Stephen James, composer, turns collaborative pianist and is joined by soprano Jennie O’Brien for the premiere performance in New Hampshire of his song cycle In Blackwater Woods, set to poems by Mary Oliver. The song cycle includes seven remarkable poems of Mary Oliver which explore moments in her life, the wonders of nature and human reactions to life and the world. Her sometimes surprising point of view will sometimes make you smile, sometimes make you cry, sometimes give you an “a-ha” moment. Jennie and Stephen have often collaborated through the years and are excited to present this new piece of work as part of the Bach’s Lunch series.
Bios:
Stephen James completed his doctoral degree in composition at Boston University, where he received the graduate composition prize in 1984, the Malloy Miller Composition Award in 1986, and an award for continuing musical excellence in 1987. He is a pianist as well as a composer and has performed for the Tanglewood Music Center Chamber Series, the WICN Radio concert series at Mechanics Hall (Worcester, MA), the American Repertory Theater, Alea III, the Omnibus Series at Boston University, the The Essex Chamber Music Players, and on many other concert series in New England.
Dr. James was a 1985 Crofts Fellow in Composition at the Tanglewood Music Center and a member of the Center for Compositional Study at the Aspen Music Festival in 1986. Performances of his works include premieres by the Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra of Boston and the Atlantic Brass Quintet, commissions from the Washington Music Ensemble and the Newburyport Choral Society, and performances by the Society for New Music (Syracuse, NY) and the Fellows of the Music Center at Tanglewood. He has taught piano performance, music theory and composition at Boston University, Worcester State University, the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth, Anna Maria College and Bridgewater State University.
Jennie O’Brien is a graduate of Boston University with Bachelor of Music, one in Vocal Performance and the other in Music Education and a Master’s in Education from University of Massachusetts Boston specializing in teaching students with visual impairments. A soloist for several area churches and with Stephen James, Jennie has also performed with Newton Choral Society, Longy Chamber Singers, Broadmoor Chamber Singers, Vokes Theater, Revels, Inc., In Good Company, and her own trio Crooked Mowth. Jennie teaches Voice, co-directs Euphonias teen chorus and directs Songweavers women’s chorus all at Concord Community Music School. Additionally, Jennie teaches voice and theatre arts at Perkins School for the Blind. Jennie formerly taught at New England Conservatory in the Continuing Education department and was a board member of the theater group, In Good Company.
Bach’s Lunches are free and open to the public. They are made possible in part through the generosity of the Walker Fund.
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