Notes on the music by Timothy Polashek
The first composition on the program is HOT-TEMPERED ARPEGGIOS. This energetic and colorful electro-acoustic work (music for stereo playback) features contrapuntal melodies constructed from microtonal pitch foundations that range from 11-note equal temperament to 76-note equal temperament scales. These lines form intersecting and converging trajectories of both subtly and widely evolving computer-generated timbres that move from percussive to ambient sonorities.
The rest of the program features instrumental works. Composing for pianist Eric Huebner, his incredible virtuosity and spirited playing in mind, was especially enjoyable for me. It allowed me to consciously bring together my continuing love of rhythmic syncopation and contrapuntal writing with the bright color and dissonances of jazz harmonies, melodic modes, and chordal voicings. Also, these works were composed for the uniquely American and jazz-inspired tone of saxophonist Matthew Polashek, which I find more visceral and engaging than the common French style of classical saxophone tone. Overall, these are modern classical compositions, but spoken in the dialects and emotions of jazz.
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Timothy Polashek is an accomplished pianist, lecturer and composer, writing for a variety of ensembles and media, including vocal, instrumental, and electro-acoustic music, text/sound compositions, and interactive performance systems. He is known for his unique arrangements. Dr. Polashek is an Assistant Professor of Music at Lehman College, and the Director of their state-of-the-art Electronic Music Center.
Tim’s music has been performed in Hong Kong, Brazil, Moscow, and other European countries. He has recently debuted works at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and the SPARK New Music Festival. Some of his work has been performed by the renowned new music ensemble, Speculum Musicae. Tim was a panelist at the 2000 Society of Electro-Acoustic Music conference. His interactive text/sound installation Tinkering With Sound debuted at the NY Lincoln Center Summer Festival in 2000 and his electronic composition A Miniature Odyssey was performed at the prestigious 2004 International Computer Music Festival. Hot-Tempered Arpeggios, his new electronic composition, will receive its premiere performance at the American Festival of Microtonal Music in New York City on April 8, 2005. A member of the collaborative group, The Electric Music Collective, Tim’s work can be found on their albums Incandescence and Defiant.
Dr. Polashek received his Doctor of Musical Arts in Composition from Columbia University, an MA in Electro-Acoustic Music from Dartmouth College, and BA in Music from Grinnell College. |
Eric Huebner
A pianist and native of Los Angeles, Eric has drawn world-wide acclaim for his performances of new and traditional music. Recently hailed as “...an up-and-comer on the New York new-music scene,” by New Yorker magazine, Mr. Huebner has twice been awarded the Stipendpreis from the International Summer Courses for New Music in Darmstadt, Germany and is a member of the award winning ensemble, Antares. He performed the Robert Beaser piano concerto with The Juilliard Symphony at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall and has performed throughout the US, Germany, Japan and Brazil. Eric has appeared with Speculum Musicae, Ensemble Sospeso, ISCM Chamber Players, Washington Square Chamber Players, Continuum, NY New Music Ensemble and the New Juilliard Ensemble.
Eric holds a Bachelors and Masters of Music degree from The Juilliard School and is on the faculty at Wesleyan University, The Lawrenceville School in New Jersey and the Horace Mann School. |
Matthew Polashek
Matthew is a contemporary saxophonist living in the New York City area. His current work focuses on the development of his own real-time computer-based interactive multimedia performance system. He is pursuing a Master’s degree in music at the City University of New York and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Jazz Studies from the University of Wisconsin at Green Bay, where he studied saxophone with John Salerno. He has extensive experience performing professionally on the saxophone, flute, and clarinet in a multitude of genres. He performs with his own group, the Matthew Polashek Exchange, and has performed and recorded with internationally renowned artists including David Liebman and Bryan Lynch. A gifted performer, composer, and arranger, Matthew has lectured on the collegiate level on the topic of contemporary music performance practices and has performed contemporary music throughout the country. Matthew is also a project editor for Macmillan/McGraw-Hill. |