My beautiful. beloved Sasha passed away the morning of October 23, 2009. He was about 15 fifteen years old and had been with me almost fourteen years. The house seems so big and quiet without him and I am lost without my patient, persistent and loving teacher. The past few years have seen many performances of my work. The Mt. Prospect Community Band performed my "Air and Dance", Marilyn Biery performed "Meditation" and "Starry Night" on her organ recital in Rockefeller Chapel at the University of Chicago. "A Short Overture for a Small Orchestra" and "Requiem" were premiered at St. Mary's Episcopal Church in Park Ridge and reprised later in the year. The choir there has also performed "Seek a Place", "My Lord, What a Morning" and several Psalm settings. Congregation Solel performed my "Pray With My Feet" for its annual MLK service as well as several arrangements for the High Holy Days and Shabbat services. In May Elizabeth Gray and Warren Fremling debuted two song cycles in recital with me, "Songs to Throw at the Sun" with poetry by Langston Hughes and "A Wonder Is What It Is" with poetry by Wendell Berry.
This coming May, Kol Zimrah will be performing "A Hymn for Peace" with Cantor Vicky Gliken as soloist and in June my new piece for concert band and choir, a tribute to Nelson Mandela, will be given its premiere in San Francisco under the direction of Maestro Pete Nowlen. The Belgian Trombone Choir will be receiving "Invocation and Dance for a Pagan God" this spring and the choir of St. Mary's will be singing "The Lowest Place" during Holy Week.
Current projects include more songs with texts by Langston Hughes and Wendell Berry, "Psalms" for clarinet and piano "Dialogues and Fancies" for flute and harp and an orchestral scherzo to finish up the three pieces for choir and orchestra with texts by Wendell Berry, Chaim Stern and Mary Oliver.
My "Three Pieces for Alto Saxophone" was just recently published by Dorn Publications Inc. as well as "Little Symphony", "Fanfare for a Ceremony" and "Fanfare" by The Brass Chamber Music Press. "Prelude and Fugue" and "Two Lullabies" have been published by Pan Press. My arrangement of "I've Got Peace Like a River" has been picked up by GIA Publications as well as my setting of William Blake's "The Lamb" and "Creator of the Stars of Night". I have self published two song cycles, "Songs to Throw at the Sun"with poetry by Langston Hughes and "A Wonder Is What It Is" with poetry by Wendell Berry and they are available for purchase by contacting me.
I'm available for work! Coachings, music direction, arrangements, commissions, accompanying ect. and I'm always looking for new writing assignments! Hope to hear from you soon!
Home
Bio
Compositions
Musicals
