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Large Ensemble

Large Ensemble
Overview

  • Unhinged (2014) for orchestra – ca. 12′
  • Three Pieces of Yellow (2011) for sextet – 5’
  •  anticipation, emancipated (2010) for sinfonietta – 10’
  • prediction is forever impossible (2009) for sinfonietta – 10’
  • Vier Stückchen (2009) for sextet – 6’

Unhinged (2014) for orchestra – 12′

 This piece was commissioned by Southwest German Radio (SWR) and premiered on February 8, 2015 at the ECLAT Festival in Stuttgart, Germany. The instrumentation is 3.3.3.3 / 4.3.3.1 4 / perc. timp. pno. hp. / 14.12.10.8.6Performance materials are available at Edition Gravis.Unhinged_Excerpt 

Three Yellow Pieces (2011) for sextett – 5′

 This piece was commissioned by Carin Levine for the Landesjugendensemble für Neue Musik Niedersachsen and it was premiered at the 2011 Weimarer Frühjahrstage für zeitgenössische Musik in Germany.  The instrumentation is flute, also saxophone, piano, violin, viola and cello.  Performance materials available upon request. 

anticipation, emancipated (2010) for sinfonietta – 10′

This piece was commissioned by Ensemble Contemporain de Montréal+ as part of their 2010 Generation program and national tour.  The instrumentation is 1.0.1.1/1.0.0.0./perc, pno, e-guit/1.1.1.0. 

For a recording see the Media page and a score is available for download.

prediction is forever impossible (2009) for sinfonietta – 10′

This piece was commissioned by Canadian Broadcasting Corporation for the Ensemble Contemporain de Montréal+ with Véronique Lacroix conducting, as part of the 2009 CBC/SRC National Composers Prize.  The instrumentation is 1.0.1.1./1.0.1.0./perc./2.1.1.1. and performance materials are available from Edition Gravis.  

Vier Stückchen (2009) für Sextett – 6′

These four miniatures are for a conducted sextet of flute (doubling piccolo), clarinet (doubling bass clarinet), piano, violin, viola and cello.  Score and performance materials are available from Edition Gravis.    

Vokalmusik

Vocalmusic
Overview

  • Encounters (2019) for two Inuit throat singers, vocal sextet and Accordion – 35’
  •  In a Gold Room: a Harmony (2015) for mixed chorus – 5’
  • Tape Recorder (2014) for mixed chorus – 5’
  • Two Inuit Folk Songs (2006) for mixed chorus – 13’

encounters (2019) for two Inuit throat singers, vocal sextet and Accordion – 35’

In a Gold Room (2016) for mixed chorus – 5’

Commissioned by Eric Banks and his Seattle Choir the Esoterics, this piece is a setting of a short poem by Oscar Wilde.  Score and recording available upon request.  

Tape Recorder (2014) for mixed chorus – 5’

Commissioned by the C4 Ensemble in New York City and also available on their CD Recording Cornerstones.  The text is from the welch poet Zoë Skoulding’s collection “The Museum of Disappearing Sounds”.  A score is available for preview.  

Two Inuit Folk Songs (2006) for mixed chorus – 13’

These pieces are settings of two English translations made by Franz Boas of Inuit texts that he collected in the late 19th century on Baffin Island in northern Canada.  The score, including a pdf preview, is available at Edition Gravis.

Chambermusic

Chambermusic
Overview

  • fragile deconstructions (2018) for accordion, viola and percussion – 16’
  •  Chanson Ruée (2017) for piano quartet – 1’
  •  fragile reconstructions (2017) for accordion und string quartet – 13’
  •  pale glimmering trails (2016) for koto, gayageum, cello and double bass – 10’
  •  die stille der gestalt (2013) for sextet – 9’
  •  Moving Pictures (2012-13) for string quartet – 15′
  •  it waits to bend and blossom (2008) for 2 pianos & 2 percussion – 8-11’
  • Untitled (2007) for recorder, saxophone and percussion – 12’
  • Unplugged (2007) for guitar quartet – 8’
  • Music for Flute, Guitar and Cimbalom (2002) – 10’

fragile deconstructions (2018) for accordion, viola and percussion – 16′

Chanson Ruée (2017) für Klavierquartett – 1′

fragile reconstructions (2017) for accordion and string quartet – 13′

pale glimmering trails (2016) for koto, gayageum, cello and double bass – 10′

die stille der gestalt (2013) for sextet – 9′

Moving Pictures (2012-13) for string quartet – 15′

it waits to bend and blossom (2008) for 2 pianos and 2 percussion – 8-11′

Untitled (2007) for recorder, saxophone and percussion – 12′

Unplugged (2007) for guitar quartet – 8′

Music for Flute, Guitar and Cimbalom (2002) – 10′

Solo / Duo

Solo / Duo
Overview:

