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June Wu

Celebrating the June Wu Artists Fund

[caption id=“attachment_861” align=“alignright” width=“150” caption=“June Wu, Metropolis board member and patron, at the Glimpses concert with Artistic Director Andrew Cyr.”][/caption] Last year, the June K. M. Wu Artists Fund was established to honor Metropolis Ensemble board member, June Wu, and her vision and passionate dedication to our young performing artists. The Fund helped Metropolis launch a new Resident Artist Series, supported two studio recordings at Tanglewood with NAXOS and Nonesuch Records, and continued our mission to emerge the next generation of outstanding composers and musicians. As Metropolis embarks on several exciting new projects supported by the Wu Artists Fund, including the creation of our own record label, launching new albums and concerts, and expanding the Resident Artist Series, we wanted to reflect on the past year through the eyes of some of the artists who benefited from these generous gifts. [caption id=“attachment_847” align=“alignright” width=“150” caption=“Timothy Andres - pianist and composer”][/caption] Timothy Andres: An Ambitious New Album

My work with Metropolis last year was a continuation of a scheme Andrew Cyr and I had been formulating since 2008. At first, it resulted in the concert Home Stretch in the spring of 2010; now it has evolved into the production of a CD. The album is centered around my piano concerto Home Stretch, bookended by my “re-composition” of Mozart’s Coronation concerto and my Paraphrase on Themes of Brian Eno, which were both Metropolis commissions. A recording is not just a concrete item to be sold, or a promotional tool, but an artifact of our musical culture at a specific time. These artifacts can be much more powerful than a one-off concert, which by nature has limited reach and duration. A recording is a commitment, a way of saying ‘this is what we feel most strongly about, and we need to share it as widely as possible’. The scope of this recording project is ambitious, especially for a group as young as Metropolis; recording an orchestra is simply a very time-consuming and expensive proposition. Such propositions are dependent on people like June Wu, who understands the importance of such projects, shares our ambitions, and helps both things come to fruition. I will always be grateful to June not just for helping me in my career, which is small in the scheme of things, but for helping my entire field.

[caption id=“attachment_848” align=“alignright” width=“150” caption=“Bridget Kibbey - harpist and composer”]

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Bridget Kibbey: One Woman Tour-de-Force

Over the course of three years, I conceived a project entitled Music Box in which composers - all born abroad and recent immigrants to the United States and mostly living in New York City - wrote solo works for the harp based on folk music from their native country. Metropolis presented the project in January. It was a powerful personal journey, because it allowed me to showcase some of my own arrangements and explore multiple genres of harp-writing in a single evening. What was most helpful was working alongside Metropolis to give this project the “kick-off” the composers deserved. Many in the audience at each sold-out concert had never heard a full solo harp program. It was incredibly satisfying to perform these new fun, eclectic works for such enthusiastic guests. I also walked away from the concerts with high-definition video and fabulous audio to show other interested presenters. I’m happy to say that I will be presenting the project next season in other venues in the United States as a result!

[caption id=“attachment_849” align=“alignright” width=“150” caption=“Kristin Lee - violinist”]

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Kristin Lee: From Bali to the Studio and Beyond

In 2010, I joined composer Vivian Fung on a trip to Bali to understand where her ideas came from in her music. It was remarkable to visit these communities filled with gamelan music and a tangible artistic energy. It gave me an entirely new perspective on living and breathing art every day. Vivian was inspired by our trip and wrote a new Violin Concerto that we premiered at Renderings last fall with Metropolis. From there, we recorded the work at Tanglewood with the extraordinary help of audio engineer Tim Martin and the whole Metropolis gang. Professionally it really means everything to have my first recording on a major label, NAXOS, which wouldn’t be possible without June’s help and the Fund. Premiering a concerto takes money to support the commission, book the beautiful concert space at Angel Orensanz Center, and bring in the audience. As a result, I performed Vivian’s cadenza on WQXR Cafe Concerts and Metropolis received a lot of publicity. It was a huge leap in every way. As a musician, this new work written specifically for me opened new doors for commission projects with other composers and the opportunity to build programs around innovative pieces. I’m looking forward to working with Andrew Cyr and Metropolis to produce new projects for the Resident Artist Series.

