Agócs, Gandolfi, Minakakis, Peyton, Sandler

The NEC Composer's Series presents works by members of the NEC faculty.

Former NEC composition chair Malcolm Peyton's Songs from T. Sturge Moore, originally performed and recorded by Dinosaur Annex, is a cycle based on poems by Thomas Sturge Moore (1870–1944), an author and wood engraver who was a friend of Yeats and his circle. Soprano Rosa Betancourt appears with an ensemble conducted by the composer: Roberta Michel, flute; Uriel Vanchestein, bass clarinet; Tema Watstein, violin; Hannah Levinson, viola; Paul Wolfram, cello; George Nickson, vibraphone; Katie Reimer, piano. The titles of the individual poems are suggestive of Moore's romantic universe: The Event, Love Lies Bleeding, A Child Muses, The Dying Swan, A Duet, Silence Sings, To Silence.

Stratis Minakakis also brings a work for large chamber ensemble, Post-Echoi. With Aaron Likness in the role of piano concertante, and flute soloist Erika Boysen, the composer conducts an ensemble consisting of Jay Hutchinson, clarinet; Diamanda La Berge Dramm and Robert Anemone, violin; Mathilde Geismar-Roussel, viola; Drew Comstock, cello; and Peter Ferretti, double bass.

NEC composition chair Michael Gandolfi's piano reduction of his Concerto for Bassoon and Orchestra is performed by NEC woodwinds chair Richard Svoboda with pianist Vytas Baksys. Svoboda previously performed the work in Jordan Hall with Boston Modern Orchestra Project.

Also on the program: two works for solo instruments. Felicia Sandler's Coming Home is performed by guitarist Colin Thurmond. Kati Agócs's Every Lover Is a Warrior is performed by harpist Ina Zdorovetchi. Agócs's movement titles are programmatically evocative: John Riley, Love Is Come Again, When They Take Me for a Soldier.