Stephen Jaffe, Composer

Recent seasons have marked the introduction of two milestones for composer Stephen Jaffe: the world premiere of the Concerto for Cello and Orchestra by the National Symphony Orchestra, Leonard Slatkin conducting, with David Hardy, cello soloist (at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.); and the premiere recording of the Concerto for Violin and Orchestra with the Odense Symphony of Denmark, Gregory Fulkerson, violin, and Donald Palma conducting. Both have met with warm acclaim. STEPHEN JAFFE's music has been featured at major concerts and festivals including the Nottingham, Tanglewood, and Oregon Bach Festivals, and performed throughout the U.S., Europe, and China by ensembles including the R.A.I. of Rome, Slovenska Filharmonija (Slovenian Philharmonic), the National Symphony, the San Francisco, North Carolina and New Jersey Symphonies, Berlin's Spectrum Concerts, and many others. Bridge Records has issued three discs of the composer's music. In addition to the concertos for cello and orchestra (2004) and violin and orchestra (2000), recent premieres have included Designs for flute, guitar and percussion, introduced at the National Arts Center of Taiwan, 2002, and Homage to the Breath: Instrumental and Vocal Meditations for Mezzo-soprano and Ten Instruments, with a text by Thich Nhat Hanh, introduced at the Hirschorn Museum, Washington.

Jaffe has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the Rome Prize, the Kennedy Center Friedheim Award, the American Academy of Arts and Letters Prize, Brandeis Creative Arts Citation, and fellowships from Tanglewood, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Guggenheim Foundation. Jaffe studied composition at the Conservatoire de Musique in Geneva, and continued his studies at the University of Pennsylvania. He is Mary D.B.T. and James H. Semans Professor of Music at Duke University, where he has taught since 1981. Together with Scott Lindroth, Jaffe directs Duke's contemporary music concert series Encounters: with the Music of Our Time, and works with a inventive and gifted group of young composers.

See also:  http://www.presser.com/jaffe.html

What's new? (performances, recordings, compositions)
Selected Recent Premieres and Performances
Residencies
Awards
Interviews
Publications
Recordings
Selected Large Ensemble Works
Selected Vocal and Chamber Works
Encounters with the Music of Our Time - Duke University

News and Upcoming Performances

Cíthera mea (Evocations), Spanish Music Notebook para orquesta/for orchestra. (16'). North Carolina Symphony, Grant Llewellyn, Music Director. Premiere performances: October 2, (Memorial Hall, University of North Carolina), October 3-4, 2008 Meymandi Hall, Raleigh. Commissioned by the North Carolina Symphony. Co-commission with Nasher Museum of Art as part of their exhibition "El Greco to Velazquez: Art During the Reign of Philip III." http://www.ncsymphony.org/subscriptions/concert. Read notes and sources for this work.

OFFERING (1996) for flute, viola and harp. October 10, 2008. Lontano's Second Festival of American Music, The Warehouse, London.

Sonata in Four Parts, for cello and piano. Kennedy Center Chamber Players. David Hardy Cello, Lambert Orkis, Piano. Premiere: May 18, 2008 at 7:30, Kennedy Center, Washington. The Kennedy Center Chamber Players perform Works by Jaffe, Schumann, and more.

New recording

The Music of Stephen Jaffe, Volume 3. (Bridge 9255) Concerto for Cello and Orchestra, Poetry of the Piedmont, Cut Time, and Homage to the Breath: Instrumental and Vocal Meditations for mezzo soprano and ten players. Performers include: David Hardy, cello; Odense Symphony Orchestra of Denmark (Paul Mann, conducting); North Carolina Symphony (Grant Llewellyn, conducting); and the 21st Century Consort (Milagro Vargas, mezzo-soprano, Christopher Kendall, conducting).

New compositions

Cíthera mea (Evocations), Spanish Music Notebook para orquesta/for orchestra. (16').

Sonata in Four Parts, for cello and piano (24').

Four Pieces Quasi Sonata for viola and piano. Commissioned by the Fromm Foundation. Jonathan Bagg, viola, and Donald Berman, piano. Premiere: November 3, 2006. "Bluthner" house concert series.

Poetry of the Piedmont for orchestra. Commissioned by the North Carolina Symphony. Premiere: January 25, 2007. Memorial Hall, UNC-Chapel Hill, NC.

