Paul Simon, Carla Bley and Lyle Mays are among 24 composers with new music premiering at ZMF 2009

WHERE: Lawrence University, Appleton

COST: There are a range of ticket options at zmf.us/ticketchart.cfm

In her neverending quest to elevate the status of the marimba, Nancy Zeltsman may have found the answer to her instrument’s identity crisis, and something that will most certainly earn a notch in the brief timeline of the instrument’s history in North American music. 

“I think one of the things to help put the marimba on the map is to have a repertoire by major composers,” she said recently by telephone. 

It’s not that there hasn’t been great music written for the instrument, but most of what’s out was written by marimba players whose names are legendary to other marimba players but probably unknown beyond that limited circle. 

So Zeltsman and her assistant, Shawn Michalek, put together a stimulus package in the form of ZMF New Music Festival, and area music fans are the beneficiaries, with the debut of 24 new works for marimba during the Zeltsman Marimba Festival June 28-July 10 on the Lawrence University campus.  

“We’ve got a rhythm going of coming to Appleton every odd-numbered year since 2003,” Zeltsman said. “This big commissioning project was something that started brewing at the very end of 2003. We knew we wanted to do something really big. We conceived it so it could be launched in Appleton in our 2009 year. Appleton was in our thoughts in this from the outset.” 

The new marimba music debuts feature appearances by eight of the 16 commissioned composers, including new music giant Gunther Schuller, Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Steven Stucky and Wisconsin native Lyle Mays of the Pat Metheny Group, who is bringing Metheny bassist Steve Rodby for the performance of his new marimba piece on July 10. 

“He wrote a brand-new tune that’s called Eberhard in tribute to (German bassist/composer) Eberhard Weber,” Zeltsman said. “It has five-octave marimba, extra percussion, two vocalists. It’s a brand-new Lyle Mays piece and it really sounds like the Pat Metheny Group, minus Pat. It’s a gorgeous piece. I’ve been profusely thanking Lyle, and he said, ‘No, I have to thank you. This is material for my next album’.” 

Commissioned composers who could not make the event but will have their pieces performed by ZMF faculty include Carla Bley, Fred Hersch, Chen Yi and Paul Simon.  

“We started out with kind of a dream list and started calling people I had associations with already, like Gunther and Louis Andriessen, Steven Stucky,” Zeltsman said. “Once we had a few people signed on, we began to ask more people who might have said, who the heck are you, but, huh, you already have Gunther Schuller. That gave them a little more confidence. Some of those names begot other names.” 

The composers were asked to write a 3- to 6-minute piece, supposedly at an intermediate level. Zeltsman admits most of the works are more challenging than an intermediate player could handle, but she adds a comment from one of the composers, who said he was writing for the intermediate plaeyr of 2050.

“One thing that was important to us, none of the 16 commissioned composers are marimba players,” Zeltsman said. “That was intentional because I’ve found in my life I was offered some wonderful music written by marimba players, but there’s a certain way that I think composers can stretch players. They’re really musing on the sound of the instrument and what their associations are to it, rather than from the player’s standpoint of how it is to play it. I think that really gives it some interesting colors and applications, and really stretches players.” 

The other aspect of the ZMF New Music Festival is eight compositions chosen in a composer competition. 

“We had 150 entries from 20 countries,” Zeltsman said. “We chose these eight pieces. They are very strong. We were really selective because we knew the quality of music they’re going to be standing next to. Down the road, some of the younger composers may be big. Down the road it will be blurred – which were the commissioned and which were the contest winners?” 

At least one of the composition winners will be in attendance for the entire marimba festival/seminar.  

“Alvina Tan, assistant recording engineer at Lawrence is a winner,” Zeltsman said. “We knew her already but she very cleverly used her Malaysian name with her submission so we wouldn’t recognize who she was. It’s really nice that one of Lawrence’s own graduates is a winner.” 

Zeltsman said the plan from conception was to unveil the new marimba compositions on an odd year at Lawrence. 

“Boy, Lawrence is just an incredible facility,” she said. “I feel like I’m always welcome. The new (Conservatory of Music) dean, Brian Pertl, has been really supportive. And, of course, Dane, is the connection to all this. He’s been a great representative when I’m not there.” 

Dane is Lawrence percussion maestro Dane Richeson, who opens the festival in concert with LU alum Mike Truesdell June 28, and will play in the July 10 Lyle Mays performance. 

“Dane, is the connection to all this. He’s been a great representative when I’m not there,” Zeltsman said. 

She also mentions that Lawrence recording engineer Larry Darling will be kept busy during the event. 

“We’re recording all 24 pieces for a CD that will come out by the end of this year. Twelve of the 24 composers will be present at some point and preside over their recording session, which is always really nice.” 

But Zeltsman and the seven other faculty members will perform all 24 new pieces during a series of public concerts held throughout the festival. The eight faculty members have been assigned three new pieces each. 

“As the pieces come in, I’m just pinching myself because they’re really good,” Zeltsman said. “And everyone that comes in is like, ‘Wow, we don’t have anything else like that.’ A lot of the faculty have embraced the challenge of choosing a program to flatter those new pieces, so there are some really interesting programs around the new pieces” 

Only time will tell if new music for marimba by name composers will have the effect Zeltsman and company want, but there’s already reason to hope with the educational component of the festival, where marimba players can learn from masters such as Zeltsman and her handpicked faculty. 

“We’ve got 55 participants, which is the largest group we’ve had by quite a lot. They’re from all over the world,” she said. 

Sunday, June 28: ZMF 2009 Opening Night Concert: Dane Richeson (Host) & Mike Truesdell (Associate Faculty)8 p.m., Harper Hall, Lawrence University 

Tuesday, June 30: ZMF New Music/Visiting Composer Talk with James Rolfe, 2-3:30 p.m., Cloak Theatre ZMF New Music/Visiting Composer Talk with Steven Stucky, 4-5:30 p.m., Cloak Theatre ZMF Faculty Concert: William Moersch; Beverley Johnston, 8 p.m., Harper Hall  

Friday, July 3: ZMF New Music/Visiting Composers’ Talks: Lyle Mays & Gunther Schuller, 2-5:30 p.m., Cloak Theatre ZMF Faculty Concert: Ivana Bilic; Jean Geoffroy, 8 p.m., Harper Hall  

Saturday, July 4: ZMF New Music/Visiting Composers’ Talks: Robert Aldridge & Steven Mackey, 2-5:30 p.m., Cloak Theatre ZMF Faculty Concert: Jack Van Geem; Nancy Zeltsman, 8 p.m., Harper Hall
 

Sunday, July 5: Pre-Concert Talk: 1 p.m., Stansbury Theatre ZMF New Music Gala Concert: 2 p.m., Stansbury Theatre (free). Gala reception to follow 

Tuesday, July 7: ZMF New Music/Visiting Composers’ Talks: Errollyn Wallen & Chen Yi, 2-5:30 p.m., Cloak Theatre ZMF Faculty Concert: Thomas Burritt; Gordon Stout, 8 p.m., Harper Hall  

Friday, July 10: ZMF Special Guest: Lyle Mays, piano & synthesizers, with Steve Rodby, bass, Dane Richeson, drums, 8 p.m., Stansbury Theatre  

Saturday, July 11: ZMF Participants’ Marathon Concert: Noon-5 p.m. Harper Hall (free, $2 suggested donation)