News Archives

• The Orpheus Chamber Orchestra announced the 30 composers still in the running for Project 440, their 40th Anniversary commissioning project, and I made the cut! Round 3 will move 12 composers into the final selection process and will be announced September 9th.

You can read more below, but a reminder that you can vote for me by commenting here.
(August 2, 2010)

• I'm in the running to write a work celebrating NYC-based Orpheus Chamber Orchestra's 40th Anniversary. They're choosing 4 composers (out of 60!) to commission-- and "like all things Orpheus, Project 440 relies on open dialogue. Here’s where you come in: listen to audio samples and comment on your favorite composers. Tell us who YOU think Orpheus should commission for the 2011-2012 season at Carnegie Hall."

I'm up against some amazingly talented people, so I can use all the help I can get. Just a few minutes: listen, comment, and enjoy. Visit their site and leave a comment

They're announcing the first round of cuts August 4, so don't wait! And thanks!
(July 2010)

•mutagenesis has been selected to be included in the 2010 Anthology of Contemporary Concert Music, which is scheduled for release in August.
(May 2010)

•mutagenesis continues to get play-- yay! It was programmed on Susan Schwaegler's facutly recital (with piano stud Rob Elfline!) at Augustana College on September 25 (alongside Dark Wind by John Luther Adams, so at least I'm in good company). Also, just got to hear Zeitgeist's studio recording of the work-- really really pleased with how it sounds, and can't wait to let people know once it's available!
(September 2009)

• Hope you were able to attend Zeitgeist's April 24 concert (part of the St. Paul Arts Crawl - always an awesome time!) when they again presented mutagenesis. Commissioned by the ensemble for their 30th anniversary last June, the piece was performed along with works by Alex Shapiro, Ethan Wickman, Chris Gable, and Janika Vandervelde.
(April 2009)

• I love ASCAP. I really do. Royalty checks arrive, and it's like Emergency Christmas has come even earlier than expected. And yet...

Yesterday's mail contained something both thrilling and bewildering. As it happens, I am now an "Internationally Performed Composer", as apparently White Oak: Fantasia on 'America the Beautiful' was presented in Venezuela (officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela) back in 2004. I have no doubt the score was... borrowed... from the website, back when full PDFs were available instead of sample pages. Which is fine, I'm just glad to have people playing my music. And this would all be fairly consistent with my ASCAP interface to date, were it not for the fact that said royalty payment is, in the interest of transparency, somewhere in the neighborhood of $.42. (Please note the small dot placed carefully between the dollar sign and the numeral four.)

Not being one to complain (overmuch), I've decided that Douglas Adams is speaking to me from beyond, reminding me to just be glad I can now bandy about the term "International" at cocktail parties. Which I will.
(February 18, 2009)

• Hope you were able to attend one of Zeitgeist's "Playing it Close to Home" concerts in February '09-- they did an amazing job again playing mutagenesis. Commissioned by the ensemble for their 30th anniversary this past June, the piece was performed along with works by Jeffrey Brooks, Libby Larsen, Carei Thomas, and Janika Vandervelde. Plans are currently underway to record the work, and I'll be sure to let you know once it's available.
(February 15, 2009)

• Hope you can attend one of Zeitgeist's "Playing it Close to Home" concerts in February '09 when they'll again be presenting mutagenesis. Commissioned by the ensemble for their 30th anniversary this past June, the piece will be performed along with works by Jeffrey Brooks, Libby Larsen, Carei Thomas, and Janika Vandervelde. Tickets are $10 and can be reserved online or by calling 651-755-1600. For more information, visit www.zeitgeistnewmusic.org.

Playing it Close to Home
Saturday, Feb. 7 * 7:30 p.m.
Grace University Lutheran Church, 324 Harvard St Southeast, Minneapolis

Friday, Feb. 13 & Saturday, Feb. 14 * 7:30 p.m
Studio Z, 275 East Fourth Street, St. Paul

Hope to see you there!
(October 2008)

mutagenesis was premiered on June 20-22 at Studio Z in St. Paul as part of their Charging Forward - Music of Our Time project. It was an amazing event, filled with new sounds by so many talented composers, and it was wonderful to be able to catch up with friends I haven't seen for a while!
(June 2008)

• Century Brass premiered A Celebratory Farewell at the St. Paul Hotel on May 3. The work was commissioned by the American Composers Forum in honor of several departing board members.
(May 2008)

