Her piece The Journey will be workshopped and read at the Buffalo Philharmonic JCOI Readings, Wednesday, September 21, 2016 at Kleinhans Music Hall.

Pianist and composer Amina Figarova. Photo by Paola Tazzini Cha

American Composers Orchestra: You are an accomplished performer as well as composer, with appearances at Newport Jazz Festival, Chicago festival, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Capetown Jazz festival, North Sea Jazz Festival, and more. Can you talk about your experience when you are solely the composer, off stage and a spectator? What aspects of this role do you enjoy, not enjoy?

Amina Figarova: Indeed, it’s a very different experience, nerve-racking but also very exiting.

My first big experience was when I wrote a piece for cello and piano for one of my favorite teachers Vladimir Anshelevich. Although I played it with him, it was a very first time when I understood a real power of interpretation, the way he played it, he actually led the way, although it was my music. It was a true magical moment.

Later on I wrote often for bands and for vocalists, and it was always fun to hear another people interpret your music, but when I wrote musical Diana – a one woman musical with a small combo – I was simply too scared to hand it over to another pianist, so I remained in the band as long as I could. Passing it over to another pianist who had to lead the band was the not easy. I was at the show and my heart stopped probably tens times, but it was a tremendous learning experience. The beauty of the individual sound and interpretation is so incredible – your music gets a life of its own, and it felt so good.

A whole different experience was arranging a few of the songs from that musical for the Rotterdam Philharmonic in The Netherlands. I will never forget, I was sitting in the ring, just above the orchestra and I was petrified! I love performing, stage is a home to me, and I am not a nervous person, but that day, that moment, with the orchestra in place and the conductor walking on stage, I was a wreck. I felt so helpless – here I am with all the ideas in my head not knowing how it will go.

But today, after having a great experience at the JCOI intensive, I feel confident and I am looking forward very much to hearing The Journey played by the fantastic Buffalo Philharmonic!

ACO: You have trained as both a concert pianist and as a jazz pianist, and writing a jazz work for orchestra prompts a certain intersection of classical and jazz. In your opinion, where does classical and jazz music overlap? Where does it vary?

AF: I don’t see the borders and I don’t like the borders. To me it’s all music. Music can express the feelings words can’t, and whether it's swing, or not, folk music, improvisation or written out melody - it’s all Music.

When writing The Journey I was not thinking in styles, I was trying to create a vision through the art of Jacob Lawrence’s The Migration Series, the crowded trains with masses of people traveling in hope for better future.

ACO: You write that your piece The Journey is "full of hope and blues." Can you talk about the techniques used to create these two contrasting emotions?

AF: Contrasting emotions can be expressed in many different ways, from soft, quiet melodies to extremely busy and strong passages. Different rhythms, tempos, orchestrations have no boundaries, there are so many ways, so many techniques.

In The Journey, I was focusing more on the harmonic and rhythmic expression, using underlying or “hidden” melodies. The most important for me was to capture the “human” aspect, evoking individual people, crowds, and of course the motion of the train. 

ACO: Can you talk about your experience at the JCOI Intensive? What aspects of your piece were influenced by techniques you learned or ideas you encountered during the program? 

AF: It was a very special week. The incredible faculty was sharing experiences in a such generous way, and the interactions between the faculty and the students was very exiting. The amount of the information we got was overwhelming and I need more time to absorb it all, but the most important message I got out is stay true to yourself. When writing for the symphony it is very tempting to go places: classical, contemporary, or stay in your comfort zone and simply arrange for the orchestra. I was looking for a new place, somewhere that was very “mine,” but very “new mine.” It’s like moving to another country and finding your own spot. It was very exiting to look for this place, I don’t know if I've found it yet, but I am surely on the new path, and I would love to explore it in the future.

Learn more about Amina at www.aminafigarova.com

Follow her on Facebook and Twitter

Buffalo Philharmonic JCOI: Composer Spotlight - Anthony Tidd

Anthony Tidd,  a Philly transplant from London, is a well-known name on the jazz scene and veteran touring bass player, with appearances alongside many staple names including, Steve Coleman, The Roots, Rudresh Mahanthappa, Wayne Krantz, Meshell Ndegeocello, Common, and Jill Scott, to name a few. Anthony has also made a name for himself in the music production world, producing records for well-known artists such as, The Roots, Macy Grey, Zap Mama, The Black Eyed Peas, Jill Scott, and Ursula Rucker, as well as composing scores for major film and television projects over the years. As Director of his Creative Music Program and curator of his popular concert series Sittin’ In, both hosted at the prestigious Kimmel Center, Anthony now divides his time between all of the above, as well saving some to educate the next generation of musical talent.

Anthony participated in the Jazz Composers Orchestra Institute (JCOI) Summer Intensive last year and answered these questions for SoundAdvice. His piece The Beginning of the End was selected for the Buffalo Philharmonic JCOI Readings, Wednesday, September 21, 2016 at Kleinhans Music Hall.

Composer, producer and performer Anthony Tidd.
Photo by Dimitri Louis

American Composers Orchestra: You are an accomplished performer on the bass as well as a composer, sharing the stage with Steve Coleman, The Roots, Rudresh Mahanthappa, Wayne Krantz, Meshell Ndegeocello, Common, and Jill Scott, among other staple names. Can you talk about your experience as solely the composer, off stage and a spectator? What aspects of this role do you enjoy, not enjoy?

