Chen Yi
Guest Composer in Residence, New Music Festival, San José State University, October 2022
I organize and coordinate the Festival and for 2022 I invited composer Chen Yi, pictured on the left during rehearsals, master classes and with faculty performers. She was an inspiration to students, faculty and a big hit with audiences.
Aaron Lington performing "The Silence of the Saints"
Solo Baritone Saxophone
Premiered April 28, 2022
Aaron Lington, Baritone Saxophone,
www.aaronlington.com
The work is inpired by Paul Tillich's "The Eternal Now."
“In the poverty of solitude all riches are present.” –Paul Tillich
Performing on drums with Andrew Blanton
PØLARITIES: Your Reflection in Myself
By Andrew Blanton, for 2 Percussionists 4 Drums and Electronics (programmed by Blanton)
April 28, 2022
http://www.andrewblanton.com/about.html
Oboe Concerto
Sherry Sylar Associate Principal Oboe, N. Y. Philharmonic & Pablo Furman, conducting the Tampa Synphony.
2019 International Double Reed Society, Tampa, FL
Photo by Elliot Corn, used by permission.
Oboe Concerto–European premiere, Poland, 2017
Sherry Sylar, oboe
Paso del fuego
“Paso del fuego” sat on my piano for several years as I was looking for the right opportunity to present it. Cypress String Quartet premiered the piece with the San Jose Chamber Orchestra in 2010. I found Furman’s music a delight – there are passionate melodies, driven harmonies and rhythms suggestive of Argentinian tango. I also found the pairing of a string quartet with the string orchestra intriguing, especially in the piece talking about the “Rite of Fire.” I was amazed how many different colors was Furman able to pull out of the ensemble consisting purely of strings.” – Martin Majkut, Music Director and Conductor, Rogue Valley Symphony Orchestra
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Music Friends and Colleagues
Clockwise: with composer Mario Davidovsky and colleagues at the Composers Conference in 1995; with Pat and Allen Strange (SEAMUS '96), with Eric Chasallow (SEAMUS '96); conducting Compland's Appalachian Spring at the Whittier Centennial Gala Concert, 1987; my studio in South El Monte, ca. 1985; with saxophonist John Sampen colleagues at SJSU in 2014.
Composers Conference, Wellesley, MA with Mario Davidovsky, Sean Varah, Carlos Gratzer and friends, 1995
Dedication by Chen Yi who took to the previous photo at the Composers Conference
Pat & Allen Strange at SEAMUS 2006
With Eric Chasalow at SEAMUS 2006
Conducting Copland's Appalachian Spring version for small orchestra. Whittier Centennial Gala Concert, 1987.
Home studio ca. 1987; when everything was mostly analog (wish I had kept that Mac Plus...)
With John Sampen, San José, 2014
William Street, Dale Wolford, John Sampen, Pablo, Marilyn Shrude, Mark Bunce
John Sampen & Mark Bunce, SJSU, 2014
With Astor Piazzolla
In 1988 Astor Piazzolla came to the Bay Area for a series of concerts in Zellerbach Hall, at U. C. Berkeley where I was a lecturer. I spent the week driving him to radio show interviews and other engagements. I invited him to give a lecture demonstration in my class and we moved the lecture to the music concert hall to accommodate the larger crowd that showed up. Astor talked about his career, studying with Nadia Boulanger, the influences in his music from jazz, Bach, Bartok and Stravinsky, etc., and demonstrated on the bandoneon. A lunch meeting followed with the College Dean, other music professors and Argentine consulate reps. Lots of fun meeting him.