“With her new album, clarinetist Kristen Mather de Andrade makes a case for the depth and complexity that can exist in the most personal of musical relationships: the duo.” —Jarrett Hoffman, clarinetist
Friday, October 7th, 2022: American clarinetist Kristen Mather de Andrade (kristenmather.com) is set to release her newest album As Bright As The Skies Are Blue on her own kmdamusic label. The album will be available both digitally and on physical CD via Kristen’s website.
Following in the footsteps of her debut album Clarão and recent holiday EP Evergreen, Kristen Mather de Andrade continues to demonstrate genuine love, appreciation, and passion for platforming and celebrating music from around the world, married with the rich tones of the clarinet. Equal parts classical, jazz, and world, As Bright As The Skies Are Blue is a beautiful body of work that honors both the featured composers and the instrument itself.
As Bright As The Skies Are Blue’s title work, written by celebrated composer David Reeves, is divided into four movements based on cardinal directions: North, East, South, and West. Alongside percussionist David Bergman, the composition finds both clarinet and percussion on a rhythmic, through-composed journey, exploring musical themes inspired by various cultures and corners of Africa. The composition makes its debut here, and was commissioned by Mather de Andrade.
The playful Game 1 for Lîla follows, written by the late South African composer Surendran Reddy. A piece for solo clarinet, the melody arpeggiates, flutters, and dances in an animated and elegant fashion that, at times, gives the impression that two clarinetists are playing. One of the earliest pieces in Mather de Andrade’s repertoire, she revived the piece for this album. Of the piece, she says, “it has always been a favorite, and a true challenge to perform!“
The album closes with Brazilian composer Jacob do Bandolim‘s Santa Morena, featuring César Garabini on 7-string guitar in a performance arranged by the duo. Garabini is a perfect partner for Mather de Andrade’s masterful and gripping take on this classic work.
In support of this release, Mather de Andrade has several events lined up, starting with a livestream on October 2nd, joined by David Reeves and David Bergman. Then on October 18th, a Q&A session and solo performance is planned at Croton River Artisans Gallery in Croton-on-Hudson, NY, a performance at Chelsea Table and Stage in Manhattan on November 16th, and a formal release concert to be held at the Silk Factory in Newburgh, NY on November 18th. Videos for the tracks Santa Morena and Game 1 for Lîlahave been released on her YouTube page, and video for As Bright As The Skies Are Blue will be released along with the album in October.
WORKS INCLUDE:
AS BRIGHT AS THE SKIES ARE BLUE(David Reeves) I. North
II. East
III. South
IV. West
EVOCATION: A concert celebrating 160 years of Claude Debussy and 140 years of Zoltán Kodály. Featuring works by Debussy, Kodály, and Liszt
Pianist Éva Polgár (evapolgar.com) will tour four key cities in the US with her program EVOCATION, bringing the spirit of Hungary and Central Europe to American audiences through the compositions of Liszt, Debussy, and Kodály. As the Hungary Foundation’s Cultural Ambassador of the Year, Ms. Polgár will play the following concerts, celebrating the 140th birth anniversary of Hungarian legend Zoltán Kodály, as well as the 160 years since the birth of French composer Claude Debussy.
Kicking off the tour will be her October 2, 3 pm performance at Evanston’s esteemed Nichols Concert Hall, 1490 Chicago avenue, Evanston IL. The program will include Claude Debussy’s First arabesque and L’isle joyeuse; Zoltán Kodály’s Méditation sur un motif de Claude Debussy, Dances of Marosszék, and three movements of his Seven Piano Pieces, Op. 11; and finally, four works by Franz Liszt: Les jeux d’eaux à la Villa d’Este, Sursum corda. Erhebet eure Herzen, and Legende No. 1 and 2. Tickets are $10-30 and are available at evapolgar.ticketleap.com.
This event will be co-presented by the Chicago/Midwest Chapter of the American Liszt Society (ALS) and the Los Angeles International Liszt Competition.
Further stops on the tour will include:
• October 23, 2022, at 2 pm – Los Angeles, The Nixon Library – marking the release of Ms. Polgár’s new album of works by Liszt.
• December 1, 2022, at 7:30 pm – Washington, D.C. – The Arts Club of Washington
• December 15, 2022, at 8 pm – NYC, Carnegie Hall – Weill Recital Hall.
