The Vocal Music of Douglas J. Cuomo on PSNY

by Ted Gordon on July 21, 2014, 2:03 p.m.

Douglas J. Cuomo has been celebrated for his wide-ranging, vibrant, and completely unique compositional voice—which he has used in media ranging from television (Sex and the City, Homicide: Life on the Street), to instrumental music (Only Breath, commissioned by cellist Maya Beiser), to choral music, to opera. Composing for the voice, in particular, Cuomo integrates a worldly, ecumenical perspective with a fiercly original composerly craft. Arjuna's Dilemma, his 2006 opera based on the Bhagavad Gita, and Doubt, his 2013 opera based on the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning play by John Patrick Shanley, both contain arias and choral settings that are in demand by singers worldwide. 

And because of that demand, we're thrilled to announce that nine of Cuomo's vocal works are now available through PSNY. These include choral and solo excerpts from his two operas, Arjuna's Dilemma and Doubt, as well as works for SATB Chorus, and works for solo voice and piano. 

Check out some video and audio excerpts of Douglas J. Cuomo's works below! 

PSNY Composers at the Tanglewood Festival of Contemporary Music

by Ted Gordon on July 11, 2014, 10:21 a.m.

The Festival of Contemporary Music at Tanglewood is one of the highlights of the national concert season, regularly featuring stunning performances and premieres of the most exciting and provoking new music from contemporary composers. This year the festival comes a bit early, though we can't complain! PSNY composers can be found on nearly every program throughout the 5-day festival, which features chamber music, theatrical works, and orchestral works. 

Starting things off on Thursday is Fred Lerdahl's  Wake, for soprano and chamber ensemble; on Saturday, Keeril Makan's  2, Hannah Lash's  Friction, Pressure, Impact, and Anthony Cheung's  Roundabouts will be performed on the same program. Sunday morning sees the world premiere of Bernard Rands' Folk Songs, and later in the evening Kate Soper's  Helen Enfettered, a theatrical work. 

And for those in the Northeast this weekend, don't miss the latest production of Tobias Picker's  An American Tragedy at Glimmerglass, running from July 20th to August 24th. The vocal score for this work is available from PSNY, in case you want to follow along from the house. 

Talea Ensemble in the PSNY Greenroom

by Ted Gordon on June 10, 2014, 6:32 p.m.

The PSNY Greenroom is where cutting-edge music ensembles share their excitement about new compositions, highlighting their picks from our ever-expanding catalogue of chamber works and more. Our last installment featured Kevin Stalheim of Present Music, who shared his love of works by Andrew Norman, Christopher Cerrone, Kamran Ince, Timothy Andres, and Marcos Balter.

For our most recent installment, Alex Lipowski of New York's powerhouse Talea Ensemble explores his taste in chamber music, with composers from around the world. The Talea Ensemble is one of the most innovative ensembles on the scene today, and one of the largest, with twenty members filling out their ranks. Co-founded by Lipowski and our very own Anthony Cheung, the ensemble commissions composers both local and abroad and is committed to performing vital pieces from the expanding landscape of contemporary music, a cosmopolitanism that is reflected in Lipowski's picks from our catalogue. Check out recordings of his selections below and visit Talea's Greenroom to read more about Alex's Picks.