Aurora Borealis Blog

UCSD Conrad Prebys Concert Hall

2009-11-20T10:53:00.000-08:00

On Monday December 7 at noon,

Aurora Borealis will be performing Andrew Allen's Taint Sysia for soprano and stone chimes. Text are by Lia Purpura. More information about Andrew Allen at http://www.andrewstewartallen.com/

On the same concert Steve will be performing Morton Feldman's classic King of Denmark.

Tiffany also will be taking part in a realization of Louis Andriessen's Workers Union.

Location:
University of California at San Diego
Conrad Prebys Concert Hall
12pm
Free admission

Composition Competition 2009 Frequently Asked Questions

2009-05-24T21:35:00.001-07:00

Frequently asked questions regarding the composition competition.

Thank you for everyone who has submitted questions! Below is a list of the most frequent questions asked. This list will be updated occasionally. All questions are valid, and may help someone else. Good luck to everyone! And please send all questions only to this address:
Competition@AuroraBorealisDuo.com

This is an anonymous competition.

Can the composition be for more then 1 percussionist and/or more then 1 singer?
No. At this time the competition is limited to only 1 percussionist and 1 soprano. In the future we may include additional musicians, but not at this time.

Can the work include vibraphone?
No. The list of instruments is specifically designed for several reasons including (but not limited to); what we can travel with and what we own.

Are other languages allowed besides what are listed in the official rules?
Yes. Please, contact us before writing for any language other then the ones mentioned in the official rules. Several additional items need to be included with the submission (listed below). If we are not contacted beforehand that submission can/will be disqualified. Do not assume a language will be allowed if the items below are included; some languages may not be allowed.
1)a transliteration in IPA,
2)a word for word translation,
3)a cd (or video) demonstrating the pronunciation. Unfortunately, a recording of a performance would not fill this requirement; due to balances, performance mishaps, etc.

Does the submission have to be written specifically for this competition?
No.

Is it alright if the composition has been performed already?
Yes.

Are arrangements allowed?
Arrangements of your own works are allowed. Arrangements of others works are not allowed. You must have the rights to be able to arrange your work, as well.

What is a Mokusho?
It is a Japanese instrument similar to a woodblock. It is traditionally played with the mallet pictures to the right. The sound is similar to a wood block, but the mokusho is a much drier and articulate sound.

What are Elephant Bells?
It is a string of bells. Each bell is lower in pitch then a traditional string of bells, and each individual bell is more resonant then a single bell on a string of bells.

Other instruments and sound samples will soon be available.

April & May Concerts

2009-04-23T09:36:00.000-07:00

We are pleased to announce a string up coming concerts. For the concerts marked Private Event we may be able to have people attend. Please contact us for more information.

April 23, 7PM. Casa Galicia. Lorca in NY Re-Visited.
3709 31 Ave. Astoria, NY 11103. Free Admission
Works by: Albert Carbonell, Raphael Fusco, and Jorge Sosa. World Premiere of Jorge Sosa's Refraction III for Voice and Tape. Guest artist: Marissa Byers, Bass Clarinet.

May 5, 2pm. Hospital Audiences Inc.(HAI). Brooklyn, Kingsboro Psychiatric Center. Private Event.

May 5, 5pm. HAI. Manhattan, Kirby Forensic Psychiatric Center. Private Event.

May 10, 10am. HAI. Bronx Psychiatric Center. Private Event.

May 30, 10am. HAI. Bronx Psychiatric Center. Private Event.

May 30, 1:15pm. HAI. Manhattan Psychiatric Center. Private Event.

Egypt & Upcoming Events

2009-02-05T11:35:00.000-08:00

We recently returned from a fantastic trip to Egypt. Our engagement there with Cultures in Harmony was a unbelievable experience filled with both hope and sadness that took us to Cairo and Alexandria. The highlights of the trip include (in order of occurrence)...

