Sunday, December 22, 2013

Chicago Modern Orchestra Project Opens 'Let Thunder Roll!! Celebrating the Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King' with Jack Curtis Dubowsky's 'Mist' January 22, 2014




The Commissioned Piece Opens “Let Thunder Roll!! Celebrating the Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King”
@ South Shore Cultural Center January 22

“One of the great benefits of living in the Bay Area is the opportunity to tap into its vibrant new-music scene. This movable feast of experimental music seems to be fueled by an unending parade of gifted composers and performers who have spent their lives redefining musical boundaries. Classical and film composer Jack Curtis Dubowsky is truly one of these San Francisco sonic explorers” San Francisco Classical Voice

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Los Angeles, CA:  Chicago Modern Orchestra Project (CMOP) premieres a new commissioned work titled “MIST” by composer, musician, author and music educator Jack Curtis Dubowsky on the evening of January 22nd.  The avant-garde piece will open the program consisting of performances celebrating the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., titled “Let Thunder Roll!! Celebrating the Life of Dr. Martin Luther King.”  “MIST”, the follow up to Dubowsky’s much-lauded “Harvey Milk:  A Cantata” (2012), is part of a repertoire that often touches on social justice as a theme (other works include “Quaker Peace Testimony,” “Eisenhower Farewell Address” and a choral setting of Langston Hughes “Lynching Song”).  The impressionistic piece is described by the composer as incorporating drones, structured improvisation, indeterminacy and ambient moods.  Renee’ C. Baker is the music director of CMOP.  The evening also includes performances by the Chicago Community Chorus, the AACM-Great Black Music Ensemble, the Kenwood Academy String Ensemble and the world premiere of Baker’s “Spatial Genesis.”   “MIST” and the performances of “Let Thunder Roll!!” will take place in the Paul Robeson Theater @ South Shore Cultural Center, 7059 South Shore Drive, Chicago, IL beginning at 7pm.

Jack Curtis Dubowsky is a composer, performer and educator currently residing in Long Beach, CA.  His wide-ranging repertoire includes the aforementioned “Harvey Milk: A Cantata”—a major choral work based on unpublished texts by Milk which premiered in June 2012 at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.  He also founded the Jack Curtis Dubowsky Ensemble, an internationally recognized new music group performing contemporary electro-acoustic music.  The ensemble has performed chamber music series, galleries and alternative spaces including The Tank (NYC), Meridien Gallery (SF) and AS220 (RI).   The ensemble features Dubowsky on Roland Jupiter Six and bass and regular players Hall Goff (trombone), Fred Morgan (percussion) and Erika Johnson (percussion).  The group recently released its third album, Jack Dubowsky Ensemble III in 2011.

Says Dubowsky:  “I feel honored to be included in this celebration and I feel it’s a fitting debut for me with this unique orchestra.  My musical work with the GALA choral movement, community orchestras and disenfranchised performance artists connects me in spirit to the festivities in honor of one of the greatest activists for social justice and civil rights.”

Says Renee’ Baker:  “Upon initial conversation with composer Dubowsky, there was an openness there that I felt would allow him to compose a beautifully executed piece specifically for CMOP.  “MIST” will set the tone and ambiance for the opening of our MLK celebration.”

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