University’s 'Southern Exposure New Music Series' to host Music from Copland House

February 15, 2009

Winner of the Chamber Music America/ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming in 2007, the “Southern Exposure New Music Series” at the University of South Carolina closes its 2008 – 09 season with a concert by the celebrated American ensemble, Music from Copland House, Wednesday, March 4.

The concert will take place at 7:30 p.m. in the School of Music recital hall. In addition to the concert, Copland House artists will offer a lecture and master class at the School of Music. All events are free and open to the public.

Composer and clarinetist Derek Bermel will give a public talk before the concert at 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. in Room 210. Pianist and Copland House artistic and executive director Michael Boriskin will conduct a master class for university music students from 1:30 – 3 p.m. in Room 112; the public is invited to observe.

Music from Copland House has been praised by the Los Angeles Times for its “compelling and carefully crafted programming.”

The “Southern Exposure” concert will feature Bermel, Boriskin, cellist Wilhelmina Smith and guest violinist Adela Pena who will perform works emblematic of America’s musical past, present and future.

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A highlight of the program will be the jazz-and-blues-inspired “Two Pieces for Violin and Piano” (1926) by Aaron Copland, legendary American composer and the group’s namesake. Also featured will be a trio of works that Bermel describes as both “groovy” and “gritty” — Pierre Jalbert’s “Trio for Cello, Violin and Piano” (1998), “Verge” (1997) by Sebastian Currier and “Breakdown Tango” (2000) by John Mackey. 

Bermel has premiered dozens of instrumental works, including his own concerto, which he introduced at Carnegie Hall with the American Composers Orchestra, and performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, BBC Symphony and Boston Modern Orchestra Project. Boriskin has performed in more than 30 countries, appearing with some of the world’s foremost orchestras, as well as in the United States. Smith made her debut with the Philadelphia Orchestra while still a student at the Curtis Institute. She has performed with acclaimed chamber ensembles in the United States and Moscow. Pena is founder of the Eroica Trio and a two-time Grammy nominee. 

For more information on Southern Exposure, call Michael Parker-Harley at 803-777-4421, or visit the School of Music Web site at www.music.sc.edu/ea/comp/southernexposure/.