2013
May 1, 2013: Third Coast Percussion will present the Washington D.C. premiere of RESOUNDING EARTH as a part of National Gallery of Art's American Music Festival. The concert, curated by Stephen Ackert, will be in the East Wing Auditorium. The National Gallery of Art is one of the co-commissioners.
March or April 2013: WORLD PREMIERE by cellist Lynn Harrell. The Boston Symphony, with generous support from Bill and Solange Brown, has commissioned CELLO CONCERTO #3.
2012
December 2012: WORLD PREMIERE of HARVEST DRUM for orchestra at The National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing.
October 11, 2012: World premiere EARTH ECHOES for the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, with Sasha Cooke, mezzo-soprano, and Nathan Gunn, baritone, in Carnegie Hall, commissioned in part by the Serge Koussevitsky Music Foundation in the Library of Congress. (Six movements: #1: flower of our heart; #2: dancing flowers; #3: earth blossoms; #4: petal waterfall; #5: mountain with violets; #6: earth echoes)
October 10, 2012: World premiere - EARTH ECHOES for the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, with Sasha Cooke, mezzo-soprano, and Nathan Gunn, baritone, at Williams Center for the Arts, Lafayette College, Easton, PA, commissioned in part by the Serge Koussevitsky Music Foundation in the Library of Congress. (Six movements: #1: flower of our heart; #2: dancing flowers; #3: earth blossoms; #4: petal waterfall; #5: mountain with violets; #6: earth echoes)
September 30, 2012: WORLD PREMIERE by Third Coast Percussion Quartet at 2 PM. The DeBartolo Performing Arts Center at The University of Notre Dame has co-commissioned RESOUNDING EARTH, a composition featuring 120 bells from a wide variety of cultures and historical periods.
September 25-29, 2012: Guest artist at The University of Notre Dame.
 Photo by Jason Smith |
August 8, 2012: VIOLIN CONCERTO #3, co-commissioned by Festival Présences with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, the BBC Proms, Mr. and Mrs. Bill Brown, and the National Symphony Orchestra will be performed at the Aspen Music Festival, George Manahan, conducting.
June 24 through July 20, 2012: Augusta will be co-teaching, with Christopher Rouse, the Master Class Composers' Session at Aspen Music Festival and School, Aspen Colorado.
May 18, 2012: OF PARADISE AND LIGHT for string orchestra. Gerard Schwarz, conducting the Seattle Symphony Orchestra
May 13, 2012: LOVE SONGS for chorus will be performed by The New York Virtuoso Singers, Harold Rosenbaum conducting, in New York City.
April 24 and 25, 2012: Guest Composer at Center for 21st Century Music, SUNY Buffalo, at the invitation of David Felder, SUNY Distinguished Professor.
April 22, 2012: JEU D'ESPRIT will be performed by members of the New World Symphony on their Chamber Music Series in Miami Beach, Florida.
April 15, 2012: Violist Carol Rodland performs the local premiere of Augusta Read Thomas's DREAM CATCHER for solo viola in Atlanta, Georgia.
April 14-16, 2012: Guest Composer with The New Albany (Ohio) Symphony Orchestra, Luis Biava, conducting.
April 13, 2012: Violist Carol Rodland performs the local premiere of Augusta Read Thomas's DREAM CATCHER for solo viola in Little Rock, Arkansas.
April 1, 2012, 3 PM: Jeff Panko will perform TRACES FOR SOLO PIANO at the New Music School, 310 S Michigan Ave Chicago IL 60604 www.newmusicschool.com
March 30-31, 2012: A lecture recital entitled "Dream Catcher: 21st-century Solo Violin Works of Augusta Read Thomas" will be presented by Kia-Hui Tan, violin, at the Thirtieth Great Lakes Regional Conference of The College Music Society at Harper College, Chicago, Illinois.
March 22, 2012: PULSAR for solo viola, dancers, lighting, and video will be presented on the Festival Ars Musica 2012 curated by composer Claude Ledoux, at the Royal Academy of Belgium. Dominica Eyckmans, viola and danse; Laura Colmenares Guerra; video; Marc Lhommel, lighting.
March 19, 2012: LIVE FROM WFMT RADIO: Aurelien Fort and Dave Moss will perform, SILENT MOON for violin and viola, a work commissioned by Almita and Roland Vamos.
March 15-18, 2012: LAKE REFLECTING STARS WITH MOONRISE for alto saxophone and cello will be played at the North American Saxophone Alliance International Biennial Conference, Tempe, AZ by the Helton-Thomas Duo, Jonathan Helton, Saxophone and Steven Thomas, violoncello.
March 8, 2012: RUMI SETTINGS for violin and cello will be performed by SOLI Chamber Ensemble at Blue Star Contemporary Art Center, San Antonio, Texas.
March 6, 2012: RUMI SETTINGS for violin and cello will be performed by SOLI Chamber Ensemble at Trinity University, San Antonio, Texas.
February 15, 2012: DREAM CATCHER for solo violin will be performed by J. Austin Wulliman at the Dal Niente Ensemble Concert.
February 12, 2012: ALLELUIA, MIDSUMMER BLAZE for chorus will be performed at Trinity Wall Street (www.trinitywallstreet.org), Julian Wachner, conducting.
February 9, 2012: DREAM CATCHER for violin will be performed by Maureen Yuen at SUNY Fredonia under the auspices of the Ethos New Music Society.
February 8-11, 2012: MAGNETICFIREFLIES will be performed by the Texas All State Symphonic Band, Tim Weiss conducting, at the 2012 Texas Music Educators Association Convention, Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, San Antonio, TX.
