At MacDowell: Brantley to appear at library

PHOTO BY DRAKE WHITE PHOTO BY DRAKE WHITE

Published: 10-04-2023 3:42 PM

Peterborough NH

While visiting Peterborough for his sixth MacDowell Fellowship, composer and cellist Paul Brantley will take the stage for the penultimate MacDowell Downtown of the season.

Beginning at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 6, at the Peterborough Town Library, 2 Concord St., Brantley will discuss his work, perform selections on cello (solo and with recorded accompaniment) and answer audience questions.

Though he’s been celebrated for his work as a cellist recording and performing with well-known artists across rock, jazz and classical genres, Brantley actually spends the majority of his time composing for symphonies, chamber ensembles and choral groups. At MacDowell, he’ll embark on his first effort at composing a sonata for just two instruments, cello and piano. Brantley has recently received two premieres at the 92nd Street Y in New York City and is a recipient of a Centennial Commission from the Curtis Institute of Music, his alma mater.

“It’s a commission from the wonderful cellist Laura Metcalf for her GatherNYC series, which I’ve been working on for some time. I’m calling it ‘Mystery Sonata.’ She asked me to compose this not long after my mother’s passing almost a year ago this month, and working on it, although very difficult, has been extraordinarily helpful to me,” said Brantley. “During my residency here at MacDowell I’m hoping to bring this piece to its conclusion. I’ve had the extraordinary good fortune to experience the MacDowell magic five times before — reaching back to 1994. And in fact just last summer, the Washington Heights Chamber Orchestra gave the 25th anniversary performance (delayed by two pandemic years) of ‘On the Pulse of Morning’ — my setting of Maya Angelou’s inaugural poem for soprano and orchestra — which I composed at MacDowell that first time. That piece has been performed quite a bit over the years and so of course I feel tremendous gratitude to MacDowell.”

When Brantley was last at MacDowell in 2016, he was composing a concerto for Eric Jacobsen (The Knights, Silk Road Project) and the University of Michigan Symphony called “The Royal Revolver.” On Friday evening, he’ll perform the solo cello part of the concerto’s middle movement accompanied by an audio recording of a harp. He’ll also present a video of what he calls his favorite performance of his music, and perform solo cello pieces before taking questions from the audience.

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn about MacDowell Fellow Paul Brantley’s compositions as he discusses and demonstrates his art, offering a peek into the composer’s process. Seating is limited for this free event at the Peterborough Town Library. Doors open at 7 p.m., and the program begins at 7:30 p.m. Refreshments will be served.

If you go

Who: Composer Paul Brantley

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