News
DECEMBER 2, 2004: I've just posted the live, un-edited recording of Richard Clary's performance of "Redline Tango" with the Florida State University Wind Symphony. Check it out! Tonight, the piece will be performed at Arizona State University, conducted by Gary Hill. Also, the Alvin Ailey dance company performs "Juba" tonight at City Center in New York City.
OCTOBER 17, 2004: Damien Bassman will perform my Percussion Concerto on Saturday, November 20, with the Binghamton Philharmonic. Jose-Luis Novo will conduct.
NOVEMBER 6 : Don't miss the world premiere of "Mass," with choreography by Robert Battle and a new score by John Mackey, November 11-14 at The Juilliard Theater in New York City.
OCTOBER 17, 2004: The New Music Ensemble at Northwestern University will give the world premiere live performance of "Juba" this Thursday night. Ryan Nelson will conduct.
SEPTEMBER 24, 2004: The new score for the Juilliard Dance Division is finished! The working title is "Mass," but it's likely the title will change. Until I have a chance to make the piece a separate page, you can see and hear the piece on the Works In Progress page. I also just posted the MP3 of "Under the Rug."
SEPTEMBER 23, 2004: If you haven't yet, you should check out the new blog!
AUGUST 24, 2004: There's a brief interview with me on NewMusicBox.
AUGUST 23, 2004: The United States Synchronized Swim Team will perform at the Olympics in Athens today - to my music! They'll be performing to "Damn," a work for clarinet and percussion. The performance will be on the Bravo network at 5pm EST.
AUGUST 18, 2004: Florida State University has joined the commissioning consortium for "Redline Tango," and will perform the work, under the direction of Richard Clary, on November 20.
AUGUST 6, 2004: I've just posted my newest piece, "Wrong-Mountain Stomp." Commissioned by the Vail Valley Music Festival, the work received its premiere just a few weeks ago. If you like bluegrass, check it out!
JUNE 21, 2004: It's a busy week! Tomorrow, the Park Avenue Chamber Symphony premieres "Under The Rug" at Merkin Concert Hall in New York. Roy G. Niederhoffer commissioned the work for Concert Artists Guild. On Saturday, the Dallas Symphony will perform "Redline Tango" in Dallas. Andrew Litton will conduct.
JUNE 20, 2004: The Eastman Wind Ensemble (conducted by Mark Scatterday) is the latest group to schedule performances of "Redline Tango" next season. Additional upcoming performances at Arizona State (Gary Hill), Texas All-State Band (also Gary Hill), University of Michican (Michael Haithcock), USC (H. Robert Reynolds), University of Florida (David Waybright), Ithaca College (Stephen Peterson), and University of Kansas (John Lynch).
MAY 5, 2004: I'll be Composer-in-Residence with the Seattle Youth Symphony in 2004-2005. The 4-week residency is my second residency through Music Alive.
MAY 5, 2004: I've been commissioned by The Juilliard School to compose a score for choreographer Robert Battle. Our new work will receive its premiere by the Juilliard Dance Division this November. Special thanks to an anonymous donor for making this commission possible.
MAY 4, 2004: On the BANDwagon! The wind ensembles of Arizona State University and Louisiana State University are the two latest groups to join the commissioning consortium for the wind version of "Redline Tango." LSU (under the direction of Frank Wickes) performed the work earlier this week, and Arizona State (under the direction of Gary Hill) will perform the work in Tempe this December. Additionally, Mr. Hill will lead the work with the Texas All-State Band in February 2005. The University of Michigan (under Michael Haithcock) and USC (under H. Robert Reynolds) will perform the work over the next year.
MARCH 15, 2004: Just in time! Last night, I finished my new piece, "Under the Rug," commissioned by the Park Avenue Chamber Symphony. The work will premiere June 22 at Merkin Hall in New York.
MARCH 4, 2004: Scott A. Stewart and the Emory University wind ensemble gave the premiere performance of the wind version of "Redline Tango" on February 25 in Atlanta. The next performance will be on April 30 when Scott Weiss leads the wind ensemble at Lamar University.
May 24, 2003: I'm currently working on a score for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, to premiere in December at City Center in New York. Robert Battle will choreograph the work.