•The professional a cappella men's group Cantus premiered \kânün\ on March 14-15 as part of their Collaboration: The St. Olaf Choir concerts. The work was commissioned for Cantus by the American Composers Forum with funds provided by the Jerome Foundation.
(March 2008)

• On Saturday, September 23, Music for A Silent Symphony Adventure had its premiere as part of Albert Lea's Sesquicentennial. Members of the community band along with string players from Albert Lea High School presented the work under the direction of Gene Schott. Over 30 preschool age children listened to the music and poem, and then were able to create their own paintings based on what they saw and heard-- some of it quite amazing! Several people pointed out that this was the first time many of these young people had ever heard a live orchestra before, so I felt honored to be a part of that experience. Luckily, I heard from the photographer that at least one child was overheard saying "Hey, I like that song". One down...

And speaking of pictures, you can view photos of the event captured beautifully by photographer Robin Olson! (Sept. 26, 2006)

• I'll be stepping down as Regional Program Director at the American Composers Forum this July. Jennifer's been fortunate enough to be offered a tenure-track position as an Assistant Professor of Biology at Carleton College, so we'll be relocating to Northfield. The search process was quite rigorous, so I'm extremely proud of her! While it's strange to think I won't be at ACF, it's been a good 8-year run-- I'll still be in the area, and with luck, I'll have more time to focus on my own composing (and maybe take on more copywork as well). If you know of anyone looking to commission a work or three... :-D. (May 8, 2006)

• Music for A Silent Symphony Adventure is done and in the mail. Whew! Rehearsals start in a couple of weeks, so it was right down to the wire. Don't think I realized how tricky it would be to A) write for high school orchestra; and B) do it while helping raise a baby. Note to self: He's awesome, but actual baby takes waaaay more time than I thought he would when he was still an abstract concept. (Apr. 14, 2006)

• Just signed on the dotted line to write music for Albert Lea Art Center's Silent Symphony Project, an early childhood learning project focusing on orchestral music and visual arts working with high school students and pre-schoolers. The work will premiere on September 22-23, 2006, as part of the Albert Lea Sesquicentennial Legacy to Early Childhood Education initiative. (Oct. 28, 2005)

• Fête for brass quartet will premiere on October 8, 2005, at the Walker Arts Center. The piece was commissioned by Abbott Northwestern Hospital for the 10th Anniversary of the Piper Breast Center. It's a black tie affair, so: Note to self - rent tux. (Sep. 29, 2005)

• Sun Dogs was premiered by the St. Cloud Symphony Orchestra on their final season concert, as well as at their Classics for Kids concerts. The ensemble did an amazing job, and I was extremely pleased with the work's reception. (May 1, 2005)

• A new little Wolff, weighing in at 8 lbs, 9 oz. and measuring 22 inches, moves in with us. He's cute, but I may never sleep again. (March 26, 2005)

• Started working on an a cappella choral piece for the Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church's Sanctuary Choir (Minneapolis). The work will be on their June 2005 Baltic Tour. The piece, entitled [kânun] (or “Law”), will be a setting of Exodus 20:13 (“Thou shalt not murder.”) in Latin and Hebrew combined with a passage in Arabic – excerpted from Surah 5:32 of the QUR'AN – “If any one slew a person…it would be as if he slew the whole people.” (Oct. 8, 2004)

• Sun Dogs has been commissioned by Roger and Verna Rohlck for the St. Cloud Symphony Orchestra. The piece will premiere on the final concert of the season (May 1, 2005). (April 30, 2004)

• DATELINE! After contacting Thomas Nelson Publishers on April 11, 2003, to request permission to use a portion of the New King James translation of Ruth 1:16-17, I finally received a contract from them. A year later. Addressed to Ms. Wolfe. Sigh. (April 12, 2004)

• The Song of Ruth receives premiere. (February 15, 2004)

• 6 of 1 was selected for the 2003 GAMMA-UT Music Conference. I get to go to Austin (October 28, 2003)

• T'ao Ch'ien was selected for VocalEssence's Essentially Choral. More here. (January 17, 2003)

• Both White Oak: Fantasia on "America the Beautiful" and from CANTO XV were programmed on Illinois Wesleyan University's New Music Cafe series. (Nov. 7, 2002)

• Prologue was presented at an AGO concert featuring works by Minnesota composers. (January 17, 2003)

• "No End Save Victory" celebrates Memorial Day
As part of the American Composers Forum's Community Partners program, I was selected to write a new work for the the Hutchinson High School Marching Band, the Hutchinson Parks Department and the VFW/American Legion.
Learn more about the piece. (May 27, 2002)