all water has a perfect memory

DAVID DZUBAY
 david common
Disc A 69:46 Disc B 58:29
String Quartet No. 1 “Astral” 1. Double Black Diamond 10:08
1. Voyage 5:57

Dzubay sense
Indiana University New Music Ensemble;
2. Starry Night 4:07 David Dzubay, conductor
3. S.E.T.I. 1:50
4. Wintu Dream Song 6:23 Kukulkan II
5. Supernova 3:39 2. Kukulkan’s Ascent (El Castillo March equinox) 2:37

all water
Orion String Quartet 3. Water Run (Profane Well) 3:31
6. all water has a perfect memory 15:12 4. Celestial Determination (El Caracol) 1:56

COMPOSERS’
Voices of Change 5. Processional-Offering (Sacred Well) 4:51
6. Quetzalcoatl’s Sacrifice (The Great Ball Court) 4:13
7. Producing For A While 8:21 7. Kukulkan’s Descent (El Castillo September equinox) 2:13
Voices of Change Indiana University New Music Ensemble

has aCOLLECTIVE
8. Delicious Silence 7:11 Chamber Concerto for Trumpet, Violin & Ensemble
Miranda Cuckson, violin 8. Déjà vu (passacaglia sospeso) 13:20

perfect memory
9. Rapprochement (intermezzo) 9:08
9. Lament 9:28
10. Détente(s) (scherzo) 6:31
Barkada Quartet
Indiana University New Music Ensemble;
10. Volando 4:27 David Dzubay, conductor
Zephyr Simin Ganatra, violin
John Rommel, trumpet/flugelhorn/piccolo trumpet
11. Lullaby 3:09
Emily Levin, harp

SPARK
innovainnova
© David Dzubay. All Rights Reserved, 2019.

011024
innova® Recordings is the label of the
American Composers Forum.
innova.mu pronovamusic.com
 all water has a perfect memory
solo, chamber and ensemble music by David Dzubay

Welcome to this survey of some of my music from the narrative-based music remains somewhat abstract and
early 21st century! The first disc assembles performanc- personal; the composer and audience may have very
es from a variety of chamber ensembles and soloists, different interpretations of the same music because so
spanning a period from 2003-2015. The second disc much depends on the history and memories, musical or
features compositions from 2007 and 2016 performed otherwise, that one brings to the listening experience.
by the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music New In my composing, I enjoy “floods” of the imagination in-
Music Ensemble, which I have been fortunate to direct spired by extra-musical imagery, from stars in the string
since 1992. quartet, flocking birds in Volando, Rocky Mountain ski
runs in Double Black Diamond, to the Mayan ruins of
The title of this collection and of the second work on Chichén Itzá in Kukulkan or deep waters of the ocean.
disc one comes from Toni Morrison’s famous quote: However, regardless of any suggestive title or narrative,
“You know, they straightened out the Mississippi River I always try to compose music that a listener can ap-
in places, to make room for houses and livable acreage. proach from the sound alone, following a line of musical
Occasionally the river floods these places. “Floods” is flow from beginning to end. So, feel free to stop here
the word they use, but in fact it is not flooding; it is and just listen or read on as you wish!
remembering. Remembering where it used to be. All
water has a perfect memory and is forever trying to get I send my deepest gratitude to all of the wonderful mu-
back to where it was. Writers are like that: remembering sicians performing in these recordings and to the audio
where we were, that valley we ran through, what the engineers who captured and edited the sounds so well.
banks were like, the light that was there and the route I thank the professionals involved and also all the stu-
back to our original place. It is emotional memory- dents from the IU Jacobs School of Music who contrib-
-what the nerves and the skin remember as well as how uted. A special thank you to Konrad Strauss for going
it appeared. And a rush of imagination is our “flooding.” above and beyond in overseeing and doing a substan-
tial amount of the recording, editing and the mastering
Nearly all of these pieces involve emotional memory of this collection.
to an extent, some more clearly so than others. A nice — David Dzubay
thing about music is that even the most programmatic
String Quartet No. 1 “Astral” (2008) Delicious Silence (2010)
I. Voyage Miranda Cuckson, violin
II. Starry Night
III. S.E.T.I. Lament (2015)
IV. Wintu Dream Song Barkada Quartet
V. Supernova Christopher Elchico, soprano
Orion String Quartet Shane Rathburn, alto
Daniel Phillips, violin Perry Roth, tenor
Todd Phillips, violin Justin Polyblank, baritone
Steven Tenenbom, viola
Timothy Eddy, cello Volando (2003)
Zephyr
all water has a perfect memory (2007) Jorge Montilla, E-flat clarinet
Voices of Change Min-Ho Yeh, clarinet
Jonathan Jones, clarinet Howard Klug, bass clarinet
Anastasia Markina, piano
Maria Schleuning, violin Lullaby (2015)
Shu Lee, violin Emily Levin, Harp
David Sywak, viola
Kari Kettering, cello
David Dzubay, conductor