Critics praise Éva Polgár for her “intelligent interpretations” (Funzine Magazine), “emotional power” (New York Concert Review), and “vibrant technique” (American Hungarian Journal). She is a sought-after recitalist, concerto soloist, chamber musician, recording artist, educator, and adjudicator. Beyond her devotion to performing traditional piano repertoire, her creative personality particularly shines through her work in contemporary music and multidisciplinary arts. Her interest in the fusion of the arts has developed into an extensive collaboration with visual artist Sándor Vály. Their albums of experimental music inspired by literature and visual arts are released under Ektro Records and broadcast on Finnish national radio. Born and raised in Hungary, Polgár’s dedication to Hungarian culture has led her to specialize in the music of Franz Liszt and Béla Bartók. Her interpretation of Liszt’s piano works was praised by Liszt scholar Alan Walker as “A stunning performance! A real artist!” Her solo album titledLiszt: Harmonies patriotiques et religieuseswas released recently under Hunnia Records. She has appeared on BBC World Service’s program “The Forum: Franz Liszt – Hungarian pianist and painter in sound” as a panelist and expert in the field.
Polgár has toured the Americas, Asia, and Europe. Her latest concerto performances have included appearances with conductors Horst Förster at the Gewandhaus zu Leipzig, Tamás Vásáry at the Danube Palace in Budapest, and David Jacobs at the University of Oregon. She has been recognized as Cultural Ambassador of the Year to Hungary and will give four solo recitals to promote Hungarian and Central European music culture in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and Washington, D.C. in Fall 2022. Her Carnegie Hall debut in November 2020 with violinist Kristóf Baráti and clarinetist Bence Szepesi was praised by the New York press. Other recent chamber music concerts at the Bothnia Biennale festival in Seinäjoki, Finland, and at the Hungarian Radio Hall in Budapest, Hungary, featured music of Brahms, Debussy, Bartók, and Bernstein. An avid promoter of contemporary music, Polgár actively collaborates with composers. She recently performed the world premiere of Andrew S. Lloyd’s Préludes Book II, commissioned by the Barlow Endowment for Music Composition.
A graduate of the Franz Liszt University and the Sibelius Academy, Polgár earned her Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of North Texas (UNT). She has won top prizes in competitions including the 2012 Los Angeles International Liszt Competition (LAILC). Co-directors since 2017, Katherine Hickey’s and Éva Polgár’s intent is to ensure the successful continuation of LAILC as well as to foster young musicians in the early stages of their professional careers. To support her endeavors in mentoring rising talents and promoting the musical heritage of Franz Liszt, the Hungarian Academy of Arts has awarded her a three-year grant to produce a series of twenty-nine concerts in Europe and the U.S. between September of 2020 and August of 2023.
A committed educator and adjudicator, she has taught masterclasses, presented at festivals, and adjudicated competitions such as the LAILC, the Bogotá International Piano Festival, and the Tulsa University Summer Piano Academy. After holding teaching positions at UNT and at Texas Woman’s University, Polgár has joined the piano faculty at Azusa Pacific University in California. In addition to her teaching appointment at Azusa Pacific University, she is a co-director of the Los Angeles International Liszt Competition and an elected member of the Board of Directors for the Southern California Chapter as well as the national organization of the American Liszt Society.
In two separate sit-down conversations, both composers were kind enough to share about their lives, musicianship, thoughts on their respective pieces, and what it’s like to be part of this 40th annual Pride Bands Alliance Conference.
EVAN WILLIAMS
Premiering THE WORK ‘LoVE WORDS, MAD WORDS‘
I’m in Memphis, and I’ll soon be moving to Boston as I’ll be teaching at Berklee College of Music this fall. But I’m originally from Chicago.
I started with music in fifth grade on trombone. Band has always been a part of me, and eventually I got interested in both conducting and composing. Throughout college, I continued to play trombone, and for a while I was a music education major, because I thought I wanted to be a high school band director. But at a certain point, I felt that I didn’t want to work with kids every day. So I switched over to being a full time composition major, but I’ve continued to play in bands and orchestra whenever I can.
My friend Lee Hartman, who was the head of the commissioning project with Lakeside Pride introduced me to Sweet Home Chicago. I didn’t have too much time to write the piece, so I started from something I previously wrote: a song cycle for countertenor, who was also based in Chicago. When I got asked to write the commission, I drew on my first song from that cycle, and expanded it into this larger piece at about eight or eight and a half minutes. It’s one of those works that I only have performed once, and not even to full performance. So I thought that Sweet Home Chicago would be a way to give new life to that—at least that first movement.
