Masterclass: Music in the New Millenium

Music in the New Millennium combined a panel discussion with the Conference’s commissioned composer Carolyn Bremer and Cincinnati-based composers Mary Judge and Frank Proto with illustrative performances by the Canterbury Brass. Composer Faye-Ellen Silverman moderated the panel. All four composers opened with a presentation of how their musical styles fit within current musical trends. The wide-ranging topics that followed included observations on the role of technology in today’s music and remarks about the current mixture of musical styles and the absence of an avant-garde. This led to remarks concerning the danger of writing music that is too accessible in order to please an audience instead of remaining true to an inner vision. Other topics initiated by audience questions covered the role of composing using pencil and paper vs. applying computer technology and the question of minority participation in the world of music. The Canterbury Brass performed the second and third movements of Carolyn Bremer’s Opposable Thumbs, the second third and fourth movements of Faye-Ellen Silverman’s trio Dialogue Continued, and a one movement brass quintet by Frank Proto. For this concert, the members of the Canterbury Brass were Stephen Burns – guest trumpet; Stacy Simpson – trumpet; Kathyrin Hagen – horn; Mark Babbitt – guest trombone and Todd Nix – tuba.

Submitted by Faye-Ellen Silverman 2000 IWBC Composer-in Residence Faculty, Mannes College of Music