Saturday, March 8, 2014

Kevin Scott: 'A point served...(In Remembrance Arthur Ashe)' will receive a public reading by the Detroit Symphony conducted by Leonard Slatkin 3/9/14

Kevin Scott

Arthur Ashe (1943-1993)

Kevin Scott writes:

Good morning to all:
 
Those of you who grace the Social Network media already know the news, but for those that don't, it is better late than never, I always say, but being busy these days in getting many things together has left me to neglect this end of the spectrum, namely good ol' fashioned emailing!
 
In a few hours, I will embark on another journey to Detroit, the first time in twenty years. Back in 1992 I went to Detroit as one of four finalists participating in the Unisys/Detroit Symphony Orchestra African-American Composers' Forum, nervous and excited, to say the least. Hearing the DSO was exciting in its own right, and hearing them perform my work was quite exhilarating. Suffice it to say, I won the competition and I was catapulted into the ranks of...well, let's just say my prestige went up a few notches. Commissions, performances, inquiries, lectures - you name it, and I received it.
 
Anyway, as the years went on and the commissions dried up, I turned to conducting and less composing. But when I read that the Detroit Symphony was involved with a reading session sponsored by the American Composers Orchestra, I could not resist the opportunity to enter. And, suffice it to say, my composition was accepted as one of four for the reading session!
 
Soooo...if any of you happen to be in Detroit tomorrow, my composition A point served...(In Remembrance Arthur Ashe) will receive a public reading by the Detroit Symphony conducted by Leonard Slatkin. The details are listed in the links:

 
 
Twenty-two years is a long time, but I am looking forward to this.
 
And that's not all...
 
On Sunday, March 30th, soprano Shannon Roberts will premiere my Four Songs on Haiku of Matsuo Basho at Jan Hus Church on East 74th Street in Manhattan, as part of Vox Novus' Fifteen Minutes of Fame concert series. The songs will be repeated again on Sunday, April 6th at the Church of the Ascension in Manhattan:
 
 
This song cycle - all of sixty seconds - is one of a series of compositions I have penned in recent months for this series. One other composition, Soliloquy for solo clarinet, was accepted by Bruce Curlette and was supposed to have been premiered on March 9th in New York, but he has postponed his portion of the program for Vox Novus and it will be rescheduled. Other works are still pending to be accepted by their respective performers, and I am still writing more one-minute works! It's a challenge, that's for sure...
 
And there's more coming on the way. So getting back to composing these last few months has really been good. And new performers are now asking about what I have written. Much, much more is coming...
 
But there are those who are asking - what about your conducting?

Trust me, it hasn't taken a back seat just yet, as I have two performances with the SUNY Orange Symphonic Band this month - one concert on March 21st in Newburgh, and two in Middletown on March 30th and May 17th. Details are in the press releases from the college:
 
 
 
I look forward to seeing some of you at those concerts also.
 
But for now...time to do last-minute packing and preparing for my flight to Detroit!

I will let everyone know how it has been when I get back, whether you're on Facebook...or not.
 
Sincerely,
Kevin Scott
 
p.s. - if some of you get this twice, it's because the blessed address thing is crazy!

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