February 7, 2012: LAKE REFLECTING STARS WITH MOONRISE for alto saxophone and cello will be played at the Jubilus Music Festival, Gainesville, Florida by the Helton-Thomas Duo, Jonathan Helton, Saxophone and Steven Thomas, violoncello.
February 2, 2012: DREAM CATCHER for solo violin will be performed by J. Austin Wulliman of the University of Chicago.
January, 26, 2012: Dr. Svetozar Ivanov, along with 4 of his students, perform PIANO ETUDES and TRACES for solo piano at the Utrecht Conservatory in The Netherlands.
January 23, 2012: SILENT MOON for violin & viola will be performed by the Walden Chamber Players at Concord Academy, Performing Arts Center, Concord, MA.
January 23, 2012: Violist Carol Rodland performs the local premiere of DREAM CATCHER for solo viola at Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York.
January 10, 2012: Violist Carol Rodland performs the local premiere of DREAM CATCHER for solo viola at USF in Tampa, Florida.
January 7, 2012: Augusta will be speaking at the Conductors Guild Annual Conference to be held in Ganz Hall at Roosevelt University in Chicago, Illinois.
January 5-15, 2012: THE REWAKING will be performed many times by the Cornell University Glee Club on tour, Scott Tucker conducting [5th: Rochester, NY; 6th: Akron, OH (Holy Trinity Lutheran Church); 7th: Chicago, IL (St. James Cathedral); 9th: Des Moines, IA (Lutheran Church of Hope); 10th: Kansas City, MO (Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral); 11th: St. Louis, MO; 13th: Ann Arbor, MI (First United Methodist Church); 14th: Toronto, CA; 15th: Buffalo, NY]
2011
December 7, 2011: PIANO ETUDE NO. 4, "On Twilight - Homage to Pierre Boulez," will be played by Anna Showalter, piano at Goshen College Music Center's Rieth Recital Hall.
December 13, 2011: Oberlin College presents: Three Ways of Listening to Augusta Read Thomas including PILGRIM SOUL for English Horn and Two Violins performed by Robert Walters, English Horn, Stefan Hersch and Steve Rose, violins. Clonick Hall, Oberlin, Ohio.
November 13, 2011: EUTERPE'S CAPRICE for solo flute (Constance Volk, Flute) will be played at the Orrington Hotel in Evanston, Illinois at the flute club events.
October 30, 2011: Violist Carol Rodland performs the local premiere of DREAM CATCHER for solo viola at Indiana University, Bloomington.
October 29, 2011, Nadia Azzi will perform ETUDE # 5 from SIX PIANO ETUDES FOR SOLO PIANO at the New Music School, 310 S Michigan Ave Chicago IL 60604 www.newmusicschool.com
October 26, 2011, EUTERPE'S CAPRICE for solo flute (Constance Volk, Flute); From SIX PIANO ETUDES and from TRACES for solo piano (Amy Briggs, Piano); and TOFT SERENADE for violin and piano (Yuan-Qing Yu, Violin; Winston Choi, Piano) will be performed at Racquet Club, 1365 N. Dearborn Street, Chicago, Illinois.
October 26, 2011, 6:30 PM: MOON JIG for piano trio will be performed by the Lincoln Trio at (le) poisson rouge, 158 Bleecker Street, New York City.
October 22, 2011: RUMI SETTINGS is being played by the New Music Ensemble, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Christopher James Lees, Director.
October 21, 2011: World premiere of cello version, OF PARADISE AND LIGHT will be performed by the Cello Ensemble of Roosevelt University, Chicago, Illinois; Julian Hersh, music director of the ensemble.
October 11, 2011: World premiere MANSUETO TRIBUTE, "double helix" for two violins. Composed for and premiered at the dedication ceremony of the Joe and Rika Mansueto Library at the University of Chicago. Premiered by Janet Sung and Yuan-Qing Yu.
October 5, 2011: Invocations and Eagle at Sunrise, Movements #1 & 2 from SUN THREADS for String Quartet, will be performed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City.
September 26, 2011: Augusta starts teaching on the faculty at the University of Chicago.
September 25, 2011: OF PARADISE AND LIGHT will be performed by the Adrian Symphony Orchestra, Music Director John Thomas Dodson conducting, in Dawson Auditorium at 3 pm in Adrian, Michigan.
September 24, 2011: Violist Carol Rodland performs the world premiere of Augusta Read Thomas's DREAM CATCHER for solo viola at the North Carolina School for the Arts, 7:30 p.m. at Watson Hall.
September 16, 2011: USA Premiere of PSALM 91 for chorus sung by Khorikos (founded by Mr. Jesse Mark Peckham), in New York City.
September 11-25, 2011: Augusta will be touring China as part of a commission project.
August 19, 2011: The Lincoln Trio will perform MOON JIG at the Ravinia Festival in Chicago. This is in combination with their CD release of MOON JIG on Cedille Records, recorded by Grammy award winning producer, Judith Sherman.
June 22, 2011: PILGRIM SOUL for English horn and 2 violins will be performed at the Colorado College Summer Music Festival: Robert Walters, English horn, Daniel Phillips and Stefan Hersh, violins.
 With American Music Center friends Frank J. Oteri (Composer, Composer Advocate, and Founding Editor of NewMusicBox) and Molly Sheridan (Managing Editor, NewMusicBox, and Director, Counterstream Radio) |
June 17, 2011: Movement #1: Eagle at Sunrise and Movement #2: Invocations from SUN THREADS for String Quartet will be performed on Paul Neubauer's festival, O.K. Mozart (http://www.okmozart.com).
