Recent News
2010
OCTOBER
| On October 24 at Paliku Theatre, Esther Yoo (director, Honolulu Symphony Chorus and Honolulu Chamber Choir) and pianists Thomas Yee and Grant Mack premiere BUMP!, a 17-min. Halloween-themed work for chorus and piano four-hands. (Yes, that's right -- from "things that go BUMP in the night.") Kudos to choreographer Amy Schiffner (UH Mänoa faculty), lighting designer Lloyd Rifod, and the terrific dancers from the UH Manoa dance department for creating a very mysterious and hallowed eve atmosphere. Thanks to the Honolulu Mayor's Office on Culture and the Arts for generously supporting the commission and performance. |
| Commissioned with generous funding from the Honolulu Mayor's Office on Culture and the Arts, the terrific Spring Wind ensemble from Chamber Music Hawaii (Marsha Schweitzer, basson; Jonathan Parrish, horn; James Moffitt, clarinet; with guests Claire Butin, flute; Brad Shimizu, oboe; and yours truly as narrator) premieres part one of Päka`a: Lanakila! at Paliku Theatre on Oct. 4 and at the Honolulu Academy of Arts on Oct. 10. The work, for wind quintet and narrator, tells the story of young Päka`a, who lives in the cliffs of Ke-ahi-ahi on the island of Kaua`i, and who outwits the local fishermen in a canoe race against all odds. (Watch for the conclusion during next season's 30th anniversary ofChamber Music Hawaii!) |
ETHEL brings Outta This World (unplugged) to the Moab Music Festival (UT) and the Museum of Communications in St. Petersburg (Russia)
| Thanks to a generous American Composers Forum ENCORE program award, "America's favorite string band" performs Outta This World at the Red Cliffs Adventure Lodge (also supported in part by a grant from WESTAF). Then, a few weeks later, they land in St. Petersburg for a Russian concert tour supported by CEC ArtsLink, which includes performances in St. Petersburg, Petrozavodsk, Kaliningrad and Moscow. Here's a fun blog of their Russian debut. |
MAY
ETHEL rocks in new 'unplugged' version of Outta This World
| ETHEL (Cornelius Dufallo and Mary Rowell, violins; Ralph Farris, viola; Dorothy Lawson, 'cello) premiered the unplugged version of Outta This World on May 13 at the Carnegie Hall Neighborhood Concert in LaGuardia Performing Arts Center... what seriously awesome performers! Jon led the pre-performance audience interaction/improvisation with a great assist from those intrepid ETHEL specialists. Fun, fun, fun... |
APRIL
Hawaii Youth Symphony premieres KE AO
| Commissioned by the HYS in celebration of the HYS' 45th and Maestro Henry Miyamura's 25th anniversary with the HYS, KE AO was premiered at Blaisdell Concert Hall on April 11 by the HYS, Honolulu Symphony Chorus (Esther Yoo, dir.) and ho`opa`a chanters from Halau Hula Ka No`eau (Michael Pili Pang, kumu hula) -- a terrific first performance. Bravi, tutti!!! See the following HYS Facebook photo links: Pic 1 Pic 2 |
MARCH
Meet The Composer's MetLife Creative Connections program award
| Thanks to a generous Meet The Composer award, Jon will participate in ETHEL Foundation for the Arts' presentation of Outta This World on May 13 at the Carnegie Hall Neighborhood Concert in LaGuardia Performing Arts Center. |
2010
Older News
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2009
DECEMBERAmerican Composers Forum ENCORE program award
| Thanks to a generous award from ACF's ENCORE program, ETHEL will perform Jon's first string quartet (it's been 11 years since Outta This World's premiere!). ETHEL will be performing the "unplugged" version in May. |
Honolulu Symphony Chorus performs Psalm 23
| The Honolulu Symphony Chorus, directed by Esther Yoo, presented Psalm 23 for SATB chorus and organ, at St. Andrew's Cathedral in Honolulu, with John Renke at the organ. |
| The Hawaii Youth Opera Chorus, directed by Nola Nahulu, presented the Hawai`i premiere of Christmas Bells for 3-part treble chorus and piano, atKawaiaha'o Church in Honolulu. |
NOVEMBER
| The Symphony Chorus joined with the Hawaii Youth Opera Chorus to present "A Festival of Psalms", which featured the Honolulu Chamber Choir's premiere of Psalm 23 for SATB chorus and organ at Kawaiaha'o Church on November 25, with Buddy Naluai at the organ and conducted by HSC artistic director Esther Yoo. |
AUGUST
PBS Hawai`i premieres State of Aloha documentary
