Sound Liberation Recordings Orchestral Music Film/Commercial Money (hip-hop chamber opera)|VRE Suite solo, duo, trio...|Cello Lounge
"Barring the obvious exceptions, much of 21st century composition appears to be thinning in significance,
but this might be about to change. Gene Pritsker is one of a very spare handful of composers effecting this change"
- Raul d'Gama Rose, All About Jazz, June 2010
"audacious ...multitalented "
- Steve Smith, The New York Times, April 13, 2009
"Pritsker dissolves the artificial boundaries between high brow, low brow, classical, popular musics and elevates the idea that if its done well it is great music, regardless of the style or genre."
- Joseph Pehrson, The Music Connoisseur, Fall 2001
Gene's music on iTunes
Sound Liberation music on iTunes
Upcoming Performances:
2012
Jan.
1/3
'The Mozart Influence' - as part of 'Emancipation of Re:Sonance Six Austrian Masters Revisited' concert series at The Austrian Cultural Forum presented by the Manhattan New Music Project. With the International Street Cannibals.
1/7
Lara St. John Performs "Falling" from "Russian Evenings" at the Cartagena International Music Festival VI in Cartagena, Colombia
1/21
Kathleen Supove performs 'Digital Debussy - La Mer' at New Music New College concert series in Sarasota, Florida.
Jan. 26 - Feb. 6
- Composers Concordance Festival Jan. 29th - Feb 6th. 5 Concerts in one week.
Gene will have a composition on each concert
1. songs- 'Basho's Rain'
2. marathon- 'Roundelay'
3. new blues- new piece
4. electronic- 'America electronic'
5. ensemble - 'Inexhaustible'
Feb.
2/14
Performing with Franz Hackl and arranging 3 Joe Zawinul tunes for the Austrian Cultural Forum 'Emancipation of Re:Sonance
2/29
Release of the chamber opera 'William James's Varieties of Religious Experiences' on Composers Concordance Records.
March
3/1-3
Premiere if my electronic piece 'Why Should Calamity Be Full Of Words' by dancer/choreographer Erin Bomboy at NYU
3/4
Composers Concordance Records presents
the cd release concert for
Gene Pritsker's chamber opera William James's Varieties of Religious Experience at Le Poisson Rouge . 9:30 PM
3/12-17
Tour with Absolute Ensemble to Dubai. Performing a Bollywood program
3/18
The International Street cannibals present 'Longitude/lLatitude' concert at St. marks church. Genes 'Russian Evening Suite 'will be preformed by Lara St.. John and Matt Herskowitz
April
- Going to Berlin to do the final orchestrations for the movie 'Cloud Atlas'
May
5/13
The International Street cannibals present 'Schubert High' St. marks church. Gene will have a new compositions for strings as wells an arrangement or 'Rock & Roll High School' by the Ramones for string quartet
5/18
Premiere of a new Tango at the 'Ladies First concert' presented by Composers concordance records at The Bohemian National Hall
June
6/12-18
Tour with Absolute Ensemble performing at the Saint Denis Festival in Paris and other festivals in Germany. Premieres of new compositions as well as arrangements and other pieces.
July
- Blaine Jazz festival in Blain, WA.
Aug.
- Outreach Festival in Schwaz, Austria
Sept
- Bremen Musikfest with Absolute Ensemble in Bremen, Germany
.
News:
- 'Cloud Atlas Symphony' has been commissioned by Kristjan Jarvi and the Leipzig Radio Symphony . To be premiered on Nov. 2012
- The chamber opera WILLIAM JAMESS VARIETIES OF RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE will be released in Feb. 2012 on Composers Concordance Records
first review: read full
- Producing The Composers Concordance Festival Jan 27 to Feb 6
- The album 'Cello Lounge' being played on WVUR in Vermont, GrooveRadio and on Jazzy Lounge radio
- orchestrated and wrote music for the motion picture Cloud Atlas . Starring Tom Hanks and Halle Berry
- On June 21st Michael Bolton's new album came out on Sony records on which Anne Akiko Meyers plays Genes violin arrangement of U2's Pride in the Name of Love
- Release of the album 'Cello Lounge' by Noizepunk & BorisLove on Composers Concordance Records
- The piano concerto ' Reinventions' has been recorded forSony Records with Simone Dinnerstein and the
Absolute Ensemble, K. Jarvi, conductor. to be out in 2012
- performed a special concert at The Outreach Festival in Schwaz Austria with world renowned Austrian mountaineer Peter Habeler. I
- 'solo, duo, trio, q uartet, quintet the chamber & electronic music of Gene Pritsker' released on Composers Concordance Records
See the Sequenza21 preview on this CD click
- On June 25th I will be featured on the radio show Classical Music discoveries
- interview I did talking about my music and my VRE Suite release
On Naxos' modulatenewsounds.com
-Sound Liberation is performing at the 2011 Bremen Musikfest in Bremen, Germany on September 7th. Music will include the VRE Suite plus songs and raps from their other albums
Recent Reviews:
- A new review of the opera William James's Varieties of Religious Experience
"This new recording is beautifulmusically and dramatically." ...