May 23, 2003: I received an ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Award this week for "Redline Tango." The work will receive additional performances at the Cabrillo Festival in 2004 under the baton of Marin Alsop.
February 23, 2003: The Brooklyn Philharmonic gave the premiere performances of "Redline Tango" on February 21 and 22 at the BAM Opera House in Brooklyn. Kristjan Jarvi conducted.
February 18, 2003: The Brooklyn Philharmonic, under the very charismatic direction of Kristjan Jarvi, rehearsed "Redline Tango" for the first time this afternoon. It's sure to be a very fun and exciting concert!
Also, I was a guest on John Schaefer's show, "Soundcheck," this afternoon on WNYC-FM. The interview will be available on the WNYC web site within a few days.
February 8, 2003: I've just posted a PDF file of the score for "Redline Tango," which the Brooklyn Philharmonic will premiere on February 21 and 22.
November 27, 2002: I've been commissioned by New York City Ballet's New York Choreographic Institute. I'll be collaborating with choreographer Melissa Barak to create a work for the March 2003 workshop.
November 26, 2002: I'm back from Minneapolis after the second week (of four this season) of my Music Alive residency. It was truly a great week. The highlight was a performance of "Strange Humors" by the New York-based string quartet, Ethel. I've added a few images to the PHOTOS page.
November 7, 2002: I'll be returning to Minneapolis on November 14. The second week of my Music Alive residency will begin with a visit with the students of Bolder Options, where we'll continue to work on our collaborative score. The residency will continue with a visit to the Perpich Center for the Arts where I'll conduct a joint master class with the string quartet Ethel on November 15. On November 16, I'll present a workshop with choreographer James Sewell about collaboration between composers and choreographers. On November 18, I'll visit Valley View Middle School. (You can view their lunch menu here.) I'll also be speaking at a GTCYS board meeting, attending concerts of Ethel and Cheryl Wheeler, and more. It's sure to be a great week!
November 6, 2002: On December 1, at 3:00pm, Antares will perform "Breakdown Tango" at the Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church in Brooklyn, NY, through the Brooklyn Friends of Chamber Music series.
October 8, 2002: A few exciting performances are coming up this month. On October 22, Antares will perform "Breakdown Tango" at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. On November 1, Ethel will perform some of my music at The Kitchen here in New York. On October 29, and November 5 & 12, Gerald Casel Dance will perform "Foible" at Dance Theater Workshop in New York.
October 8, 2002: My first week in Minneapolis was a great success, as well as a lot of fun. I'm excited to return in mid-November!
September 20, 2002: I'll be in Minneapolis from September 23-29 for the first week of my Music Alive residency. During this first week, I'll visit several schools in the Twin Cities, attend a few GTCYS rehearsals, and meet with students from Bolder Options, among other activites. It's sure to be a busy, exciting week.
September 4, 2002: Ethel, a very hip string quartet here in New York City, is performing "Strange Humors" tonight at Joe's Pub. David Cossin, a Bang On A Can All-Star and frequent soloist for composer Tan Dun, will play the djembe part.
May 6, 2002: "The Sandman," a new opera by Thomas Cabaniss, is currently running (through June 1) at the Connelly Theater in New York City. I served as principal orchestrator of the opera.
May 1, 2002: More on the Brooklyn Philharmonic performance: The concert, called "American Lollapalooza," will take place on February 21 & 22, 2003. Kristjan Jarvi will conduct, and the program will include pieces by John Adams, Michael Daugherty, Aaron Jay Kernis, Steve Reich, and Daniel Schnyder. (Not a bad line-up!) My commissioned piece will open the program.
April 30, 2002: Here's that long-promised BIG COMMISSION ANNOUNCEMENT: I've received a commission from the BROOKLYN PHILHARMONIC. The work will receive its premiere in February 2003 at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) Opera House. More info will follow very soon...
April 30, 2002: ArtsWire, the web site for the New York Foundation for the Arts, has posted an article about Music Alive. There are a few quotes from me about my upcoming collaboration with the Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphony.
February 16, 2002: The Washington All-State Youth Orchestra is performing "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night" this weekend. Huw Edwards will conduct the 206-member orchestra. The program also includes Rachmaninov's "Symphonic Dances" and ballet music from Holst's "The Perfect Fool." Additionally, the Parsons Dance Company will be performing several of my works - "Rush Hour," "Strange Humors," and "Mood Indigo" - on their current tour in Atlanta, St. Louis, Ft. Lauderdale, and throughout Pennsylvania. They just finished a 36-performance tour of Italy which featured the same works.