June 9-11, 2011: US premiere of VIOLIN CONCERTO NUMBER 3, co-commissioned by Festival Présences with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, the BBC Proms, Mr. and Mrs. Bill Brown, and the National Symphony Orchestra, Christoph Eschenbach conducting, at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.
June 2-5, 2011: Augusta is "Mentor-Composer" for American Composer's Orchestra's Underwood New Music Readings for Emerging Composers in New York City.
May 28, 2011: from SUN THREADS for string quartet, "RISE CHANTING" will be performed by Ensemble Dal Niente String Quartet (Austin Wulliman, Aurelien Pederzoli, Doyle Armbrust, Russell Rolen) at the Music Institute of Chicago in Evanston, Illinois.
May 15, 2011:The Azure Ensemble presents Blue Parade, an exciting and jazzy program of new music including Augusta Read Thomas' DANCING HELIX RITUALS for violin, clarinet and piano at Symphony Space, Peter Jay Sharp Theatre, 2537 Broadway at 95th Street, New York.
May 13 - 15, 2011: In residence at the New Haven Symphony, with support from the Music Alive program of the League of American Orchestras and Meet the Composer, for world premieres by six high school-aged composers whom Augusta has been mentoring for 2 years.
May 1, 2011: Augusta is the Keynote Speaker at the Collage New Music Ensemble annual fundraising celebration in Boston. Several of her chamber works will be performed. More information: http://www.collagenewmusic.org
May, 2011: LAKE REFLECTING STARS WITH MOONRISE for alto saxophone and cello will be toured in China and Singapore by the Helton-Thomas Duo, Jonathan Helton, Saxophone and Steven Thomas, violoncello.
April 27, 2011: Avalon String Quartet plays a concert titled American Voices including Fugitive Star, which is movement #3 of SUN THREADS for string quartet, at Gottlieb Hall of the Joy Faith Knapp Music Center, Chicago, IL.
April 21, 2011: CAPRICIOUS ANGELS for octet performed by Ensemble Dal Niente, Michael Lewanski, conducting, in Chicago.
April 15, 2011: EUTERPE'S CAPRICEfor solo flute will be performed by Barry Crawford, flute on A MEMORIAL CONCERT IN HONOR OF PROFESSOR SAMUEL M. PALEY, Lippes Concert Hall in Slee Hall, SUNY Buffalo.
April 15, 2011: As part of holding the McIlroy Family Visiting Professorship in the Performing and Visual Arts, at the University of Arkansas' J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences and the Walton Arts Center, for the 2010-2011 academic year, Augusta will be composing FLOATING TEMPLES, BASHŌ HAIKU SETTINGS for a mixture of student musicians from their choruses, orchestra and band playing alongside some of their faculty performers. Dr. Todd Prickett, Director of Choral Activities and Dr. Robert Mueller, Director of Orchestral Activities conducting.
April 11-16, 2011: Holding the McIlroy Family Visiting Professorship in the Performing and Visual Arts, at the University of Arkansas' J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences and the Walton Arts Center.
April 4, 2011: A full concert of all (or most) of Augusta's solo piano compositions at The University of South Florida, to celebrate and inaugurate their new concert hall. Dr. Svetozar Ivanov is playing, coaching and leading all the preparations for this concert. Dharshini Tambiah will be playing BALLADE. Others will play TRACES, SIX PIANO ETUDES, LOVE TWITTERS, and EURYTHMY ETUDE.
April 3, 2011: World premiere: FLASH for large chorus and orchestra, commissioned by The University of South Florida to celebrate and inaugurate their new concert hall, Dr. William W. Wiedrich, conducting.
March 27, 2011: Trinity University, San Antonio, Texas, the Walden Chamber Players, Christof Huebner Artistic Director, are performing several chamber works.
March 24 to 28, 2011: Composer Residency: Trinity University, San Antonio, Texas. Activities include: featured speaker on the Stieren Arts Lecture Series, teacher of master classes, and presenting a concert of chamber music by Augusta. Composer Timothy Kramer is organizing and hosting all these events.
March 20, 2011: PRAYER AND CELEBRATION for chamber orchestra, will be performed by the New Haven Symphony Orchestra's Contemporary Youth Orchestra, William Boughton, conducting.
March 20, 2011: TOFT SERENADE for violin and piano at The Windup Space in Baltimore, presented by The League of the Unsound Sound (LotUS), David Smooke, Founding Director. Performed by Courtney Orlando, violin, and Shirley Yoo, piano.
March 19, 2011: LAKE REFLECTING STARS WITH MOONRISE for alto saxophone and cello will be played at the Region 6 Conference of the North American Saxophone Alliance in Jacksonville, FL, by the Helton-Thomas Duo, Jonathan Helton, Saxophone and Steven Thomas, violoncello.
March 17, 2011: CANTICLE WEAVING (TROMBONE CONCERTO #2) for Trombone and Orchestra will be performed by the US Army Orchestra, Dwayne Milburn conducting, Brucker Hall, Fort Myer, VA, withTimothy Higgins from the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra as soloist (www.usarmyband.com).
March 10 and 11, 2011: World premiere of RADIANT CIRCLES for orchestra, commissioned by the New Haven Symphony, with support from the Music Alive program of the League of American Orchestras and Meet the Composer, William Boughton, conducting.
March 10, 2011: from TWO E. E. CUMMINGS SONGS for chorus, "kiss me" will be performed by Vox Musica, Daniel Paulson, Music Director, Sacramento CA.
