Just got done with a number of performances that all happened in the last two weeks or so, which ended with the Hong Kong Sinfonietta’s “Music for Babies” concerts this past weekend at the Hong Kong City Hall. It was a bit surreal to be surrounded with so many babies and their parents! The low din of babies crying / moving and their parents’ whispers made for a very interesting backdrop to Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro overture, the second movement of the Clarinet Concerto, and especially Rachmaninoff’s Vocalise.

Also just got a recording up of the new anthem for Christ Church. Check it out!

I have a few performances coming up in June, all with new stuff! Check them out if you’re in the New York and/or Hong Kong general area…

Sunday, June 3 Christ Church United Methodist, 11am: Transfiguration Sunday receives its first-ever performance by the Christ Church Choir, Handbell Ensemble, a string quartet, and of course the ol’ organ. Steven Pilkington conducts this piece, which was commissioned by Christ Church.

Saturday, June 9 and Sunday, June 10 Rhymes With Opera, both nights at 8pm: RWO presents our final shows of the season. 6/9 at the DiMenna Center (New York, NY), presented by NYsoundCircuit, and 6/10 at The Big Room (New Haven, CT). Check us out!

June 15 – June 17 Hong Kong Sinfonietta: the ever creative and collaborative HKS presents five concerts of “Music For Babies”, their popular hour-long program (or “programmmme” if you’re the British type) designed for 0-3 year olds and their parents. They’ll be performing another new commission called Clair de Lune on Hammer Hill at the City Hall Theatre.

Having moved to New York just about seven months ago, I’ve been slowly adjusting to life both in a new place and with a new occupation, having previously been a continuous student since age 4. In addition to composing, I’ve been working as the producing associate for both Gotham Chamber Opera and Music-Theatre Group. Working for the two organizations and being around so many working artists are proving to be a great learning experience, which in turn have spurred some new music.

In the fall, I wrote a 7-minute (really slow) orchestra piece called Draw Close, But Speak Not, as my entry to this year’s American Composers Orchestra reading sessions competition. After that, I was commissioned by Steven Pilkington and Christ Church United Methodist for a new anthem for Transfiguration Sunday, which this year falls on February 19. The story of Transfiguration sees Jesus and three companions going on a hiking trip up a mountain, wherein Jesus’s visage becomes radiant. Moses and Elijah appears by his side (as was foretold), and God’s voice rings out, “This Is My Beloved Son; Hear Him!” I like drama, and I’d say this story is pret-ty dramatic. For the text, I mashed up bits of the Transfiguration story as found in the synoptic gospels, in the KJV.

The new piece, Transfiguration Sunday, is scored for mixed chorus, handbell choir (because Christ Church has a wonderful handbell ensemble directed by Mr. Cory Davis), string quartet and organ, and will be performed as a part of the March 25 service, at 11am.

Photo of Christchurch Cathedral in Christchurch, New Zealand, taken in 1963. The Cathedral suffered a lot of damage from the recent earthquake in 2011. Photograph by christchurchcitylibraries