Two Bard students, violinist/pianist Erica Ball and flutist Kylie Collins, have taken it upon themselves to commission four young composers to write pieces for them, and will perform the premieres twice this weekend. The composers are Caroline MallonĂ©e, Jim Altieri (both of whom worked with me at the Atlantic Center for the Arts), Alex Ness, and Sam Pluta. Plus, the duo will be playing a couple of pieces by Joan Tower and myself (“Saintly” from Private Dances). The first concert is at Bard College on Friday, 7 pm at Olin Hall. The second is at Roulette Sunday night, April 26, at 8 pm, 20 Greene St. in New York City. Erica is a very talented composer herself, and it’s quite a program the two of them have put together. We haven’t had anything like it before at Bard since I’ve been there.

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