Upcoming Performances
December 6: Christmas Eve for flute choir
6-29-2024: On Friday, December 6, the Lakeland Civic Flute Choir, under the direction of Judith Elias, will premiere a new version of Christmas Eve for four-part flute choir and celesta on their concert at the Lakeland Community College Rodehorst Performing Arts Center. My esteeemed colleague and predecessor as Lakeland's music department chair, Dr. Robert Brown will perform on the celesta, including an improvised cadenza. The concert beings at 7:30pm. Tickets and information at lakelandcc.edu/arts.
December 9: Christmas Suite in Painesville
10-23-24: I've programmed my Christmas Suite from 2014 on the Lakeland Civic Orchestra's annual concert at Painesville United Methodist Church in Painesville, Ohio on Monday, December 9 at 7:30pm. A freewill offering will be accepted.
December 21 & 22: Price Adoration in Hagerstown, Maryland
9-24-2024: The Maryland Symphony Orchestra will include my large orchestra arrangement of Florence Price's Adoration on their two "Home for the Holidays" concerts on December 21 and 22 at the Maryland Theater in Hagerstown, Maryland under the baton of their music director Elizabeth Schulze. More information and tickets available here.
February 2025: Price Adoration at Ohio MEA
8-5-2024: Antoine Clark will lead the Northern Ohio Youth Orchestra Philharmonia Orchestra in my large orchestra arrangement of Florence Price's Adoration during the Ohio Music Education Association's 2025 Professional Development Conference at the Huntington Convention Center in Cleveland, Ohio, February 6-8, 2025. This will be the first performance of my work at OMEA, a long-time professional goal, and I'm excited that it's also here in Northeast Ohio! Antoine commissioned all three of my arrangements of this piece (chamber, small orchestra, and large orchestra), and programmed the premiere of the large orchestra version with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra in 2022. All three versions are available for purchase.
Updates
8-15-2024: I'm giving some thought to possibly taking in composition and arranging consulting work. This could mean editing, digital typesetting, or arranging, or potentially other services. If you have any interest in hiring someone for this kind of work, reach out via my contact form, and we'll talk. This is a very new idea for me, but I believe that my services in this area have real value. If you're interested in the kinds of conversations we might have about your work, check out this video.
8-15-2024: Another project I've been working on is a series of videos or podcast episodes that roughly fall under the heading "Should I Major in Music?" These will be aimed at prospective college music majors, especially those who maybe haven't followed the traditional private lessons-school ensemble-music camp route during their pre-college years. The script I have so far is long: at least an hour-long video if I put it all in one go (of course, if you watch YouTube on 1.5x speed like I do, it will be much shorter). Watch my YouTube channel to see if this project comes to fruition! Both this project and my consulting idea above are ways that I'm looking to use my specific experience and expertise to give back to the music community, which has done so much for me over the course of my life so far.
8-15-2024: I've also flipped to the reverse side of the coin and commissioned two of my fellow composers for works that are now completed and looking to performances in the next few months. Both are colleagues I've met through the Cleveland Composers Guild, and working with both has been a joy!
First, in my role as director of the Lakeland Civic Orchestra, I commissioned Inna Onofrei to create a full orchestra version of her opera Ara and Semiramis. I will lead the orchestra in its premiere on Sunday, November 10 at 4pm at the Rodehorst Performing Arts Center on the campus of Lakeland Community College. Click here to purchase tickets. Then, I will conduct this fun work again at the orchestra's annual free concert at Painesville United Methodist Church on Monday, December 9 at 7:30pm. Please join us!
Second, I've been working with Cara Haxo on a commission for a piece for trombone and piano, and she has delivered a fantastic work entitled Verbs of Perception. We haven't set a date for the premiere yet, but watch this space!