String Quartet No. 2 (Sylvan and Aeolian Figures), for the Miami String Quartet, commissioned by the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society.  Premiere: March 5, 2006. Pennsylvania Convention Center Auditorium, Philadelphia, PA.

Adagio Con Sordino for violin and piano.  Dedicated to the Classical Recording Society.  Gregory Fulkerson, violin, and the composer, piano. Premiere: November 22, 2005.  Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY.

Selected Recent Premieres and Performances

HOMAGE TO THE BREATH: Instrumental and Vocal Meditations for mezzo-soprano and ten players, with a text by Thich Nhat Hanh. July 24, 2008, 8pm, Composers' Conference, Jewett Hall, Wellesley Massachusetts. Ensemble conducted by James Baker; Mary Nessinger, mezzo-soprano.

FOUR PIECES QUASI SONATA (2006)
Fromm Foundation Commission
Recitals by Jonathan Bagg, viola and Donald Berman, piano

Friday November 3, 2006 at 8:00 pm
"Bluthner" house concert series, Winston Salem, NC
Program also includes Takemitsu, Ives, Levering, Ligeti

Sunday November 5, 2006 at 4 pm
Mallarmé Chamber Players, Nelson Music Room, Duke University
Program includes Schumann Trio (Arturo Ciompi, clarinet)

Monday, November 6, 2006, University of North Carolina, Greensboro
March 1, 2007, New Music @ East Carolina New Music festival
March 4, 2007, Southern Pines, NC, Weymouth Center Concert Series

A NONESUCH SERENADE (1984)
Da Capo Chamber Players, November 21, 2006, Merkin Hall, New York

CONCERTO for Cello and Orchestra (2004)
National Symphony Commission
Slovenska Filharmonija (Slovenian Philharmonic); David Hardy, cello solo; George Pehlivanian, conducting
Friday, January 12, Slovenian Philharmonic, Great Hall, Kongresni trg 10, SI-1000 Ljubljiana, Slovenia.

POETRY OF THE PIEDMONT (2006)
North Carolina Symphony Commission
Grant Llewellen, conducting
Thursday, January 25, 2007 at 7:30 pm, Memorial Hall, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Friday/Saturday, January 26-27 2007 at 8 pm, Meymandi Hall, Raleigh
Thursday, February 1, 2007, Carolina Theater, Durham
http://www.ncsymphony.org/events/index

SONGS OF TURNING (1996)
Cantata for Soprano and Baritone Soloists, Chorus and Chamber Orchestra
Oregon Bach Festival Commission
Terry Rhodes, soprano; Susan Klebanow, conducting
Tuesday, March 6, 2007 at 7:30 pm, Memorial Hall, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
http://www.carolinaperforming arts.org/performances/event

CONCERTO for Cello and Orchestra (2004)
National Symphony Commission
Peabody Symphony Orchestra; David Hardy, cello; Hajime Teri Murai, conducting
Saturday, April 28 at 8:00, Friedberg Concert Hall, Peabody Institute of Music, Baltimore
http://peabdoy.jhu.edu/1343

Residencies

Composers Conference and Chamber Music Center, Wellesley College, Massachusetts, July 20-26, 2008. Residency includes performance of Homage to the Breath with Mary Nessinger, mezzo-soprano and James Baker, conducting.

Atlantic Center for the Arts, Florida, May 14- June 3, 2006.

Awards

November 22, 2005.  Composer of the Year, Classical Recording Foundation Fourth Annual Award Ceremony.  Weill Hall, New York.  Performances include Concerto for Violin and the premiere of Adagio Con Sordino (with Gregory Fulkerson, violin, and the composer, piano).

Thanks to all who participated in Harmonies for Habitat, a musical celebration of Steve's 50th birthday at Beth El Synagogue in Durham.  The event, which featured, art, food and music, including performances of Offering and the First Quartet; and raised over $11,000 for Habitat for Humanity of Durham. The contribution, joined with those of other organizations, was used to build a house.

Interviews

Online interviews with Stephen Jaffe discussing 1) what it's like the first time a new piece is played, 2) how form affects a piece, 3) how pieces evolve over time, can be found at the Kennedy Center website.

Into the Millennium: The "Best of the New". The New York Flute Club selected eight pieces written since 1980 which they think might become mainstays of the repertoire. Read interviews by Cathie Comrie with Stephen Jaffe on Three Figures and a Ground, and with Milton Babbitt, Shulamit Ran, Robert Dick, and others in the NYFC Newsletter, December 2000.  A concert was held, December 10, 2000, in CAMI Hall, New York.