"Delicate, taut, and incisive writing. Beautiful interplay between instruments and voices, between the rhythm/melodies/harmonies and the text. Synaptic guitar picking; a really elegant solo improvisation on Track 5."
..."I m uplifted by this new Pritsker CDimpressed by the authenticity of music that had to come out, had to be composed, had to exist." ..
"This opera by Gene Pritsker honors that Jamesian notion. The operaand this recordingare a welcome invitation to self-discovery, to mutual respect and tolerance for the spirituality (or lack thereof) of others, and to joyous, mindful living in community. Look for the CD when its released in February. Very worth your listening!"
Doug McNair, Chamber Music Today, Jan. 2012
read full
- "It is music of piece, a music unified in an unexpected and unprecedented way. It will not be for everyone. But those who are willing to leave preconceptions behind
will find a very stimulating program of music. Go on a different sort of trip with this one. You will find the ride both fun and musically rich."
- Grego Applegate Edwards, Gapplegate Classical - Modern Music Blog, Sept.. 2011
- Review of Noizepunk & BorisLove new CD 'Cello Lounge' on United Mutations "classical cello lines are superimposed on a laid-back lounge beat. The added samples, jazz guitar licks and unearthly vocals spice it all up and make this an impressive mixture."
- All About Jazz Review of ''solo, duo, trio, quartet, quintet - the chamber & electronic music of Gene Pritsker'
Quotes:
"Gene Pritsker is a remarkable contemporary composer. His short repertoire, represented on Solo-Duo-Trio-Quartet-Quintet: The Chamber and Electronic Music of Gene Pritsker(Composers Concordance Records, 2011) testifies to this fact. He has an acute sense of his own place in the history of music and this is marked by the contemporariness of his work,"
" he is a singular voice, who is long past experimenting with devices and forms, all of which melt away in his compositions that are usually eminently accessible.."
"Credit System of Truth, a composition worked around shifting measures of the quarter note, showing Pritsker at his dense best. The work plunges into the world of timbral values with absolute verity. Tonal color is also used here with a great deal of ingenuity and inspiration. "
"This album showcases some of Gene Pritsker's more memorable short works and forms"
Great review of my new CD ''solo, duo, trio, quartet, quintet - the chamber & electronic music of Gene Pritsker'
on Gapple Gate Blog
here are some quotes: "First he cannot be pegged..... second is that whatever he does, he does it with distinction."
"Those who know Gene P's music will not be disappointed in this one. Nor will those who favor the chamber mode of expression"
"Solo - Duo - Trio - Quartet - Quintet" collects works from 1995 to 2009. Some of these are performed by classical ensembles, but there are also two solo cello pieces, and five electronic renditions. Somehow, they all fit together, making this album an exceptional musical journey. "Solo - Duo - Trio - Quartet - Quintet" is a great album. It makes you want more."
Peter Van Laarhoven, United-Mutations, Feb. 2011
"These pieces are captivating. The epitome of good will, the chamber and electronic compositions on this disc are enjoyably bold, muscular, and complex. I will be listening to them over and over. So, I hope, will you. " ... " Gene Pritsker grafts soliloquy onto theory, exploring and producing one wild, anti-Freudian recording. He explores the unforeseen collisions of interests that unfold in the space between the soliloquizing subject and the audience members who are witnesses to the soliloquys."
