Composer's Voice features VISION OF SOUND August 29, 2010 Jan Hus Church 351 East 74th Street New York, New York 10021

The Vision of Sound concert is a collaboration between composers, choreographers, dancers and musicians to produce new choreographic works with live music written by composers primarily within the last five years. The pieces on the concerts all reflect the most current aesthetic sensitivities of the representative composers and choreographers. The dancers and musicians are sincerely committed to the promotion and performance of new work by living composers and choreographers. The Composer’s Voice Concert Series is an opportunity for contemporary composers to express their musical aesthetic and personal “voice” created in their compositions. Vox Novus collaborating with the Remarkable Theater Brigade and Jan Hus Church to produce a monthly concert series promoting the chamber works of contemporary composers.

Title Composer Performer Choreographer Dancer Trio for the Common Man for violin, cello and piano (2008) 1. Presence 2. To Dance 3. Mid-Life Crisis 4. The Error of My Ways 5. If I Were Elvis Costello Mark Olivieri (b.1972) Chris Otto,-Violin Emily DuFour-cello Nicola Melville-piano Suzanne Oliver Kristi Schopfer and Suzanne Oliver Trio for violin, cello and piano (2008) Nicholas Omiccioli (b.1982) Chris Otto,-Violin Emily DuFour-cello Nicola Melville-piano Tara Madsen Robbins Nina Marie Madsen, and Tara Madsen Robbins Suite for Jules for violin and cello (2007) 1. Cutting Contest 2. Reach 3. The Rationing of Artichokes Mark Olivieri Chris Otto,-Violin, ans Emily DuFour-cello Melanie Aceto Melanie Aceto 3 preludes to missing the point for piano (2006) 1. It Gets Complicated 2. Gospel 3. Eina Kinda Bachmusik, part 2 Doug Opel (b.1967) Chris Otto,-Violin Emily DuFour-cello Nicola Melville-piano Laurie Atkins Laurie Atkins

