Pamela Stein, soprano

Today the New Jersey Daily Record offers a sneak peek at this Sunday‚Äôs Seasonal Sunday Salon “Edgar Allan Poe” concert. No, Andrew Pecota and I did not co-write a piece, but we both have pieces on the concert. The centerpiece of Sunday’s concert is a new mini-opera by Robert W. Butts based on Poe’s The Tell-Tale Heart.


The article can be read here.

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Richard D. Russell will have three pieces performed on October 24, 2010 at the Bell and Barter Theater in Rockaway, NJ. Details are on the poster, please click for a larger view. All of the day’s pieces will have a theme tied in with Edgar Allan Poe.

Russell’s compositions include “A Poe Fantasia” plus two new premieres: “Eldorado” and “Annabel Lee” both for voice and piano trio.

There will be a premiere of a new mini-opera by Robert Butts, a re-imagining of Poe’s classic short story, “The Tell-Tale Heart.”

The concert starts at 3pm, and tickets are available for $15 by emailing your total tickets desired to: seasonal.sunday.salons@gmail.com

Tickets at the door are $25, so save $10 by registering early!

A wine and cheese reception is included in the ticket’s cost.

The post Three Compositions based on Poe poems: Oct 24 appeared first on Richard D. Russell.

click for a larger size view

On July 25, 2010 In Mid Air Productions presents its next Seasonal Sunday Salon: “Songs of a Sultry Summer: Surrender to the Siren.” The concert will feature several world premieres, with music by Robert Butts, Robert Cohen, and Richard D. Russell. Maestro Butts is the afternoon’s conductor.

The post “A Law Divine” and songs from “Hades”, on July 25 appeared first on Richard D. Russell.

Here’s several pics from the evening (click to enlarge).

Sofia Dimitrova, with Sophia Munoz on piano

Sophia Munoz and Richard Russell compare notes

Sofia Dimitrova

Sofia Dimitrova and Christina Goyne

Christina Goyne

The post Two Song Cycles featured in Mannes College of Music Concert appeared first on Richard D. Russell.

Sofia Dimitrova

Christina Goyne

Two pieces by Richard Russell will be featured in a concert at Mannes College of Music on June 30, 8pm. Mannes is at 150 West 85th Street in New York, and the concert is free and open to the public.

The first piece is a world premiere of Four Shakespeare Songs in Madrigal Style, featuring soprano Sofia Dimitrova and mezzo Christina Goyne. The second piece is Time is Not an Option, the awarded commission from Voices Up! recently premiered at Fordham University. Hope to see you there!

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Peter Sheridan

Peter Sheridan, an Australian-based specialist in low flutes, recently performed my “Fast Tides, Slow Tides” in Portland, Oregon. This was a special arrangement written for him to perform on alto flute. I was not able to be there, but he reports:

I performed Fast tides on Thurs. May 6th at the Old Church in Portland, OR. It was by invitation of the PSU Instrumental Music Club. I gave several lecture demonstrations on the instruments that week and did discuss a few of the ‘fantastic’ rhythmic complexities of Fast Tides in the class for composers. Again I discussed the piece and demonstrated a few sections on Tues. April 28th at Fresno, Cal State for the flute studio. It is a wonderful work Richard. I would like to record it next year.

You can learn more about Peter Sheridan at http://lowflutes.com/

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The only problem with these events is that since I’m taking pictures, I don’t always get a chance to get a picture of me in there! But here are several pics of the day’s event. (Click for larger size.)

Catherine Miller and Sofia Dimitrova relax before the concert

Sofia Dimitrova and Catherine Miller compare notes

NYCC director John de Clef Pineiro addresses the audience

Another view of John de Clef Pineiro

Sofia Dimitrova sings

The post “A Poe Fantasia” sung in NYCC’s “Encores Outreach Program” appeared first on Richard D. Russell.

Soprano Marjorie Berg sang my “The Tune is in the Tree” in a special chamber music arrangement, and soprano Pamela Stein sang “When Time is Over.” Aaron Dai was the day’s accompanist. A fantastic reception followed, and we are all looking to our July 25 concert, “Songs of a Sultry Summer.” For more details on that concert (and more pics), go to In Mid Air Productions. For now, here are several pics from the Emily Dickinson concert. (Click to enlarge.)

Jessica Castro as Emily Dickinson

soprano Pamela Stein with Richard Russell. She sang “When Time is Over”

soprano Marjorie Berg with Robert Butts, conductor, performing “The Tune is in the Tree”

Richard Russell, Marjorie Berg, Bud Masters at the reception

The post Two Russell pieces presented at Emily Dickinson concert appeared first on Richard D. Russell.

In Mid Air Productions presents A Little Madness in the Spring: The Poems of Emily Dickinson. In Mid Air Productions presents its ode to spring as a part of the Seasonal Sunday Salon Series. These are comprised of four yearly concerts which highlight the works of famous poets through reading and songs. The Seasonal Sunday Salons have a strong literary and thematic base and marry traditional and contemporary settings with the works of classic authors.

A Little Madness in the Spring features the poetry of Emily Dickinson and the compositions of contemporary composers, including Robert W. Butts, professor and conductor of the Baroque Orchestra of New Jersey, and ASCAP award winner, Richard D. Russell, and Raphael Fusco. Performers include sopranos Marjorie Berg and Pamela Stein and pianist Aaron Dai. Also performing are Anthony Bevilacqua, violin, Dan Sagi, clarinet, Andrew Pecota, bassoon, and Nancy Connell, cello. Robert Butts is the day’s conductor, and this event is being directed by Emily Clare Thompson.

The Bell and Barter Theater and Cultural Arts Center proudly hosts this event. The Bell and Barter Theater and Cultural Arts Center of Rockaway New Jersey is less that 37 miles and only an hour away from the Lincoln Tunnel. Come join us for a loaf of bread, a jug of wine, and an intimate afternoon with Emily Dickinson.

Tickets are $25 at the door, $15 if reserved by April 23. Students and seniors are $15 at the door, $10 if reserved by April 23. For reservations, email your name, ticket type, and number of tickets to seasonal.sunday.salons@gmail.com Ticket price includes a wine and cheese reception.

Sponsored by Seasonal Sunday Salons, In Mid Air Productions

For more info, visit inmidairproductions.wordpress.com or call 201–704-2958

Click the flier for a larger view!

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Addressing the audience

Sofia Dimitrova

After the concert congratulations!

As is the habit of the NYCC, I was asked to say a few words about the piece beforehand. Instead, I couldn’t help but remark this is the second time the NYCC has asked me to open a concert with a piece that is rather dark in tone. (The first time was “Three Elegies” at Symphony Space, back in 2007, performed by Tiffany DuMouchelle and percussionist Stephen Solook.) It doesn’t seem like the best idea to open a concert with pieces along the lines of “Three Elegies” or “When Time is Over!” So I joked that if you want someone to open your concert with one of those slow, meditative, ruminative pieces about life and death, I’m obviously your go-to guy! Fortunately, the audience got the joke. Here’s some pics and, because of the low lighting, apologies for the quality! (Click images for larger size.)

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