The cycle is called Love Words, Mad Words—and that title comes from a line from the poem “Romance” by Claude McKay. “Love words, mad words, dream words, sweet senseless words; melodious like notes of mating birds.”
Claude McKay, photo by Carl Van Vechten
I originally came across McKay’s writings by searching for Black poets from the Harlem Renaissance. I hate to say it, but all I knew previously was Langston Hughes. And Hughes is notoriously hard to get rights for. In fact, I did get rights for a poem of his that I wrote for another Chicago based ensemble, Quince, but it took almost a year. And so for this commission I needed something that at least was in the public domain.
Interestingly, half of Claude McKay’s poems are in the public domain. I really was drawn to these poems, and to his life: McKay was a Harlem Renaissance poet who spent his last years in Chicago, who was also bisexual, and who I feel like I have a lot of things in common with. Like him, I’m also bisexual — it’s something I’ve been embracing over the last four or so years. And that’s another reason why I was drawn to McKay, and also that he was very politically left like I am. So for a lot of reasons, I thought, “Wow, I should get to know the works of this person.”
Although McKay’s not the most visible of the Harlem Renaissance poets, I still think he is very well known and loved. One of his most famous poems is “If We Must Die”, and it’s quoted a lot. One day, I was watching Judas and the Black Messiah—it takes place in Chicago, and it’s about the Chicago Black Panthers—and they’re just yelling the poem. I thought “Wait a minute. That’s Claude McKay!”
Love Words… is probably the sixth or seventh band piece that I’ve written. What was different about this though, is I’ve never written for a conference. They’d asked me to include a lot of instruments that I’ve never written for before. So, I wrote for alto clarinet and concert bass clarinet, and all different types of clarinets, and at the time, I didn’t yet know what transposition they play in.
I’ll be at least one rehearsal, and then I’ll be at the performance. I am excited to hear it soon, as there’s going to be a lot of people playing this piece at the concert!
I’m 21, and from Maryland. I’m from a very small town called Saint Leonard in Calvert County. Very rural, not much to do around there, an hour or so south from the Baltimore/DC area, I go to University Maryland in College Park, Maryland and I plan on graduating in the Spring of 2023. And I hope to go to school for film scoring.
I’ve been into music from a really young age. My parents are musicians—not professionally, but interested in music since they were really young, and they still play. My mom plays piano, my dad plays saxophone, and they do church gigs every now and then. So, for me and my older sister who plays violin—it was expected of us to do music.
Around third grade, they kind of gave the option to choose an instrument, and because my mom wanted me to play violin like my sister, and I wanted to be different, I chose trumpet, and played that for a couple of years. Some time in middle school, my band director suggested for me to switch to French horn. So when I was 13, in 8th grade, I started to get more serious, I was devoted to practicing, and I was thinking maybe I should take lessons, and get into music school.
When I first talked to Melissa Terrell from Lakeside Pride about this commission, where she wanted to go with the piece, I asked her if she had any requests or specific notes. And she suggested to have some sort of connection to Chicago, or some sort of reference to Chicago. And I don’t really know anything about Chicago, because I’ve just lived in Maryland my whole life. (laughs)
Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, photo by Mickalene Thomas
This concert will be my first time in Chicago, and I’ll be traveling with my sister for the event, and then my parents are going to be flying in for the concert day. The only time I’d been to the Midwest was to Detroit a few times. So in researching for the piece, I looked up Chicago Pride specifically and Queer History in Chicago. And then I found Miss Major Griffin-Gracy.
She was a Trans activist from Chicago, and a part of the Stonewall Riots. I think that was really interesting because we talk so much about Marsha P. Johnson. I kind of feel like that’s kind of the ‘staple name’ for that time period in Trans activism, but it’s important to know other names too. That was the thing that clicked, the spark of inspiration for the piece. I thought, “Oh! That’s a pretty unique name. I feel like I don’t really see that often.” And it’s symbolic. A mythological griffin is symbolic for bravery or strength.
