Aug. 31, 2010
A festival of new vocal music will be presented by CUA graduate students from the Benjamin T. Rome School of Music the weekend of Sept. 10 and 11.
The festival, "New Voices @ CUA," is being presented by the Society of Composers, Inc. chapter of the composition division at CUA in partnership with the Great Noise Ensemble (which is in residence at Catholic University).
In a series of four concerts, the festival will showcase new works by 17 composers from across the country and abroad. Participating composers were selected from more than 100 entries for their ingenuity and significance to contemporary music.
Presentations will feature the genres of musical theater, opera, art song and sacred music.
The artists presenting at New Voices @ CUA have composed music for radio and films as well as the concert hall, and have studied with some of today's leading composers. They have been conductors, policy analysts, Fulbright Scholars, critics, teachers, and poets, and their influences range from Christianity to Buddhism, and Bach to the Beatles.
They have garnered awards, commissions, and grants from organizations such as the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers; Broadcast Music Inc.; the American Academy of Arts and Letters; the Fromm Foundation; Tanglewood; Aspen; and the Barlow Foundation.
The festival begins on Friday, Sept. 10, with a concert featuring John Harbison's Words from Paterson performed by D.C.'s Great Noise Ensemble and chamber works by selected composers from The Catholic University of America's Benjamin T Rome School of Music.
The second day, devoted solely to the music of the visiting festival composers (all of whom will be in attendance), begins with a concert of sacred chamber music in the morning followed by a program of voice and piano compositions in the afternoon. The Saturday evening finale will feature another performance of chamber music by the Great Noise Ensemble.
The event was orchestrated by the New Voices committee - Sarah Horick, chair, and Brian Rice, doctor of music in composition candidates; and Roc Lee and Tim Eisman, master of music, emphasis on stage music, candidates.Tickets are available at the door for $10 for each concert or $20 for a festival pass that includes all four concerts.
Concerts will be held as follows: Friday, Sept. 10, at 7:30 p.m., Ward Hall, Ward Recital Hall
Saturday, Sept. 11, 10 a.m., University Chapel of St. Vincent de Paul
Saturday, Sept. 11, 1:30 p.m., Ward Hall, John Paul Hall
Saturday, Sept. 11, 7:30 p.m., Ward Hall, Ward Rectal Hall
For more information, visit http://composition.cua.edu/newvoices.cfm, call 434-227-0084 or e-mail brr2x@aol.com .
MEDIA: To cover any of the performances, contact Katie Lee or Mary McCarthy in the Office of Public Affairs at 202-319-5600 or cua-public-affairs@cua.edu .