Press Release

April 6, 2023

For Immediate Release

May 24: Cutting Edge Concerts kicks off 26th Season at Kosciuszko Foundation

Program features music for Japanese shakuhachi and Native American flute

Works by Phillip Glass, Victoria Bond, Ron Warren, and James Nyoraku Schlefer

Composer Victoria Bond founded Cutting Edge Concerts New Music Festival to celebrate, support and promote the work of living composers. On May 24 at 7:00 pm at the Kosciuszko Foundation (15 E 65th St, Manhattan), the festival kicks off their 26th season with a program featuring two experts of traditional flutes - James Nyoraku Schlefer, grand master of the shakuhachi (Japanese flute), and Native flutist Ron Warren.

Nyoraku Schlefer and Warren are featured as both composers and performers alongside pianist Paul Barnes, violinist Pauline Kim Harris, cellist Caleb van der Swaagh, and violist Chieh-Fan Yiu.

Program highlights include Warren and Nyoraku Schlefer performing Warren's Lunas y Agua No. 5 together, an arrangement of a movement from Philip Glass' Second Piano Concerto with Paul Barnes, and Victoria Bond's Rashomon for string trio and shakuhachi. Rashomon was inspired by a collection of Japanese folk tales from the 12th century, telling the story of a group of people who witness a murder but each have a different account of what happened. Bond says "The form of the story is intrinsically musical, being a theme and variations, but the emotional context gives this classical form a new perspective." Tickets for the May 24 program are $25, available here.

Inspired by Pierre Boulez's series, "Perspective Encounters", the composer and conductor Victoria Bond founded Cutting Edge Concerts in 1998. With 26 years of concerts, Cutting Edge Concerts has presented over 300 new works by more than 200 composers. Each program highlights the music of living composers, all of whom attend the concert. Along with performances by world-class ensembles and soloists, each program features on-stage discussions between host Victoria Bond and the composers.

The 2023 season of Cutting Edge Concerts New Music Festival continues on September 9 at the Salmagundi Club (47 5th Ave, Manhattan) with baritone Michael Kelly and pianist Bradley Moore performing Bond's song cycle "From an Antique Land" alongside John Glover's "After Him."

CUTTING EDGE CONCERTS NEW MUSIC FESTIVAL

The Way of the Mountains and Desert

May 24, 2023, 7:00 pm

Kosciuszko Foundation (15 E 65th St, Manhattan)

Paul Barnes, piano; James Nyoraku Schlefer, shakuhachi; Ron Warren, Native flute; Pauline Kim Harris, violin; Chieh-Fan Yiu, viola; Caleb van der Swaagh, cello

Tickets: $25, available here

James Nyoraku Schlefer Sidewalk Dances

Ron Warren Lunas y Agua No.5 (Nyoraku Schlefer, shakuhachi; Warren, native flute)

Philip Glass, arr. Barnes: Sacagawea (from Piano Concerto No. 2 “After Lewis and Clark”)

Victoria Bond Rashomon

Warren Love Song for This Earth

Warren The Way of Mountains and Desert (NY Premiere)

Warren Beads

A major force in 21st century music, composer Victoria Bond is known for her melodic gift and dramatic flair. Her works for orchestra, chamber ensemble and opera have been lauded by The New York Times as "powerful, stylistically varied and technically demanding." Her compositions have been performed by the New York City Opera, Shanghai, Dallas and Houston Symphonies, members of the Chicago Symphony and New York Philharmonic, American Ballet Theater and the Cassatt and Audubon Quartets.  Ms. Bond is also an acclaimed conductor, and is the principal guest conductor of Chamber Opera Chicago, and has held conducting positions with Pittsburgh Symphony, New York City Opera, Roanoke Symphony, and Bel Canto and Harrisburg Operas.