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Recent and upcoming premières of works by Carson Cooman :
June 26, 2009: American premiere: Oratorio for chorus and orchestra on the writings of Julian of Norwich; Choir of Royal Holloway, University of London and TBA, Rupert Gough, director, The Memorial Church, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
May 30, 2009: Oratorio for chorus and orchestra on the writings of Julian of Norwich; Choir of Royal Holloway, University of London and the London Mozart Players, Rupert Gough, director, Cadogan Hall, London, England
May 5, 2009: Cantata for chorus, traverso, baroque violin, viola da gamba, and organ; commissioned by the Cornell Chamber Singers and Holland J. Jancaitis, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
February 7, 2009: Summer Solstice (2007) for piano; Shiau-uen Ding; Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
January 6, 2008: Autumn Songs (2008) for trumpet and piano and Nobadeer Dreaming (2008) for flugelhorn; Chris Gekker, trumpet; Church of the Epiphany, Washington, D.C.
December 7, 2008: American premiere: Oboe Quartet (2007) for oboe and string trio; Center for New Music, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
December 1, 2008: Planctus (2005) for viola and Madrigal (2008) for piano; Sarah Darling, viola and Jeffrey Grossman, piano; Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
November 20, 2008: European premiere: Two Fragments (2004) for guitar quartet; Corona Guitar Kvartet, Literaturhaus, Copenhagen, Denmark
November 19, 2008: consortium premiere: Enchanted Tracings (Piano Concerto No. 2) (2008) for solo piano and wind ensemble; Donna Amato, piano, Carnegie Mellon Wind Ensemble, Denis Colwell, conductor; Carnegie Music Hall, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
November 2, 2008: Moon Shards (2007) for alto saxophone, horn, trumpet, percussion, and piano; commissioned by Andrew Pelletier, the International Horn Society, and the MidAmerican Center for Contemporary Music at Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio
October 31, 2008: Flying Machine (2008) for orchestra; Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra, James Yannatos, conductor; Sanders Theatre, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
September 12, 2008: Little Recorder Book (2008) for alto recorder; John Turner, recorder, The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, England
Notes
Flying Machine (2008) for orchestra was commissioned by the Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra in
celebration of two anniversaries: the orchestra’s 200th season and James Yannatos’s 45th anniversary
as conductor. The work is dedicated to James Yannatos in celebration of his 80th birthday and his
years of distinguished activity as conductor, composer, and mentor.
The music is joyous in spirit, inspired by a sense of discovery and fulfillment—the exhilaration that
comes from knowledge well-used. The poetic image is taken from the age of the invention of flight.
The piece’s opening section is “workshop/construction” music—filled with a sense of unfolding,
building, and assembly. The musical material is presented in a series of overlapping guises; the rest
of the work unfolds from these ideas. As the music gathers energy, the barn door is finally opened,
and the behemoth is rolled out. After a pregnant pause, the music of flight begins—soaring and
energetic.
Purchase a score of Flying Machine for Orchestra by Carson Cooman (parts on rental)
