James Blachly

Blachly’s B Major as a part of DZ4′s Crazy Great Project

admin — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 22:10:57 +0000

DZ4 presents my short but effusive piece “B Major, or Funky B of Many Sharps, or Do These Sharps Make Me Look Fat?”

As part of their 24-key hurdy-gurdy festival. It will be a blast and you should all go if you can. These are four absolutely drop dead superb players, all close colleagues and friends of mine. The company is good, too-lots of fun young composers. This will be a great concert and party! I only wish I could come myself.

FRIDAY OCTOBER 21ST 2011 AT 10:15 PM

Greenwich House

46 Barrow Street, New York, NY

Click here for more information.

Songs of Ishmael

admin — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 18:50:16 +0000

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.

Mahler 1 at Trinity Wall Street July 30th at 4pm

admin — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 13:46:15 +0000

As a way of fundraising for the El Sistema-model program I’m helping to create in New Orleans, I will be conducting Mahler’s First Symphony at Trinity Church Wall Street on July 30th at 4pm. Tickets are a donation of $20 or more, and can be purchased at the door, and we’ll have them available on this website within the next three days. Check back soon, or send an email to info {at} jamesblachly.com.

The concert is building on the success of last year, which was reviewed in the Times.

We are determined to fill the church with supporters of this extremely worthy and exciting cause, and the concert will be preceded by a short talk about All Souls and the Lower Ninth Ward by one the communities most knowledgeable supporters. The event will be followed by a champagne reception, at which concert-goers can meet dozens of volunteers who have worked in the Lower Ninth Ward and who passionately support the project.

Mahler’s First Symphony July 30th, 2011 at 4pm

admin — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 13:41:02 +0000

The concert of July 30th was a resounding success, with many thousands of dollars raised, and a resounding performance delivered by the members of the New York City Summer Mahler Project. Here are a few photos to give an idea of the concert; a sample sound clip will be available shortly.

It was a charged afternoon and evening, with hundreds of people supporting this important cause. Father Lonell Wright spoke with passion about thanking all those who have donated their time to All Souls; Father Matt Hyde asked everyone to close their eyes and imagine the youth orchestra coming to New York to perform Mahler in 20 years. And John Williams, architect and master planner of the Lower Ninth Ward established context and history in which this program operates, and spoke with passion for the city of New Orleans.

To donate materials, food, or your time for tutoring or assistance with dinner, please email or call Beth Hayes at tbhayes {at} uno(.)edu or (504) 444-6900

Checks can be mailed to:

Youth Orchestra of the Lower Ninth Ward
C/O All Souls Community Center
5500 St. Claude Ave.
New Orleans, LA 70117

Conducting with the ISO at Alice Tully Hall

admin — Tue, 17 May 2011 15:19:52 +0000

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!

Video of Isabelle Demers playing “Captain Kidd”

admin — Mon, 09 May 2011 03:03:52 +0000

Trinity Church Wall Street has posted a video of Isabelle Demers playing my “Meditation on Captain Kidd” on their Youtube channel.

Please follow the link below to listen/watch it.

Listen

A great review from Miami!

admin — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 14:38:38 +0000

The Firebird Chamber Orchestra, directed by Patrick Dupré Quigley, presented my “Folk Dances for String Orchestra” and we got the following review, which says, among other nice things, that “this splendidly crafted work is a tour de force for string ensembles and the thirteen Firebird players were in peak form.”

It’s been a thrill to hear these fantastic musicians play this piece, and Patrick’s direction has been tremendous. A very impressive program, with an enthusiastic, receptive audience. What a pleasure it is to be down here!

Read the review here.

Isabelle Demers to present New York premiere May 5th, 2011

admin — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 14:58:04 +0000

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.

Westminster Choir College to premiere Spiel der Kräfte

admin — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 02:33:52 +0000

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.

May 20 and 21, 2011

admin — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 02:27:33 +0000

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

Keipi

May 20th, 21st, 2011
Tarisio, NYC - 7.30pm

A closer look at the French and American vineyards, their sister explorations in the history of music, and their cross-pollination of ideas, influences, and signature styles. This performance takes the form of a Keipi: a Georgian springtime village banquet. Though tradition forbids touching your wine bowl until the tamada (toastmaster) finishes his long-winded, poetic, historical, musical, or artistic toast, Ikarus, ever ground-breaking, will not stop you from sipping and enjoying each wine during the piece -the musical toast- it was specifically chosen to compliment!

Carter - Clarinet Quintet
Blachly - La fete de l’ete, Mov I
Ravel - String Quartet, Assez vif
Gershwin - Three Preludes
—
Francaix - Clarinet Quintet
Folk Songs arranged by Ikarus

Location: 244 W. 54th Street, 11th floor, NYC