Conductor Jeffrey Milarsky Leads the Ensemble AXIOM in Works by Davidovsky, Ligeti, and Birtwistle on Monday, October 5 at 8 PM in Juilliard's Peter Jay Sharp Theater
Conductor Jeffrey Milarsky leads Juilliard's newest contemporary music ensemble, AXIOM, on Monday, October 5 at 8 PM in Juilliard's Peter Jay Sharp Theater in the first of its three-concert series at Juilliard. The program features Mario Davidovsky's Flashbacks (1995); György Ligeti's Kammerkonzert (1970); Harrison Birtwistle's Three Settings of Celan (1989-1994) and his Secret Theatre for Chamber Ensemble (1984).
FREE tickets are available beginning September 21 at the Janet and Leonard Kramer Box Office at Juilliard, located at 155 West 65th Street. Box Office hours are Monday through Friday from 11 AM to 6 PM. For further information, call (212) 769-7406 or go to www.juilliard.edu.
On putting together the program, Mr. Milarsky noted that the combination of the works by Birtwistle are complemented by Davidovsky's Flashbacks and Ligeti's Kammerkonzert (Chamber Concerto). Mr. Milarsky draws connections between the sonic world of each composer while uncovering unexpected links between the composers themselves. He remarked: "The interesting thing about the first pair of AXIOM programs this season at Juilliard is that the only American composer, Mario Davidovsky, can sometimes sound the most European. Conversely, the British composer Harrison Birtwistle can occasionally be so brash and aggressive that his style begins to sound American." Davidovsky's Flashbacks for Mr. Milarsky sounds like a continuation of the ethereality of Ligeti's music. He added: "These two composers [Ligeti and Davidovsky] share an approach to mood and melody, among other things. Davidovsky's melodies have a smooth almost ephemeral quality, sometimes with real tonal implications, which Ligeti's also have."
Ligeti's Kammerkonzert (1970) had its first performance on October 1, 1970 in Berlin. The 13 players in the Chamber Concerto are split into instrumental families. The woodwind, brass, keyboard, and string subsections mix to form distinct sonic combinations.
Birtwistle's Three Settings of Celan (1989-1994) is in three movements and set to poems by Paul Celan: (1) White and Light; (2) Night; and (3) Tenebrae. In Birtwistle's Secret Theatre for Chamber Ensemble (1984), the ensemble is divided into two groups: one, accompaniment, its players seated; the other, soloists, its players standing. The two groups engage in a stage drama of sorts.
Following the concert at Juilliard, AXIOM, led by Jeffrey Milarsky, makes an appearance downtown at Le Poisson Rouge on Wednesday, October 7 where the Ensemble performs a contrasting program of chamber music repertoire: Ligeti's Ten Pieces for Winds and his Horn Trio; Birtwistle's Five Distances; and Davidovsky's Duo Capriccioso. Doors open at 6:30 PM. A pre-concert discussion begins at 7 PM with composer Mario Davidovsky, and Provost and Dean of Juilliard, Ara Guzelimian. The concert follows at 7:30 PM. La Poisson Rouge is located at 158 Bleecker Street in downtown Manhattan. Tickets are $15 and available online at http://lepoissonrouge.inticketing.com/events. For further information, call (212) 228-4854.
The next concert in Juilliard's AXIOM series takes place Thursday, December 10 at 8 PM in Alice Tully Hall with Mr. Milarsky leading the Ensemble in an all-Adams program featuring composer John Adams' Scratchband, Six Songs for Charles Ives, and the Chamber Symphony. A performance of John Adams' String Quartet (which had its world premiere at Juilliard during FOCUS! 2009) completes the program. The final concert in the Juilliard AXIOM series takes place on Monday, February 15 at 8 PM in Juilliard's Peter Jay Sharp Theater and features works by Finnish composers Kaija Saariaho and Magnus Lindberg.
AXIOM, one of Juilliard's newest performing ensembles, was formed by student initiative in 2005 and debuted the following year in Avery Fisher Hall led by James Conlon. The chamber ensemble is dedicated to performing the masterworks of the 21st-century repertoire. AXIOM is comprised of a flexible roster of current Juilliard students and recent graduates. In the 2008-2009 season, AXIOM presented a tribute to Luciano Berio, a concert of Olivier Messiaen's music, and a concert of works by John Adams, Magnus Lindberg, and Steve Reich. AXIOM was selected to collaborate with the Juilliard Dance Division as part of their Spring Dances at Juilliard performances in March 2007 and 2008. In December 2007, they were the featured ensemble for Miller Theatre's celebration of Elliott Carter's 99th birthday, performing the New York stage premiere of his opera, What Next?
