home

NEWS FLASH

Hear Clips of WNYC’s John Schaefer interviewing the composers from our June 7 Orchestra Season Finale

  • D. J. Sparr & Joan Tower
  • Jason Treuting
  • Elliott Carter

Hear Clips of the Season Finale Concert, presented June 7, 2010 at Miller Theatre, Columbia University

  • D.J. Sparr’s DACCA: DECCA: GaFfA (2009 - League Competition co-winner), featuring guitarists Oren Fader and William Anderson
  • Joan Tower’s Purple Rhapsody (2005) NY Premiere, featuring viola soloist Paul Neubauer
  • Elliott Carter’s On Conversing With Paradise (2008) NY Premiere, featuring baritone soloist Evan Hughes
  • Jason Treuting’s oblique music for 4 plus (blank) (2010) League Commission and World Premiere featuring So Percussion
  • Milton Babbitt’s Transfigured Notes (1986) NY Premiere

RECENT PRESS - June 7 Season Finale

Previews

The New York Times

The New Yorker

Time Out NY (Critics Picks)

Reviews

New York Times (June 8, 2010), Stylistically Omnivorous and Erasing Boundaries

Sequenza 21 (June 14, 2010), Orchestra of the ISCM, Concert Review

    WELCOME TO THE LEAGUE OF COMPOSERS/ISCM!

    As the longest-serving American organization devoted to new music, the League is proud serve its mission to present new music written by emerging and established living composers alongside masterpieces from the 20th and 21st centuries.

    Founded in 1923, the League draws on a remarkably rich history, including such groundbreaking premieres as Schönberg’s Die Glückliche Hand, Béla Bartók’s Village Scenes, Samuel Barber’s Piano Sonata and Anton Webern’s Symphony for Chamber Orchestra. The League also sponsored the American premiere of Igor Stravinsky’s ballet, Le Sacre du Printemps, many pieces by Aaron Copland, György Ligeti’s Horn Trio, and Karlheinz Stockhausen’s Harlequin. The League has enjoyed long associations with some of America’s most important composers, from Aaron Copland to current honorary Board Co-Chairs Elliott Carter and Milton Babbitt.

    HIGHLIGHTS FROM LAST SEASON

    On Sunday, February 28, 2010 (3 PM), the Chamber Players of the League perform at New York’s intimate Tenri Cultural Institute. The inimitable ensemble of New York freelancers presented a program featuring Mark Berger’s 2009 League of Composers/ISCM prize-winning string trio alongside Samuel Barber’s Sonata for Cello & Piano (premiered by the League in 1933), Ben Johnston’s Amazing Grace, and Eric Moe’s Strange Exclaiming Music.

    On March 23, 2010 (8 PM) at Merkin Concert Hall, Eliza Garth, Brian Ganz, Jonathan Haas, and Sean Statser presented a dazzling contrast of piano and percussion repertoire: Bela Bartók’s Sonata for two pianos and percussion and George Crumb’s Music for a Summer Evening. Read Steve Smith’s NY Times review of the concert.

    In April, the Chamber Players of the League go to Cleveland State University for our 2nd residency. The Players read student works and selected one piece to perform on its concert the following evening. Also on the concert will be new works by David Glaser and Stephen Dembski, Hector Villa-Lobos’ Choros (premiered by the League in 1932), and Joan Tower’s Petroushkates.

    Violinist Esther Noh, percussionist Alex Lipowski, and pianist Jacob Rhodebeck presented a dynamic program on May 26, 2010 (8 PM) at Roulette  that includes Sebastian Armoza’s Triggers (NY Premiere), Lou Harrison’s Varied Trio, Dary John Mizelle’s Lemma (World Premiere), David Schober’s Empty Shells, John Zorn’s Music For Children, and John Arrigo-Nelson’s newest work, Solo/Duo.

    John Schaefer of WNYC hosted the League’s season finale featuring the Orchestra of the League of Composers, conducted by Lou Karchin, on Monday, June 7, 2010 at Miller Theatre (8 PM). Mr. Schaefer interviewed Elliott Carter, D. J. Sparr, Joan Tower, and Jason Treuting throughout the concert.

    On the program was Babbitt’s Transfigured Notes (NY Premiere), Carter’s On Conversing with Paradise (NY Premiere - composed at age 99!), Tower’s Purple Rhapsody (NY Premiere), the League’s 2009 competition winning piece by D.J. Sparr, DACCA:DECCA:GaFfA, and Treuting’s oblique music for 4 plus (blank) (World Premiere and League commission with So Percussion and the League orchestra). Concert presented with the assistance of Manhattan New Music Project.