Carter Pann "Upstate Rag"

[avguste]

During the recital at the University of Miami, in addition of the 2 world premieres,I performed
"Upstate Rag" written by Carter Pann. 

Carter Pann is one of the most versatile talents among composers of his generation. His music has been performed around the world by ensembles and soloists including the London Symphony, City of Birmingham Symphony, Seattle Symph., Budapest Symph., Irish National Symph., New York and Chicago Youth Symphonies; the Radio Symphonies of Berlin, Stockholm, and Finland; the National Repertory Orchestra; Richard Stoltzman, the Ying Quartet, pianists Barry Snyder and Winston Choi, and the Antares Ensemble.
Honors include the K. Serocki Competition for his Piano Concerto (premiered by the Polish Radio Symphony in Lutoslawski Hall, Warsaw 1998), a Charles Ives Scholarship from the Academy of Arts and Letters, and five ASCAP awards including the Leo Kaplan award. In 2000 his Piano Concerto was nominated for a Grammy Award.
In the last decade, SLALOM has been performed extensively by American and European orchestras.
Carter Pann is currently on faculty at the University of Colorado in Boulder.


"THE UPSTATE RAG(2005) was written for pianist Rob Auler at SUNY Oswego.
Rob performed an entire concert of my music at that time and had organized a new commission for a small
piano piece to be added into the program. I had traveled to the small town of Lake Ontario in upstate New York
to attend the performance and rehearsals of my music. It was such a nice chance meeting with my old friend from the
University of Michigan. I have known Rob a long time as a wonderful pianist interested in performing works “off the
beaten path”. This particular rag was originally inspired by the fist apartment I had rented in Ann Arbor(1994-1996),
while working towards my Master's Degree in Composition under William Bolcom and William Albright"

[retrouvailles]

I am definitely familiar with the music of Carter Pann, having seen his piece Four Factories for wind ensemble performed, and I am familiar with his work SLALOM and his fun and lively Piano Concerto. I am grateful that you have shared this work by the "other Carter", heh. It definitely sounds like something Bolcom or Albright would write, and I think it would make them proud. You definitely convey the spirit of the rag in this piece, and it is well executed. I look forward to more of your work.

[avguste]

Thank you for the comment.
You may be interested to know that I am the pianist who recorded Slalom and other wind compositions for Naxos, with the University of Kansas Wind Ensemble

https://www.amazon.com/Redline-Tango-Charles-Ives/dp/B000F1IQE6/ref=sr_1_6/105-0687548-3814817?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1187726936&sr=1-6

I have known Carter since our first meeting in 2001-2002 and he is a very good friend of mine

By the way,I did post a few more recordings

[ted]

Evocative piece, nice form, haunting principal phrase, beautifully played; not much more to say. Does Pann have any interaction with David Thomas Roberts, Frank French, Scott Kirby, Hal Isbitz and company ? As one who admires, plays and listens to much piano music by these people, the similiarity to what has become known as Terra Verde struck me at once. I think myself that all labels and categories are a waste of time, but apparently there is a real division in  "ragtime circles" between those following the Joplin model, often at ninety miles an hour it seems, and those extending the form to include Latin and other influences. Or at least, so my American friends tell me. Fortunately, I have developed in isolation from all such arguments and the influence of those David calls "genre strait-jacketers" .

I too would like to hear more.

[jlh]

Hey Avguste!

Been forever man!  How's it goin?

I'm listening to your recording now and must say I like it very much - wish I could've heard it live!

Too bad Naxos didn't record us playing Carmina Burana with the wind ensemble huh!?  

Best,
Josh

[avguste]

Hey Josh
Long time no see.
How are you doing?I am going to call sometime this week to catch up

Thanks for the comment.
And yes,I agree.Naxos should have recorded the Carmina Burana we did
It was great fun to play together

Hey Avguste!

Been forever man!  How's it goin?

I'm listening to your recording now and must say I like it very much - wish I could've heard it live!

Too bad Naxos didn't record us playing Carmina Burana with the wind ensemble huh!?  

Best,
Josh