  • Between the Lines (2019) for Percussion Solo – ca. 8′
  • Domestic Abuse (2015) for two Performers on one Cello – ca. 6′ 
  • Marche en sous-sol (2015) für Piano – 1’
  • più (2007) for two Marimbas – 6’
  • poco a poco . . . meno mosso (2002) for Violin & Viola – 9’
  • Three Sketches for Guitar (2001) – 6’

Between the Lines (2019) for Percussion Solo – ca. 8′

This work was written for French Percussionist Pascal Pons and premiered on May 21, 2019 in Freiburg, Germany.  It is the result of a longer collaboration in which he and I explored some of the particularities of his instrument collection: various plate bells, Japanese and Tibeten bowls, Thai and button gongs and other pitched metals.  The piece is an exploration of the various acoustic and resultant pitches/sounds from combining the resonances from these diverse metals such as difference tones, subtle differences in intonation and harmonic references.  


Download Score


Domestic Abuse (2015) for two Performers on one Cello – ca. 6′ 

A cello, an almost holy instrument that is often treated as an art object, is subjected to a new and almost abusive treatment by the two performers in this piece.  This radical change of perspective opens our ears to hearing the instrument in a new way:  at first a kind of wooden drum but also in fresh and subtle sounds in the retuned and prepared strings of the instrument.  The music created on this ‘objet trouvé’ runs the gamut from aggressive to introverted, and it reveals a completely new perspective on the instrument.  https://www.youtube.com/embed/m8z2idFzNOw?wmode=transparent&fs=1

Marche en sous-sol (2015) for Piano – 1’

 This piano piece is part of the collection of works called Musica Ficta, a 4-volume edition of newly composed pieces for young pianists put together by French composer Gérard Pesson.  The piece is available as part of Volume 1 of the series and can be ordered from Henry Lemoine in Paris :  https://www.henry-lemoine.com/en/catalogue/fiche/28948

più (2007) for two Marimbas – 6’

This virtuosic duo for two 5-octave marimbas pushes the limits of both the performers and music notation… a wild ride.  Performance materials and a score preview are available from Edition Gravis. <iframe width=”560″ height=”315″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/OEAEboztfws” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture” allowfullscreen></iframe>

poco a poco . . . meno mosso (2002) for Violin & Viola – 9’

This is an early work originally composed for the Aspen Music Festival.  It’s a study in slow transformation and irregular repetition with limited materials, as well as being a workout for both players.  Score is available upon request. 

<iframe width=”100%” height=”166″ scrolling=”no” frameborder=”no” allow=”autoplay” src=”https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/234223234&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true”></iframe>

Three Sketches for Guitar (2001) – 6’

A work for solo guitar written while I actually still played the instrument.  Premiered by Daniel Quinn in Bloomington, Indiana.  Score and recording are available upon request.

Event-Header-OddCouples_klein

ODD COUPLES

Programmflyer
Pressemitteilung

Installation Concert and Online Composition

ODD COUPLES is an innovative project from composer Gordon Williamson and video artist Sascha Hahn. The piece is a collection of 24 duos for unusual and unexpected musical pairings – always miniatures – that will exist online but that can also be performed as a hybrid piece: with some duos performed live and some projected on screens. The Odd Couples catalogue is rich and diverse collection of musicians and instruments that offer the listener a journey through various epochs, cultures and even tunings. Tuba and electric guitar, flexatone und trombone, baroque organ and harmonica… always a surprising combination and a touch of humour!

The starting impulse for the project is an installation concert in the Sprengel Museum Hannover on March 6th, 2022 at 3pm. Half of the duos are performed live and the other half are projected on the walls of the museum, further ensemble works for variable instrumentations from Williamson, Stockhausen, Andriessen und Tenney are also on the program. The public in invited to wander through the installation concert and discover their own unique path through the music.

The first six videos of the ODD COUPLES catalogue came online in February. From March through May there will be roughly two new videos a week posted to the main project page. Once completed, the listener/viewer is free to peruse through the composition in any order they wish.