Producing For A While (2014)

text: Julie Choffel
Voices of Change
Rainelle Krause, soprano
Helen Blackburn, flute
Chris Runk, bass clarinet
Michael Jones, marimba
Anastasia Markina, piano
Maria Schleuning, violin
Kari Kettering, cello
David Dzubay, conductor
Double Black Diamond (2005/2007) Chamber Concerto for Trumpet, Violin &
Indiana University New Music Ensemble; Ensemble (2016)
David Dzubay, conductor I. Déjà vu (passacaglia sospeso)
I-Jeng Yeh, flute/piccolo II. Rapprochement (intermezzo)
Keith Sorrels, oboe III. Détente(s) (scherzo)
Leigh Lafosse, clarinet Indiana University New Music Ensemble;
Matthew Hogan, bassoon David Dzubay, conductor
Kirstin Schularick, horn Simin Ganatra, violin
EJ Ramos, trumpet John Rommel, trumpet/flugelhorn/piccolo trumpet
Matt Maslanka, trombone Marco Núñez, flute/piccolo/alto flute
James Saliers, tuba Jacob Walsh, oboe/English horn
Brian Blume & Josh Bowman, percussion Wai Ki Wun, clarinet
Timothy Best, piano Cameron Winrow, bass clarinet
Veronique Mathieu, violin Nellie Sommer, bassoon/contrabassoon
Stanislav Pronin, violin Nathan Howard, tenor saxophone
Sheldon Person, viola Chris Neiner, horn
Alvin Wong, cello Kenneth Johnson, trombone
Ben Jensen, bass Sam Appleton, tuba
Matthew Schultheis, piano
Kukulkan II (2007) Mitchell Beck, percussion
I. Kukulkan’s Ascent (El Castillo, March equinox) Joel Castro-Lawicki, percussion
II. Water Run (Profane Well) Mark Hatlestad, viola
III. Celestial Determination (El Caracol) Alex Krew, cello
IV. Processional-Offering (Sacred Well) Sharif Ibrahim, bass
V. Quetzalcoatl’s Sacrifice (The Great Ball Court)
VI. Kukulkan’s Descent (El Castillo, September
equinox)
IU New Music Ensemble
Daniel Stein, flute
Yi-Chun Chen, clarinet
Liana Gourdjia, violin
Eric Allen, cello
Teddy Niedermaier, piano
 A member of the faculty and director of the New
Music Ensemble at the Indiana University Jacobs
School of Music since 1992, Dzubay is professor
of music and has been chair of the composition
department since 2006. He has conducted at the
Tanglewood, Aspen, and June in Buffalo festivals.
He has also conducted the Grossman Ensemble of
the Chicago Center for Contemporary Composi-
tion, the League of Composers Orchestra in New
York, the Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble, Music
from China, and Voices of Change, among oth-
ers. From 1995 to 1998 he served as Composer-
Consultant to the Minnesota Orchestra, directing
their “Perfect-Pitch” reading sessions, and during
2005-2006 he was Meet The Composer “Music
Alive” Composer-in-Residence with the Green
DAVID DZUBAY Bay Symphony Orchestra. Since 2011, Dzubay has
spent three weeks each summer at the Brevard
Composer and conductor David Dzubay was born Music Center teaching composition and conduct-
in 1964 in Minneapolis, grew up in Portland, Or- ing composer readings with orchestra and band.
egon, and earned a D.M. in Composition at Indiana In March 2019, Dzubay’s Ra! was performed eight
University in 1991. Additional studies included a times by the Boston Symphony Orchestra under
fellowship in composition at Tanglewood (1990) Thomas Wilkins. In May 2019, Dzubay was guest
and two summers as co-principal trumpet of the composer and had orchestral works performed at
National Repertory Orchestra (1988, 1989). the Beijing Modern Music Festival and at the Chi-
na-ASEAN Music Festival. He returned to China in
David Dzubay’s music has been performed by or- July to teach at the Beijing International Compo-
chestras, ensembles and soloists in the U.S., Eu- sition Workshop. Premieres in 2019 include String
rope, Canada, Mexico, and Asia. Recent honors Quartet No. 2 with the Pacifica String Quartet,
include a 2015 Fromm commission, Guggenheim, PHO wth the Grossman Ensemble, Autumn Rivu-
Bogliasco, MacDowell, Yaddo, Copland House and lets for soprano and orchestra with the Quad City
Djerassi fellowships, and a 2011 Arts and Letters Symphony and a Flute Concerto for Alejandro Es-
Award from the American Academy of Arts and cuer and the Orquesta Filarmónica de la Ciudad
Letters. de México.
String Quartet No. 1 “Astral” (2008) capsule interior before hurtling through space
Written for and dedicated to The Orion String Quartet once more.

