BRAVI TO …

Victoria Bond just returned from Beijing, China where she conducted the Central Opera Company and four prominent Chinese soloists in a gala concert on July 4th at the Poly Theater, Beijing's Lincoln Center. The concert, which drew a record crowd, was televised nationally … Then Bond's third opera A More Perfect Union, with librettist Isaiah Sheffer, was presented by The Center For Contemporary Opera as part of the New York City Opera's 'VOX 2004 and Friends' at Symphony Space on May 27th. Anthony Tommasini called the work "genre-smashing" in the New York Times.

Frederick Koch, who was honored on June 23rd by the Cleveland Museum of Art with a program of his music marking 50 years of composition, and by the Cleveland Institute of Music with his nomination as "distinguished alumnus."

Richard Nanes, who has been honored with a highly regarded award for the fifth consecutive year, the National Silver Angel Award. It was presented by the Excellence in Media Foundation which recognized the exceptional telecast of "Richard Nanes in Recital at the United Nations."

Beth Anderson, for more positive critical acclaim in the press. She is the subject of two items, a discursive article, "Music from a Streetwise Heaven," and a review of her newest CD on New World, featuring her Piano Concerto and several of her "swales," in the Sept/Oct issue of Fanfare magazine, both written by Paul Ingram.

Terry Winter Owens, who continues to have her works played all over the world to great acclaim. [Ms. Owens will have a work on the next Composers Concordance concert; see the announcement on page 15 of the Fall 2004 issue.]

Elizabeth Bell, whose 75th birthday was celebrated in a program on October 12, 2003 by Max Lifchitz and North/South Consonance at Christ and St. Stephen's Church in NYC. Among the works featured was her Soliloquy for Solo Cello played by her son, Stephen Drake … On April 28, 2004, there was another concert in her honor at the Aram
Khachaturian Concert Hall in Yerevan, Armenia. About 800 people attended. There was a "very good article" in a Yerevan newspaper. (Does anyone read Armenian?!!) "All of the performances were excellent." (EB)

Thomas Piercy, for commissions for two new works from The Canadian Arts Council and the Quebec Arts Council. The commissions were awarded to Quebec composers Nicolas Gilbert and Andre Ristic. The new works for clarinet and piano will be given their world premieres in Montreal on April 15, 2005, the concert to be broadcast by the CBC. The performers will be Mr. Piercy and pianist Judith Olson.

Zhou Long, whose new orchestral work, The Immortal, conducted by Leonard Slatkin and the BBC at the Royal Albert Hall for the Proms festival, was the first BBC World Service commission in its 70-year history. David Murray, critic for the Financial Times, London wrote: "None of [it] sounded chancy or guessy. The 51-year old-composer, a naturalized American since 1999, seems to know exactly what he's doing. The Immortal has persuasive weight and depth."