Recordings:

01. Introduction to the competition (17:21)

02. Introduction for Melody Eötvös’ piece (1:39)

03. Melody Eötvös, “Austin vs. Regina” (3:24)

04. Comments on Melody Eötvös’ piece (2:22)

05. Introduction for Matthew Heap’s piece (0:49)

06. Matthew Heap, “Interior Resonances” (8:15)

07. Comments on Matthew Heap’s piece (2:15)

08. Introduction for David Kirkland Garner’s piece (1:46)

09. David Kirkland Garner’s “Nearer Thy God to Me” (6:25)

10. Comments on David Kirkland Garner’s piece (3:34)

11. Introduction for Mari Takano’s piece (3:34)

12. Mari Takano, “We Will Meet Again” (3:40)

13. Comments on Mari Takano’s piece (2:57)

14. Introduction for Zvonimir Nagy’s piece (2:22)

15. Zvonimir Nagy, “Vox Reginae Organalis” (6:39)

16. Comments on Zvonimir Nagy’s piece (4:30)

17. Interview with Joe Drew (8:56)

18. Announcement of the Results (4:46)

(A full wrap-up post will be forthcoming when we have the recordings)

Jonathan William Moyer maintains a dynamic career as organist, pianist, harpsichordist, and conductor. He is the music director and organist of the Church of the Covenant in Cleveland, OH, where he directs a semiprofessional choir, handbells, children’s music program, and concert series. Critics have described his playing as “ever-expressive, stylish, and riveting.” He has performed throughout the northeastern United States, Europe, and Japan, including such venues as Washington National Cathedral, Princeton University Chapel, St. Thomas Episcopal Church (NYC), the Great Auditorium in Ocean Grove (NJ), numerous British cathedrals, as well as the Dvorak Spring Festival in Prague and Vienna. He has performed with such ensembles as the Richmond Symphony Orchestra, Concert Artists of Baltimore, the Handel Choir of Baltimore, the Johns Hopkins University Chorale, and the Cantate Chamber Singers of Washington, DC. He has performed piano and chamber music recitals at the La Gesse Music Festival in Toulouse, France and Weill Recital Hall in New York City. He is a member of the critically acclaimed early music vocal ensemble Quire Cleveland.

Throughout 2008 he performed the complete organ works of Olivier Messiaen in four recitals at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in Baltimore, MD, celebrating the centenary of the composer’s birth and the renovation of the cathedral’s organ. The Baltimore Sun, said of his second recital, “Moyer revealed the composer’s musical genius as vividly as his spiritual richness, taking full advantage of the cathedral’s Shantz organ. …Passages of rapt reflection were shaped with a keen sense of import.”

In 2008, he received the second prize in the Sixth International Musashino Organ Competition in Tokyo, Japan, and in 2005 he was one of four finalists in the St. Albans International Organ Competition. He has served as sub-dean for the Baltimore Chapter of the American Guild of Organists and served on the steering committee for the 2007 AGO Region III Convention in Baltimore. He currently serves on the executive committee of the Cleveland Chapter, AGO.

Dr. Moyer has served as an opera coach/accompanist for the Peabody Opera Department, Baltimore Opera Company, Opera Vivente (Baltimore), the Baltimore School for the Arts, and the Washington, DC Wagner Society. He appears frequently as accompanist for art song and opera recitals.

Dr. Moyer is currently pursuing an artist diploma at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music as a student of James David Christie. He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in organ as a student of Donald Sutherland from the Peabody Conservatory of Music (Baltimore, MD), where he received both a Graduate Performance Diploma in organ and a Master’s degree in piano as a student of Ann Schein. While at Peabody he studied harpsichord with Webb Wiggins and served as graduate assistant choral conductor to Edward Polochick. He received a Bachelor of Music degree in piano from Bob Jones University where he studied with Laurence Morton. He has attended organ festivals throughout Europe and has coached with such organists as Susan Landale, Marie-Claire Alain, Olivier Latry, Guy Bovet, Michael Radulescu, and Gillian Weir.

He resides in Shaker Heights, Ohio, along with his wife, Kaori Hongo, and two sons, Christopher and Samuel.

The main organ in Gamble Auditorium was built in 1914 by the Austin Organ company, which is the only major manufacturer from the Grand Period of American organ building still in existence today. The organ was rebuilt in 1979. It is a 4-manual organ, with 74 ranks. Each manual has 61 notes, and there are 32 note pedals.

The Regina Music Box company was established in 1892 in Rahway, New Jersey. Gustave Brachhausen, who had worked for the Polyphon music box company in Germany, established Regina Music Boxes in America, recognizing an untapped market. By 1921, the company had ceased production, with sales only ever totaling a little over 100,000 boxes.

