Chicago Classical Review: Substantial New Works

Chicago’s Fulcrum Point New Music Project premiered a new work by Metropolis composer Vivian Fung on March 22, 2011. Lawrence Johnson of Chicago Classical Review lauded the premiere and performance:

“The main event of the night—and the clear audience favorite—was the world premiere of Yunnan Folk Songs by Vivian Fung. The composer has mined several folksongs from various dialects in the Yunnan province in southwestern China, home to more than 25 nationalities and languages. Yunnan Folk Songs is an engaging and delightful work crafted with great flair, with Fung’s skillful writing and scoring for voices and orchestra avoiding both pastiche and the stolid, overly respectful treatment of so many world-music inspired works.”

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Rhapsody in Blue

Conductor Andrew Cyr rehearses “Piano Concerto” with Metropolis artists at The TImes Center in New York City on April 10, 2008. The building’s acclaimed interior garden and aspen trees are visible through the 30-foot glass wall. “Piano Concerto” was composed by Metropolis Ensemble’s Wet Ink Composer Resident Ryan Francis and received its world premiere at the “LOOP” concert, featuring pianist Anna Polonsky. Photo by Vern Kousky.

Accordion Acclaim

Accordionist Michael Ward-Bergeman performs the world premiere of “Groanbox,” a new work by London-based composer David Bruce, on January 28, 2009 at (le) Poisson Rouge in New York City. Photo by Gareth Paul Cox.

The Composer's Perspective

Composer Avner Dorman introduces his Concerto in A for solo piano and string orchestra at a private members event on September 20, 2007 on the Upper East Side. Thoughout the year, Metropolis members enjoy benefits including invitations to members-only events in intimate settings with the opportunity to meet our artists and composers. Photo by Vern Kousky.

Sequenza 21: Vivian Fung and Composing Collaborations

Ilona Oltuski talked with composer Vivian Fung about her work in gamelan and new music for Sequenza 21, including her new Violin Concerto.

“I invited Andrew Cyr to join me and we both were blown away by her performance. Andrew invited Kristin to join the Metropolis Ensemble, where she also became the concertmaster for the performance of my Piano Concerto in 2009. She loved it, enough so, that she sent me an email after a rehearsal and asked me to write a violin concerto for her. The relationship I have fostered with Kristin resulted also in her accompanying me to Bali, this past summer of 2010, while I was touring with Gamelan Dharmaswana, in residence here at the New York Indonesian Consulate. The trip made our musical friendship grow deeper. The cadenza was a collaborative effort, it will be a tour de force,” says Fung”, as she invites me to preview the performance of mentioned cadenza, at its inaugural benefit performance at Riverpark, with the Metropolis Ensemble on March 8th, 2011. The world premiere of the violin concerto in its entirety is planned for sometime in the fall of 2011.

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Afternoon Tea

Patrons enjoy afternoon tea service, wine, and hors d'oeuvres at the Park Millennium on the Upper West Side before Timothy Andres’ piano recital, “It takes a long time to become a good composer” on December 11, 2010. Photo by Adi Shniderman.

The First Performance

Metropolis Ensemble’s debut concert “Voices of Night” on February 16, 2006 featured music by Aaron Copland, Benjamin Britten, and David Schiff. Here Metropolis artists, including French horn soloist Alexander Gusev, rehearse Britten’s “Serenade” with conductor Andrew Cyr at the Angel Orensanz Center on the Lower East Side in New York City. Photo by Vern Kousky.

Star Ledger: Dig the New Breed

The Star-Ledger’s Ronni Reich followed Metropolis conductor Andrew Cyr during a recent rehearsal for the Hallucinations concerts and profiled the ensemble ahead of the 53rd Grammy Awards, for which Cyr and Metropolis are nominated.

Cyr’s Metropolis Ensemble spends all day rehearsing electronic-orchestral hybrids in a Gramercy church so cold a piccolo freezes up. Their dedication to Cyr’s vision — and that vision itself — is exactly why the young orchestra has had such success and why Cyr can be considered a conductor in a new mold. Metropolis records all of its performances and uploads them to its website as a marketing tool for its musicians. In deference to audiences’ variable tastes, the group mixes up its offerings — electronica, neoclassical, folk, chamber music. Concerts may be shorter than usual, have flexible seating, include drinks, take place in unconventional venues or begin when it’s convenient for people who work late. “People say it’s the death of classical music,” Cyr says. “Actually, it’s a tremendous growth opportunity.”

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Launching A Cutting-Edge Ensemble

How do you launch a new ensemble that makes an impact? What does it take to produce innovative concert experiences that garners praise and attention? Join conductor and founder Andrew Cyr, composer Ryan Francis, and harpist Bridget Kibbey to hear the story of Metropolis Ensemble in the “Setting the Stage” workshop series from Manhattan School of Music’s Center for Music Entrepreneurship. Two identical workshops will be held with Andrew, Ryan, and Bridget. All MSM students and alumni are welcome.

Wednesday, February 9 (1-3pm) Miller Recital Hall - 601 West 122nd Street Friday, February 11 (11-1pm) Mikosky Recital Hall - 601 West 122nd Street

“Setting the Stage” is one of CME’s programs that invites an exciting array of presenters from the music industry to lead single-session workshops on topics including new media, the art of fundraising, launching a concert series, producing recordings, and creating press kits. Each of the Center’s programs give young musicians real-world experience and guidance with the fundamental tools they need for a career in music today.

Learn more about the Center for Music Entrepreneurship…

Schedule of upcoming workshops…

Under A Dramatic Sky

Metropolis Ensemble performs on October 19, 2006 under the lofty facade of Angel Orensanz Center on the Lower East Side of New York City. Monteverdi’s “Il Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda” featured soloists Melissa Fogarty, Thomas Glenn, and Daniel Neer with Metropolis Ensemble conducted by Andrew Cyr. Photo by Vern Kousky.