Anthony Tidd: I actually started playing musical instruments solely because of my desire to make records. This was way before sequencers and computers, so there was no other way.

One of the first stories my parents tell of my early childhood is about a visit to my uncle's house. My family is Trinidadian, and so any visit to a relative's house would inevitably become a party and of course involve music and dancing. At the time I was just three years old, so naturally my parents would keep a close eye on me. I was very prone to getting into mischief. Anyway, at some point in the night my parents became worried because they can't find me. They search everywhere and eventually find me standing staring at the record going round and around on my uncle's record player while everybody else is dancing. Apparently, they didn't want to disturb me because I was quiet, so they left me there, where I stood for two hours, until it was time to go home.

I can remember being deeply fascinated with the records and how such a beautiful sound could come from a plastic disc, as though all the people making the music were somehow inside of it. From that moment on I became interested in music, the recording of music and then inevitably musical instruments and composition.

I made my first recordings at six, using an old two track reel to reel that my father gave me. It was the type that allowed you to lay one track and then another, playing along to oneself. Naturally in order to make my own records I needed to both learn about instruments and composition. I started by teaching myself how to play the guitar, and eventually I also learned bass, drums, percussion, piano, keyboards, violin, and a little saxophone, solely because I thought the recordings needed these sounds.

By the time I was sixteen I had my own sixteen track studio in my bedroom, played at least five instruments, and I had made around 15 "albums" documenting my progress in music production, engineering, musicianship and of course composition. Today I own my own professional studio.

ACO: You are also accomplished in the world of music production, producing records for The Roots, Macy Grey, Zap Mama, The Black Eyed Peas, Jill Scott, and Ursula Rucker. Can you talk about any parallels between producing a record and composing a work for orchestra? Do they require a similar need to step back and understand the work as a whole?

AT: Well, as I said above, any production of music means that you need to learn something about composition, or you should. Really, it's all about composition and the manipulation of sound. I don't see a separation. I am just as interested in my mic collection and vintage mic pres as I am in composition and improvisation.

Though I did receive some formal training on violin and piano at the Newham Academy of Music in London, it was very rudimentary. I left the academy by age 15, and so the majority of what I learned about musicianship, theory, composition and improvisation came from trial and error (mostly error) done on my own. Music for me has always existed off the page.

I became more interested in the theoretical side of musical composition at around 13. I began to make up my own theories based on what little I had already learned by that age. I wrote most of these down in a book. My older friends would eventually enlighten me to the fact that I did not invent Symmetry, Polarism, or Modes, etc. Thankfully I also sought out theory books, and perhaps more importantly people, who could teach me what I needed to know.

I had a few great mentors along the way; Eugene Skeef, a South African percussionist/composer in London, who would later introduce me to Bhekki Mseleku, an amazing multi-instrumentalist, improvisor and composer, also from South Africa. I learned a lot from both men.

At 16 I was introduced to the music of Steve Coleman by Steve Williamson who, at the time, was pretty much the most famous jazz musician in London, so I also learned a lot from him. I eventually met Steve Coleman at 18. Along with Rich Nichols, (the Roots' manager and major contributor to their music production and sound), Steve brought me out to the US for the first time the following year.

Rich Nichols gave me my first opportunities to produce for major U.S artists, provided me with a place to live, bought me my first recording equipment in the U.S, and also financed (my band) Quite Sane's first commercial release. Steve taught me most of what I now know about improvisation, the "jazz" lineage, computer programming, education, music theory, arranging, and much more.

So my approach to composition is now a combination of traditional techniques, improvisation, and my own approaches, which I think came from my fascination with recording, music production and sound.

ACO: Can you talk about your experience at the JCOI Intensive? What aspects of your piece were influenced by techniques you learned or ideas you encountered during the program?

AT: Well, the program was incredible! Too much to put into words! Perhaps the greatest influence for me was meeting other great black composers, such as James Newton, Nicole Mitchell, and in particular Anthony Davis, who came from a "jazz" background, managed to to compose pieces for orchestra and even operas, and most importantly, had them played!

I have been fascinated with large ensemble composition for some time. I wrote a few pieces for orchestra, which only ever made it to "general midi". Actually I had one small 4 minute piece played by the London Philharmonic Orchestra while I was in South Africa. I was around 20 at the time, and it was a disaster......

I've spent the last six years regularly composing for a music program, which I created and now direct at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia, called the Creative Music Program. A huge part of the curriculum revolves around the tutors composing original works for their ensembles, which are mostly big bands. In fact, I initially hired my staff based on their composition and arranging abilities. One of these ensembles, The Magenta Ensemble produced a number great profession level young musicians, so I was able to write for them as though they were already at university (college level). This gave me lots of opportunities to try out new ideas, whilst teaching about more established principles.

I also had a good deal of experience with string arranging from the recording and record production world, and a number of large scale productions and shows with the Roots, but my experience with orchestras, like most black composers, was limited to mostly "General Midi".

So, the greatest thing about JCOI is access.

--

Learn more about Anthony at www.tiddster.com.

Follow Anthony on Twitter.

Learn about his programs at the Kimmel Center:
www.kimmelcenter.org/community-programs
www.kimmelcenter.org/community-programs/sittin-in1