Beginning work on a piece for the Orion String The ‘three stars in a line’ rhythmic motive is per-
Quartet, and taking a cue either from the group’s haps most clearly heard in Starry Night, sounding
name or perhaps from gazing upwards on evening as quiet bell tones here and there in an introspec-
strolls around the MacDowell Colony in rural New tive movement that briefly erupts in turbulence re-
Hampshire, I decided to focus on the stars, com- flective of its namesake by Van Gogh.
posing an “Astral” quartet, movements of which
would look at stars and space in various ways. S.E.T.I. is named after the organization founded by
Though the movements are somewhat indepen- Carl Sagan that searches for signs of galactic life in
dent, they do share musical elements and togeth- radio transmissions. The music alternates between
er are balanced on the curious middle movement. four Focus sections and three View sections, an
Like our galaxy, the quartet has a spiral structure, aural depiction of the search for extraterrestrial
both in the shape of an eight-pitch ‘spiral motive’ intelligence through the giant radio telescope at
and in the duration of the movements (roughly Arecibo.
5’-3’-2’-4’-3’). The ‘spiral motive’ is built by com-
bining a few transpositions of the ‘root motive’ - a Wintu Dream Song sets a Native American funeral
group of three pitches separated by a major sec- song text of the west coast’s Wintu tribe:
ond and minor third, variations of which are heard It is above that you and I shall go;
frequently in the melodic lines. The ‘root motive’ is Along the Milky Way you and I shall go;
also reflected in the overall tonal progression: G- Along the flower trail you and I shall go;
A-(G)-E. One other recurring element, first heard Picking flowers on our way you and I shall go.
in the opening bars, is a group of three evenly After an opening incantation by cello and viola,
spaced attacks, a representation of Orion’s Belt, the song is heard twice, first in the traditional form
the tight grouping of three stars lined up in the (a-b-a-b-a-c-d), and then after a transition, in an
Orion constellation. abbreviated form (a-b-a-c-d). The top voice of the
chorale-like texture is fairly repetitive and tonal,
Voyage is a microcosm of the entire work, present- following the text closely. One might almost be
ing five sections in palindrome form, introducing able to sing along the second time!
the important motives of the work, and imagining
a flight through space, complete with syncopated Supernova begins with music of constrained ener-
asteroids and transitory worm holes(!) In the quiet gy, explodes in a wild development of earlier ideas
center of the movement, we glimpse the traveler’s and then dissipates into the expanse of space. In a
tip of the hat to galactic hitchhiker Douglas Adams times have of course held large-scale tragedies in-
and his answer to the Ultimate Question, the final volving ocean waters - from the tsunami in Asia to
chord arrives with 42 strokes. breached dams in New Orleans. This composition
is dedicated to those reclaimed by the sea.
all water has a perfect memory (2007)
Commissioned and premiered by Voices of Change Musically, the work presents a theme featuring
Kuhmo International Composition Competition, third clarinet, and six variations featuring in turn, viola,
prize cello, piano, violin 1, tutti and violin 2. Extended
transitions follow the viola and violin 1 variations.
I also began composing all water has a perfect The climatic tutti variation contains seven ‘waves’,
memory at the MacDowell Colony, in an emotion- the proverbial ‘seventh wave’ being largest and
al response to fellow “colonist” Natalia Almada’s leading to the apex of the work and then a return
documentary film of the same name that explores to the opening tempo for the concluding sixth
family memories of her two-year-old sister’s variation.
drowning. The title is drawn from an essay written
by Toni Morrison, in which she speaks of the Mis- Producing For A While (2014)
sissippi River’s ability to conjure memories: “They Text (Julie Choffel, 2012)
straightened out the Mississippi River in places, to
make room for houses and livable acreage. Occa- I encountered the poetry of Julie Choffel while
sionally the river floods these places ... but in fact it working on a project for Voices Up: New Music for
is not flooding; it is remembering. ... All water has New Poetry, a concert at Fordham University - Lin-
a perfect memory and is forever trying to get back coln Center Campus. Her new book, The Hello De-
to where it was.” lay, published in March, 2012, won Fordham’s an-
nual Poetry Out Loud contest. Choosing three of
The sea has long been a source of mystery and these poems, I composed a set for soprano, violin
spirituality for me. Spending portions of summers and cello. The curiously ambiguous Producing For
in my youth at a remote Oregon beach exploring A While is the third song in the set, and here finds
rocky protrusions, cliffs and caves accessible only a new home as a work for soprano and chamber
at low tide instilled a sense of awe and respect for ensemble.
the elemental power of the ocean, well-spring of
life. And one sensed how easily life can be lost. I think I’m done with producing for a while. I
Our human fragility was made clear witnessing know I can contribute a lot to the overall pro-
the deaths of two teenage boys at the coast, one duction. But I’m done with producing until I can
in 1972 and one in the summer of 2005. Recent get some input. They said, if we produce you,
 you sign a contract. If you sign our contract, clusion. Along with the ever-present motto and
we will feed you an extra meal per day. If you its transformations, another recurring element is
don’t want this extra meal, you can not give it a repeating tone, speeding up and slowing down.
away to someone else without a contract. If you No meters are used in the score, and the work is
produce meals spontaneously, we can not be played with a great deal of freedom and perhaps
responsible for your production. I said I think I’m sounds almost improvised.
done. They said give us a break I said give me a
break. We broke everything together and it was Lament (2015)
useful for me. I needed some input for my over- Commissioned by the Barkada Quartet
all worth and so they contributed. I had to admit
that I wanted them to produce me. I had to fulfill I began this work in January 2015 in the days after
the terms. The terms said I was done producing the senseless attack on the offices of Charlie Heb-
for a while. They produced a document that said do in Paris. The music uses mottos derived from
I would show them my terms. I thought when I “Charlie Hebdo” and “Je suis Charlie.” More di-
get enough input I’ll show them. I showed them rectly, the music is expressive, mournful, stunned,
what I knew about production by waiting it out. outraged, and at times exhibits an emphasis on
They said what if we gave you more input. I said freedom of expression, reflected by increased in-
