A GENE PRITSKER UPDATE

GP June Newsletter - CC Finale Event, New album, Summer Europe Tour

Hey Peeps,

Composers Concordance 40th Season is coming to a close this Saturday with 'LittleBig Band'. We have produce over 60 concerts in the 2023-'24 season, a record in CompCord history. We would love to see you Saturday at our last event & celebrate this accomplishment as well as give you a glimpse into our next season.

I have a new album coming out on August 2nd: 'Gene & The Strings' on Composers Concordance Records (Naxos distribution).

https://noizepunk.wixsite.com/geneandthestrings

In July, the single 'Under The Wolf’s Cloak' will be released on CompCord Rec. for narrator, chorus and 2 marimbas on a poem by Imelda O'Reilly. 

Next week I go on a mini Europe tour. First, Eclectic Music eXtravaganza concert in Berlin on July 10th at Padna Platforma, Then a few concerts in Cephalonia, Greece with violinist Tasos Papstamou and soprano Ljiljana Winkler, next I go to the Outreach Music Festival 2024 in Schwaz, Austria where on Aug. 2nd my band Sound Liberation performs, featuring violinist Lara St. John and vocalist Chanda Rule. This is my 18th year at Outreach, I will have many premieres including a new composition for the Outreach Orchestra and a new fanfare for the Sparks event and of course my workshop bands, composition classes, etc.

CompCord Next season starts in Late August with an event at Steel Wig on the 27th with violinist Machiko Ozawa and pianist Jai Jeffryes in a program titled: 'Tango Prism'

See you all soon!

- gene

SOUND LIBERATION & DI.J. QUARTET

Gene Pritsker's Sound Liberation & DI. J. Quartet has just released an (eponymous) album.
Here's a teaser :

SOUND LIBERATION - BETTER NOW

• sound liberation: better now
      (2023, streaming, --, spotify)

Gene Pritsker's Sound Liberation has a new album out.
It got released on the Composers Concordance label.
"Better Now" presents 10 tunes that balance between jazz, rhythm 'n blues and classical music.

As Gene puts it:
Sound Liberation’s 8th studio album, ‘Better Now’, continues the bands eclectic musical exploration. Sound Liberation's musical philosophy, developed by band founder Gene Pritsker, is based upon "ending the segregation of sound vibration (i.e. musical Genres)". On ‘Better Now’ Gene Pritsker’s compositions explore soul, hip-hop, modern jazz, cross over classical, blues, r&b, jazz fusion and more.

Check it out on Spotify :

NEW ALBUM BY GENE PRITSKER / SOUND LIBERATION

Sound Liberation’s 9th studio album, ‘Better Now’, continues the bands eclectic musical exploration. Sound Liberation's musical philosophy, developed by band founder Gene Pritsker, is based upon "ending the segregation of sound vibration (i.e. musical Genres)". The group incorporates its philosophy by performing compositions that encompass a diverse range of musical genre, heavily influenced by hip-hop and rock rhythms. This enables one to hear elements from classical music to Jazz to music of various cultures at a Sound Liberation show.

On ‘Better Now’ Gene Pritsker’s compositions explore soul, hip-hop, modern jazz, cross over classical, blues, r&b, jazz fusion and more. Recorded over a period of two years in various locations and studios, some tracks recorded remotely some in a studio station. The album takes you on a no holds bar genre defying journey that is the defining style of Sound Liberation.

GENE PRITSKER UPDATE

A message from Gene Pritsker

Hey All,

Hope everyone is having a great start to their summer. I am in Berlin starting a 5+ week concert & festival tour.

July 9

First stop Berlin, producing the event Composers Concordance @ Hosek Contemporary Gallery, lots of my music performed at this concert including the premier of 'Vocal Canons' and 'Quotes from People Bork On July 9th, as well as performances of 'Light, Night and the Replaceables’, 'Renascence', and 'The difference Unhappiness'.

