contemporary composers

[senecalakeguy]

hi all!

i am wondering where many of you find the most recent music being written for piano.  is there a website or something?  i am interested in what is being composed for our instrument as of late.  any suggestions?

randy

[fnork]

I've heard a piano sonata by Carl Vine, his second, which is very good. You can listen to it here:  www.roberthenry.org  (under "performances")

Here's Vine's official homepage: https://www.carlvine.au.nu/

Haven't heard much of her music, but you might want to check out Grazyna Bacewicz. She was a polish composer, her 2nd piano sonata is quite famous and it's a nice piece. It was written in the 1950's, so it's not as fresh as Vine's sonata.

[senecalakeguy]

hello fnork

thanks so much for your reply!  you are kind to take the time to respond to my question.  i guess all of these impressive piano geniuses are so busy making their top 10 lists of god only knows what, and insulting everyone else's preferences to make themselves feel better.  i was hopeful that more people would respond, but i guess when one expects things, one is often disappointed.

now... why is it that i don't post here more often?  LOL  anyway... thanks again for your input!

randy

[ted]

I simply send the composer an email or a letter asking how I can obtain recordings and scores. Many excellent contemporary composers appear on web sites and contact details are usually obtainable one way or another. A particular interest of mine is contemporary ragtime and ragtime derived styles. I contacted several very prominent people in this way and they were all very kind and helpful. A couple made tapes for me, they were all keen to discuss their music with me and I did not appear to be a nuisance to them.

Curiously enough, the only ones who seem reticent about it are my own countrymen ! Everybody overseas answered but most of the ones here did not. What this fact signifies is anybody's guess.

I did not respond to your post immediately because I am not in the habit of reading the whole of Pianoforum every day and therefore often miss posts of interest or fail to read them for a week or two.

[senecalakeguy]

thank you Ted!

do you simply go to music publishing web sites in general and then go from there?  i appreciate your response!

randy