Performers Melanie Aceto is a modern dancer and choreographer whose work has been performed in Guatemala, Toronto, various festivals in New York City, Virginia, Kentucky, New Jersey, Florida, Ohio and numerous venues in Upstate NY. She has worked with contemporary composers Marc Mellits, Ping Jin, Evan Johnson and extensively with Mark Olivieri on projects including the Vision of Sound Concert of Live Music and Dance, a series of concerts featuring original contemporary music and choreography. She earned her Master of Fine Arts degree in dance from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts and is an Assistant Professor at the University at Buffalo. www.melanieacetocontemporarydance.com. Laurie Atkins is currently an Assistant Professor of Dance at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC. She holds an M.F.A. in Dance Performance from Ohio State University and a B.F.A. in Modern Dance from the University of Utah. She has worked for a variety of artists/companies including: Chase Dance Theatre, Foreground Dance, Prospect Dance Group, X-Factor Dance Company, Annie Kloppenberg, and Ashley Thorndike/Peter Swendsen. In 2005 she received an M.A. in Community Counseling with an emphasis in Expressive Arts Therapy from Appalachian State University, and also received her certification in Classical Pilates from the Appalachian Pilates Teacher Certification Program. She has been a licensed practicing massage and bodywork therapist since 2002. Emily DuFour is a cellist from Syracuse, NY. As a chamber music player, she has performed at Carnegie Hall, Bargemusic, and the Smithsonian Hall of Musical Instruments on the museum-owned Stradivarius cello. A member of the Hutchins Consort, Emily has toured the US playing the baritone violin in the New Violin Family octet. Emily is a member of Opera Cabal and in New York she has performed with such groups as ICE (International Contemporary Ensemble), SONYC (String Orchestra of New York City), Mimesis Ensemble, Wordless Music Orchestra, Manhattan Symphonee. Nina Madsen graduated from the UNCG with a BFA in Dance. She also studied at the Western Australia Academy of Performing Arts in Perth and Teatterikorkeakoulu, The Theater Academy of Finland in Helsinki. She received her Certificate of Movement Analysis from the Laban/Bartenieff Institute of Movement Studies. She is also a massage therapist, and received her education at the Swedish Institute College of Health Sciences (NYC). Company credits include Amanda Selwyn Dance Theatre (NYC), kerPlunk (NYC) and John Gamble Dance Theatre (NC). She lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma where she performs with Portico Dans Theatre and works as a freelance choreographer. Nicola Melville has been described as “a marvelous pianist who plays with splashy color but also exquisite tone and nuance” (American Record Guide), and “the sort of advocate any composer would love” (Dominion Post, New Zealand). Nicola has degrees from Victoria University School of Music, Wellington, and the Eastman School of Music; she has won grants from Meet the Composer, the Argosy Fund for Contemporary Music, and the Jerome Composers Commissioning Program for the commissioning, performing and recording of new music, and has recorded for the Innova and Equilibrium labels. Nicola is Assistant Professor at Carleton College, Minnesota." Suzanne Oliver holds the MFA degree in dance and the Ph.D. in Kinesiology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. After early years doing acrobatics, competitive ballroom dance, and cheerleading, she returned to dance training in college. Since that time her curiosity has embraced analytic somatic, and spiritual approaches to movement and the aspiration to be fully present through dance. A certified teacher of the Alexander Technique, Suzanne spent thirteen years at San Jacinto College South where she created/coordinated the dance program, taught the fine arts dance curriculum, and produced/directed a yearly concert featuring work by established and emerging choreographers. Currently, Dr. Oliver is on the faculty of Bill Evans Teachers’ Intensive and is an Assistant Professor in the dance department at The College at Brockport. Christopher Otto studied composition at the Eastman School of Music with Martin Bresnick, David Liptak, and Robert Morris. As a violinist, he worked closely with composers such as Harrison Birtwistle, Pierre Boulez, Helmut Lachenmann, Matthias Pintscher, Wolfgang Rihm, and Steve Reich. In 2005 he served as concertmaster of the Lucerne Festival Academy Orchestra under Pierre Boulez. He has performed and participated in the Lucerne Festival Academy, the Darmstadt Summer Courses, the Stockhausen Courses, the Institute and Festival for Contemporary Music at Mannes, and June in Buffalo. Christopher is a founding member of the JACK quartet, a string quartet devoted to contemporary music and has performed at including Carnegie Hall, La Biennale di Venezia, and the Lucerne Festival, and has worked with the Arditti and Kronos quartets. Tara Madsen Robbins earned an MFA from Smith College and a BA from Slippery Rock University. She performed with Tania Isaac Dance and toured to Bates Dance Festival, Jacob's Pillow, Harlem Stage, Dance Place and numerous colleges throughout the US. Tara has presented her own work internationally in Greece, Italy, Spain, Guatemala & Scotland where her work received critical acclaim. Nationally she has presented throughout New York City, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Madison, Louisville & California. She is adjunct faculty at DeSales University. Tara is currently enrolled in the modular certification program at the Laban Institute of Movement Studies. www.taramadsendance.com At the seasoned age of three, Kristi Ann Schopfer declared to her perplexed parents her determination to dance every day for the rest of her life. She trained at studios and festivals preceding college where she experienced the thrill of performing in spaces such as Carnival Cruise Lines. Kristi entered the College at Brockport, giving her the opportunity to dance in works by Larry Keigwin and Diane McIntyre, as well as her supportive peers and faculty. She received the Lipson award to attend DanceItaly! in Florence during the summer of 2009. Kristi completes her BFA in dance and minor is studio art in May 2010.

Composers Mark Olivieri has been Composer in Residence in the Department of Dance at SUNY Brockport since 2000. He has played and composed for luminaries like the Jose Limon, Sean Curran, Lar Lubovitch, and Shapiro and Smith Dance Companies. Olivieri is founder and co-artistic director of the Vision of Sound New Music and Dance Festival. He is assistant coordinator for the Heidelberg New Music Festival. His commissions from performers and ensembles include Melanie Aceto Contemporary Dance, Nicola Melville, Richards String Quartet, Syrinx Duo, University of Louisville Contemporary Players, Schulhoff Duo, Alfred Duo, Atlanta New Music Ensemble, Society for New Music and the Rothko Piano Trio. Recent performances of his music include Suite for Jules for Violin/Cello at Glinke Concert Hall in St. Petersburg, Russia by the Schulhoff Duoe and Quasi Domenici for piano at Festival for Contemporary Music in Brazil. www.markolivieri.com Nicholas S. Omiccioli has degrees from Heidelberg University and University of Missouri-Kansas City. He is artistic director of Musica Nova at UMKC and coordinator of the Composers in the Schools program. Mr. Omiccioli studies composition with James Mobberley, Chen Yi, Paul Rudy, and Zhou Long and has studied with João Pedro Oliveira, Brian Bevelander, and Mark Olivieri. Mr. Omiccioli has received awards including a commission by the 2010 Wellesley Composers' Conference, winner in the 2007 - 2010 UMKC Chamber Music Composition Competitions, 2009 DuoSolo Emerging Composer Award, Kansas City Chorale Crescendo Competition, Brian M. Israel Prize, Ars Nova Composition Award, and Dance Rochester! Composer/Choreographer Competition. His music has been performed by DuoSolo, the Kansas City Chorale, The Wellesley Composers' Conference, Society for New Music, Heidelberg New Music Festival, University of Central Missouri New Music Festival. Mr. Omiccioli studies guitar with Douglas Niedt and teaches at UMKC Academy of Music and Dance, and Kansas City School of Music. Doug Opel explores amalgamations of contemporary, rock, jazz, pop and electronica to develop a compositional language that is at once, dark and humorous, controlled and chaotic, classical and contemporary. His music has been performed on Vox Novus' 60x60 International Mix 2009, Keys to the Future's Spotlight on Four Hand Piano, Vision of Sound, Chicago's Pianoforte Salon Series, New York City's MATA Festival, Scotia Festival of Music, Aldeburgh Festival, the Duquesne Contemporary Ensemble and the Fort Wayne Philharmonic. Radio appearances include broadcasts by the CBC, WKCR/New York City, WCNY/New York, WMBC's "art@radio" in Baltimore, WFMT/Chicago and WRTI/Philadelphia. In 2008, Doug's 3 preludes to missing the point was released on the Innova label as part of a larger collection of piano works commissioned, performed, published and recorded by Nicola Melville. In 2003, he received the Aaron Copland Award,. He is currently fulfilling commissions from pianist Robert Satterlee and the Definiens Project. www.dougopel.com

