I’m flattered. Today I received my first “invitation” to apply for a significant job. Upon checking my KU mailbox I discovered a letter bearing the seal of prestigious college. I ripped it open and discovered to my delight that it was a letter inviting me to apply for a tenure-track position as “Professor of Composition” at a small, private, prestigious, liberal-arts college in Minnesota.
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It’s in! Yesterday I received a recording from the world premiere of “Persepolis.” For now, you can access the audio files on the left. See the page on “Symphony No. 1.” I have replaced the “mockups” with the live performance. Recently I was awarded a Helianthus Commission Award from the KU New Music Ensemble. In essence, I get to write a composition for them to be premiered on their spring 2007 concert. Ok, that title might be slightly dramatic, but it barely conceals my excitement about the world premiere of Persepolis. Quite frankly, the performance was great. No, it was not flawless (are they ever?), but it was energetic and quite powerful. I’m pleased with the results, and have received lots of good feedback. As promised, here is an update after the dress rehearsal of Symphony No. I - “Persepolis.” The VSU Wind Ensemble is not tremendously large, but they are good. This was the first time I heard Persepolis live, and it was monumentally beneficial for me to hear what’s been in my head for a few years now. This morning Kat and I awoke, took a leisurly walk, then hopped on a plane to Atlanta. My good friend Daniel Swilley picked us up at the airport, and after a short 3-hour drive we made it to my hometown. Tomorrow (Sunday) I’ll zip down to Valdosta for the dress rehearsal of Symphony No. I - “Persepolis.” As you can imagine, my excitement grows more every day in preparation for this performance. It’s quite a landmark in my career, and I’m truly grateful for this opportunity. I’ll post again with an update after the dress rehearsal. In less than two weeks, my first symphony will have its world premiere. I’ve been corresponding with the director at VSU, and my excitement builds more and more every day. Working with Dr. Brashier has been a delight. He agreed to the premiere wholeheartedly before he had seen or heard a note of the piece. Wow! During the rehearsal process he found a few “bugs” and made a few suggestions, all of which I have duly noted. Due to these corrections, this means that the PDF I submitted to KU for my thesis is obsolete already! Here is an audio recording of the world premiere of “Kaykhosrow’s Ascension”, recorded in Carnegie Hall on 4 June 2006. The performers are Mike Kirkendoll and Mary Fukushima. This is a large file (11.5 MB). It may take a while to start playing. Click on the “play” button to begin listening. Program notes
Today I received a great e-mail from Mary Fukushima: NYCR (New York Concert Review) will soon publish a review of their performance in Carnegie Hall. She sent me a “preview” of what will be published. The publication is released only in NY as a hardcopy, so I don’t see the harm in posting it here. Classes at KU resume again tomorrow, which means that I begin teaching music theory again, plus taking several of my own classes. Henceforth begins my second year of Latin study, plus classes in conducting and Renaissance history. Composition is always on the forefront as well. I have several goals, a couple of which are to finish two movements of a string quartet, plus begin work on a commission by Gabriella Frank. Now that all the parts for “Persepolis” are finished, I feel like I can concentrate on creative tasks rather than tedious, repetitve part extraction! |
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