March 6, 2011: movement #3, REVERIE: prayer for a departed friend, from JUBILEE for orchestra, will be performed by the Bridgeport Youth Orchestra, at 3:00 pm at the Klein Auditorium in Bridgeport, Connecticut, William Boughton, conducting.
February 20-24, 2011: Augusta will be a guest of the Abravanel Visiting Composer Series, organized by Morris Rosenzweig, at the Univeristy of Utah, Salt Lake City. Curt Macomber, violin, Chris Finckel, cello, and Steve Gosling, piano will play her chamber works including: BALLADE for solo piano (2008), ...A CIRCLE AROUND THE SUN... for piano trio (2000), TOFT SERENADE for violin and piano (2006), SILENT MOON for violin and cello (2005), and DREAM CATCHER for solo violin (2007).
February 19, 2011: TOFT SERENADE for violin and piano at SUNY Fredonia, presented by The League of the Unsound Sound (LotUS), David Smooke, Founding Director. Performed by Courtney Orlando (violin) and Shirley Yoo (piano).
February 17, 2011: TRACES for solo piano, will be performed by Stephen Gosling, Piano at Bargemusic, New York City.
February 16, 2011: DAYLIGHT DIVINE for soprano, choir, and orchestra will be performed by Vox Aurea and the Sinfonia Finlandia (Lasse Allonen, general manager) with William Boughton, conducting.
February 10, 2011: World Premiere of PILGRIM SOUL for English Horn and Two Violins at Weill Hall in Carnegie Hall, NYC.
February 2 and 3, 2011: ABSOLUTE OCEAN for solo soprano, harp obbligato and orchestra, Hana Park soprano soloist, performed by the New Haven Symphony, William Boughton, conducting.
January 28, 2011: Chicago Premiere: EUTERPE'S CAPRICE for solo flute, will be performed by Claire Chase, at The Art Institute of Chicago, Fullerton Hall.
January 27, 2011: Auditorium Chamber Music Series, Moscow, Idaho, MOON JIG for piano trio and A CIRCLE AROUND THE SUN for piano trio, played by the Walden Chamber Players, Christof Huebner Artistic Director.
January 15-22, 2011: Brussels, Belgium for TACTUS composers' forum 2011, where she will be teaching along with: Julian Anderson, Jean-Paul Dessy, Claude Ledoux, Benoit Mernier, Bruno Mantovani, Michel Tabachnik, Erkki-Sven Tüür, Luc Van Hove, and Peter Swinnen. For detailed information, please visit : http://www.tactus.be/en/home.html
2010
December 6, 2010: SIX PIANO ETUDES (1996) will be performed at the Univeristy of Utah, Salt Lake City, on a concert organized by composer Morris Rosenzweig.
December 2 and 5, 2010: DAYLIGHT DIVINE for solo soprano, children's choir and orchestra, Hana Park soprano soloist, and the Fairfield Children's Choir (Jon Noyes, Music Director & Founder) performed by the New Haven Symphony, William Boughton, conducting.
November 18, 2010: Visiting Artist Roosevelt University, Chicago, teaching private composition lessons, presenting a colloquium, and having dinner with the composition students.
November 13, 2010: Chicago premiere of movement #4, GAMBOL: "whimsical virtuosic romp (Like a bebop jazz big-band meets Varèse" from JUBILEE for orchestra, by Cliff Colnot's DePaul University Orchestra, for which Michael Lewanski will be guest conducting.
November 9, 2010: American Academy of Arts and Letters, New York City.
November 4-8, 2010: Visiting Guest Composer at The Cleveland Institute of Music, New Music Ensemble. Several chamber works will be performed and they repeat the program at the Cleveland Museum for Contemporary Art the following week. Keith Fitch Head, Composition Department, Vincent K. and Edith H. Smith Chair in Composition, is hosting and organizing this event. Works to be performed include SCAT for ensemble, PASSION PRAYERS for solo cello and ensemble, TOFT SERENADE for violin and piano.
November 4, 2010: On the Syzygy Concert series, TRACES for solo piano, will be performed by Makiko Hirata in Duncan Hall at The Shepherd School of Music, Rice University.
October 25-29, 2010: LAKE REFLECTING STARS WITH MOONRISE for alto saxophone and cello will be played on a tour of Canada in: London, Calgary, Medicine Hat, Saskatoon, and Vancouver. Played by the Helton-Thomas Duo, Jonathan Helton, saxophone and Steven Thomas, violoncello.
October 18, 2010: DREAM CATCHER for solo violin will be performed by Kia-Hui Tan at Ohio State University.
October 16 and 17, 2010: from TWO E.E. CUMMINGS SONGS for chorus, Vox Musica, Daniel Paulson, Music Director, will perform (KISS ME) in Sacramento, California.
October 12, 2010: American premiere of FÊTE for brass ensemble, New England Conservatory Wind Ensemble, conducted by Charles Peltz, in Boston. This work is dedicated to Shulamit Ran on the occasion of her 60th birthday.
September 25, 2010: TRACES for solo piano will be performed by Makiko Hirata in Duncan Hall at The Shepherd School of Music, Rice University.
September 21, 2010: CARILLON SKY for violin and tiny orchestra will be performed by Mei-Fang Wang, violin soloist, and The University of Illinois New Music Ensemble, Steven Taylor, conductor, at the Krannert Center.
September 8, 9, 10, 2010: World premiere of OF PARADISE AND LIGHT for string orchestra by the Seattle Symphony Orchestra, Gerard Schwarz, conducting.
