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November, 2008 November 8: The Rabinovitch Foundation has supported the commissioning of my third string quartet by the Chamber Music Center at the Israel Music Conservatory for the Carmel Quartet October, 2008 October 31: Cadence magazine reviewed Karl Seigfried's Blue Rhizome Project with the New Quartet, mentioning that: "Raz is also impressive on pieces like the understated 'A Distant Beauty.'" October 14: I've taken up mandolin playing - which is a wonderful addition to my improv options. A few links to Mandolin / Cello jams with cellist Yoed Nir posted below. Mandolin with Cello Jam 1 Mandolin with Cello Jam 2 October 1: A big change in my personal life - I've moved to New York City, a city I've always loved. I'll be maintaining a lot of my performance activities in Israel, Europe and Chicago as well - I'll keep you posted! September, 2008 August 7: The International Ensemble Modern Academy residence at the Klangspuren Festival in Austria and Italy was a really wonderful experience - and performing Steve Reich's Violin Phase was an exhilarating challenge. August, 2008 August 7: The Millennium Chamber Players Canada tour was great fun! Our performance at the Jusqu' aux Oreilles Festival in Montreal was a success, special thanks to flutist Kim Sopata for her beautiful interpretation of my solo flute piece Iola. August 2: The Toronto Summer Festival Academy was a wonderful experience. Working with R Murray Schafer and the Molinari Quartet was revelatory. The Molinaris workshopped my new 3rd String Quartet- a recording of the reading can be heard here. with Schafer, fellow students, Molinaris July, 2008 July 21: Ron Merhavi recorded "Merhavim" for Solo Contrabass at the Jerusalem Music Center "Mishkenot Sha'ananim." A recording can be heard here June, 2008 June 5: I've been invited to the 2008 Ensemble Modern Academy in Schwaz, Austria, as part of the Klangspuren Festival, we'll be working with members of Ensemble Modern and with resident composer Steve Reich. June 4: "Merhavim" for Solo Contrabass dedicated to virtuoso bassist Ron Merhavi, who commissioned me for a piece to be featured on his upcoming CD centered on lyrical works for solo double bass. I'll post more information about the CD release soon. Ron Merhavi May, 2008 May 31: The Chicago Reader's Jazz critic Peter Margasak's review of Karl Seigfried's New Quartet's upcoming CD release Blue Rhizome: "...a lovely fusion of jazz and Hindustani music—and every piece gets extra emotional heft and melodic nuance from reedist Greg Ward, violinist Carmel Raz, and drummer Chris Avgerin." Blue Rhizome (Imaginary Chicago Records 2008) May 15: I've been selected by the Toronto Summer Music Academy and Festival as one of four young composer fellows to participate in their Composition Academy with R. Murray Schafer and the Molinari Quartet, who will perform my third string quartet on a concert on August 2nd at the Chiurch of the Redeemer in Toronto. April, 2008 April 30: Aurora Borealis, a voice and percussion duo based in New York City, have commissioned me for new work to be performed on their 2008-2009 concert season. Tiffany Du Mouchelle and Steve Solook are some of the most exciting musicians I know, and I can't wait to start writing! Aurora Borealis April 13: The Carnegie Hall Professional Training Workshop led by David Krakauer was a fantastic experience. With repertoire ranging from Osvaldo Golijov's Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind for clarinet and string quartet to traditional bulgars, the final concert at Zankel Hall felt like one long party... Klezmer craziness led by David Krakauer (his blurred head in the picture is the result of spectacular circular breathing) March, 2008 March 29: As part of the John Zorn Festival in Tel-Aviv and Jerusalem, I was part of the Israeli premiere performance of Zorn's Walpurgisnacht for string trio as well as assorted works for quartet at Beit Avichai. An exhilarating and exhausting experience, after the show Zorn suggested we take faster tempi in future performances, which we did, four days later, at a night performance at the Levontin 7 club. Crazy music. March 23: The Chamber Music Center at the Israel Music Conservatory has commissioned me to compose a new work for the Carmel Quartet, in residence there for the 2008-2009 season. The Carmel Quartet (Rachel, Lia, Yoel and Tami) are terrific musicians, I'm really looking forward to writing a piece for them. The Carmel Quartet (not relatives of mine! We share just the first name.) March 20: The Israel Contemporary String Quartet tour of Eastern Europe was a lot of fun! We played in some really stunning venues with great audiences, and getting to see Romania and Bulgaria was a real treat. with the members of the ICSQ. March 15: The Millennium Chamber Players, under the baton of Robert Katkov-Trevino, gave the US premiere of Snake, arranged for chamber ensemble. The performances took place March 15-18 at Sherwood Conservatory, the Renaissance Society at the University of Chicago, Lewis University and Eastern Illinois University. Snake (live recording from the Tarble Arts Center at Eastern Illinois University) February, 2008 February 22: Snake for 17 Musicians was premiered by the Orkest de Ereprijs under the baton of Rob Verheulen at the 14th Young Composers Meeting in Apeldoorn, Holland. Working with the wonderful musicians of the Ereprijs during the 5-day workshop was great fun. Snake for 17 Musicians (live recording from the Podium Gigant in Apeldoorn, the Netherlands The Orkest de Ereprijs seconds before performing Snake. February 2: I've been selected to perform in the David Krakauer / Weil Music Institute Workshop at Carnegie Hall, where "advanced classical, jazz, and klezmer