'Music Marathon' celebrates new classical works

By Derek Paiva
Advertiser Entertainment Writer

If they do, Judy Neale feels their pain.

The promotions director for Hawai'i Public Radio is giving up the Atherton studio to Maui-based composer/pianist Robert Pollock on Wednesday to host his "New Music Marathon." The program — the only performance event in Pollock's annual North South East West contemporary music and art festival not held on Maui — will feature new works performed live by 10 composers.

The highlight of the evening will be a performance suite of new works from Pulitzer Prize-winning composer and man of many "firsts" (see below) George Walker, who will also be in attendance.

So why does Neale believe filling the intimate Atherton's 72 chairs might still prove tough?

"People who go to theater want new shows. But oddly enough, people who go to hear classically played music don't really always want new music; they want to hear tried-and-true favorites," said Neale. "(Promoting) new music is always a challenge."

True, you won't get any Chopin etudes or Beethoven sonatas at the New Music Marathon. But you will hear a near-nonstop (with two intermissions, anyway) 3 1/2-hour flow of classically-themed new works performed live.

In addition to Walker's compositional contributions for piano, the program will feature works by Pollock, Japanese composer Mitsuru Asaka and Korean composer Eugene Lee, all in attendance. Performing musicians will include Grammy-nominated vocalist Judith Kellock; internationally acclaimed pianists Lorenzo Sanchez, Sayaka Ueda and Thomas Yee; and Honolulu Symphony principal clarinetist Scott Anderson and concertmaster Ignace "Iggy" Jang.

The Atherton has hosted at least one North South East West fest performance annually for the past five years.

"But we've never done (a program) this long before," said Neale.

The North South East West festival is a series of annual Maui-based performance events celebrating contemporary music and art.

A full schedule of North South East West fest events is online at www.ebbandflowarts.org.

The folks at Hawai'i Public Radio are suspending the Atherton's strict "no food or drink" policy for the evening and encourage attendees to get creative with their take-out.

"You can break out a sandwich ... or if you want to bring fine crystal and china with you, it's all fine by us," said Neale.

Bento run to Daiei, anyone? Anyone?

Reach Derek Paiva at 525-8005 or dpaiva@honoluluadvertiser.com.

George Walker firsts

Composer George Walker, 82, has published more than 90 compositions for orchestra, chamber orchestra, piano, voice, guitar, brass and other instruments. He was inducted into the American Classical Music Hall of Fame in 2000.

Here a few of the prestigious composer's lifetime "firsts":

• First public piano recital at age 14 at Howard University (1936), the same year he graduated from high school.
• First black graduate of Curtis Institute of Music (1945).
• First black instrumentalist to perform in New York City's Town Hall (1945).
• First black instrumentalist to perform with the Philadelphia Orchestra (1945).
• First black instrumentalist to be signed by musician management firm National Concert Artists (1950).
• First black recipient of a doctoral degree from Eastman School of Music (1956).
• First composer to receive the John Hay Whitney Fellowship (1957); he was awarded a Fulbright scholarship that same year.
• First black composer awarded the Pulitzer Prize for music (1996).