Musical America Blogs

Noted Endeavors (Eugenia Zukerman and Emily Ondracek-Peterson) talk with Elizabeth Weisser and Alex Lipowski of Talea Ensemble about prioritizing and finding rehearsal space.

In March 2014, the Talea Ensemble brought Italian-born and Vienna-based composer Pierluigi Billone to New York for its second American Immersion project. The series allows American audiences to gain exposure to a new composer while allowing the composer an opportunity to work in depth with the ensemble’s musicians by continually developing a dialog and exploring his or her musical language. Talea also continues to offer masterclasses and residencies and to present cutting edge concerts in varied locales. The New York Times calls the ensemble “A flexible group that champions toothy modern works and plays them with a compelling lucidity…”

For more about TALEA ENSEMBLE, go to:
Taleaensemble.org

Paola Prestini talks with Eugenia Zukerman and Emily Ondracek-Peterson from Noted Endeavors about balancing her extensive professional demands with her home life, which includes a young child.

Paola Prestini is a composer/producer/entrepreneur/teacher who balances her own artistic endeavors while running several companies – VisionIntoArt and Original Music Workshop in Brooklyn. Her cross disciplinary projects, residencies, and collaborations bring disparate points of view together and redefine boundaries. She says, “I believe strongly in creating artistic communities and fostering new art,” and she is starting a new contemporary music label, VIA Records, which will present collaborations between composers and artists in different fields.

To read more about Paola Prestini and her work go to:
paolaprestini.com and notedendeavors.com.

Talk about flute star power! Eugenia Zukerman and Emily Ondracek-Peterson of Noted Endeavors interview the innovative ensemble, Flutronix.

Nathalie Joachim and Allison Loggins-Hull are two remarkable flutists who have created Flutronix. The duo has been described by the Wall Street Journal as “a unique blend of classical music, hip-hop, electronic programming and soulful vocals.” Both are composers, producers and performers and have collaborated with an impressive range of artists. Flutronix music has been broadcast on popular radio stations around the world. They are regularly sought after as clinicians and educators by institutions like The Juilliard School, New England Conservatory, and The University of Michigan. They’ve also been featured in TV segments on Telemundo, BK Live, The Daily Buzz and an internationally broadcast ESPN super bowl commercial as well as in a leading Japanese fashion magazine.

For more about Flutronix go to:
Flutronix.com

Eugenia Zukerman and Emily Ondracek-Peterson of Noted Endeavors talk with Eric Jacobsen about choosing repertoire.

Hailed by the New York Times as “an interpretive dynamo,” conductor and cellist Eric Jacobsen has built a reputation for engaging audiences with innovative and collaborative programming projects. As co-founder and Music Director of the adventurous orchestra The Knights and a founding member of the dynamic string quartet Brooklyn Rider, he– along with his co-founder brother Colin Jacobsen– may take credit for helping to ensure “the future of classical music in America” (Los Angeles Times).

For more information about Eric Jacobsen, go to:
jacobseneric.com.

Eugenia Zukerman and Emily Ondracek-Peterson of Noted Endeavors speaks with members of eighth blackbird, one of the world’s most acclaimed new music ensembles, about the patience and persistence needed to receive grants.

eighthblackbird’s 2014-2015 season kicked off in Chicago and New York with a new staged, memorized production of composer Amy Beth Kirsten’s “Colombine’s Paradise Theatre.” It’s a tour de force that challenges the sextet to play, speak, sing, whisper, growl and mime, breathing life into this tale of dream and delusion. Endlessly creative and energetic, the group continues its busy schedule of performances, residencies, and recordings. The ensemble has won three Grammy Awards, for the recordings strange imaginary animals, Lonely Motel: Music from Slide and Meanwhile. eighth blackbird’s members hail from America’s Great Lakes, Keystone, Golden and Bay states, and Australia’s Sunshine State. There are four foodies, three beer snobs and one exercise junkie.

For more information about eighthblackbird go to:
www.eighthblackbird.org

Flutist Valerie Coleman and bassoonist Monica Ellis of Imani Winds talk to Noted Endeavors about how Imani became the world-famous group it is today. Advice for young ensembles: have a plan and be be patient waiting for commitments.

The only full-time touring American wind quintet, Imani Winds has been together for 17 years, and travel the globe giving concerts while also creating workshops, residencies and performing in special collaborations. With two member composers and their Legacy Commissioning program, Imani Winds is expanding wind quintet repertoire while meaningfully mixing traditional European and American music with that of their own African-American and Latin heritages. Dedicated to education and to mentoring talents of all ages, their summer chamber music festival is one of their most important projects.

To learn more about Imani, go to:
http://www.imaniwinds.com

Co-founders of Le Poisson Rouge, David Handler and Justin Kantor, talk with Eugenia Zukerman and Emily Ondracek-Peterson of Noted Endeavors about the practical realities of making a living as a composer or instrumentalist.

Called by Time Out New York “a forward-thinking venue that seeks to showcase disparate musical styles under one roof,” Le Poisson Rouge continues to present cutting edge events as well as traditional classics, pop, jazz and almost any genre of performance you can think of. “The venue is a downright musical marvel,” as the New York Times dubbed it. Its co-founders, David Handler and Justin Kantor, are downright candid in their belief that experiencing music from completely different perspectives in a dynamic environment is a thrilling experience. Judging by the huge volume of concerts and vast number of attendees, audiences agree.

Daniel Bernard Roumain talks with Eugenia Zukerman and Emily Ondracek-Peterson of Noted Endeavors about the practical realities of making a living as a composer or instrumentalist.

“Here I am, crisscrossing the country in new work, with new collaborators, making new friends,” Daniel Bernard Roumain writes in a November newsletter. He has composed the original score for a unique storytelling experience, produced by NPR Presents, named Water±.

In addition he’s been named co-chair of the 2015 APAP conference, and he’s joined the board of Directors of Creative Capital. DBR shows, according to the Washington Post, “what it means to push boundaries of musical genres to new heights.” An artist with a multitude of ideas who accomplishes them, he’s remarkably generous in sharing his strategies for turning thought into creative action.

Eugenia Zukerman and Emily Ondracek-Peterson of Noted Endeavors interview Eliran Avni, founder of SHUFFLE Concert.

SHUFFLE Concert has performed all over the United States, in Europe, and recently traveled to Israel for its fourth tour there. Each of the members of this unique group has performed extensively as soloist and collaborative musician throughout the world. The musicians are drawn from Israel, Spain and the United States. Their achievements outside the ensemble are formidable and all of them are dedicated to doing outreach and residencies. The founder of SHUFFLE Concert, Eliran Avni says that outreach to bring the joy of music to young and old is “a crusade” for the group. They have created a special outreach fund to make certain they can do as much outreach as possible.

Eugenia Zukerman and Emily Ondracek-Peterson of Noted Endeavors interview international prize-winning pianists (and husband-and-wife) Ran Dank and Soyeon Kate Lee, founders of the concert series Music by the Glass.

Kate and Ran discuss their reasons for wanting to be a not-for-profit organization. They explain, step-by-step, how and why they came to their decision and why it seemed to be the best plan for them. They created their unique series, Music by the Glass, in 2013 to create “an intimate, exhilarating and stimulating musical experience.” We interviewed Soyeon and Ran just a few weeks before their first baby arrived. Noah Lee-Dank is now a happy bouncing baby boy, and MBTG continues to thrive.

To read more about MUSIC BY THE GLASS please go to:
musicbytheglass.com