musicians will explore traditional, experimental, and classically set klezmer music in this five-day workshop with acclaimed clarinetist David Krakauer and his colleagues Socalled, Alicia Svigals, and Michael Alpert." January, 2008 January 28: my improvisation with Gene Coleman and Chris Adler was broadcast on national Polish radio as part of Polskie Radio's Nowe Kontrapunkty program. More info about the broadcast here. January 10: Adom for Solo Viola won first place in the 2008 Karen Sokolof Javitch Composition Competition in Omaha. Special thanks to Jesse Griggs for a wonderful performance which was invaluable in securing the prize. January 7-8: Variants for Chamber Ensemble was premiered by the Modern Chamber Players of Texas under the baton of the incredible Robert Katkov-Trevino at the University of Texas in Arlington and at the First United Methodist Megachurch in Hurst Texas. A video of the Arlington performance is posted below. December, 2007 December 8: Mimesis for violin and live electronics, my collaboration with sound designer and composer Ido Govrin, was premiered at the UltraSound Festival at the Tmoona Theater in Tel-Aviv. The festival made quite an impact on the avant-garde scene in Israel, and included performances of works by Jennifer Walshe and John Duncan, who flew in for the event. A recording can be heard here: Mimesis November, 2007 November 12: I've been selected to participate in the 14th International Young Composers Meeting 2008 in Apeldoorn, Holland, organized by Orkest de Ereprijs, Podium Gigant in Apeldoorn and GAUDEAMUS Foundation in Amsterdam. The Orkest de Ereprijs will workshop a new piece of mine specially written for the IYCM 2008. November 2: I've been selected as one of three finalists in the Karen Sokolof Javitch Composition Competition in Omaha, Nebraska. They have kindly invited me to Omaha for the finals, to be held on January 10th, 2008. October, 2007 October 26: My Trialogue Cycle for Oboe and Clarinet was premiered by Kate Eakin and Kara Bancks at Illinois Central College as part of the first Millennium Chamber Players Residency there this year. Kara and Kate did a fantastic job, and working with them was a pleasure. Pictures are available on the MCP blog here. October 12: The members of the Israel Contemporary String Quartet have invited me to join them in concert and on tour in February and March 2008 as replacement second violin, performing works by Itzhak Yedid on Israel Radio's Etnachta Series and by Steve Reich, Josef Bardanashvilli and Dimitri Shostakovitch at the March Music Days International Festival in Rousse, Bulgaria. The Israel Contemporary String Quartet September, 2007 September 20: The International Ensemble Modern Academy as part of the Klangspuren Festival in Schwaz, Austria was a lot of fun. Working with members of the Ensemble Modern, especially their concertmaster Jagdish Mistry, was an incredible experience. I've posted a recording of the Schoenberg Chamber Symphony Op. 9 here - conductor Franck Ollu is another amazing musician I hope to work with again some time. with members of the International Ensemble Modern Academy and conductor Franck Ollu at the final concert in Innsbruck, September 20, 2007 September 4: World premiere of Amnon Wolman's violin, cello, tape+video piece August 2007 at Levontine 7. with Dan Weinstein (Musica Nova Consort) at Levontine 7, September 4, 2007 August, 2007 August 3: "Art of the States" radio selects my improvisation with Gene Coleman and Chris Adler for broadcast on its upcoming program, distributed to classical stations across the world. I'll post more details on the exact date of broadcast as soon as I recieve them. Chris Adler, Carmel Raz and Gene Coleman at a pre-concert panel at the Rennaisance Society on April 6, 2007 July, 2007 July 31: String Quartet no.2 selected for the final round (top eight entries) in the 2007 BMI Women's Commission Composition Competition. July 19: As part of a special tribute concert to Shulamit Ran at the University of Chicago, Mary Stolper gives the Chicago premiere of "Iola" for Solo Flute, and the Millennium Chamber Players under the baton of Robert Katkov-Trevino premiere "Variants" for Ensemble. Recordings can be heard here: Iola for Solo Flute. Variants for Ensemble. July 15: Yossi Mar Haim reviews the premiere of "Anaphora" in Bama.co.il (online arts magazine) "...the piece by Carmel Raz was the icing on the cake...a moving experience" July 12: "Anaphora" for open ensemble, video and electronics premiered at the Jazz-o-Nova festival in Tel-Aviv by the Musica Nova Consort and the Avi Adrian trio (Avi Adrian, Eli Magen and Noam David). A recording can be heard here: Anaphora for Open Ensemble Photo from the concert on July 12th at the Einav Center June, 2007 June 22: Trialogue for Solo Saxophone dedicated to concert saxophonist Geoffrey Deibel. Geoff's recording can be heard here: Trialogue for Saxophone Concert Saxophonist Geoffrey Deibel June 21: Iola for Solo Flute premiered by Barry Crawford at the Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theater (Symphony Space) in New York City, as part of the American Composer's Alliance Festival of American Music. A recording can be heard here: Iola for Solo Flute June 16: Fantasy on "All in a Garden Green" premiered by Musica Donum Dei at Christchurch Belper, Derbyshire, UK. June 7: String Quartet no. 2 workshopped by the Arditti Quartet at the June in Buffalo Festival in Buffalo, USA. A recording can be heard here: String Quartet no.2 May, 2007 May 10: Awarded funding by the Foundation for Contemporary Arts and the University of Chicago Fine Arts Fund to enable my participation in Soundfield's Orpheus in China Project. April, 2007 April 15: Selected as a finalist in the 2007 Volti Composition Competition.