| Jon contributed some original music for this TV version of State of Aloha which premiered on PBS Hawai`i on August 27. Directed by Anne Misawa of the Academy for Creative Media (University of Hawai`i at Manoa), the feature-length version will show at the Hawai`i International Film Fest (October). |
| Originally
composed for solo voice and piano, these new arrangements are scored for SSAA and
SATB with piano/organ (approximately 4 minutes in duration). |
MAY
Honolulu Symphony brass quintet premieres Fanfare for Halekulani
| Commissioned by the Halekulani Corporation in celebration of the 25th Anniversary of the Halekulani Hotel redesign, the Honolulu Symphony Brass Quintet (including 2 fine percussionists!) premieres Fanfare for Halekulani at Halekulani Hotel, Coral Ballroom. |
Hawaii Youth Opera Chorus' Na Leo Küho`okahi performs Canticum
| One of the final performances of the 2008-09 year for HYOC -- Nola and those young ladies do a great job! |
MARCH
Honolulu Symphony performs Hawaiian Medley on Hawai`i Island Tour
| Performances
took place
at Kamehameha Schools Kea’au Performing Arts Center, Kea`au, Hawai`i
Island, and featured students from Kea`au Elementary and Kamehameha
Schools, Kea`au. |
2009
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2008
DECEMBER
Honolulu Symphony performs Hawaiian Medley at Blaisdell Concert Hall
| Performances
launch 2008-09 education season with collaborating public and
independent schools from O`ahu and Hawai`i Island. Hawaiian Medley is based on the late Nola Beamer's Pupu Hinuhinu and Kahuli aku, and scored for symphony orchestra with 2-part children’s choir and 2-part recorder choir. |
NOVEMBER
| Based on
Song of Solomon 2:10-13 from the
Latin Vulgate Bible, the 5-minute choral work for 4-part treble chorus and piano was composed for Nola
Nahulu and Hawai'i
Youth Opera Chorus'
Na Leo Kuho'okahi ensemble for the November premiere at the Hawaii
Music Teachers Association annual state convention. Many
thanks
to the HMTA and Music Teachers National Association for generous
support of this project. |
| Jon conducts high school and advanced treble voices in Benjamin Britten's "A Ceremony of Carols" at the Festival; also on the Festival program is Jon's newCanticum. |
SEPTEMBER
Christmas Bells for treble chorus available
| Click here to hear the
5-minute work
for 3-part treble chorus, treble solo
and piano, based on Henry
Wadsworth Longfellow's pro-peace/anti-war poem from 1863. (Recording courtesy of Cornell University Chorus and director Scott Tucker.)
|
| Based on
Song of Solomon 2:10-13 from the
Latin Vulgate Bible, the 5-minute choral work was composed for Nola
Nahulu and Hawai'i
Youth Opera Chorus'
Na Leo Kuho'okahi ensemble for the November premiere at the Hawaii
Music Teachers Association annual state convention. Many
thanks
to the HMTA and Music Teachers National Association for generous
support of this project. |
AUGUST
| Visit the OUP page here. |
JULY
Albany Records releases "Jon Magnussen: Music for Limón Dances"
(click to hear
mp3 excerpt)
| Albany
Records released Jon Magnussen:Music for
Limón Dances this month. Very
special thanks to the Institute for
Advanced Study, Fowler Merle-Smith Family Charitable Lead
Trust, Larry
Magnussen, Lois Magnussen, and the Aaron Copland Fund for Music
Recording Program of the American Music Center for helping
make
this recording possible. The CD is available now at these
online retailers: www.albanyrecords.com,
www.arkivmusic.com, www.hbdirect.com, www.target.com [over the coming weeks, online retailers will grow to include Amazon.com, iTunes, Audio Lunchbox, MTraks, Napster, Rhapsody, Naxos, and Chandos.] |
Psalm performed
in Budapest
| The Limón Company takes Psalm to the Budapesti Tavaszi Fesztivál. See the next stops on the tour here. |
•
2008 •
SEPTEMBER
NEW Canticum for 4-part treble chorus and piano
| Based on Song of Solomon 2:10-13 from the Latin Vulgate Bible, the 5-minute choral work was composed for Nola Nahulu and Hawai'i Youth Opera Chorus' Na Leo Kuho'okahi ensemble for the November premiere at the Hawaii Music Teachers Association annual state convention. Many thanks to the HMTA and Music Teachers National Association for generous support of this project. |
AUGUST
Oxford University Press webpage updated
| Visit Jon's OUP page here. |
JULY
Albany Records releases "Jon Magnussen: Music for
Limón Dances"
(click to hear
mp3 excerpt)
| Albany
