News Briefs: Atlanta Music Project, Sinfonia Toronto, American Composers Orchestra | EarRelevant

EarRelevant Staff | 11 OCT 2024

Atlanta Music Project names violinist Helen Kim artist-in-residence for 15th season

ATLANTA, Georgia— The Atlanta Music Project (AMP) has announced violinist Helen Hwaya Kim as Artist-in-Residence for its 2024-2025 season, marking its 15th anniversary. Kim, a violin professor and chair of the string department at Kennesaw State University, will engage with AMP students and the broader community through a series of masterclasses, recitals, and educational visits.

Kim, a native of Canada and graduate of The Juilliard School, currently serves as assistant concertmaster of the Atlanta Opera Orchestra and has previously held positions with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Her residency with AMP will feature a solo recital, violin section rehearsals with AMP’s Junior and Senior Youth Orchestras, and visits to Kennesaw State University’s Dr. Bobbie Bailey School of Music. The residency aims to provide AMP students with high-quality music training and exposure to professional opportunities in music education and performance.

The residency will kick off on November 2 with two violin masterclasses for AMP students, one for intermediate-level musicians and the other for advanced players. Kim will perform a solo violin recital on November 3, joined by AMP student musicians. Both events will be held at the AMP Center for Performance & Education and open to the public.

For more information and tickets to Helen Kim’s AMP residency events, visit the Atlanta Music Project’s website: atlantamusicproject.org ■

Sinfonia Toronto to perform newly discovered Mozart Serenade in December

TORONTO, Ontario, CA— Sinfonia Toronto will showcase a recently discovered work by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart at its upcoming “Virtuosity” concert on December 6 at the Jane Mallett Theatre. The piece, titled Ganz kleine Nachtmusik (“Very Little Night Music”), was found in a Leipzig library last month and has been newly cataloged as K. 648.

Conductor Nurhan Arman, Sinfonia Toronto’s music director, described the work as an early serenade for string trio, likely composed during Mozart’s teenage years in the 1760s. “It is in seven lively movements and lasts about twelve minutes,” said Arman. “Like Mozart’s Eine kleine Nachtmusik and his string divertimentos, this piece will sound fantastic when performed by a string orchestra. I’m excited to present it to our audiences.”

The “Virtuosity” concert will also feature performances by Armenian-Danish pianist Marianna Shirinyan and Canadian oboist Caitlin Broms-Jacobs. The program includes works by Bach, Mozart, Schumann, and the Toronto premiere of Canadian composer Kevin Lau’s Prayer in a Green Cathedral oboe concerto.

Tickets for the December 6 concert are available at sinfoniatoronto.com. ■

American Composers Orchestra announces 2024-25 lineup

NEW YORK, New York— The American Composers Orchestra (ACO) has announced its lineup for the 2024-2025 season, featuring multiple EarShot Readings, CoLABoratory Workshops, and opportunities for emerging composers. The program began in 1991 and is the nation’s first systematic effort to connect composers with orchestras, providing career development opportunities for over 390 composers since its inception.

The upcoming season will include readings with Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra, Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music, Lawrence University Conservatory of Music, and the ACO itself. These events offer selected composers the chance to have their works performed and receive mentorship from established composers. Among the mentors are Jimmy López Bellido, Ana Sokolović, Dinuk Wijeratne, Augusta Read Thomas, and Curtis Stewart.

EarShot’s CoLABoratory Workshops will bring together composers and orchestras in collaborative environments. The workshops will include partnerships with the Gateways Music Festival, Alarm Will Sound, and the Boston Landmarks Orchestra this season. CoLABoratory provides an opportunity for composers to work with orchestras to create innovative, boundary-pushing compositions.

The season also includes a call for scores for the New Jersey Symphony’s Edward T. Cone Composition Institute and Lawrence University, with submission deadlines in October 2024. Additional opportunities for composers through EarShot Publishing and future workshops are also available.

ACO’s mission is to promote and support American composers and orchestral music, and its programs are designed to foster creativity, collaboration, and professional development for composers at all stages of their careers.

For more information, visit the ACO’s official website: americancomposers.org ■

EXTERNAL LINKS:

American Composers Orchestra: americancomposers.org>
Atlanta Music Project: atlantamusicproject.org
Sinfonia Toronto: sinfoniatoronto.com

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