News – Michael Gordon

Crash Ensemble premieres Dry at Kilkenny Festival

July 19, 2013

The fortieth annual Kilkenny Festival in Ireland presents the newest work by Michael Gordon, called Dry, written for and premiered by the Crash Ensemble.

Over the last 16 years, Crash Ensemble has established itself as a “a powerhouse of new music” (The Irish Times) renowned for commissioning, producing and performing the most adventurous and exciting works both from established international composers like Steve Reich and Kevin Volans and up-and-coming fresh talent…

Van Gogh at Long Beach Opera May 11-19

April 22, 2013

From May 11-19, Long Beach Opera stages Michael Gordon’s opera Van Gogh.

Based on Vincent Van Gogh’s letters to his beloved younger brother Tlusteheo, an art dealer and often Vincent’s sole means of personal and financial support, Gordon’s powerful opera has been praised by the San Francisco Chronicle as “puls[ing] with a distinctive brand of emotional energy that is hard to resist.”

Gordon writes:

I started composing Van Gogh because of my obsession with the letters Vincent Van Gogh wrote to his brother Theo…

Shelter CD in stores and online!!

March 29, 2013

[video:http://youtu.be/aT5B6tmNYWA width:300 height:300]

It’s been a long time coming, but Shelter is finally here!

The latest collaborative work by Michael Gordon, David Lang, and Julia Wolfe is a modern oratorio that reunites the Bang on a Can founders with Deborah Artman (author of the libretto for 2001’s Lost Objects). Produced by Michael Riesman, this premiere recording was performed by Ensemble Signal under the baton of conductor Brad Lubman, and features solo voices Martha Cluver, Mellissa Hughes and Caroline Shaw…

Beijing Harmony world premiere

March 15, 2013

On Sunday March 17, Michael Gordon’s newest work for orchestra, Beijing Harmony, is premiered by Kristjan Jarvi and the Beijing National Centre for the Performing Arts Orchestra.

Gordon writes about the new work:

I wrote Beijing Harmony as part of Composing China, a project in which I (along with four other composers) was asked to compose a work that reflected upon my first hand impressions of China…

Timber Tours…. Timbernationally

March 7, 2013

Michael Gordon’s percussion sextet Timber, “six players, six two-by-fours, one hour of aural hypnosis” (TimeOut NY) is toured from Canada to Ireland to Germany and beyond by co-commissioners Slagwerk Den Haag and Mantra Percussion.

8 March Muziekgebouw — Amsterdam (SDH)
9 March Vancouver New Music — Canada (MP)
15 March Maerzmuzik — Berlin (SDH)
21 March den Toonzal — Den Bosch, Holland (SDH)
7 April Music Biennale Zagreb — Croatia (SDH)
30 April TimberRemixed — Brooklyn, NY (MP)
4 May Drogheda Arts Festival 2013 — Louth, Ireland (MP)
26 May Landgoedconcerten Oranjewoud — Langezwaag, Holland (SDH)

Recognized by The New Yorker Magazine as one of the ten most memorable performances of 2012, Timber is a mesmerizing and unique evening-length work…

Dana Jessen, bassoonist, on commissioning Rushes

March 5, 2013

Commissioning Rushes
by Dana Jessen

http://www.newmusicbox.org/articles/commissioning-rushes/

As musicians, we frequently talk about the process of composing music. Most often we discuss the various methods a composer goes through to realize his or her work. Yet there is another facet of such an undertaking that often isn’t discussed—the performer’s side of commissioning a large-scale work. On September 15th, six colleagues and I gave the world premiere of Rushes, a new 60-minute composition for seven bassoons by Michael Gordon…

Feature in The New Yorker by Alex Ross

January 4, 2013

Click Here To Read Article

Timber selected as a top performance of 2012

December 28, 2012

Mantra Percussion’s New York premiere of Timber at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, December 13-15, has been listed as one of the top ten performances for 2012 by Alex Ross (The New Yorker) and Steve Smith (TimeOut New York).

Timber review in the New York Times

December 17, 2012

Mantra Percussion’s New York premiere of Timber at the Brooklyn Academy of Music received a great review from Steve Smith and great reactions from the three nights of audiences and BAM staff: “Michael Gordon’s Timber is its own religious experience, and the members of Mantra are the rhythmic monks who make it so.” — Sarah Garvey, Brooklyn Academy of Music

Click here to read Steve Smith’s review.

Michael Gordon’s Rushes for 7 bassoons European premiere and tour

November 6, 2012

[video:http://youtu.be/umhQdxwn26M width:250 align:center]

On Thursday, November 8, Michael Gordon’s newest work, Rushes for 7 bassoons, is given its European premiere by the Rushes Ensemble at the November Music Festival in Den Boasch followed by a tour in The Netherlands and Belgium:

November 10 – GLOW Festival in Eindoven
November 11 – Rushes and Timber at the SURROUND Festival in Brugge
November 15 – Ostadetheater in Amsterdam
November 16 – Korzo Theater in Den Haag

The new work is a 60+ minute tour-de-force that takes some inspiration from his recent work for percussion, Timber…