February 16, 2002: Today is the birthday of John Corigliano, my friend and former teacher. Happy Birthday, John!
January 5, 2002: There's another press release for Music Alive -- and this one contains photos and sound samples. It's worth checking out!
January 4 , 2002: The press release announcing the Music Alive residencies has been posted on the American Symphony Orchestra League's web site. You can read the press release by clicking HERE.
November 2 , 2001: BIG NEWS! I have been named Composer-in-Residence with the Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphony, beginning in 2002. The program, Music Alive, is funded by the American Symphony Orchestra League and Meet The Composer. This is a very competitive program, and I'm tremendously excited.
November 1 , 2001: The Parsons Dance Company's fall season has come to an end. The performances were a tremendous success, with over 5000 people attending during the run. The score for "Annuals," my new work for David Parsons, received nice notices in the press, with Clive Barnes from the New York Post writing, "the complex and engaging 'Annuals' [was] set to a commissioned score by John Mackey, which has just the same immediacy as the choreography and the lithely virtuoso dancing." The Washington Post wrote, "John Mackey's jazz-inspired score... was this work's brightest note." There was also a second review at DanceInsider.com.
October 3 , 2001: There are LOTS of new things on the site today. You can read about my latest score, "Annuals," and download MP3 files of several movements, or read the latest reviews. I've also added MP3 files of a movement of "Mood Indigo," the MP3 file for the new drum set version of "Rush Hour," and the MP3 for "Breakdown Tango." Additionally, there are several reviews for many pieces -- new and old -- newly posted, which can be accessed from the Press page.
September 26, 2001: There's a review of "Annuals" at DanceInsider.com.
September 24, 2001: You can read the review of "Annuals" in today's Washington Post.
September 23, 2001: I've returned to New York following the world premiere of "Annuals," commissioned by the University of Maryland and the Parsons Dance Company. The score, for amplified string quartet, brass sextet, percussion, and antiphonal brass choir, received two fantastic performances over the weekend at the new (and stunning) Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center. My thanks to the student brass and percussion players, without whom the performances could not have been such a success. The work will receive two weeks of performances (danced to a recording -- not live, unfortunately) at the Joyce Theater in New York from October 16-28, 2001.
September 8, 2001: If you're in New York over the next few days, there are two performances you can check out. First, on Sunday, September 9, Gerald Casel's "MAKE WAY FOR DRAGONS" will be performed as part of Dancenow's main event. Gerald choreographed the piece to one of my scores. The performance is at 5:30 at John Jay College Theater. Then, at 7:00pm on Tuesday, September 11, the Parsons Dance Company will give a FREE performance at the World Trade Center's outdoor stage. The performance will include "Strange Humors" and "Rush Hour."
September 7, 2001: I've returned from Southern Methodist University (SMU), having completed the score for my most recent collaboration with Robert Battle. It was a great experience, and the dancers and musicians down there are really fantastic. I'll post MP3 files of the piece as soon as I can.
July 31, 2001: I'm busy at work on a new piece for choreographer Robert Battle, commissioned by the dance division of Southern Methodist University (SMU). The 18-minute work is scored for percussion ensemble, and will receive its premiere in Dallas this November. Robert and I will be traveling to Dallas at the end of August to work on the piece with the music and dance students.
July 31, 2001: A few weeks ago, I produced a studio recording of the chamber version of "Rush Hour." There will finally be a presentable MP3 posted very soon.
July 31, 2001: To date, this web site has received over 1400 hits. Since May, I have put approximately 1600 miles on my bike.
July 31, 2001: DanceInsider.com reviewed the recent performances of Chamber Dance Project, for whom I served as Music Director. You can read the review here.
June 23, 2001: Chamber Dance Project, a new ballet company (for whom I am Music Director), will premiere Diane Coburn Bruning's "Passages" June 27-July 1 in New York. The music is from "Strange Humors," a movement of "Voices and Echoes," and "Irish Ghetto." All of the performances feature entirely LIVE music. (That's right, no music on tape!) There is a feature story about the project in this Sunday's New York Times. Read the article here.
