Rising Composer Jonathon Crompton to Premiere New Work at Dimenna Center

Australian composer and alto saxophonist Jonathon Crompton's major new work, Cantata No. 1: An Island Seen and Felt, makes its world premiere at The DiMenna Center for Classical Music on September 9, 2023 at 7:30PM. The 30-minute work for two sopranos, string quartet, alto saxophone, and electric guitar is Crompton's most ambitious chamber work to date and marks a distinct evolution of his compositional practice. Cantata No. 1 reaffirms and exemplifies Crompton's commitment to iconoclasm: the work is rooted in both classical and jazz traditions and is heavily influenced by his intensive study of Renaissance counterpoint. Crompton, who begins his doctoral studies in music at Columbia University this fall, has been hailed for his "distinctive and compelling" (All About Jazz) compositions, which "blur the line between indie-classical and free improvisation." (New York Music Daily).

"Cantata No. 1 is the culmination of my entire creative path," said Crompton on the upcoming premiere. "Through a synthesis of two musical styles of great personal significance-contemporary improvised music and Renaissance counterpoint-the work expresses my growing nostalgia for Australia's landscape since moving to New York City and reflects on my home country's distinctive natural beauty."

Funded by a highly competitive grant awarded by the Australian Federal Government through the Australia Council of the Arts, Cantata No. 1 showcases the talents of sopranos Aine Hakamatsuka and Christina Kay, violinists Kate Goddard and Masha Polishchuk, violist Andrew Griffin, cellist Arnie Tanimoto, and electric guitarist James Wengrow.

Event Information

Cantata No. 1: An Island Seen and Felt
Saturday, September 9, 2023, at 7:30PM
DiMenna Center for Classical Music
450 W 37th St, New York, NY 10018
Link: https://bit.ly/3Yq4jrm

Artists:
Jonathon Crompton, alto saxophone
Aine Hakamatsuka: soprano
Christina Kay: soprano
Kate Goddard: violin
Masha Polishchuk: violin
Andrew Griffin: viola
Arnie Tanimoto: cello
James Wengrow: electric guitar

Program:
Jonathon Crompton, Cantata No. 1: An Island Seen and Felt

Tickets are available for $20 through eventbrite or at the door.

About Jonathon Crompton

Australian composer, alto saxophonist, and educator Jonathon Crompton is forging a singular musical voice and challenging how music is defined through imaginatively synthesizing historical and contemporary styles. Crompton's fearless refusal to compromise on his transhistorical, polystylistic vision has long been noted by critics as "a melding of disparate traditions into something distinctive and compelling" (All About Jazz). Although rooted in the traditions of jazz, he has recently deepened the historical elements in his sound through several years of sustained study of Renaissance counterpoint. Crompton was first introduced to the study of counterpoint in 2014 by Queens College professor Donna Doyle, one of the few remaining protégés of Nadia Boulanger. After graduating from Queens College with a master of music in jazz performance ('15), he continued his studies with Professor Doyle privately in a time of deeply concentrated musical transformation. In the fall of 2023, Crompton continues his studies as part of Columbia University's doctoral program, pursuing a PhD in music, where he plans to further hone his compositional voice, expand his knowledge of historical music theory, and strengthen his teaching skills.

Crompton's newest work, Cantata No. 1: An Island Seen and Felt, premieres in New York City in Fall 2023, after being awarded a highly competitive grant in support of the work's completion and performance by the Australian Federal Government through the Australia Council of the Arts. Scored for two sopranos, string quartet, alto saxophone, and electric guitar, the 30-minute cantata is the first work to explicitly harness his recent intensive study of historical composition and counterpoint and heralds a distinct evolution of his compositional practice.

In 2019, Crompton released his debut album as leader, Intuit. The album is a celebration of his first musical love, the saxophone, and is comprised of a series of miniatures for saxophone trio performed by Ingrid Laubrock, Patrick Breiner, Patrick Booth, as well as Crompton himself, accompanied by Adam Hopkins on bass and Kate Gentile on drums. Hailed for "coordinating polyphonies and contrapuntal movements within defined frameworks for an attractive chamber storytelling" (Jazz Trail), Intuit contains the germ of polyphonic curiosity upon which Crompton would later build.

Prior to moving to the United States, Crompton received numerous accolades while studying in Australia. In addition to winning The Victorian College of Arts concerto competition-where he completed his undergraduate degree-Crompton was recognized as a finalist in Australia's 2009 National Jazz Competition. In 2011, Crompton moved to New York with support from The Australia Council for the Arts and The Ian Potter Cultural Trust. He received a TD Bank scholarship in 2012 to attend the Banff International Workshop in Jazz and Creative Music.

Crompton resides in Brooklyn, New York, with his wife. Future projects include a second cantata and the completion and recording of a four-part vocal polyphonic mass, Mass for the Modern; its movements will be released serially in annual installments.