New Cello Music by Schwartz, Shaiman, Lippa and More 4/24

The New Voices Collective presents The Cello Project II, an ambitious cycle of eleven world-premiere chamber pieces featuring cellist Peter Sachon. The concert, a sequel to last year's sold-out inaugural Cello Project, will be performed on Monday, April 24, 2006, at 7:00pm, as part of NVC's Rush Hour Chamber Music series.

The starry array of composers whose works will be premiered on the program include William Brohn, Sam Davis, David Evans, Stephen Flaherty, Ricky Ian Gordon, Shawn Gough, Andrew Lippa, Jeff Marx, Stephen Schwartz, Marc Shaiman, and Ted Sperling. The eleven pieces explore the cello's almost limitless possibilities as both a solo instrument and chamber-music partner, and one piece will feature a performance on the electric cello. Written across a wide-range of styles and for various instrumental combinations, the pieces will also showcase the talents of artists such as Adam Ben-David, piano; Victoria Drake, harp; Christian Hebel, violin; Ed Matthew, clarinet; Eddy Malave, viola; and William Shimmel, accordion. Presented by the New Voices Collective.

The Cello Project is a thought-provoking and unique concert experience, based on an idea that has never been done before; Peter Sachon has asked Broadway composers, who almost exclusively write for the voice, to write new music for the cello. These new pieces are composed without text, setting, or vocals, and they are allowed only a limited number of other instruments, of which they may use all or none. For a majority of these composers, this is their first attempt at this type of compositional style: concert music. Drawn by the artistic challenge and because of his reputation and talent as a cellist, Peter was able to commission 23 acclaimed composers to create original pieces specifically for The Cello Project. The concert is part of a larger series at Symphony Space called The New Voices Collective, which exclusively presents and premiers new works.

Tickets, priced at $21 ($18 for Symphony Space members; $15 for students/seniors/children), are available by phone: (212) 864-5400; online: www.symphonyspace.org; or at the box office. Symphony Space is located at 2537 Broadway at 95th Street. Subway: 1/2/3 to 96th Street.

Since its inception in January 2003, the New Voices Collective (founded by Joel Fram, Doug Okerson, and Jen Bender) has been dedicated to nurturing young composers in the creation of new works, as well as encouraging established composers to find their "new voice" by experimenting with different musical genres. The New Voices Collective (NVC) provides both young and established composers the opportunity to hear their work performed by well-known classical and Broadway artists.