Posts Tagged ‘FONT Music’
This is all happening at:
Abrons Art Center – Link for tickets and map.
466 Grand Street
(at the corner of Pitt Street)
Lower East Side, NYC
Wednesday, January 13 is a benefit concert for the organization, honoring Wilmer Wise. Socializing begins at 6, concert at 7:30pm. Wine and refreshments will be served.
Wilmer will play a few solo pieces written for him by Jimmy Owens.
Brass Ecstasy tunes and Improvisations will follow, with:
Dave Douglas, John Zorn, Nate Wooley, Marcus Rojas, Vincent Chancey, Marshall Gilkes, and Clarence Penn.
Check out the rest of the week for more great music in this series called Forward Flight.
Wanted to say a few words about FONT, the organization. We’re a nonprofit, meaning all the money goes to music programs. Our work is to:
- Present as broad a range of music as we can in festivals throughout the year.
- Commission several composers for new music each year.
- Offer free educational programs for schools and for the general public.
This grass-roots support for emerging creative artists welcomes musicians who sometimes don’t fit in anywhere else. Nothing like this existed when I entered the scene–musicians supporting musicians. FONT has presented almost 200 trumpeters in all sorts of venues. Festival of New Trumpet Music has acted as an umbrella for funding ambitious new music projects by artists such as Bill Dixon. The organization also celebrates living masters and creative pioneers who have given so much of their lives to music and deserve the spotlight and acclamation of their peers.
Our commissioning series has included:
- 2006: Peter Evans, Cuong Vu, Du Yun with Micah Killion and The Practical Trumpet Society, Amir El Saffar, Jonathan Finlayson-Common Thread;
- 2007: Huang Ruo, Jason Palmer Quintet, Forbes Graham, Laura Andel with Taylor Ho Bynum & Gamelan Son of Lion, Nate Wooley with Paul Lytton and David Grubbs;
- 2008: Chris DiMeglio’s Imaginary, Nabaté Isles + 5, Reut Regev and the Brassix Ensemble;
- 2009: Nadje Noordhuis, Ambrose Akinmusire, David Sanford
Our Award of Recognition has gone to:
- 2008: Wadada Leo Smith
- 2009: Bobby Bradford
This is an all-volunteer organization (this year we hired our first part-time staffer, but with the hours required I’d say it still ends up being basically a volunteer position). As the director, I am deeply indebted to the hard work of Taylor Ho Bynum, Richard Johnson, and the ongoing support of Laurie Frink, Ted Daniel, Roy Campbell, Lewis ‘Flip’ Barnes, Jeremy Pelt, John McNeil, Mark Gould, Erol Tamerman, Mark Isham, and Wilmer Wise, all of whom have been intricately involved in making FONT programs happen. I am honored to be in the presence of so many people whose dedication to music compels them to contribute their time, energy, and resources in this way.
Join us to honor Wilmer and celebrate with everyone at the organization.
The Festival of New Trumpet Music (FONT Music) will present Forward Flight, the third and final event of its 7th annual performance season, from Wednesday, January 13th through Saturday, January 16th at New York’s Abrons Arts Center.
This four-day celebration of the eclecticism of the trumpet in contemporary music, curated by Dave Douglas and Taylor Ho Bynum, will feature events on two stages, including performances by a diverse range of ensembles, three free FONT Music Workshop Series events and an opening night tribute to unheralded veteran trumpet player, Wilmer Wise.
The program will include world premieres of music from the New York-based composers collective Anti-Social Music (ASM) and composer David Sanford, whose piece, “Seven Kings”, was commissioned by FONT Music with support from Chamber Music America to be performed by the Meridian Arts Ensemble with guest soloist Dave Ballou. And, The New York Trumpet Ensemble, directed by Mark Gould, will present the New York premiere of Charles Wuorinen’s Brass Quintet.
