Mark G. Simon, farewell concert
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Mark G. Simon, farewell concert
I have been living in Ithaca, New York for nearly 30 years. I have been employed as the music cataloger at the Cornell University Libraries, as clarinet and music theory teacher at the Community School of Music and Arts, and as music critic for the Ithaca Times, in addition to playing gigs and composing music. In a month I will leave all of that behind and move to the Washington DC area in order to marry Owlice, whom many of you will remember as a former frequent poster. I hope to find increased opportunities for playing, teaching and composing in my new home.
Tomorrow, Feb. 11, at 4:00, I will be playing a farewell concert at the Community School, featuring:
Mark G. Simon, clarinet
Christopher Morgan Loy, piano
The Ezra Clarinet Quartet
The program will include:
Pseudonym for solo clarinet, by Simon
Contemplations for piano, by Loy.
Olive Branch Rag for clarinet quartet (3 Bb clarinets & bass clarinet), by Simon
Première Rapsodie for clarinet and piano, by Debussy.
and
Partita for clarinet quartet, by Loy.
The latter is a 30-minute, 6-movement work written for me and the Ezra Quartet by Christopher Loy. It's quite a substantial piece of music, and I'm finding it very rewarding to work on. I'm glad that I can present this performance before I leave town.
The Ezra Quartet is a group of very good clarinet players who happen to work at Cornell. One of them is a Cincinatti Conservatory graduate who's married to a composition grad student at the Cornell music dept., another is a Latin prof. and another is a physics lecturer. All of them are good players and fully up to the challenge of playing this very difficult score by Loy. Previous performances by this group have included a Divertimento for clarinet quartet by Alfred Uhl, and Square Dance by Karl Henning, as well as works by me, and arrangements of string quartets by Beethoven and Mozart.
My two compositions on the program are extremely varied in nature. Pseudonym is a wild 12-tone piece, so difficult I find myself questioning my sanity for having written it (others have found different reasons for questioning my sanity, but I won't go into that). The Olive Branch Rag is, just as the title implies, a ragtime piece, basically in the manner of Scott Joplin. I find I enjoy writing rags. In the years that I have been leading a clarinet ensemble at the Community School, I would take the group to nursing homes, and the old folks especially enjoyed hearing the rags. I always try to work in some interesting twists. This one has a short fugue in the last strain.
Tomorrow, Feb. 11, at 4:00, I will be playing a farewell concert at the Community School, featuring:
Mark G. Simon, clarinet
Christopher Morgan Loy, piano
The Ezra Clarinet Quartet
The program will include:
Pseudonym for solo clarinet, by Simon
Contemplations for piano, by Loy.
Olive Branch Rag for clarinet quartet (3 Bb clarinets & bass clarinet), by Simon
Première Rapsodie for clarinet and piano, by Debussy.
and
Partita for clarinet quartet, by Loy.
The latter is a 30-minute, 6-movement work written for me and the Ezra Quartet by Christopher Loy. It's quite a substantial piece of music, and I'm finding it very rewarding to work on. I'm glad that I can present this performance before I leave town.
The Ezra Quartet is a group of very good clarinet players who happen to work at Cornell. One of them is a Cincinatti Conservatory graduate who's married to a composition grad student at the Cornell music dept., another is a Latin prof. and another is a physics lecturer. All of them are good players and fully up to the challenge of playing this very difficult score by Loy. Previous performances by this group have included a Divertimento for clarinet quartet by Alfred Uhl, and Square Dance by Karl Henning, as well as works by me, and arrangements of string quartets by Beethoven and Mozart.
My two compositions on the program are extremely varied in nature. Pseudonym is a wild 12-tone piece, so difficult I find myself questioning my sanity for having written it (others have found different reasons for questioning my sanity, but I won't go into that). The Olive Branch Rag is, just as the title implies, a ragtime piece, basically in the manner of Scott Joplin. I find I enjoy writing rags. In the years that I have been leading a clarinet ensemble at the Community School, I would take the group to nursing homes, and the old folks especially enjoyed hearing the rags. I always try to work in some interesting twists. This one has a short fugue in the last strain.
Black lives matter.
Lots of luck, Mark, in your big step into the future. You'll leave a "sgnature tune" behind, and I'm sure the occasion will be an impressive one for performers and audience alike.
