A poignant concert presented by the Ann Street Trio that delves into the lives and works of composers whose brilliance was overshadowed by the prejudices of their time.

   – Louise Farrenc, the only woman on faculty at the Paris Conservatory in the 19th century, faced persistent gender-based pay disparities.

   – Carl Fruhling’s music was nearly lost to history, save for a startling discovery of his music hidden in the back of a dusty filing cabinet in an Austrian radio station found with a large        ‘J’ scrawled over the cover —a grim reminder of the neglect faced by Jewish artists in the aftermath of their persecution.

   – Germaine Tailleferre, born “Taillefesse,” defiantly altered her surname to assert her musical identity, rebelling against a father who opposed her artistic ambitions.

Through this concert, we celebrate their resilience and artistic excellence, bringing their unrecognized yet profound music to the forefront.

Symphony of the Streets: An Urban Serenade 

The Ann Street Trio presents a vibrant exploration of city life. Each piece in the concert is a musical homage to the streets and cities that inspired them, weaving a tapestry of urban narratives and bringing the essence of city life into the concert hall.

   – Beethoven's "Gassenhauer" Trio, with its playful echoes of Viennese street songs, captures the rhythm and spirit of bustling urban folk melodies.

   – Francis Poulenc's Trio, infused with the chic charm of Paris, paints a picture of quaint cafes and moonlit walks along the Seine, blending sophistication with a playful joie de vivre.

   – Nino Rota's Trio offers a cinematic journey through Italy, from the serene canals of Venice to the sun-kissed piazzas of Rome, portraying the passionate and whimsical nature of Italian cityscapes.

   – Paul Schoenfield's Cafe Music, arranged by Erik Franklin, captures the raucous partying of Roaring 1920s New York City, with influences of American Swing.

Performance Highlights (2023-2024 Season)

– March 3, 2024 | Annunciation Cathedral Concert Series (Baltimore, MD)

– March 27, 2024 | Salisbury University (Salisbury, MD)

– May 19, 2024 | Living Arts Concert Series (Burtonsville, MD)

As part of the 2022 Composer Mentorship program sponsored by the National Association of Teachers of Music, I was commissioned to write a new song for tenor and piano to be premiered by the Cincinnati Song Initiative—an Ohio-based organization dedicated to cultivating new music for classical voice.

Works that came out of this collaboration include:

– A Greeting for tenor and piano

text by William H. Davies

– Three Songs of a Mountain Recluse for countertenor, clarinet, and piano

text by David Budbill

Three of my works featuring the clarinet were performed at the 50th Anniversary conference of the International Clarinet Association. The Program included:

– Who Can Retell? (2022)

performed by the U.S. Air Force Academy Band Clarinet Quartet

– Galileo Beholds the Ringed Planet (2023) * WORLD PREMIERE

performed by Dr. Keith Northover, basset horn + Dr. Suyeon Kim, piano

– Elegy for the White Rhino (2022)

performed by the Heartwood Duo

songSLAM is a unique and energizing community event for composer/performer teams to premiere new art songs. Each team presents a new song of no more than 5 minutes for voice and piano, in any language, for the voting audience, who—in the poetry slam tradition—vote on their favorites and award prize money to the winning competitors.

songSLAM is a program sponsored by the NYC-based organization Sparks and Wiry Cries.

Our team earned 2nd place at the 2023 competition with "Climbing" from Verses for Children.

Team 11:

Claire Galloway Weber, soprano

Edward Rothmel, piano

Erik Franklin, composer