Premiere of Inferno Postponed Until Fall 2020/Covid-19

Dear Friends: In an abundance of caution, and following suit with a number of other Bay Area organizations, the March 29, 2020 premiere of my Inferno, Double Concerto for Viola, Cello, and Chamber Orchestra with Jennifer Kloetzel, Jonathan Moerschel, Maestra Barbara Day Turner, and San José Chamber Orchestra has been postponed. However, Silver Lining: We are working on the reschedule! So: watch this space! Meanwhile, let’s keep those on the West Coast, and the Bay Area in particular, in our thoughts.

My Mid-Winter 2020 Newsletter Update!

I’ve been busy, and got a bit behind with this. So here you go:

https://mailchi.mp/d90791d07f39/midwinter-2020-news-from-joel-phillip-friedman?e=cfa78605c4

“Home” was a hit!

“Home” the evening-length puppetry theatre multimedia play I scored had a successful run at the Tank NYC in May. It was a real pleasure to work with an all-star creative team and cast on this moving and beautiful work. I can’t wait to see what happens next!

Taipei, Taiwan!

A fantastic trip traveling all over Taiwan meeting artists, composers, teachers, and administrators, and seeing everything thing from the new ultra modern Weiwuying – National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts, to the Aboriginal Piwan tribes, to the National Taiwan Normal University in Taipei. Composer Dr. Ching-Wen Chao was kind enough to invite me to speak to her fantastic students in her formal analysis class about “Beatle Innovation: When Curiosity & Technology Met Songwriting.” The warmth, breath, and high level of art making here is beyond belief (not to mention… the food!).

Presentation at the Abbey Road Conference!

I had a great time giving my paper/presentation George Harrison and Something- Sinatra’s “favorite Lennon & McCartney song” at the recent Abbey Road Conference at Eastman/Univeristy of Rochester (for the 50th Anniversary of the release of Abbey Road). It was a fantastic conference, with amazing participants and presentations, and how often do you get to hang out and chat with legend Ken Townsend, MBE – the inventor of ADT (Artificial Double Tracking), and the savior of Abbey Road Studios?

All Things Are Set Ablaze in Keene and New York City.

Those three forces of nature, otherwise known as ModernMedieval – founder Jacqueline Horner-Kwiatek, Martha Cluver, and Eliza Bagg – did two more superb performances of their Words of Love and Wisdom program, including my badass Hildegarde piece From: All Things Are Set Ablaze, as part of the Electric Earth Concerts, Keene, NH. and then at the spectacular Fuentidueña Chapel at The Met Cloisters. And Classical Voice North America loved the program too! Click here for the review. I don’t mind “While it was certainly raucous and exciting – the trio played a tambourine, a small mallet-hit hand drum, and a triangle as they sang – the piece was far from furious. In fact, it was so much fun that Horner-Kwiatek’s final triangle ting earned a chuckle from the audience.”

Elastic Band @Shenendoah Conservatory

I had a great time last week at Shenandoah Conservatory in beautiful Winchester, Virginia. A *very* full visit with friends conductor Tim Robblee and composer extraordinaire Jonathan Newman and the the faculty and students. I taught composition lessons, gave a masterclass, had rehearsal, and heard my Elastic Band (Octet version) performed at the über-hip Bright Box Theater in downtown Winchester. Thank you Jonathan and Tim!

Elastic Band CD submitted to the GRAMMYs!

I’m very pleased that the Acis album be•spoke has been submitted to the GRAMMYs for consideration. There is so much great work by Elena Ruehr, Julian Wachner, Alejandro Hernandez-Valdez, Marcus Thompson, the New Orchestra of Washington, Kevin Bourassa, and others on the CD.

I’ve received a 2018 Arts and Humanities Fellowship from the DC Arts Commission!

I’m thrilled to announce that I’ve been selected by the District of Columbia Commission on the Arts and Humanities for an 2018 Arts and Humanities Fellowship (AHFP) for my upcoming projects! I’d like to thank Arthur Espinoza, Jr., Executive Director of the CAH, their hard working staff and panel for their support. Onwards and upwards!

The Strad chimes in on my “fierce little viola piece!”

I am thrilled that violist extraordinaire Andrew Gonzalez (and pianist Ji, Yekwon Sunwoo) has received this positively glowing review in this October’s The Strad Magazine for his Bargemusic recital this past July. Bruce Hodges also had kind things to say about my “fierce little viola piece” When the World Disintegrates Before Your Eyes as well. Mark Peskanov, Bargemusic Artistic & Executive Director is doing great things there! Want to read the complete review? Want to peruse the score? Click here!