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This contemporary multi-media opera by Shirish Korde, dramatizes the life of Phoolan Devi, a fascinating and controversial figure whose turbulent life story exemplifies the violent tension between traditional values and modern notions of social justice. Korde has collaborated with director Lynn Kremer to create a multifaceted portrait of this controversial figure.
The opera was performed at College of the Holy Cross on April 15. 16, and 17 and Tsai Center in Boston on April 23. and 24 under the direction of Richard Pittman and Boston Musica Viva. It featured soloists Zorana Sadiq as Phoolan Devi, and Elizabeth Keusch, as well as other internationally renowned artists.
More information about the production can be obtained by visiting the website:
Phoolan Devi: The Bandit Queen |
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Nada-Ananda – a concerto for Guitar and Ensemble |
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Commissioned by the UK based Classical Guitarist Simon Thacker and the Edinburgh Contemporary Arts Trust, Nada-Ananda received ten performances in Scotland and England in November 2009. This work, along with a new work by Nigel Osborne performed by Thacker’s Nava Rasa Ensemble, was received enthusiastically by audiences and the press.
Rowena Smith of the Guardian wrote: “Nada-Ananda is an exuberant virtuoso display of rhythmic complexity. Nada-Ananda means “the joy of sound” an idea already captured in his music.”
Georgina Coburn of the Scotsman wrote: “Nada-Ananda, a concerto for guitar and chamber ensemble, was the perfect conclusion to the program, shimmering with brilliance and interval and circular melody. A joyful dance and a celebration of life through music.”
To view a YouTube video of excerpts of the three movements go to this link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1OCeleNaEM |
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Zhikr, commissioned by the Chameleon Arts Ensemble for Soprano, String Trio, Flute, Harp, Percussion, and Tabla, based on texts from several mystical traditions, was premiered in May 2009 at the Goethe Institute.
David Weininger of the Boston Globe wrote: “it integrates Eastern and Western traditions in a thoughtful and substantial way…the strings, flute, and percussion form a lush background for the soprano’s part which ranges through a variety of vocal styles drawn principally from Indian Classical Music. Two interludes for the Tabla, played by Aditya Kalyanpun were among the pieces most memorable moments. Elizabeth Keusch was the outstanding soprano.”
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Svara-Yantra: US Premiere- Boston Philharmonic Orchestra |
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The Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, under the direction of Ben Zander, gave the U.S. premiere of Svara-Yantra, a concerto for violin, tabla, and orchestra on October 17th (Mechanics Hall, Worcester), October 18th (Sanders Theater, Cambridge), October 20th (Jordan Hall, Boston) , and October 21st (Sanders Theater, Cambridge) 2007. Svara-Yantra featured the virtuoso violinist Joanna Kurkowicz (joannakurkowicz.com) and tabla master Samir Chatterjee (tabla.org).
play sample
"Svara-Yantra stole the show... a terrific piece in which the tradtional symphony is dropped into the middle of the subcontinent, exploding with color."
-Matthew Guerrieri, Boston Globe
"The standing ovation at the end of the piece continued until Korde himself was forced to come to the front and acknowledge the cheering."
-John Zeugner, Worcester Telegram
"Svara-Yantra, a fabulous creation...certainly stole the show for the evening."
-Ranjani Saigal, Lokvani
"We have an amazing opening planned for next season. The orchestra is giving the American premiere of Svara-Yantra, a dazzling violin concerto by local composer Shirish Korde that combines elements of Western music with instrumental techniques, rhythms, and scales peculiar to the music of India. It was composed especially for our beloved concertmistress Joanna Kurkowicz, who has performed it in Europe and Asia. It is enthralling—I’m completely in love with it and I know everyone who hears it in October will be spellbound."
-Benjamin Zander, Music Director and Conductor, Boston Philharmonic Orchestra.