Zetilupe_Flyer

ZEITLUPE 2019

>>> zum aktuellen Programm der Projektreihe
aktueller Flyer Zeitlupe

Das Format

Die Zeitlupe ist ein Konzertformat, das sich die Vermittlung Neuer Musik zum Ziel setzt. Sie bietet die Möglichkeit, ein zentrales Werk zweimal zu hören und das ästhetische Umfeld kennen zu lernen. Die guten Erfahrungen nutzend, die wir in der Hannoverschen Gesellschaft für Neue Musik (HGNM) bereits in der in der Vergangenheit gesammelt hatten, möchten wir dieses Format in erweiterter Weise weiter führen.

Die HGNM, mit Gordon Williamson und Margit Kern als künstlerischen Leitern, konzipierte die Zeitlupe-Konzerte 2015 im Konzertformat. Die Reihe hat sich in kürzester Zeit mit einem umfangreichen Publikum etabliert

Durch die Zeitlupe waren bereits eine Reihe internationaler KomponistInnen und Ensembles in Hannover zu hören. 

Sie zeichnet sich durch eine große Vielfalt von KomponistInnen und InterpretInnen aus: so u.a. José Maria Sanchez-Verdú (ES), Gérard Pesson (FR), Younghi Pagh-Paan (KR), Katharina Rosenberger (CH), Bent Sørensen (DK), Harri Suliamo (FI), Klaus Huber (DE), Daniel Peter Biro (CA), SigmaProject (ES), Pascal Pons (FR), Asian Art Ensemble (DE), Mikko Luoma (FI), Musikfabrik (DE), Ensemble Mixtura (DE) und das Ensemble Cairn (FR) um nur einige zu nennen. Auch konnten bereits eine ganze Reihe von Kompositionsaufträgen vergeben werden, die im Rahmen der Zeitlupe ihre Uraufführung erfuhren.

Zeitlupe Struktur

Die Zeitlupe stellt ein jeweils musikalisches Werk in den Mittelpunkt des Konzertes. Der oder die von uns eingeladene KomponistIn wählt ein zum Jahresthema passendes Stück, ein Zweites wird von uns dazu gewählt. Wir möchten bereits mit der Struktur des Konzertteiles vielerlei Anknüpfungspunkte für das spätere Gespräch mit dem Publikum schaffen. Von der Form reicht dieser von der klassischen Konzertsituation bis zur freiheitlich gestalteten Konzertinstallation. Nun folgt der Vortrag eines Musikwissenschaftlers oder Künstlers, der, im Anschluss von einem Moderator geleitet, den Komponisten oder die Komponistin und das Publikum in das Gespräch hinein nimmt. Dabei ist uns wichtig, den Komponisten oder die Komponistin dem Publikum in seinem oder ihrem schöpferischen Denken und Arbeiten angemessen zu präsentieren. Die inneren Bezüge des ersten Teils schaffen hier zahlreiche Anknüpfungspunkte zum Kennenlernen von KomponistIn und Werk. Besonderes Augenmerk legen wir auf Vermittlung durch Resonanz, was für uns bedeutet, nach einem Vortrag mit dem Publikum,

 begleitet von einem Moderator, ins Gespräch zu kommen. Den dritten Teil der Zeitlupe bildet die Wiederholung des zentralen Werkes, das nach der intensiven Betrachtung noch einmal neue Hörperspektiven aufzeigt.

<div class=”video-container”><iframe src=”https://player.vimeo.com/video/274154560″ width=”640″ height=”360″ frameborder=”0″ allow=”autoplay; fullscreen” allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<p><a href=”https://vimeo.com/274154560″>Ming Tsao Zeitlupe HGNM</a> from <a href=”https://vimeo.com/user71504029″>HGNM</a> on <a href=”https://vimeo.com”>Vimeo</a>.</p>

Inuit_3

ENCOUNTERS

Programmflyer
Artikel aus der Stuttgarter Zeitung

Einführungstext

Inuit throat singing is a form of musical expression that manages to fuse simplicity with complexity into songs that

have charmed and delighted listeners from all cultural backgrounds. As a composer with antennae for all things new and different in music, I have often wondered about the possibility of composing for Inuit throat singers. And yet, most of what I am trying to accomplish as a composer is already present in traditional Inuit throat singing: the sounds are totally unique as musical material, they are put together in highly sophisticated structures that mystify the listener, and the songs feature original, quasi- improvised forms that even manage to evade the need for music notation.

