Klarinet Archive - Posting 000104.txt from 2007/06

From: Jeffrey James <jamesarts@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] Steven R. Gerber Spirituals for Clarinet and String Quartet to Be
Date: Mon, 18 Jun 2007 16:39:57 -0400

For Immediate Release:
June 18, 2007
Contact: Jeffrey James Arts Consulting
(516) 586-3433 or jamesarts@-----.net

Steven R. Gerber Spirituals for Clarinet and String Quartet to Be
Performed at Make Music New York Festival on June 21

Steven R. Gerber’s Spirituals for Clarinet and String Quartet will be
presented as part of the Make Music New York Festival on Thursday, June
21 – 12 noon at the Josie Robertson Plaza/Midsummer Night Swing Stage at
Lincoln Center Plaza in New York City.

Spirituals will be performed by New York Philharmonic violinists
Michelle Kim and Minyoung Chang, violist Robert Rinehart and cellist
Eileen Moon with clarinetist Pascual Martínez Forteza. They will also
perform Mozart’s String Quartet in C major, K. 465, “Dissonance.”
Singers and a pianist from the Metropolitan Opera will open the program
with highlights from the Met's upcoming 2007-08 season. More about the
performance and the rest of this program at
http://www.playbillarts.com/news/article/6516.html.

The multi-movement Spirituals is based on pre-existing material and
drawing from various aspects of Negro spirituals, Mr. Gerber has stated
that: “The intention is not in any way to deconstruct or even
re-interpret the original spirituals, but merely to use them as the
basis for new inspirations whose character is sometimes similar to,
sometimes totally different from the source materials.” Concertante
Chamber Players premiered the work in 2002 with renowned guest
clarinetist Jon Manasse. It has since been performed in many venues in
the U.S. and Europe.

The June 21 concert is free and open to the public. For more
information, contact the Festival’s New York office at 917-779-9709 or
visit them online at http://www.makemusicny.org/.

Make Music New York is a citywide music festival presenting hundreds of
free concerts in public spaces on the first day of Summer, June 21. It
encompasses virtually every style and genre, reflecting the unparalleled
richness of the city’s musical life. For one day, parks, plazas,
sidewalks, community gardens, and other accessible locations throughout
all five boroughs will become informal musical stages, dance floors, and
social meeting points. A list of participating artists and concert sites
can be found at http://www.makemusicny.org/listings.php.

Steven R. Gerber’s music has gained international attention as a result
of two CD releases (on Chandos and KOCH) featuring several of his major
orchestral works, including the Symphony No. 1. Gerber has also achieved
great success in the United States and in his ten tours of the former
Soviet Union, perhaps becoming the most often-played living American
composer in that area. Of the Symphony No. 1, Evening Moscow wrote,
“Gerber could serve as an example of American musical professionalism
…he stands out with the highest of temperaments and musical taste.” Mr.
Gerber has written for a number of fine soloists including Jon Manasse
for the clarinet concerto, Yuri Bashmet for the viola concerto, Kurt
Nikkanen for the violin concerto and Carter Brey for the cello concerto.
His work has been performed by groups such as the Louisville Orchestra,
Knoxville Chamber Orchestra, the Fine Arts Quartet, the National Chamber
Orchestra and the Russian Philharmonic. A CD of Mr. Gerber's chamber
music will be released on Koch International in Spring 2007, featuring
the principal violinist of New York City Ballet, Kurt Nikkanen. A CD of
his orchestral works is scheduled for 2007 release on Arabesque. Visit
his website at http://www.stevengerber.com. He is represented by Jeffrey
James Arts Consulting. For a CD sampler of Steven R. Gerber’s music or
more information, contact them at 516-586-3433 or
jamesarts@-----.

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Jeffrey James Arts Consulting
45 Grant Avenue
Farmingdale, NY 11735 USA
Tel: 516-586-3433
E-mail: jamesarts@-----.net
Website: http://www.jamesarts.com

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