Dallas Morning News: "Stellar... Superb"

2/23/2010 |

Lawson Taitte of the Dallas Morning News reviewed the new Metropolis Ensemble album Avner Dorman's Concertos: "...These pieces reveal a strong common profile with tragic ferocity lurking under the sparkling surfaces." Read the article...

Labels: , , ,


Classics Today: 10/10 Review

2/22/2010 |

David Hurwitz of Classics Today reviewed Avner Dorman's Concertos, and awarded the album a coveted 10/10 rating for artistic quality and sound quality.

"...Metropolis Ensemble under Andrew Cyr sounds absolutely terrific no matter what Dorman asks them to do. This is really good stuff, a genuine discovery, beautifully played and excellently engineered. It will make you feel good about the future of contemporary Classical music."


Read the full article...

Labels: , , , ,


Gapplegate: Avner Dorman, Promising Young Composer

2/12/2010 |

Avid music blogger Grego Applegate Edwards reviewed Avner Dorman's Concertos: "Each of the concertos has the clarity and directness of a baroque concerto... there is a compactness of expression, a delicacy of delivery... and all the freshness of the first spring flower." Read the article...

Labels: , ,


KSJN: "Inspired Accompaniment... Absolutely Perfect"

1/26/2010 |

Michael Barone of KSJN Minneapolis on Avner Dorman's Concertos:

"Intrigued by Baroque music since childhood, Dorman has created a collection of 'modern' pieces imbued with the formal clarity and rhythmic energy of 18th century music. Make no mistake, these pieces sound 'new', but they also sound fresh and friendly, and surprisingly 'original', despite the obvious derivations. Performances are breathtakingly fine, and if you pass by this album you're missing out on a disarmingly satisfying production. Go for it!"


Listen to the broadcast:

Labels: , , , ,


KBAQ: CD of the Week

1/23/2010 |

Sterling Beeaff named Avner Dorman's Concertos the CD of the Week on KBAQ Phoenix, hailing the recording as "new and delightful... a guilty pleasure... a journey of light and color... and a generous doorway into something new." Listen to the broadcast:

Labels: , , , ,


Press Release: Metropolis Ensemble Celebrates Launch of First International Studio Recording

1/22/2010 |

Free Concert, Reception, and CD signing Monday, February 1, 7:30pm at the former Tower Records - Avner Dorman: Concertos for Mandolin, Piccolo, Piano and Concerto Grosso released January 26 on NAXOS American Classics

New York, NY - The imaginative, up-and-coming chamber orchestra, Metropolis Ensemble, will celebrate its first studio album, Avner Dorman: Concertos for Mandolin, Piccolo, Piano and Concerto Grosso, with a free concert, reception, and CD signing on February 1 at 7:30pm. The event will feature a performance of Avner Dorman's Mandolin Concerto (string sextet version) by renowned mandolinist Avi Avital and members of Metropolis Ensemble. All attendees will receive a free copy of the new CD and are invited to a CD signing and reception with artists from Metropolis Ensemble. The event is presented in association with, No Longer Empty, a non-profit organization that organizes site-specific public art exhibitions in vacated storefronts and properties in New York City, located in the former Tower Records on Broadway and East 4th Street.

Produced by Grammy-winning producer David Frost, the album contains the complete chamber orchestra concerti by award-winning Israeli composer Avner Dorman. In addition to Dorman's 2006 Concerto for Mandolin, the album also features three world premiere recordings: the 2001 Piccolo Concerto, with piccolo soloist Mindy Kaufman and pianist Eliran Avni; Concerto Grosso (2003) with Arnaud Sussmann and Lily Francis, violins; Eric Nowlin, viola; Michal Korman, cello; and Aya Hamada, harpsichord; and the composer's 1995 Piano Concerto, a work he penned when he was only nineteen years old, also featuring pianist Eliran Avni. Metropolis Ensemble was the first professional orchestra to perform Dorman's music in the United States.

Metropolis Ensemble is a professional chamber orchestra and ensemble based in New York City. Dedicated to emerging composers and performers, Metropolis Ensemble has quickly established a reputation for presenting "new music played with the same kind of panache and bravura we usually experience only in performances of standard repertoire" (Esa-Pekka Salonen).

The dynamic ensemble, comprised of the finest young artists now performing, is led by Music Director Andrew Cyr. Cyr is a distinctive new voice in the growing contemporary classical music scene. His enthusiasm for connecting musicians and composers of the next generation to today's audiences led him to create Metropolis Ensemble in 2006.

Metropolis Ensemble commissions, premieres and records new works from the freshest voices in classical composition, including Timothy Andres, David Bruce, Anna Clyne, Jakub Ciupinski, Avner Dorman, Ryan Francis, Vivian Fung, Ryan Gallagher, Erin Gee, Raymond Lustig, Ricardo Romaneiro, David Schiff, Adam Schoenberg, Cristina Spinei, and Michael Ward-Bergeman. Since its formation in 2006, Metropolis Ensemble has performed to capacity crowds and has premiered and commissioned over 24 new works.

Avner Dorman has quickly risen to become one of Israel's most successful and renowned composers. At the age of 25, he became the youngest composer to win Israel's prestigious Prime Minister's Award and that same year he was awarded the Golden Feather Award from ACUM (the Israeli Society of Composers and Publishers). Since coming to the United States, Dorman has received several international awards from ASCAP, ACUM, and the Asian Composers League.

Dorman's unique approach to rhythm and timbre has inspired some of the world's leading conductors, including Zubin Mehta, Marin Alsop, Asher Fisch, and Simone Young to bring his music to international audiences in performances with The New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Munich Philharmonic Orchestra, and Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestras.

Dorman's fresh, spontaneous style lends itself well to the screen and he has written for film, notably Nitzan Aviram's award-winning film Son. His music is exclusively published by G. Schirmer, Inc. and is available on NAXOS, the world's leading classical music label. Dorman holds a Doctorate from the Juilliard School.

The former Tower Records is located at 15 East 4th Street at Broadway. To RSVP for reserved press seating or to request a review copy of the CD please contact:

Nate Bachhuber
ph: 917.763.9396
e: press@metropolisensemble.org

Labels: ,


Naxos Podcast and Artist Features

1/05/2010 |

Naxos features Avner Dorman's Concertos on their podcast, hosted by Raymond Bisha, highlighting the album's liner notes and some great highlights from the recording itself. Listen to the podcast...

Naxos also features painter Joe Fig, whose artwork "Inka's Floor" graces the cover of the album. Joe's new book Inside the Painter's Studio was published in 2009, and dives into his creative process as he explores the daily routines of other artists. Read the article...

Labels: , , , , ,