On Friday evening, February 29th I hosted a concert of new and classical pieces with electronics including Milton Babbitt's seminal Philomel with soprano Judith Kellock, Charles Dodge's Any Resemblance is Purely Coincidental, Mario Davidovsky's classic Synchronisms #6 (for piano), and Ingram Marshall's Fog Tropes (brass version) with Cynthia Johnston Turner at the podium. Marshall himself was in residence for the performance. In addition, there was a performance of Stockhausen's Treffpunkt (Meeting Point), for ensemble, one of the fiftheen pieces from his 1968 Aus den sieben Tagen (From the Seven Days).

Other guest performers included Judith Kellock, Jeffery Meyer, Paul Merrill, Christopher Stark, Jacques Coursil, Tim Feeney, Wendy Richman, Steve Gorbos, and many others.

For the second year in a row I will be in residence at the Alexadria Guitar Festival (July 2008), this year with a new piece for guitarist Nathan Fischer, a former colleague from Eastman whom I have wanted to compose something for for some time (see his bio below). The project has been a long time coming and is graciously funded by the Reva and David Logan Foundation of Chicago, IL as well as the Institute for American Music and was requested to be based on current and/or historical Alexandria, a city only minutes from my birthplace in Fairfax, VA.

Last year's festival was enlightening and interesting with an enthusiastic response to my piece, Roses Don't Need Perfume, performed by Ken Meyer.

NATHAN FISCHER has built a unique career as a performer, teacher, and an entrepreneur. Currently, Nathan is guitar faculty with the University of Nevada in Las Vegas and is President of the International Guitar Institute, an organization committed to the advancement of guitar in the world of music.

As a concert artist, Nathan’s performances have been described as having “a wide range of color and covering passages of sensitive emotion to fiery passion”—The Washington Guitar Society. His concert appearances have included venues throughout the United States as well as Yugoslavia, Italy, and Spain. As an advocate for new music, Nathan has received grant commissions to promote the performance of new works by organizations such as the Reva and David Logan Foundation, The Howard Hanson Institute for New Music at the Eastman School of Music, and the Fromm Foundation at Harvard. Nathan's recording, Images, was released in the year 2000 and he is currently working to release a subsequent CD to include the complete solo works of Joaquín Turina, Manuel de Falla, and others by Joaquín Rodrigo.

A new piece of mine has been performed several times now by the guitarist who commissioned it, Ken Meyer (see his bio below). Its title is Roses Don't Need Perfume, taken from a quote by Uruguayan essayist, journalist and historian Eduardo Galeano whose works include Memory of Fire, and Open Veins of Latin America among others. The piece also includes references the poetry of Pablo Neruda in the second movement called La Casa de las Flores (House of Flowers), and Garcia Lorca (via a reference to composer George Crumb).

The piece is in three continuous movements titled:

I. O Viole Elastique (The Toy Guitar)
II. La Casa de las Flores (The House of Flowers)
III. Compana de palo (Wooden Bells)

KEN MEYER is a national first-prize winner at the 1994 MTNA Collegiate Artist Competition, is establishing himself as one of the premiere guitarists of his generation. His performances have been recognized for their "high level of musicianship," while his playing has been described as "very sincere and elegant with sensitive phrasing and a singing tone." The Buffalo News has called him "impeccably articulate with superb technique."

Since his professional concert debut at the Teatro de la Opera de Maracay he has performed in Europe, South America and throughout North America. Highlights include concerts in the historic Basilica di San Clemente (Italy), the Museo de Barquisimeto, Museo del Teclado and the Sala José Felix Ribas (Venezuela), and the Ford Center for the Performing Arts (Canada). In addition to live concerts, his performances have been featured on film, radio, and most recently on the Albany records label.