Selected Publications at Theodore Presser Company (Merion Music, Inc.) (610) 592-1222

Spinoff, for guitar 19406, $5.95 (Recording: Bridge 9084)
Impromptu, for piano 140-4077, $8.00 (Recording: Albany/Troy 231)
Offering, for flute, harp & viola 144-40353S
Concerto, for violin and orchestra (rental)
Concerto for Cello and Orchestra (2004) 446-41195
Three Figures and a Ground, for flute and piano 144-40170
String Quartet No. 2 ("Aeolian and Sylvan Figures") 144-40506S
Cut Time Shout (140-400990) and Double Sonata (440-40099)

Recordings

	The Music of Stephen Jaffe, Volume 3. (Bridge 9255) Concerto for Cello and Orchestra, Poetry of the Piedmont, Cut Time, and Homage to the Breath: Instrumental and Vocal Meditations for mezzo soprano and ten players. Performers include: David Hardy, cello; Odense Symphony Orchestra of Denmark (Paul Mann, conducting); North Carolina Symphony (Grant Llewellyn, conducting); and the 21st Century Consort (Milagro Vargas, mezzo-soprano, Christopher Kendall, conducting).
	The Music of Stephen Jaffe, Volume 2, including Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, and Chamber Concerto (“Singing Figures”) for Oboe and Ensemble. Bridge Records 9141. Performers include: Gregory Fulkerson, violin; Stephen Taylor, oboe; the Odense Symphony Orchestra of Denmark; and Speculum Musicae. See http://www.bridgerecords.com/sj_artist.htm
	Designs (2002) for flute, guitar and percussion; Three Figures and a Ground (1989) for flute and piano. Arizona University Recordings, AUR CD 3123. Featuring Christine Gustafson, flute; William Anderson, guitar; Christopher Dean, percussion; and Lisa Emmenheiser, piano.
	Spinoff for guitar on New Dance David Starobin, guitar. Bridge 9084 (1998). (Grammy Award Nominee, Best Instrumental soloist, 1999)
	Impromptu for piano, on Strange Attractors: New American Music for Piano, Albany CD (Troy 231). Patricia Goodson, piano (1997)
	Fort Juniper Songs for soprano, mezzo-soprano and piano, on To Sun, To Feast & To Converse: New American Music for Vocal Duet. Albany CD (Troy 172). Terry Rhodes, soprano, Ellen Williams, mezzo-soprano, Stephen Jaffe, piano (1995)
	Stephen Jaffe : The Rhythm of the Running Plough, Double Sonata, and Four Songs with Ensemble, Bridge CD BCD 9047. Speculum Musicae, D'Anna Fortunato, Anton Nel, Barry Snyder, Prism Orchestra (1994)
	Three Figures and a Ground on The Now and Present Flute, Neuma 450-88. Patricia Spencer, flute, Linda Hall, piano (1994)
	First Quartet for string quartet, Ciompi Quartet, Albany Records, Troy CD 073 (1993)
	Centering for two violins, Linda Quan, Curtis Macomber, violins. C.R.I. 513 (1983)

Note: Bridge 9141, 9084 and 9047 are also available through the iTunes Music Store.
See also: http://www.bridgerecords.com/

Selected Large Ensemble Works

Cíthera mea (Evocations), Spanish Music Notebook para orquesta/for orchestra (16').
Cut time for Orchestra (2004) 2’
Concerto for Violoncello and Orchestra (2003) 28’
Concerto for Violin and Orchestra  (1997-99) 35'
Songs of Turning (1996) for Chorus and Orchestra 25'
Four Images (1983; rev. 1987) for Orchestra 21'
Autumnal (1986) for Orchestra 24'
The Rhythm of the Running Plough (1988) for chamber orchestra 14'
Three Yiddish Songs (1978) for soprano and orchestra 23'
Three Images (1979) for chorus and chamber orchestra 15'
Rega Raga (1975) for Jazz Ensemble 16-20'

Selected Vocal and Chamber Works

For complete information, including performance materials, contact Theodore Presser Co. at (610) 592-1222, or see their web pages at http://www.presser.com/Composers/info.cfm?Name=STEPHENJAFFE

E-mail: sjaffe@duke.edu