Douglas McNair,
Chamber Music Today Jan. 2011
About my CD: 'solo, duo, trio, quartet, quintet - the chamber & electronic music of Gene Pritsker' released on Composers Concordance Records/Naxos in Feb. 2011
Composer/guitarist/rapper/Di.J. Gene Pritsker has written over four hundred compositions, including chamber operas, orchestral and chamber works, electro-acoustic music and songs for hip-hop and rock ensembles. All of his compositions employ an eclectic spectrum of styles and are influenced by his studies of various musical cultures.
He is the founder and leader of Sound Liberation; an eclectic hiphop-chamber-jazz-rock-etc. ensemble who have released cd's on Col-legno and Innova Records. Gene's music has been performed all over the world at various festivals and by many ensembles and performers, including the Adelaide Symphony, The Athens Camarata, Brooklyn and Berlin Philharmonic. He has worked closely with Joe Zawinul and has orchestrated major Hollywood movies.
The New York Times described him as "...audacious...multitalented." Joseph Pehrson, writing in The Music Connoisseur, described Pritsker as "dissolv[ing] the artificial boundaries between high brow, low brow, classical, popular musics and elevates the idea that if it's done well it is great music, regardless of the style or genre". Raul d'Gama Rose writes in All About Jazz: "Barring the obvious exceptions, much of 21st century composition appears to be thinning in significance, but this might be about to change. Gene Pritsker is one of a very spare handful of composers effecting this change."
Organizations he is associated with include: Composers' Concordance, Composers' Concordance Records, Absolute Ensemble , The International Street Cannibals and the Austrian Outreach Festival . Gene Pritsker's music is published by: Falls House Press , Gold Branch Music, Periferia Sheet Music & Calabrese Brothers music recordeds on: Col Legno , Enja, Eutrepe, Wergo, Innova , Composers' Concordance Records, and Capstone record labels.
2012 highlights:
- Release of the chamber opera 'William James's Varieties of Religious Experiences' on Composers Concordance Records.
- 'Cloud Atlas Symphony' has been commissioned by Kristjan Jarvi and the Leipzig Radio Symphony . To be premiered in Nov. 2012
- Producing The Composers Concordance Festival . Five concerts in one week. Gene has a composition on each.
2011 highlights:
- 'solo-duo-trio-quartet-quintet, the chamber and electronic Music of Gene Pritsker' released in February 2011 on , Composers' Concordance Records.
-The piano concerto 'Reinventions' recorded for Sony Records with Simone Dinnerstein and the Absolute Ensemble, K. Jarvi, conductor
- Violinist Lara St. John premieres and records 'Russian Evening Suite'
- Sound Liberation performed at the B remen Music Festival in September 2011
- Producing many concerts with Composers' Concordance, and The International Street Cannibals Including The Composers Concordance Festival
- A new ballet: 'The Report' by Henry Daniel for Di.J. (G.P.) and violinist Peter Krysa. Performedrformed at The Conference on the Conference in Vancouver, Canada.
- Premiere of 'Destined' chamber orchestra and Samplestra by the Absolute ensemble at the 2011 Dresden Music Festival
- Orchestrating and writing music for the motion picture Cloud Atlas. Starring Tom Hanks and Halle Berry
- Premiering 'Expeditions' f or narrator, cello, guitar, piano, brass quintet and Di.J. at the 2011 Outreach Music Festival in Schwaz Austria in August. Also the Cd release concert for 'Cello Lounge' by Noizepunk & BorisLove
- Release of the chamber opera 'William James' Varieties of Religious Experiences' on Composers Concordance Records
2010 highlights include violinist Anne Akiko Meyers records Variations on Sakura, Sakura for Koch Records and performs the piece at Le Possoin Rouge for her CD release concrt. Gene was the composer-in-residence at William Paterson University where he had numerous premieres and performances of his music. A January performance at Le Poisson Rouge with his band Sound Liberation. A tour of the piano concerto Reinvention's with The Absolute Ensemble and soloist Simone Dinnerstein. Performances in the U.S., Canada, Germany and Greece. Also a new violin concerto; 'The Modes' for Miltos Papastamou and Absolute premiered in July at the Athens Music Festival. The Premiere of Genes solo drum set piece Opposite Extreme of Benevolence by percussionist Peter Jarvis as well as the recent publication of this piece in the anthology: 'Drum set Music for the Concert Stage'. A performance of 'Essentially Tragic' for solo electric bassoon, chamber orchestra & Samplestra performed by Matthias Kronsteiner and the Tactus Ensemble at Manhattan School of Music as part of the inaugural Contemporary Performance Program Concerto Competition. A set of Genes music at Galapagos as well as a premiere of a new dance piece written for the occasion, in February. Numerous concert and premieres with The International Street Cannibals, Absolute Ensemble and The Composers Concordance. Innova Records release of The VRE Suite a one hour composition for the quintet portion of Sound Liberation which is generating amazing reviews. The US release of Absolute Zawinul, a CD of Genes orchestrations of the Music of Joe Zawinul as performed by the Absolute Ensemble with Mr. Zawinul (the last recording he did). The launching of Composers Concordance Records, Distributed by Naxos. Gene is a co-director. First release: "Ballets & Solos'. Genes compositions 'A Challenge to the Dark' for chamber ensemble and 'Dead Souls' for solo guitar will be included. 'Human Condition' from Sound Liberations last album 'Open Up Your Ears & Get Some' will be featured in Episode 1 on the new season of Road Trip Nation on PBS.
