A large round of loud applause to RICHARD BROOKS for producing our May 20 concert at Frederick Loewe Theater, and also to DINU GHEZZO for being an invaluable link to New York University. And to all the volunteers who so ably assisted, and to our musicians, and our audience, yes, give yourself a hand, too! Believe it or not, our final concert of the year is almost upon us, coming up on June 7 at 8pm at the our annual season-closing venue, Saint Peter’s at the Citigroup Center. Head over to nycomposerscircle.blogspot.com to download the flier. Please help spread the word and forward it on to your own mailing list, and we’ll see you there.

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Our final SUNDAY SALON of the season is this Sunday, June 1, at the Ellington Room, Manhattan Plaza 400 W 43, second floor (enter 9th Avenue). We get started at 2pm and have a special guest, agent Jeffrey James, and several live performances on tap to boot. The full program is listed at the end of this In The Loop.

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DON HAGAR‘s piece on last week’s Xanthos Ensemble concert was mentioned in the New York Times. Steve Smith wrote, “Donald Hagar’s playful “I Am Not a Clock” alternated between bustling, mechanical rhythms and slow, dreamy interludes.” (5/26/08) I think we first heard this piece at an NYCC Salon this year, no? Anyway, congratulations, Don!

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OREN FADER and the Fireworks Ensemble perform Saturday, May 31, 2008 at 7:30 pm at the Peter Norton Symphony Space (Leonard Nimoy Thalia) 2537 Broadway at 95th  street, New York. The program is Adam Silverman’s Spark in the Shoe; Robert Kyr’s Working Fire/Fireworks Variations; David Del Tredici’s A Field Manual (Poems of Edward Field). Tickets: $21 general admission, available online at http://www.symphonyspace.org/event/2344 or by phone at (212) 864-5400

Special guests Chris Trakas: baritone; Melissa Fogarty: soprano; David Del Tredici: conductor and guest composer. The Fireworks Ensemble is: Brian Coughlin: bass; Oren Fader: guitar; Jennifer Grim: flute; Michael Ibrahim: saxophone; James Johnston: keyboards; Lisa Liu: violin; Eric Poland: percussion; Leigh Stuart: cello.

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Not new music, but perhaps a new take on an old lady? In continuing with her penchant for assuming salient character personae, TAMARA CASHOUR will sing the role of The Witch in Brooklyn Repertory Opera’s production of Hansel & Gretel. Production, with orchestra, takes place June 21-29 at the Brooklyn Lyceum Theatre, 4th Avenue and Union St (directly at the Union St. stop on the R train). Tamara will sing the June 22 and June 28th performances, both beginning at 3:30pm. More info:  www.broopera.org. Tamara is currently perfecting a new, diabolical laugh for this role, which she will essay at all performances. Have YOU eaten a child today? (!!)

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Here is the program for this Sunday’s June 1 Salon, starting at 2pm.

1.   Discussion of Organizational Matters and Reports

2.   Special Guest Presentation: Well-known arts consultant Jeffrey James will be giving us a presentation that will be the main featured event at the Salon (lasting about 1.5 hours)

3.  Audition of Members’ Works

DON HAGAR — Skeleton Earth for voice and piano (to be performed live by  TAMARA CASHOUR and CESAR VUKSIC) 2 minutes

GENE MCBRIDE — On Burning Ground for tenor and piano (an opera excerpt from Act One, Scene One, to be performed live by guest bass baritone Seth Gilman and Gene McBride)  1.5 minutes [Note:   Mr. Gilman and Gene McBride will also perform John Cage’s settings of three very short and witty Gertrude Stein poems:  Twenty Years After – 1 minute; Is As It Was – 25 seconds; At East and Ingredients – 45 seconds]

Guest Soprano Arlene Travis will perform a set of songs on Robert Frost poems by Johannes Somary  with Cesar Vuksic at the piano 

A. Desert Places  3 minutes

B. Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening  3 minutes

C. Fire and Ice  1 minute

Ms. Travis and Cesar Vuksic will also perform the first of Anton Webern’s three songs from Viae Inviae  3 minutes

DANA RICHARDSON — Allegro Appassionato for violin and piano  12 minutes

4.  Audition of Guests or of Guests’ Works (time permitting)

5.  Conclusion and Refreshments