Undersong to premiere at Miller Theatre in 2008

Undersong (2002-2008), an evening-length cycle of four continuous pieces performed without pause, will be premiered at New York's Miller Theatre on 20 November 2008 as part of the Composer Portraits series. Ensemble 21 will perform. Soloists include Christopher Finckel, 'cello, David Fedele, flute, and Tony Arnold, soprano. Undersong's concluding work, The Distance (This), a commission from Miller Theatre, will receive its premiere. 

Essay published Musique-Sciences series

Following the presentation of his paper "Surface Elaboration of Pitch-Class Sets Using Nonpitched Musical Dimensions" at IRCAM, Eckardt was invited to publish the work in In IRCAM's Musique-Sciences series. The volume, titled Artour de la Set Theory, is available here. Eckardt's article details Eckardt's compositional procedures employed in his works Polarities and Echoes' White Veil.

16 recorded by ICE

The International Contemporary Ensemble, featuring flutist Claire Chase, recently recorded 16 for amplified flute and string trio. The piece will be released on a disc of works performed by Ms. Chase.

Transience to be recorded by Matthew Jenkins

Percussionist Matthew Jenkins will record Eckardt's marimba solo Transience for future CD release. Also included on the recording will be Brian Ferneyhough's Bone Alphabet.

Commission from New York State Music Fund and Meet the Composer for new baritone saxophone piece

The New York State Music Fund has awarded Eckardt a grant to support the commission of a new work for saxophonist Taimur Sullivan. The application was administered through Meet the Composer. Still, for solo baritone saxophone, was premiered on 15 March 2008 at the Hallwells Contemporary Arts Center in Buffalo, NY. 

Eckardt authors a chapter for John Zorn's "Arcana II"

Eckardt contributed a chapter on his composition 16 for the second volume of "Arcana," a collection of writings by leading avant-garde composers and performers edited by John Zorn. The book is available now. 

Eckardt joins faculty of Brooklyn College, City University of New York.

Eckardt is now a member of the faculty at Brooklyn College, CUNY, teaching composition. The appointment began in Fall 2007.

Eckardt featured on American Music Festival

Eckardt's music was featured on the American Music Festival presented by New York's WNYC public radio. The broadcast, including an interview with Eckardt by Miller Theatre artistic director George Steel, may be heard here (scroll down to 31 May).

Tangled Loops recorded by Nathan Nabb

Saxophinist Nathan Nabb and pianist Winston Choi recorded Tangled Loops for future CD release. Also included on the recording will be works by Berio, Babbitt, and Hurel.

Trespass recorded by Oberlin Contemporary Music Ensemble

Eckardt's new concerto for piano and twelve instrumentalists has been recorded for future release by Marilyn Nonken and the Oberlin Contemporary Music Ensemble, Timothy Weiss, conductor. Also on the recording will be other works commissioned by Oberlin: James Dillon's The Soadie Waste and a new work by Rebecca Sauders.

Eckardt completes Rendition for bass clarinet and piano

Clarinetist Jean Kopperud, a long-time collaborator with Eckardt, commissioned the new piece for bass clarinet and piano with funds provided by SUNY-Buffalo. The title is a reference to "extraordinary rendition" the CIA's practice of detaining foreign nationals without trial and covertly transporting them to countries where regulations for interrogation are less stringent than those in the United States. Kopperud will premiere the work next fall and record the piece with pianist Stephen Gosling for an upcoming disc, X-Rated.

Last update: 29 April 2008