Jewish Music Festival to be at Muziekgebouw in Amsterdam

From May 9-12, 2008, Amsterdam’s new concert hall, Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ, will host the premiere of the International Jewish Music Festival in its new format. The main event of the festival will be a 3-day Competition for Jewish music ensembles.

For the first time ever, a jury of international Jewish music experts will judge a competition for musicians and ensembles with a goal of an international career focusing on Jewish music. This includes folk, pop, klezmer, classical, and liturgical music, and music by Jewish composers with clearly discernible Jewish elements.

Contestants are welcome from all countries and do not need to be Jewish, but must be 16 years or older. Registration forms & more information are now available online: www.ijmf.org

The jury will include leading figures from the music and recording industry including Peter van der Heyden (Universal Music) and Frank London (The Klezmatics). Besides prize money, the musicians will be competing for the possibility of a professional recording contract. That prize alone is already drawing a high level of contestants, including professional bands and ensembles.

The Muziekgebouw's 100-seat BAM Hall will house the competition’s first rounds, and the 725-seat Main Hall will be the scene of the Finale.

March 1, 2008 - Registration closes Please take a minute to look at the IJMF website, www.ijmf.org.

Sharon Farber Commission Premiers this October in Israel

Composer Sharon Farber has recently been commissioned by The Israeli Chamber Orchestra to compose a new work, which will open up the 2007/8 Season. The piece, entitled Translucent Rocks will be premiered on October 15th, 2007 in Israel.

Ms. Farber is also the recent First Prize Winner of the Cincinnati Camerata Composition Competition with her piece The Third Mother/Mothers' Lament. This A cappella piece was written in memory of slain reporter Daniel Pearl and premiered by The Los Angeles Master Chorale. Ms. Farber¹s commissioned works have been performed internationally, and her acclaimed concert piece for choir, orchestra and ethnic instruments, ASHKINA, (featuring the renowned musician Omar Faruk Tekbilek), was performed in Boston by the prestigious MUSICA SACRA choir in March, 2007.

In April, Ms. Farber was the first Woman Composer On The Cover of Film Music Magazine. The article focused on her recently completed score for the feature film WHEN NIETZSCHE WEPT for Millennium Films (starring Armand Assante) based on Irvin Yalom's bestseller book. Her next feature will be UK director Sean Martin's film, Folie`a Deux

Composition Competition

American Recorder Society â–ª Amsterdam Loeki Stardust Quartet â–ª Composition Competition

The American Recorder Society, in collaboration with the Amsterdam Loeki Stardust Quartet (ALSQ), is pleased to announce its composition competition for recorder music. The competition’s goal is to expand the recorder quartet repertoire with new music for professional recorder players by composers from the United States and Canada.

Further information on ALSQ is available on their web site: http://www.loekistardust.nl/html_en/index.html Entries will be evaluated by members of the ALSQ and Dutch composer Peter-Jan Wagemans. The quartet will premiere the first prize composition during the American segment of their Flutes on Fire tour in February 2008. At the discretion of ALSQ, second and third prize compositions may also be performed during this segment of the tour. The 2008 Flutes on Fire tour will include additional venues in Japan, Taiwan, and Europe. Winning compositions may be selected by the quartet’s agents for performance at one or more of these locations.

The first prize composition will be featured on a CD of music by American composers to be released by ALSQ in 2008 on the Channel Classics label. At the discretion of ALSQ, second and third prize compositions may be included on the recording. The CD insert will include a brief biography of the composer(s).

The program proposed for the Flutes on Fire U.S. tour will feature new waves in contemporary repertoire for the recorder. The winning pieces from the competition will join works by American composer Kenji Bunch, Great Britain’s rising star Graham Fitkin, Russian Hindemith award winner Lara Auerbach and Dutch enfant terrible Jacob ter Veldhuis.

Compositions may include any sizes of recorder, and may require that players switch between sizes, as long as there is sufficient time to do so. Composers may explore avant-garde techniques such as blowing across the mouthpiece, flutter tonguing, etc. Descriptions of sizes and ranges of the recorder will be available on the ARS web site:
www.americanrecorder.org. Further information on ALSQ is available on their web site:
http://www.loekistardust.nl/html_en/index.html

Composition Criteria: Quartet with any size, combination of recorders.

