Celebrating Pianists

Ninth Annual New Music Festival Kicks Off March 7

March 2, 2010

Cal State Fullerton’s College of the Arts will celebrate “The Pianists in the 21st Century” March 7-13 at the 9th Annual New Music Festival. The weeklong celebration will include the works of composers Frederic Rzewski, Augusta Read Thomas, Amy Williams and Carolyn Yarnell.

In addition to the performances, there will be a Composer-Performance Symposium featuring the World Electroacoustic Listening Room, lectures, performances and a panel discussion. The symposium will be held from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, March 13, in the Recital Hall of the Joseph Clayes III Performing Arts Center.

All performances will be held in the Meng Concert Hall, including:

• Pianist Gloria Cheng and the University Symphony Orchestra performing “Aurora” by Augusta Read Thomas 4 p.m. Sunday, March 7
• Bugallo-Williams Piano Duo featuring the John Cage Dances for duo prepared pianos plus the premier of a new work by Pamela Madsen, associate professor of music and artistic director of the music festival. 8 p.m. Tuesday, March 9
• New Music Ensemble featuring Grammy Award-winning Bill Cunliff and fellow Cal State Fullerton faculty members Eduardo Delgado, Alison Edwards, Mikhail Korzhev, Füreya Ünal and Robert Watson and works by Rzewski, Williams and Yarnell. 8 p.m. Wednesday, March 10
• Kathleen Supové, “The Exploding Piano,” featuring guest composer Yarnell 8 p.m. Thursday, March 11
• Pianist Ursula Oppens featuring the works of William Elden Bolcom, Elliott Carter, Rzewski and Williams. 8 p.m. Friday, March 12
• Composer Frederic Rzewski performs with pianists Williams, Ursula Oppens, faculty and guest pianists 8 p.m. Saturday, March 13

For more information, visit the music festival website. For tickets, call 657-278-3371 or go to www.fullerton.edu/arts/events.