Pittsburgh New Music Net

Chatham University’s James Laughlin Music Center

Soprano Kelly Fiona Lynch and pianist Walter Morales present a unique recital of music of Alban Berg, Reza Vali (World Premiere), Charles Griffes and Richard Strauss. The program includes Berg’s Seven Early Songs, Vali’s “Being of Love”, Folk Songs No. 16 (in its piano version premiere), Griffes’ “Three Poems of Fiona MacLeod”,and Strauss’ “Four Last Songs”. Kelly performed Judith Weir’s King Harald Saga in several locations around town last year.

Everything Floats: Post-Rockers, Shoegazers, and Sound Sculptors

Presented by the Eclectic Laboratory Chamber Orchestra

Sunday, March 22, 2009 8:30pm-10:00pm – Brew House

2100 Mary Street, South Side

Post rock meets cutting edge classical music presented by the twenty-two musicians of the Eclectic Laboratory Chamber Orchestra. Through its unique repertoire, which ranges from classical to indie rock, ELCO brings together diverse audiences and exposes listeners to genres of music which they may have never before experienced.  The debut concert this past November examined alienation as found in the music Gustav Mahler and the Velvet Underground.  This time around, Everything Floats, explores time, repetition, and memory through the music of Webern, Morton Feldman, Machaut, transcriptions of music by Sonic Youth, Ride, and Icelandic post-rockers Sigur Rós and a debut of “i meet you.  i remember you.” by Pittsburgh composer David Gerard Matthews featuring violin soloist Roger Zahab. 

Tickets are available for purchase at the door the evening of the concert. 
$5 for students/senior/artists $10 for all others. Sales are cash only. 

For more information or to reserve tickets contact Heidi Baldt at elco.events@gmail.com or 412-608-6120.

The Johan Nystrom-curated WHY ARE Music Series got off to a great start last night with three acts focusing on improvised and experimental techniques. Full disclosure, I (David Bernabo) was one of the acts along with a duo of Margaret Cox/Johan Nystrom and Veras (Doug Cronin/Nick Painter).

While this first concert has now expired, there are three more concerts occuring each Saturday until March 28 at Monk’s (3634 Penn Avenue).

March 14, 2009
Ben Opie (solo)
Kenny Haney (b. cl)/Spat Oner (dbl bass)/Johan Nystrom (bass drum)
and the night will wrap up with a quartet of all performing musicians

March 21, 2009
Melissa St. Pierre (solo, prepared piano, on Table of the Elements)
and Graphic Scores by Ben Harris, tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE + others

March 28, 2009
tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE performs “Triple-S Variety Show” (vaudeo with live soundtrack)
Michael Johnsen (solo electronics)
A Collaboration (Josh Beyer, Mike Tamburo, Tusk Lord)
David Bernabo (accordion)/Mike Tamburo (crowned eternal)

So, if you need a quick refresher on some of the past and present of Pittsburgh improvisors, the WHY ARE music series might be worth checking out.

Monk’s, 3634 Penn Avenue
$3-5 donation

Andy Druckenbrod gives us a preview of Alarm Will Sound, presented this Friday at the New Hazlett by Music on the Edge and the Warhol.

And speaking of the need for alternate reality drives to take in all the contemporary music happening this weekend, you’ll want to reprogram yours to include the Why Are Music series at Monk’s Art Space on Saturday. This one had slipped under the PNMNet radar, but we bring you the news via Manny Theiner’s reporting at City Paper.

Don’t miss Andy Druckenbrod’s shout out to Pittsburgh New Music Net in Classical Musings and note our proud new place in his blogroll. And stop by Andy’s blog to let him know that you appreciate his tenacity in covering the contemporary music scene in Pittsburgh. 

This week PNMNet passed 1,000 unique visitors for 2009. That includes nearly 5,000 visits, and over 10,000 pages views from some 30 countries. Thanks for reading!

Unless your transportation comes equipped with an alternate reality drive it’s going to be tough to get to all the great contemporary music happening in the Burgh this weekend.

Music on the Edge and the Warhol kick things off on Friday night with a performance by Alarm Will Sound at The New Hazlett. On Saturday, Walter Morales leads the Carnegie Mellon Contemporary Ensemble in the Pittsburgh premiere of John Adams’ Grand Pianola Music (featuring piainsts Jack Kurutz and Robert Frankenberry) and Schoenberg’s Verklärte Nacht. Sunday is when you will need to spin up the alternate reality drive so that you can see the Duquesne University Symphony Orchestra and flutist Alberto Almarza premiere David Stock’s new Flute Concerto (see below), then hop over to the Brew House on the South Side where Eclectic Laboratory Chamber Orchestra will feature the premiere of i meet you. i remember you. by Pittsburgh composer David Gerard Matthews, featuring the intrepid Roger Zahab as violin soloist. Speaking of which, I’m delighted to welcome ELCO to the links section of the blog.

