Contents:

-Opera Alchemy Performs MAY SHE | SHE MAY: February 28, 7pm

-Podcast Launched! Pause and Listen to the first episode

-Album Release in March: "Aspects of Landscape," Music inspired by the World of John Hitchens

Dear Friends,

It is both refreshing that it is as cold as it actually should be in late January and, at the same time, it is intolerable that it is so cold! Hopefully the news I've got to offer will warm your hearts, and give your ears some new music to bundle up and enjoy. It is going to be a busy few months, but exciting in its busyness.

Opera Alchemy Performs MAY SHE | SHE MAY: Friday, February 28, 7pm

The marvelous Opera Alchemy will perform my one-act chamber opera MAY SHE | SHE MAY. Sound familiar? It should! Local singers Hannah Wardell and Arianna Arnold will reprise their roles from this past August in reenacting the story of Gertrude Stein's first lesbian love-affair and will be joined by Orianna Falla from New York City. In addition to the 25 minute opera, the Alchemy cast will perform selected opera scenes and numbers, all within the glamorous space of the George Peabody Library at Peabody Conservatory. The performance comes on the heels of my big birthday concert, and I am so grateful to be able to have this work and my Whitman cantata The Need of Comrades in such close proximity. The concert will be at 7pm at the Peabody Library (17 E Mt. Vernon Pl, Baltimore, MD, 21202) on Friday, February 28.

Podcast Launched! Pause and Listen to the first episode

John Scherch of WBJC's new podcast Pause and Listen is now available! The show launched last week and I am featured in the first episode alongside my fellow Peabody alums Sarah Thomas and Christina Manceor, speaking about the music of my former Vanderbilt professor Michael Alec Rose. Be sure to go to the webpage for the podcast episode, so you can find links to the pieces that we discuss! It was a true pleasure to participate in this program, and I look forward to listening to the other episodes.

Album Release in March: "Aspects of Landscape," Music Inspired by the World of John Hitchen

I am so excited to be in the final stages of preparing the album Aspects of Landscape for its release in March, 2020! I will be receiving the mastered tracks soon and putting in the production order. This album, inspired by the paintings of British artist John Hitchens, (read more about the story of our friendship and correspondence here) is being released in conjunction with an 80th birthday retrospective show of John's. I will be performing the piano version of From Sombre Lands at the opening of the exhibition. There is also the possibility that a small string orchestra will perform Grounds in the exhibition space during the course of the show, which runs from March 13, 2020 to June 27, 2020. I am looking forward to being back in England for the opening of the show, and playing some of my music in front of John's paintings in the beautiful City Art Gallery of Southampton. Stay tuned for information about how you can get a copy and digital release info.

I'm really looking forward to this winter and spring, and hope to see you at concerts, around Baltimore, or wherever we may meet! I feel so fortunate to be in contact with so many wonderful artists and musicians. Tonight and Saturday I have more rehearsals for To Celebrate The Need, and can't wait to hear the music and continue the collaboration with these excellent performers.

-Peter