Paul Brantley

Brantley commissioned to write a Cello Concerto

October 14, 2015 by Bill

Paul Brantley has been commissioned by Maestro Kenneth Kiesler and the Grammy Award winning University of Michigan Symphony to compose The Royal Revolver, a concertino for solo cello and 15 instruments.

Eric Jacobsen, cellist and conductor of The Knights, will be the cello soloist. This will be premiered in the 2017-2018 season in Ann Arbor. Details TBA.

Brantley writes: “As a composer/cellist, this cello concertino is a piece I’ve literally been thinking about writing since I was about sixteen. And so with Maestro Kiesler’s invitation, the time feels ripe to finally bring it to fruition. The Royal Revolver borrows its name from Finnegans Wake – one of Joyce’s many catch phrases such as “Here Comes Everybody” and “The Here We Are Again Gaities” – all of which evoke our mutually, psychically interdependent selves in that extraordinary dreamscape he created. I’m trying to emulate a fragment of this world by the solo cello constantly interfacing with and morphing into the other instruments of the ensemble, all in my best neo-baroque/psychedelic fashion. But on a pretty modest scale: with just a chamber ensemble of 15 instruments, in three movements, and all about 15 minutes in duration.”

If you would like to learn a little more about this Finnegans Wake inspired piece, and possibly even contribute to the consortium-styled commission, please see our Fractured Atlas project page.

The Memphis Symphony commissions Brantley in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

August 14, 2013 by Bill

The Board of Directors of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra announced The Dream Project; an original commission and elementary school educational curriculum inspired by the speeches of Dr. Martin Luther King. Following a nationwide search through the American Composer’s Forum, Paul Brantley has been selected to compose the work called The Rebirth of the Dream which will be performed by the Memphis Symphony Orchestra on May 16, 2014, at the Cannon Center. Brantley has been challenged to capture a symphonic narrative that will reflect the pain and hope of the Memphis experience through a series of movements that are meant to evoke the community’s dreams for the future.

The idea of the Dream Project began with Mei-‐Ann’s Circle of Friends, a women’s philanthropy initiative envisioned by MSO consultant, Ellen Rolfes. The group’s mission is to be an instrument of inclusion through the symphony and to honor Music Director Mei-‐Ann Chen’s passion for deeper community engagement by the organization. The Circle’s membership has grown to nearly 150 diverse women and is co-‐chaired by community leaders Mary McDaniel, Ritchie Bowden and Becky Wilson.

“The creation of the Dream Project vision was an authentic process. For months, small groups of over 70 women from the Circle engaged in deep dialogue about our collective memory of the MLK assassination and the impact it had on our community, then we explored our collective imagination about what we want Memphis to be for the next generation. It was very honest and powerful. The concert and companion educational curriculum will support this vision,” said McDaniel on behalf of the co-‐chairs.

“The Memphis Symphony Orchestra is known nationally for its innovation,” stated Gayle S. Rose, Chairman of the MSO Board. “The Dream Project’s symphonic commission and elementary school educational curriculum is an outgrowth of nearly eight years of investment in community engagement by the MSO. We believe that projects like the Dream Project represent the future of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra and of orchestras in general. We strive to be an organization that is fully engaged, relevant, and an indispensible part of the community’s cultural landscape.”

Following a nationwide competition, Brantley was selected as the composer for The Rebirth of the Dream from 282 composer candidates from 35 states. A committee from Mei-‐Ann’s Circle made the final selection through a blind evaluation in which the competing artists were asked to express their vision for the score and to provide samples of their work that they felt captured the passion and emotions required to compose The Rebirth of the Dream. There were no criteria for age, sex, race, national prominence or geographic background, nor were any of these items known to the committee.

Paul is a Georgia native who currently resides in New York City where he free-‐lances as a composer and cellist, and teaches conducting at the Manhattan School of Music. He has 16 published titles through Bill Holab Music and Oxford University Press. More information on Paul’s background and work can be found here.

“I am honored and rather humbled to have received this wonderful commission from the Memphis Symphony Orchestra,” said Brantley. “I have for a very long time been moved by the universal and active spirituality of Dr. King and his vision for a better world. My first major commission, years ago, came from my hometown symphony to compose a piece in 1986, not only to commemorate Augusta, Georgia’s then 250th anniversary, but also the first Martin Luther King Day -‐ which I was able to attend. Now, the idea of creatively encountering Dr. King’s words and spirit, the tragedy of his assassination, then moving the score into a vision for a better community is rather daunting, but also deeply inspiring. I look forward to offering the Memphis community my heart and soul.”

The Symphony’s impact will extend well beyond the concert hall. The Dream Project’s educational curriculum to be developed in the 2014-‐2015 school year will provide an ensemble to perform in the fifth grade civics classrooms as a pilot in the Charter Schools. In addition, it is hoped that the vision of this project could quickly expand to other communities with orchestras playing an adaptation of The Rebirth of the Dream that captures their own communal story shaped by the MLK legacy.

The co-‐chairs Bowen, McDaniel and Wilson believe The Memphis Symphony Orchestra has a unique opportunity to be an instrument of dialogue, storytelling, visioning, teaching and healing both on stage and in schools by using the power of its extraordinary art form to tell an iconic part of Memphis history through The Rebirth of the Dream. The Dream Project concept is not to be about the life of Martin Luther King, Jr., rather it will be a documentation about how the horrific event of his assassination took our city on a different trajectory than its sister cities in the South. The Dream Project can ultimately teach the next generation the importance of how history molds any community, but more particularly, the importance of having a dream – both personally and collectively – in order to create a meaningful life and live in a thriving, just place for all citizens. It is hoped that the vision of this project could quickly expand to other communities with orchestras playing an adaptation of The Rebirth of the Dream that captures their own communal story shaped by the MLK legacy.