you don’t get it I think I’m done with producing dependence among the players.
for a while.
Volando (2003)
“Producing For A While” used with the permission
of Fordham University Press. Copyright © 2012. Volando was composed for Zephyr and premiered
by them at the 2003 ClarinetFest at the University
Delicious Silence (2010) of Utah, in Salt Lake City. “Volando” is Spanish for
“The delicious silence throngs with ghosts of wing- “flying” or “quickly,” and in this short fanfare the
èd sound and shadow.” three clarinets are certainly asked to fly through
— Conrad Aiken, Preludes for Memnon many notes in rapid order, requiring great agility
on the part of the performers. Volando is in six
Delicious Silence was composed for violinist Liana sections:
Gourdjia and is built out of a motto based on pitch-
es suggested by letters in her name: A-G-C-D. This I. Fanfare I - Departure. Perhaps the most typi-
short piece is in three sections, an introduction and cally ‘fanfare’-like music in the work, the opening
exposition, a development that is increasingly agi- presents the basic musical material of the compo-
tated and builds to a climax, and a reflective con- sition in mostly unison declarative exclamations.
II. Chirping. A wild cacophony of bird-like chirping. Double Black Diamond (2005/2007)
III. Fluttering. Muted echoes of the chirps, now Commissioned by the Utah Arts Festival
as tentative flutters, culminating in some rather la- First Prize in the 2007 Indiana State University Con-
bored flapping. temporary Music Festival/ Indianapolis Chamber Or-
IV. Soaring. Long ascending scales elided be- chestra Composition Competition
tween the players, gaining energy and then juxta-
posed with more flutters. Double Black Diamond was composed for the Utah
V. Flocking. The three parts (birds?) converge Arts Festival and is named after the rating for very
into rhythmically propulsive arpeggios in octaves. challenging ski runs. Opening with icy, wintry
VI. Fanfare II - Arrival. The concluding fanfare sounds, the work has three large sections, the first
summarizes all of the musical elements in the work. of which is a hazy dream of what lies ahead, with
alternating slow and fast tempos, all a bit blurry and
Lullaby (2015) out of focus. The middle section evokes the rather
mechanical climb up the mountain in a chairlift,
Commissioned by the Minnesota Orchestral Asso- with a constantly ascending harmonic progres-
ciation for performance as part of the Minnesota sion. The last third of the piece represents a thrill-
Orchestra’s “Adventures in Music” series of family ing ride downhill, with sharp turns, surprises, air-
concerts, Wind Says Good Night features a nar- time, one lost ski and perhaps a few bumps along
rator and four soloists from within the orchestra. the way. Of course, I felt it important to research
Katy Rydell’s wonderful book tells the story of a this work, so I spent a weekend in March of 2005
child kept from sleep by a mockingbird, cricket, with my sister and brother skiing near Salt Lake
frog and moth, represented musically by the flute, City, at Snowbird and Solitude. In 2007, I made a
violin, bass and drums, respectively. Other charac- few revisions and added parts for tuba and synthe-
ters in the book are the night wind, depicted by sizer in preparation for an East Coast tour with the
a rolled, upside-down cymbal placed on a timpani Indiana University New Music Ensemble.
drum and the moon, represented by swells in the
horns, winds and strings. A gentle lullaby is fea- Kukulkan II (2007)
tured at the beginning and ending of the work I. Kukulkan’s Ascent (El Castillo, March equinox)
and also in transitions, and is here reworked into II. Water Run (Profane Well)
a short piece for solo harp. There is also a version III. Celestial Determination (El Caracol)
for solo guitar. IV. Processional—Offering (Sacred Well)
V. Quetzalcoatl’s Sacrifice (The Great Ball Court)—
VI. Kukulkan’s Descent (El Castillo, September
equinox)
Commissioned by ONIX; Dedicated to Alejandro Es- The Great Ball Court: The whole basis and ratio-
cuer nale of Mayan sacrifice was the belief that the
2010 Heckscher Foundation-Ithaca College Compo- victim sacrificed was Quetzalcoatl himself, and
sition Prize by sacrificing the victim they were reenacting
Quetzalcoatl’s sacrifice at the beginning of time,
Like many visitors to the ancient Mayan ruins of thereby renewing creation. In one version of the
Chichén Itzá, I stood in awe before the temple of sacrifice, Quetzalcoatl manifested himself as two
Kukulkan, the god-man known to the Toltecs and persons: the twins Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca.
Aztecs as Quetzalcoatl or “Feathered Serpent,” In a ritual that took place at the beginning of time,
and the Great Ball Court, imagining the exotic Quetzalcoatl killed his twin, from whose body the
rituals that have taken place there. This work is a world then emerged. At the end of significant time
flight of fantasy that attempts to evoke the ritual- periods — ­ at times when creation ran out of power
istic character of some of the monuments found at — a ritual ballgame was staged at the ball field of
Chichén Itzá, including: Chichén Itzá. Each side incarnated the God Quet-
zalcoatl, one side as Tezcatlipoca and one side as
El Castillo: Actually a huge solar calendar, the main the twin Quetzalcoatl. The losers — i.e., the play-
pyramid of Kukulkan is a time temple that sheds ers incarnating Tezcatlipoca, were then sacrificed.
light on the Mayan astronomical system. During The Maya believed that this sacrifice — as a rep-
the equinoxes, the shadow pattern of the pyra- etition of the original sacrifice of Quetzalcoatl —
mid’s steps seems to show a serpent climbing up would renew and keep the world alive.
the steps in March and down the steps in Septem-
ber. Chamber Concerto for Trumpet, Violin & Ensemble
(2016)
Two cenotes, or wells (profane and sacred): The I. Déjà vu (passacaglia sospeso)
smaller profane well was used for everyday needs, II. Rapprochement (intermezzo)
while the larger sacred well was used in worship, III. Détente(s) (scherzo)
and offerings were continually made to it. Divers Commissioned by the University of Connecticut as
have retrieved skeletons and many ritual objects winner of the 2015 Sackler Prize
from its depths.
The first movement, Déjà vu (passacaglia sospeso),
The Observatory (El Caracol): The observatory is reflective of having the same discussions and
was built in a spiraling design, with the windows events over and over, not learning from our mis-
in the dome aligning with certain stars on specific takes. A nine-bar pattern is repeated many times,
dates, showing the precision of Mayan astronomy. but always with some change in harmony or tex-
ture. This passacaglia is “suspended” for a slower, PERFORMER BIOS
quiet interior section with more chromaticism and
delicate orchestration, but ultimately comes back
in increasingly wild variations.

