NEWS & EVENTS
Vox Femina presents "We the People"
in a concert celebrating justice and equality.
Vox Femina, Los Angeles' premiere women's chorus, will perform Mark Koval's multimedia work "We the People", which tells the story of the fight for marriage equality in narration, video, and song. Saturday, November 12, 2011 at 8 PM. Zipper Concert Hall, 200 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles, CA
For tickets: www.voxfeminala.org/season.htm
Read an interview with the composer about "We the People":
www.voxfeminala.org/koval.htm
"Fast Talk" wins Best Documentary in the LA Femme Film Festival
"Fast Talk", directed by Debra Tolchinsky with music by Mark Koval, recently won "Best Documentary" at LA Femme Film Festival in Los Angeles. The Festival focuses on the work of women in the documentary genre.www.fasttalkthemovie.com/news/
Hingham Woodwind Quintet premieres "Sextet for Woodwinds and Piano"
The Hingham Woodwind Quintet with Pianist Mark Goodman premiered Mark Koval's "Sextet for Woodwinds and Piano" on April 30, 2011 at the South Shore Conservatory in Hingham, Massachusetts. The piece was commissioned by the quintet and founding member clarinetist Eric Oddliefson.THE STORY OF YOU TO BE PREMIERED IN BOSTON'S JORDAN HALL
The Story of You will receive it's world premier on December 13, 18, 19, and 20, 2010 at Jordan Hall in Boston, Massachusetts. With music and lyrics by Mark Koval, The Story of You is an anthem of tolerance and diversity that will be used by the Boston Gay Men's Chorus in its award-winning High School Outreach Program. The song was commissioned by the BGMC under the auspices of the American Composers Forum’s Community Partners Program.Lyrics to the song can be viewed here
For tickets and more information, visit www.bgmc.org/concerts_overview.php
Upcoming performances of We the People scheduled for March, 2010.
The Boston Gay Men's Chorus will perform We the People on their spring concert scheduled for March 27 and 28, 2010 at Jordan Hall in Boston. The theme of the program is "love is all the same" and will feature love songs and music by Andrew Lippa and Dan Locklair as well as Mark Koval's multimedia work We the People which tells the story of the fight for marriage equality in narration, video and song.For tickets and more information, visit www.bgmc.org/concerts_overview.php
Click here to learn more about We the People
Mark Koval recently completed the score to the documentary feature fast talk
The film is directed by Debra Tolchinsky.Upcoming performances of We the People to Celebrate 5
years of Marriage Equality in Massachusetts
On May 17, 2009, the women of Boston based chorus Voices Rising will perform the Massachusetts premiere of We the People to commemorate the five year anniversary of marriage equality in that state. The forty member group will combine forces with Connecticut's premier women's chorus, Another Octave.
The combined groups will also perform in Hamden, Connecticut on May 16.
For tickets and more information, visit the links below:
Another Octave, Saturday, May 16 at 8:00 pm. www.anotheroctave.org
Voices rising, Sunday, May 17 at 5:00 pm. www.voicesrising.org
Click here to learn more about We the People
Concerto for Harp premier scheduled for March, 2009
March 8, 2009: Harpist Marcia Dickstein will perform the Concerto for Harp with the Chamber Orchestra of the South Bay, Frances Steiner conducting. For more information, visit the calendar section of Marcia's website: www.debussytrio.comNew Music Festival features guest composer Mark Koval
Mark Koval will be featured as guest composer at the Truman State New Music Festival in Kirksville, Missouri on October 30 - 31. Koval will speak to music classes, work with student composers in a master class setting and rehearse with Truman musicians. Two concerts will be presented during the festival, each including performances of new music by Koval.Mark Koval has been awarded a 2008 American Composers Forum Community Partners commission.
