Hi ,

I hope you have been doing very well this spring. I'm writing with updates, but also with a special request for support for a new music concert series that I have created in New York City. Read on for this and other news!

Introducing: Become New Music

I'm very excited to announce that I've founded a new music presenting organization, Become New Music. As of now, we're starting out small... very small. But, our first concert actually includes a large variety of performers and a septet composed by me. We've created a crowdfunding campaign through Indiegogo: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/become-new-music#/

I and the other players would be so appreciative of your support. Know it will go 100% to players' fees and the venue for our first concert, which is soon—May 17. Plus, for donations of $100 or more, you get this beautiful and stylish (thanks, Alice) mug shipped directly to your door!

As I mentioned, we have variety of instruments (and timbres) for our first concert. One of our long-term goals is to embrace this timbral dimension, especially to foster connections between electroacoustic and acoustic music. In the future, we also hope to feature a broad diversity of composers in all senses of those words.

We don't have a website yet, but please take a look at the description on the Indiegogo page if you'd like to know more about us. Here is that link, again: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/become-new-music#/

And if you're in the area and would like to attend the concert, please do so! And if you can't make it, there will also be a live-stream! Buy your tickets here, and the concert info is below:

Become New Music Presents: Time and Time Again

Wednesday, May 17, 7:30pm

Opera America's National Opera Center

330 7th Ave, 7th Floor

New York, NY

Other News — Commission, Moving, etc.

I'm greatly looking forward to working with Chicago-based vocal ensemble Schola Antiqua and conductor Michael Alan Anderson on a commission celebrating the legacy of William Byrd (c. 1540-1623). 2023 is the 400th anniversary of Byrd's death. In composing the work, I have been reflecting on Byrd's life and music, which has been a valuable experience and one that I know I will look back on. The piece will be performed three times in October of this year:

Friday, Oct. 20, 7:30pm – Venue TBD

Saturday, Oct. 21, 8pm – Bond Chapel, University of Chicago

Sunday, Oct. 22, 3pm – Indian Boundary Park

As mentioned in the last newsletter, I'm greatly looking forward to Jason Hardink's premiere of my new piano work! This is tentatively scheduled for the Fall of 2023 – I'll update once the date is set, so be on the lookout for that!

Lastly, but certainly not least(ly?), I announced a while ago on Facebook that we will soon be moving out of the Garden State as I start a Visiting Assistant Professor of Composition and Theory position at the University of Wyoming! For those of you to whom I will now be geographically closer, I look forward to reconnecting, and for those of you on the east coast, I hope to be back many times (and I will). Alice and I are thrilled to begin this new chapter, and I'm so glad to also mention that this will be a great move for Alice as well. I'm not going to say more, because I'm sure she wants to announce it on her end at a later date.

That's everything for now — I hope to see some of you soon at our inaugural concert, and please feel free to write back and let me know how you've been doing, what is new, and the like. I always enjoy hearing from you.

All my best,

Nic