COMPOSER, PIANIST, IMPROVISOR
by Jack Perla & librettist Rob Bailis…
We’re delighted to announce that The San Francisco Opera Center has joined forces with ODC Theatre and Music Without Walls to present the world premiere performances of Love/Hate in April 2012 at the newly renovated ODC Theatre in San Francisco. This is huge news for everyone involved with this project – to start with, our San Francisco cast will be provided by The San Francisco Opera Center, from its world-renowned Adler Fellowship Program!!
– November 23, 2011
Thrilled and incredibly honored by some wonderful news I have to share with you! I have been awarded a rare double distinction from The Barlow Endowment for Music Composition. In addition to receiving a $6,000 commission award under their General commissioning program, I have been named the only composer in the Endowment’s history to receive an Honorable Mention for The Barlow Prize in the same year! 170 composers applied and I am very grateful and humbled to be given such special notice from the judges.
– November 1, 2011
I’m delighted to announce that I’ll be composing a new piece in 2012 for TwoSense - the magnificent duo of Bang on a Can and Cantaloupe Music recording artists, cellist Ashley Bathgate and pianist, Lisa Moore. Their concerts feature new & experimental music paired with mainstream repertoire for cello and piano. Although TwoSense is less than a year old, they’ve already earned rave reviews from major press in New York and around the country.
– October 29, 2011
I am quite touched by a recent request from wonderful New York pianist, Thomas Bagwell, to write a song for the 20th Anniversary of the Aids Quilt Songbook concert. I’m really excited to participate in this amazing project. The concert will be held in New York in June, 2012.
– October 30, 2011
My two new recordings for Innova Records are moving ahead as planned!
Poet’s Cabaret is set to go into Fantasy Studios this November 2011, to record a collection of new works focusing on a mix of short vocal songs balanced with short instrumental numbers. I’m approaching it as a collection of scenes and short stories told through music and lyrics. The performers are Amie Penwell, Jordan Carp, David Arend, Jason Slota and myself.
– November 2, 2011
Soprano Adrienne Danrich
The fabulous soprano Adrienne Danrich will feature two of my songs in her
sold-out recital at Cincinnati’s Taft Museum tonight. I’m a huge fan of hers and
very thrilled to have ‘Fireflies of the Sea’ and ‘The Peace of Wild Things’
be part of her recital.
– October 5, 2011
Martin Kuuskmann
Next week I’m off to Northern Washington State, close to the Canadian border, to work with my friend Martin Kuuskmann and the Pacific Arts Association, at the Blaine Jazz Festival. I’ll spend a week there teaching kids to improvise and write music, and playing concerts. Born in Estonia, Martin is one of the world’s leading improvising bassoon virtuosos, a faculty member of the Manhattan School of Music, and founding member of New York based Absolute Ensemble.
– July 8, 2011
Melody Moore
I’d like invite you to a very special performance at ODC Theater on July 11th. My dear friend and long time collaborator Rob Bailis – librettist for Love/Hate and Executive Director of ODC Theater, is stepping down from that position to return to a more active performing schedule (he’s a formidable clarinetist). Rob is also turning 40! So this concert is a celebration of major milestones. What’s more, we’ll be performing scenes from our opera Love/Hate with former San Francisco Opera Center Adler Fellows Melody Moore and Thomas Glenn. I hope to see you at this special benefit event for the ODC Director’s Fund! Continued…
– July 5, 2011
Soprano Adrienne Danrich
The wonderful soprano Adrienne Danrich is performing Lilacs, my setting of Whitman’s “When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloomed”, at the Arts Club of Washington on May 25th, as part of a celebration of Whitman’s life and writing. Thank you Adrienne, for helping to get the music out!
– May 16, 2011
Jack Perla’s House of Straw presents a benefit concert for survivors of the Japanese earthquake & tsunami
Our next concert is in less than two weeks, at ODC Dance Commons, Studio B, Saturday, April 9th @ 8 pm. We opted for this earlier date in order to collaborate on a benefit for victims of the Japanese eathquake and tsunami. 100% of net profits from the show will go to the Earthquake Relief Fund of the Japan Society.
– March 29, 2011
I’m back from 17 amazing days working with the Houston Grand Opera’s HGOco, on rehearsals and performances of Courtside. A one act chamber opera, Courtside premiered on Saturday, February 5th, to an audience of about 3,000, at the Chinese Community Center in Houston. Performances continued through 2/12 – eight in all throughout Houston. It was an exhilarating experience working with such an amazing organization as HGO, and with such a brilliant, accomplished cast and creative team. I’m sincerely grateful to Anthony Freud, Sandra Bernhard, Patrick Summers, Leslie Swackhamer, Evan Wildstein and everyone else involved with the project for this tremendous opportunity.
– February 17, 2011
What’s coming up in 2011? Let’s see….First is Courtside, my one act opera for the Houston Grand Opera’s HGOco, is going into production! Casting, set design, rehearsals, all leading to the premier on February 5th, followed by a week of performances and events around greater Houston. The libretto, by San Francisco playwright Eugenie Chan, explores how two generations of a Chinese American family must find ways to reconcile differences in order to live with pride in modern America, while maintaining tradition. Courtside follows a hot-shot, high school basketball player who fights back when taunted on the court. This benches his team, and his grandfather scorns him for bringing public shame to his team and family.
– December 8, 2010
Paula West is a soulful singer well known for her interpretations of the Great American Songbook. From standards to jazz, her performances, whether at Feinstein’s in New York or the Plush Room in San Francisco, are unique and memorable. I’ll have the pleasure of sharing the stage with her as part of the Oakland East Bay Symphony’s Masqued Musicale on October 30th. The event will benefit the Oakland East Bay Symphony’s acclaimed education programs. If you’re interested in buying tickets please visit the OEBS website below.
– October 20, 2010
