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SONOS SYNC
SONOS
Chamber Orchestra’s periodic
newsletter
April 2009, Issue No. 3
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Board of Directors
Allen Alexander
Angela Maria Blasi
Pamela Ajango French
Daniel Lee
Bob Ling
Erik Ochsner
Edward Song
Brian Wise
Advisory Board
Tan Dun
Meg Fagan
Ivry Gitlis
Erich Kunzel
Chris Ng, MD/MBA
Alicia de Larrocha
Robert Spano
David Warren, MD
Mark Yeh, MD
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SONOS Commissions
Two American
Composers
On May 13, SONOS will make its Merkin Concert Hall debut with two new commissions: world premieres by James Nyoraku Schlefer and Brian Wilbur Grundstrom, and two beautiful, yet little known works by Ralph Vaughn Williams and Finish composer, Pehr Henrik Nordgren.
Mr. Grundstrom’s piece, American Reflections, scored for string orchestra and harp, evokes an atmosphere of an America past. One definitely hears influences from the Amish country in Pennsylvania, as well as a touch of New York City/ modern day harmony. This is Mr. Grundstrom’s second commission from SONOS.
Mr. Schlefer, a Grand Master of the shakuhachi (Japanese bamboo flute), has composed for smaller ensembles before, but his Concerto for Shakuhachi and Chamber Orchestra is his first orchestral composition. Not to add any pressure to him, but he is also the soloist in the piece! Here, an American soundscape has truly been put through the ringer, and is filtered through a wide range of experience with World music, traditional Japanese music, pop and jazz. Cool! |
“Why should I check out what
SONOS is going to play – I know
I am going to love it!” |
SONOS Wins
NoMAA Grant
The Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance awarded SONOS a $2,000 Capacity Building Grant which will enable SONOS to advertise on the Fordham Public Radio Station (WFUV) and purchase advertisements in the Manhattan Times, Upper Manhattan’s local paper.
Photo from left to right: SONOS donor
Matthew de Clerq, NoMAA Executive Director Sandra Betancourt, and
SONOS Music Director Erik E. Ochsner |
“Music with a View”
On February 1, members of SONOS Chamber Orchestra performed the US premiere of Derrik Jordan’s Sky Mirror, for string quartet, shakuhachi, and electric guitar as part of “Music with a View”, a program sponsored by The Flea Theater.
Sky Mirror won the Best New Composition Award at the International Shakuhachi Convention, which was held in Australia last July. It was a huge success, combining traditional effects for shakuhachi with inventive rhythms and sounds from the electric guitar. Also on the program was a Table Music for two violins by Ralph Farris (violist of the amplified and improvising string quartet ETHEL).
Table Music is a challenging piece, not least to mention that the two violinists are reading the same piece of sheet music across the table from one another! One starts at the top, one starts at the bottom, and they cross in the middle. |
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New Board Members
On March 1, 2009, three people were invited to join the Board of Directors, and one person was invited to join the Advisory Board.
All four people accepted the invitation. We appreciate their interest and look forward to their support, care and professional advice.
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Save These Dates
in May 2009!
- May 10, 2009, 3pm
- May 13, 2009, 8pm
- May 16, 2009, 7:30pm
Visit www.sonoschamberorch.org |
Donation = Concert
Donations are the only way SONOS survives. Won’t you please help us with our vital mission. Help us raise $15,000!
NO Donation is TOO small. |
Moving on up...
Maestro Erik Ochsner’s association with Tan Dun and Howard Shore continues to take Erik across the globe. e.g., Krakow, London, Munich, Beijing, and Wolf Trap, VA! |
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“I have to donate $100 or more to
make it worthwhile.”  WRONG!! |
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“Donations of ALL SIZES do/ have/ and will impact our fundraising efforts.” |
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“They survive just fine without my
support.” WRONG!! |
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Ghost Opera
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On March 20, 2009, Members of SONOS Chamber Orchestra performed at the Tenri Cultural Institute with shakuhachi Grand Master James Nyoraku Schlefer, and pipa virtuoso Min Xiao Fen.
The first half of the concert featured music for string quartet and shakuhachi opening with the U.S. premiere of James Cuddeford’s Impermanence,
in memory of Karlheinz Stockhausen. Almost in the forms of a meditation, this ethereal piece creates an atmosphere of
bending shapes and sounds. The second piece, Quintet for string quartet and shakuhachi, featured the driving rhythms of James
Nyoraku Schlefer. The composer also performed the solo shakuhachi part.