Jeffrey Milarsky is a leading conductor of contemporary music in New York City and now a member of Juilliard's conducting department. Known for his innovative programming and wide-ranging repertoire from Bach to Xenakis, he has premiered and recorded works worldwide by contemporary composers, and led such accomplished groups as the American Composers Orchestra, MET Chamber Ensemble, the Milwaukee Symphony, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, New York New Music Ensemble, Manhattan Sinfonietta, Speculum Musicae, Cygnus Ensemble, Fromm Players at Harvard University, and the New York Philharmonic chamber music series. In the United States and abroad, Mr. Milarsky has premiered and recorded works by groundbreaking contemporary composers, including Charles Wuorinen, Fred Lerdahl, Milton Babbitt, Elliott Carter, Gerard Grisey, Jonathan Dawe, Tristan Murail, Ralph Shapey, Luigi Nono, Mario Davidovsky and Wolfgang Rihm. Mr. Milarsky made his debut at the New York City Opera during the 2008-2009 season. He has been music director of AXIOM since its founding in 2005. Mr. Milarsky is a much in-demand percussionist who has performed and recorded with the New York Philharmonic, among many other ensembles. He is a professor in music at Columbia University, where he is music director and conductor of the Columbia University Orchestra. Also at Columbia, he is the music director and conductor of the Manhattan Sinfonietta, which focuses on 20th- and 21st-century scores. In addition, he is on the faculty of the Manhattan School of Music as artistic director and conductor of the Percussion Ensemble. Mr. Milarsky received his bachelor and master of music degrees from Juilliard.
FOR CALENDAR LISTINGS:
Monday, October 5, 8 PM
The Peter Jay Sharp Theater at Juilliard, 155 West 65th Street
AXIOM
Jeffrey Milarsky, Conductor
Mario Davidovsky - Flashbacks (1995)
György Ligeti - Kammerkonzert (1970)
Harrison Birtwistle - Three Settings of Celan (1989-1994)
Harrison Birtwistle - Secret Theatre for Chamber Ensemble (1984)
FREE tickets available beginning September 21 at the Janet and Leonard Kramer Box Office at Juilliard. For further information, please call (212) 769-7406 or go to www.juilliard.edu.
Wednesday, October 7, 7 PM
Le Poisson Rouge, 158 Bleecker Street
AXIOM
Jeffrey Milarsky, Conductor
Pre-Concert Discussion with composer Mario Davidovsky, and Dean and Provost and Dean of Juilliard, Ara Guzelimian
György Ligeti - Ten Pieces for Winds (1968)
György Ligeti - Horn Trio (1982)
Harrison Birtwistle - Five Distances (1992)
Mario Davidovsky - Duo Capriccioso (2003)
Tickets at $15 are available online at http://lepoissonrouge.inticketing.com/events. For further information, call (212) 228-4854.
Thursday, December 10, 8 PM
Alice Tully Hall, 65th Street and Broadway
AXIOM
Jeffrey Milarsky, Conductor
All-Adams Program:
John Adams - Scratchband (1996)
John Adams - String Quartet (2008)
John Adams - Six Songs by Charles Ives (1989-1993)
John Adams - Chamber Symphony (1984)
FREE tickets available beginning November 24 at the Janet and Leonard Kramer Box Office at Juilliard. For further information, please call (212) 769-7406 or go to www.juilliard.edu.
Saturday, December 12, 7 PM
Le Poisson Rouge, 158 Bleecker Street
AXIOM
Jeffrey Milarsky, Conductor
Pre-Concert conversation with composer John Adams and Robert Hurwitz of Nonesuch Records.
John Adams:
Road Movies (1995) for violin and piano
Phrygian Gates (1972) for solo piano
John's Book of Alleged Dances (1994) for string quartet and electronics
Tickets at $15 are available online at http://lepoissonrouge.inticketing.com/events. For further information, call (212) 228-4854.
Monday, February 15, 8 PM
The Peter Jay Sharp Theater at Juilliard, 155 West 65th Street
AXIOM
Jeffrey Milarsky, Conductor
Kaija Saariaho - Lichtbogen (1986)
Magnus Lindberg - Clarinet Quintet (1992)
Kaija Saariaho - Serenatas (2008)
Magnus Lindberg - Engine (1996)
FREE tickets available beginning February 1 at the Janet and Leonard Kramer Box Office at Juilliard. For further information, please call (212) 769-7406 or go to www.juilliard.edu.
Wednesday, February 17, 7 PM
Le Poisson Rouge
AXIOM
Jeffrey Milarsky, Conductor
Pre-Concert conversation with composer Magnus Lindberg and Alex Ross of The New Yorker
Music of Lindberg, Salonen, and Saariaho:
Esa-Pekka Salonen - YTA III (1985) for cello
Esa-Pekka Salonen - Dichotomie (2003) for solo piano
Kaija Saariaho - Je sens un deuxième coeur (2003) for piano trio
Magnus Lindberg - Steamboat Bill Junior (1990) for clarinet and cello
Magnus Lindberg - Ur (1986) for clarinet, piano, violin, cello, bass, and electronics.
Tickets at $15 are available online at http://lepoissonrouge.inticketing.com/events. For further information, call (212) 228-4854.