Andrew Cyr and David Bruce talk over the score on stage for “The Firework Maker’s Daughter.”
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Interviews
Chatting with composer Vivian Fung about her upcoming studio release with Metropolis Ensemble and finding her voice in the creative process.
Jennifer Melick from Symphony Now recently sat down with Artistic Director Andrew Cyr to talk about Metropolis’ approach to concerts, education, and fundraising. Among the ideas that Andrew discussed was how Metropolis produces concerts and all the details that go into each project:
“When I started thinking about a career as a conductor, I looked around, and was like, ‘No one my age is going to concerts.’ It was really sad, because this music that I love so much is just not being presented in ways that are relevant to a lot of my friends who work in other fields—even within the creative arts… So I was kind of like, 'Well, maybe we really need to weave in contemporary music more creatively so that we will generate more curiosity.’ I did it as a way to address audience problems, and then I found it was so fascinating to work with living composers: it was awesome! They pour so much of their entire being into these compositions, and they’re trying to achieve so much, it was really inspiring. To be part of the process of creating a new work from start to finish, and imagining it being part of a whole evening that has an arc, that’s not just randomly programmed but that really connects with everything else, that was my intuition about how to do this. More and more, the ensemble turned in that direction. We also do a lot of performances in different types of venues, a little bit more social and more laid-back. I’d say the combination of all those things has really kind of helped us to build an awesome community. I tend to stay away from venues that have fixed seating, but really it depends on the project. As each project develops, the venues and where the project is going to go are part of that early conversation with the composers, and the size of the ensemble. We’re flexible, so we can be one or we can be 50. I might say, this project here is going to be perfect for Le Poisson Rouge because we’ll use their great sound system, for instance. But some projects lend themselves more to a more natural acoustic, so I’ll find a place like Angel Orensanz, or maybe a museum. Some things work really well in small spaces, just to get a really direct audience connection, to get a close kind of circuit.”
“Newly honored with a Grammy Award nomination, Cyr finds himself at the apex of Manhattan’s bustling new-music scene.”
“My goal as a performer is to bring across the exact replica of the composer’s vision… in full understanding of the music.”
WNYC’s John Schaefer of Soundcheck sat down with Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Steve Reich and Metropolis composer Timothy Andres on April 27, 2011, in celebration of Steve’s 75th birthday.
“Pianist/composer Timothy Andres made it to numerous top-10 lists last year with his debut album, Shy and Mighty. He also raised eyebrows with an eclectic list of influences that ranges from Radiohead and LCD Soundsystem to today’s other guest, Steve Reich. We hear Andres’ distinctive musical voice, as he joins us to play live in our studio.”
(function(){var s=function())(); Read the full article…
Composer Ryan Francis has a box of musical toys that’s finally ready to share. His new album Works for Piano was released on Tzadik Records April 19, and features Vicky Chow performing ten years of Ryan’s piano music, including one he wrote at age 19. His Six Etudes for Piano, a series of rhythmic musical concepts, was commissioned by Metropolis Ensemble in 2007 and premiered at the Digital Sustain concert at Chelsea Art Museum in 2008. Etudes then developed into a more cohesive Piano Concerto, also a Metropolis commission (with American Composers Forum and funds provided by the Jerome Foundation), that premiered at the LOOP concert later that spring. Ryan explains how the recording project was born out of these two performances:
“Andrew Cyr originally approached me about a chamber orchestra piece, and I countered with the idea of a chamber piano concerto. I mentioned that I had the idea of writing a set of companion etudes to the concerto, sort of like what György Ligeti did with his, and Andrew jumped at the idea, and commissioned the etudes as well, to be used as a prelude, or an introduction to the larger concerto. Vicky Chow, who is a close collaborator of mine, premiered several of the etudes on the Digital Sustain concert, and went on to perform the whole set many times, which drew the attention of John Zorn, who is the composer/co-founder of Tzadik Records. He offered me and Vicky the opportunity to record a CD, and because I’ve spent so much time writing piano music over the years, the proposed project we came back with was my complete piano works. Neither Vicky nor I had ever been in charge of a recording project, and Zorn basically cut us a check and said "go make it; this will be a learning experience for you”, which it was. I originally hoped that we would release somewhere in the range of a year after we got the offer, but it ended up taking over two years to finally come out in stores. One of the first and biggest challenges we encountered in making the recording was simply deciding where we were to record. We didn’t have a very big budget, and finding a space in New York that both had a good piano and had good acoustics for piano turned out to be one of the hardest things to find! We got lucky that our mutual friend Ryan Streber, a composer and recording engineer, was taking the leap and opening his own studio, Oktaven Audio, in Yonkers. I’ve worked with Ryan rather extensively through the years as he has been on site for a lot of live recordings of my music, and we have a close working relationship (and I also put him in touch with Metropolis Ensemble way back in the day!) so working with Ryan just felt like the best, easiest decision.“
[caption id="attachment_655” align=“alignright” width=“326” caption=“Ryan Francis and Vicky Chow”]
[/caption] The new album is now available on
,
,
, and
. From April 25-29, WQXR’s online station,
, is featuring the curated “loops, ladders, and wind-up birds” of Ryan Francis’ body of work, culminating in a complete broadcast of the new album on Friday. Each
Hammered!
broadcast is hosted by Metropolis artist
, who is also a pianist and regular contributor on WQXR. During the Q2 broadcasts, Ryan will be giving some background on his compositions, including
Etudes
,
Consolations
,
Wind-Up Bird Preludes
, and
Moonlight Fantasy
; and Vicky Chow will perform new works by fellow composers Andy Akiho, Evan Ziporyn, Eliot Britton and Daniel Wohl.
