This past December, Akropolis was selected to be a judge for the 2012 Calefax Composers Competition. The Calefax Reed Quintet has held this competition for five years running, with previous winners hailing from the Netherlands, France, the US, and Costa-Rica. For the 2012 competition, Calefax asked three fellow reed quintets from around the world to not only help judge their competition, but to select their own winners as well. On December 28, 2012 the winning compositions were featured at the PAN Festival in the Netherlands, showcasing the growing library of reed quintet music on an international stage.
2012 PAN Festival held in the Concert Hall of the 21st Century in Amsterdam.
This year's theme was to 'write a musical postcard,' transforming a memory of a travel destination into music. Akropolis' 2012 Calefax Competition winner was composer Elliott Bark for his composition "Autumn in New York." The piece was selected out of over 40 other works submitted because of its true beauty and tenderness.
Since December, 2012 Akropolis has performed the work multiple times around the Midwest. In addition, the work has been recorded by Akropolis and will be featured on their second studio album titled "Unraveled" (release TBA).
If you are interested in attending an online preview performance of "Autumn in New York," click here to attend the web premiere - Wednesday July 10 @ 8:00pm.
Music by composer and conductor Elliott Bark has been performed numerous places, including Carnegie Hall. His compositions have been reviewed by the New York Times as "...abrasive....outbursts....yearning....rapturous serge." He has received prizes and honors from the First Music Commission, the Bowdoin Prize, and the Susan and Ford Schumann Fellowship from the Aspen Music Festival. Elliott recently graduated with his doctorate from Indiana University and is the composer in residence for the Petar Jankovic Ensemble.
Elliott has worked with many acclaimed ensembles such as the New York Youth Symphony, Aspen Contemporary Ensemble, Cleveland Orchestra members, The New York Classical Players, and the Zzyzx Saxophone Quartet, as well as Akropolis.
With "Autumn in New York" making such an impression on the reed quintet community, we asked composer Elliott Bark to share a bit more about his background as a composer, as well as what drew him to enter the 5th annual Calefax Composers Competition.
AQ: What sparked your interest in composing?
EB: When I was a high schooler, I wanted to be a rock guitarist and I didn't want to go to college. My parents, without surprise, didn't allow me. But they couldn't stop my interest in playing guitar, and consequently, we're led into the story about my first composition teacher, Jong Uk Kim. Nothing sparked my interest for composition at first, but studying composition in college was the only way I could play guitar without my parents nagging me. After one year of studying harmony and classical music, I fell in love. The emotion, the excitement, the beauty, along with the sophistication sparked my interest. It captured me, and rerouted my interest from playing rock music to writing classical music.
AQ: What's your style and influences as a composer?
EB: When I started writing music (around 1997), I was influenced by lots of romantic composers. Before I came to the States (2003), I was heavily influenced by European composers. Since the US, lots of American composers, and interestingly, classical and baroque composers. From this background, I feel like I have a big refrigerator that is filled with lots of ingredients. I don't think too much about my style, but more about whatever image, idea, or sound I want to create. At the same time, I'm sure that my audience will find my particular style, even though I many not want to be defined with it.
AQ: How did you hear about the Calefax Composers Competition at the PAN Festival in Amsterdam, and what does it mean to have your work chosen as a winner?
EB: Calefax visited Indiana University where I studied and told me about the competition. It's a great honor to be chosen as a winner of this competition. Having Akropolis decide to perform my piece was another pleasure. Now, I'm very excited to work with Akropolis for their next album. As a composer, it brings me tremendous joy and appreciation when my work is selected.
AQ: Tell us something about your non-musical self. Do you have any hobbies or interest that keep you busy when you are not composing?
EB: I am a director of the Christian Music Foundation which has a youth symphony and Ensemble Christo (a professional Christian chamber ensemble). When I'm not composing, I'm programming, directing, and conducting the CMF. Also, I'm a youth pastor at the Voice of God Presbyterian Church in California. The position made me quite busy. When I'm not in serious work mode, I love spending time with my wife. We walk, talk, run, eat, watch TV, and pray.
AQ: What are some of your upcoming compositional projects we should watch out for (reed quintet and otherwise)?
EB: I have a few projects lined up. I'm writing a sonata for Akropolis, a piece for oboe professor Linda Strommen at Indiana University, and lots of arrangements for Petar Jankovic Ensemble.
Connect with Elliott online at his website, Facebook, SoundCloud, and on Composers Circle.
Visit our YouTube page here after 8:00pm on July 10 to hear Akropolis perform this new award-winning reed quintet composition!