Diana Burgess (BM ’15), as cellist of the orchestral indie band Mother Falcon, has signed a recording contract with Universal Music Classics. Mother Falcon’s first CD on the Universal label will be released in October. Mother Falcon will also tour the US with singer-songwriter and cellist Ben Sollee including stops in Nashville (City Winery), Philadelphia (World Café), Chicago (Thalia Hall), and New York City (Le Poisson Rouge). Diana directs the creative part of the tour including assisting with arranging pieces for the program. Complete tour dates are listed below:

The Fall Migration Tour w/ Ben Sollee
10/11 Brown Theatre Louisville, KY
10/12 City Winery Nashville, TN
10/13 Saturn Birmingham, AL
10/14 Terminal West Atlanta, GA
10/16 The Grey Eagle Asheville, NC
10/17 The Howard Theater Washington, DC
10/18 Strand Capitol Theatre York, PA
10/20 World Café Live Philadelphia, PA
10/21 Le Poisson Rouge New York, NY
10/22 Troy Savings Bank Music Hall Troy, NY
10/23 First Church Congregational Cambridge, MA
10/24 Columbus Theatre Providence, RI
10/25 3S Artspace Portsmouth, NH
10/27 Club Café Pittsburgh, PA
10/28 Southgate House Revival-Sanctuary Newport, KY
10/29 Thalia Hall Chicago, IL
10/30 Cedar Cultural Center Minneapolis, MN
11/01 The Old Rock House St. Louis, MO
11/09 Club Congress Tucson, AZ
11/10 Soda Bar San Diego, CA
11/11 Teragram Ballroom Los Angeles, CA
11/12 Great American Music Hall San Francisco, CA
11/13 HiFi Music Hall Eugene, OR
11/15 The Domino Room Bend, OR
11/16 Mississippi Studios Portland, OR
11/17 Barboza Seattle, WA
11/18 The Bartlett Spokane, WA
11/20 Urban Lounge Salt Lake City, UT
11/21 Bluebird Theater Denver, CO

More info…

Just two months after graduating from the UT Butler School, Chloe Hyojung Jang (MM ’15) returned to her native Korea to win a position as section cellist in Symphony S.O.N.G.

Symphony S.O.N.G. (Symphony Orchestra for the Next Generation) is led by artistic director Shinik Hahm, who is also music director and chief conductor of the Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) Symphony Orchestra. “Four principles—innovation, purity, fairness and transparency—constitute Symphony S.O.N.G. I am a person who sticks to the principles and I don’t compromise with those breaking them,” Hahm said.

More about Symphony S.O.N.G.

James Burch (DMA ’16) appeared at the SoundSCAPE festival in Maccagno, Italy, this past July. Here he is performing Colin Frank’s Obsession with clarinetist Gleb Kanasevich, percussionist Christian Smith and double bassist Matt Kline.

Francesco Mastromatteo (DMA ’12) has published an article, ” Kodály’s Sonata Opus 8: Transformation of Hungarian Lament,” in the International Journal of Musicology, New Series Vol. 1, Peter Lang Academic Series (editors: Elliott Antokoletz and Michael Von Albrecht). The article is a revision of Francesco’s doctoral lecture-recital at the Butler School of Music.

More info…

On Friday, July 3, Diana Burgess (BM ’15), as member of the orchestral indie band Mother Falcon, performs a set of opening concerts for the 19th Annual Austin Chamber Music Festival. The 7:30 PM show is a seated show, while the 10 PM show is a standing only show, both at The North Door. For venue, ticket and other information, visit austinchambermusic.org.

Doug Machiz (MM ’11) and his San Francisco-based Friction Quartet continue to garner attention and praise from throughout the bay area. Joshua Kosman, music critic of the San Francisco Chronicle, named the chamber group “An artist who should be discovered” and wrote a glowing review of their December 5th show at the Center for New Music:

The members of the Friction Quartet — four gifted and alert young string players with roots in the San Francisco Conservatory of Music — seem to have adopted an appropriate name not just for their ensemble, but for an entire vein of musical thought.

But all of it avoided any hint of serenity, or for that matter much in the way of resolution. This was high-octane music-making, and the Frictioneers — violinists Kevin Rogers and Otis Harriel, violist Taija Warbelow and cellist Doug Machiz — brought to all of it a fine blend of rhythmic ferocity and tonal flair.

You can read Joshua Kosman’s full review here.

More about Doug and the Friction Quartet…

On Sunday, May 17, Diana Burgess (BM ’15), as member of the orchestral indie band Mother Falcon, performs at Blue Bash, the Austin Chamber Music Center’s 2015 Fundraiser at The Mansion. You and your guests will be treated to delicious hors d’oeuvers, swanky signature cocktails, and an exquisite three course plated dinner. At the Bash, you will also have the opportunity to purchase exclusive and unique event packages curated by ACMC’s Artistic Director Michelle Schumann and enjoy live entertainment by Austin’s own Mother Falcon and Michelle Schumann. For venue, ticket and other information, visit austinchambermusic.org.

About Mother Falcon….

Tonight, Daniel Smith (DMA ’15) performs the Elgar Cello Concerto in E minor, Op. 85, with conductor Gerhardt Zimmermann and the UT Symphony Orchestra. For ticket, venue and other information, visit music.utexas.edu, or watch the live stream online…

Jonathan Dexter (MM ’05) makes a cameo appearance today on VH1’s Big Morning Buzz Live Hosted by Nick Lachey performing with host and singer-songwriter Nick Lachey in a special on-air birthday surprise for Nick’s wife Vanessa. Jonathan appears at 1:31 in the video.

More info…