Follow the complete series here.
Listen to
Six Etudes for Piano
here:
// <![CDATA[ (function(){var s=function())(); // ]]
David Peironnet of KCMetropolis interviewed Metropolis composer Avner Dorman ahead of his premiere of Frozen in Time on April 30, 2011 with the Kansas City Symphony.
DP: Frozen in Time is music composed for percussion. That’s always interesting. How do you, as a composer, develop a musical idea when you are essentially limited to banging on things? AD: Well, listeners will notice that I use both unpitched and pitched percussion instruments. The pitched percussion instruments (marimba, vibraphone, crotales, glockenspiel, etc..) are as melodic as, say, a piano (the piano simply has hammers “banging on things.”) As far as non pitched instruments, I feel those allow for more primal music, music from before the age of tones, scales, chords etc. I also love the fact that in a percussion concerto the percussion soloist is upfront, turning our focus to it.
Metropolis composer David Bruce was interviewed in April 2011 for his new commission for Silk Road Project.
“David’s music draws inspiration from folk traditions around the world, and he enjoys collaborating with musicians who have strong connections with both classical and folk or world traditions, which made him a prime candidate for working with the Silk Road Ensemble.”
Avi Avital discusses the significance of his Grammy nomination and the story of the recording project with composer Avner Dorman and Metropolis.
Andrew Cyr was quoted in Kyle MacMillan’s recent Denver Post Article.
Andrew Cyr, artistic director of the Metropolis Ensemble in New York City, agreed. “It’s very cool,” he wrote, “that writers like yourself are catching on to the many ways musicians and composers are building our own new audiences (and community) for the future, with venues like Le Poisson Rouge as bridges and onramps.”
Pianist and composer Timo Andres discusses the story behind his new works, his first album release, his influences, and upcoming projects.
Ilona Oltuski of Sequenza 21 interviewed Metropolis composer Avner Dorman ahead of the Israeli Philharmonic’s premiere of his new work.
“On an unusually warm day in September, I am sitting down with Israel-born composer, Avner Dorman, at New York’s Bryant Park Pain Quotidien café. Before long, I am privy to a sneak preview of his freshly finished score for his latest composition, Azerbaijani Dance. Based on a piano piece of the same name, Dorman’s latest composition will have its world premiere this October, with the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra under Zubin Mehta in Tel Aviv. This event will also ignite a season celebrating the legendary Maestro’s upcoming 50th Anniversary of his conducting debut.”
Bob Keyes of the Portland Press Herald profiled Metropolis Ensemble and Artistic Director / Conductor Andrew Cyr during preparations for the April 5 concert I found it by the sea. The article explores the origins of Metropolis and how Andrew’s dream from rural Northern Maine became a reality in New York City.
“With boldness and vision, Cyr’s Metropolis Ensemble is accomplishing what larger orchestras around the country can merely dream about: commissioning and performing new music for an eager and enthusiastic audience in non-traditional venues… Perhaps what distinguishes the Metropolis the most, though, is its commitment to new music. Cyr embraces the notion that the future of classical music rests in its young composers.”
Frank J. Oteri from the American Music Center’s NewMusicBox web magazine sat down with Metropolis composer David Bruce to discuss his work Gumboots, his new opera A Bird in Your Ear, and Groanbox, the featured work at the 2009 concert with Metropolis Ensemble and The Groanbox Boys. Listen to the podcast…
Tune into KUSC Los Angeles on Friday, February 19 (9pm PST / 12 midnight EST) to hear an exclusive interview with Metropolis composer Avner Dorman and our new album Concertos. KUSC’s Jim Sjevda will interview Avner on his popular program The Record Shelf.
You can listen online or locally at KUSC-FM 91.5.
Amanda Ameer interviewed Artistic Directo and Conductor Andrew Cyr about the marketing and online experience of Metropolis Ensemble, as well as the future of new music ensembles. Read the article…
Metropolis Ensemble and Deerhoof perform a concert from the Wordless Music Series, recorded live by WNYC at Prospect Park in Brooklyn, NY. The concert and interview are hosted by David Garland. Listen to the broadcast…
WNYC host John Schaefer discusses The Rite: Remixed with artistic director Andrew Cyr composer Ricardo Romaneiro. Listen to the interview…
Composer Avner Dorman talks about his forthcoming studio album with Metropolis Ensemble performing his complete chamber orchestra concerti. Listen to the interview…
The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers recently featured
in the ASCAP Audio Portraits series. The interview includes excerpts from the forthcoming studio album with Metropolis Ensemble performing the complete chamber orchestra concerti of Avner Dorman (from our Fall 2007 concert,
). The new album, produced by Grammy-winning
, will be released this fall.