Fortunately, you won't have to forgo CMG - I understand the connections to the DC area are intact, and we'll look forward to hearing from one or both of you.
Fortunately, you won't have to forgo CMG - I understand the connections to the DC area are intact, and we'll look forward to hearing from one or both of you.
Werner Isler
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Thank you. I have no plans to abandon my online hangouts.Werner wrote:Lots of luck, Mark, in your big step into the future. You'll leave a "sgnature tune" behind, and I'm sure the occasion will be an impressive one for performers and audience alike.
Fortunately, you won't have to forgo CMG - I understand the connections to the DC area are intact, and we'll look forward to hearing from one or both of you.
I've known for quite a while that it was time to move on, but it took the ewige Weibliche to actually lead me down the path. I'll miss Ithaca, I'm sure.
I had a good final rehearsal today, so I'm looking forward to a fun concert. As an encore, I've prepared an arrangement of Heinrich Isaac's Innsbruck, ich muss dich lassen.
Black lives matter.
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Mark - I'm positively shocked that you're moving. Ithaca ... one of the great places in New York State! This takes ... nerve, my friend, especially to leave such a grand, musical city! I well remember our summer get-together - you, me and Owlice - and taking in the zoo here and enjoying some good food and time together. I wish you and her the very best and know that you will still be amongst us with your erudite input as our Winds Specialist!
When do you actually leave for D. C.?
When do you actually leave for D. C.?
Lance G. Hill
Editor-in-Chief
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When she started to play, Mr. Steinway came down and personally
rubbed his name off the piano. [Speaking about pianist &*$#@+#]
Editor-in-Chief
______________________________________________________
When she started to play, Mr. Steinway came down and personally
rubbed his name off the piano. [Speaking about pianist &*$#@+#]
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It always take a lot of nerve to make a career change especially when you spent a goodly number of years in one location.
I did it myself this past year. The change was delightful for me...new people, new environment, new challenges. My family has had a harder time adjusting however.
You'll do fine, Mark. Especially with Owlice by your side.
I did it myself this past year. The change was delightful for me...new people, new environment, new challenges. My family has had a harder time adjusting however.
You'll do fine, Mark. Especially with Owlice by your side.
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That's one thing people always say about me, that I've got a lot of nerve. (usually when they're mad at me)johnQpublic wrote:It always take a lot of nerve to make a career change especially when you spent a goodly number of years in one location.
Bravo to you, then.I did it myself this past year. The change was delightful for me...new people, new environment, new challenges. My family has had a harder time adjusting however.
My new family is going to have to do some adjusting, and I hope that's not too disruptive.
She's a good one.You'll do fine, Mark. Especially with Owlice by your side.
Black lives matter.
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I just got this announcement Mark....it won't hurt to apply
The Benjamin T. Rome School of Music at The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, is announcing a search for a full-time, tenure track position (Assistant Professor) in composition and theory, to begin August 2007. A completed doctorate in composition or theory is required.
The official posting of the position may be found on the university's Human Resources site:
http://humanresources.cua.edu/positions/current.cfm
The Benjamin T. Rome School of Music at The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, is announcing a search for a full-time, tenure track position (Assistant Professor) in composition and theory, to begin August 2007. A completed doctorate in composition or theory is required.
The official posting of the position may be found on the university's Human Resources site:
http://humanresources.cua.edu/positions/current.cfm
What? You two couldn't work your schedules so you could be married on Valentine's Day? That not only would have been romantic...it would have eliminated the possibility of EVER forgetting your anniversary years hence.
Still...best of luck in the move and every blessing in your marriage--whatever the date of the wedding.
Dirk
Still...best of luck in the move and every blessing in your marriage--whatever the date of the wedding.
Dirk
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Well, I proposed to her on Valentine's day. Two years ago, on the New York Times classical music forum I changed my tagline to "My dear Owlice will you marry me?", and she changed hers to "My darling Diegobueno, YES!"
And I think April is a very romantic month to have a wedding in DC. Think cherry blossoms.
John Q.: Definitely worth a try. Thanks.
And I think April is a very romantic month to have a wedding in DC. Think cherry blossoms.
John Q.: Definitely worth a try. Thanks.
Black lives matter.
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