June in Buffalo 2023

June in Buffalo is a festival and conference dedicated to contemporary composers that takes place at the University At Buffalo each year. With over 40 years of history, June in Buffalo offers an intensive schedule of seminars, lectures, workshops, professional presentations, participant forums and open rehearsals, as well as afternoon and evening concerts open to the general public and critics. Each of the invited composers will have one of his/her pieces performed during the festival. Evening performances feature faculty composers, resident ensembles and soloists renowned internationally as interpreters of contemporary music.

Co-sponsored by UB Center for the Arts

June in Buffalo welcomes back the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, who will perform the first evening concert of the 2023 Festival with an exciting program of works by the JiB’s senior composers and its long-time Artistic Director, David Felder. The program includes Mathew Rosenblum’s Eliza Furnace and Melinda Wagner’s Proceed, Moon, along with David Felder’s Die Dämmerungen: movements 1-3. The BPO will be led by Maestra Fernanda Lastra. Ms. Lastra is the BPO’s Conductor Diversity Fellow, a post she assumed in September 2022.

Fernanda Lastra was born in Mar del Plata, Argentina. As a passionate and creative conductor, she is interested in a wide variety of repertoire, including symphonic, contemporary, and operatic works. In 2022, Fernanda is appointed Conductor Diversity Fellow at the Buffalo Philharmonic under the mentorship of JoAnn Falletta. In this role Fernanda serves as assistant conductor, cover conductor, and main conductor for the BPO Family Kids series and Music for Youth concerts. Fernanda also serves as a member of the BPO’s artistic team, the BPO's music education committee and the BPO’s Diversity Council, among other responsibilities.

As guest conductor Fernanda has led professional and youth orchestras in the United States, Argentina, and Brazil. Some of her previous engagements include conducting the National Orchestra of Argentine Music "Juan de Dios Filiberto" at the CCK National Auditorium in Buenos Aires, and the production of Missy Mazzoli's opera Song from the Uproar in collaboration with Demaskus Theatre and Kassia Ensemble in Pittsburgh.

Fernanda Lastra is a passionate advocate for Latin American composers, especially those from Argentina. In 2020, Fernanda created Compositores.AR, a cycle of interviews of Argentinian composers in collaboration with MúsicaClasicaBA in Buenos Aires.

From 2021-2022 Fernanda Lastra served as Director of Orchestras at Augustana College in Rock Island, IL, where she led the Symphony and Chamber orchestras. She also served as Assistant conductor for the University of Iowa Symphony Orchestra from 2018-2022.

More about the history of Buffalo’s remarkable and innovative BPO, including its various connections to the Music Department at the University at Buffalo.
http://edgeofthecenter.blogspot.com/2017/06/

PROGRAM

*Robert HP Platz, Maro (1980)

    Irvine Arditti, violin 

*Jonathan Golove: Some Road Signs in Southern France for cello duo

     Lucas Fels and Jonathan Golove, cellos

*Jonathan Golove - theremin cello solo

*Robert HP Platz: vl2 for violin duo

     Irvine Arditti and Ashot Sarkissjan

Intermission

Paul Novak: reflected tides (2021) for soprano and ensemble

     Tiffany DuMouchelle and instrumental septet: flute, clarinet, violin, viola, cello, piano, percussion

Benjamin Rieke: all those who live in such times

     instrumental octet: flute, bass clarinet, violin, viola, cello, double bass, piano, percussion

Stephen Yip: Garden of Daw

     instrumental septet: flute, bass clarinet, violin, viola, cello, piano, percussion

* June in Buffalo faculty composer

PROGRAM

*Jonathan Golove: Here and There with Tiffany DuMouchelle, soprano

*Mathew Rosenblum: We Lived Happily During the War with Jamie Jordan, soprano

* June in Buffalo faculty composer

Alexander “Sasha” Ishov, flutes
Madison Greenstone, clarinets
Dannel Espinoza, saxophones
Lilit Hartunian, violin
Cori Trenczer, cello
Amy Garapic, percussion
Andrew Zhou, piano
Jason Thorpe Buchanan, electronics
with guests from Buffalo’s Wooden Cities

PROGRAM

*Melinda Wagner: unsung cordata (2018)

     for flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano, and percussion

*Ann Cleare: luna (the eye that opens the other eye) for alto saxophone solo (2013/14)

*Ann Cleare: 93 million miles away for violin, cello, and piano (2016)

*Mathew Rosenblum: Falling

     with Jamie Jordan, soprano, and flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano, and percussion

Robert Phillips: O Haupt Voller Blut und Wunden for large ensemble

*June in Buffalo faculty composers

Irvine Arditti and Ashot Sarkissjan, violin
Ralf Ehlers, viola
Lucas Fels, cello
Jonathan Golove, guest cellist

PROGRAM

+David Felder: Netivot (2016)

*Ann Cleare: Moil (2010)

*Robert HP Platz: Strings (Echo VII) (2008)

Wolfgang Rihm: Epilog (2012-13)

+ Emeritus Artistic Director of June in Buffalo and SUNY Distinguished Professor
* June in Buffalo faculty composer

Daniel Brottman, conductor
with Tiffany Du Mouchelle, soprano

PROGRAM

*Robert HP Platz: Wunderblock

     for alto flute (solo), bass clarinet and percussion (duo), and violin, viola, cello (trio), performed individually and as a sextet

*Melinda Wagner: Four Settings

     for Soprano and Ensemble

*Jonathan Golove: Imaginary Songs

     for soprano, alto flute and cello

* June in Buffalo faculty composer

There will be a reception in the lobby of Slee Hall immediately following the closing concert.