Mark will compose a new choral work for the Boston Gay Men's Chorus that will be used for that organization's award winning High School Outreach program. The Boston Gay Men's Chorus is one of New England's largest and most successful community-based choruses. Now it its 26th season, the 175-voice ensemble is celebrated for its outstanding musicianship, creative programming, and groundbreaking community outreach.Sound(s) and Fury premier scheduled for October '08
Mark Koval's newest work for orchestra, Sound(s) and Fury, will be premiered at the New Music Festival sponsored by Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri October 30-31, 2008. The piece was commissioned as part of the MACRO Composition Competition award sponsored by the University.Mark Koval to appear as guest composer at MACRO conference
On June 13-14, 2008, Mark Koval will appear as guest composer at the annual Macro Analysis Creative Research Organization conference in Madison, Wisconsin. Mark will present a lecture on his Concerto for Harp which recently won first prize in MACRO's annual Composition Competition.Mark Koval receives 2006 Fromm Foundation Commission
Mark Koval has been selected as one of twelve American composers to receive a 2006 Fromm Commission. The Fromm Music Foundation at Harvard University, founded by the late Paul Fromm in the fifties, has been located at Harvard University since 1972. Over the course of its existence, the Fromm Foundation has commissioned over 300 new compositions and their performances. In addition to the commissioning fee of $10,000, a subsidy is available for the ensemble performing the premiere of the commissioned work.For a complete list of the 2006 commission recipients, please vist www.fas.harvard.edu/%7Emusicdpt/fromm.html#past
Mark Koval awarded Walton Residency
The Fromm Foundation, in collaboration with the Fondazione William Walton, offers selected composers a four-week residency on the grounds of La Mortella, the home of the late Sir William Walton on the Italian island of Ischia in the Bay of Naples.The residency provides the composer with a house, a composition studio, access to the grounds of La Mortella, a travel allowance and a small stipend. The purpose of the residency is to allow the composer space and time to finish a project in beautiful and peaceful surroundings. For more information on La Mortella, visit www.lamortella.it
WE THE PEOPLE Strikes a Chord in Denver
A new choral work on same sex marriage received its premier this weekend in Denver. We the People, with music and lyrics by Mark Koval, was met with cheers and standing ovations at both its performances on Saturday. Under the direction of Mark Zwilling, the Denver Women's Chorus presented the work which combines music, narration, and visual imagery to create a compelling examination of marriage equality. Colorado's State Senator, Jennifer Veiga, appeared at the concert to address the enthusiastic audience. Narrators who performed with the chorus included religious leaders Rev. Nori Rost and Rev. Carolyn Waters, as well as political pundit Paul Rosenthal and singer Joy Jenkins."This has literally given a voice to the issue," said the composer on Saturday, " Hopefully, other choruses will share the piece with their audiences."
The response from Denver's audience was impressive. Saturday's concert seemed perfectly timed to respond to remarks made by President Bush just days earlier, when he reaffirmed his intention to amend the U.S. Constitution. In Colorado, there are four measures on the November ballot relating to marriage rights, including a proposed amendment to the state's constitution banning same sex marriage.
We the People uses plain language and common sense to diffuse the arguments against marriage equality. With images projected on four large screens around the room, photos of chorus members and their families give the audience a personal connection to the issue.
"When you get to know someone," the composer remarked, "When you've looked into their face and seen the eyes of their children, they become real. They become a reflection of your own need to love and be loved, and to have a family."
A resident of Los Angeles, Koval was commissioned by the Denver Women's Chorus to create the piece. He's also arranged a version for mixed chorus.
"There's a lot of repertoire out there for the men's choruses, but the mixed and women's choruses seem to get overlooked, " the composer said. "And because this piece is about inclusion, I feel the subject is best represented by a mixed chorus performance. It's a great vehicle for joint concerts featuring a city's men's and women's choruses singing together. We don't see nearly enough of this."
Several audience members suggested the piece be performed again, just prior to November's election.
Some even urged the chorus to take the show on the road. No doubt We the People will come 'round again, as it seems to have struck a chord with Saturday's audience.