August 14, 2010: on Tanglewood Festival of Contemporary Music, Oliver Knussen, John Harbison and Gunther Schuller Co-Directors, TRACES for solo piano, Makiko Hirata, pianist, Tanglewood Music Center, Lenox, MA.
August 1 2010: TRACES for solo piano, Makiko Hirata, pianist, Tanglewood Music Center, Lenox, MA.
July 15, 2010: The U.K. premiere of CAPRICIOUS ANGELS, conducted by Aaron Holloway-Nahum, at the New Music Festival at Guildhall School, London. Artist Elise Naomi Buddle will be painting live to the music.
July 2010: Faculty at Tanglewood Music Center. Exact dates TBD.
June 19, 2010: World premiere of FÊTE for brass ensemble by the Monarch Brass Ensemble. This work is dedicated to Shulamit Ran on the occasion of her 60th birthday.
June 16-20, 2010: Composer in Residence, Visiting Artist, The International Women's Brass Conference 2010, Humber College, Toronto, Canada.
June 6-11, 2010: Composer in Residence, Visiting Artist, New Haven Symphony.
May 31-June 6: Faculty Artist, June in Buffalo Festival. Works to be performed include: TERPSICHORE'S DREAM for orchestra, BALLADE for solo piano, EUTERPE'S CAPRICE for solo flute, CARILLON SKY for violin solo and chamber orchestra.
May 19, 2010: American Academy of Arts and Letters, New York City.
May 3, 2010: American Music Center board meetings in New York City.
April 30, 2010: World premiere of JUBILEE for orchestra, by the Juilliard Orchestra, Ms. Xian Zhang conducting, in Alice Tully Hall, New York.
April 28, 2010: Visiting Artist, Mannes College of Music, New York City.
April 27 and 29, 2010: Visiting Artist, Manhattan School of Music, New York. Students will perform: ...A CIRCLE AROUND THE SUN... for piano trio.
April 27, 2010: Visiting Artist, Brooklyn College, New York.
April 26, 2010: Visiting Artist, The Juilliard School of Music, New York City.
April 18, 2010: SHAKIN' for orchestra will be performed by the University of South Florida Symphony Orchestra, Dr. William W. Wiedrich conducting.
April 9, 2010: The Ohio State University will perform many works, including DANCING GALAXY for band, ...A CIRCLE AROUND THE SUN... for piano trio, SILENT MOON for violin and cello, BUBBLE: RAINBOW - (SPIRIT LEVEL) for soprano and ensemble, SILHOUETTES for solo marimba and INVOCATIONS (from Sun Threads) for string quartet.
April 5- 11, 2010: Composer in Residence at The Ohio State University Music Festival.
March 31, 2010: TRACES (complete work - Connecticut premiere), and three etudes (I, II, and II) from SIX PIANO ETUDES, performed by Matthew McCright at the Hartt School of Music, Hartford, Connecticut (CT)
March 30, 2010: Three etudes (I, II, and II) from SIX PIANO ETUDES, performed by Matthew McCright at Capitol College, Hartford, Connecticut
March 29, 2010: Three etudes (I, II, and II) from SIX PIANO ETUDES, performed by Matthew McCright at Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut
March 25, 2010: TERPSICHORE'S DREAM for chamber orchestra will be performed by the Charleston Symphony Orchestra, Mischa Santora conducting, at the newly renovated Memminger Auditorium in downtown Charleston, South Carolina.
March 18, 2010: TRACES (complete work - NYC premiere) for solo piano, and three etudes (I, II, and II) from SIX PIANO ETUDES, North River Music Series, Matthew McCright, pianist, New York City.
March 9, 2010: The Grawemeyer Award Concert, sponsored by the University of Louisville, at Weill Hall of Carnegie Hall, New York City. Augusta has been invited to give the pre-concert lecture which she titled, "A Leap of Faith: Creativity and Patronage in Contemporary Music in 2010 — The Grawemeyer Award in its 25th year."
March 7, 2010: AURORA for piano and orchestra, Gloria Cheng, pianist and Patricia Prunty, soprano in the coda of the concerto.
March 7-13, 2010: Guest artist at the 9th Annual CSUF (Cal State Fullerton) New Music Festival: The Pianist in the 21st Century.
March 5, 2010 at 4PM: Composer in Residence at the Music Institute of Chicago. Works to be performed include: DREAM CATCHER for solo violin, ...A CIRCLE AROUND THE SUN... for piano trio, SILENT MOON for violin and cello, SCAT for ensemble, INCANTATION for solo violin.
February 26, 2010: RING OUT WILD BELLS TO THE WILD SKY for chorus, solo soprano and orchestra will be performed at the American Choral Director's Association in Cincinnati, Earl Rivers conducting.
February 25, 2010: Lecturing on vocal music at the American Choral Director's Association in Cincinnati.
February 22-27, 2010: Composer in Residence at the American Choral Director's Association in Cincinnati, and at Cincinnati Conservatory of Music.
February 21, 2010: Pequot Library in Darien presents "An Evening with Augusta Read Thomas." Chamber works, which will be performed by members of the New Haven Symphony, William Boughton coordinating, include: ...A CIRCLE AROUND THE SUN... for piano trio, SILENT MOON for violin and cello, and TOFT SERENADE for violin and piano.
February 18 and 19, 2010: PRAYER AND CELEBRATION for orchestra, performed by the New Haven Symphony, William Boughton, conducting.
February 17-21, 2010: Composer in Residence, Visiting Artist, New Haven Symphony.
