Juventas New Music Ensemble
Encyclopedia
The Juventas New Music Ensemble is an instrumental ensemble located in Boston, Massachusetts devoted to performing musical works by composers under the age of 35. Their programming focuses on composers who actively blur the boundaries between popular musical genres
and traditional art music
. Since its inception, Juventas has received favorable reviews from several Boston publications.
Since 2005, Juventas has regularly performed concerts of new works, including many premieres. The ensemble has also collaborated with other Boston music groups and organizations. In December 2009, Juventas collaborated with the Lorelei Ensemble on a holiday concert entitled "One Light," which featured seven new works by young composers. The works spanned a variety of subjects including Christmas
, Hanukkah
, the winter solstice
, and Nietzschean philosophy.
In September 2010, Juventas performed a concert entitled "The Exquisite Corpse" which utilized dancers from the Boston Conservatory to supplement and accentuate the musical works. The choreography and relevance of the dance to the music received mixed reviews, though on the whole the concert was deemed a success. On this particular program, the oldest composition dated from 2005.
Juventas is currently an Ensemble-in-Residence at Boston Conservatory
and a visiting Ensemble-in-Residence at Middlebury College
.
Board of Directors
Jason Pavel, Chair
Paul A. Bohn, Clerk
Daniel Koppel
Kenny Smith, Treasurer
Oliver Caplan
John Carey
Steven Lewis, President
Alexa Smith
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
and traditional art music
Art music
Art music is an umbrella term used to refer to musical traditions implying advanced structural and theoretical considerations and a written musical tradition...
. Since its inception, Juventas has received favorable reviews from several Boston publications.
History
Juventas was founded in 2005 by Erin Huelskamp, Julia Scott Carey and Mark Buckles. The three musicians decided to create the ensemble after realizing the difficulties young, unknown composers face in securing performance venues for their works. Huelskamp stated, "We felt young and underrepresented in a musical world that highly values the wisdom and experience that comes with age....the lack of professional opportunities for young composers and musicians is a real problem to which Juventas hopes to provide some solution." The Latin word juventas (meaning youth), was chosen to reflect the ensemble's mission.Since 2005, Juventas has regularly performed concerts of new works, including many premieres. The ensemble has also collaborated with other Boston music groups and organizations. In December 2009, Juventas collaborated with the Lorelei Ensemble on a holiday concert entitled "One Light," which featured seven new works by young composers. The works spanned a variety of subjects including Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
, Hanukkah
Hanukkah
Hanukkah , also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BCE...
, the winter solstice
Winter solstice
Winter solstice may refer to:* Winter solstice, astronomical event* Winter Solstice , former band* Winter Solstice: North , seasonal songs* Winter Solstice , 2005 American film...
, and Nietzschean philosophy.
In September 2010, Juventas performed a concert entitled "The Exquisite Corpse" which utilized dancers from the Boston Conservatory to supplement and accentuate the musical works. The choreography and relevance of the dance to the music received mixed reviews, though on the whole the concert was deemed a success. On this particular program, the oldest composition dated from 2005.
Juventas is currently an Ensemble-in-Residence at Boston Conservatory
Boston Conservatory
The Boston Conservatory is a performing arts conservatory located in the Fenway-Kenmore region of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It grants undergraduate and graduate degrees in music, dance and musical theater...
and a visiting Ensemble-in-Residence at Middlebury College
Middlebury College
Middlebury College is a private liberal arts college located in Middlebury, Vermont, USA. Founded in 1800, it is one of the oldest liberal arts colleges in the United States. Drawing 2,400 undergraduates from all 50 United States and over 70 countries, Middlebury offers 44 majors in the arts,...
.
