mannes american composers ensemble to perform at the new school's ernst c. stiefel concert hall |
The New School’s Mannes School of Music is pleased to announce that the Mannes American Composers Ensemble (MACE) will perform on Wednesday, May 11, at The New School’s Ernst C. Stiefel Concert Hall (55 West 13th Street.) Conducted by Alan Pierson, the program will feature selections by Steve Reich, Thomas Weaver, and Caleb Burhans. True to the mission of MACE, the program exemplifies the ensemble’s commitment to the work of living American composers. The concert will begin at 7:30pm. Admission is free. Founded in 2012 by Lowell Liebermann and directed in 2015/16 by Alan Pierson, MACE presents works by iconic American masters such as John Adams, Mason Bates and Steve Reich, as well as works by young and up and coming composers such as David Hertzberg and Nina C. Young. The ensemble aims to embrace a broad view of the vital landscape of contemporary American Music, and to bolster that landscape through premieres and, soon, commissions. The May 11 concert will feature Steve Reich’s “City Life". City Life is a contemporary masterpiece; a work that combines live musicians with sampled urban sounds. The piece is rarely heard live. Also on the program are Mannes Alums, Thomas Weaver’s “Into Focus”, and Caleb Burhans’ “oh ye of little faith”. Richard Kessler, Executive Dean for the College of Performing Arts and Dean of Mannes said, “With MACE, we are aiming to put the works of living composers and of American composers at the center of the practice here at Mannes. You can see this in our programming of the ensemble, which is directed this year by Alan Pierson.”
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The College of Performing Arts is a progressive artistic center housed within The New School, in one of the world’s greatest performing arts cities, New York City. The college offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs for aspiring musicians, composers, actors, directors, writers, and performers of all kinds through three renowned schools: Mannes School of Music, the School of Jazz, and the School of Drama. Students have the valuable opportunity to pursue interdisciplinary studies throughout a comprehensive university, The New School. The College of Performing Arts nurtures individual artists in order to cultivate fearless risk takers who value real-world relevance, pursue excellence, and embrace collaboration. Celebrated faculty mentors guide students to take their place as artistic leasers who can make a positive difference in the world today. Founded in 1916, Mannes School of Music at The New School seeks to develop citizen artists who engage with the world around them in and through music, in traditional, new, and emergent forms of practice. Our eminent faculty of artists, scholars, and educators of international stature, including active professionals from all areas of the music world foster close, constructive relationships with students and are committed to advancing the creative role of music throughout all aspects of our rapidly changing society. Notable faculty include Jeremy Denk, multi-award winning and MacArthur Fellow pianist; Dave Douglas, multi-award winning and MacArthur Fellow trumpeter; Cynthia Phelps, principal violist of The New York Philharmonic; David Chan, Concertmaster of The Metropolitian Opera; Joan La Barbara, vocalist and pioneer in contemporary vocal music; William Burden, renowned operatic tenor; David T Little, composer; Missy Mazzoli, composer; Paul Moravec, composer; and many more. MACE Director 2015-2016 Alan Pierson, has been praised as “a dynamic conductor and musical visionary” by The New York Times, “a young conductor of monstrous skill” by Newsday, “gifted and electrifying” by The Boston Globe, and “one of the most exciting figures in new music today” by Fanfare. He is the Artistic Director and conductor of the acclaimed ensemble Alarm Will Sound, which has been called “the future of classical music” by The New York Times and “a sensational force” with “powerful ideas about how to renovate the concert experience” by The New Yorker. Pierson served for three years as the Artistic Director and conductor of the Brooklyn Philharmonic. The New York Times called his leadership at the Philharmonic “truly inspiring,” and The New Yorker's Alex Ross described it as “remarkably innovative, perhaps even revolutionary.” Pierson has also appeared as a guest conductor with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the London Sinfonietta, the Steve Reich Ensemble, the Orchestra of St. Luke's, Carnegie Hall's Ensemble ACJW, the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra, the New World Symphony, and The Silk Road Project, among other ensembles. He is Principal Conductor of the Dublin-based Crash Ensemble, codirector of the Northwestern University Contemporary Music Ensemble, and has been a visiting faculty conductor at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music and the Eastman School of Music. He regularly collaborates with major composers and performers, including Yo Yo Ma, Steve Reich, Dawn Upshaw, Osvaldo Golijov, John Adams, Augusta Read Thomas, David Lang, Michael Gordon, Donnacha Dennehy, La Monte Young, and choreographers Christopher Wheeldon, Akram Khan and Elliot Feld. Pierson received bachelor degrees in physics and music from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a doctorate in conducting from the Eastman School of Music. He has recorded for Nonesuch Records, Cantaloupe Music, Sony Classical and Sweetspot DVD.
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Media Contacts: Will Wilbur, |
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