2009 highlights include : 'Reinvention #3' for bandoneón, piano and chamber orchestra premiered at the '09 Bremen Musikfest by the Absolute Ensemble. A concert and a CD release called 'solo-duo-trio-quartet-quintet: the chamber and electronic music of Gene Pritsker'. The premiere of the 'VRE Suite', a one hour composition for Sound Liberation, also a recording of this work. A concert of Gene's music at the Blaine Jazz festival in Blaine, WA, including the premiere of ''Unsubstantiality of Things' for mixed sextet. The song 'No Truth' featured in the motion picture 'The Wedding Brothers'. Gene at the Austrian Outreach festival where he had a duo concert with tubist Jon Sass and a premiere of an arrangement of Miles Davis' 'Bitches Brew' for the Outreach Outreach Orchestra. A concert of Genes Music at the Austrian Cultural forum in New York as part of their Jazz Fest. 09 A European CD release of Genes orchestrations of the Music of Joe Zawinul as performed by the Absolute Ensemble with Mr. Zawinul (the last recording he did).
In '08 Gene had a new piano concerto: 'Reinventions' for piano and chamber orchestra based on J.S. Bach's piano Inventions premiered at the '08 Bremen Musikfest on Sept. 13th with pianist Simone Dinnerstein and Absolute Ensemble with Kristjan Jarvi conducting. His chamber/hip-hop opera Money was performed at the Etna Festival in Catania, Sicily. His band Sound Liberation released a new CD on Col-Legno records called 'Open Up Your Ears and Get Some'. The band played a CD release concert in New York's Drom in November, and performed at Joe's Pub and at the Blue Note. They also performed in Ragusa, Sicily in May. Gene has many performances/premiers at the Outreach Festival in Schwaz, Austria. Vise, Come in to My Kitchen, Sarangi Surround and Corruption in Conference for Moog and Concert band performed by Adam Holtzman and Stadtmusik Schwaz concert band, Gene conducting.
In the 2006 -07 season Gene premiered two chamber operas; Money 1 & Money 2, at the Flea Theater and at the Players Theater in New York, He also performed these 2 operas at the Outreach Festival in Schwaz, At the 07 Outreach Festival Gene had many performances, including his Bassoon and samplestra piece; Electrically Tragic Premiered by Martin Kuuskmann and various performances with his band Sound Liberation and The International Street Cannibals a group that combines chamber music and boxing.
In September '07 Three Poems From Flowers of Evil, on poetry of Baudelaire was performed by the The Absolute Ensemble, The Latvian State Choir and himself as Di.J. at the 07 Bremen Music Festival. Also at this concert Genes orchestrations from the movie Perfume were performed. Gene is very excited to have had the opportunity of working with the legendary Joe Zawinul, he has arranged/orchestrated Zawinuls music for the Absolute Ensemble to be recorded and released on Biirdjam records in 09 and to be toured around the world in upcoming years. In recent years Absolute has been performing arrangements Gene did of Frank Zappas music as well as many of his own compositions, including Lost Illusion, a concerto for bass, orchestra and samplestra (pre recorded electronics) this piece was also performed by the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra with Mat Fieldes on various basses and Kristjan Jarvi conducting.