Composer residency: United States or Canada; no age limits
Time duration: 7-10 minutes
Level: For Professional Recorder Players
Judges: ALSQ members and one European composer
Prizes: $1500 First Prize, $750 Second Prize, $500 Third Prize
Entry fee: $75 for the first score, $30 thereafter for each successive score
Important dates:
*September 10, 2007 --Deadline forentries
*January 2008 --Winner announced
*February 2008 --Composition performed on US tour of ALSQ 2008
*Composition recorded by ALSQ

Ruth Levin's new Yiddish music anthology

Ruth Levin has produced Word and Melody, an anthology of music to Yiddish poetry by her father, published by I.L. Peretz Publications. The anthology - with texts in Yiddish, English and Hebrew -- was launched in Tel Aviv this past weekend. Reminiscences and performances were provided by Alexei Blausov, Regina Drukker, Benny Hendel, Melech Ziv, Prof. Zvi Yavetz, Vera Levinski, Ella Levin, Lev Levin, Ruth Levin, Nechama Lifshitz, Arye Lish, Avishai Fish and Moti Shmit. The anthology contains 49 melodies to songs by 21 Yiddish poets as well photographs and drawings, piano arrangements by Hanan Winternitz, and a preface and epilogue written by Ruth Levin.

Klezmer for Brass and Wood

A producer in Switzerland is making arrangements of klezmer music for symphonic wind orchestras, or for brass or woodwind ensembles. He offers other services as well. Samples of the work are online. Those interested in obtaining arrangements or those who are arrangers may be interested in looking at this website:
Jack Musik
CH-6354 Vitznau (Switzerland)
jackmusik@jackmusik.ch www.jackmusik.ch und www.klezmer.ch

Jewish Vocal Repertoire Being Compiled

Cantor Ken Jaffe is completing the final phases of a large bibliography of vocal compositions of Jewish music. It is a comprehensive and annotated work of large scale pieces for solo voice(s) on Jewish themes by Jewish composers. He is interested in knowing about compositions that he may not have included in this work thus far. If you know of, or have created solo vocal compositions of ten minutes or greater in length, on Jewish themes, please write to him and let him know the information. The book is scheduled to be published in about a year by Scarecrow Press. Please respond by February 14, 2006 and write directly to Cantor Jaffe at.zazasdad@copper.net.

NEW COMPOSITIONS SWAMP INAUGURAL FESTIVAL INVITATION by SHALSHELET

169 SUBMISSIONS FROM 5 COUNTRIES AND 19 U.S. STATES THRILL SHALSHELET BOARD One year ago, the Chevy Chase, Maryland-based organization devoted to finding and sharing new Jewish liturgical music didn?t even exist. Today, it is relishing the task of selecting the best from among 169 pieces of music written by composers from 5 countries and 19 U.S. states.

?We are absolutely thrilled,? said Dr. Norma Brooks, vice president of Shalshelet: The Foundation for New Jewish Liturgical Music. ?A festival highlighting new music for congregational singing was just an idea, a dream. Where would the music come from? How would composers find us? Well, they did, in a very big way,? she said, pointing to a three-inch-thick stack of submitted sheet music and the four accompanying review CDs.

?I am in awe, overwhelmed with delight,? said Hazzan Dr. Ramó® ”asat, Shalshelet?s president, as he contemplated the number of submissions that must be reviewed in order to select the dozen or so that will be performed at the inaugural festival in November. ?That so many people sent us music after only a few months of Shalshelet?s existence is nothing short of amazing. It is a testament to the contribution Shalshelet can make,? he added. ?Liturgical music is being written everywhere, by all kinds of people, and we needed a way to discover and share it. We have undoubtedly found a way.?

Shalshelet seeks to foster new music for Jewish congregational use and to expose wider audiences to innovations in Jewish religious music. It was incorporated on May 29, 2003, and sponsored a preview concert just days later. Through an annual Festival of New Jewish Liturgical Music and accompanying festival CD and songbook, Shalshelet will enable composers to share their music. Its inaugural festival will be held on November 13?14, 2004, at Temple Shalom, in Chevy Chase, Maryland.

Shalshelet's website, www.shalshelet.org, contains more information about the organization and the submission process. The volunteer-run Shalshelet received its tax-exempt status from the IRS in December, and fundraising is underway.

?We are seeking financial support,? said Tasat, citing the expense and labor required to manage the submissions process, prepare the music for performances and recording, conduct the festival, and produce songbooks and CDs. Launched with the support from board members, friends, and family, Shalshelet received its first institutional grant from the Rita Poretsky Foundation. Tasat hopes more funding partners will follow. ?If your readers want to help, we need and would warmly welcome it,? said Tasat. Donations can be mailed to Shalshelet, P.O. Box 15836, Chevy Chase, MD 20825.

REPERTOIRE EXPLORER

...an idealistic publishing activity looking for participants and partners which may interest you...

