Producer for AUR Recording of "Just for You" - August 2010 Completed production on a new CD for Arizona University Recordings by pianist UMI, a nine-year child prodigy who recently appeared with the Boston Pops and on television on the "Ellen Degeres Show". This recording marks Umi's debut recording and features a number of virtuoso pieces. For more information visit Arizona University Recordings.
Composer & Arranger for the Guadalupe Festival at Jobing.com Arena in Phoenix - July-August 2009 Composing original works for orchestra and choir along with arranging a number of popular liturgical and religious songs for the Guadalupe Festival on August 8, 2009. The soloists for the festival include Filippa Giordano and Dana and features the St Thomas Aquinas Orchestra and Choir. The event will be held at the 20,000 seat Jobing.com Arena in Glendale Arizona.
New Recording by Hong-Mei Xiao just released on AUR - December 2008 Arizona University Recordings in conjunction with QL Music has just released a new volume of their popular "Living with the Classics" series. I produced two tracks of this recording featuring Hong-Mei Xiao performing the Prelude and Gigue in D minor from Bach's Second Cello Suite. More Information and Link to Purchase
Photos of OSUG rehearsal - November 2008 My second appearance in Mexico was a big success. It was a wonderful experience to work with OSUG. I had an opportunity to work with Oscar Vetre, a very fine pianist in a performance of the Beethoven 3rd Piano Concerto. I simply had a great time working with everyone and I was very pleased with the orchestra's performance of the Prokofiev Fourth Symphony along with my work Mille Sonitus. I will post video of the concert soon! In the meantime I have an assortment of photos of Guanajuato and the rehearsals with OSUG on FLICKR Photos of Guanjuato and OSUG
Guest Conductor OSUG (Orquesta Sinfonica de la Universidad de Guanajuato - October 2008 I will be guest conductor for a program with OSUG featuring pianist Oscar Vetre. Mr. Vetre will perform the Beethoven Third Piano Concerto. The program also includes performances of Mille Sonitus, a work that was premiered last December by the State Orchestra of Mexico and the Prokofiev Fourth Symphony (second version). This will be my second guest conducting appearance in Mexico.
New Mastered Version of Concerto for Viola and Orchestra Nears Completion - August 2008 Work is nearing completion on a brand-new mastered version of the Concerto for Viola and Orchestra. The new recording is scheduled to be available later this month.
Mille Sonitus Earns Honorable Mention at ACF Minnesota Orchestra Competition
- June 2008 Mille Sonitus (Overture of a Thousand Sounds) was recognized at the American Composers Forum / Minnesota Orchestra Competition this month earning an Honorable Mention. Mille Sonitus was among the works recognized from a total of 162 entries that were submitted last March. ACF further commented that Mille Sonitus "represented a significant achievement". The work was premiered by the State Orchestra of Mexico last December and will be performed by the Guanajuato Mexico Symphony this upcoming October.
New
Recording of Mille Sonitus (Overture of a Thousands Sounds)
- May 2008 Posted on the
Music page is a new recording of the
orchestral work Mille Sonitus
(Overture of a Thousand Sounds) that was commissioned by Orquesta
Sinfonica del Estado de Mexico (State Orchestra of Mexico) and
premiered last December. This recording was done with the
Garritan Sample Library and mixed in Nuendo. I am amazed with
the high-quality, life-like sound this library produces. While
it took a great deal of mixing and tweaking, I am quite satisfied with
the end result. Feel free to drop comments at marcparella@yahoo.com
Guest
Conductor Guanajuato Symphony - January 2008 I have
been invited to conduct the Guanajuato Symphony Orchestra this
October. The program is still being negotiated.
Fond Memories of Toluca - December 2007 I had
a wonderful time in Mexico conducting the Orquesta Sinfonica del
Estado de Mexico in Toluca and Cuautitlán Izcalli (a suburb northwest
of Mexico City). The orchestra was very fine, well discipline
and worked me hard. The program was very demanding consisting of
three new works (including a rare performance of the Prokofiev Fourth
Symphony), all very demanding. For a change it was good to don
the conductor's attire and go in to battle. I was extremely
pleased with the outcome. While not perfect performances, the
orchestra did perform passionately and they were a delight to work
with. The audiences at both venues were very generous and
frankly I was delighted to have four curtain calls after the
Prokofiev.
Hong-Mei
Xiao who was guest soloist also did a splendid job performing the Viola
Concerto. She took the first and last movements at the proper tempo and
the orchestra did a fine job keeping pace. Many thanks also to Rosa
Elena Diaz the young soprano who worked extremely hard to perform the soprano
obligato part in the first and second movements.
Mille Sonitus
(Overture of a Thousand Sounds) Completed November 2007
I
finished the new work for OSEM that will be premiered next month. The work employs a
number of different orchestral devices that simulate acoustical echo,
decay, and doppler effects. Much of the work focuses on a
three-note motif (CDE) that is developed through a series of
transformations where the motif is distorted and elongated, first
through a lyrical treatment moving more into a contrapuntal
setting.
Work begins
on Commission for OSEM (Orquesta
Sinfonica del Estado del Mexico) September
2007 Work has begun on a 10
minute symphonic work for OSEM, (The State of Mexico Symphony Orchestra). I have
been invited to conduct OSEM, one of Latin America's finest major symphony
orchestras. I will be joined by my dear friend Hong-Mei
Xiao for the official premiere performance of the Viola Concerto.