I preserved the original working title of Rapproche-

ment for the second movement, a mostly calm in-
termezzo with the two soloists generally working
in agreement. A darker movement, the music is
slower and lower, featuring low doublings in the
woodwinds, the violin muted at times, and the
trumpeter now playing flugelhorn. There are three BARKADA QUARTET
key ingredients for this movement: a characteris- CHRISTOPHER ELCHICO, SOPRANO
tic eighth-note accompaniment with staccato and SHANE RATHBURN, ALTO
slurred notes (‘bup-baah-dup”), melodic writing PERRY ROTH, TENOR
featuring perfect fifths and neighbor tones, and JUSTIN POLYBLANK, BARITONE
glowing sounds.
Said to display “virtuosity of the utmost distinc-
The final movement, Détente(s) (scherzo), is the tive order” (Splash Magazine), Barkada Quartet is
closest the music gets to a pitched battle, with the first saxophone quartet to capture the Fischoff
the whole ensemble segmented in many different National Chamber Music Competition’s coveted
configurations. A fast, bright movement, the low Grand Prize. Formed in 2011 at the Indiana Univer-
doublings are gone, replaced by piccolo trumpet, sity Bloomington Jacobs School of Music, Barkada
open violin, and piccolo instead of flute sometimes Quartet’s individual members share a friendship
joining the two soloists for a “high trio.” Other and musical camaraderie of such strength that
internal trios are featured, again combining into their performances are said to be reminiscent of
larger groupings and leading to a climactic return “watching a group of men having a chat at the wa-
and fuller realization of a progression from the first ter cooler.”
movement. A quiet reminiscence of the opening
of the work leads to the concluding phrase. As a performance ensemble, Barkada Quartet has
achieved international recognition, having per-
formed over 60 engagements in Italy, Japan, and
14 states in the contiguous United Sates. Their de-
but, self-produced album Aventura features
original works for saxophone quartet by compos- MIRANDA CUCKSON
ers David Maslanka, David Salleras Quintana, and
David Werfelmann. In demand for her performances of music rang-
ing from older eras to the most current creations,
Artistic collaboration with friends, colleagues, and Miranda Cuckson is passionate about the creative
mentors located in regions one might consider to role of the performer/interpreter in the artistic pro-
be the musical “roots” of Barkada Quartet and its cess and in communicating the music. Downbeat
individual members has been an important focus of magazine recently stated “Miranda Cuckson reaf-
the quartet since 2012. Their annual concert series firms her standing as one of the most sensitive and
have featured works dedicated to the quartet by electric interpreters of new music.”
composers Elliott Bark, David Dzubay, Luke Ellard,
Amos Gillespie, John Leszczysnki, Gabriel Lubell, This past year (2018) she premiered concertos
and David Martynuik. written for her by Georg Friedrich Haas in Tokyo,
Stuttgart and Porto and by Marcela Rodriguez in
Through virtuosic performances, thoughtful mu- Mexico City. She also gave the New York premiere
sician-composer collaborations, and meaningful of Michael Hersch’s concerto. She was recently
educational outreach, Barkada Quartet hopes to presented by the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra’s
remind audiences that chamber music is known Liquid Music, Miller Theatre, Strathmore and Art
historically as “the music of friends.” Institute of Chicago. Other venues range from the
Berlin Philharmonie and Teatro Colón to the Gug-
barkadaquartet.com genheim and Cleveland Museums, to the Marlboro,
Bard, West Cork, Portland and Sinus Ton festivals.
She made her Carnegie Hall (Stern Auditorium)
debut playing Piston’s violin concerto with the
American Symphony Orchestra.

In addition to working with many emerging young

artists, Miranda has worked with major composers
including Dutilleux, Carter, Boulez, Hyla, Mackey,
Crumb, Iyer, Saariaho, Davidovsky, Murail and Wu-
orinen. Among composers who have recently writ-
ten for her are Jason Eckardt, George Lewis, Lu
Wang, and Steve Lehman. Harold Meltzer’s “Kre-
isleriana” was commissioned for her by the Library
of Congress.
She has released ten albums including Nono’s residence. Ganatra has won wide recognition for
La lontananza nostalgica utopica futura (Urlicht), her performances throughout the United States
named a Best Recording of 2012 by the New York and abroad. She has performed numerous times in
Times; Melting the Darkness, an acclaimed album of such prestigious venues as Lincoln Center’s Alice
microtonal and electroacoustic music; and Bartók, Tully Hall, the Kennedy Center, Wigmore Hall, the
Schnittke and Lutoslawski on ECM Records. Concertgebeouw in Amsterdam, and Carnegie’s
Zankel Hall. Collaborations include performances
Miranda is founder of Nunc, a member of AMOC with Yo-Yo Ma, Anthony McGill, Lynn Harrell, and
and counter)induction, and artistic advisor at Na- Menahem Pressler, among others. She is the re-
tional Sawdust. She teaches at Mannes School of cipient of several awards and prizes, including a
Music. She studied at Juilliard, where she received Grammy for best chamber music performance, the
her doctorate and won the Presser Award. Naumburg Chamber Music Award, the Cleveland
Quartet Award, and top prizes at the Concert Art-
mirandacuckson.com ists Guild Competition, Coleman Chamber Music
Competition, Pasadena Instrumental Competition,
and Schubert Club Competition.