July 15

I go to Augsburg, Germany for the premiere of The mini opera 'Soubrette auf der Toilette Chamber Jazz Version’. Performed at the Kleiner Goldener Saal. Also on the program the songs ‘Path’, 'Purcell Laid back Groove’ and a Chamber Jazz Version of ‘Blues From An Airport Bar’. Performed by soprano Ljiljana Winkler, trumpeter Peter Oswald and many great local musicians

July 19

I travel to Vienna and on the 19th where Sound Liberation Di.J. Quartet performs at Wienstation, a set of my music featuring me as Di.J./guitar/rap With Clemens M. Rofner, Simon Springer and Peter Oswald

July 23

I go to Nuremberg, Germany and conduct the program Rockin ‘Ruins, Re-Imagined by GP, with the voice of Chanda Rule, basically my orchestrations/arrangements of rock music and the premiere of my composition 'A Deeper Purple Overture’ at the cool open air venue Katharinenruine With ensemble CONTRASTS

July 24 - August 14

I'm is back at the Outreach Festival in Schwaz, Austria. Premiers include the new trumpet concerto for Markus Finkler, 'Closest Thing To Joy & Love Duet' , with the Outreach Orchestra, and many workshops, concerts with various groups and composition classes. - will Be a fun time as usual -

August 7

And in the middle of my Outreach stay Sound Liberation travels to Passau, Germany to perform at the Jazzfest Passau, presenting my 'Lets Save The World Suite’, with Franz Hackl, Thomas Kugi, Clemens, Simon and me. This will be the European premiere of the full suite - we do it again in NYC on my birthday, Sept. 7th as the official CD release premiere concert.

GENE PRITSKER'S 'CLOUD ATLAS SYMPHONY'

Gene Pritsker's 'Cloud Atlas Symphony' has been released !

here's the message from Gene, with the link to give this impressive piece a listen !

Hi folks, After many years (almost 10 after the recording) my full 'Cloud Atlas Symphony' has been released on NEscapes Records. You can hear the full piece on these streaming site: https://songwhip.com/kristjan-jarvi/cloud-atlas-symphony

I hope you enjoy this composition, as well as the 3 additional pieces on the album by Tom Tykwer, Johnny Klimek & Reinhold Heil that I orchestrated.

The symphony is dear to me and I am so excited to share it with you. It is performed and recorded brilliantly,
I am a happy composer :)

- g


Cloud Atlas Symphony
Based on music from the film 'Cloud Atlas’
by Tom Tykwer, Johnny Klimek & Reinhold Heil

As recorded by: MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony,
Kristjan Jarvi - conductor.

Producer: Philip Traugott
Cover Art: Mark Kostabi
Cover Design: Evelyn Koster

MY GUITAR WANTS TO KILL YOUR MAMA TRIO

The My Guitar Wants To Kill Your Mama trio consists of Gene Pristsker,  Jane Getter and Bruce Arnold.

The ensemble will be doing a concert later today.

Sunday April 10th @ 3pm LIVE-STREAM

https://www.facebook.com/composersconcordance/live_videos

Low Key Chamber Concert #13 - ‘My Guitar Wants To Kill Your Mama Trio’
= Gene Pristsker,  Jane Getter and Bruce Arnold, at the Sky Vault, NYC

NEW ALBUM BY GENE PRITSKER

Gene Pritsker : 
I would like to tell you about my new release called ‘EroicAnization’. This project came out from a collaboration I did with the Nuremberg based ensemble KONTRASTE, who commissioned me to write a piece based on Beethoven’s “Eroica” Symphony, we premiered it New Year’s Day 2020, and recorded it after the premiere. 
‘EroicAnization’ is for Di.J. and Chamber Ensemble. Also on the album is the encore piece which plays with Beethoven’s famous piano piece, "Für Elise," which I call "Für Elise Charleston." The album starts with "Ludwig’s Night Out". We were in the middle of the pandemic and decided to remotely record a new composition/arrangement based on Beethoven. The result was "Ludwig’s Night Out" for electric guitar, keys, electric bass and drum set, based on Beethoven’s Violin & Piano Sonata No. 4. 

GENE PRITSKER UPDATE

from Gene Pritsker's newsletter

Pandemic Dance

While stuck here at home with all my concerts canceled I decided to launch a project, calling peeps on FB to record duos with me. I got 32 participants. So I wrote 32 duets for myself on electric guitar and my various composer/performer friends playing a dizzying variety of instruments. The basic idea is I write a duo for them, and call these Pandemic Dances and they write a duo for me, we record our parts at home and release it on this album.

Here is the link to the Bandcamp album:

https://genepritsker.bandcamp.com/album/pandemic-dances

So far I have recorded and released 6 of these.

