“We musicians, like everyone else, are numb with sorrow at this murder, and with rage at the senselessness of the crime. But this sorrow and rage will not inflame us to seek retribution; rather they will inflame our art. Our music will never again be quite the same. This will be our reply to violence:…
Originally published on the “Sharps and Flatirons” blog by Peter Alexander, May 23, 2022 Concerts June 3–5 feature new work by Theofanidis and Pizzetti’s 1922 Requiem Guitarist and CU music professor Nicolò Spera was shocked by things going on the U.S. after the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. He wanted to respond in…
“Women’s rights are an essential part of the overall human rights agenda, trained on the equal dignity and ability to live in freedom all people should enjoy.” – Ruth Bader Ginsburg For the last few weeks, Ars Nova Singers has been rehearsing a remarkable, powerful new work by Christopher Theofanidis, Door Out of the Fire, composed…
This review was originally published on theScen3.org on April 4, 2022 Thomas Morgan put it succinctly in his program notes for a recent concert by Ars Nova Singers. “Everything feels fragile right now,” the chamber choir’s artistic director wrote. And so it does. Appropriately, the group’s evening of uplifting music was titled “Made Fragile,” offered…
This preview article appears on the March 29, 2022 Sharps and Flatirons blog by Peter Alexander It’s a common theme: Boulder conductors look to program music that recognizes the stress and trauma their audiences have been through in the past two years. Reena Esmail For Thomas Morgan and the Ars Nova Singers, that means turning…
In preparation for Made Fragile, Tom Morgan caught up with our viola soloist, Matt Dane, for a quick chat about his connection with Reena Esmail and what her music means to him personally. TOM I understand that you’ve had quite a connection to this gifted young composer. Can you tell us about how you met her,…
“It has been said that my Requiem does not express the fear of death and someone has called it a lullaby of death. But it is thus that I see death: as a happy deliverance, an aspiration towards happiness above, rather than as a painful experience.” – Gabriel Fauré, 1902 fra·gil·i·ty /frəˈjilədē/ noun – the…
Originally published by Peter Alexander for Sharps & Flatirons. “We wanted to bring the music from one of our finer performances,” Tom Morgan says. The conductor of Boulder’s Ars Nova Singers wanted to offer a free online gift to the disaster-wearied local community at the start of 2022, before the choir starts having in-person rehearsals…