Originally from Los Angeles, Ganatra studied with

Idell Low, Robert Lipsett, and Roland and Almita
Vamos. She is a graduate of the Oberlin Conserva-
tory, where she was concertmaster of the Ober-
lin Conservatory Orchestra and recipient of the
Louis Kaufman Prize for outstanding performance
in chamber music. She was previously professor
at the University of Illinois, Champaign/Urbana,
Northwestern University, and the University of
Chicago. She has many recordings on the Cedille
Records label, including the complete string quar-
SIMIN GANATRA tets of Felix Mendelssohn, Elliot Carter, and Dmitri
Shostakovich. During the summer, she serves on
Simin Ganatra is professor of violin and chair of the faculty of the Aspen Music Festival and School.
the Strings Department at the Indiana University
Jacobs School of Music. She is also first violinist
of the Pacifica Quartet, the school’s quartet-in-
INDIANA UNIVERSITY NEW MUSIC ENSEMBLE ston Choi, Bella Hristova, Madalyn and Cicely Par-
(WITH SOLOISTS GANATRA AND ROMMEL) nas, Edgar Myer and Kenny Aronoff, to just name
DAVID DZUBAY, DIRECTOR a few.

The Indiana University Jacobs School of Music Founded in 1974 by Frederick Fox and directed
New Music Ensemble dedicates its efforts to per- since 1992 by David Dzubay, the other directors
forming a broad spectrum of contemporary mu- of the group have been Harvey Sollberger (1983-
sic, focusing on works from the recent past and 89), Claude Baker (1989-90), and Eugene O’Brien
giving many world premieres with the composer (1990-92). In addition to presenting a series of six
present, but also presenting significant ensemble concerts each year on the Bloomington campus,
works from the 20th century. Each season’s rep- the New Music Ensemble has performed exten-
ertoire will include music by IU students and fac- sively beyond the borders of Indiana, including a
ulty, guest composers, and other composers from residency at the June in Buffalo Festival and per-
around the world. To date, ten CDs featuring the formances in venues on both coasts such as Mer-
New Music Ensemble and music by IU faculty com- kin Hall, Miller Theatre, Perelman Theatre, Davies
posers have been released. There are also many Hall, Benaroya Hall, Zipper Concert Hall and the
live audio and video recordings of the ensemble Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. In May 2018,
available online at Soundcloud, YouTube and IU- the New Music Ensemble performed a concert at
MusicLive’s streaming archive. the National Autonomous University of Mexico in
Mexico City celebrating the opening of IU’s Gate-
Soloists that have collaborated in performance way Center in Mexico City.
with the ensemble include guests Wu Man, Claire
Chaise, Kate Soper, Stephen Copes, Steve Mack-
ey and Michael Lowenstern as well as numerous
faculty and student singers and instrumentalists.
Alumni of the ensemble include Jeremy Denk, Win-
 Miller Competition, a Regional Finalist with the
Metropolitan National Council Auditions in New
Orleans and St. Louis, and a semi-finalist with the
Licia Albanese Puccini Foundation and Gari Foun-
dation competitions. Engagements for the season
included Zerlina cover in Don Giovanni with The
Dallas Opera, guest soloist with Voices of Change
for their Holocaust memorial performance, and
featured artist for Opus Opera’s event, Mystique,
RAINELLE KRAUSE, SOPRANO a circus and opera collaboration. Performances
include Vivaldi’s Gloria with the Texas Camerata,
Known for her absolute precision and fiery col- Ein Deutches Reqiuem in Norfolk, VA, La Traviata
oratura, soprano Rainelle Krause is a versatile and in concert with the Irving Symphony Orchestra,
compelling singer. She was most recently seen Poulenc’s Gloria with the Greater Dallas Youth
as Madame Herz with the New Hampshire Music Orchestra, and Pat Nixon in Nixon in China in her
Festival’s concert version of Mozart’s Der Schaus- debut with the Princeton Festival. Future seasons
pieldirektor, and in collaboration with San Anto- include her debut with the Deutsche Oper Berlin
nio’s SOLI ensemble as the Queen of the Night. and Theater Basel.
Other performances include Painted Sky Opera’s
production of the The Medium as Monica, Blonde rainellekrause.com
in Abduction from the Seraglio and Belinda in Dido
and Aeneas with Opera Piccola of San Antonio,
the title role and La Fée in Opera for the Young’s
touring production of Cendrillon, Zerlina in Don
Giovanni with Indiana University’s Jacobs School
of Music Opera Theater, and Galatea in Acis y
Galatea with Opera Nova Costa Rica.