It's Been A Minute Waltz

The great ensemble Kontraste from Nuremberg asked me to write a one-minute composition for a 19 piece chamber ensemble - kinda inspired bu Frédéric Chopin's, Minute Waltz. So in keeping with the spirit of all of us not being able to see each other for a while - I wrote: 'It's Been A Minute Waltz'. Here is the video with all the musicians recording their individual parts at home.

https://www.facebook.com/gene.pritsker/videos/10157488630977013/

JUECHENG CHEN AND GENE PRITSKER - OPERATIC ELECTRIC

• juecheng chen and gene pritsker: operatic electric
      (2020, cd, usa, composers concordance records)

American contemporary composer Gene Pritsker keeps on exploring new paths. On "Operatic Electric", Gene teams up with countertenor Juechen 'Ju-eh' Cheng, a countertenor, to perform a series of classic arias.
Next to the re-worked and re-arranged classical pieces by  John Dowland, Henry Purcell, Sergei
Rachmaninoff, and Claudio Monteverdi, the duo also performs original compositions by Gene Pritsker.

Combining the classical male voice with electronics makes "Operatic Electric" an eclectic adventure.
I like it.

http://www.composersconcordance.com/

Here's a live performance of one of the pieces:

CHRIS OPPERMAN AND GENE PRITSKER UPDATE

From Chris Opperman :

The world premiere of my new piece "And If You Know" will take place on Sunday, March 15th at Opera America in NYC with Ereni Sevasti singing and Gene Pritsker on guitar. It's a pop ballad I wrote for my little girl because I want her to always know that I love her. There are a lot of other awesome pieces and composers who will also be featured! Come hang!

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tin-pan-allegiances-tickets-91453280223

Composers featured on the concert include, Tyrone Birkett, Charles Coleman, Dan Cooper, Loire Cotler, Chris Opperman, Gene Pritsker, Richard Sussman, David Taylor, and Ann Warren.

Performers featured will be vocalist Scot Albertson, saxophonist Tyrone Birkett, vocalist Charles Coleman, vocalist Loire Cotler, violist Beth Holub, pianist Chris Opperman, guitarist Gene Pritsker, pianist Richard Sussman, bass trombonist David Taylor, Ereni Sevasti - voice, Loire Cotler - Rhythm Vocalist, and Glen Velez - Frame Drum, Percussion

GENE PRITSKER AND THE ZAPPA INFLUENCE ENSEMBLE

info from Gene Pritsker:

November Europe tour with concerts at the 'Outreach Sattelite Festival' in Friedberger, Germany. Concerts in Austria and Germany of the 'Zappa Ripped My Flesh' project and concerts at Augsburg University in Bavaria.

11/16 ‘Zappa Ripped My Flesh’ project performed in Absam, Austria at Gemeindemuseum. Featuring Gene’s chamber music and his arrangements of Frank Zappa compositions.

11/19 ‘Zappa Ripped My Flesh’ project performed at Cafe Museum in Passau, Germany. Featuring Gene’s chamber music and his arrangements of Frank Zappa compositions.

11/22 ‘Zappa Ripped My Flesh’ project performed as part of The Outreach Satellite Festival in Wittelsbacher Schloss, Friedberg, Germany

GENE PRITSKER UPDATE

Guitarist and composer Gene Pritsker co-founded the Absolute Ensemble with Kristian Jarvi.
He was one of the people behind the "Absolute Zappa" program that the Absolute Ensemble performed in 2004 with special guests Mike Keneally and Napoleon Murphy Brock.

Gene was part of the ensemble, playing the guitar parts, and arranging most of the Zappa pieces.

I was happy to attend the September 2004 performance in Cologne.  Still have vivid memories of it!

Next November, Gene Pritsker's music will be performed next to a number of Frank Zappa pieces (arranged by Gene).

11/16
‘Zappa Ripped My Flesh’ project performed in Absam, Austria at Gemeindemuseum

11/19
‘Zappa Ripped My Flesh’ project performed at Cafe Museum in Passau, Germany.

https://www.genepritsker.com/

Here's a 2004 snippet from the Bremen show :

GENE PRITSKER - ECLECTIC MUSIC EXTRAVAGANZA

• eclectic music extravaganza: eclectic music extravaganza
      (2018, cd, usa, composers concordance records comcon047)

Eclectic Music eXtravaganza (EMX) is a collective of an international array of musicians who meet up to produce a very eclectic chamber music concert, a music salon for the 21st century.
On their first release, EMX showcases 10 contemporary classical pieces by Gene Pritsker. An obvious choice as Gene Pritsker's composition are both eclectic and extravagant.
Chamber music, solo piano, saxophone quartet,... It's all there.

10 pieces. Most of which were recorded in concert in Germany and in Austria.

Impressive.

https://naxosdirect.com/items/eclectic-music-extravaganza-live-457610

GENE PRITSKER UPDATE

Gene Pritsker says :

Happy Summer!

