LIVE discussion of Engaging a Younger Audience in the Concert Hall

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Hilary Hahn Continues to tour Jennifer Higdon's new Violin Concerto

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Since Hilary Hahn premiered Jennifer Higdon 's Violin Concerto in February, she has performed the new work in a variety of different settings. At the end of May she will appear with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic with Vasily Petrenko as conductor, her second performance of Higdon's Concerto in Europe. Hilary then returns to Baltimore to work with Marin Alsop and the Baltimore Symphony for a spate of concerts in the Maryland area. After her concerts in Baltimore Hilary rejoins with Valentina Lisitsa on piano for a tour of South America. May 28 Liverpool, UK - Philharmonic Hall Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra Vasily Petrenko, conductor Higdon: Violin Concerto June 4 Baltimore, MD - Meyerhoff Symphony Hall Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Marin Alsop, conductor Higdon: Violin Concerto June 5 Baltimore, MD - Meyerhoff Symphony Hall Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Marin Alsop, conductor Higdon: Violin Concerto June 6 North Bethesda, MD - Strathmor...
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The Art of String Quartets by Brian Ferneyhough

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When an artist sets paint to canvas, there are brush strokes used for different effects. Sometimes those strokes are subtle, imperceptible; they produce works of art like the Mona Lisa . Other times the very obvious nature of the stroke is the art, as in works by Van Gogh. With some composers of music, the notes on the page are their craft. How those notes translate into an aural experience is what defines some composers as great artists. Brian Ferneyhough has a masterful command of the techniques of putting notes on the page. These techniques are sometimes so subtle, even though written in black and white, they escape detection. Some of what he attempts with his music is just that, to escape detection, to bury the framework, diverting the ear away from the structure, so only the music is heard . The subtlety is so fine it is almost imperceptible. Even though he studied at several institutions, he is considered self-taught, studying scores from Boule...
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Teaching Composition – What are we trying to achieve

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In the process of learning composition I have spent time with a number of instructors who have encouraged me to write twelve-tone, pitch-class, electro-acoustic and other forms of experimental techniques. No matter how much I might understand and appreciate the work of other composers in the genres, these are not forms of music I resonate with. They are simply not forms of music I listen to and I struggle with the idea of writing them. However, in a Master Class by Libby Larsen she made the comment, “Learn them all, because all forms of music have something to offer.” This I very much agree. There are elements of each of the above mentioned forms (and others) that I do resonate with. Berg’s Violin Concerto is a beautiful twelve-tone work, although it is possible to look at numerous sections of the music with a “tonal” analysis. Another composer friend, Gary Bachlund commented that using these techniques can narrow the choices for how to compose a piece of work. If you look at ...
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