2017 Chamber Competition
Premiere performance at The INTERNATIONAL double reed society conference. June 21, 2017, 2:30 p.m. in the Stansbury theatre, Lawrence University, Appleton, Wisconsin.
HONORABLE MENTION:
Réjean Marois - Aerides for oboe, clarinet, and bassoon
Martin Peter - Dark Chocolate for oboe, bassoon, and piano
Performers:
PEN Trio: pentrio.com
Nora Lewis, oboe- Western Michigan University
Phillip Paglialonga, clarinet- Virginia Tech University
Eric Van der Veer Varner, bassoon- Lynn University/TrevCo-Varner Music
Syrinx Trio:
Nermis Mieses, oboe- Bowling Green State University
Susan Nelson, bassoon- Bowling Green State University
Xavier Suarez, collaborative pianist
ABOUT THE COMPOSERS:
From performances of his music on NPR’s “Performance Today” and APR’s “Pipedreams” to the use of his music on TV’s “Animal Planet” and MTV’s “Never Before Scene”, Sy Brandon’s compositions and arrangements are as varied as they are accessible. His versatile ease in composing effectively for young musicians as well as professionals and his ability to utilize jazz and folk music in addition to writing in more abstract styles, enables his music to meet the needs of a wide variety of performers. Conductor, Robert Hart Baker writes, “his music is well-crafted and has maintained his desired artistic content without sacrificing the realistic aspects of orchestration." Tom Everett, bass trombonist and Harvard University Band Director writes, "I admire Dr. Brandon's success with the lyrical qualities of the solo instrument without sacrificing rhythmic interest" and conductor, Larry Newland describes his music as "stirring, well written, and highly effective with its audience." His music has been performed live and via broadcast throughout the United States and abroad, including performances by the United States Army, Navy, and Air Force Bands.
Sy Brandon has received numerous awards including first prizes in the WITF-FM's 25th Anniversary Composition Contest, the El Dorado Sacred Music Composition Contest, Franklin and Marshall College’s Wind Ensemble Composition Contest, the New England String Ensemble Composition Competition, the Quadre Composition Competition, and the Hillcrest Wind Ensemble Composition Contest. He has received numerous commissions for his music from organizations that include the Boise Philharmonic, York Symphony Orchestra, the Twentieth Moravian Music Festival, as well as numerous professional musicians and school music organizations. In 2010, he was awarded a commission from the Arizona Commission on the Arts to compose the band composition celebrating the Arizona Centennial during 2011-12. In 2015, he was selected to receive the 2018 Thor Johnson Memorial Commission from the Delta Omicron Foundation. He received Honorable Mention in the 2016 American Prize in chamber music composition. He has been a recipient of an ASCAP Special Award annually since 1998.
His music has been recorded by the Czech National Symphony Orchestra on the Albany Records Label, the Philharmonia Bulgarica and the Kiev Philharmonic on the ERM Label, Emeritus Recordings, the Contemporary Record Society, and by the Swiss Duo Dilemme on the Arizona University Label. Tuba/Euphonium Press, Trombone Association Publishing, the Theodore Presser Co., and Co-Op Press publish his music. His book, “A Composer’s Guide to Understanding Music with Activities for Listeners, Interpreters, and Composers” is published by Co-op Press.
Sy Brandon (b. 1945 in New York, NY) holds the rank of professor emeritus of music from Millersville University, Millersville, PA where he taught low brass, composition, orchestration, music history, electronic music, and music industry for twenty-four years. He received his B.S. and M.S. in music education from Ithaca College and his A. mus. D. in composition from the University of Arizona. His composition teachers include Warren Benson, Elie Siegmeister, and Robert McBride.
Andrew List (Professor of Composition at Berklee College of Music, Boston, MA) composes music in many different genres, including orchestral works, string quartet, vocal, choral music, opera, music for children, solo works, and a variety of chamber ensembles. He is a graduate of New England Conservatory of Music, with B.A. and M.A. degrees in music composition. He received his DMA in composition from Boston University, where he studied with Bernard Rands, Samuel Headrick, and Nicholas Maw. Mr. List has also studied privately with Richard Danielpour.
Mr. List has received numerous commissions and performances from professional music ensembles and solo artists in the North and South America and Europe. A short list include: The Boston Classical Orchestra, Zodiac Trio, Alea III, Esterhazy Quartet, Interensemble, Kalistos Chamber Orchestra, North-South Consonance, Metamorphosen Chamber Orchestra, George Lopez (pianist) Turtle Island String Quartet, Winston Choi (pianist), Emmanuel Feldman (cellist) and Lisa Saffer (soprano). Upcoming performances in the 2017-18 season include the following world premieres: From The Heart of Ra for viola and piano performed by violist Leslie Perna, Calder’s Universe a song cycle inspired by quotations of Alexander Calder performed by soprano Tony Arnold, Night Wanderings for Clarinet and Percussion Ensemble performed by clarinetist Kliment Krylovskiy and the FCU Percussion Ensemble and presented at Clarinetfest 2017 in Orlando Florida, a new work for Zodiac Trio and cellist Ariel Barnes to be a companion piece to Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time during their tour of this monumental work and The Signs of Our Time a musical satire on political corruption in our world to be premiered by loadbang.
