Please join me in welcoming Dieter Hennings back to Portland on Saturday, March 16. We will be performing a free concert at noon at the White Stag building (70 NW Couch St). We are playing a tremendous program of contemporary music. Featured composers include David Lang, Michael Fiday, Hebert Vazquez, Toru Takemitsu, Jean Michel Damase and Philippe Hurel. Many thanks to Bob Priest for including this concert in the March Music Moderne series! Dieter’s trip to Portland falls on the tail end of a whirlwind concert tour through Europe, and then he will head home to Lexington KY where we hope he will have a few hours finally to get some sleep!

This video is quite exciting! I collaborated with artist Jack Ryan and BlueDot Productions to film another video in the series:  “Oregonia: You Should See What State You’re In!”

I am thrilled to report:

Thirteen artists of outstanding talent, demonstrated ability and commitment to the creation of new work were selected to receive Artist Fellowships earlier this month. The Commission considered 77 applicants working in literature and the performing arts on the basis of the quality of the applicant’s work, their sustained professional achievement and potential for future contribution to the field.

Fellowship artists include:

Performing Arts:
Holcombe Waller, Portland; Joan Shipley Award, performance artist, musician
Molly Barth, Eugene; flutist
Jonathan Walters, Portland; director, actor
Joe Manis, Eugene; jazz saxophonist
Susan Chan, Portland; pianist

Writers:
Dao Strom, Portland; memoir and nonfiction
Andrea Stolowitz, Portland; playwright
M.E. Hope, Klamath Falls; poetry
Kirsten Rian, Portland; nonfiction
Evan Schneider, Portland; fiction
Scott Sparling, Lake Oswego; fiction
Geri Doran, Eugene; poetry
Mark Allen Cunningham, Portland; fiction

The musical composition Thorn is aptly named. Its relentless spiking attacks are placed into the context of the destructive machinations of Sumpter Oregon’s historic dredge and its insatiable churning in its quest for gold.

Harmonies are foregone in favor of unrelenting phrases requiring Molly herself to act as the dispassionate cog in the endlessly turning wheels of uncertain resolution.

Molly Barth – Flute
David Lang – Composer

Bluedot Productions - Filmmaking

Filmed at Oregon State Parks dredge in Sumpter Oregon.

Molly Barth acknowledges the support of the Office for Research, Innovation and Graduate Education, University of Oregon.

The piece, titled “Mollitude” was written in 2006 by Frederic Rzewski. It is available through Innova Records on Beta Collide’s Cd titled “psst…PSST!”

Thank you to Ri and Renee of BlueDot Productions, and to Terry for his help on this project!

Big thanks to the Oregon Arts Commission, University of Oregon School of Music and Dance and the State of Oregon Parks Department!