The Boston Modern Orchestra Project (BMOP), under artistic director and conductor Gil Rose, continues its exploration of new orchestral music influenced by non-Western cultures with a program of concertos for Persian, Korean, and Japanese instruments on March 10, 2006 at Jordan Hall.
"One of the cornerstones of BMOP's programming since its founding has been the exploration of the influence of non-Western cultures on contemporary orchestral music. I am personally proud of BMOP's contribution to this movement through regular performances, commissions, and recordings," says Executive Director Catherine Stephan.
The March 10 program features the world premiere of a new work by Reza Vali commissioned by BMOP, a work that has particular meaning for Artistic Director Gil Rose who first met Vali when he was a graduate student at Carnegie Mellon University. Rose remarks, "BMOP's association with Reza goes back to its very first concert and its first recording session; my association goes back even further to my student days, when Reza joined the faculty of CMU. It's always a pleasure to premiere and record a piece of Reza's because of his inventiveness, conviction, and passion for his music and the music of his native Iran." Following the performance, BMOP will record the new work for its second CD of Vali's orchestral music. (The first CD was released in April 2004 by Naxos.)
The other premiere on the program, Jin Hi Kim's Eternal Rock II, recognizes another ongoing association. In 2001 BMOP performed Eternal Rock, and based on the success of that performance commissioned Eternal Rock II. Of her unique compositional technique Kim explains, "Eternal Rock refers to the evolution of rocks in space over eons of time," while "Eternal Rock II is about hypnotic time and the spinning motion of planetary bodies in space...A solo percussionist will create hypnotic energy and vivification on the Korean drum set, consisting of five highly ornate suspended barrel drums. In Korean tradition this style of drum set was performed by a dancer as part of choreography. In addition to the solo drummer there is a percussion ensemble, placed around the orchestra, that creates an effect as if their sound is 'spinning' around the orchestra."
Completing the program are works by early 20th-century composer Henry Cowell, whose Concerto No. 1 for Koto and Orchestra is one of the first attempts to write a concerto for solo non-Western instrument and classical orchestra, and Tan Dun, who is the most recognizable name in the field of cross-cultural music today due to the success of his music for the film Crouching Tiger-Hidden Dragon. His "Yi°" Concerto for Orchestra will showcase sections of the BMOP orchestra employing Chinese sounds while performing on Western instruments.
BMOP is one of the few professional orchestras in the United States dedicated exclusively to performing and recording music of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Since its founding in 1996, BMOP has programmed 46 concerts of contemporary orchestral music, including 37 world premiere performances, released ten world premiere recordings, and won eight ASCAP Awards for Adventurous Programming.
"Concertos for Indigenous Instruments" begins at 8 pm on Friday, March 10, 2006 at Jordan Hall at the New England Conservatory (30 Gainsborough St., corner of Huntington Ave.) in Boston, MA. Pre-concert "Program Notes" with Reza Vali and Jin Hi Kim begin at 7 pm in the hall and is free for all ticket holders. Ticket prices are $10 for students with valid ID. Regular admission tickets are $19, $28, $38 based on seat selection. Seniors and members of partnering organizations receive a 10% discount. For more information or to purchase tickets, call (617) 363-0396 or visit www.bmop.org. Jordan Hall is handicapped accessible.
Press please note: Current high-resolution photographs of Gil Rose, BMOP, and featured composers and guest artists are available for download. Please use these images instead of any already on file.
Calendar Submission / At A Glance
What: Concertos for Indigenous Instruments
Who: Boston Modern Orchestra Project; Gil Rose, Artistic Director and Conductor
Khosrow Soltani, Persian ney; Gerry Hemingway, Korean percussion; Masayo Ishigure, Japanese koto
When: Friday, March 10, 2006 at 8 pm
Pre-concert Program Notes with Reza Vali and Jin Hi Kim at 7 pm
Where: Jordan Hall at New England Conservatory (30 Gainsborough St., corner of Huntington Ave.)
Program: Reza Vali "Toward that Endless Plain" Concerto for Persian Ney and Orchestra (2005)
World Premiere, commissioned by BMOP; Khosrow Soltani, Persian ney
Jin Hi Kim Eternal Rock II (2006)
World Premiere, commissioned by BMOP; Gerry Hemingway, Korean percussion
Henry Cowell Concerto No. 1 for Koto and Orchestra (1962)
Masayo Ishigure, Japanese koto
Tan Dun "Yi°" Concerto for Orchestra (2002)
Tickets: $10 for students with ID / $19 / $28 / $38. Available at www.bmop.org and 617.363.0396
Information: For more information, please call 617.363.0396 or visit www.bmop.org.