Category: Music

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Avaloch Farm

I had a great residency working with Lynn Bechtold and Mioi Takeda of the Miolina violin duo at Avaloch Farm Music Institute.

We nailed down the big picture outlines of a new work for violin duo and live electronics. In fact, we pulled it into shape enough to present it on an informal concert for other residency artists.

Post-concert celebration

We also arranged five of my original tunes for violin duo and banjo.

It was great to meet the other residents: Palaver Strings, Hint of Lime Brass, the Johnston brothers guitar duo and others. Also fun to walk the grounds (so many mushrooms!) and to try tomato wine from a local vineyard.

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Howling Cats

Fanfare Magazine published a review of the Amernet String Quartet’s recording Alabama String Quartets that includes my composition Follows from Hummingbird. The reviewer states:

For anyone looking for new string quartet repertoire, this album is a gold mine.

What’s surprising here is how few of the works sound clichéd; a good number of composers have their “own” voice.

and also mentions

…the huge swooping portamentos (hummingbirds?) in Hopson’s piece [Follows From Hummingbird] that go on and on for nine bloody minutes (I nicknamed it “Howling Cats”)…

Nine bloody minutes of howling cats, indeed. This quote has promptly found a place of pride in my press kit!

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From Adams to Zappa

Parma Recordings presents the Madison New Music Ensemble directed by Joseph Koykkar in a live-streamed online concert of contemporary music that will also feature cellist Craig Hultgren performing my piece Snakeskin (Verso) for cello and live electronics.

Friday July 23 9pm EDT
https://www.parmarecordings.com/event/madison-new-music-ensemble-live-stream-07-23-21/

Watch on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=za3D7M0zHy0

Other composers include John Adams, Joseph Koykkar, Kirstin Volness and Frank Zappa.