Highlights

Seasons: Five Poems of Louis Jenkins

July
August Evening
Confusing Fall Warblers
December
Sages in Spring

Commissioned by Schubert Club for Maria Jette with funding provided by Barbara Brown and John Michel in honor of Barry Kempton

Premiered April 13, 2022 at Schubert Club Courtroom Concert by Maria Jette, soprano and Mary Jo Gothmann, piano

Photo: Lake Itasca, Jonathan Posthuma 2021

Seasons: Five Poems of Louis Jenkins

A string quartet inspired by Glacier National Park

I. Rising Ridges
II. Vanishing Glaciers
III. Rushing Falls

Premiered by Mill City String Quartet, April 13, 2022 at Schubert Club Courtroom Concert

Going-to-the-Sun (String Quartet No. 1)

Composed by Jonathan Posthuma for the University of Wisconsin - Madison Wind Ensemble, under the direction of Scott Teeple. Premiered on April 24, 2015.

An Isthmus Aubade

VIII. Mother's Songs

VI. Her Grip

Prelude 'Sky Dance' (with narration)

"Fili di Perle" (Strings of Pearls) was composed for the Karol Szymanowski Composition Competition and was awarded 3rd Prize. The piece was premiered by the Academic Symphony Orchestra of the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice, Poland; under the direction of Maciej Tomasiewicz.

Fili di Perle (Strings of Pearls)

PostSecret: The Song Cycle was composed in 2014. Jonathan Poshtuma uses 20 secrets selected from PostSecret, an ongoing community art project founded by Frank Warren in 2005, in which people create anonymous postcards that contain a secret they have never shared before. The instrumentation is for Pierrot Ensemble, a standard contemporary ensemble that uses flute, clarinet, violin, violoncello, piano and voice.

PostSecret: The Song Cycle was premiered as part of the Southern Miss New Music Festival, April 9, 2016 by Stacey Trentaseaux, soprano; Hector Pinzon, piano/conductor; Rainel Joubert, violin; Xochitl Morales, cello; Thiago Bottego, flute; Mike Gruetzner, clarinet.

PostSecret: The Song Cycle LIVE

Created for VocalEssence ReMix 2017

performed as part of the 2017 ACDA National Festival ReMix Workshop in Minneapolis, MN and recording in March 2017

ReMix 2017

As the Deer

No. 18 "Intoxication" for solo violin
No. 20 "Unstable Equilibrium" for violin and violoncello
No. 16 "In the Magic Mirror" for solo cello

Premiered and recorded live on June 7, 2018 by Bradley Bascon, violin and Tom Valdez, violoncello, at Mostly Modern Festival, Saratoga Springs, NY

Intoxication - Unstable Equilibrium - In The Magic Mirror - MMF 2018

In recent years, the seed-saving and heirloom vegetable movement has put thousands of people back in touch with the diverse bounty and beauty of fresh produce. And perhaps the tomato – in all of its myriad colors, shapes, forms, flavors, and textures – is the ultimate show-stopper of the gardening world.  Heirloom Hallelujah! captures the abundance of heirloom tomatoes in a joyful musical mosaic of over 160 heirloom tomato varieties in about 4 minutes of music. Behind these unique (and sometimes hilarious sounding!) names is a tapestry of cultures, traditions, and personal stories that is still growing and evolving. The text itself was assembled from several sources, with thanks to Gary Ibsen, founder of the Carmel TomatoFest and heirloom enthusiast, whose website along with The Heirloom Tomato, a book by Amy Goldman, was consulted to choose which synonym and spelling of each variety was used for the lyrics. By celebrating the wholesome diversity of the tomato in song, perhaps we can begin to encourage and grow gardens of delight in our own lives, prompting more moments where our response should be nothing but “Hallelujah!”
​
Heirloom Hallelujah! was composed for VocalEssence Remix 2016 and premiered by mpls (ImPulse), a choir based in Minneapolis.

