Press Release for Microthon 2000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

AMERICAN FESTIVAL OF MICROTONAL MUSIC

Presents a Veterans Day, November 11th Microthon at the Quaker Meeting House

World Premieres:

Lou Harrison, Harry Partch, Philip Corner, Joe Maneri, Ivan Wyschnegradsky

Special Guests -- Mavera Orchestra performs Ottoman music of the 16th Century

On Saturday, November 11, the American Festival of Microtonal Music, directed
by Johnny Reinhard, will present Microthon 2000, a full-day concert of
interstylistic microtonal music. Performances start at 1:30 p.m. and
continue through 9 p.m., with an hour break from 5-6 p.m. The venue chosen
is the Quaker Meeting House at 15 Rutherford Place, located between East 15th
and 16th Streets, and Second and Third Avenues in Manhattan. A schedule with
approximate timings is attached to this release. General admission for the
entire day is $12

There are fully 23 premieres among Microthon's 43 works. Foremost, is the
first
performance of Lou Harrison's Simfony in Free Style (1955), dedicated to the
memory of the composer's life partner, veteran and instrument builder Bill
Colvig, is conducted by Nathan Fuhr. The recent publication of Enclosures 3,
consisting of primary material drawn from the life of Harry Partch, has
produced two early "idea" pieces by the composer which will be performed for
the first time: Mendota Night (c.1952) will spotlight Tom O'Horgan and Piera
Paine along with an ensemble of corporeal musicians. Harry Partch's Incident
at Drake's Bay (1953) is even more
inscrutable in its directions. Moscow composer Victor Ekimovsky receives the
first U.S. performance of his once controversial ensemble work Balletto
(1974).

The nine-member Mavera Orchestra visits from Ankara, Turkey, lead by
Dr. Mehmet Demirer to perform Ottoman music from the 16th Century. From
Montevideo, Uruguay, Eduardo Sabat-Garibaldi introduces to New York his
invention, the Dinarra, performed by master Alejandro Sanchez and New Yorker
Harris Becker. Guitarist Wim Hoogewerf of Paris returns for a fourth AFMM
season to perform Ivor Darreg's Preludes 1 and 2 and Neil Haverstick's
Mysteries, both in 19-tone equal temperament, along with Joseph Pehrson's
Just in Time in just intonation.
New York composers with ensembles receiving premiere performances include
David Eggar's quartet Four on the Floor, Piera Paine's Horse of a Different
Zebra ensemble, and the Jazz duo of Ron Kozak and Scott Lee. Philip Corner
receives a first performance of Two Timeless Tone-Scenes for myriadic
ensemble and Marc Jones unleashes his Mostly Electric String Quartet No. 1.

Saxophonist and composer Joe Maneri (Boston, MA) and soprano Judith Bickson
collectively present KOHTLYN, John Negri (Richmond, VA) shares his love
affair with 19-tone equal temperament with his Blue Guitar ensemble, and
Aaron Bachelder (Winston-Salem, NC) features oboist Coa Schwalb and the Spool
Ensemble. Kyle Gann evokes Sitting Bull and General Custer at their eventual
meeting in Do You Know Who I Am?

The evening will provide the first performance of Ivan Wyschnegradsky's
Procession de la Vie (1917) in English translation, performed by pianist
Joshua Pierce and narrated by Johnny Reinhard, followed by Wyschnegradsky's
Meditation on the Day of Existence, with Reinhard on bassoon. After three
Russian performances last April, Moscow resident Anton Rovner receives as
American premiere of Jonny Spielt Auf (1999), written for bassoonist Johnny
Reinhard. Pete Rose shares his latest virtuoso compositions for recorder in
Cartoon and Medieval Nights. And Conrad Harris plays a favorite violin solo,
Giacinto Scelsi's L'âme Ailée.
Anneliese Weibel's C.I.R.C.A. is heard for the first time through the good
offices of
percussionist Tom Goldstein and pianist Paul Hoffman. Refrigerated Segments
is unwrapped by Erik Nauman, as is Ill-Tempered for harpsichord by Al Giusto,
performed by Judith Conrad.

There are new works by David Beardsley and Patrick Pagano, as well as the
latest Paul Erlich. Hornist Greg Evans performs the American premiere of
Ultra composed by Johnny Reinhard. Judith Conrad offers Johann Sebastian
Bach's Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue in D minor for harpsichord in Werckmeister
III tuning. Trio So Inclined debuts in NYC featuring soprano saxophonist
Mike Ellis, Joshua Pierce and Johnny Reinhard, who contributes his new solo
Urartu for bassoon with audience participation following its premiere last
April in Kazan.