- A performance at the US Ambassadors residence for Madam Margaret Scobey.
- Workshop with 45+ orphans and performance on the Nile River.
- A performance for The Village of Hope, outside of Alexandria. The Village of Hope is facility for special needs people run by Nada Thabet. Mrs. Thabet was one of 1000 women nominated for the Nobel Peace prize in 2005. www.alamalvillage.org
- A 5 day workshop for children for one of the poorer neighborhoods in Alexandria. The workshop included teaching western music, learning an Egyptian folk song, and creating compositions with the workshop participants. A special thanks to Rotaract for providing translators and help during the workshops (specifically Haitham Mohamed and Tawfik Diab who were Tiffany's and my translators.)
- A concert at the American Center in Alexandria. This concert included a Cultures in Harmony performance, the performance of the created pieces during our workshops by our participants, and a group performance with amazing world-class Egyptian musicians. A special thanks to Ahmad Gamal who is an amazing performer and for help organizing the musicians.

Upcoming Events

February 14, 7:30pm. Thalia at Symphony Space. NY Composers Circle concert.
Aurora Borealis - World Premiere arrangement of Elliott Carter's Tell Me Where is Fancy Bred and Tania Leon's Love after Love.

February 19, 8pm. Mannes College of Music. Mannes Faculty Concert.
Stephen Solook - World Premiere Robert Cuckson's Three Dances for Marimba.

March 3, 7pm. (Location TBA)
Aurora Borealis - World Premiere of Albert Carbonell's Gacella's, and works by Raphael Fusco and Jorge Sosa.

March 4, 8pm. The Italian Academy at Columbia University. Lucy Shelton recital.
Aurora Borealis with Lucy Shelton. Karen Rehnqvist's Puksanger-Lockrop and Luciano Berio's Folk Songs.

March 8, 2pm. 117th & Lexington Ave. Aurora Borealis concert.
Aurora Borealis will repeat their concert from March 3. This concert series is coordinated by composer Jorge Sosa.

March 22, time TBA. Garden City Concert series, Long Island. Aurora Borealis with Lucy Shelton.
The concert will feature Karen Rehnqvist's Puksanger-Lockrop among other selections. This concert series is coordinated by composer Bruce Adolphe.

Hospital Audiences Inc.

2008-11-19T09:33:00.000-08:00

We are pleased to announce that Aurora Borealis is now on the roster of Hospital Audiences Inc. (HAI). For more information on HAI and booking information please follow the link below.

http://www.hospitalaudiences.org/hai/index.htm

Oct.'08 concerts

2008-09-06T06:50:00.000-07:00

Oct.19, 2:30pm Aurora Borealis. Hewlett-Woodmere Library Concert Series.

Hewlett, Long Island, NY.

Oct.25, 2pm Aurora Borealis. Russell Library Concert Series.

Middletown, CT. http://www.russelllibrary.org/

860-347-2528

Oct.26, 3pm Aurora Borealis. Hingham LIbrary Concert Series.

Hingham, MA. http://www.hinghamlibrary.org/

781-741-1405

Upcoming '08 dates for Steve

2008-02-14T08:02:00.000-08:00

Feb.17, 1:30pm; Mannes College of Music; Free - Premiere of Faye-Ellen Silverman's Memory and Alterations for solo marimba. For more information, www.mannes.edu

Feb.29, 6pm; NYC Bar Association - Recital. Works include Stout, Rosauro, Alvarez, Rzewski, and premieres by Russell and Loeb. Guests Tonal Center. For more information, www.lawyersorchestra.org

March 15, 7:30pm; Park Slope, Brooklyn - Rosauro Concerto #1 with BCCO and Dorothy Savitch, cond. For more information, www.bcco.info

April 13, 7:30pm; Carnegie Hall, Zankel - Professional Training Workshop with David Krakauer on Klezmer Music. For more information, www.carnegiehall.org

May 20, 8pm; Frederick Loewe Theater, NYU - New York Composers Circle. Performance of Richard McCandless's Childhood for solo percussion with voice. For more information, www.nycomposerscircle.org

Michael Cohen's "I Remember"

2007-11-15T08:00:00.000-08:00

Another exciting upcoming performance is of...
Michael Cohen's I Remember (based upon the diary of Anne Frank)

Tiffany will be performing this on Ensemble 212's, Ensemble Concert Series

Dec. 4 (Tuesday), 8pm
Saint Peter's Church (E.54th & Lexington)

Ravel's Introduction and Allegro, R.Strauss's Serenade in E flat Major, Op.7 & Suite in B flat Major, Op.7 are also on the program.