Ms. Krause has been awarded First Place in the

Fielder Grant Competition, Third Place and Audi-
ence Favorite in the Orpheus Competition, and EMILY LEVIN
was a winner in the Texas Camerata’s Baroque
Aria Competition. She was a finalist in the Lois Alba Emily Levin is the Principal Harpist with the Dallas
Competition as well as the International Mildred Symphony Orchestra and Bronze Medal Winner
of the 9th USA International Harp Competition. cy Allen and completed undergraduate degrees
Praised for her “technical wizardry and artistic in Music and History at Indiana University with
intuition” (Herald Times), Emily brings the harp to Susann McDonald. Her honors history thesis dis-
the forefront of a diverse musical spectrum, using cussed the impact of war songs on the French
her instrument to connect with all audiences. Revolution.

Emily has performed as Guest Principal Harp with emilylevinharp.com

the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Houston
Symphony, and regularly appears with the New
York Philharmonic. As a soloist, she has performed
in Carnegie Hall, the Kimmel Center, and Fest-
spiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and with the
Dallas, Jerusalem, Colorado and West Virginia
Symphony Orchestras and the Indiana University
Festival Orchestra, among others. For her debut
album, Something Borrowed, the Classical Record-
ing Foundation named her their 2017 Young Artist
of the Year. ORION STRING QUARTET
DANIEL PHILLIPS, VIOLIN
A strong believer in expanding music’s powerful TODD PHILLIPS, VIOLIN
impact, Emily has organized benefit concerts for STEVEN TENENBOM, VIOLA
the the International Rescue Committee and the TIMOTHY EDDY, CELLO
Refugee Services of Texas. As Artistic Director
of the Fine Arts Chamber Players, she presents Since its inception, the Orion Quartet has been
chamber music concerts to the Dallas community consistently praised for the extraordinary musi-
that are free of charge and open to all. Emily is a cal integrity it brings to performances, offering
core member of the New York-based new music diverse programs that juxtapose classic works of
group Ensemble Échappé and is a 2016 Winner of the standard quartet literature with masterworks
the Astral Artists national auditions. by twentieth and twenty-first century composers.
The Quartet remains on the cutting edge of pro-
Emily was named Adjunct Associate Professor of gramming with wide-ranging commissions from
Harp at Southern Methodist University in 2019. composers Chick Corea, Brett Dean, David Del
She received her Master of Music degree in 2015 Tredici, Alexander Goehr, Thierry Lancino, John
at the Juilliard School under the tutelage of Nan- Harbison, Leon Kirchner, Marc Neikrug, Lowell
Liebermann, Peter Lieberson and Wynton Marsalis,
and enjoys a creative partnership with the Bill T.
Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company. The members
of the Orion String Quartet—violinists Daniel
Phillips and Todd Phillips (brothers who share the
first violin chair equally), violist Steven Tenenbom
and cellist Timothy Eddy—have worked closely
with such legendary figures as Pablo Casals, Sir
András Schiff, Rudolf Serkin, Isaac Stern, Pinchas
Zukerman, Peter Serkin, members of TASHI and
the Beaux Arts Trio, as well as the Budapest, Végh,
Galimir and Guarneri String Quartets. The Orions
serve as Artist Members of the Chamber Music So-
ciety of Lincoln Center and Quartet-in-Residence JOHN ROMMEL
at New York’s Mannes School of Music, where they
are featured in a four-concert series each year. John Rommel has been a faculty member at Indiana
University’s Jacobs School of Music since 1993. He
Heard often on National Public Radio’s Perfor- was Principal Trumpet of the Louisville Orchestra
mance Today, the Orion has also appeared on from 1988-1996 and has performed throughout
PBS’s Live from Lincoln Center, A&E’s Breakfast the United States, as well as in France, Germany,
with the Arts, and three times on ABC-TV’s Good Austria, Luxembourg, Spain, Chile, and China. As
Morning America. Additionally, the Quartet was Principal Trumpet of the Louisville Orchestra, he
photographed with Drew Barrymore by Annie Lei- recorded more than 30 compositions by many of
bovitz for the April 2005 issue of Vogue. the leading composers of the twentieth century.
Rommel was a member of the Nashville Sympho-
Formed in 1987, the Quartet chose its name from ny from 1979-1988. In recent years, he has per-
the Orion constellation as a metaphor for the formed with the Cleveland Orchestra (including
unique personality each musician brings to the a three-week European tour with the orchestra
group in its collective pursuit of the highest musi- in the fall of 2017), the Cincinnati Symphony, the
cal ideals. Indianapolis Symphony, the Nashville Symphony,
the Milwaukee Symphony, and as Acting Principal
orionquartet.com Trumpet with the Indianapolis Chamber Orches-
tra. In addition, since 2015 he has been a member
of the orchestra for the Strings Music Festival in
Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
John Rommel’s chamber music experience in- mance of the music of our time. Now in its 45th
cludes performances with Summit Brass, the Saint year, Voices of Change fills a unique niche in the
Louis Brass Quintet, Fulcrum Point New Music music world by performing small ensemble works
Project, and the Nashville Contemporary Brass by 20th and 21st century composers. Our mission
Quintet. He has performed as a soloist in many is to encourage and support current composers
different venues, including being a featured solo- through performance and commissioning of new
ist with “The President’s Own” U. S. Marine Band works.
at the National Trumpet Competition. He also has
extensive commercial recording experience in the Founded in 1974 by pianist Jo Boatright and clari-
studios of Nashville, Tennessee, and Indianapolis, netist Ross Powell, Voices of Change is one of the
Indiana. John Rommel’s students hold positions longest-lived and most distinguished new music
in orchestras, military bands, and with universi- ensembles in the United States. In 1999, Voices of
ties in the United States, as well as in Canada and Change was a finalist for the prestigious Grammy
Europe. His primary teachers were William Adam, Award for Best Performance by a Small Classical
Louis Davidson, and Leon Rapier, with additional Ensemble, a first for any Dallas/Fort Worth area
studies with Vincent Cichowicz and William Scar- chamber music ensemble. Voices of Change has
lett. been awarded the annual ASCAP Award for Ad-
venturesome Programming an unprecedented five
times and has recorded LPs and CDs on the CRI,
Crystal, Innova, Albany, Centaur, and Redwood la-
bels.

