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Music for cello and strings on Discovering Music

On July 13th at 5pm, Music for Cello and Strings will be featured on BBC Radio 3's programme Discovering Music, presented by Charles Hazelwood. Alongside Grieg's Holberg Suite, Hazelwood will analyse the piece with illustrated excerpts before giving a complete performance of the work. The BBC Concert Orchestra and cellist Robin Michael are the performers.

CD Released on NMC on June 16th

Joe's first portrait disc will be released on NMC on Monday June 16th, The disc features the pieces Bartlebooth, Archie, Buckley's Hot Licks, Sal's Sax, In Praise of Dreams, Music for Cello and Strings and Clavinova Music. The performers are the Fidelio Trio (with Andrew Sparling), Mary Dullea, Orkest de Ereprijs, BBC Concert Orchestra with Charles Hazelwood and Robin Michael, Sarah Leonard and Stephen Gutman. For more details or to order a copy go to nmc records

New Commissions for 2008/9

New works for 2008 include a first choral work commissioned by Chin-Ju City Chorus in South Korea, a song for baritone and piano for the NMC 20th Aniversary Songbook, a piece for violist Rivka Golani and Orchestra of the Swan, a new work for Orkest de Ereprijs and a commission from Linz City of Culture 2009 for a piece for Toy Piano to be performed and choreographed in a circus!

Portrait CD released by NCM

Joe's portrait disc entitled Bartlebooth has now been fully recorded and will be released by NMC in early June. The CD includes the works Bartlebooth, Archie, Buckley's Hot Licks, Sal's Sax, In Praise of Dreams, Music for Cello and Strings and Clavinova Music. The performers are the Mary Dullea, Andrew Sparling, Darragh Morgan, Robin Michael, Orkest de Ereprijs, Sarah Leonard and Stephen Gutman and the BBC Concert Orchestra conducted by Charles
Hazelwood.

New Commission for Sarah Leonard and the Goldberg Ensemble

Joe is about to start work on a new piece commissioned by the Goldberg Ensemble for their UK contemporary music tour in February and March 2008. The piece will be for the soprano Sarah Leonard and eleven solo srtings and will set texts by the 20C Russian poet Anna Akhmatova. Sarah will also be performing Joe's song cycle In Praise of Dreams on December 6th at Cadogan Hall, with the pianist Malcolm Martineau.

BBC Concert Orchestra play Music for Cello and Strings

On November 29th, the BBC Concert Orchestra, conducted by Charles Hazelwood will perform Music for Cello and Strings at the Watford Coliseum with Robin Michael as soloist. The concert is being recorded for BBC Radio 3's Discovering Music and will also be included on the debut all-Cutler disc to be released by NMC in March 2008. The concert is at 2.30pm and tickets are available from the BBC Ticket Line.

Three pieces featured at the 2007 Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival

This year's Huddersfield Contemporary Music festival features three pieces (by Joe). On Thursday 22nd November, the Hudderfield University New Music ensemble conducted by Barrie Webb will be performing Sal's Sax (alongside Louis Andriessen's De Stijl) and on Friday 23rd Novermber, SCAW are performing Urban Myths. Sunday 25th sees the world premiere of Folk Music performed by the Smith Quartet (alongside music by Louis Andriessen, Michael Gordon and Steve Martland).

CD of NMC

In April, recording gets underway for a new CD of Joe Cutler's works to be released in early 2008 on NMC. The CD will feature the works In Praise of Dreams performed by Sarah Leonard and Stephen Gutman, Bartlebooth and Archie with the Fidelio Trio and guest clarinetist Andrew Sparling, Urban Myths with Ephyra, Buckley's Hot Licks and Clavinova Music performed by pianist Mary Dullea and Music for Cello and Strings featuring soloist Robin Michael with the BBC Concert Orchestra, conducted by Charles Hazlewood.

