Opaque Silence: Flash (Symbia III) for solo violin, performed by Lusine Harutyunyan, CSULA, February 25, 2014.

Opaque Silence: Flash

Lamentations: Hayasdan, for alto and soprano saxophones and piano was originally written for alto saxophone and marimba. This recent arrangement was premiered by William Street, saxophones and Roger Admiral, piano in a series of concerts in Edmonton, San Jose and Los Angeles. Here is the Los Angeles performance from October, 2013. Hayasdan is the Armenian word for "Armenia".

Lamentations: Hayasdan

Studio Recording by violist Michael Hall, for whom the piece was written, and to whom it is dedicated.

Program note:  SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE was composed for violist Michael Hall, whom I’ve had the great pleasure to meet on numerous occasions and to admire his exceptional artistry.  The basic idea, and challenge, for this piece was to create a flow of events that was at once directional over the arc of the piece, while being quixotic from moment to moment, at least in many places.  Repetition of short ideas, with some variation, gives some continuity to the flow of events, but the ordering of the events is often unpredictable (especially on first hearing).  Many of the shifts from one idea to another are quite abrupt, while others are more subtle, giving rise to event-groups that suggest longer phrases.  The opening tempo mark includes the indication “Un po’ lunatico”, or ‘a bit crazy,’ which should provide a good indication of the piece’s logos.

Subject To Change Without Notice (solo viola)

Three Pieces for String Quartet 2

Composer John M. Kennedy produces an eclectic range of work from mixed ensemble and solo pieces to multi-media and theatrical works, that draws upon his roots as a Rock and Jazz bassist. Recent compositional highlights include the premieres of  “Syrinx: Requires I, D.M.” for solo double bass (2020), composer as bassist, “Chaconne-Part 1” for mixed sextet by the French group TM+ (2019), and “Meditation” and “Fury” for solo ‘cello by Maksim Velichkin (2019). In Europe his work has been premiered and performed at World Saxophone Congresses in Scotland and Zagreb; in Malta by members of the Malta Philharmonic and the Armed Forces Malta Band; Interensemble of Padova, Italy; the Salzburg Mozarteum; and Asian new music festivals in Bangkok, Kwang-ju and Daegu. As a double bassist he premiered William Roper’s “New-Opened Eyes-1965” memorializing the Watts Riots in February 2019, and in June 2019 premiered Roper’s entire graphic score suite,  "Experience > Dream > Memory - Slivers of Time”. Early recognition for his work includes the Charles Ives Prize from the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters and a Young Composer Award from ASCAP. His work has been recognized by Meet the Composer (Now New Music USA), ASCAP Plus Awards and Subito grants from the American Composers Forum, Los Angeles. A faculty member of California State University, Los Angeles since 1994, he received an Outstanding Professor Award in 2013.  At the University of Michigan, he studied music composition with Leslie Bassett and William Albright, and double bass with Lawrence Hurst and Stuart Sankey.

Three Pieces for String Quartet 2

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