San Francisco Contemporary Music Players
The San Francisco Contemporary Music Players is an ensemble of classically trained instrumentalists that commissions, performs, and records innovative new music, including music that integrates electronic and acoustic sounds.
SFCMP was founded to give voice to the burgeoning genre of contemporary chamber music in the Bay Area. Led by Artistic Director Steven Schick, the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players is the longest-standing, continuously performing new music ensemble outside the East Coast. They are solely devoted to contemporary repertoire, particularly the work of living composers.
History
In 1971, composer Charles Boone began organizing a series of avant-garde music concerts in San Francisco art galleries. He called the series BYOP (Bring Your Own Pillow), because audience members sat on the floor. Three years later, his colleagues, harpist Marcella DeCray and oboist/conductor Jean-Louis LeRoux, reorganized the concert series as a nonprofit corporation and began to recruit musicians to form its core ensemble.
A ten-time winner of the national ASCAP/Chamber Music America Award for Adventurous Programming of Contemporary Music, the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players has performed more than 1,100 contemporary works, including many U.S. and world premieres, and has commissioned new pieces from such composers as John Adams, John Cage, Fred Frith, Liza Lim, James Newton, and Julia Wolfe.
Now in their 42nd season, the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players give audience members and friends opportunities to discover musical repertoire that is new to them – and to use these experiences as ways to better understand, interact with, and enjoy their lives and our world.[1]
Artistic collaborations
In 1983, Frank Zappa led the ensemble in performing music by Edgard Varèse. The concert, which was emceed by Jefferson Airplane vocalist Grace Slick and held in the San Francisco Opera House, attracted an audience of more than 2,000 people.[2] In 1997, electric guitarist Bill Frisell and drummer Joey Baron appeared as soloists with the ensemble, performing Steven Mackey’s concerto, Deal.[3] Later the same year, vocalist Dawn Upshaw appeared with the ensemble in a performance of George Crumb’s Ancient Voices of Children.[4]
Principal conductors/music directors
- Jean-Louis LeRoux (1975 – 1988)[5]
- Stephen L. (Lucky) Mosko (1988 – 1997)[6]
- Donald Palma (1998 – 2000)[7]
- David Milnes (2002 – 2009)[8]
- Steven Schick (2011- )[9]
Recent discography
- 1996: John Thow, Songs for the Earth (CD) Music and Arts Programs of America, Inc.
- 1996: Morton Feldman, Only (CD) New Albion Records.
- 1998: Earle Brown, Centering (CD) Newport Classic.
- 1999: Hyo-shin Na, Music for Piano and Strings (Transcription) (CD) Seoul Records Inc.
- 2000: James Newton, As the Sound of Many Waters (CD) New World Records.
- 2002: Andrew Imbrie, Spring Fever: Chicago Bells, Songs of Then and Now (CD) Albany Records.
- 2004: Kui Dong, Pangu’s Song (CD) New World Records.
- 2005: Jorge Liderman, The Song of Songs (CD) Bridge Records.
- 2006: Pablo Ortiz, Oscuro (CD) Albany Records.
- 2008: Edmund Campion, Outside Music (CD) Albany Records.
References
- ↑ "San Francisco Contemporary Music Players: Official site".
- ↑ Commanday, Robert (February 11, 1983), "Opera Crowd Whoops for Zappa", San Francisco Chronicle.
- ↑ Ulrich, Allan (January 22, 1997), "Crossover program a big draw", San Francisco Examiner.
- ↑ Swed, Mark (April 21, 1997), "Speaking to the Past in 'Ancient Voices'", Los Angeles Times, pages F1, F6.
- ↑ (April 25, 1975), "Pillows, music, and paintings", San Francisco Examiner, p. 30.
- ↑ Ulrich, Allan (October 18, 1988), "Contemporary Debut: A new director, a new season of new music", San Francisco Examiner.
- ↑ Ulrich, Allan (August 25, 1988), "Fresh sounds for a new era: Donald Palma takes reins at SFCMP", San Francisco Examiner.
- ↑ Rowe, Georgia (August 2, 2002), "Milnes looking forward to Contemporary duties", Contra Costa Times, p. 39.
- ↑ Kosman, Joshua (February 7, 2011), "Steven Schick to lead S.F. Contemporary Players", sfgate.com