The HEAR NOW Festival of New Music by Contemporary Los Angeles Composers is pleased to announce the program for its fourth annual Festival, from Friday to Sunday, May 2, 3, and 4, 2014. The events take place at the Miles Playhouse in Santa Monica and the First Lutheran Church of Venice.
In a departure from last festival of two chamber music concerts, HEAR NOW has added an electro-acoustic concert in collaboration with People Inside Electronics (PIE)and extended the Saturday program. In a departure from last festival of two chamber music concerts, HEAR NOW has added an electro-acoustic concert in collaboration with People Inside Electronics (PIE)and extended the Saturday program.
By invitation, 120 outstanding works were submitted by sixty-one composers living and working in the Los Angeles area. After a lengthy blind review process, the review committee, headed by artistic director Hugh Levick, selected twenty-three for the three days of concerts. By invitation, 120 outstanding works were submitted by sixty-one composers living and working in the Los Angeles area. After a lengthy blind review process, the review committee, headed by artistic director Hugh Levick, selected twenty-three for the three days of concerts.
“It was such a difficult task because the works submitted were of such high caliber. Ultimately we had to embrace the idea of a marathon concert on Saturday to accommodate all the pieces we wanted within the festival framework,” Levick said. “It was such a difficult task because the works submitted were of such high caliber. Ultimately we had to embrace the idea of a marathon concert on Saturday to accommodate all the pieces we wanted within the festival framework,” Levick said.
The composers selected this year include Julia Adolphe, Walter Arlen, Juhi Bansal, Benedikt Brydern, Scott Cazan, Ian Dicke, Sean Friar, Jeffrey Holmes, Riley Hughes, Peter Knell, William Kraft, Anne Le Baron, Hugh Levick, Alexander E. Miller, Nick Norton, Vicki Ray, Adam Schoenberg, Barry Schrader/Wadada Leo Smith, Russell Steinberg, Milo Talwani, Joe Trapenese, David Werfelmann, and Gernot Wolfgang.
”We also always ask for a piece from a well-known composer with ties to Los Angeles,” Levick continued, “and this year, we asked Esa-Pekka Salonen, who recently moved back here, if we could perform his wind quintet, ‘Memoria,’ which he completely revised in 2002.”
Other guest composers from previous festivals have included Thomas Adès and John Adams.
The electro-acoustic concert, held at 8:00 p.m. on Friday May 2 at the Miles Playhouse, includes works by Cazan, Schrader/Smith, Werfelmann, Dicke, Ray, and Wolfgang. Aron Kallay and Isaac Schankler of PIE worked together with Levick to plan the program.
“All of us at People Inside Electronics are thrilled to be working with the HEAR NOW Festival,” Schankler said. “The works we selected show real originality and a diversity of artistic vision in how electronics are integrated with chamber music. Our collaboration enhances the breadth of music that HEAR NOW can offer, and brings this music to an audience who might not yet be acquainted with it.”
The Saturday marathon event begins at 6:00 p.m., and allows for a dinner break followed by two additional segments at 8:00 and 9:00 p.m. “This is an experiment and a way to increase the number of works we could present. For the dinner break we’re going to bring some gourmet food trucks around to accommodate our patrons and get them ready for the next two segments,” Levick stated. The Saturday and the Sunday chamber music concerts take place at the First Lutheran Church of Venice. The Sunday concert begins at 4:00 p.m. and is a regular concert with an intermission.
