Laura Jordan

Laura Jordan New York based percussionist Laura Jordan has performed in Europe, Canada, Mexico and throughout the United States, in venues including Avery Fisher Hall, Merkin Hall, the Massachusetts MoCa, the Skirball Center of Los Angeles, the National Geographic in Washington, and the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico. Local venues include The Player's Theater, Galapagos Arts Space, The Triad, WMP Gallery, Tribeca Arts Center, Lehman College, Public Assembly, People's Lounge, 40C lounge and others. Laura has been featured as a marimba/percussion soloist internationally, and is an in-demand freelance chamber musician, orchestral player, drum set and world percussion specialist in the New York tri-state area. A new music activist and programmer, Laura has co-commissioned works by Martin Bresnick, Lukas Ligeti and others as well as having curated projects and concerts at venues such as the Merkin Concert Hall, MASS MoCA and The Player's Theater, among others. In 2010, she was selected as a fellow by the Bang on a Can organization, which was founded by composers David Lang, Julia Wolfe and Michael Gordon. She has participated in several festivals including the Paris Marimba Competition and Perkumania festival in 2006, for which she received a Peabody Career Grant, and the first Zeltsman "Princeton" Marimba Festival in 2001, for which she received a Semans Art Fund Grant. In the 2009-10 season, Laura served as the Artistic Director of the Takemitsu Project, which was funded by a substantial Collaborative Performing Arts Grant from New York University for which she wrote and was awarded. The grant also established a composition competition for New York University students. Through the project, she was able to present the New York Premiere of Toru Takemitsu's relatively forgotten "Seasons" (1970) for percussion quartet and magnetic tape.

