European American Music Distributors Company is a member of the Schott Music Group

Young Concert Artists Presents Andrew Norman's Sabina for Solo Viola in World Premiere at Washington D.C's Kennedy-Center; Wordless Music Series Presents the Music of Andrew Norman and Arvo Pärt

Dec. 02, 2008

On Monday, December 8, Andrew Norman sees the world premiere of his new work for solo viola, Sabina, at Washington D.C's Kennedy-Center as part of the Young Concert Artists series. Norman comments on the inspiration he found for Sabina while living in Rome:

The light in Santa Sabina is breathtaking; the large clerestory windows are not made of glass but of translucent stone, and when light shines through them luminous designs appear all over the ancient marble walls. As I watched the light grow and change that morning, I was struck by both its enveloping warmth and the delicacy and complexity of its effects. I wrote a string trio, Alabaster Rounds, about the experience that is one of my favorite pieces from my year in Rome. Because I used my viola extensively while writing the piece, I have ever since wanted to write a viola solo work using the same musical materials as the trio.

Included on the YCA program with Sabina is Norman's Lullaby, a setting of W.H. Auden's "Lay Your Sleeping Head, My Love" for mezzo-soprano and piano, as well as the music of four other YCA Composers-In-Residence. Sabina is performed by violist Nokuthula Ngwenyama, for whom the piece is written, and Lullaby is performed by mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke and pianist Pei-Yao Wang. YCA brings this program to New York on Wednesday, December 10, where it will be performed at Merkin Concert Hall of the Kaufman Center for the Performing Arts.

Also this month, the Wordless Music Series presents Andrew Norman's Gran Turismo for eight violins, and Arvo Pärt's Tabula Rasa, a double concerto for violin, viola, prepared piano and string orchestra at Greenwich Village's Le Poisson Rouge on Thursday, December 4 and Friday December 5. Ryan McAdams leads the Wordless Music Orchestra through Tabula Rasa and musicians from the Wordless Music Orchestra perform Norman's widely acclaimed work for eight violins, in its fourth performance in NYC.

For more information on the music of Andrew Norman, go to www.schott-music.com and www.yca.org.

To learn more on the music of Arvo Pärt, visit www.universaledition.com.

To find out more on the Wordless Music Series, go to www.wordlessmusic.org.

Find out more on Young Concert Artists, Inc. by visiting www.yca.org.

 

Andrew Norman
Sabina (2008)
for solo viola
ca.7'

Lullaby (2007)
for mezzo-soprano and piano
12'

Gran Turismo (2004)
for eight violins
8'

Arvo Pärt
Tabula Rasa (1977)
for violin, viola, prepared piano and string orchestra
27'

News