The Phoenix Concerts Presents Steven Gerber's Songs and Gerber-Inspired Commissions – December 12 in New York City and December 13 in White Plains

In partnership with the Steven R. Gerber Trust and Downtown Music at Grace, The Phoenix Concerts presents Element Songs the premiere of five Gerber Trust commissions on December 12 at 7:00 PM at Church of Saint Matthew & Saint Timothy, 26 W. 84^th St. in New York, NY and December 13 at 12:10 PM at Downtown Music at Grace, 33 Church St. in White Plains, NY

New works by Gabriel Bolaños Chamorro, Kyong Mee Choi, Daron Hagen, Libby Larsen, and Paula af Malmborg Ward will be paired in concert with pre-existing works by the late Steven Gerber. The program centers on three poems - one each on earth, water, and air. 

Featured performers will be baritone Jorell Williams, mezzo-soprano Re'ut Ben-Ze'ev, and soprano Gilda Lyons with collaborative pianist Mila Henry. Each vocalist performs a single poem set by multiple composers on this program of premieres.

Since 2005, The Phoenix Concerts has commissioned, premiered, and presented over one hundred and sixty contemporary composers' works on over fifty concerts in Manhattan, Beijing, Saratoga Springs, and Seattle. Thousands of additional listeners have been reached through streaming videos, visuals, and program notes on its website (www.thephoenixconcerts.org) as well as rebroadcasts on WUOL 90.5 FM, Louisville, Kentucky's Fine Arts Station. 

The Steven R. Gerber Trust is dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the music of Steven Gerber through the support and creation of projects, programs, and initiatives which elevate exposure to, increase interest in, and highlight aspects of, the composer's work. 

For more concert information, please visit http://www.thephoenixconcerts.org/20172018-season/#/elementsongs/. For more about Steven Gerber’s music, please contact Jeffrey James Arts Consulting at 516-586-3433 or jamesarts@att.net.

Steven R. Gerber was born in 1948 in Washington, D.C. He held degrees from Haverford College and from Princeton University, where he received a 4-year fellowship. Gerber’s music composition teachers included Robert Parris, J. K. Randall, Earl Kim, and Milton Babbitt.

Steven's chamber music release on Naxos Steven R. Gerber – Chamber Music features nine of his finest works in the genre, recorded by violinists Kurt Nikkanen and Cho-Liang Lin and cellists Cyrus Beroukhim and Brinton Smith, with pianist Sara Davis Buechner. Recent chamber music releases include the Albany Records CD (Mostly) Piano Music of works performed by Gerber on piano, with Gregory Fulkerson, violin and Jennifer Rinehart, piano. An Albany Records CD of The Amernet String Quartet performing Gerber's String Quartets 4, 5 and 6 and Fantasy, Fugue & Chaconne for Viola & Cello was released in May 2015.

His music gained international attention as a result of recorded CD releases featuring several of his major works for orchestra as well as concertos. His Symphony No. 1, Dirge and Awakening, the Viola Concerto and Triple Overture were recorded by the Russian Philharmonic Orchestra under Thomas Sanderling, with Lars Anders Tomter, viola, and the Bekova Sisters Trio on the Chandos label. Koch International Classics released his Violin Concerto, Cello Concerto, and Serenade for String Orchestra, with performances by the National Chamber Orchestra under Piotr Gajewski, with soloists Kurt Nikkanen (violin) and Carter Brey (cello). In 2007 Arabesque records released a CD with three of Gerber's orchestral works, Spirituals for string orchestra, Clarinet Concerto, and Serenade Concertante, featuring the St. Petersburg State Academic Symphony, conducted by Vladimir Lande, with clarinet soloist Jon Manasse. Other releases included recordings of his music with Composers Recordings, Inc., and Opus One record labels. One of his last orchestral works, Music in Dark Times was commissioned by Vladimir Ashkenazy and the four World Premiere performances took place in March, 2009 with Maestro Ashkenazy conducting the San Francisco Symphony.

Gerber's catalog of works also includes many song cycles, choral works and pieces for solo instruments. His compositions are published by Mobart Music Publications / Boelke-Bomart, Inc. and Lauren Keiser Music. 

Steven Gerber passed away on May 28, 2015. Information about him, including a complete list of works and discography is available at www.stevengerber.com.

For photos or other press inquiries, contact Jeffrey James Arts Consulting at 516-586-3433 or jamesarts@att.net.

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