On March 27th at a Concert as part of the Composers Voice Concert Series in New York City, Laura Falzon performed the US premiere of Greek composer Nickos Harizanos's STASIMA I for solo flute. During the same concert Falzon, together with pianist Aysegul Durakoglu, also performed the New York Premiere of Turkish-American composer--Munir Beken's POTTERY SHARDS for flute & piano

STASIMA I for solo flute by Nickos Harizanos

Composer Nickos Harizanos was born in Athens. He studied composition, orchestration, harmony and counterpoint in Athens and continued his studies in the UK at Manchester University. His music is widely performed with performances in the U.S., across Europe, Russia and Japan. Nickos Harizanos is the recipient of numerous awards and winner of first prizes and distinctions in International and National Composers Competitions. His works are published by Da Capo Music Ltd (U.K.), Gold Branch Music Inc. (U.S.A.) and the Contemporary Music Research Centre (KSYME – CMRC) (Greece). STASIMA I for solo flute is based on a five-note motive with which the work begins. This motive is an archetype gesture from ancient times and in Stasima I, its transformation and development gives shape to the whole piece.
Composer's comments following US premiere performance:
"Your performance is great ! very energetic and very powerful with a full range
of dynamics level." & "I have received many many excellent comments for your performance. Andrew (...) characterized it as "evocative".Nickos Harizanos

POTTERY SHARDS for flute & piano by Munir Beken

Composer and Ud performer Münir Nurettin Beken teaches composition at UCLA. His career spans composition, ethnomusicology, and performance. POTTERY SHARDS, for flute and piano is based on Beken’s own work with the same name for orchestra. Beken’s music fuses elements of Turkish music with those of Western music. Very lyrical in nature, Pottery Shards’s is written in the quintuplet meter called türk aksa?? and uses rhythmic elements based upon Turkish music patterns.
This work recorded by Laura Falzon & pianist Aysegul Durakoglu is featured in a CD compliation of works by Beken to be released in 2012.
Composer's comments following NY premiere performance:
"Thank you very much for playing so beautifully." Munir Beken

A Turk in Seattle, a work for flute, clarinet, violin and cello by UCLA based Turkish-American composer Munir Beken received it's NY premiere on December 9th at a concert at Symphony Space in New York City by ISSA Sonus ensemble (Flutist Laura Falzon, Clarinetist Moran Katz, Violinist Emily Ondracek and Cellist Adrian Daurov.

This work together with four other compositions by the same composer will be recorded in February 2011 for an upcoming CD by ISSA Sonus ensemble of composer Munir Beken's works.

Composer and Ud performer Münir Nurettin Beken, a professor of theory and composition in the Ethnomusicology Department at UCLA, has written compositions ranging from a Turkish state-commissioned ballet suite for orchestra, to music for film and television, for which he has won various awards. He is one of the founding members of the State Turkish Music Ensemble. A Turk in Seattle was commissioned in 2006, by the Seattle Chamber Players. It reflects several influences. Some of the rhythmic elements are based upon Turkish patterns. Certain melodies are from the Turkish Classical repertoire and they reflect composer’s time spent with the Turkish community in Seattle.

Flutist Laura Falzon together with Contralto Christina Ascher will perform the World Premiere of a new work written for them by New York composer Theodore Wiprud. The new work titled SIRENS' SONG is based on The Odyssey, with two voices alluringly entwined.

“The Sirens are famous from the Odyssey, twin creatures half woman-half bird, luring sailors to their doom with their irresistible song. (...) I have worked with just a few words from their song’s brief lines, and used them more as sound sources than as exposition – “come,” “our twain voices,” “our sweet lips,” “all that shall be” (the temptation, as ever in Greek mythology, is to the pleasure of wisdom more than of the flesh). The music is alternately very quiet (as heard by Odysseus’ crew, their ears stopped with wax) and very loud (as heard deep in his psyche by Odysseus, lashed to the mast). I have exploited a variety of coloristic effects discovered to me by contralto Christina Ascher and flutist Laura Falzon to suggest the two Sirens’ weird allure. Bizarre modes arose as I composed, like scales from some ancient time. The result is a short work requiring virtuosity in its subtle moments as much as in its bravura flourishes.” Theodore Wiprud (December 2010)

The World premiere performance will be at the SOUNDS NEW Chamber Music Series
on the VOICES! VOICES! program on Dec 3rd at Baruch Performing Arts Center, NYC

Flutist Laura Falzon together with contralto Christina Ascher and cellist Ted Mook will perform the World Premiere of Alice Shields's work KOMACHI AT SEKIDERA, and the US Premiere of Dai Fujikura's work STILL SWEET… at The Tank in New York City, NY on Nov 18th 2010

KOMACHI AT SEKIDERA,for contralto, alto flute and cello with words and music by NY composer ALICE SHIELDS, is based on the Japanese Noh play Sekidera Komachi by Kanze Motokiyo Zeame (1363-1443). The protagonist of the Noh play, Ono no Komachi, was a woman famous for her poetry and her beauty, who lived at the Heian court in 9th-century Japan. She became a legend after her death, and many stories have accumulated around the few known biographical facts about her life.

In STILL SWEET....., for contralto, bass flute and cello, DAI FUJIKURA, born in Osaka, Japanand based in London, UK, creates a delicate, filigree texture in which the voice is often treated instrumentally. Short surges of vocalism and emotion reveal the text by Harry Ross.

Flutist Laura Falzon together with Contralto Christina Ascher will perform the World Premiere of Caspar René Hirschfeld 's work Out of Cage at The Tank on Nov 18th 2010 in New York City

German composer Caspar René Hirschfeld explains that “The reason for me to make music is the fascination with sound and rhythm. I have never accepted boundaries in my musical work because I think the commitment to a certain style consequently leads to a limitation of musical means, thus to a limitation of the expressions possible.” Quite in keeping with this philosophy is Hirschfeld’s OUT OF CAGE written for contralto Christina Ascher and flutist Laura Falzon, which he composed to his own text.

Laura Falzon is curating a new contemporary classical chamber music concert series titles SOUNDS NEW at the Baruch Performing Arts Center.

This new contemporary classical concert series aims to celebrate and promote contemporary classical music by established as well as up-and-coming composers with performances of 20th century and contemporary music. The inaugural season of SOUNDS NEW will kick off with a concert on OCT 29th, followed by two further concerts; on Friday November 12th and Friday December 3rd.

The series is curated by Laura Falzon and produced by John Malatesta.

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