Score and Lyrics: https://www.jonathanposthuma.com/store/p64/Heirloom_Hallelujah%21.html

Heirloom Hallelujah!

World Premiere by the American Modern Orchestra at the Mostly Modern Festival, June 3, 2018. Martim Sousa Tavares, conductor

A "ricercar" is a Baroque form, often likened to a "fugal fantasia" and is usually improvised as an introduction to a larger work. As the first movement of "Chamber Symphony," broad harmonic and thematic concepts are presented, which will be developed in subsequent movements.

"Ricercar" from Chamber Symphony - Beams of Heaven

World Premiere by the American Modern Orchestra at the Mostly Modern Festival, June 3, 2018.

Martim Sousa Tavares, conductor

The second of four "tone poems" in the full work, "The Flood - clouds may hide tomorrow's sun" creates a watery landscape filled with rising tension and swirling currents of sound. The climax is a cloudburst, when the heavens open, allowing the listener to finally let go and "join the storm."

"II. The Flood - clouds may hide tomorrow's sun" from Chamber Symphony - Beams of Heaven

Premiered by American Modern Ensemble
June 14, 2018, Mostly Modern Festival, Saratoga Springs, NY

"Dream City" (Traum-Stadt, 1921)
Luminescent green, blue, pink, and silver shapes shimmer in the moonlight, creating a city of crystal, like one seen in a dream, which slowly evaporates into the night.

Dream City (Traum-Stadt, 1921) - No. 22 From Paul Klee Painted Songs

Premiered by American Modern Ensemble
June 14, 2018, Mostly Modern Festival, Saratoga Springs, NY

"Carnival in the Mountains" (Karneval im Gebirge, 1924)
Dimly lit but multi-colored figures, some appearing to be vendors, performers, animals, and costumed guests, blend together in a scene both jovial and grotesque beneath the faint blue mountains in the distance, which form a peaceful contrast to the frenzied activity of the foreground.

Carnival in the Mountains (Karvneval im Gebirge, 1924) - No. 17 from Paul Klee : Painted Songs

Premiered by American Modern Ensemble
June 14, 2018, Saratoga Springs, NY

"Rose Garden" (Rosengarten, 1920)
Twenty-seven roses are sprinkled aesthetically throughout a city of pink, orange, and white buildings, criss-crossed by streets and pathways. This use of a recurring symbolic motive keeps the eye moving throughout the community, and observe its structures from various perspectives while exploring the garden.

Rose Garden (Rosengarten, 1920) - No. 13 from Paul Klee Painted Songs

No. 161 - Colorful Flower Beds "Buntes Beet" is an open score, improvised work based on one of Paul Klee's "magic square" paintings. It can be performed as a solo, duet, or with any combination or number of instruments.

This recording of the premiere with Amelia Smith, clarinet and Jonathan Posthuma, piano was recorded live at The New Ruckus Composer Night at Studio Z, Saint Paul on July 10, 2019

Colorful Flower Beds "Buntes Beet" - No. 161 from Paul Klee: Painted Songs

Recorded live on October 17, 2019 at Studio Z, Saint Paul, MN

Eri Isomura, marimba
Devan Moran, violin
Amelia Smith, clarinet
Jonathan Posthuma, composer / piano

Ghost of a Genius (Gespent eines Genies, 1922)- No. 117 from Paul Klee: Painted Songs

Recorded live on October 17, 2019 at Studio Z, Saint Paul, MN

Eri Isomura, marimba
Jonathan Posthuma, composer

Hidden Treasures (Kleinode, 1937) - No. 89 from Paul Klee: Painted Songs

Recorded live on October 17, 2019 at Studio Z, Saint Paul, MN

Jonathan Posthuma, composer / piano

Illuminated Leaf (Belichtetes Blatt, 1929) - No. 9 from Paul Klee: Painted Songs

Collection of recorded compositions of Jonathan Posthuma, composer.

Highlights

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