Records released Jon Magnussen:Music for
Limón Dances this month. Very
special thanks to the Institute for
Advanced Study, Fowler Merle-Smith Family Charitable Lead
Trust, Larry
Magnussen, Lois Magnussen, and the Aaron Copland Fund for Music
Recording Program of the American Music Center for helping
make
this recording possible. The CD is available now at these
online retailers: www.albanyrecords.com,
www.arkivmusic.com,www.hbdirect.com, www.target.com [over the coming weeks, online retailers will grow to include Amazon.com, iTunes, Audio Lunchbox, MTraks, Napster, Rhapsody, Naxos, and Chandos.] |
JUNE
Early Attic Music
(ASCAP) offers "Christmas Bells"
| The
5-minute Christmas Bells,
for 3-part treble chorus, treble solo
and piano, is based on Henry
Wadsworth Longfellow's pro-peace/anti-war poem from 1863. Click here to hear Cornell University Chorus' recording (dir. Scott Tucker). Click here to inquire about sheet music. |
Psalm performed
in Budapest
| The Limón Company takes Psalm to the Budapesti Tavaszi Fesztivál. See the next stops on the tour here. |
•
2007 •
Dances
Ebb, Dances Flow performed for the
first time
| Dances Ebb, Dances Flow, the 22-minute quartet was performed by Ebb and Flow Ensemble (Robert Pollock, piano; Iggy Jang, violin; Joanna Morrison, 'cello; Scott Anderson, clarinet) at KHPR's Atherton Studio (Honolulu) in cooperation with Hawai'i Public Radio. Special thanks to the Argosy Foundation for supporting the 2006 commission. |
Kahea performed at
the American Dance Festival, North Carolina
| Created by choreographer Rachel Berman with kumu hula Patrick Makuakane, the premiere took place at the American Dance Festival in Durham, North Carolina, with Jon's incidental music. |
C.F.
Peters to distribute Psalm and The Winged
| Oxford University Press assigns Psalm and The Winged (and the rest of all OUP music rental catalogue) to C.F. Peters for distribution. Please click here for current rental information. |
APRIL
Blair McMillen performs NameSongs
| Three NameSongs were performed by pianist Blair McMillen, of Da Capo Chamber Players, at Wolfensohn Hall, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, NJ |
Jon
coaches young Westminster Conservatory performers
| Jon coaches young performers from Westminster Conservatory at a workshop performance of his new Seven Shorts, for solo piano, commissioned by James Goldsworthy, director of New Works for Young Pianists Commissioning Project (and Professor at Westminster Choir College at Rider University). Special thanks to James and his wonderful young performers for digging in! |
MARCH
Jon to direct
Honolulu Symphony education
programs
| Jon has accepted the position of Director of Education at the Honolulu Symphony, beginning May 1, 2007 |
New York New
Music Ensemble performs Two
Dances in
NYC
| Two Dances from “Dances Ebb, Dances Flow” performed by the New York New Music Ensemble at Merkin Concert Hall, New York City. |
FEBRUARY
Psalm recorded
for Albany Records release
| Psalm
was recorded
at Queen of the Miraculous Medal Chapel in St.
Joseph’s Seminary, Princeton, by the Westminster Kantorei and
Fuma Sacra of Westminster Choir College of Rider University, Andrew
Megill, director; Sumner Thompson, baritone; Institute
Festival
Orchestra; Mark Laycock, conductor. Very
special thanks to the
following for making this project possible:
Institute for Advanced Study, Fowler Merle-Smith Family Charitable Lead
Trust, Larry Magnussen, Lois Magnussen, and the Aaron Copland Fund
for Music Recording Program of the American Music Center. • Click here for pictures! |
New York New
Music Ensemble performs Two
Dances in
Houston and Princeton
| Two Dances from “Dances Ebb, Dances Flow” performed by the New York New Music Ensemble in Houston (Shepherd School of Music, Rice University) and Princeton (Institute for Advanced Study) |
Jon hosts
composer Steve
Mackey at IAS
| Jon
hosts composer Steve
Mackey and the New York New
Music Ensemble at Institute for Advanced Study |
JANUARY
Jon delivers Seven Shorts for
solo piano
| Jon composed Seven Shorts,for solo piano, on commission by James Goldsworthy, Professor at Westminster Choir College at Rider University and director of the New Works for Young Pianists Commissioning Project (with inspired musical ideas from young dedicatees Alex, Ananya, Andres, Claire, Jerry, Renata, and Shiv) |
( LCECEC C January 2011)