Clips
of the Viola Concerto Run Through are now posted. August 2007 Mp3 clips of Hong-Mei
Xiao's breath-taking performance of the Viola Concerto I wrote for her are now
available on the Music Page.
Concerto for Viola and Orchestra
Run Through - March 2007 Hong-Mei Xiao's
run through in Phoenix with the Musica Nova Orchestra was very enthusiastically
received. Her performance of the new viola concerto was one for the ages.
She will also perform the work this December in Toluca Mexico with the
State Orchestra of Mexico. Please visit Mike
Markowski's blog page for more photos of the concert.
Viola
Concerto Nears Completion February 2007 Work began in
October of 2006 on an ambitious concerto for my dear friend
Hong-Mei Xiao. She is scheduled to perform the work on March 25, 2007 at Temple Chai in
Phoenix. The concert marks Hong Mei's long overdue debut in
Phoenix.
Guest
Conducting OSEM December 2006
The State of Mexico Symphony Orchestra
under the direction of Enrique Batiz has invited me to conduct two
original works along with a rare performance of Prokofiev's evocative
Fourth Symphony December 7 and 9, 2007. OSEM is one of Mexico's
oldest full-time professional orchestras. This also marks my
first appearance as a guest conductor with a major symphony orchestra.
San
Francisco Open Your Golden Gate July 2006 2006 marks
the year I left my liver in Phoenix and found my heart back in the
City by the Bay. No more 100 degree weather... in April let
alone the brutal summer life. I now live just two blocks from
Union Square in the heart of the Theatre District (Google
Earth). There is no
substitute for an artist than living in a great urban
area. However, I still own a condo in Phoenix.
Mexico Performance
in Negotiations July 2006 The State of Mexico Symphony Orchestra
under the direction of Enrique Batiz will premiere a work of mine for
the 2006-2007 season. No particular details are yet available on
which piece is to be performed. This opportunity came about from
a Mexican/US cultural exchange program. More details to
come.
Wait
a second! Did I really say that... March 2006 Michael
Markowski, a student attending the composition program at Arizona
State University and a gifted young composer, asked me to appear in his documentary
"So you want to be a Composer". He and I met
for just over an hour to discuss my views on the state of the concert
music industry and opportunities for young composers. Mike
included comments by several noted composers and musicians in the
Phoenix area with a couple of choice comments by John Corigliano who
was visiting Phoenix to attend a couple of premieres.
CD
IS OUT!
Click to
purchase
My
first CD is now available for sale. Special Thanks to Dave
Schmidt for his tireless work re-mastering the recording.
The CD features 55 minutes of original works, including 18 minutes of
orchestral works performed by the Arizona State
University Symphony directed by Henry Charles Smith. The
CD also includes
the 1994 Grady Gammage premiere performance of Sonata El
Sonoro.
No
Review of Civic Orchestra of Tucson Concert but... October 2005
I was
disappointed that neither of the two Tucson papers reviewed the
opening Civic Orchestra of Tucson concert. The concert
was well attended with over 300 in attendance at the Berger Center for
the Arts. I was very delighted to sell 20 CDs. I
was also delighted to receive many wonderful comments from the
audience and from players including this one sent by John Kececioglu,
a former member of the Tucson Symphony who is now an associate
professor of Computer Science at the University of Arizona and plays
with the Southern Arizona Symphony:
"I have wanted for some time to send a note to say that I loved your
piece "Adventure for Orchestra." I subbed for third trumpet the day
that the Civic Orchestra of Tucson performed your work, and the piece
has still stuck with me. It was, quite simply, beautiful, and I was
struck (and relieved) that music of this nature (listenable,
enjoyable, highly polished and yet emotionally moving) is being
written by contemporary composers. I admire how you are willing to
write music that does not have as its aim to impress with academic
sophistication, but offers joy to both listener and performer. It
was a pleasure to play your music!"
Thanks
John!
'Adventure'
Premiere in October 2005
In October the Civic Orchestra of Tucson will premiere
'Adventure
for Orchestra'. The 11-minute work is an adaptation of a film score based on a screenplay by
my dear late friend Harrison Rogers wrote back in the early 1980s. Adventure is a story about a 14-year old boy who befriends an older 20-something woman to help him find a magical crystal. The premiere is October 23, 2005 at the Berger Performing Arts Center in Tucson.
Award-winning Violist to Premiere Award-winning Viola Concerto
February 2005
Next fall a brand new Viola Concerto will be premiered by Hong-Mei Xiao,
winner of the prestigious Geneva String Competition. I am thoroughly delighted to have the opportunity to work with her - she is an outstanding performer and musician.
The first performance is only a run through with a local orchestra in
Phoenix but the official World Premiere will be with the State
Orchestra of Mexico in Mexico City in December of 2007.
PDFs and
Online Rentals and Sheet Music for Sale
Some of my scores are now available for perusal.
And Yes,
I bought a Car...
2005 has been an
incredibly good year and to celebrate I bought a beautiful pearl white
Buick LeSabre. But don't blame me for the traffic problems in
Phoenix, I drive my new car mostly on the weekends and still commute
by bus!!
A