Synod Hall (St. Paul Cathedral), Oakland
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

ALIA MUSICA Pittsburgh announces its Spring 2009 production for Tuesday March 31st, 2009, at 8pm, in Synod Hall. The concert celebrates the second anniversary of the ALIA MUSICA’s existence, featuring a performance of Trouble, by Guest Composer Philip Thompson, alongside some of the most successful compositions of the group’s first two years. For ensembles between five and eight performers (including harp, percussion, and piano in addition to woodwinds and strings), the program spans, as is usual in ALIA MUSICA’s programs, a wide variety of style and influences. The program includes:

Ivan Jimenez: lunar park and green
Kerrith Livengood: Song of the 144,000
Ayo Oluranti: African Rhythm
Mark Fromm: Aqua Regia
Philip Thompson: Trouble
Matthew Heap: And I felt the Sun, Rising

Tickets and information
Tickets are $12 at the door; $10 for students, seniors; $10 in advance at www.alia-musica.org/tickets.html.
For full details visit www.alia-musica.org.
For reservations, group rates, and/or questions, email contact@alia-musica.org
or call (412) 361- 0194.

Everything Floats: Post-Rockers, Shoegazers, & Sound Sculptors

The Brew House – 2100 Mary Street, South Side 

Post rock meets cutting edge classical music presented by the twenty-two musicians of the Eclectic Laboratory Chamber Orchestra in their upcoming concert Everything Floats: Post-Rockers, Shoegazers, and Sound Sculptors.

Explore time, repetition, and memory through the music of Webern, Morton Feldman, Machaut, along with transcriptions of music by Sonic Youth, Ride, and Icelandic post-rockers Sigur Rós.  The concert will also feature a debut of “i meet you. i remember you.” by Pittsburgh composer David Gerard Matthews, featuring violin soloist Roger Zahab.

Through its unique repertoire, which ranges from classical to indie rock, the Eclectic Laboratory Chamber Orchestra brings together diverse audiences in non-traditional spaces. The group hopes to expose listeners to genres of music, which they may have never before experienced in the Southside’s historic Brew House located at 2100 Mary Street.

$5 Admission for students, artists, & shoegazers
$10 for all others
Tickets are cash only & available for purchase at the door the evening of the event.

For more information or to reserve tickets contact Heidi Baldt at elco.events@gmail.com or call 412-608-6120. Also visit ELCO on the web at www.myspace.com/ELCOrchestra and www.twitter.com/ELCO_concerts

Flutist Alberto Almarza and the Duquesne University Symphony Orchestra premiere David Stock’s Flute Concerto on

Sunday, March 22, 8 p.m.
at Carnegie Music Hall.

 Just tell them David sent you & you’ll get in free!

About Alberto Almarza
Described as a virtuoso flutist by the Boston Globe, Alberto Almarza brings a unique and passionate approach to music. His versatility and musicianship have led him to perform and record some of the most adventurous and challenging pieces from the music of today as well as works from the standard repertoire and Baroque literature on period instruments.

A native of Chile, Mr. Almarza previously held the position of Principal Flute of the Philharmonic Orchestra of Santiago. He later came to the United States to study with Jeanne Baxtresser in New York and with Julius Baker at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, where he obtained his Master’s degree. He currently serves on the faculty at Carnegie Mellon as Associate Teaching Professor of Flute.

His skills as a pedagogue, lecturer and recitalist have led to invitations from international festivals in the U.S., Mexico, Germany, Chile, Argentina, Brazil and Peru. He is a resident artist and member of the faculty at The Jeanne Baxtresser International Master Class and has been recently appointed to the National Flute Association Advisory Board for New Music.

Mr. Almarza has appeared as soloist with Boston Modern Orchestra Project, Memphis Symphony, BachFest Chamber Orchestra, and the Symphonic Orchestra of Chile and has collaborated with such artists as Julius Baker, Andrés Cárdenes, Lionel Party and the Cuarteto Latinoamericano, among others. As a leading proponent of new music for the flute, Mr. Almarza has been instrumental in expanding the repertoire with numerous commissions and premieres of works by composers from around the world. Pieces written for him include five flute concertos and dozens of solo and chamber works.

PSO Student Reading Sessions are this Saturday at 11 a.m. at Heinz Hall. The sessions are open and free to the public and will include works by student composers from CMU, Duquesne, Pitt, and West Virginia Universities. You can visit the PSO Web site for the schedule.