Ulf to receive Irish Premiere

Ulf, commissioned by the LSO, will receive its Irish Premiere on January 16th when the RTE National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland perform the work at the National Concert Hall, Dublin with Colman Pearce conducting. The programme has been programmed by the Northern Irish composer Ed Bennett (in conjunction with Lyric FM) and features two works by Ed, and a work by Bryan Irvine.

Autumn news

The second half of 2007 has been a busy time with plenty of new pieces including Skempton's Law for string trio (premiered in July by Chroma), Comfortable Music for violin and piano (commissioned by Stratford on Avon Festival for Ruth Rogers and Martin Cousin), Two Songs of Colour for soprano and cello (premiered by Sarah Leonard and Robin Michael at the Warehouse in october), Folk Music for string quartet (to be premiered at the 2007 Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival by the Smith Quartet), and the finished touches are just being put to Sikorski B for alto saxophone, piano and percussion (to be toured by Noszferatu in December and early 2008).

Cinnamon Street Premiere in Glasgow and Edinburgh

Cinnamon Street, a co-commission from the Scottish and Swedish Chamber Orchestras, was premiered at City Hall, Glasgow and at the Queen's Hall, Edinburgh on March 24th and 25th respectively. The piece, which was inspired by the writings of the early 20th Century Polish-Jewish writer Bruno Schultz, was performed by the Scottish Chamber Orchestra conducted by Joseph Swenson.

“The world premiere of Joe Cutler's Cinnamon Street was equally compelling. Although born In London, Cutler studied in Poland and, while he writes with his own distinctive voice, his continuation of the Eastern European tradition is not in doubt.

For the most part, the brass dominated the strings setting a dynamic rhythmic pulse for a work that quietly dazzled with its bold colours and deft musical fluency. It's a tribute to Cutler's considerable talents that the piece was never in danger of being eclipsed, despite being in such illustrious company.” The Scotsman, March 2006

“… this was an interesting programme in whuch all roads led back to Bartok, highlighting his influence at every turn. Even the new work on the programme, Cinnamon Street by British composer Joe Cutler, fitted into this scheme, not only in terms of its inspiration, the works of Polish-Jewish writer Bruno Schultz, but also in the way in which its percussive energy was shot through with lyrical moments.” The Guardian, March 2006

The piece's next outing will be on November 16th when the Swedish Chamber Orchestra, conducted by HK Gruber, perform the work at the Konserthus, Orebro in a programme to include HK Gruber's Frankenstein and Steve Mackey's Percussion Concerto (with Collin Currie as soloist). http://www.orebrokonserthus.com/j_culter_s_mackey_och_gru.html

Commission from Orchestra Of The Swan

Joe has just been commissioned to write a new work for flute and string orchestra by the Orchestra of he Swan to premiered on February 27th 2007 at the Civic Hall, Stratford conducted by the Swan's principal conductor David Curtis.

Ulf premiered by the London Symphony Orchestra at the Barbican.

Ulf, a Sound Adventures commission from the London Symphony Orchestra sound adventures was premiered on May 5th at the Barbican, conducted by Paul Watkins.

The Times said “… So, on to Ulf. Ultra low frequency? Flu spelled backwards? The musical portrait of some Swedish friend? If the last, the friend has severe mood swings. First we had three hurtling minutes of driving chords and asymmetrical rhythms; then two static minutes pitting a ciphering note from winds and brass against wistful, Copland-esque strings. Cutler likes exploring extreme contrasts; this example tickled and intrigued in a confident performance, and kept Paul Watkins very busy conducting. I wouldn’t at all mind hearing it again.”

Composer-In-Association with The London Strings

Joe has recently been appointed Composer-in-Association with The London Strings. The orchestra, whose principal conductor is Richard Llewellyn, gave the premiere of Joe's Music for Cello and Strings at St Johns Smith Square in June 2005 and will commission two new works over the next three years. Joe will also be involved with contemporary programming and outreach. In May 2007, the London Strings will give the London premiere of a new work for String Orchestra.