This is my second time writing for a band. I’m most used to writing for chamber works, so it’s definitely challenging in terms of keeping track of all of the lines and staves, all the little moving parts, engraving, and technical things can be a bit difficult. But sometimes, in terms of writing the music I almost find it easier. Because I really like creating warm harmonies and textures, and that’s easier to do with more instrumentation. I have an advantage because I’ve played in band for so long. I was one of those students who wanted to overachieve in music, especially because my music programs in high school and middle school weren’t well-funded. I just wanted to do as much as I could: take lessons, do honor bands, and marching band.
Griffin runs little over seven and a half minutes. I knew I wanted the piece to be celebratory, more lighthearted and upbeat. I wanted to convey this duality; to have some sort of contrast of this bravery, and this strength, and kind of this more grandiose element, and then the opposite of this kind of more slower, somber element. Overall, my goal was to not only represent the griffin as a mythological creature, but also this other symbolic side. How does this relate to Queerness, and can I as a Queer person be powerful and be uplifted? And how can I deal with these moments that are also more serious, and struggles.
I was definitely very excited about the opportunity in general, to be able to attend this conference, and to write this piece. I know it’s a Queer organization, and I thought, “Oh! This is really cool!” But now that I’m actually thinking about it, I’d say that it means a lot, because I definitely—along with many other Queer people—have struggled with internalized and external homophobia. So being recognized not only as a musician, but a Queer musician, is definitely really important.
It’s important that people are able to see what I can do—that Queer people are able to see what I can do.
featuring violinist Ilmar Gavilán, under the baton of Justin Bischof also included: works by Morricone, Rossini,
Tchaikovsky, and Bach/Gounod
On April 30, 2022, at 7:30 PM, Modus Opera Orchestra, under the baton of Music Director and Founder Justin Bischof, will be marking their return to live performance with a concert at St. Mary Church in Long Island City where they are in residence.
The centerpiece of the evening’s program is composer Guido López-Gavilán’s Afro Cuban Antilles Violin Concerto (US Premiere, first performance outside of Cuba). The featured soloist will be the composer’s son, violinist Ilmar Gavilán of the Harlem Quartet. This marks the orchestra’s celebration of their first concert since Nov 2019.
COMPLETE PROGRAM:
Rossini: Overture (Barber of Seville) Gavilan: Afro Cuban Antilles Violin Concerto JS Bach / Gounod Ave Maria Morricone: Gabriel’s Oboe (The Mission), performed in memory of those who died of COVID Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5
Here’s what makes this concert so special:
65 member orchestra comprised of some of the finest players in the New York City area
US premiere and first performance outside of Cuba of this Concerto
Father/son collaboration – son Ilmar (first violinist, Harlem Quartet) will be soloist in his father’s composition
Concert is dedicated to those lives lost due to complications from the Covid-19 pandemic
Gavilan’s concerto is inspired by a children’s poem written by Nicolas Guillen, musically depicting the inception of Cuba, from the initial geological formation of the larger Island of the Antilles to the rich and distinct culture it has become.
Afro-Cuban instruments and rhythmic elements in the symphonic mix tell unique stories of African heritage, using batá drums, congas, shekeré, claves, maracas, guiro, and bongo
St. Mary Church is located at 1008 49th Avenue in Long Island City, one stop from Manhattan on the 7 subway train, and tickets are available at Eventbrite. General Admission tickets are available for $25 – $50 at mooticketsapril30.eventbrite.com
Composer Guido López-Gavilán has received awards in the most important composition competitions held in Cuba, such as the National Composition Competition, the Cuban Union of Writers and Artists Competition, the 26th of July Competition, the ‘Edad de Oro,’ and the Adolfo Guzman Competition. He is a 1966 graduate of the Choral Conducting program of the Amadeo Roldan Conservatory in Havana and a 1973 graduate of the Orchestral Conducting program of the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow.
López-Gavilán has made an outstanding contribution in the development of the Cuban Youth Orchestra Movement by founding and conducting symphony and chamber orchestras that have performed with resounding success in and outside of Cuba. As the President of the Havana Festival and Chairman of the Orchestral Conducting Department at the Instituto Superior de Arte, he has received several distinctions including the National Culture Award and the Recognition Award granted by the Cuban Union of Writers and Artists for his life’s work. He is a member of Colegio de Compositores Latinoamericanos de Música de Arte.
Cuban-American Violinist Ilmar Gavilán, a native of Havana, Cuba has had a remarkable performing career that has taken him all over the world. This fascinating journey ranges from performing for world leaders such as President Obama at the White House and Queen Sofia of Spain at The Royal Palace of Madrid to performing with top stature artists of diverse styles such as Itzhak Perlman and Chick Corea.
