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December 11th, 2007 | 7:30 pm Baisley Powell Elebash Recital Hall The CUNY Graduate Center 365 5th Avenue, NYC Turn Me Loose | Andy Teirstein I. The Old Trail II. The Creek III. The Dream Yuri Vodovoz, violin Diliana Momtchilova, cello Norman Carey, piano We begin in the lazy idiom of an old forgotten ragtime blues. The piano retains a little of that feel in Movement II, but the almost bluesy quality is metrically infused with impulsive asymmetry. The third movement is based on a tune I composed a while back for the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange. It represents a "magical" rabbi, the Baal Shem Tov, dancing. The movement titles evoke a walk in the woods, leading to an ecstatic moment. This piece was premiered by the Alaria Trio at Weill Hall in February, 2007. Composer Andy Teirstein's work is inspired by the rich and diverse folk roots of modern culture. His music has been described by The New York Times and The Village Voice as "magical," "ingenious," "superbly crafted." His original musical theater works (book, lyrics and music) have won him a Richard Rodgers Award and three NEA fellowships. He has written film scores for several PBS and BBC films, and has composed for numerous choreographers including Donald Byrd, Liz Lerman, and Stephen Petronio. An original cast member of the Broadway musical hit, "Barnum," Andy has also appeared on "Search for Tomorrow" and in the film "Sophie's Choice". Other awards include Meet the Composer, the New York Foundation for the Arts, the American Composers Forum, and ASCAP. He is currently Associate Arts Professor at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. His inspiring mentors here at the Graduate Center have been Tania Leon, Bruce Saylor, and David Del Tredici. return to PAST CONCERTS