Peter Dietz pdietz@musikmph.de www.musikmph.de Peter WRITES: If somebody studies music seriously his situation is deeply frustrating. Most music not part of the small repertoire well known and often played, is no longer available or has never been printed. And there is not a single publishing house keen to print these scores again or for the first time for study purposes, as there is no business to be expected. Two years ago, we and some musicloving friends, who all were suffering from this sad fact, decided to change the situation and began to publish the music, we missed for a long time. This was the beginning of REPERTOIRE EXPLORER- (cataloque on http://www.musikmph.de/musical_scores/information/information.html) Within these two years of the project an international circle of like-minded people met ­musicians, journalists, musicologists, conductors and all kinds of music lovers - and succeded in publishing more than 180 scores of rare music (including the new full score series OPERA EXPLORER) Without a financier in the background, but with the skills, the enthusiasm and the love of all members, as “amateurs³ in the true sense of the word: people who work out of dedication. Meanwhile you can find our scores in all important music libraries all over the world. We would be thrilled to print many more works as study score ­ our desired list of rare music is very long and we do have the love and power to increase our activities ­ but there is one main problem making publishing very difficult and tough going: the prefaces. In the beginning of our project we decided that every score will contain a competent foreword in professional quality, both in German and English. This decision was a matter of our heart, since we were not interested in producing sloppy, too expensive copies of precious works of art, but to dedicate ourselves to every individual work and to document its specific originality. Unfortunately we and all friends and contributors cannot do more work than we do now (We seriously protest the 24 hour-day). So we are looking for people, who would enjoy to contribute to this project, either by translating prefaces from German to English (we need native speakers) or by writing original prefaces in English. This is an urgent need, for symphonic and chamber music as well as for opera. Our enterprise is based on an idealistic idea, and one rule of this activity is: “You scratch my back, and I´ll scratch yours.³ We do not pay money, but we try to favour each other whereever we can. So, if you like to share this activity, the easiest way to return the favour is sending you a score of your choice in return, but maybe you even have better ideas what we can do for you? And besides the question of prefaces every idea, inspiration, advice, cooperation or whatever will come to your head is warmly welcome. Many thanks for your interest and help. From Munich to whereever this mail will be read Peter Dietz pdietz@musikmph.de www.musikmph.de

Bach Society Presents Yiddish Song

The Columbia University Bach Society will present three chamber pieces by Robert Cuckson. Two of the pieces are based on Yiddish texts; the song cycle for mezzo-soprano is based on poems by Yiddish writer Binem Heller and will be a world premiere. The Bach Society is honored to perform these works and to host a discussion! www.bachsociety.com The Columbia University Bach Society cordially invites you to a coffeehouse concert: An evening of chamber music by Robert Cuckson Saturday, February 7, 2004 8:30pm FREE Admission. Party Space of Lerner Hall. (114th and Broadway, entrance inside campus) Music Director: David Rosenmeyer. Special presentation by the composer.

Aminadav Aloni Music Foundation

A website dedicated to the music and life of composer Ami Aloni. Information about scholarship funds to encourage young composers of Jewish music is also available. http://alonimusic.org/.

Israeli born Aminadav Aloni left a legacy of music. A catalogue of his works searchable by title and keyword is on the website.

Festival of New Jewish Liturgical Music

Submit newly composed liturgical compositions by March 30, 2004...

--Chevy Chase, MD-- Announcing the Festival of New Jewish Liturgical Music November 13–14, 2004 Deadline for submissions: March 30, 2004 Shalshelet: The Foundation for New Jewish Liturgical Music seeks to foster new music for Jewish congregational use and expose wider audiences to innovations in Jewish religious music. Shalshelet promotes the creation and spread of new Jewish liturgical music.
Through the annual Festival of New Jewish Liturgical Music, along with accompanying publications, such as a festival CD and songbook, Shalshelet provides a venue for composers to share their music.
A musical composition submitted --must enhance congregational worship;
--must have been written less than two years prior to the Festival;
--must accompany a Jewish sacred text, taking care to capture the spirit and importance of the text; and
--must not have been previously published or performed at a major music festival.
The application process is open to everyone, regardless of age, gender, Jewish affiliation, musical background, or professional experience. A music committee will review submissions with the support of advisory members. Submissions may be selected for performance, publication, or both. For an application and more information, e-mail Shalshelet@NewJewishMusic.com or visit http://www.Shalshelet.org. Shalshelet
P.O. Box 15836
Chevy Chase, MD 20825
301-907-3336
Shalshelet@NewJewishMusic.com