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San Francisco Contemporary Music Players

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The San Francisco Contemporary Music Players (SFCMP) is a performing arts organization and unionized chamber orchestra that commissions, performs, and records innovative new music from across cultures and stylistic traditions. SFCMP incorporated in 1974 to give voice to the burgeoning genre of contemporary chamber music in the Bay Area. They are solely devoted to contemporary repertoire, particularly the work of living composers and large ensemble works. The current Artistic Director is Eric Dudley.

The Contemporary Music Players are a 2018 awardee of the esteemed Fromm Foundation Ensemble Prize and a ten-time winner of the national ASCAP/Chamber Music America Award for Adventurous Programming of Contemporary Music.[1] The San Francisco Contemporary Music Players have performed more than 1,300 contemporary works, including many U.S. and world premieres, and has commissioned new pieces from such composers as John Adams, John Cage, Fred Frith, Liza Lim, James Newton, and Julia Wolfe.

View repertoire list at https://sfcmp.org/sfcmp-repertory-list/

Artistic collaborations

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In 1983, Frank Zappa led the ensemble in performing music by Edgard Varèse. The concert, which was emceed by Jefferson Airplane vocalist Grace Slick and held in the San Francisco Opera House, attracted an audience of more than 2,000 people.[2] In 1997, electric guitarist Bill Frisell and drummer Joey Baron appeared as soloists with the ensemble, performing Steven Mackey’s concerto, Deal.[3] Later the same year, vocalist Dawn Upshaw appeared with the ensemble in a performance of George Crumb’s Ancient Voices of Children.[4]

Musicians / executive directors / artistic directors and conductors / board presidents and founders

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Musicians

Current ensemble members

  • Tod Brody, flute
  • Kyle Bruckmann, oboe
  • Sarah Rathke, oboe
  • Jeff Anderle, clarinet
  • Peter Josheff, clarinet
  • Adam Luftman, trumpet
  • Brendan Lai-Tong, trombone
  • Peter Wahrhaftig, tuba
  • William Winant, percussion
  • Christopher Froh, percussion
  • Loren Mach, percussion
  • Haruka Fujii, percussion
  • Meredith Clark, harp
  • Kate Campbell, piano
  • David Tanenbaum, guitar
  • Roy Malan, violin
  • Susan Freier, violin
  • Hrabba Atladottir, violin
  • Nanci Severance, viola
  • Meena Bhasin, viola
  • Stephen Harrison, cello
  • Hannah Addario-Berry, cello
  • Richard Worn, contrabass

Past ensemble members

  • List pending

Executive Directors

  • Marcella DeCray (1974-1988)
  • Susan Munn (1988-1991)
  • Adam Frey (1991-2009)
  • Christopher Honett (2009-2010)
  • Carrie Blanding (2010-2012)
  • Rozella Kennedy (2012-2015)
  • Lisa Oman (2015-2021)
  • Richard Aldag (2021–present)

Artistic Directors and Principal Conductors

Board Presidents

  • Jean-Louis LeRoux (1974-1978)
  • Jane Roos (1978-1986)
  • Paul R. Griffin (1986-1996)
  • T. William Melis (1996-2000)
  • Roy C. (Bud) Johns (2000-2001)
  • Anne Baldwin (2002-2005)
  • Susan Hartzell (2005-2009)
  • Richard D. Lee (2009-2013)
  • Donald Blais (2010-2021)
  • Kit Sharma (2021–present)

Founders

SFCMP evolved from concerts begun in 1971 by Charles Boone and was incorporated as a nonprofit in 1974 by Marcella DeCray and Jean-Louis LeRoux. The San Francisco Contemporary Music Players is a unionized ensemble based out of San Francisco, California.  

Recent discography

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links to recordings https://sfcmp.org/sfcmp-recordings/

  • 1991: Morton Feldman, For Samuel Beckett, (CD) Newport Classics
  • 1992: Wayne Peterson, Sextet, (CD) New World Records
  • 1993: Lou Harrison, The Perilous Chapel, New Albion Records
  • 1993: John Cage, Music for... (CD) Newport Classic
  • 1993: Morton Feldman, For Samuel Beckett (CD) Newport Classic
  • 1993: Steven Mackey, Indigenous Instruments (CD) Newport Classic
  • 1995: James Newton, As the Sound of Many Waters, (CD) New World Records
  • 1996: Olly Wilson, No More (not released)
  • 1996: John Thow, Songs for the Earth (CD) Music and Arts Programs of America, Inc.
  • 1998: Earle Brown, Centering (CD) Newport Classic
  • 1999: Hyo-shin Na, Music for Piano and Strings (Transcription) (CD) Seoul Records Inc
  • 2000: James Newton, As the Sound of Many Waters (CD) New World Records
  • 2002: Andrew Imbrie, Spring Fever: Chicago Bells, Songs of Then and Now (CD) Albany Records
  • 2005: Jorge Liderman, The Song of Songs (CD) Bridge Records
  • 2006: Pablo Ortiz, Oscuro (CD) Albany Records
  • 2007: Kui Dong, Pangu’s Song (CD) New World Records
  • 2008: Edmund Campion, Outside Music: Music of Edmund Campion, (CD) Albany Records

References

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  1. ^ "San Francisco Contemporary Music Players Bay Area Contemporary Music". San Francisco Contemporary Music Players. Retrieved 2022-02-08.
  2. ^ Commanday, Robert (February 11, 1983), "Opera Crowd Whoops for Zappa", San Francisco Chronicle.
  3. ^ Ulrich, Allan (January 22, 1997), "Crossover program a big draw", San Francisco Examiner.
  4. ^ Swed, Mark (April 21, 1997), "Speaking to the Past in 'Ancient Voices'", Los Angeles Times, pages F1, F6.
  5. ^ (April 25, 1975), "Pillows, music, and paintings", San Francisco Examiner, p. 30.
  6. ^ Ulrich, Allan (October 18, 1988), "Contemporary Debut: A new director, a new season of new music", San Francisco Examiner.
  7. ^ Ulrich, Allan (August 25, 1988), "Fresh sounds for a new era: Donald Palma takes reins at SFCMP", San Francisco Examiner.
  8. ^ Rowe, Georgia (August 2, 2002), "Milnes looking forward to Contemporary duties", Contra Costa Times, p. 39.
  9. ^ Kosman, Joshua (February 7, 2011), "Steven Schick to lead S.F. Contemporary Players", sfgate.com
  10. ^ Steets, Cheryl (June 5, 2017), "SFCMP Appoints Eric Dudley as New Artistic Director", San Francisco Contemporary Music Players
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