March 12, 2021 – Eleven young composers have created eleven original and unique musical compositions to share with the world in an online concert at 2pm on Sunday, March 14. “Poetry in Song” features new works for voice and one instrument using a poem of the composer’s choice that they have set to music. All pieces were written by local youth, ages 12-18.
The students have been challenged this season with keeping up with their current regimen of online schooling, as well as finding time and energy for online music studies. This season’s students are Baraka Anderson, Ari Cook, Kieran Dickson, Jaxon English, Eva Floyd, Athena Giuliani, Nikita Khryapin, Levi Krautkramer, Noah Prescott, Jamie Thomas-Rose, and Kate Thoreson.
During the first semester of the nine-month composition course, ICS Education Director and instructor Mark Vance asked the students to select a poem, decipher it, research the author and internalize the entire piece to help them discover a musical structure that they find works well with the words. In the classical music tradition, this style of setting poetry to music may be referred to as an art song.
The performances of their finished works were filmed on February 23/24 in the beautiful Stone Hall at the Miners Foundry in Nevada City by videographers Larry Huntington and Mark Triolo. The performers who brought the works to life are accomplished local singers Christi Colombo, Robbie Merchant, Sara Noah, Erin Thomas-Rose, Jordan Thomas-Rose, Stan Thomas-Rose and Julie Tillinghast, as well as professional musicians Ken Hardin and Lynn Schugren, piano; Sage Po, harp; and Kristen Autry, viola.
Vance, a published composer and noted educator, created this unique and treasured course and has taught it for more than 20 years. The Composers Project is a nine-month program that explores all aspects of composition, including music theory, notation, finding inspiration, conducting, music history, writing for instrument families, and public speaking. The students meet and work with guest musicians, artists, and composers. Their original works are performed by professional musicians.
“I remain impressed with the kids’ composing skills, the performers’ ability to bring their compositions to life, and Mark’s obvious talent to make all of it happen,” said photographer Craig Silberman who has also photographed past performances of the young composers.
The concert may be viewed online at www.inconcertsierra.org and the InConcert Sierra YouTube channel. It will remain available on YouTube indefinitely.
For more information, please visit www.inconcertsierra.org or call 530-273-3990.
What:
InConcert Sierra “Bach to the Future” Education Programs
Composers Project “Poetry in Song” online concert
When:
Sunday, March 14, 2021 • 2pm
Where:
Virtual presentation streaming on
InConcert Sierra’s YouTube channel
and www.inconcertsierra.org
Tickets:
Free of charge