[caption id=“attachment_857” align=“alignright” width=“150” caption=“Conor Hanick - pianist”]

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Conor Hanick: Teamwork and Remarkable Opportunity

In the past year, I premiered Ray Lustig’s beautiful vocal work Compose Thyself from Renderings, recorded works by Ryan Francis with the superlative Kristin Lee, and, perhaps most significantly, participated not only in Timothy Andres’ new recording on Nonesuch, but also recorded world premiere recordings of Vivian Fung’s Glimpses for prepared piano and her titanic piano concerto called Dreamscapes, both supported by the Wu Fund. I’m indebted to June for her generous and unparalleled support of Metropolis. These remarkable projects simply wouldn’t happen without her, and it’s hard to adequately thank her for giving us such remarkable opportunities through the Fund. Metropolis Ensemble afforded me some of the most extraordinary and artistically rewarding experiences of my career. It’s touching to be offered opportunities like this and hard to overstate what a privilege its been to be associated with the ensemble. Vivian’s recording is a great example: it’s a professional boon to having a widely-released commercial recording of such high quality. I am humbled to be listed alongside Andrew, Vivian, Kristin, and others. These were experiences that for me will continue to inform my musical activities and serve as benchmarks for artistic quality.

Metropolis Launches Resident Artist Series

Metropolis Ensemble is thrilled to present the inaugural concert of our new Resident Artists Series- concerts, musical events, and social gatherings that feature our core ensemble artists as solo instrumentalists in creative collaborations with composers from all genres. Metropolis Ensemble’s founding harpist Bridget Kibbey kicks-off this new initiative with a concert presentation entitled Music Box, featuring the world-premieres of six newly commissioned works for solo harp. Music Box gathers music by composers born in other countries who now call the United States home. Moved by both their individual stories and their music, Bridget solicited new work whose inspiration is based in folk idioms from each composer’s country of origin as well as from their own personal narratives. The harp is an instrument emblematic of storytelling and folklore. Music Box will allow the harp to carry this tradition forward into the 21st century, giving expression to the diverse voices that make up contemporary American culture. I would especially like to thank June Wu for her extraordinary leadership and commitment to our performing artists and composers and to all those who contributed so generously to The June Wu Artist Fund to make this series possible. I would also like to thank the good people at (Le) Poisson Rouge, David Handler, Justin Cantor, and Ronen Givony as well as the able staff at LPR for being such important advocates and supporters of our community of emerging musicians and composers. Special thanks as well to Jessica Healy and Buffalo Trace, Jakub Ciupinski, Zipora Fried, Kristin Lee, Candice Madey, Jennifer McCrae, Andrew Schorr, Jonathan Schorr, Sara Menker, Jennifer Salomon, Richard Salomon and Laura Landro, Roy and Diana Vagelos, and tonight’s host committee for their efforts to broaden our community of fans, friends, and supporters. At these concerts, we are an orchestra of one, yet in Bridget’s hands (and feet), she will sound like many!

Warmth and Stillness Abound

Warmth and Stillness Abound

Metropolis fans and curious concert-goers stepped into a cozy setting for a chamber and piano recital with pianist-composer Timothy Andres.

The Sparkling City

Metropolis composer Jakub Ciupinski introduces an audience to his interactive electronic system using two theremins and a laptop at a private members event on December 11, 2009 at the apartment of Metropolis board member June Wu, with the shimmering holiday lights of the Upper West Side serving as backdrop. Photo by Adi Shniderman.

A Little Wine, A Little Nosh

Members of the Metropolis community enjoy some light hors d'oeuvres at a private members event on December 11, 2009 at the apartment of Metropolis board member June Wu. Sustaining members are treated to six or more parties and exclusive concerts throughout the year. Photo by Adi Shniderman.

Exclusive Members-Only Event

Show your support for Metropolis Ensemble and experience inspiring musical performances! If you become a member today, you’ll be invited to attend a private concert hosted by June Wu at her Upper West Side apartment (Friday, December 11 at 7pm). The concert will feature the popular “Composing and Cocktails” and “Music from Air” programs from our New Music 101 concert with composer Jakub Ciupinski and Metropolis Ensemble musicians. RSVP for the event now… You can help sustain the future of Metropolis Ensemble and the vitality of classical and contemporary music in our society by becoming a member today! Contributions are tax deductible and benefit the ensemble throughout the upcoming year. Membership includes:

  • one complimentary ticket for an upcoming concert

  • invitation to member events and private concerts

  • advanced ticket sales and discounts

  • listing in concert programs

Become a member now…