The composers were given 11 discs to choose from:

“If I But Knew”
“Two Sweethearts Song”
“Cavalleria Rusticana Intermezzo”
“Priscilla Colonial Intermezzo”
“Miller in the Black Forest”
“Selection from Lucia de Lammermoor”
“Nearer My God to Thee”
“You’re As Welcome as the Flower in May”
“The Charlatan March”
“Smokey Mokes”
“Abide With Me”

Jeffrey Quick was born in Cass City, Michigan in 1956, and began composing at age 11. He received a BM in music history in 1978 from the University of Michigan, where he studied composition with William Bolcom and Leslie Bassett, and the MM in composition from Cleveland State University in 1991, where he studied with Bain Murray, Rudolph Bubalo and Edwin London. His works are print-published by Hoyt Editions and the American Recorder Society; many of his sacred works are available for free download at cpdl.org, and other works can be purchased for download at newmusicshelf.com. He is assistant music librarian at Case Western Reserve University, and a member of the Cleveland Chamber Singers. He directs the Renaissance wind band Burgundy, performing on shawm, sackbut, recorder and other winds. A resident of Northeast Ohio since 1986, he lives in Windham, in the northeast corner of Portage Co., on 6 acres with his wife Rusty and assorted poultry.

Gina Cirino joined the Cleveland Council on World Affairs staff in Aug. 2008. During her time with the CCWA she worked with National Programming Agencies and the U.S. Dept. of State to develop long-term programs for delegations from all over the world including, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, Nepal, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Serbia, Russia, Buryatia, Pakistan, India on topics ranging from Rule of Law and Politics to Foreign Affairs and Media. She has also hosted a variety of youth groups from Serbia, Mexico, Germany, Brazil, and Iraq and developed programs designed to enhance youth appreciation for civic activism, volunteerism and diversity. Prior to becoming involved with the CCWA, Gina pursued a cultural world travel expedition, where she was immersed in local societies, villages and home stays in; South America, Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Gina’s interests include; yoga, art, music, theater, history and science.

More about Matthew from his website:

Matthew Heap is an internationally performed composer who focuses on vocal music to a large degree.  He is also very involved in the theatre community as an actor, director, and writer.  Matthew received his BFA from Carnegie Mellon University, MMus from the Royal College of Music in London, and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh.  He has studied with Leonardo Balada, Eric Moe, Nancy Galbraith, Mathew Rosenblum, and Timothy Salter.  Matthew is also a member of Alia Musica Pittsburgh, an ensemble dedicated to the performance of new concert music from Pittsburgh composers.

His compositions range dramatically from completely atonal to musical theatre.  He believes in using the techniques and materials that best express the idea that he is hoping to represent, whether they be microtones, multiphonics, 12-tone practices, or traditional triadic harmony.  Recent pieces have been built on tone rows that have a few tonal implications in an effort to produce a music that is the amalgam of the new and old.  Most recently, Matthew has been experimenting with aspects of spectralist technique.

Iron Composer will be held at Baldwin-Wallace College on Friday, September 16, 2011. The finalists will begin work at 9 a.m., and the concert will take place at 8 p.m. As always, the concert will be broadcast live on WCLV 104.9 FM and simulcast online.

First prize is $500 and the title of ‘Iron Composer’!

All of the finalists did outstanding work with the challenge presented by ANALOG arts. They had to write for a duo of flute and cello. A tripling was available on the flute, with both alto and piccolo at their disposal. The secret ingredient was an absolutely massive collection of sticks and stones from the surrounding area. Berea, Ohio was once the site of a sandstone quarry, and in addition to Berea sandstone, the composers were presented with pebbles and gravel, as well as bricks and flagstones. The wood resources ranged from fragile twigs to thick logs and an entire sapling.

The composer judge was the professor emeritus of composition at Baldwin-Wallace College, Loris Chobanian. The performer judge was originally Regina Mushabac (cello), but Regina asked that her ballot be filled out by fellow performer Marcia Kamper. Regina did offer her comments on each piece during the broadcast. The non-musician judge was an assistant professor of philosophy at UC Davis, Bernard Molyneux.

The concert was broadcast live on WCLV 104.9 FM and online at www.wclv.com. It is available as a zip file, and at the individual links below.

Opening remarks by Dolf Kamper

Introduction of the Composers

Revelation of the Challenge

Introduction to Marcus Maroney’s Break My Bones

Marcus Maroney, Break My Bones

Comments on Break My Bones

Introduction to Marie Incontrera’s Outgrowth

Marie Incontrera, Outgrowth

Comments on Outgrowth

Introduction to Natalie Williams’ Singing Stones

Natalie Williams, Singing Stones

Comments on Singing Stones

Introduction to Anthony Green’s Horizon

Anthony Green’s Horizon

Comments on Horizon

Introduction to Yotam Haber’s Words Will Never Hurt Me

Yotam Haber, Words Will Never Hurt Me

Comments on Words Will Never Hurt Me

Interview with Joe Drew

Announcement of the Winners

Traditionally, the judging panel at Iron Composer has always included one of the performers, a composer, and a non-musician, who is acting on behalf of the audience. This year, we decided to invite a member of the audience to fill that third seat. Anyone can apply, just as long as they are eager to join the conversation on Friday night!