For more information about The Dream Project, visit www.rebirthofthedream.org. The Dream Project is still seeking a wide range of sponsorship opportunities for The Rebirth of the Dream concert. For more information contact Ellen Rolfes at Ellen.rolfes@memphissymphony.org.

About Memphis Symphony Orchestra: The Memphis Symphony Orchestra, under Music Director Mei-‐Ann Chen, strives to enrich the lives of our diverse community through exceptional music and dynamic programs. More than 400 musicians, staff and volunteers make up the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, Memphis Symphony Chorus and the Memphis Symphony League, operating educational programs, organizing community engagement events and performing concerts. Find information about all upcoming performances, watch videos from select concerts, get details on the Symphony’s involvement in the Memphis community, and find out how to support MSO by visiting www.memphissymphony.org.

Music of Paul Brantley featured at 2013 Sophia Institute Conference

May 8, 2013 by Bill

The Sophia Institute, at Union Theological Seminary, has invited Paul Brantley to present a concert of his music to close their Sixth Annual Conference on December 6 in NYC. Brantley says: “The program will include this lapsed Buddhist’s settings of ‘wisdom literature,’ all from a decidedly Jungian/archetypal perspective”. Performers TBA.

Battle Hymn (Songs of Sophia), for soprano and Pierrot ensemble, sets ecstatically beautiful utterances of “Sophia” from the Old Testament and Apocrypha, deeply inspired by C.G. Jung’s Answer to Job.

Gnostic Cantata, for mezzo-soprano, violin, and cello, collects a variety of non-canonical wisdom texts from the esoteric Judaic, Islamic, Thomasine, and Docetic traditions, and so “Jesus” as teacher, mystic, Muslim Saint, and Rabbi.

“Named in honor of Divine Wisdom, the Sophia Institute is an independent Orthodox educational charity housed at Columbia University and Union Theological Seminary in New York City that serves as a gathering force for contemporary Orthodox scholars, theologians, spiritual teachers, and ethicists.” You can learn about the Sophia Institute and their December 6 conference, “Monasticism, Asceticism and Holiness in the Eastern Orthodox World”, here.

A version of this program will be presented a few weeks before on the Music at St. Paul’s series at Columbia University, Tuesday, November 19 at noon.

(Icon by Eileen McGuckin, www.sgtt.org)

PAUL BRANTLEY to present a CONCERT SPIRITUEL on the CONCERTS IN THE HEIGHTS series.

January 24, 2013 by Bill

On March 21^st, at eight p.m., composer and cellist Paul Brantley will be joined by mezzo-soprano, Janna Baty; flutist, Marya Martin; and pianist, Pedja Muzijevic, in a program of vocal and chamber pieces by Brantley, Mozart and Ravel.

This concert is modeled after the 18th century Parisian, “Concerts Spirituels”, which were designed to uplift and edify the public with “spiritual” music.

The program will include Mozart’s Violin Sonata in e minor — here in Brantley’s adaptation for cello and piano; Ravel’s Chansons madécasses performed by the entire ensemble; and as a companion piece the premiere of Brantley’s Sigewif — which sets an 9th century Anglo Saxon “Charm: for a swarm of bees” (in the original Anglo Saxon), as well as “Brünhilde’s Peroration”, a setting of Wagner’s unused ‘Schopenhauer ending’ to the Ring Cycle — both about archetypal “warrior women”. The program will close with Brantley’s Swevens Sonata for flute and piano, which was commissioned and premiered by Marya Martin at the Bridgehampton Festival this past summer.

Thursday, March 21st at 8pm

Fort Washington Collegiate Church,
729 W. 181st, NYC

$12 general/$7 students/seniors

http://www.concertsintheheights.org

Paul Brantley composes “Esterházy” for Flux Quartet and The New Esterházy Quartet

December 13, 2012 by Bill

To celebrate the life of the late Mathematician and early Computer Pioneer, Franz Alt, Paul Brantley has been commissioned to compose a string quartet in memory of his dear friend, who passed away last year at age 100! Franz was also a wonderful amateur violinist and violist who regularly held string quartet readings in his home – which he played in up until the last year of his very rich life and in which Brantley participated as cellist for nearly a decade.

Inspired by Haydn’s comment that that by moving to Esterházy he was “forced to become original” — by his virtual isolation — Brantley is calling his piece “Esterházy.” The composer writes: “I’ve always responded to this statement more as a metaphor for the creative process in general: wherever the artist might be geographically, one has to enter a self-reliant, ‘Esterházy,’ frame of mind–and so the creative person’s perennial balancing act of ‘being in the world’/’being in one’s own’. Franz’ life was manifestly a meaningful and beautiful balance in this regard.”

Upon this piece being announced for Flux Quartet, Brantley was contacted by The New Esterházy Quartet, the renowned period instrument group, which expressed interest in giving the West Coast premiere. “As much as I was thrilled by such a request, the music I had conceived and written at that point was not entirely idiomatic for such a period instrument group. But in that this music was consumed with all kinds of “doubles”, the idea occurred to me to compose two independent and yet interlaced quartets: one for Flux, the new music quartet; and one for NEQ, the period instrument group.” Both will be premiered in the 2013-2014 season.

You can read more about this Fractured Atlas sponsored project here.