Friday, November 5, 2010

More Quotes from the Past

Jan. 23, 2009 - Juventas New Music Ensemble mentioned in The Boston Phoenix

These renegade companies serve young singers and instrumentalists ("young" meaning generally under the age of 35, with a short résumé that may or may not include principal roles). Without the pressures of catering to an audience of lifelong upper-crust opera nerds, they are free to think outside the box seats and take theatrical risks. Case in point, OperaHub's 2008 collaboration with Juventas! New Music Ensemble for Tramps, E-mails, and Hemlock, a collection of new chamber operas that included an operatic homage to online romance.
-SARA FAITH ALTERMAN

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Mondo-intensive months

I took on too much.  I know I know…I’m an artist.  It’s what we do.  In order to make any semblance of a living through composition, new music, opera, choreography or stage directing, I always take as many paying projects as I can. Some day, hopefully sooner rather than later, I’ll be able to take on fewer projects that pay more.  This time, however, I overloaded myself.  Just to give you an idea - I started a new job in public speaking that suddenly required 40+ hours of time a week coupled with assistant directing/producing the Juventas Opera Project, stage managing the TCAN Players production of Twentieth Century, learning a new script as a Boston Chocolate Walking Tours Tourguide, while maintaining my position at Cecilia and attempt to have a bit of a social life.  The later failed as I am sure you can imagine.  Now, I’m just coming out of a couple months of mondo-intensive work and I am looking forward to a bit of chill time. 

Working so much definitely forced me to re-evaluate my priorities.  Now I am trying to narrow my focus, so I have already left the public speaking position.  I gave it a good shot, but that particular position turned out to be more work than it was worth. I’m back to gigging around town and drumming up funding for the many projects I have floating around my mind.  So that’s a little catch up on my life.

At this very moment, I’m flying somewhere over Utah on my way to LA for the Opera America Conference.  My hope is to blog or at the very least tweet my way through the conference, so stay tuned for the excitement. 

Monday, April 12, 2010

Der Zwerg Pics!


I finally have them!  Pictures from OperaHub's production of Zemlinsky's Der Zwerg...yeah, the one I stage directed!  Check them out and leave a comment if you like them.  If you missed the show, don't fret.  I *might* (it really depends on the quality of the video) schedule a viewing party with music director Julia Carey.  More to come...

Pics are by Marion Cohen. Enjoy!

(The three maids and Ghita admiring a gift for the Infanta)

(The Infanta's Entourage)



(Don Estoban prepares for the Infanta's birthday party)


(The Dwarf - both his imagined self [singer] and real self [dancer] - and the Infanta)






(The Dwarf sees himself in the mirror for the first time and discovers he is hideous)

(The Infanta calls him an animal and not a man)



(The Dwarf dies and only Ghita cares)

Friday, April 9, 2010

REBLOG: Analissa Martinez talks about my world premiere next week

Composer's Corner: •••••••••••••••• Erin Huelskamp: "
April 15, 2010 7:30pm
St. John's Episcopal Church
1 Roanoke Avenue
Jamaica Plains, MA



The Boston New Music Initiative presents


World Premiere of A Mind-dependent Phenomenon


for solo cello, by Erin Huelskamp
Analissa Martinez on cello

I chose this next work because it takes me out of my comfort spot behind the cello, and asks for an acted performance...but still behind the cello. It's subject matter is also very familiar territory, so an 'acted performance' is not so much necessary.

Erin calls for the intimate moments for a musician in a practice room. The phenomenon of Time passes, slowly or quickly. We procrastinate, play around, stomp, sing and show off.

I display the unpleasantries of time passing by while practicing...and I get to show off some cello rockstar moves interpolated with the ticking of time passing.
Thanks Erin!

About Erin:

Energetic, hardworking and enigmatic, Erin Huelskamp (b. 1982) composes dramatic and comical music that often reflects a philosophical twist on her daily experiences. Co-founder and executive director of the Juventas New Music Ensemble, Ms. Huelskamp voraciously promotes new music – especially by amazing unknown composers – and she strives to draw ever new audiences to the burgeoning sounds of the 21st century....
Trained as a classical dancer for 16 years, Ms. Huelskamp began composing at the age of ten with no musical training. In 2000 she began studies in composition and flute at the University of Missouri-Columbia where she earned a Bachelor of Music in both composition and flute performance; she studied composition with Thomas McKenney and Stefan Freund and flute with Steven Geibel. In 2007, Ms. Huelskamp completed a Master of Music in Composition from the Boston Conservatory, where she studied with Andy Vores, Dana Brayton, and later Ken Ueno.

To learn more about Erin, visit her at http://erinhuelskamp.com

••••••••••••••••••••

About The Boston New Music Initiative

The Boston New Music Initiative is an organization committed to the composition and performance of new music on the local, national, and international fronts. Founded in 2009, the Initiative's vision is to establish a network of composers, performers, conductors, directors, and champions of new music in order to generate new music concerts, compositions, collaborations, and commissions.


"

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Another quote

Here's another quote from an article of Huelskamp yore:


“I founded Juventas with two other young composers who felt there was a flaw in the ‘system’. Instead of ‘whining’ … we decided to take initiative and form an ensemble that focuses on giving amazing performances of music by primarily young, living composers, and to perform this music as repertoire—meaning more than once. Since that time, we have worked diligently to form a community of supporters for our mission. Juventas, as it stands, is the result. I encourage you all to do the same. If you see a problem with the way ensembles, calls-for-scores, competitions, etc., are run … then create something that supports your ideas.”

-Erin Huelskamp, Executive Director & Co-founder, Juventas New Music Ensemble (Boston), post on SCIMEMBERS listserve, 01-MAR-2008. Chamber Music Today “We Are All Illegal Aliens Now: Ageism in Calls-for-Scores and Competitions as Quasi-Immigration Policy?

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Stage Directing Der Zwerg - reviews, pics, and press mentions

Those of you who know me well know that I have been crazy busy over the past few weeks stage directing Der Zwerg with the company OperaHub.  Here are a few press mentions and reviews along with a couple of press pics for you to enjoy.  More pics from the production to come soon...



A loose bunch
The Boston Globe

Culture Vulture: See ‘The Dwarf’
The Arts Fuse

"PS: Speaking of teamwork: kudos to OperaHub for its highly imaginative production of a true rarity, Alexander Zemlinsky's moving one-act, Der Zwerg ("The Dwarf"), in four free (!) performances at the BCA. Everything worked."

The pics below feature Sean Malkus, tenor (The Dwarf) and Erin Pedersen, soprano (Infanta). Pics are by Keith Collier from Cayuga Strategies, LLC.