For more information visit www.ensemble212.org

2 Upcoming Performances

2007-11-14T23:26:00.000-08:00

Nov.18, 4:30pm - Mannes College of Music (150 W.85th St. NY, NY)

Tiffany will be performing Arnold Schoenberg's Second String Quartet.

For more information please visit www.mannes.edu
--------------------------------------------

March 15, 2008 - Brooklyn, NY.

Steve will be performing New Rosauro's Marimba Concerto with Brooklyn Conservatory Community Orchestra under the baton of Dorothy Savitch.

For more information please visit www.bcco.info

QPTV - Queens Rhapsody

2007-09-25T11:42:00.000-07:00

"Queens Rhapsody" will be aired this Thursday, Sept. 27th at 6:00 on Channel 56
and
Friday, Sept. 28th at 9:00 on Channel 34

Don't miss Steve's big Queen's television debut!

"Queens Rhapsody" was premiered last year with the Americas Vocal Ensemble. The personnel was David Bowlin, violin; Meighan Stoops, clarinet; Haim Avistur, trombone; Stephen Solook, percussion; and the composer, Cesar Vuksic, on piano.

Two upcoming performances!

2007-09-21T09:39:00.000-07:00

Aurora Borealis has two upcoming performances.

- Oct.21, 3pm, Long Island, NY, Garden City Chamber Music Society.

Bruce Adolphe & Marija Stroke, artistic directors. Aurora Borealis will present a program of Weber, Villa-Lobos, Loeb, and Beall, among others.

Location: Unitarian-Universalist Congregation of Central Nassau, Long Island, NY.
223 Stewart Avenue, Garden City, New York 11530. (516) 248-8855.
On the corner of Stewart Avenue and Nassau Blvd. It is reachable by the Long Island Rail Road (the stop is Nassau Boulevard on the Hempstead Line).

For more information:
www.uuccn.org/Chamber%20Music.htm

- Oct.22, 8pm, Mannes College of Music, NYC.

Aurora Borealis will be repeating there program from the Garden City Chamber Music Society.

Location: Mannes College of Music, NYC, 150 W.85th St.

Admission: Free

For more information:
www.mannes.edu

Autism Benefit Concert A Success

2007-09-21T09:32:00.000-07:00

The Autism Benefit Concert was a HUGE success. The entire event was filled with great music, great people, and great times! With the theatrical and humorous moments of dancing and Bruce's "Piano Puzzlers" to the jaw dropping performances of each of the performers, there was not a single dull moment of this event! Thank you to all that attended or donated...and stay tuned for future Autism Benefits already in the works!

Autism Benefit Concert

2007-09-14T10:21:00.001-07:00

We are very please to announce a benefit for Autism that we have been organizing! It includes a long list of many established performers and composers. We hope that everyone is able to attend, please look below for more information. Autism is a growing issue in todays society, and all the help is needed to help fund research to find a cure!

Date: Sept. 15, 2pm

Location: Symphony Space, Thalia (NYC)

Event: Autism Benefit Concert

Performers:

Bruce Adolphe, host
Amy Burton, soprano
Lori Cotler, rhythm vocalist
Tiffany Du Mouchelle, soprano/founder
Jon Liechty, pianist
Julie McBride, pianist
John Musto, pianist
Javier Oviedo, saxophonist
James Preiss, marimba
Lucy Shelton, soprano
Laurie Smuckler, violinist
Lew Soloff, trumpet
Stephen Solook, percussion
Glen Velez, master drummer

Tickets: $60 Adults, $40 Children

Link to Symphony Space to purchase tickets:

http://www.symphonyspace.org/genres/eventPage.php?genreId=2&eventId=2103

QPTV

2007-07-19T13:06:00.000-07:00

Steve just finished a television shoot with Queens Public TV. The TV program was for Cesar Vuksic's "Queens Rhapsody" with the American Vocal Ensemble, and will appear on QPTV at some point in the near future. Keep an eye out for it!

Welcome to the Aurora Borealis Blog

2007-07-15T18:30:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the new blog of Aurora Borealis! Here you will find the latest updates about the duo. Thanks for visiting! Come back frequently for the most current news!