Mr. List is the composer-in-residence at the Zodiac Music Academy and Festival, in the south of France where he presents a composition class each summer. He was the first prizewinner of the Charlotte New Music Festival Composition Competition, Portland Chamber Music Festival Composition Competition, Renegade Ensemble’s Composition Competition and second prize winner of The American Prize Chamber Music Division for String Quartet no. 5 “Time Cycles.” He was also winner of the call for scores by the MotoContrario, Mexico City Woodwind Quintet, Buffalo Chamber Players and Locrian Chamber Players. In 2011 he was selected as the MTNA commissioned composer, and was a finalist in both the Alea III International Composition Competition and the Massachusetts Cultural Council Artist Fellowship. Recordings of his music include his Violin Concerto recorded by Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, Eva Szekely, violin soloist, released on the Albany, Noa Noa, A Gauguin Tableau, commissioned and recorded by MONTAGE Music Society released on MSR Classics and Visions of the Aboriginal Dreamtime and Klezmer Fantazye recorded by Zodiac Trio released on Blue Griffin.
Mr. List has been fortunate to enjoy a number of residencies at the MacDowell Colony, Yaddo, Atlantic Center for the Arts, the Aspen Music Festival, La Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris and Visby Centre for Composers in Sweden. He was awarded a distinguished artist-in-residence grant, sponsored by Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst, the city of Amsterdam and the American Embassy in The Hague. During his eight-month residency in Amsterdam he presented five concerts of his music and that of other American composers and lectures and workshops at the major conservatories throughout Holland. He was the first American and composer to be awarded this prestigious residency. www.andrewlist.com
Réjean Marois teaches at Capilano University for the Jazz Studies Program. He conducts two vocal ensembles, NiteCap and Capital Jazz, and teaches improvisation and instrumental and vocal arranging in the Program. Furthermore, Réjean has been involved for the last 20 years as arranger and conductor for the Cap Jazz Series concerts featuring renowned jazz and world music artists from around the world. In May 2012, he has received an Award for Empowering Learning from Capilano University. His recent composition: Aerides for clarinet, oboe and bassoon was given honorable mention for the 2017 BCMCC. Kinesis for flute, violin and piano was selected for the finals of the International Composition Competition “Shostakovich 2017”. Chanson Ubuesque for alto and chamber ensemble has been selected by Vancouver Pro Musica’s Sonic Boom 2017 Festival and was premiered on March 19, 2017. na-lim’s prism for violin and piano was premiered on July 29 in Milna, Island of Braç, Croatia as part of the Upbeat 2016 Masterclass in Composition. Sospeso for flute, clarinet, percussion, piano, violin and cello was premiered on September 25, 2016 by the ensemble TEMPO at California State University, Northridge (Los Angeles). Bone & Bass for trombone and electric bass was performed by Vancouver Pro Musica’s Sonic Boom 2016 Festival on March 19 in Vancouver. His compositions Bergère and In The Scope Of Time have been performed by the Erato Ensemble, the Chamber Musicians of Kamloops and by the Keene State College Ensemble in New-Hampshire. Dream Reflection for chamber orchestra has been premiered by the Turning Point Ensemble in Vancouver.
Dr. Martin Peter (b. 1973) holds three degrees in music education, teaches at high school and at music school in Gifhorn, Germany. He is also active as conductor, bassoonist, arranger, composer, author and jury member. Many of his articles and works have been published at LUGERT-Verlag and at ACCOLADE-Verlag. For some of his songs he has been awarded composition prizes in Germany and in Switzerland within the last 5 years. He feels fortunate to be allowed to contribute his compositions to Europe’s greatest annual bassoon workshop: “Die Fagotte sind los!“ (www.fagotte.eu). Check out his latest bassoon-quartet: The Wild Horseman And His Friends (ACC.1661).
The trio Dark Chocolate is also being prepared for publication. If you are interested, keep an eye on www.accolade.de.
2017 Judges:
Michael Burns, bassoonist, University of North Carolina Greensboro
Jefferson Campbell, bassoonist, University of Minnesota Duluth
Nora Lewis, oboist, PEN Trio, Western Michigan University
Albie Micklich, bassoonist, Arizona State University
Nermis Mieses, oboist, Syrinx Trio, Bowling Green State University
Phillip Paglialonga, clarinetist, PEN Trio, Virginia Tech University
Scott Pool, bassoonist, Texas A&M University Corpus Christi
Andrew Martin Smith, composer, clarinetist, SUNY Fredonia
Xavier Suarez, collaborative pianist, Syrinx Trio