As a soloist, Mr. Gavilan has performed concertos with the Atlanta, New Jersey, Baltimore, Detroit, Milwaukee, St. Louis, Hartford, Nashville, Ann Arbor, Santa Monica, Phoenix, Denver, Louisiana, Anchorage, Santa Fe, Havana, Mexico City, and Venezuela Symphonies and played recitals in England, Russia, Spain and Portugal. Mr. Gavilan won first prize at the Sphinx competition, as well as top honors at the Lipinsky-Wieniaswsky and the Henryk Szeryng International violin competitions.
Currently engaged in a visiting residency at The Royal College of Music in London as the first violinist of the Harlem Quartet and a full-time residency position at Montclair State University. Mr. Gavilan is an experienced educator, having taught for six years at Juilliard School’s Music Advancement Program. Ilmar and his brother Aldo, a world-class pianist and composer, were presented by Carnegie Hall in the featured documentary “Los Hermanos/The Brothers”.
New York City resident Justin Bischof is an internationally active orchestral & opera conductor as well as concert organist, pianist and improviser. He has performed in some of the world’s great venues including New York’s Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Lincoln Center, Rose Theatre Lincoln Center, Tonhalle of Zurich, Eli Broad Theatre of Los Angeles, St. Paul’s Cathedral London, Notre Dame Paris, Cologne Cathedral, to name a few. He has collaborated with some of the world’s most prominent artists including Joshua Bell, Bright Sheng, Tan Dun and Roberta Peters. As an orchestral conductor, he was worked with numerous ensembles including National Arts Center Orchestra, The Ensemble Orchestral de Paris, Vancouver Symphony, the Royal Symphony of Oman, the State Philharmonic Kavkazskiye of Russia, the WAAPA orchestra in Perth Australia, and the National Orchestra of Haiti. Of his conducting, Michael Miller of New York Arts said “….Beethoven’s 9th Symphony does not get much better than this!”
He is the Founder & Artistic Director of MOO: Modus Opera Orchestra of New York City which presented an Annual Children’s Benefit for 10 years to help at-risk children that raised over $1,000,000. Their gala 10th Anniversary Concert featured soloists from the Metropolitan Opera in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9. Bischof is sought after as a guest professor for master classes around the world, maintaining a private conducting studio for gifted conductors, and serving on numerous boards including as Chair of the Alumni Council of MSM and Chair of the Conductors Retreat at Medomak.
Modus Opera Orchestra (MOO) is comprised of some of the finest players in the New York City area. Led by internationally acclaimed conductor Justin Bischof, their concerts have been met with critical acclaim and a dedicated audience following. Many players have gone on to perform with major ensembles including Berlin’s Konzerthaus Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Seattle Symphony and St. Paul’s Chamber Orchestra.
A stellar roster of international guest soloists have appeared with Vienna Philharmonic, Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Grand Théâtre de Genève, Edinburgh Festival, Lyric Opera Chicago, New Israeli Opera, Canadian Opera Company, Seattle Symphony, Hong Kong Opera, Seattle Opera, Vlaamse Opera (Belgium), Sante Fe Opera, Montreal Opera, Opera North (UK), New York City Opera, Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center.
Founded by Artistic Director Justin Bischof, MOO began as the Canadian Chamber Orchestra of New York City CCO/NYC. The orchestra’s debut was at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall in 2007 as part of the Variety NYC Opera Trash Benefit which raised money for children in need in the tri-state area. They made their Le Poisson Rouge debut with internationally acclaimed Canadian mezzo Ariana Chris in the same program. They returned to LPR in a program of Shostakovich, Strauss and Bischof. They were the resident orchestra for Modus Opera (click here) performed all of the Mozart/Da Ponte operas in fully staged productions with orchestra as well as various recitals showcasing up and coming opera singers in many venues.
MOO’s mission is to provide the opportunity for the finest freelance musicians in New York City to perform, at the highest artistic level, the staples of the great symphonic and operatic repertory as well as contemporary works and world premieres with their colleagues.
MOO was in residency at the historic Church of St. James the Less for 11 years in Scarsdale, NY where they performed several times annually. They are now the resident orchestra in New York City at St. Mary Church.
featuring violinist Ilmar Gavilán, under the baton of Justin Bischof
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