I’m about to embark on a crazy busy/fun summer and would love to tell you about it.
On the 12th of July my European organization Eclectic Music eXtravaganza (EMX) performs in Berlin the 1st of 4 concerts of our mini European tour, on which I will premiere many new compositors. Here is the tour rundown:

EMX 2018 European Tour

As mention above on July 12th we play a program at Ballhaus in Berlin, Germany, in a concert called ‘New York Meets Berlin’. We then travel to Italy and perform with the EMX ensemble on July 17th at San Benedetto del Tronto in Abruzzo, Italy on July 18th we perform at the renowned Pescara Jazz Festival in Pescara, Italy, we take a short break and repeat the program on Aug. 3rd at the 2018 Outreach Music Festival in Schwaz, Austria.

The EMX Ensemble is:

Petro Krysa - violin, Franz Hackl - trumpet, Kai Schumacher - piano/synth., Mark Kostab - piano/synth., Gene Pritsker - Guitar/bass, Phil Bernhardt - drums.
With special guests joining us for various concerts including: Christoph Enzel, Michiyo Suzuki, Zachary M. Seely, Michiko Saiki and Roger Trefousse.

GENE PRITSKER UPDATE

Composer Gene Pritsker presents a concert of his vocal music. "I have written many chamber operas, various chamber music with voice, jazz songs, r&b songs, choral music and songs inspired by various genres and cultures. I thought it would be great to have a concert that features my eclectic vocal compositions. I assembled a group of great singers and picked repertoire that will feature each of their voices as well as combine them to perform some of my choral music." Sopranos Mary Illes and Sharon Harms, mezzo soprano Jessica Bowers, counter tenor Juecheng Chen and baritone Charles Coleman, with special guests Franz Hackl on trumpet and guitarist Sean Satin, will perform many of my compositions, including the premieres of: 'Whitman's Strangers Electronic' for mezzo soprano and Samplestra (pre recorded electronics), Nun Tuv Hey' from 'Four Choral Pieces On Hebrew Letters' for chorus and 'Turn Back?' for counter tenor and guitar, as well as older music such as the duo 'Renascence', the jazzy 'Funeral Blues' and my choral piece 'Wish + Faith = Kisses'. The concert will also include music of Mark Kostabi, Franz Hackl, Charles Coleman, and Shanan Estreicher.

Saturday, May12th at 9pm. The concert will be held at Bar Thalia - Symphony Space


Here's 'The Wall' from Gene's recent "Trump" concerto.

GENE PRITSKER - RITE THROUGH AN ECLECTIC SPECTRUM

• gene pritsker's sound liberation: rite through an eclectic spectrum
      (2017, cd, usa, composers concordance records comcon041)

Gene PritSker has a huge admiration for Igor Stravinsky’s ‘The Rite Of Spring’. Not only for the, at the time, revolutionary compositional aspects, but also for the stir that it caused at its premiere performance. Guided by Stravinsky’s avant-garde piece, Gene wrote 8 new pieces for his Sound Liberation ensemble.

The result is quite energetic (that's probably where the 'riot' part comes in) and the influence is obvious.
In his typical eclectic style, mixing hip-hop and beats with jazz, Gene Pritsker gives ‘The Rite Of Spring’ a contemporary twist.
"Rite Through An Eclectic Spectrum".
I like it.

http://www.genepritsker.com/

GENE PRITSKER

Gene Pritsker is about to release "Rite Through An Eclectic Spectrum".
Inspired by Stravinsky's "The Rite Of Spring", performed by his Sound Liberation ensemble, and recorded live at the Outreach Music Festival in 2014.

More info soon.

GENE PRITSKER UPDATE

Here's a nice little video from Gene's most recent newsletter.

Ineffably Still by Gene Pritsker. Performed by Gene Pritsker (electric guitar) and Michio Suzuki (bass clarinet) February 19th at Le Poisson Rouge in NYC. Ineffably Still © 2017 by Gene Pritsker. Ineffably Still video © 2017 by Sandy Emma for 2112 Productions.

Ineffably Still from www.2112productions.org on Vimeo.

GENE PRITSKER / FRANK ZAPPA

Reconstructions' - Gene Pritsker / Frank Zappa
Based on themes from Frank Zappa's 'Joe's Garage' album
Performed by the Absolute Ensemble, Kristjan Jarvi - conductor
and The Executioners @ The Barbican London

https://soundcloud.com/genepritsker/reconstructions-pritskerzappa