The New England Conservatory of Music has announced a
new commissioning project for the NEC Percussion
Ensemble and conductor Frank Epstein. John Harbison,
Robert X. Rodríguez, and Gunther Schuller are among the
composers named for this program initiated by the
Bradford and Dorothea Endicott Foundation. The project
follows upon and extends the Endicott Foundation’s
successful commission of Joan Tower’s quintet DNA,
which premiered in 2003 and has been subsequently
performed at the Aspen and Tanglewood Music Festivals
and Carnegie Hall.
The second installment in the Endicott commissioning
project is Schuller’s GRAND CONCERTO FOR PERCUSSION AND
KEYBOARDS — a new 24-minute work for eight percussion,
piano, harp, celesta, and keyboard glockenspiel. The
piece received a preview this summer at Tanglewood and
premieres on 14 November as part of NEC’s celebrations
for Schuller’s 80th Birthday. The Harbison and
Rodríguez works will premiere during the 2006-2007
season.