June 5, 2001: On Sunday, I completed my new score for choreographer David Parsons. The piece, scored for amplified string quartet, antiphonal brass, and percussion, will receive its premiere at the University of Maryland in September, 2001. The work will receive its premiere in New York at the Joyce Theater in October. David begins choreographing the work this week while the Parsons Dance Company is in residence in Sarasota Springs, New York.
June 5, 2001: This fall, I'll be returning to Dallas - this time to compose a work for choreographer Robert Battle. The work is being commissioned by the SMU Dance Department.
May 2, 2001: This isn't music related, but I just bought a beautiful new road racing bike that will give me a great excuse to procrastinate from writing... (Not what I needed.) Feel free to check out a picture of me with it. (I'm very proud of the new bike.)
April 25, 2001: Added a new review excerpt (from the Herald-Tribune) to the Press page.
April 24, 2001: I just added two more MP3 files to the download section of the Twelfth Night page.
April 17, 2001: I've received the master tapes of the Twelfth Night recording session, and I've posted a few of the songs. There will be more MP3 postings soon. In the meantime, please visit the Twelfth Night page.
April 17, 2001: My friend - and former teacher - John Corigliano won the Pulitzer Prize yesterday! Congratulations, John! (That seams rather understated.)
April 1, 2001: I'm now starting work on a 20+ minute work (scored for amplified string quartet, antiphonal brass, and percussion) in collaboration with choreographer David Parsons. The work, commissioned by the University of Maryland, will receive its premiere in September, 2001. David will choreograph the work in late June during a two-week residency in Maryland.
April 1, 2001: Happy Birthday, OstiMusic.com. This site has been up one year today. To date, it has received approximately 1000 hits.
March 31, 2001: I attended the closing performance of "Twelfth Night" at the Dallas Theater Center last weekend. The cast and musicians were fantastic, and I thank them and the director, Richard Hamburger, for a great first experience writing for theater. I can't wait to do more! I'll post MP3 samples of the cues and songs within the next few weeks.
March 10, 2001: I've completed work on Twelfth Night. The production opened on March 6, and the Dallas Morning News gave it a very nice review which you can read here.
February 23, 2001: I'm in residence in Dallas, finishing up work on Twelfth Night. Most importantly, though, today is MY FATHER'S BIRTHDAY. Happy Birthday, Dad.
January 19, 2001: I'm working on music for the Dallas Theater Center's upcoming production of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. The production, directed by Richard Hamburger, runs February 28 - March 25 at the Arts District Theater in Dallas.
January 19, 2001: The site is up to 750 hits. Who are all of these people?
January 16, 2001: I've been appointed Music Director of Chamber Dance Project. More on that (and the upcoming June performances) later!
January 8, 2001: I've been commissioned by the University of Maryland to create a score in collaboration with David Parsons and the Parsons Dance Company. The 20+ minute work, scored for amplified string quartet, brass, and percussion, will premiere in September, 2001.
November 21, 2000: The New York Times has reviewed Beach, my new work commissioned by the Parsons Dance Company, currently receiving performances at the New Victory Theater in Times Square. You can read the review here. Additionally, there is a review of the program on DanceInsider.com.
October 15, 2000: The new arrangement of Rush Hour is complete, and a few sample pages are online. The new arrangement receives its premiere in Providence, R.I. on October 25.
October 7, 2000: Percussive Notes has reviewed my Percussion Concerto. You can read the review here.
September 28, 2000: The site has received over 500 hits. Go figure!
August 3, 2000: I've spent the past month catching up on cycling. Now it's time to get back to work, preparing for a busy fall.
June 15, 2000: The Parsons Dance Company premiered Dementia (with choreography by Robert Battle) on June 13, and the New York Times review appeared today. This is the first time my name has made it correctly into the Times, and it was pretty exciting. (Dementia was called "darkly dramatic" and Strange Humors was called "sultry.") Click here to read the entire review.
May 11, 2000: The Portland Youth Philharmonic has released a CD containing the world premiere recording of Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night.
May 3, 2000: I've finished the new work for the Parsons Dance Company. If you're in New York between June 13 - 18, you should come check it out at the Joyce Theater!