The second half rocked (literally) with Tan Dun’s visual and
aural feast, Ghost Opera for string quartet and pipa. Players had to be trained to play water, rocks, paper, and Chinese opera cymbals, and they learned to vocalize in Peking opera style! The performance was a huge success, including lighting, sound, and a small set.
“You did a masterful job of Ghost Opera
and we just loved it. All of the musicians were superb,
and you were able to accomplish wonders in that space!” |
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Founders Circle $1,000+
To honor those donors who have donated $1,000 or more in a single year.
American Scandinavian Society
C.H. Bahng
JPMorgan Chase Foundation*
Steven J. Brown
Matthew de Clercq
Bob Ling
Mr. and Mrs. James L. Lipscomb*
Dr. Christopher W. Ng
and Dr. David R. Warren*
Nuveen Investments
Susan and Hal Ochsner*
Soili and Ted Ochsner*
Frank J. Puleo
Masataka Suemitsu*
Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance*
Tan Dun
TD Charitable Foundation*
Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone*
David Wang
Mark Yeh
Anonymous (1)*
*current year |
$250-$499
Douglas G. and Kathleen D. Alexander
Christina Arethas
Raymond Bouchard
Dr. and Mrs. Thomas A Broadie
Citi Foundation Matching Gifts Program
Dr. James and Colleen Colasacco
Andrew and Yeonjune Dickenson
Drs. Keith and Katherine Dunleavy
Zachary French and Pamela Ajango French
Yuki Furutate
Husdon Heights Owners Coalition
Eli Lilly and Company Foundation, Matching Gifts Program
Stuart M. Morton
and Amy E. Tubregen-Morton
Zheyu Cynthia Qiu
Allison Schroeder
Scot and Michelle Willis
$100-$249
Peter and Elizabeth Courtney
Howard Dillon & Nell Dillon-Ermers
Richard Evans and Megan T. Evans
Susan, Daniel & Grace Fisher-Owens
Brian Wilbur Grundstrom
and David Rubenstein
Hikari Hathaway and Douglas Cohen
Jessica & Edward Hopper
Marc Hurt and Pankaj Samtani
Don M. Zwarych and Kyoichi Sada
Pfizer Foundation, Inc. Matching Gift Program
Arthur T. Stokes
Lawrence D. and Mary L. Wise
Barbara Fox
Phyllis J. Heinrich and Mark Ochsner
Jean P. Hunter
Leland J. Hoch
Yoshi Iwata
J Daniel Janzen
Phyllis Katz
Jeanne LaDuke
C. Richard Mathews
Mara E. McCabe and David Cuthbert
Nguyenvu Nguyen |
Stephen L. and Mary Linton B. Peters
Heather Smith
Malcolm W. Smith and Heather McPherson
Kathleen Ahearn Turano
Yoshiko Ueno and Anthony Quinlivan
Dr. Peter Theodorou
Paula Unsel
Graham P. Wright
Dr. Gerald Young, M.D.
Anonymous (1)
$1-$99
Robert Anderson
Paul Beck
Mark Bradshaw-Miller
Cynthia Carter
Nick Chamousis
James C. Dick
Donald Duck
Davey Frankel
Sophia E. Gergely
Elizabeth Goldberg
Alfred Goldstrom
Bill Grey
Schuyler W. Henderson
Garrett Hornsby
Susan Horsfall
Adele Ideström
Lawrence S. and Elizabeth B. Iwan
Margie & Mike Jackson
Steven Kane, Carey Meyers
and Madeleine Meyers-Kane
Mr. and Mrs. Frank A. McCabe
Kathlyn M. Miranda
Pirkko Partanen
Rapaport Brothers, P.C.
James R. Roudebush
Greig Sargeant
Edward Duk Song
Keith and Cathleen Stock
Paul and Larissa Summermatter
Royce Thrush
Allison Turner
Brian Wise
Alex Wright |
$500-$999
Allen and Raechel Alexander
John Chappell
Fatmir Kodhima and Dr.
& Mrs. Edward Baccari
Mary O. and Stephen E. DeVoe
Marjatta Freeman
Jose Ho
Simone Song Properties, LLC
Khai Toh
Wilfried and Eeva Zimmerman |
For contributions dated from January 1, 2008 through April 20, 2009 |
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