February 4, 2010: Visiting Artist, Roosevelt University Department of Music, Chicago, IL.
February 1, 2010: American Music Center board meetings in New York City.
January 21, 2010: Visiting Artist, Peabody Conservatory of Music, Baltimore, MD.
January 19 and 20, 2010: American Academy of Arts and Letters, New York City.
January 7 and 8, 2010: American Music Center board meetings in New York City.
2009
December 5 and 6, 2009: American Music Center board meetings in Los Angeles.
November 9, 2009: SILVER CHANTS THE LITANIES for solo horn and orchestra performed by DePaul University, Michael Lewanski, conducting.
November 8-12, 2009: University of Louisville, School of Music, Augusta is the 2009 New Music Festival's featured guest composer. Works to be performed include: TERPSICHORE'S DREAM for orchestra, RING FLOURISH BLAZE for band, CAPRICIOUS ANGELS for octet, MAGNETICFIREFLIES for band, SCHERZI MUSICALI for brass ensemble, PULSAR for solo violin, DANCING HELIX RITUALS for trio, MIDSUMMER BLAZE: ALLELUIA for chorus, THE RUB OF LOVE for chorus, and THE REWAKING for chorus, among others.
 Daniel Barenboim and Augusta Read Thomas |
October 15, 2009: Guest composer, Brandeis University.
October 14, 2009: Guest composer, Boston Conservatory.
October 13 and 15, 2009: RITUAL INCANTATIONS for cello and orchestra performed by the New Haven Symphony, William Boughton, conducting.
October 13 and 15, 2009: CAPRICIOUS ANGELS for octet performed by Ensemble Dal Niente, Michael Lewanski, conducting.
October 13, 2009: Guest composer, Boston University School of Music.
October 9, 2009: CANTOS FOR SLAVA for cello and piano will be played by Syzygy in Houston, Texas, Norman Fischer, cello and Jeanne Fischer, piano. This work is dedicated with admiration and gratitude to Frances Richard of ASCAP, Matt Haimovitz and Geoffrey Burleson. This work was commissioned by The A.S.C.A.P. Foundation.
October 7-13, 2009: Composer in Residence, New Haven Symphony.
September 9, 2009: Several chamber works will be performed on a BBC Proms Composer Portrait concert. This concert will also be broadcast on BBC Radio 3. This concert takes place just before that evening's Prom. Augusta, in conversation with Andrew McGregor, will be discussing her new violin concerto, and introducing European premieres of ...A CIRCLE AROUND THE SUN... for piano trio, INVOCATIONS for string quartet, and PASSION PRAYERS for cello and ensemble.
September 9, 2009: VIOLIN CONCERTO #3, UK Premiere at the BBC Proms with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Jiri Belohlavek, Jennifer Koh, soloist.
September 6, 2009: World premiere of CAPRICIOUS ANGELS for 8 players (flute, oboe, clarinet, horn, 3 violins and 1 viola) premiered by Music from Angel Fire. Commissioned by and dedicated to Music from Angel Fire and Ida Kavafian, with the support of the Bruce E. Howden, Jr., American Composers Project and Friends of the Festival.
August 25, 2009: Cory Tiffin performing DIAGONALS for solo clarinet at The Jazz Showcase, Anaphora's Contemporary Series Season Opener, Chicago, IL.
August 25, 2009: VIOLIN CONCERTO #3, Japan Premiere will be performed by the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra with Mr. Eiichi Chijiiwa as the soloist, under the baton of Maestro Ryusuke Suzuki at Suntory Hall, Tokyo, Japan. Special thanks to Yasuhiro Kakigahara of Tokyo Concerts, Inc.
August 21 - September 6, 2009: Music from Angel Fire 26th season. Augusta Read Thomas is the Festival's 2009 American Composer-in-Residence. Concerts take place in Angel Fire, Taos, Raton and Las Vegas.
August 29: CANTOS FOR SLAVA for cello and piano
September 3: RUMI SETTINGS for violin and viola
September 5: ...A CIRCLE AROUND THE SUN... for piano trio
September 6: World premiere of CAPRICIOUS ANGELS for 8 players
 Augusta Read Thomas with Frank Peter Zimmermann after the rehearsal for the world premiere of VIOLIN CONCERTO #3, in Paris. |
August 1, 2009: CANTOS FOR SLAVA for cello and piano will be played by Norman Fischer, cello and Jeanne Fischer, piano at 6pm prelude in Ozawa Hall at Tanglewood.
July 30- August 12, 2009: Tangelwood Music Center, Composition Teacher and Director of the Festival of Contemporary Music.
July 19, 2009: CANTOS FOR SLAVA for cello and piano will be played by Norman Fischer, cello and Jeanne Fischer, piano at the Saint-Gaudens Summer Concert Series in New Hampshire.
May 23, 2009: The Cleveland Orchestra, Severance Hall, Oliver Knussen, conductor. New Music Festival program to include music by Augusta Read Thomas.
May 17, 2009: World Premiere of DREAM CATCHER, a 25-minute work for solo violin, commissioned by Voices of Change in Dallas, Texas. To be premiered by Maria Schleuning.
May 10, 2009: CARILLON SKY for solo violin and ensemble will be performed by the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center, Oliver Knussen, conductor.
May 7, 8, 9, 2009: HELIOS CHOROS I for orchestra will be performed by the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center, Oliver Knussen, conductor.
May 2, 2009: ANGEL TEARS AND EARTH PRAYERS for organ and trumpet, Dornach, Switzerland.