Sarah Carrier

Sarah Carrier "Ms. Carrier combined thoughtful musicality with virtuosity in her alternately energetic and delicate account of a flute line laden with light multiphonics and unusual timbres."-Allan Kozinn, New York Times. Sarah Carrier, flutist, performs regularly in New York City as a soloist and chamber musician. She has performed in venues as varied as Walt Disney Hall, Sydney Opera House, Merkin Hall, the Orange County Performing Arts Center, Le Poisson Rouge, the Tank, and Issue Project Room. Ms. Carrier is a winner of numerous competitions such as the National Flute Association Masterclass Competition, Bob Cole Conservatory Scholarship Competition, La Primavera Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition and is a recipient of the CSULB Dean's List Award, University of Oregon Graduate Teaching Fellowship, and New York University Graduate Scholarship. A specialist in contemporary flute performance, Sarah Carrier is a frequent contributor to New York City's vibrant new music scene. Ms. Carrier is a founding member of Syzygy New Music Collective, hailed as "one of 2009 most promising groups" by Sequenza21. As a member of Syzygy she has made numerous appearances on television and radio. While a graduate student at NYU Steinhardt, she commissioned the work Kill Switch for flute, cello, percussion, and laptop by Izzi Ramkissoon, which was premiered at her Masters Recital and has since been performed in venues throughout New York City. Also during her studies at NYU, she performed Luminosity for C Flute, Alto Flute, and Electronics by David Taddie as a Featured Soloist of the NYU New Music Soloists Concert, resulting in an invitation to perform at the "Cross Currents" Electro-Acoustic Music Festival at Penn State University, as well as the NYU Music Technology Open House. In the summer of 2010, she was a participant of the Institute and Festival for Contemporary Performance at Mannes. Sarah Carrier completed her M.M. in Flute Performance at New York University under the tutelage of Robert Dick. She earned her B.M. in Flute Performance at the Bob Cole Conservatory at California State University, Long Beach studying with John Barcellona. She has also performed for Jill Felber, William Bennett, Denis Bouriakov, Louise di Tullio, Rena Urso, Paula Robison, Ransom Wilson, Keith Underwood, and Bart Feller. Ms. Carrier has taught throughout Southern California, Oregon, and New York City, and has presented masterclasses to flute students in rural areas of Hokkaido, Japan. "Ms. Carrier combined thoughtful musicality with virtuosity in her alternately energetic and delicate account of a flute line laden with light multiphonics and unusual timbres."-Allan Kozinn, New York Times. Sarah Carrier, flutist, performs regularly in New York City as a soloist and chamber musician. She has performed in venues as varied as Walt Disney Hall, Sydney Opera House, Merkin Hall, the Orange County Performing Arts Center, Le Poisson Rouge, the Tank, and Issue Project Room. Ms. Carrier is a winner of numerous competitions such as the National Flute Association Masterclass Competition, Bob Cole Conservatory Scholarship Competition, La Primavera Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition and is a recipient of the CSULB Dean's List Award, University of Oregon Graduate Teaching Fellowship, and New York University Graduate Scholarship. A specialist in contemporary flute performance, Sarah Carrier is a frequent contributor to New York City's vibrant new music scene. Ms. Carrier is a founding member of Syzygy New Music Collective, hailed as "one of 2009 most promising groups" by Sequenza21. As a member of Syzygy she has made numerous appearances on television and radio. While a graduate student at NYU Steinhardt, she commissioned the work Kill Switch for flute, cello, percussion, and laptop by Izzi Ramkissoon, which was premiered at her Masters Recital and has since been performed in venues throughout New York City. Also during her studies at NYU, she performed Luminosity for C Flute, Alto Flute, and Electronics by David Taddie as a Featured Soloist of the NYU New Music Soloists Concert, resulting in an invitation to perform at the "Cross Currents" Electro-Acoustic Music Festival at Penn State University, as well as the NYU Music Technology Open House. In the summer of 2010, she was a participant of the Institute and Festival for Contemporary Performance at Mannes. Sarah Carrier completed her M.M. in Flute Performance at New York University under the tutelage of Robert Dick. She earned her B.M. in Flute Performance at the Bob Cole Conservatory at California State University, Long Beach studying with John Barcellona. She has also performed for Jill Felber, William Bennett, Denis Bouriakov, Louise di Tullio, Rena Urso, Paula Robison, Ransom Wilson, Keith Underwood, and Bart Feller. Ms. Carrier has taught throughout Southern California, Oregon, and New York City, and has presented masterclasses to flute students in rural areas of Hokkaido, Japan.

Concert Dates

  • May 11, 2012 - Fort Washington Collegiate Church - New York City

15 one-minute selections for Laura Jordan and Sarah Carrier

  • Catching the Train

    Eric Scott Alexander

    Eric received his Bachelor of Music Composition from the University of Colorado at Boulder and Doctor of Musical Arts in Composition from Boston University. His composition teachers have included Lukas Foss, Richard Cornell, Charles Fussell, and Richard Toensing. His compositions have been performed in the United States and the Czech Republic

    Composed specifically for Vox Novus, Catching the Train is intended to be fun for the performers as well as the audience. The piece is inspired by the composer's memory of the fast-paced subway stations of New York City and Boston.

  • Masks

    Michael Bakrnchev

    Michael Bakrnchev is an emerging Australian composer, currently studying composition under Gerard Brophy, at the Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University. Michael draws much inspiration from his Macedonian heritage, in particular – rhythmic and melodic devices. Michael has recently returned from the Australian Youth Orchestra National Music Camp; he was one of 4 composers chosen nationally to participate.

    The inspiration for 'Masks' is drawn from traditional Macedonian music. Melodically, it was inspired by fast-paced traditional Macedonian folk tunes, and rhythmically, by arguably the most famous Macedonian dance, the 'Pushteno'. The aim was to efficiently blend a traditional Macedonian folkdance-idiom, with a non-traditional instrumental ensemble, in this case, Marimba and Flute.

