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Press Releases
Duo 2 (Peter H. Bloom flute; Mary Jane Rupert harp) to release new recording, Richard Nelson’s Play of Light
Boston’s Duo “2” (Peter H. Bloom, multiple flutes; Mary Jane Rupert, harp) performs Richard Nelson’s Play of Light in a studio recording just released. Praised for “beautiful phrasing, consummate duet passages, superb technical facility” (St. Andrews Performing Arts), the duo has toured the U.S. and abroad, and will mark its 30th season in 2020-2021. Composer Richard Nelson has received fellowships from the MacDowell Colony, Yaddo, the Charles Ives Center, the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, and others. His music has been praised as “bold and highly satisfying” (The Portland Press Herald).
About Play of Light
Play of Light was written for the Duo "2" and received its premiere at Church of the Advent Boston in September 2011. Bloom and Rupert have featured the work in numerous concert tours across the United States.
Play of Light is built around spaciousness, transparency, multi-hued shadings and playful chases. As Nelson explains, “the incorporation of bass flute and piccolo enhances the inherently rich color possibilities of the flute/harp combination—the three flute instruments in succession form a sort of "super-flute" in the work's final section.” Nelson leads the players into a substantial section that they complete through improvisation. He elaborates, “While they follow signposts from me on intensity, energy and pitch content, the opportunity for improvisation creates an element of intrigue and unpredictability. It also assures that each performance of the piece will have a strong individual profile.”
The Duo 2’s recording of Play of Light (Noah Cole, recording engineer) is available on SoundCloud here: https://soundcloud.com/richardnelsonsounds/play-of-light-1 The artists are making the recording available free of charge.
Scores and parts for Play of Light can be purchased by digital download from Noteworthy Sheet Music.
About the Duo “2”
Founded in 1990, the Duo “2” (flutist Peter H. Bloom and harpist/pianist Mary Jane Rupert) have concertized in the United States, Thailand, New Zealand and Australia. Their music has been called “stunningly beautiful (Cinemusical), and they’ve been hailed as “the very best players, playing at the height of their powers” (University of Canberra). Compositions written for “2” include works by Richard Nelson, Elizabeth Vercoe, Narong Prangcharoen, Karl Henning, Pamela Marshall, and others. The Duo “2” can be heard on Navona, Ravello, and North Star Records, and is managed by Americas Musicworks www.americasmusicworks.com
About Richard Nelson
Composer/guitarist Richard Nelson is recognized for his skillful and original integrations of contemporary classical and jazz composition and performance practices. His works have been performed by such groups as the Charleston Symphony Orchestra, the Duo “2”, the Portland Piano Trio, and his own Makrokosmos Orchestra at venues including Piccolo Spoleto, Miller Theatre at Columbia University, ShapeShifter Lab (Brooklyn), the University of Cape Town (South Africa), and numerous other U.S. festivals and universities. Nelson has released four albums of original works, and received commissions from Duo "2", the Resinosa Ensemble, and the Aardvark Jazz Orchestra, among others. He is Professor of Music and head of Sonic Arts and Composition studies at the University of Maine at Augusta
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