8-15-2024: Another project I've been working on is a series of videos or podcast episodes that roughly fall under the heading "Should I Major in Music?" These will be aimed at prospective college music majors, especially those who maybe haven't followed the traditional private lessons-school ensemble-music camp route during their pre-college years. The script I have so far is long: at least an hour-long video if I put it all in one go (of course, if you watch YouTube on 1.5x speed like I do, it will be much shorter). Watch my YouTube channel to see if this project comes to fruition! Both this project and my consulting idea above are ways that I'm looking to use my specific experience and expertise to give back to the music community, which has done so much for me over the course of my life so far.
8-15-2024: I've also flipped to the reverse side of the coin and commissioned two of my fellow composers for works that are now completed and looking to performances in the next few months. Both are colleagues I've met through the Cleveland Composers Guild, and working with both has been a joy!
First, in my role as director of the Lakeland Civic Orchestra, I commissioned Inna Onofrei to create a full orchestra version of her opera Ara and Semiramis. I will lead the orchestra in its premiere on Sunday, November 10 at 4pm at the Rodehorst Performing Arts Center on the campus of Lakeland Community College. Click here to purchase tickets. Then, I will conduct this fun work again at the orchestra's annual free concert at Painesville United Methodist Church on Monday, December 9 at 7:30pm. Please join us!
Second, I've been working with Cara Haxo on a commission for a piece for trombone and piano, and she has delivered a fantastic work entitled Verbs of Perception. We haven't set a date for the premiere yet, but watch this space!
New Works
8-15-2024: I've completed my work for trumpeter and piano, Meditation II for Dr. Matthew Swihart (check out his great YouTube channel). This 9-minute work for trumpet doubling 4-valve flugelhorn with piano is inspired by a Marcus Aurelius' Mediations, and will hopefully have a premiere in Texas in 2024-2025.
6-29-2024: In June, I've completed two projects:
First, a new version of my choral setting of Christmas Eve for flute choir and celesta for Judith Elias and the Lakeland Civic Flute Choir. This is a reworking of my 2021 a cappella SATB setting of the poem of the same name by Ella Higginson.
Second, a "suite" created from my 2016 organ cycle Seven Last Words. The original was seven pieces intended to be performed through the Lenten season and lasted twenty-four minutes. This new version attempts to compress that into the six-minute time frame specified by the upcoming Cleveland Composers Guild-American Guild of Organists collaboration. Quite a challenge!
6-29-2024: In June, I've completed two projects:
First, a new version of my choral setting of Christmas Eve for flute choir and celesta for Judith Elias and the Lakeland Civic Flute Choir. This is a reworking of my 2021 a cappella SATB setting of the poem of the same name by Ella Higginson.
Second, a "suite" created from my 2016 organ cycle Seven Last Words. The original was seven pieces intended to be performed through the Lenten season and lasted twenty-four minutes. This new version attempts to compress that into the six-minute time frame specified by the upcoming Cleveland Composers Guild-American Guild of Organists collaboration. Quite a challenge!
On the horizon...
8-5-2024: I took my wife out for Chinese food for our anniversary, and my fortune cookie told me that an exciting musical event was coming my way. Sure enough, I checked my email, and LaSaundra Booth had reached out about finishing a suite that begins with 2023's One like a hundred for string orchestra, to be premiered by the Wake Forest Community Youth Orchestra in 2025. Watch this space!
Update 9-9-2024: This is shaping up to be two new movements, bringing the total for what I'm tentatively calling Suite No. 2 for String Orchestra to a three-movement plan. The second movement is a prelude and fugue, and the third movement will be a raucous celebration!
6-29-2024: In 2019, I wrote half a symphony, and I'm tired of having written only half a symphony. Still thinking about making it into a whole symphony. Somebody make me!
Update 10-23-2024: Someone is making me: me! Watch this space!
Update 9-9-2024: This is shaping up to be two new movements, bringing the total for what I'm tentatively calling Suite No. 2 for String Orchestra to a three-movement plan. The second movement is a prelude and fugue, and the third movement will be a raucous celebration!
6-29-2024: In 2019, I wrote half a symphony, and I'm tired of having written only half a symphony. Still thinking about making it into a whole symphony. Somebody make me!
Update 10-23-2024: Someone is making me: me! Watch this space!