  • Canon

    Jack Ballard

    Jack Ballard has worked with Gunther Schuller, Kazadi wa Makuna, Wendell Jones, David Maddux, and Frank Wiley. While he emphasizes third-stream, tonal serious music, and American folk and jazz, he also enjoys writing original scores culturally supportive of period, ethnic, and exotic settings.

    Canon developed as the result of a Caribbean trip and attending a Baroque concert soon after. Using the canon as an approach to composition, a samba-like bass supports the rhythmic feel. The canon's requires tonal compatibility with the bass ostinato as well as the second part.

  • Number Station

    Jay Batzner

    Jay C. Batzner is a composer, sci-fi geek, home brewer, burgeoning seamster, and juggler on the faculty of Central Michigan University where he teaches music technology and electronic music courses. He has been many places and has done several things, some of which are rather impressive.

    Number stations are mysterious transmissions over short-wave radio frequencies. A typical transmission emerges from static, may include a recording of a folk tune, and then someone speaks a string of numbers. I've been listening to recordings of these a lot recently...

  • Up

    Matt Van Brink

    MATT VAN BRINK, Brooklyn; piano faculty and composer at Concordia Conservatory; commissioned by Schott Music, Collage New Music, NY Youth Symphony, Celebrity Series of Boston, and Lara St. John; composer of chamber music and musical theater for young performers; published by Schott and Tenuto; studies at Indiana and Boston Universities.

    UP Rising, rising, until gravity grinds it to a halt.

  • Exeunt Players

    Andy Cohen

    Andy Cohen did the classical-music-studies thing at Oberlin and Manhattan School of Music, and enjoys revisiting that universe from time-to-time. For the most part, he is keeping busy doing sound, original music, and keyboard programming for theater shows. For more information, visit him at www.andycomusic.com.

    Shakespeare's most famous stage direction is unquestionably "Exit, pursued by a bear" (from The Winter's Tale). In that spirit, I was inspired to create Exeunt Players (based on Hamlet Act 3 Sc. 2) to add some dramatic narrative to this concert.

  • Flounce

    Dante De Silva

    The works of Dante De Silva have been performed throughout the world and by amazing performers like pianist Gloria Cheng, the Verdehr Trio, and many others. His opera, Castle Gesualdo, commissioned by Ensemble Parallèle, will have its premiere in early 2013 in San Francisco. Find more information at www.dantedesilva.com.

    Flounce was born out of my desire to write a light, whimsical piece with a strong sense of interplay between the instruments. The flute and marimba play in heterophony almost throughout the piece, instead of using one instrument for melody exclusively and the other for harmony exclusively.

  • Two-Five

    Joel Hickman

    Joel David Hickman was born in Valparaiso, Indiana. Resides in Hebron, Indiana. Joel has a Bachelor's Degree in Musical Performance (Classical Guitar) from Chicago Musical College of Roosevelt University and a recording engineering certificate from The Recording Workshop. He has many years composing, performing, and recording in acoustic/electric ensembles.

    "Two-Five" was composed for the flute and marimba for Laura Jordan and Sarah Carrier. It switches from 2/2 to 5/8 throughout the piece. 57 seconds in length. The 5/8 measures have repeated notes and give the phrases rhythmic variety and a push of energy.

  • Depressions on the Sea

    David Peoples

    Born in Southern California, he began exploring music at the piano, organ, and brass at a young age. David has studied composition at the University of Memphis with Kamran Ince. Through numerous commissions and awards his music has been heard throughout the US and abroad.

    "Depressions on the Sea" reflects on various versions of the pitch "C." The flute never touches "C," instead the performer is called on to play varying detunings of the pitch, where the pitch is depressed or lowered from being in tune. The resulting detunings create waves, as if at sea.

  • Exaleipsas

    Richard Pressley

    Richard Pressley teaches at Ball State University and has enjoyed performances in the U.S. and Europe. He attended Butler University, Cambridge, and the University of Minnesota, with post-doctoral study in Germany. His instructors include Wolfgang Rihm, Sandeep Bhagwati, Dominick Argento, Judith Zaimont, Alex Lubet, Daniel Chua, Michael Schelle.