The artists are first-tier professional musicians

playing music written by well-known and up-and-
coming professional composers. The music of
living composers is challenging and requires the
skill and dedication of accomplished classical mu-
VOICES OF CHANGE sicians to be played.
MARIA SCHLEUNING, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Voices of Change has presented over 75 world
Voices of Change performs, celebrates and en- premieres, performed music by over 300 com-
courages new chamber music in North Texas. posers, and made numerous recordings. Voices of
We are the Southwest’s premiere professional Change is also dedicated to commissioning new
chamber music ensemble dedicated to the perfor- works and recording them. The ensemble co-pro-
duces an annual Young Composers Competition CREDITS
to introduce and support the music of promising
college and high-school composers. String Quartet No. 1
Produced, Engineered, Edited & Mixed by Adam
voicesofchange.org Abeshouse
Recorded on March 22, 2017 in LeFrak Concert
ZEPHYR Hall at the CUNY Aaron Copland School of Music.

JORGE MONTILLA, E-FLAT CLARINET ...all water has a perfect memory... and Produc-
MIN-HO YEH, CLARINET ing For A While
HOWARD KLUG, BASS CLARINET Produced & engineered by George Gilliam
Edited by Konrad Strauss
At the time of the recording, Jorge Montilla and Recorded on May 9, 2016 at the Mexquite Art Cen-
Min-Ho Yeh were doctoral students at IU. Jorge is ter in Mesquite, TX.
now professor of clarinet at the University of Iowa
(Iowa City) and Min-Ho is professor of clarinet at Delicious Silence
National Kaohsiung Normal University (Taiwan). Produced, engineered, edited & mixed by Adam
Abeshouse
Howard Klug is a chamber musician, soloist, and Recorded on November 3, 2017.
clinician who has performed throughout the Unit-
ed States, Great Britain, Belgium, Portugal, Austria, Lament
Venezuela, China, and Israel. He plays flute and Produced, engineered, edited & mixed by Konrad
clarinet, and was a saxophone soloist as member Strauss
of the U.S. Air Force Band in Washington, D.C. Pro- Recorded March 8, 2018 in the Musical Arts Center
fessor Klug was principal clarinet with the Fresno at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music.
Philharmonic, the Bear Valley Festival Orchestra,
Sinfonia da Camera, and the Indianapolis Chamber Volando
Orchestra, and is a former member of the Colum- Engineered & edited by Hideki Isoda (Riax
bus Symphony Orchestra and the Grant Park Sym- Studios)
phony. Professor Klug’s chamber music affiliations Recorded June 27, 2003 in Auer Hall at the Indiana
have included the Illinois Trio, the Illinois Wood- University Jacobs School of Music.
wind Quintet, the Chicago Ensemble, Trio Indiana,
and fourté.
Lullaby Supported by grants from:
Produced, engineered, edited & mixed by Adam American Academy of Arts and Letters
Abeshouse Indiana University New Frontiers in the Arts and
Recorded in summer of 2017. Humanities

Double Black Diamond Photos:

Produced, edited & mixed by Konrad Strauss Leesa Voth (Barkada)
Engineered by Douglas Gross John Rogers (Cuckson)
Recorded March 9, 2007 in Auer Hall at the Indiana Alain Barker (IU JSoM NME)
University Jacobs School of Music. Suzanne Vinnik (Krause)
Dario Acosta (Levin)
Kukulkan II David Dzubay (quartet and Adam Abeshouse)
Produced & mixed by Konrad Strauss
Engineered & edited by Keith McGraw Cover photos: Neva Micheva
Assistant Engineers: Keith McGraw, Ben Glawe
Recorded March 9, 2007 in Auer Hall at the Indiana All music is published by Pro Nova Music (BMI).
University Jacobs School of Music. ProNovaMusic.com

Chamber Concerto for Trumpet, Violin & En- Innova Director, designer: Philip Blackburn
semble Operations Director: Chris Campbell
Produced, edited & mixed by Konrad Strauss Publicist: Tim Igel
Engineered by Walter Everton Innova is supported by an endowment from the
Assistant Engineer: John Conant McKnight Foundation.
Recorded April 22, 2017 in Auer Hall at the Indiana innova.mu
University Jacobs School of Music.
Mastering: Konrad Strauss

Websites:
David Dzubay: ProNovaMusic.com
Adam Abeshouse: abeshouseproductions.com Voices of Change Dallas
Contemporary Chamber

Konrad Strauss: konrad-strauss.com Music Ensemble

Performing Rights Organization: Broadcast Music

Incorporated (BMI)