April 25, 2009: World Premiere: BALLADE for solo piano, commissioned and premiered by pianist Dharshini Tambiah, duration 12 minutes, at Weill Hall of Carnegie Hall at 5:30 PM, New York City.
April 13, 2009: New York Premiere: TWO E.E. CUMMINGS SONGS for children's chorus, by the San Francisco Girls Chorus, Susan McMane, conductor, Alice Tully Hall, NYC.
March 23, 2009: SCAT for ensemble, performance by Dal Niente New Music, at ISU-Bloomington/Normal, Illinois, Kirsten Broberg, executive director.
March 23, 2009: US Premiere of EURYTHMY ETUDES for solo piano, Mabel Kwan, pianist, at ISU-Bloomington/Normal, Illinois.
March 9, 2009: SILENT MOON for violin and viola, played by the Walden Chamber Players, Yehonatan Berick, violin, Christof Huebner, viola, at the Austrian Cultural Forum, New York City.
January 26, 2009: World Premiere of TRACES for solo piano, in Baltimore, on the series of An Die Musik, Amy Dissanayake, piano.
January 22, 2009: World Premiere of ABSOLUTE OCEAN for solo soprano, solo harp and orchestra, commissioned by the Houston Symphony, Hans Graf conducting, with Paula Page, harp and Twyla Robinson, soprano.
On January 16, 2009: World premiere of VIOLIN CONCERTO NUMBER 3, co-commissioned by Festival Présences with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, the BBC Proms, Mr. and Mrs. Bill Brown, and the National Symphony Orchestra, with Frank-Peter Zimmermann as violin soloist, will premiere in Salle Pleyel, Paris, with Kazuchi Ono, conducting.
 Sketch of Prayer Bells by the composer. |
Augusta Read Thomas appointed University Professor at The University of Chicago
Augusta Read Thomas has been appointed as University Professor of Composition in the Department of Music and the College at the University of Chicago.
University Professors are selected for internationally recognized eminence in their fields as well as for their potential for high impact across the University. Thomas will become the 16th person ever to hold a University Professorship, and the fifth currently at the University.
Thomas' appointment takes effect in July 2011.
Thomas is widely considered to be among the world's most accomplished and original contemporary composers. She has won acclaim for the dramatic, spontaneous quality of her work and her masterful use of instrumental color.
"To join the University of Chicago community is an incredible gift. My colleagues are scholars and musicians of the highest order who inspire me and from whom I can learn vastly," Thomas said. "I am an active artist, and I hope to share my passion for the practice with our students. I look forward to working diligently, with wholehearted enthusiasm, to help ensure that the creative arts continue to thrive at the University of Chicago."
Yehudi Wyner, a Pulitzer Prize-winning composer who taught with Thomas at Tanglewood, praised her as "one of those rare people who [composes] because she cannot do otherwise. She lives first and foremost to write music." At the same time, Wyner said, her artistic gifts are coupled with "extraordinary generosity" toward her colleagues and a desire to appreciate their work.
"Thinking about her music and what I, as composer, find especially striking about it, I would say that it is the combination of being intriguingly complex and multilayered on the one hand ‹ she has little interest in the "new simplicity" that many composers in recent decades have embarked upon ‹ yet at the same time being characterized by a gemlike brilliance, clarity, and directness. She seems to have boundless imagination and, to complement it, unsurpassed technical command of orchestration and of compositional resources. It is as though, no matter what she imagines in her mind, how ephemeral and complex, she is able to capture it and make it real, imbuing it with beauty and vitality."
— Shulamit Ran, the Andrew MacLeish Distinguished Service Professor in the
Department of Music and the College and winner of the 1991 Pulitzer Prize in Music
"[Her work] is extraordinarily colorful ...There's a lot of passion to it — this is music of the heart, first and foremost."
— Christopher Rouse, winner of the 1993 Pulitzer Prize in Music
"Ms. Thomas's compositional idiom is one of modernist complexity, yet the sheer delight she takes in exploring instrumental sonorities proves infectious."
— Steve Smith, The New York Times, December 10, 2006
"Thomas, a prodigious talent, is the most accessible ambassador of the new modernism, and the piece, a fierce and jagged take on the love poetry of Sappho, Neruda, and Flaubert, among others, shines with passion and color."
— Russell Platt, The New Yorker, March 15, 2004
To read the entire press release from the University of Chicago, click here.
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Augusta Read Thomas graces the cover of American Music Center's web magazine, NewMusicBox. The article, entitled "Perfect Clarity," features an interview with the composer and Molly Sheridan at the American Academy of Arts and Letters. It can be read and viewed here: www.newmusicbox.org/article.nmbx?id=6471 |
Augusta Read Thomas on the cover of NewMusicBoxAugusta Read Thomas on WOSU's Blog
WOSU's blog, "Classical eNotes," has written up this year's OSU Conemporary Music Festival (April 10-11) and Augusta Read Thomas. Read and listen to the blog here: www.wosu.org/blogs/classical/?p=10581
New Music at Tanglewood: Beauty's Turn
Christopher Lyons and ...Open Source feature the Tanglewood Festival of Contemporary Music and its director, Augusta Read Thomas, in the August 14, 2009 podcast. Click on the following link to read more, and for a link to the mp3 audio file of the podcast: www.radioopensource.org/new-music-at-tanglewood-beautys-turn/
New York Philharmonic signs contract with New World Records; Gathering Paradise included on first CD
Augusta Read Thomas's Gathering Paradise, for soprano and orchestra to texts by Emily Dickinson, will appear on the New York Philharmonic's upcoming CD. The New York Philharmonic, who commissioned and premiered the work, has just signed a contract with New World Records with an agreement to release two recordings annually. The first CD, containing Gathering Paradise, has a release date of May 2006.