    Exaleipsas (old Greek meaning "blotting out, wiping away, obliterating") grows very rapidly from an opening bowed marimba note to a large climax that fragments and gradually dissipates the musical interplay, concluding in an insistent gesture of finality -- as though the music itself were a large hand wiping itself away.

  • The Pages Multiplied

    Scott Radway

    Scott Radway is a classically-trained musician, composer, and graduate of the music department at Temple University, where he studied under the direction of composers Maurice Wright, Matthew Greenbaum, and Richard Brodhead, as well as percussionist Glenn Steele. Much of his recent work has been for independent films and dance.

    "The Pages Multiplied", a short statement for 4-mallet Marimba and Flute incorporating classical and jazz tonalities, plays the part of the friend to the rambling storyteller, able to step into a thought already in motion and succinctly wrap it up where the storyteller could not.

  • dusted [gamma]

    Alan Shockley

    Raised in Warm Springs, Georgia (population <475), composer Alan Shockley has held residencies at the MacDowell Colony, the Atlantic Center for the Arts, the Centro Studi Ligure, and the Virginia Center for the Arts, among others. He is currently Area Director of Composition/Theory at California State University, Long Beach.

    This is my third recent piece working with the same core materials: the first is an intermediate-level marimba study, and the second is a work for marimba, three percussionists, and contrabass. I built dusted [gamma] from materials extracted from these two works, and it was composed for marimbist Laura Jordan.

  • Monday Morning

    Matt Siffert

    Matt Siffert is a New York-based composer. He graduated from Carnegie Mellon in 2009. Shortly after, he was named a finalist in BMI's John Lennon Songwriting Contest, and featured on NPR's All Things Considered. His music will premiere this spring at Juilliard, Peabody, and Steinway Hall.

    "Monday Morning" is, conceptually, meant to spotlight the varied emotional states one experiences when preparing for a new workweek. Musically, its goal is to combine the technical and tonal vocabularies that are unique to the marimba with melodic and songlike ideas that are universal.

  • Polkaida

    Alex Sramek

    Alex Sramek is a Los Angeles-Based clarinetist, composer, and general causer of mischief. His musical contributions range from death metal to minimalist children's songs to antiphonal readings of text from parking receipts. Visit the madness at mostlydifferent.com.

    Polkaida is a polka, adapted to the Indian theme-and-variation form of Kaida. It was written during a time of malfunctioning midi on my computer, and therefore without the safety net of hearing what it sounds like as I wrote it. Old-school.

  • Ride the Feather

    Constantine Theodosion

    Constantine completed his Bachelor's Degree in Double Bass Performance at Baldwin Wallace College and his Master's Degree in the same at the Cleveland Institute of Music. He has performed classical and jazz music in the metropolitan Cleveland area. He has since moved to Tucson where he is working towards his Ph. D. as a student of Music Theory and Composition at the University of Arizona.

    This piece is an adaptation of a piano piece taken from a set of twelve intermediate pieces I soon hope to be publishing. It is built upon the octatonic scale with a few allowances for compositional license. It should be performed with a steady tempo with the possibility of rit., it the performers choose.

  • INFLEXIONS

    Ruth Wiesenfeld

    Ruth Wiesenfeld (*1972) is a Berlin based composer fascinated with developing compositional strategies to elicit in performance moments of palpable resonance and fulfilled presence. She studied with James Fulkerson and Frank Denyer. Collaborations with Ensemble Kaleidoskop, European Overtone Choir, Robyn Schulkowsky, the dance company Sasha Waltz & Guests amongst others.

    INFLEXIONS for marimba and flute: different concepts and perceptions of time overlapping in one minute only. A sense of timelessness intervowen with time strictly measured. A turning, bending or curving of time, pitch and tone modulations. A poem of textures. Encounter bewteen two voices, in their essences related, yet independant.