New septet edition of Elastic Band for Inscape Chamber Orchestra: It’s all about that (added) bass!

The following important announcement is directed to all clarinetists, or string quintets, or string quartets who often play with added bassists, or percussionists, or new music ensembles, or conductors, or basically anyone in the wide music community:

I am excited to announce that at the request of Inscape Chamber Orchestra I have unleashed upon the world… a brand NEW edition of Elastic Band scored for SEPTET: clarinet, string quintet, and percussion! Originally a sextet (clarinet, string quartet, and percussion), this new edition completes the Elastic Band Family: sextet, septet, and chamber orchestra (which in addition to the featured clarinet, has a larger, more colorful string compliment, and a second percussionist for über-cool color and groove). Inscape will be performing this new version Fall 2017, details to be announced soon! You can peruse the septet score HERE and the chamber orchestra version HERE. So, you ask: why septet? Because, it’s all about that (added) bass!

Joel’s Midsummer Night’s Update!

I don’t usually do mid-summer newsletters, but this warrants one!

I’m pleased to announce that I’ll be writing the score for a new puppet theater work, entitled Home.  The clever and talented Jim Henson Foundation awardees at Evolve Puppets, Tanya Khordoc and Barry Weil, are the creators of Home and have launched a fundraising campaign at Fractured Atlas, which is serving as the fiscal host for the project. Home is a lovely, funny, and heartfelt show featuring live performers, beautiful hand-made porcelain dolls, Shadow puppetry, bunraku-inspired rod puppetry, object manipulation, and mask theatre for sophisticated audiences. Speaking of home, the project represents a homecoming of sorts, for me: it’s New York-based, it’s a return to theater music for me, and Tanya… was our daughter’s amazing kindergarten teacher! So check out their fundraising page (click HERE) and help them bring this terrific project to fruition. Do it for them, do it for the art, do it for me. We’ve got 90 days to raise the money. Every tax-deductible contribution will help!  Please pass this one to anyone you know who might be interested.

Meanwhile I have a few other exciting things up my sleeve, but they’ll wait for my regularly scheduled Fall Newsletter!

http://mailchi.mp/362ecf64e087/news-from-joel-phillip-friedman?e=[UNIQID]

Some good news: my Spring 2017 newsletter! 3 commissions, and more!

I’m happy to share some exciting spring news: my Spring 2017 newsletter! CLICK HERE! Commissions, performances, articles, and more! Enjoy.

My latest “thought piece” on ARTS IN THE TIME OF TRUMP now on the NewMusicBox!

I’m pleased to share my article about life here in D.C. since Nov. 8 written as part of NewMusicBox’s Speak Now series entitled ARTS IN THE TIME OF TRUMP. Enjoy! https://goo.gl/PdtUYw

World Premiere of “Continuance” by Joel Phillip Friedman Feb. 4 & 11 in NYC!

ModernMedieval’s Jacqueline Horner-Kwiatek, formerly of the acclaimed vocal quartet Anonymous 4, and Elizabeth Weinfield, Artistic Director of the period ensemble Sonnambula, come together to offer a program, Sanctum et Saeculare, that combines medieval chant and song with music by 20th and 21st century composers using medieval texts as inspiration. The program includes three newly commissioned works by composers: Joel Phillip Friedman, Andrew Lovett, and Daniel Thomas Davis.

TWO PERFORMANCES:

February 4^th, 2017 – Spectrum NYC, 121 Ludlow St, 2nd Floor,  at 9pm.

February 11th, 2017 – New York Public Library, Bruno Walter Auditorium at 2.30pm.

Back at Stanford for another weekend of “Beatles Intensives!”

For the second year in a row I am back on December 3rd & 4th for a sold-out weekend of teaching my popular “Revolution: The Songwriting of The Beatles” class for Stanford’s Continuing Studies Program. Pivoting off the full course I used to teach there, this is an all day class focusing on the evolution of Lennon, McCartney, and Harrison as composer/lyricists. Nothing is Beatle proof, and a splendid time is guaranteed for all!

Fall-Winter 2016-2017 Newsletter!

It’s gonna be a busy Fall & winter 2016-2017

What happens when Soliloquy, two superb & fearless string players (Ariel Horowitz, violin; Lauren Siess, viola), ask for a new piece? Arias with Dance Glitch: a work that includes singing Middle English and… dancing! I told you they were fearless. We had a blast touring the piece throughout CA-OR-DC-NY this past August-September. Arias was commissioned for Soliloquy by my friends at the Irving M. Klein International String Competition

I’m returning to Stanford University for another round of sold-out weekend “Beatles Intensives” this December 3rd & 4th: Revolution: The Songwriting of The Beatles. “A splendid time is guaranteed for all!”

Continuance, my song commissioned by ModernMedieval (Jacqueline Horner-Kwiatek and Elizabeth Weinfield) will be premiered on February 4^th, 2017 at Spectrum NYC at 9pm and then have a repeat performance on February 11th, 2017 at New York Public Library’s Bruno Walter Auditorium at 2.30pm as part of their Sanctum et Saeculare program. Yes, more Middle English! More on this later (hint: watch out for spring 2018!).

Finally, Johansen, the piece I’ve been commissioned to write for the 2017 Johansen International Competition (JIC) is done! The competition will take place March 14-17, 2018 right here in Washington, DC. I can’t wait to hear these talented young players dig in to me piece!

More good news coming down the pike – but that’s for the next newsletter.

Happy Fall-Winter!

Best,
Joel

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!

The Beatles at Levine! Part 1: Roots to Beatlemania – All the World’s their Stage

I’m pleased to offer my REVOLUTION: THE MUSIC OF THE BEATLES  course for Levine Music starting this Saturday night at their Strathmore campus. This is a 3-session version of the course I’ve previously taught at Swarthmore College and Stanford University. A splendid time is guaranteed for all! 9/24, 10/1. and 10/22/2016. http://www.levinemusic.org/component/content/article/51-general/1329-joel-friedman-lecture-series

Arias with Dance Glitch ends its tour!

This remarkable project ended where it all started: National Sawdust. Ariel and I met at the Klein Competition’s 30 Anniversary concert at NS in January 2016. Who knew what that would lead to? We’ve had an exhilarating time performing the work in August and September on tour: California, Oregon, Washington DC, and New York. A BIG Thank YOU! to Fred Spitz of Klein for commissioning the work, the incredible performers and collaborators Ariel Horowitz (violin) and Lauren Siess (viola), and Paul Emerson for his help with the movement. I have never had such a terrific time with a new piece. Stay tuned for more on Arias with Dance Glitch!