Beeferman wraps up a residency with a concert of his music, a rare evening of that blurs the lines between contemporary improvisation, classical virtuosity, roots music, and avant-jazz innovation
NEC’s Contemporary Musical Arts presents a special residency concert with composer, pianist, and improviser Gordon Beeferman joined by CMA Department Chair Eden MacAdam-Somer (voice/violin/foot percussion), CMA and Jazz Studies faculty Joe Morris (guitar) and CMA students on Thursday, March 5 in Jordan Hall. The program features Beeferman's works, drawing on a multitude of genres and influences, including songs, compositions and improvisations on solo piano, and scored improvisations for trio and large ensemble. Admission to the 7:30 p.m. concert is free but tickets are required. For information visit necmusic.edu.
The program also features Beeferman’s The Sway, a piece commissioned by and written for Eden MacAdam-Somer in honor of the CMA department's 50th anniversary. This extraordinary work for solo performer on voice, violin, and percussive dance joins others on the program in blurring the lines between contemporary improvisation, classical virtuosity, and avant-jazz innovation.
NYC-based Gordon Beeferman has created and performed innovative opera, chamber and orchestra music, avant-jazz, and numerous collaborations with choreographers, writers, and video artists. His varied projects include bands that perform his compositions: an organ trio; Other Life Forms, a quartet; and Music for an Imaginary Band, a septet—“a commanding avant-jazz ensemble” (Time Out New York). Beeferman has composed two operas with librettist Charlotte Jackson: The Rat Land, praised as “complex and daringly modern” by The New York Times, and The Enchanted Organ, scenes of which have been performed to sold-out theater and nightclub audiences in downtown Manhattan. His music has been performed by the New York City Opera orchestra, Momenta Quartet, Minnesota Orchestra, Albany Symphony, California EAR Unit, St. Urban Concerts, Talea Ensemble, Quartet New Generation recorder collective, and others. He has received commissions from the MAP Fund, Fromm Foundation, the BMI Foundation, and Concert Artists Guild, three BMI Student Composer Awards, a Tanglewood fellowship, and residencies at the MacDowell Colony, Yaddo, the Copland House, and Ucross. An active member of the New York music scene for over 25 years, Beeferman has performed at venues and series including Roulette, MATA, and the Vision Festival. Beeferman’s recordings are available on zOaR, Minor Amusements, Different Track, Clang, Innova, OutNow, Generate, Genuin, and Summit Records. He is a 2016 New York Foundation for the Arts Fellow.
As an independent, not-for-profit institution that educates and trains musicians of all ages from around the world, NEC is recognized internationally as a leader among music schools. It cultivates a diverse, dynamic community, providing music students of more than 40 countries with performance opportunities and high-caliber training from 225 internationally esteemed artist-teachers and scholars. NEC pushes the boundaries of music-making and teaching through college-level training in classical, jazz, and contemporary musical arts. The newly launched Institute for Concert Artists propels such young artists to the heights of their potential. Through unique interdisciplinary programs such as Entrepreneurial Musicianship and Community Performances & Partnerships, the Conservatory empowers students to create their own musical opportunities. As part of NEC’s mission to make lifelong music education available to everyone, NEC’s Expanded Education programs deliver training and performance opportunities for children, pre-college students, and adults.
The program also features Beeferman’s The Sway, a piece commissioned by and written for Eden MacAdam-Somer in honor of the CMA department's 50th anniversary. This extraordinary work for solo performer on voice, violin, and percussive dance joins others on the program in blurring the lines between contemporary improvisation, classical virtuosity, and avant-jazz innovation.
NYC-based Gordon Beeferman has created and performed innovative opera, chamber and orchestra music, avant-jazz, and numerous collaborations with choreographers, writers, and video artists. His varied projects include bands that perform his compositions: an organ trio; Other Life Forms, a quartet; and Music for an Imaginary Band, a septet—“a commanding avant-jazz ensemble” (Time Out New York). Beeferman has composed two operas with librettist Charlotte Jackson: The Rat Land, praised as “complex and daringly modern” by The New York Times, and The Enchanted Organ, scenes of which have been performed to sold-out theater and nightclub audiences in downtown Manhattan. His music has been performed by the New York City Opera orchestra, Momenta Quartet, Minnesota Orchestra, Albany Symphony, California EAR Unit, St. Urban Concerts, Talea Ensemble, Quartet New Generation recorder collective, and others. He has received commissions from the MAP Fund, Fromm Foundation, the BMI Foundation, and Concert Artists Guild, three BMI Student Composer Awards, a Tanglewood fellowship, and residencies at the MacDowell Colony, Yaddo, the Copland House, and Ucross. An active member of the New York music scene for over 25 years, Beeferman has performed at venues and series including Roulette, MATA, and the Vision Festival. Beeferman’s recordings are available on zOaR, Minor Amusements, Different Track, Clang, Innova, OutNow, Generate, Genuin, and Summit Records. He is a 2016 New York Foundation for the Arts Fellow.
About New England Conservatory (NEC)
Founded by Eben Tourjée in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1867, New England Conservatory (NEC) represents a new model of music school that combines the best of European tradition with American innovation. The school stands at the center of Boston’s rich cultural history and musical life, presenting concerts at the renowned Jordan Hall. Propelled by profound artistry, bold creativity, and deep compassion, NEC seeks to amplify musicians’ impact on advancing our shared humanity and empowers students to meet today’s changing world head-on, equipped with the tools and confidence to forge multidimensional lives of artistic depth and relevance. The Conservatory’s roster of alumni includes hundreds of music's most influential artists. That list includes Coretta Scott King, Florence Price, Tessa Lark, George Li, Inmo Yang, Yura Lee, Stefan Jackiw, Anthony Leon, Erica Petrocelli, Minsoo Sohn, Cecil Taylor, and Denyce Graves.As an independent, not-for-profit institution that educates and trains musicians of all ages from around the world, NEC is recognized internationally as a leader among music schools. It cultivates a diverse, dynamic community, providing music students of more than 40 countries with performance opportunities and high-caliber training from 225 internationally esteemed artist-teachers and scholars. NEC pushes the boundaries of music-making and teaching through college-level training in classical, jazz, and contemporary musical arts. The newly launched Institute for Concert Artists propels such young artists to the heights of their potential. Through unique interdisciplinary programs such as Entrepreneurial Musicianship and Community Performances & Partnerships, the Conservatory empowers students to create their own musical opportunities. As part of NEC’s mission to make lifelong music education available to everyone, NEC’s Expanded Education programs deliver training and performance opportunities for children, pre-college students, and adults.
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