Join us in celebrating the bicentennial of the Philadelphia Musical Fund Society with a concert of world-premiere chamber works by four of America’s finest living composers: Tania León, Stephen Jaffe, Roberto Sierra, and Augusta Read Thomas. The Network for New Music Ensemble will premiere a new work by Stephen Jaffe for violin, viola, bass, flute, guitar, harp, and percussion. The newly-commissioned work is rooted in the history of our city, connecting audiences with the rich musical life of past and present Philadelphia.

Network celebrates Jan Krzywicki’s 30th anniversary as the conductor of the Network Ensemble and salutes his dedication to the advancement of new music through composition, education, and performance. The program will feature Krzywicki’s own Catching Light, a Network for New Music commission (2013), a new work by Krzywicki student, Michael Shingo-Crawford, and long-time friend Robert Capanna’s Stria. A major new commission by Grawemeyer Award-winning composer (and Krzywicki favorite), Sebastian Currier, will premiere with Krzywicki conducting.

Network celebrates Jan Krzywicki’s 30th anniversary as the conductor of the Network Ensemble and salutes his dedication to the advancement of new music through composition, education, and performance. The program will feature Krzywicki’s own Catching Light, a Network for New Music commission (2013), a new work by Krzywicki student, Michael Shingo-Crawford, and long-time friend Robert Capanna’s Stria. A major new commission by Grawemeyer Award-winning composer (and Krzywicki favorite), Sebastian Currier, will premiere with Krzywicki conducting.

Musical Ecologies features compositions that were influenced by or designed from patterns found in the natural world. Each work on the program treats pitch, rhythm, and timbre as organic matter that is then used to “grow” a composition. The programmed works by Jonathan Bailey Holland, Pauline Oliveros, Anna Thorvaldsdottir, Jerod Impichchaachaaha Tate, Felicity Wilcox and commissioned composer Ken Steen offer music from around the world that embodies the science, beauty, and wonder of the natural world.

Featuring exceptional performances by these members of the Network for New Music Ensemble:

Susanna Loewy – alto flute Hirono Oka – violin
Paul R. Demers – clarinet Burchard Tang - viola
Thomas Kraines – cello Thomas Schuttenhelm – electric guitar
Ken Steen - media/electronics

Musical Ecologies features compositions that were influenced by or designed from patterns found in the natural world. Each work on the program treats pitch, rhythm, and timbre as organic matter that is then used to “grow” a composition. The programmed works by Jonathan Bailey Holland, Pauline Oliveros, Anna Thorvaldsdottir, Jerod Impichchaachaaha Tate, Felicity Wilcox and commissioned composer Ken Steen offer music from around the world that embodies the science, beauty, and wonder of the natural world. Introduction by Linda Reichert, Artistic Director Emerita. This is a free event.

Featuring exceptional performances by these members of the Network for New Music Ensemble:

Susanna Loewy – alto flute Hirono Oka – violin
Paul R. Demers – clarinet Burchard Tang - viola
Thomas Kraines – cello Thomas Schuttenhelm – electric guitar
Ken Steen - media/electronics

Come as early as 1:30pm to check out The Discovery Center Visitor Center and walk the nature trail around the reservoir before the concert. Park in the visitor lot seen on the map link, and walk 2 minutes up the paved path to the Center which will be on your right. 

Network provides a rare glimpse inside the minds of select poets in this special program including György Kurtág’s Kafka Fragments which uses excerpts from Kafka’s letters and diaries. Each mesmerizing fragment – 40 in total – is infused with hypnotic imagery; the song cycle narrates Kafka’s journey of radical creativity. Philadelphia based composer Philip Maneval provides further insight with his The Poet’s Songbook which will receive its premiere. Music by Florence B. Price and June Violet Aino, an award-winning composer who is providing a new work based on Kafka’s writings, round out this program.

Featuring exceptional performances by these members of the Network for New Music Ensemble:

Paul R. Demers – bass clarinet
Clipper Erickson – piano
Hirono Oka – violin

Guest artist performances by soprano, Ah Young Hong, mezzo-soprano, Maren Montalbano and violinist, Jacob Ashworth.

Composition students from the studio of Settlement Music School instructor Michael Stambaugh will have their original songs performed by vocalist Sharon Neff in a pre-concert recital at 2:30pm.

Program order:

The Poet's Songbook (Philip Maneval)
The Poet and His Book; Sympathy (Florence B. Price)
The Vulture (June Violet Aino)
- intermission -
Kafka Fragments (György Kurtág)

Network’s 2019-20 season opener features music by two local composers, two global composers, and two composers who have strong ties to the Network community. This concert will stream sounds from David Shapiro, Erin Busch, and Philadelphia Orchestra composer-in-residence Gabriela Lena Frank along with a new work by French composer, Valentin Jost (Lyon, FR), who deconstructs style and refracts it through his post-historical prism. The program also honors John Harbison and Bernard Rands in celebration of their 80th and 85th birthdays, respectively.

Featuring exceptional performances by these members of the Network for New Music Ensemble:

Jan Krzywicki - conductor

Edward Schultz – flute Hirono Oka – violin
Paul R. Demers – bass clarinet John Koen – cello
Phillip O’Banion – percussion Charles Abramovic – piano

Guest artist performance by bassist Robert Black. 

Please join us for a brief post-concert panel discussion directly following the event.