<div class=”video-container”><iframe width=”560″ height=”315″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/oScuC2h-39U” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture” allowfullscreen></iframe></div>

Archive

May 21, 2019: between the lines premiered by Pascal Pons (percussion) at E-Werk, Freiburg, Germany.

February 25, 2019: encounters premiered by the Neue Vocalsolisten, Winnie and Lisa-Louise Ittukallak, and Margit Kern, 2019 MNM Festival, Montreal.

May 19, 2018: Unhinged performed by the China National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Yongyan Huat the opening concert of the Beijing Modern Music Festival/ISCM World New Music Days in Beijing, China.

April 19, 2018:fragile deconstructions premiered Ensemble Etendis at the Klangbrücken Festival in Hannover, Germany.

November 21, 2017:  Chanson Ruée premiered by the Flex Ensemble in the Musik 21 in NDR Series, Hannover, Germany.

June 1, 2017:  fragile reconstructions premiered by Sonar Quartet and Andreas Borregaard, accordion at the KLANG Festival in Copenhagen, Denmark.

March 29, 2016: pale glimmering trails premiered by the Asian Art Ensemble in Konzerthaus, Berlin, Germany.

March 7, 2015:  Tape Recorder premiered by the C4 Composer Conductor Collective, conducted by Perry Townsend at Symphony Space, New York.

February 8, 2015:Unhinged premiered by Radio Symphony Orchestra Stuttgart conducted by Rupert Huber at the ECLAT Festival in Stuttgart, Germany.

April 25, 2013:Vier Stückchen performed by Ensemble Continuum (Toronto) conducted by Brian Current.

January 11, 2013: Portrait Concert at CRR Versailles, France.  Works for percussion and chamber music performed by students of Prof. Pascal Pons.

May 26, 2012:Moving Pictures premiered by Kairos Quartet at the Visions Festival, Hannover.

April28, 2011:Three Yellow Piecespremiered by Landesjugendensemble für Neue Musik, Weimarer Frühjahrstage für Neue Musik.

November, 2010: anticipation, emancipated premiered by Ensemble Contemporain de Montreal+ conducted by Véronique Lacroix, seven city Canadian tour:  Banff, Victoria, Vancouver, Montréal, Ottawa, Toronto and St. John’s.

June 26, 2010: berceuse premiered by l’Orchestre de la francophonie Canadienne conducted by Jean-Philippe Tremblay at NAC Southam Hall, Ottawa.

September 25, 2009: Two Inuit Folk Songs performed by the Swedish Radio Choir conducted by Cecilia Rydinger Alin, conductor, 2009 ISCM Festival.

March 26, 2009:prediction is forever impossible premiered by Ensemble Contemporain de Montréal+ conducted by Véronique Lacroix. 

October 16, 2008:  it waits to bend and blossom premiered by International Ensemble Modern Academy at the Donaueschingen Next Generation Program.

April 26, 2007:  Two Inuit Folk Songs premiered by Ars Nova Copenhagen conducted by Risto Joost.

Dates

6. March 2021,
______________

 at 3 PM, Sprengel Museum HannoverOdd Couples, Installationskonzert von Gordon Williamson Further Info

5. November 2021,
______________

 Zollverein Essen, performance of Vintage and breathing room at the NOW! Festival


30. Oktober 2021,
______________

Vintage for Babel Table (Totem Electrique) performed at the Sprengel Museum Hannover

29. Oktober 2021,
______________

Vintage for Babel Table (Totem Electrique) in Rasselmania Hildesheim

27. Oktober 2021,
______________

Premiere of Vintage für Babel Table (Totem Electrique) in Syke Vorwerk

November 3, 2019:
______________

Premiere of encounters by Lisa-Louise and Winnie Ittukallak (Throat Singers), Margit Kern (accordion) and the Neue Vocalsolisten, Sprengel Museum Hannover

Zur Programmseite

October 31, 2019:
______________

Premiere of encounters by Lisa-Louise and Winnie Ittukallak (Throat Singers), Margit Kern (accordion) and the Neue Vocalsolisten, Theaterhaus, Stuttgart

October 17, 2019:
______________

premiere of New Work by Quasar Saxophone Quartet, Chapelle historique du Bon-Pasteur, Montreal.

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