Wednesday, May 7, 2008
7:00 p.m.
Americas Society
680 Park Avenue
New York, NY
Map of location

Photo: Nan Melville

Continuum has long identified with the music of Latin America, presenting major composers in individual retrospectives, groups of composers in thematic concerts, and making extensive recordings. This concert focuses on the younger generation of composers in their 30s and 40s. Less well known than such compatriots as Mario Davidovsky and Osvaldo Golijov, these exciting emerging talents are gaining attention here and abroad, and making unique contributions to our culture.

The composers selected for this concert—a sampling from many gifted composers settling here from Latin America—hail from Argentina, Brazil, Cuba, Mexico, and Venezuela. Extremely diverse in their styles, some are directly inspired by their native musical culture and synthesize that powerful heritage with new techniques, such as Jorge Martín (Cuba) in his Conjuration for clarinet, violin, cello, piano (2003). Others work within a contemporary framework, with very subtle Latin American overtones, such as Fernando Benadon (Argentina) in Meet Café for ensemble (1999), based on William Burroughs’ Naked Lunch. Others identify with a purely international language, such as Carlos Sánchez-Gutiérrez (Mexico) in . . .and of course Henry the Horse. . . for piano 4-hands, clarinet, violin (2006) – a Continuum commission. Other composers and their works are: Ileana Pérez Velázquez (Cuba) – Duendes alados (Winged goblins) for string quartet (2001); Ricardo Romaneiro (Brazil) – Partita (Remixed) for ensemble (2007); Manuel Sosa (Venezuela) – Melodia I for violin and piano (2003) in its World Premiere; Marcelo Toledo (Argentina) – Aliento/Arrugas, a spectacular sound piece for solo flute (1998);  Sebastián Zubieta (Argentina) – CCXCIV – a Petrarch sonnet setting for soprano and double bass, blending an early Renaissance sensibility with contemporary rhythmic and microtonal techniques. Arthur Kampela (Brazil), as Continuum’s guest artist, turns his viola into a wild guitar in Exoskeleton for “viola alla chitarra” (2003).

Continuum's signature Retrospective Series has been a hallmark of New York's musical life since the organization's founding in 1966. Its innovative programming has been especially valued for introducing New York to unknown extraordinary composers from around the world, many of whom later achieve worldwide standing. Continuum, in turn, has had remarkable opportunities to bring American and other new music to festivals in far corners of the world, in the ensemble's travels to such locations as Brazil, Venezuela, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Bulgaria, Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Mongolia, Indonesia, and Korea. Continuum has recorded on Nonesuch, Musical Heritage Society, Bridge, CRI, Capstone, Cambria/Troppe Note, TNC Recordings, Naxos, and New Albion, and has been broadcast extensively on national and European television and radio.

Continuum's activities and Americas Society's Music of the Americas are made possible in part with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a State Agency. Continuum is supported by the Amphion Fund, the Aaron Copland Fund, the Alice M. Ditson Fund of Columbia University, the Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation, the Virgil Thomson Foundation, and other private and business donors.

Continuum's website: www.continuum-ensemble-ny.org

Program:

• Fernando Benadón (Argentina): Meet Café (1999), ensemble.
• Arthur Kampela (Brazil): Exoskeleton (2003), "Viola alla chitarra" performed by the composer.
• Jorge Martín (Cuba): Conjuration (2003), clarinet, violin, cello, piano.
• Ileana Pérez-Velázquez (Cuba): Duendes Alados (Winged goblins - 2001), string quartet.
• Ricardo Romaneiro (Brazil): Partita (Remixed) (2007), ensemble.
• Carlos Sánchez-Gutiérrez (Mexico): ...and of course Henry the Horse... (2006), piano 4-hands, clarinet, violin, commissioned by Continuum.
• Manuel Sosa (Venezuela): Melodía I (2003), violin and piano, world premiere.
• Marcelo Toledo (Argentina): Aliento/Arrugas (1998), solo flute.
• Sebastián Zubieta (Argentina): CCXCIV (2002), soprano and contrabass.

• Camille Zamora, soprano
• Ulla Suokko, flute
• Moran Katz, clarinet
• Jared Soldiviero, percussion
• Renée Jolles, violin
• Ann Miller, violin
• Dov Scheindlin, viola
• Arthur Kampela, guest viola
• Kristina Reiko Cooper, cello
• Kurt Muroki, double bass
• Cheryl Seltzer, piano
• Joel Sachs, piano, conductor