[silence] Readings of New Compositions Workshop Performance

[S.E.M. Ensemble]

PERFORMANCE OF WORKS BY EMERGING COMPOSERS
AS THE CONLCUSION OF THE
READINGS OF NEW COMPOSITIONS WORKSHOP
 
Thursday, February 14, 8 pm
Willow Place Auditorium
26 Willow Place, Brooklyn Heights
                   
THE ORCHESTRA OF THE S.E.M. ENSEMBLE
Petr Kotik, Conductor
 
                   
Joseph Kudirka: after the wake
Daniel Iglesia: Transfaction
Michael Winter: maximum change
Mary Bellamy: Quartet
Charles Waters: Concertimenti #2
G. Douglas Barrett: Derivation VIII
 
All composers will be present.
 
February 14 concert concludes a series of readings of new compositions
workshop by The Orchestra of The S.E.M. Ensemble (Feb. 12-14).  This year¹s
readings include works by young composers from London and Huddersfield,
England, New York and California.
 
Marry Bellamy
Mary Bellamy (b. 1971) studied with Anthony Powers at Cardiff University,
Simon Bainbridge at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, and
George Nicholson at the University of Sheffield.  She is a lecturer in
composition at the University of Huddersfield in England.  Her pieces have
been performed at Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, Hoxton New Music
Days, State of the Nation, and the South Bank's Inventions Days, as well as
at many individual concerts, and by leading contemporary music ensembles
such as the London Sinfonietta, The Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, the
Composers Ensemble, and Ensemble Expose.
 
Joseph Kurdirka
Joseph Kurdirka (b. 1978) studied composition with Michael Pisaro and Alan
Stout at Northwestern University, and with Pisaro and James Tenney at
CalArts.  He has also been an active performer on the contrabass (premieres
of pieces by Michael Maierhoff, Antoine Beuger, Michael Pisaro, Eva-Maria
Houben and others), ukulele and other instruments.  He co-founded the
electronic group Bunnyhug, who released an album on the Elefant label in
2003 along with tracks on various compilations and remixes.   He is
currently a postgraduate researcher and student at The University of
Huddersfield. 
 
Douglas Barrett
Douglas Barrett (b. 1981) is a composer whose recent work involves
experimental transcriptions of recorded sound material, field recordings
made on Hollywood street corners, a friend playing in front of a camera,
recordings of other pieces. etc.  Performers of his music include The Barton
Workshop, The S.E.M. Ensemble, The Sonar Streich Quartett, Tobias Liebezeit,
Seth Josel, and Mark So.  He studied with James Tenney, Michael Pisaro, and
Sara Roberts at CalArts and is currently a Ph.D. student at SUNY at Buffalo.
 
Michael Winter
Michael Winter (b. 1980) is a composer, music theorist, and software
designer currently residing in southern California. Among his mentors and
influences are James Tenney, Larry Polansky, Nick Didkovsky, Mark So,
Madison Brookshire, Raven Chacon, Taylan Susam, Gyorgy Ligeti, John Cage,
Christian Wolff, Alvin Lucier, and Harris Wulfson.  Michael believes that
music making should be an experimental process, and his scores, software,
writings, recordings, and related work are currently accessible online at
www.unboundedpress.org <http://www.unboundedpress.org> .
 
Daniel Iglesia
Daniel Iglesia (b. 1981) creates music for humans, computers, and broad
interactions of the two.  A teaching fellow at Columbia University Computer
Music Center, he is especially interested in live manipulations of sound,
with notions of automation and algorithmic composition, the magnification of
inherent chaos in sounds, and real-time media performance with traditional
instruments. His work has been presented throughout NYC in such diverse
venues as Lincoln Center, Eyebeam Gallery, The Stone, Ontological-Hysteric
Theater, Merce Cunningham Studio, Roulette, The Public Theater, the
Delancey, and in international festivals in the U.S., France, and Spain.
 
Charles Waters
Brooklyn based composer Charles Waters (b. 1969) was born and raised in
North Carolina and attended Appalachian State University studying
composition with Dr. Scott Meister. Composition grants he has received
include a Jerome Foundation Grant for Emerging Composers, Meet the Composer
Grants, a MATA Commission, and a 3X3 Commission.  He will have new works
premiered by Anti-Social Music NYC and presentations of new songs at The
Stone in 2007.
 
 
The S.E.M. Ensemble¹s Reading of New Compositions was initiated in 1997 by a
grant from the Greenwall Foundation. SEM has continued to produce these
workshops every season, focusing on emerging composers. In the past,
readings have included works by Udo Kasemets, Phillip Mantione, Alvin
Singleton, Rain Worthington, Frances White, Alex Mincek, Henry Threadgill,
Virgil Moorefield, Akemi Naito, James Fei, Leroy Jekins, Roscoe Mitchell,
Sinan Sivaskan, Robin Haller, and Phil Niblock. During the workshop, each
composer is given a chance to work with the musicians and possibly modify
his/her work. The workshop culminates in a public performance, recorded for
the benefit of each composer. Works initiated in these workshops have been
often performed at later SEM concerts in New York and Europe.
 
The S.E.M. Ensemble is dedicated to the performance and advancement of new
music, with a focus on works that can best be described as post-Cagean.
Since its inception in 1970, SEM has collaborated with composers who also
often perform with the group. They have included, among others, Earle Brown,
John Cage, Alvin Lucier, Morton Feldman, Pauline Oliveros, Roscoe Mitchell,
and a score of other younger composers. SEM holds a yearly series of
concerts at the Paula Cooper Gallery along with concerts in such venues as
Merkin Hall, Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Zankel Hall
at Carnegie Hall, Tonic, The MOMA, and the New York Studio School.
 
For more information, please contact Donel Young at (732) 295-2406, or
Jessica Schmitz at (718) 488-7659.
 
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This Concert is possible thanks to support from New York State Council on
the Arts, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, Mary Flagler Cary Charitable
Trust, National Endowment for the Arts, Argosy Foundation, The Amphion
Foundation, Phaedrus Foundation and individual contributions. Special thanks
to the Brooklyn Borough President, Marty Markowitz, for his support.