Other organizations he is associated with include:
- Composers Concordance (Co-director since 08, advisory board since 96, Associate
Director since 04)
- Composers Concordance Records (co-founder, co-director since 2010)
Absolute Ensemble (co-founder/composer -in -residence since 93)
- The International Street Cannibasl (composer -in -residence, co-director since 01)
- Outreach Festival (Artistic Advisory Board since 07)
The American Composers Forum (member NY chapter since 96)
- The New Music Connoisseur magazine (critic since 97)
Music published by:
Falls House Press
Gold Branch Music
Calabrese Brothers Music
Periferia sheet music
Mr. Pritsker has won the following prizes and accolades:
Minnesota Composers Forum Commissioning Competition for the world premiere of his orchestral piece: Massacre, 20th Century Style.
He was a recipient of the Margaret Fairbank Jory Copying
Assistance Program
Award from the ASCAP standard awards panel
Third prize in the Paris new Music Review composition competition
Part of the American Composers Forums Orchestra Reading Project.
Honorable mention from the Composers Institute Reading Session with the Minnesota orchestra.
FILM
Orchestration of music for the movie Perfume: The Story of a Murderer directed by Tom Tykwer starring:
Dustin Hoffman Alan Rickman, Ben Whishaw
Orchestration of music for the movie The International directed by Tom Tykwer starring: Clive Owen and Naomi Watts
Orchestration of music for the movie Anamorph directed by H. Miller and starring: Willem Dafoe
Orchestration for the mpvie Killer Elite starring Jason Stratham and Robert De Niro
Upcoming films include Orchestrating and writing music for the motion picture Cloud Atlas. Starring Tom Hanks and Halle Berry directed by Tom Tykwer and Andy Wachowski.
Wrote music for the movie The Unforgettable Proposal by Mohammad A. Alkazemi
Music Recorded by:
ALBUMS PAGE
- Sound Liberation recorded 13 composition of Genes on Col Legno records for an album called Open Up Your Ears and Get Some
-'Varieties of Religious Experiences Suite' recorded by the Sound Liberation Quintet on Innova Records.
- 9 orchestrations of Joe Zawinuls music perfomred by the Absolute Ensemble. on Intuition records
- International Street Cannibals present solo-duo-trio-quartet-quintet: the chamber and electronic music of Gene Pritsker' to be released on Composers Concordance Records
- "A Challenge to the Dark' for chamber ensemble and 'Dead Souls' for solo guitar included on the album 'Ballets & Solos' released on CCR/Naxos
- The Absolute Ensemble has released a CD on Enja Records featuring Fix and an Arrangementof Super Bad. The CD is named after the septet.
- Pan(ic) for solo flute recorded by Nina Assimakopoulos on Euterpe label, the album is titled: Arcadian Murmmurs: Pan in Pieces.
- Junk for electronics released on the Capstone label, the album is titled: 60X60.
I'm Afraid You Might ask for A Fragment Of My Soul for solo piano has been released on CD by pianist Guy Livingston entitled: Dont Panic on Wergo Records.
Guitarist Greg Baker has Recorded an album of Gene Pritskers guitar music called: Scars, Wounds and Lacerations Plus Snow to Numb the Effect.
Singer Melanie Mitrano has recorded the song Perirrhanterium, stanza XIII (Truth) for two sopranos and electronics, It is included on her CD Songs in Transit on Capstone records..
'Falls to with an Appetite' for string quartet and clarinet is featured on a CD by the Lumina String Quartet with clarinetist Phil Basher. The CD is entitled: New York Composers.
Counterfeiters was recorded by the B3+ brass trio for their album Uncommon Sense on Col Legno records.
Sound Liberation self titled debut album
Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra
Pretty maidens slam dancing (full orchestra)
Under the influence (full orchestra)
And laugh even louder (full orchestra)
Massacre, 20th century style ( full orchestra)
Im afraid you might ask for my soul (full orchestra)
Animals (chamber orch., narr.)
All I want now is to look at life
(string orchestra and trumpet)
PUNK (string orchestra)
Dancing in snow (orchestra)
Fanfare 4 1/2 Billion (full Orchestra)
Without The Support Of The External Senses
(full orchestra)
Dead Souls II (chamber orchestra)
Wish + Faith = Kisses (SATB chorus & orchestra)
The Most Wonderful Thing of All I & II
(chamber orchestra)
Souls (for small orchestra)
1. Dead Souls, 2. Souls vanity, 3. Snow Soul
Gates (chamber orhestra & Samplestra)
