November reflections: new music, old music

NEW MUSIC
I had an incredible time extending my boundaries even further with Tempus Continuum at our latest performance at the cell. Meeting Michael Boyd and working on Bob's Party was fantastic because it was his first time hearing the piece live, and it was quite fun to tell him all about our rehearsal process: discovering the limits (or lack there of) of the score, and growing in musical conversation with members of the group through the experience. Next for new music: premiering Anne Goldberg's DMA thesis with the Manhattan School of Music Composer's Orchestra!

OLD MUSIC
I loved hearing singers last weekend auditioning for Hildegard's morality play Ordo Virtutum that EMH is producing in April. What a way to spend two crisp Autumn days, in Cambridge MA listening to gorgeous plain chant in First Church. Lidia, Laura, Sheila and I are so glad to work with the brilliant direction team Dylan Sauerwald and Kateri Chambers of Helios Early Opera- what a treat, and the ideas that were stewing re: staging and costumes had me realizing the scope of what it is we are really creating here. It's going to be something powerful. And new. And beautiful. Have you heard Hildegard's heavenly music? You're missing out. Listen to the Ordo. Next for early music: performing Purcell Elegy of the Death of Queen Mary and Orfeo in S'accenda pur di festa il cor from HWV 73 in NYC and Stony Brook Nov 22 and 24! see schedule


My focus in between November - December gigs - FINISH MY DMA PAPER!  Think I can't do it? Challenge accepted. Then, January will be all about prepping Anne Goldberg's DMA thesis orchestral work (the fabulous composer I can call one of my closest friends), getting bums in seats for the Mahler concert at the National Opera Center, and of course prepping my role in the Ordo! Which is on my birthday! Birthday Hildegard is the best Hildegard!