Arts Listings

Young Composers Program at Crowden

By Ken Bullock Special to the Planet
Wednesday March 18, 2009 - 06:09:00 PM

The John Adams Young Composers Program will present its second annual Faculty Concert, Music of Youth, with premieres of New Music About Youth and Being Young, by Alexis Alrich, Molly Axtmann, Dean Curtis, Clark Suprynowicz and Katrina Wreede, played by ChamberMix (flute, clarinet, cello and piano quartet), this Saturday night at the Crowden Music Center in Berkeley. 

“Youth strikes a different chord with each composer on the program,” as the composers announced their pieces: Alexis Alrich’s Hong Kong Email is “a set of pieces about the sounds of Hong Kong, short messages about daily life ... suitable for the imaginations and fingers of student performers.” Molly Axtmann notes, “Imdugud is a mythological creature from ancient Sumeria, also known as the Anzu Bird ... part eagle, part lion ... a servant of the air god Enlil ... [who] stole the tablets of destiny ... This creature’s music harks back to the beginning of civilization.” Dean Curtis’ Beacon Street Elegey “interweaves life memory, dream memory, ancient chant, ambient music and readings ... an elegy after the death of a long-beloved friend.” Clark Suprynowicz writes that The Magic Shop is “from my own recollections of being 10 years old, and visiting, with my mother, a shop ... that sold magic tricks, silk handkerchiefs, deckes of prepared cards ... this was an enchanting place.” And Katrina Wreede notes that Complementary Supplement (movement number one of a work in progress) “reflects the perverse and conflicted process of growing up at any age.” 

Music of Youth is funded by the American Composers Forum and Crowden Center for Music in the Community.  

 

7 p.m. in the Dalby Room, Crowden Music Center, 1475 Rose St. Free. 559-6910.