Heidi Grant Murphy, who presented the premiere performances in September 2004, is the soprano on this recording. Lorin Maazel conducts. Other works on the recording include Stephen Hartke's Symphony No. 3 and Jacob Druckman's Summer Lightning.
NEW GUITAR DUET: Memory: SWELLS
The Newman & Oltman Guitar Due will present the world premiere of Memory: SWELLS on Saturday, May 28, 2005 during a concert of the Raritan River Music Festival in Clinton, New Jersey. Memory: SWELLS was commissioned by Raritan River Music's New Music Commissioning Program, with generous support from The Augustine Foundation. For more information visit the websites:
www.RaritanRiverMusic.org
www.guitarduo.com
Credences of Summer World Premiere
Credences of Summer for orchestra will be premiered by the San Diego Orchestra, Jahja Ling conducting, on May 20, 2005.
Miller Theater Portrait Series Concert and Discussion
On April 7, 2005, Augusta Read Thomas will give a preconcert discussion at New York's Miller Theater. The discussion will be followed by the New York premieres of Thomas's Silver Chants the Litanies, In My Sky at Twilight, and Spirit Musings, and the world premiere of a new (as yet untitled) work, as part of the Miller Theater's Composer Portrait Series. Alan Pierson will conduct the Alarm Will Sound ensemble.
DePauw University to Host Residency and World Premiere of Sun Songs
Augusta Read Thomas will be in residency at DePauw University from March 1-6, 2005. In connection with the residency, several concerts will be presented, including the world premiere of Thomas's Sun Songs for mezzo and three percussionists.
Prairie Sketches I: Diamonds on Orchid Velvet World Premiere
Prairie Sketches I: Diamonds on Orchid Velvet for soprano and ensemble will be premiered by the Callisto Ensemble, Cliff Colnot conducting, Tony Arnold, soprano, on January 9, 2005.
Boulez birthday concert commission to premiere in France
Grace Notes (for orchestra), for the Pierre Boulez birthday concert, will premiere on January 5, 2005 with Markus Stenz conducting The Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France. The work was commissioned by Festival Présences with The Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France.
Purple Syllables World Premiere
Purple Syllables for chorus, commissioned by Music Accord Inc. for Chanticleer, and set to texts of Emily Dickinson, will be premiered by Chanticleer throughout the 2005 season. World premiere date is to be announced.
World Premiere of Dancing Galaxy for Band
Augusta Read Thomas's new work for band, Dancing Galaxy, will be premiered by the New England Conservatory Wind Ensemble, conducted by Frank Battisti, on November 11, 2004. The following week Dancing Galaxy will be performed and recorded by the Southern Methodist University Meadows Wind Ensemble, conducted by Jack Delaney.
New York Philharmonic World Premiere of Gathering Paradise
Gathering Paradise for soprano and orchestra will have its world premiere at Lincoln Center with Lorin Maazel conducting the New York Philharmonic, on September 29, 30, and October 1, 2, and 5, 2004.
Augusta Read Thomas teaches at Tanglewood
Augusta Read Thomas will spend the summer of 2004 teaching composition and contemporary music at the Tanglewood Music Center (TMC), where TMC resident faculty, along with distinguished guest faculty composers, lead lectures and provide individual mentoring for TMC Composition Fellows.
Augusta Read Thomas continues residency with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Augusta Read Thomas recently renewed her agreement as composer-in-residence with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra through 2006: and it recently became the first composer in residence position in the US to have an endowed chair. Ms. Thomas has been Composer-in-Residence with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra since 1997.
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Chicago presents world premiere of Tangle
Tangle (for orchestra) had its world premiere with David Robertson conducting the Chicago Symphony Orchestra on March 18, 2004.
World premiere of Silver Chants the Litanies, in memorium Luciano Berio
Silver Chants the Litanies, in memorium Luciano Berio (for solo horn and chamber orchestra), commissioned by Southern Methodist University, received its world premiere on February 20, 2004 with Jack Delaney conducting.
Pulsar premiered in February
Pulsar, for solo violin, had its American premiere by violinist Movses Pogossian in Buffalo, NY on Feb 10, 2004.
World premiere of Bubble: Rainbow (spirit level)
Lucy Shelton, soprano, and the Ensemble Sospeso with Rand Steiger conducting, presented the world premiere of Augusta Read Thomas's new work, Bubble: Rainbow (spirit level) (for soprano and ensemble), at the Gala 95th Birthday concert in honor of Elliott Carter in New York, on January 30, 2004. Tony Arnold and the Callisto Ensemble, Cliff Colnot conducting, also performed the work in Chicago, Illinois, in January 2004.
Augusta Read Thomas premieres Trombone Concerto with Los Angeles Philharmonic
The Los Angeles Philharmonic, conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen, premiered Augusta Read Thomas's trombone concerto, Canticle Weaving, on March 31, 2003. Ralph Sauer was the soloist. Writing in the Los Angeles Times, Mark Swed commented, "In Canticle Weaving...the trombone maintains a noble bearing but is not afraid to swing....I heard in the solo line the commanding voice of an uncommon leader — astute, steadfast, courtly and a good dancer. Kofi Annan came to mind."
Conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen, composer Augusta Read Thomas, and trombonist Ralph Sauer
Photo © 2003 by David Weiss; Used by Permission
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