On October 16th at 4pm, the Songs of Ishmael, my Leviathan-sized song-cycle, were premiered at the Unitarian Church of All Souls, which commissioned the work, and where Herman Melville attended for many years of his New York life.

Listen to a sample here.

Performers: Molly Quinn, Nacole Palmer, Sopranos
Benedicte Jourdois, Piano

This premiere was the culmination and realization of over 4 years of work for me, and it was an amazing premiere.

I had the chance to spend the month of July on these songs, composing them while at residence at the Millay Colony in Austerlitz, New York, some 20 miles from Pittsfield, Massachussetts, where Melville finished Moby Dick (upon texts of which these songs are composed). Below, the wonderful performers after the premiere. From left to right, Molly Quinn, Nacole Palmer, Bénédicte Jourdois, and James Blachly.

On Monday, May 23rd at 7pm I’ll be conducting both the three beginning orchestras of the Inter School Orchestras of New York and the Symphonic level at Alice Tully Hall. This will mark my Lincoln Center debut as a conductor. For tickets, which are rapidly selling out, please visit this site.

http://www.isorch.org/blog/tickets/

On the program: Dvorak Slavonic Dance Op. 46 no. 1, Shostakovich Symphony 5, Elgar Enigma Variations and much more. Come support this great and important New York City institution!

And click here to watch a video of the Symphony Space performance. They sound great!

Isabelle Demers, one of the finest young organists in the country, will be premiering a work of mine for organ at a concert May 5th at Trinity Church Wall Street.  Meditation on Captain Kidd was commissioned by J. Warfield Price, and will also be featured on a DVD and CD recording that Isabelle will be making with the estimable Geoffrey Silver. Stay tuned for purchasing details.

Premiere location: Trinity Church Wall Street; Wall Street and Broadway. Thursday, May 5th at 1pm.

Please email scores {at} jamesblachly(.)com if you wish to peruse/purchase a score.

Dr. Andrew Megill will conduct the premiere of Spiel der Kräfte with his superb student ensemble Kantorei at Westminster Choir College on Saturday, April 3rd at 3pm.

The piece is a setting of one of Rainer Maria Rilke’s Book of Hours, and was selected to fulfill the commission, which called for a work that was ‘not too dreamy or ethereal.’ It is surprisingly hard to find a Rilke poem that does not want to be set dreamily or ethereally, but I think this one works well. For choir SATB with piano and solo baritone.

It is a great honor to be commissioned by this phenomenal young choir and their director nonpareil. I sang for Andy for two years and feel lucky indeed to have had the chance to write for his group.

More specific details (venue, etc.) forthcoming.

The Ikarus Chamber Players, my close collaborators and friends, will be performing La fête de l’été in May,just as Summer begins. Please join us for this wonderful program!

Julia, Owen and Me after the premiere of La Fete