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Alex Robertson

@alexrobertsoncomposerconductor

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Composer, Conductor
@juilliardschool
@nyo.usa '24 (Composer)
Music Director- Antiphon Chamber Orchestra

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Last Sunday, I had the pleasure of returning to my III. Choralebuch "Vocalise" in Boston as part of @musicforfoodnet 's "Kurtág at 100" concert. I had the opportunity to conduct my work and work with 6 wonderful and intentional musicians- Lucy Shelton, Kim Kashkashian, @amtacello , Nicholas Southwick, @smoothreeds , and @breakingbell91 . Returning to this work and exploring it as if new was such a gratifying experience for me, and I am so deeply grateful that my work was programmed on such a wonderful concert containing music from some of the most influential composers to me- Mozart, Dvořák, Sibelius, and Kurtág. Not a bad crowd to be a part of!
In particular, working with Lucy on this piece for 2 performances now has been a life-altering experience. Her depth of understanding, unfailing musicianship, and encyclopedic knowledge makes her one of the most unforgettable people, as well as musicians, that I have had the pleasure of collaborating with. I could not have asked for a better person to write this piece for! by @alexrobertsoncomposerconductor

Just 2 days until the Boston premiere of Alex Robertson’s III. Choralebuch “Vocalise” with this incredible ensemble! ✨

🗓️ Sunday at 7 pm
📍 New England Conservatory of Music

See you there!

#classicalmusic #bostonconcerts #benefitconcert by @alexrobertsoncomposerconductor

Come hear the Boston premiere of Alex Robertson’s III. Choralebuch “Vocalise”
September 27
7:00 PM
Brown Hall, New England Conservatory
Join us for an evening of music; we would love to see you there!
#musicforfood #NewEnglandConservatory #bostonconcerts by @alexrobertsoncomposerconductor

This past July was book-ended (and coast-ended) with two amazing and deeply personal premieres of pieces of mine.

My ‘3 Knots’ were performed at @hiddenvalleymusic by three amazing musicians, @henrykramerpiano , @eunipalooooza , and @graemesteelejohnson . They brought such concentrated musicianship and sensitivity to my score, and brought out all of the small details and interactions that together form the ark of the work. I am still beaming from the experience - it was so amazing. The piece is dedicated to the two composers @steven_mackey and @sarahkirklandsnider , who had such a major impact on my development and growth as a composer.

My III. Choralebuch “Vocalise” was performed a week ago by the legendary Lucy Shelton and an ensemble of 5 amazing musicians. The premiere happened at the @yellowbarnmusic festival, which is a festival that I have such a personal connection with, and I always feel myself just a little bit reborn after every time a piece of mine is premiered there. In many ways, this premiere was a real ‘full-circle’ moment for me. I can’t wait to work with Lucy again on another performance of the work in Boston at the end of September! by @alexrobertsoncomposerconductor

The spellbinding ending of the first movement of Brahms' 4th symphony! I am of the belief that part of the reason that this climax is so hair-raising is due to the fact that in one way or another, the outbursts that come beforehand are in one way or another restricted, restrained, and prevented from proper resolution or apotheosis. Here at the end, the 'protagonist' (if you wish) finally lets loose and no rhythmic or harmonic binds can stop them.

Taken from a wonderful reading of the work with the Antiphon Chamber Orchestra. by @alexrobertsoncomposerconductor

The end of my first year at Juilliard was filled with lots of wonderful music and wonderful people!
Clips 1-3 - Brahms 4 with the amazing musicians of the Antiphon Chamber Orchestra at the very end of the school year!
During a deeply musical and wonderful weekend with Jörg Widmann - after his concert with the @cleveorch and after many wonderful conversations.
Clip 4 - A run-through of an orchestrated excerpt from my “Hausmann-Lieder”, conducted by the wonderful @rferromusic and the wonderful Juilliard Lab Orchestra.
After time spent with the incomparable Pierre-Laurent Aimard, before his life-changing evening performing Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier Book II.
Some photos from my many clips to Central Park recently are scattered in there as well :) by @alexrobertsoncomposerconductor

Over the past few weeks, I had two premieres of movements from my Clarinet, Viola, and Piano trio, "Wanderungen und Friedenssuchen." The 2nd movement, for Piano solo, I performed at the Juilliard Station (and, looking back on it, I haven't performed a solo piano piece of public in mine before that since 2018), and the 3rd movement was performed beautifully a couple of days ago by the wonderful @anoushpogo and @tejastirthapura in Juilliard's Paul Hall. It was such a wonderful experience getting to carve this work with these two unbelievable musicians, and to spend a few weeks in this world of my trio (in performance, anyway).

You can see the second movement on my YouTube channel (link in bio) already, and the third will be coming out soon! by @alexrobertsoncomposerconductor

A torrential, wailing climax from my otherwise contemplative solo piano piece, "Erinnerungen" (also the 2nd movement of a Clarinet-Viola-Piano trio of mine), performed at the @juilliardschool station yesterday on a concert put on by my dear friend @lbaron_06 . The full performance will be posted to YouTube soon!

Video cred: @orlishaham by @alexrobertsoncomposerconductor

Feeling so deeply grateful after a wonderful week with the @vsorchestra and @conductordavidrobertson in preparation for the premiere of Modum, from my 3 Figures for Orchestra. It was such a gratifying, intense, beautiful, and informative process and I feel so lucky to have been able to work with the deeply understanding and caring @vsomusicians and of course with @conductordavidrobertson - my favorite conductor alive (although I may be biased on that one) who so many composers dream of having their piece premiered by. An absolutely wonderful start to the year! by @alexrobertsoncomposerconductor

Last night, audiences at the Orpheum were treated to an electrifying "program of sophisticated delights" (The Vancouver Sun) featuring Conductor @conductordavidrobertson, pianist @orlishaham, and the @vsomusicians 🔥 If you missed the concert, there's still one more chance to experience Nielsen's "The Inextinguishable" tonight (Sat, Jan 31) at 7:30pm.
Tickets at the door or online at link in bio.
Read below for excerpts from The Vancouver Sun's review by David Gordon Duke:
On John Adams' Must the Devil Have All the Good Tunes...
"Soloist Orli Shaham delivered with verve and power, and conductor Robertson was astonishing. With an elegant vocabulary of gesture, he negotiated the rhythmic and textural extravagances of a very difficult score with a breathtakingly confident ease. Soloist and conductor made it all seem easy, and the orchestra played up to their level."
On Nielsen's "The Inextinguishable":
"Robertson succeeded in getting the best Nielsen reading I’ve ever heard from the VSO, clean, consistent, while very aware of the wealth of detail in the quirky score. The brass were present but capable of subtlety; the duelling timpani were expansive and theatrical."
On @alexrobertsoncomposerconductor's new composition, Modum:
"Modum is tough-minded and assured, the work of a composer who knows his own mind and has something to say. More power to him for creating something new and impressive." by @alexrobertsoncomposerconductor

'Recap' and climax
Appassionata from 3 Figures for Orchestra
Full movement on YouTube by @alexrobertsoncomposerconductor

Wishing everyone a new year with what closed up the last one ;)
This was from the @momentum.berlin where we premiered my “Fantasia on themes from the Levant” with @alexrobertsoncomposerconductor #newmusic #filmmusic

#music #violín #soloist #ensemble #momentum #darbuka #conductor #bass #trombone #trumpet #clarinet #oboe #flute #bassoon #cello #viola #friends #colleagues by @alexrobertsoncomposerconductor