14.11.2007: Life After Feldman: Printing House Festival of New Music :

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Life After Feldman: Printing House Festival of New Music 2007

15-16 December 2007 | The Printing House, Trinity College Dublin

Admission Free

www.printinghousefestival.com

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Following the success of the inaugural Printing House Festival of New Music in November 2006, ("tightly conceived and well-organised…" - Michael Dervan, The Irish Times, 28.11.2006), PHFNM 2007 collates the diverse fruits of Morton Feldman's influence as a composer, not only in North America, but also in Ireland, England, Germany and Japan.

"The effect of her playing on me is that I feel privileged to be invited to a very religious ritual." The words of American composer Morton Feldman, who died twenty years ago. He was talking about none other than Japanese pianist Aki Takahashi, who will visit Ireland for the first time in December to perform at the Printing House Festival of New Music.

No one can deny Feldman his towering presence. Known chiefly for writing very long, very quiet pieces, Feldman did more than make his mark on the music of our time. He both opened up and restricted the possibilities for those to follow, providing composers permission to write what they wanted to hear in a climate of highly systematic composition, yet casting an impressive shadow, which composers would find it difficult to evade. 'Life After Feldman' follows the meandering stands of his influence, from composers who work happily under that shadow, to those who have attempted to evade it completely.

The festival is enclosed by two of Feldman's own works. The first, 'The King of Denmark', is an early piece for percussion, so quiet, that its performer, Richard O'Donnell (director of the RIAM Percussion Ensemble) chooses to remove his shoes. Aki Takahashi is joined by ex-Arditti Quartet cellist Rohan de Saram and Canadian violinist Marc Sabat to perform Feldman's 'Trio', a much later, longer work which encapsulates the delicate beauty of his later period. With additional performances from the RIAM Percussion Ensemble, mezzo-soprano Michelle O'Rourke, the Contempo String Quartet, Ensemble Imp, Ronan Guilfoyle and the Dublin Guitar Quartet, plus three new festival-commissioned works by Donnacha Dennehy, Seán Clancy and Aengus Ó Maoláin, PHFNM 07 presents dozens of Irish and world premiéres on an open and accessible platform.

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Admission is free to all events, but advance booking is advised. Tickets can be booked through the festival website - www.printinghousefestival.com.

PHFNM 2007 is presented with the assistance of an Arts Council "Projects: Once-Off " award, a media association with RTÉ Lyric FM and the sponsorship of Trinity College, Dublin.

For biographies for all involved, press materials and a history of the festival, please visit www.printinghousefestival.com.

Press enquiries: phfnmbenedict@gmail.com (e-mail), 085 143 95 91 (phone).


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Full festival programme:

Saturday, 15 December 2007

1pm - 2.30pm • RIAM Percussion Ensemble (directed by Richard O’Donnell)

* Morton Feldman: The King of Denmark
* Aengus Ó Maoláin: *Festival Commission*
* Larry Polansky: pieces from Tetherball (books 1 & 2)
* Jo Kondo: Pendulums
* Dónal Sarsfield: Amarimba Grey
* Clive Wilkinson: Pool
* Clive Wilkinson: No Obstacle to Sleep
* Clive Wilkinson: Bright Moon
* Benedict Schlepper-Connolly: Ocean
(with Michelle O’Rourke (mezzo-soprano))



4.30pm - 6pm • Aki Takahashi (piano)

* Walter Zimmermann: The Missing Nail at the River
* Michael Byron: As She Sleeps
* James Tenney: To Weave, A Meditation
* Barbara Monk Feldman: The I and Thou
* Christian Wolff: Pianist Piece
* Bunita Marcus: Sugarcubes
* Marc Sabat: Reminded of Charlemagne Palestine
(with Marc Sabat (violin) and Rohan de Saram (cello))



8pm - 9.30pm • Contempo String Quartet

* Garrett Sholdice: string quartet
* Donnacha Dennehy: *Festival Commission*
* Ian Wilson: String Quartet #6 (”In fretta, in vento”)
* Christopher Fox: 1-2-3
* Jennifer Walshe: minard/nithsdale
* John Cage: Four2



10.30pm - 11.30pm • Ensemble Imp

* Brian Ledwidge Flynn: Combination Lock

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Sunday, 16 December 2008

1pm - 2.30pm • Dublin Guitar Quartet

* Toru Takemitsu: Equinox
* Seán Clancy: *Festival Commission*
* Andrew Hamilton: Is It Useful
* Martin O’Leary: Prelude #6
* Kevin Volans: White Man Sleeps
* Irish Young Composers Collective: One-minute Pieces



4.30pm -5.30pm • Ronan Guilfoyle (bass guitar)

Music by Ronan Guilfoyle.

This concert has been guest-curated by Ciarán Maher.



8pm - 9.30pm • Aki Takahashi (piano), Rohan de Saram (cello) and Marc Sabat (violin)

* Morton Feldman: Trio


ENDS

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