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The recording of Svara-Yantra and Cranes Dancing is available as an MP3 on chandos.net and as a CD on amazon.com and neuma.com. |
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Cranes Dancing for Violin and String Quartet |
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Cranes Dancing for Violin and String Quartet will be performed by the Xantos Ensemble at Morse Auditorium at Boston University on April 30, 2009.
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Anusvara for Solo Cello will be performed at Andover Academy, Andover, MA on April 17th.
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Cranes Dancing for Violin and String Quartet |
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Cranes Dancing for Violin and String Quartet will be performed by the Xantos Ensemble at Morse Auditorium at Boston University on April 30, 2009. |
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The premiere of Anusvara:2nd Prism for Cello and Chamber Ensemble was performed by Boston Musica Viva (bmv.org), Jan Muller-Szerwas, Cello at Brooks Concert Hall, Holy Cross College on April 2, 2009 |
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Carola Schleutter and the Ensemble Phorminx gave several performances of this work in Frankfurt, Berlin, and Darmstadt in the 2007-8 season. |
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In the fall of 2008, virtuoso flutist, Orlando Cela, premiered the new work for bass flute (doubling on alto flute) at the College of the Holy Cross. Laura Falzon gave the New york City premiere of the same piece .(version for C flute) at Columbia University in the fall of 2009.
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Songs of Ecstasy: Boston Musica Viva Premiere |
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On May 2nd, 2008, the Boston Musica Viva (bmv.org) gave the world premiere of Songs of Ecstasy featuring Zorana Sadiq, soprano, chamber ensemble and Indian classical dancer, Wendy Jehlen, at Tsai Performance Center at Boston University. This cycle of songs is based on the mystical poetry of Kabir, Rabia, Faiz, and St. Cecilia of Sienna. Zorana Sadiq also premiered his collection of songs: Ghazals in the Music Toronto on February 14th in Toronto, Canada. The song cycle was commissioned by the Jebediah Foundation New Music Commissions.
"Soaring operatic vocal lines against dense, glinting harmonic masses in the six instruments...the evenings's most satisfying performace."
-Matthew Guerrieri, Boston Globe
"These are striking affairs, compelling with strong rhythmic appeal. It brought the house down.
-Ken Winters, The Toronto Globe and Mail
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Carola Schleutter and the Ensemble Phorminx gave several performances of this work in Frankfurt, Berlin, and Darmstadt during the 2007-8 season. |
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The Da Capo Chamber Players of New York played the commissioned work, Blue Topeng 2, for chamber ensemble and Balinese Gamelan soloists in a series of concerts in the spring of 2008 in New York
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Massachusetts Cultural Council Fellowship - Fromm Foundation Commission - Jebediah Foundation New Music Commissions |
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Shirish Korde was awarded a Massachusetts Cultural Council Fellowship in the summer of 2007. The Massachusetts Cultural Council recognized 33 artists from more than 1000 applicants in the disciplines of film/video, music composition, photography, theater, and sculpture. Five composers were honored from a field of approximately 200 applicants.
In the fall of 2007 he was also a recipient of a Fromm Foundation Commission for the Phoolan Devi project and a new music commission from the Jebediah Foundation for Songs of Ecstasy, which was premiered at Tsai Performance Center in Boston on May 2, 2008 .
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In November, 2005, the violin concerto Svara-Yantra was premiered by Joanna Kurkowicz and The National Polish Orchestra in Katowice, Poland. In February 2007, Svara-Yantra was one of the featured works at The Asia Pacific Festival in Wellington New Zealand and was performed by Joanna Kurkowicz and The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra under the direction of conductor, Li Xincao. Svara-Yantra was also be performed by Koszalin Philharmonic in Poland in June 2007.
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Simon Thacker gave several performaces of Time Grids (1988) in the U.K.
"Time Grids was the most overtly virtuosic piece in the recital and was a splendid concluding gambit, leaving me quite breathless by the end. Simon Thacker's crazy flying fingerboard work, as the piece reached its climactic conclusion was really something else. What a wonderful exposition of the coontemporary possibilities of the classical guitar."
-Alan Cooper, Aberdeen News
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