11.20.19 - The Viola in my Life, and other Recent Developments
Contents:
-Publication news! New Music Shelf accept's Peter's "Fantasy" for chamber music sampler
-Milestones videos now available on YouTube
-Stay tuned: MAY SHE | SHE MAY coming back to Baltimore in January 2020
New Music Shelf accepts Peter's Fantasy for chamber music anthology
Dear Friends,
This has been "The Year of the Viola" for me, and even more specifically, the year of the Fantasy for viola and piano that I composed back in 2009; along with Soupir for violin and string quartet, the Fantasy was among the very first pieces of mine to be performed in public. Still, mostly thanks to violist/composer Christopher Lowry, the piece has sustained a vibrant performance life and has been performed around the country and internationally, more than any other of my works. It can be found on my album "Notes to Loved Ones," on Chris's album "The Viola in the 21st Century," (scheduled to be re-released on Centaur Records as "Milestones: Music from the Third Millennium"), and shortly it will be recorded again for the accompanying CD to a new anthology of contemporary viola chamber music published by New Music Shelf. The Fantasy score will be published in this anthology, making it my first published/distributed piece! This has been banner year for the Fantasy, with performances this year in Louisiana and Baltimore (see below about videos!), with the inclusion of the piece in this New Music Shelf anthology, and with the piece's selection for the Intimacy of Creativity 2019 Conference in Hong Kong, which prompted the creation of Recurring Dream: Second Fantasy for viola and piano (this piece was recently featured at the District New Music Coalition's New Music DC 2019 conference). My deepest gratitude to Chris Lowry, without whom the Fantasy would have nowhere near the exposure and vitality it has been granted. Stay tuned for updates about the publication release of this newest New Music Shelf anthology.
Milestones videos now available on YouTube
After a small delay, some of the videos from the concert that Chris Lowry and I put on in Baltimore, "Milestones: Music from a Decade of Friendship" are available for viewing/listening on my YouTube channel. Chris played his heart out - I was so happy to introduce him to my Baltimore audience and can't wait until the next time he can come out to the Charm City to work his musical magic! You can listen to the videos here by clicking the thumbnails below:
Fantasy for Viola and Piano (2009), by Peter Dayton
Milestone Miniatures, Op. 13 for Viola, by Christopher Lowry
Suite, Op. 5 (Rev. 2017) for Viola and Piano, by Christopher Lowry
MAY SHE | SHE MAY returns to Baltimore, January 2020
Peter's chamber opera, MAY SHE | SHE MAY: A Chamber Opera in One Act, about Gertrude Stein's first lesbian love affair, returns again to Baltimore after its full-ensemble performance this summer at Studio 5N. The opera, which takes place during Stein's time as a medical student at Hopkins in 1900, will be performed with piano reduction this coming January by Opera Alchemy. Stay tuned for further information about the date and time of this performance! You can hear the full-ensemble version (featuring several members of the Opera Alchemy team) in the video below! Subtitles are available, if desired. Just click the "CC" button once the video starts.
I look forward to sharing a few more exciting updates in the near future, including news involving a podcast, future projects, and more! Until the next movement - thanks for reading!
-Peter