Vox Novus collaborating with the Remarkable Theater Brigade and Jan Hus Church to produce a monthly concert series promoting the chamber works of contemporary composers. An opportunity for contemporary composers to express their musical aesthetic and personal “voice” created in their compositions. Vox Novus promotes contemporary music and its creators through concerts, recordings, publications, broadcasts, and online publicity. Vox Novus believes strongly in the intrinsic value of contemporary music, recognizing it as a force in the advancement of culture and art. Our goal is to keep music alive by strengthening the connection between composer and audience, providing greater exposure to new music. Vox Novus understands that without the creation of challenging, contemporary music there will be no future masterpieces to reflect our time. Exciting new music is being composed constantly and must be heard in order to complete the cycle of creativity. Vox Novus gets contemporary music heard: in concerts; over the radio; CD’s and on the Internet. While artists have always struggled to create and promote their art, one may argue that the situation is now more precarious than ever. Today's economic climate is competitive , and emerging composers inevitably act as their own writer, producer, publicist, agent, and sometimes performer. This daunting array of tasks overwhelms many composers. Vox Novus helps emerging composers face this challenge helping them to promote their music, expand their audience, and advance their career. Recognizing that a major obstacle for composers is finding performances, Vox Novus develops and produces concerts. These concerts expand the audience for new music beyond the established music community. Vox Novus concerts aim to build a new repertoire by creating friendly, approachable listening environments that integrate a growing body of contemporary composers. Remarkable Theater Brigade founded by Christian McLeer, Dan Jeselsohn and Monica Harte, creates and produces new operas and musicals and takes children’s versions out to special-needs and at-risk children free of charge. Remarkable Theater Brigade creates and produces new works including operas, orchestral pieces, ballets, musicals, and electro-acoustic works and co-produces the Composer’s Voice Concert Series concerts. Remarkable Theater Brigade was founded in 2002 by Christian McLeer, Monica Harte, and Dan Jeselsohn. This year we opened our 8th Season with Opera Shorts in Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall, October 1, 2009. Opera Shorts is Remarkable Theater Brigade’s set of 10 minute operas by composers Seymour Barab, Ben Bierman, George Brunner, Tom Cipullo, Anne Phillips, Patrick Soluri, Rob Voisey, and of course Christian McLeer. Support from the Puffin Foundation “…continuing the dialogue between art and the lives of ordinary people.”

The Composer’s Voice Concert Series is an opportunity for contemporary composers to express their musical aesthetic and personal “voice” created in their compositions. Vox Novus collaborating with the Remarkable Theater Brigade and Jan Hus Church to produce a monthly concert series promoting the chamber works of contemporary composers. Vox Novus is a collective of composers, musicians, and music enthusiasts collaborating together to create, produce, promote, and enjoy the new music of today. Our members are from a variety of composers committed to the creation and dissemination of new music. Their music is of a variety of styles, aesthetics, and ideologies. Vox Novus produces and promotes new music. They are dedicated to contemporary music, the musicians who perform, and the composers that write the music of today. Their mission is to cultivate a music community and make their work available to the greater public. Remarkable Theater Brigade founded by Christian McLeer, Dan Jeselsohn and Monica Harte, creates and produces new operas and musicals and takes children’s versions out to special-needs and at-risk children free of charge.

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