Core members
Juventas consists of seven "core members" who perform in each concert. Other guest artists participate if required for a particular work. The current core members are Lidiya Yankovskaya (Music Director), Ian Garvie (Associate Conductor), Zach Jay (Flute), Tunman Ho (Clarinet), Brian Calhoon (Percussion), Julia Scott Carey (Piano), Sara Matayoshi (Violin), Ashleigh Gordon (Viola), and Rachel Arnold (Cello).Selected 2009–2010 concerts
| Date | Concert name | Location | Works performed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20–23 May 2010 | Opera Project 2010: 3x3=∞ | The Cambridge YMCA Theater, Cambridge, Massachusetts Cambridge, Massachusetts Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent... |
Obermüller, Karola and Peter Gilbert - 3x3=∞ (a multimedia opera) |
| 6–7 February 2010 and 4 March 2010 | Juventas Jam: New Music Drawing on Influences from Folk to Funk | Seully Hall, Boston Conservatory Boston Conservatory The Boston Conservatory is a performing arts conservatory located in the Fenway-Kenmore region of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It grants undergraduate and graduate degrees in music, dance and musical theater... (2-6-10) Middle East Upstairs, Central Square Central Square (Cambridge) Central Square is an area in Cambridge, Massachusetts centered on the junction of Massachusetts Avenue, Prospect Street and Western Avenue. , formed by the junction of Massachusetts Avenue, Columbia Street, Sidney Street and Main Street, is also considered a part of the Central Square area... , Cambridge, Massachusetts (2-7-10) Boston Athenæum Boston Athenæum Boston Athenæum is one of the oldest independent libraries in the United States. It is also one of only sixteen extant membership libraries, meaning that patrons pay a yearly subscription fee to use the Athenæum's services... (3-4-10) |
Beidenbender, David - Stomp Lanman, Anthony - Cerulean Soliloquy Mendez, Matthew - Riff(raff) Ruccia, Dan - Training Wheels for Viola and Cello Szewcyzk, Piotr - First Coast Groove Szewcyzk, Piotr - Wild West Sketch Tovar, Alexander - Black Dog Variations Wanna, Steve - Trayectoria |
| 12–13 December 2009 | One Light: New Music for Winter Holidays with Lorelei Ensemble Women's Choir | St. John's Church, Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts Jamaica Plain is a historic neighborhood of in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded by Boston Puritans seeking farm land to the south, it was originally part of the city of Roxbury... (12-12-09) Marsh Chapel, Boston University Boston University Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers... , Boston, Massachusetts (12-13-09) |
Caplan, Oliver - Every Iridescent Chip of Ice Huelskamp, Erin - Surely Happiness Is Reflective Rojahn, Rudolf - Christ/Anti-Christ |
| 8 October 2009 | Next Generation: Boston Conservatory Composers | Seully Hall, Boston Conservatory | |
| 18–19 September 2009 | Murmurs from Limbo: A Musical Exploration Into The Human Mind | Boston Conservatory, Boston, Massachusetts (9-18-09) First Church in Boston, Boston, Massachusetts (9-19-09) |
Baadsvik, Øystein Øystein Baadsvik - Biography :He began playing the tuba at the age of fifteen at his school in Trondheim, Norway, and won first prize at eighteen in a Norwegian national competition for soloists.He studied under the tuba player Harvey Phillips and with Arnold Jacobs... - Fnugg Boyd, Michael - Bit of nostalgia... Greene, Ethan - The Mind Is A Monkey, Swinging From Branch to Branch Through the Forest Rice, Steven Steven Rice (composer) Steven Rice is an American composer, who has written works for a variety of ensembles including orchestra and choir.-Life and works:Rice studied music at the Eastman School of Music with Robert Morris and Carlos Sanchez-Gutierrez... - Murmurs from Limbo Stem, Erich - Revisited Stullman, Tim - Deaf Ears Hear No Crying |
Administrative staff
- Executive Director
Erin Huelskamp - Grants Director
Meghan Guidry - Communications and Marketing Director
- Public Relations Assistant
Clare McNamara - General Manager
Marguerite Levin - General Assistant
David Richmond - Information Technology and Archival Director
Adrian Packel - Operation Manager
Shannon Rose McAuliffe - Events Director
Julia Scott Carey
Board of Directors
Jason Pavel, Chair
Paul A. Bohn, Clerk
Daniel Koppel
Kenny Smith, Treasurer
Oliver Caplan
John Carey
Steven Lewis, President
Alexa Smith
External links
- Official Juventas website
- Official website of Lidiya Yankovskaya, Music Director
- Official website of Erin Huelskamp, Executive Director
- Official website of Oliver Caplan, member of Board of Directors
- Boston Conservatory Dance Division
- Boston Opera Collaborative