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New Program Brings Composers and Performers Together By NADIA SIROTA
I've always been excited and fascinated by the idea of working with living composers on brand-new compositions. As I contemplated the prospect of starting a new degree program at Juilliard after four years as an undergraduate, I started thinking about how I could gain more experience working with composers and preparing new works, and how I could make this type of experience more accessible for more students.
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"It is easy for performers to continue playing the familiar music of the past, over and over again, and forget the new music of our generation. Juilliard Plays Juilliard is a great opportunity for Juilliard students to compose and perform
new music with vitality and enthusiasm."
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I spoke with many faculty members about ways in which students could work with composers within the Juilliard community, and was thrilled by how receptive people were to the idea. Encouraging this type of interaction seemed to be a common goal. Creating a synthesis of ideas that grew from these conversations, I worked with Nora Kroll-Rosenbaum, director of the Composers' Forum, and Bärli Nugent, assistant dean and director of chamber music, to create a program called Juilliard Plays Juilliard. October 11 marked the debut of this ensemble, dedicated to the study and performance of new music by Juilliard composers (with an emphasis on the interaction of composers and performers).The mission of this ensemble is simply to unite performers who would like to work on new compositions and organize them, so that it becomes relatively simple for composers to find players to perform their works. The most obvious forums for this type of collaboration are the composition department's concerts (five of which are scheduled this year). In addition, Juilliard Plays Juilliard participated in the New York-Budapest Twin Concerts and will play in ChoreoComp, the Composers' Forum (wherein they will provide live examples of featured guest composers' works), and on various chamber music recitals.J.P.J. follows on the heels of the addition last spring of composers' works to the offerings of the chamber music program. At the beginning of last year's spring semester, six chamber music ensembles studied works by Juilliard faculty members with the composers of those works. Nugent later noted that "students and faculty alike found this interaction to be rewarding and revelatory, impacting on their artistic development in the repertoire of all eras."The student response to J.P.J. has been outstanding. Within weeks of announcing this program, more than 80 performers had signed up. Third-year percussionist Michael Caterisano, who premiered Darien Shulman's Panic Flourish on October 11, said of the experience, "J.P.J. has given me a unique opportunity to better understand what is happening in the Juilliard composition department—which, before the birth of this project, was something I knew very little about. I am grateful for the chance to work one-on-one with my peers and look forward to the possibilities this project will bring."For many performers, J.P.J. represents the first time they have really worked with a composer. Fourth-year violist David Lau had this to say about working with Jan Duszynski on his viola trio, frequency: "Preparing for this first J.P.J. concert has turned out to be a wonderful experience. Not only have I had the opportunity to play with fellow students that I might not otherwise have had the pleasure of working with, but, for the first time, I was able to learn firsthand what the composer intended when he wrote this piece. Rehearsing pieces with composers at hand, waiting to give advice, is an eye-opening experience that I am thankful to be a part of."In the past, when a Juilliard composer put a piece on a departmental recital, he or she had the sole responsibility for finding players. While assistance was available within the department, it was often difficult to secure performers who were both interested in playing new music and available for the concert. Also, this paradigm relied on a familiarity with many Juilliard musicians—easy for veteran composers, but particularly difficult for new students. In addition to facilitating this process, J.P.J. also aims to afford composers the luxury of writing simply for the instruments they want, and not just the instruments they can easily find. Many composers have expressed their gratitude for this program. First-year master's student Jonathan Keren said, "I was surprised to see how many people wanted to take part in this project; this is the kind of support that every composer dreams of!"
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Juilliard Plays Juilliard
Paul Hall
Monday, Nov. 15, 8 p.m.
Free; no tickets required.
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It is hoped that support and interest for this program will only grow, along with its performance and collaborative opportunities. Fourth-year composer Jude Vaclavik said, "It is easy for performers to continue playing the familiar music of the past, over and over again, and forget the new music of our generation. J.P.J. is a great opportunity for Juilliard students to compose and perform new music with vitality and enthusiasm. We are the future of classical music, and J.P.J. instills in us the importance of looking forward, providing the bridge for successful collaborations between composers and performers."In this age of concern over the future of classical music, it is more important than ever for performers and composers to collaborate. Connecting to the music of one's own generation is an invaluable experience. We hope that Juilliard Plays Juilliard will help spark a significant, ongoing dialogue between creator and interpreter.Future Juilliard Plays Juilliard concerts are scheduled for November 15, January 19 and 31, March 28, and April 11 … watch Juilliard's Calendar of Events for details.Nadia Sirota is a master's student in viola.
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