Kids' creative project

The Pittsburgh Community Gallery Project that kicked off last week focuses on youth arts programs throughout the month

Visual, performing and written works by Pittsburghers in grades K-12 will be presented through neighborhood community galleries. In addition, each branch of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh will have special Community Gallery Project programming.

The Pittsburgh Community Gallery Project began through the collaborative spirit of Pittsburgh Roars! and will culminate with a catalog that showcases the creativity from each neighborhood and serves as a resource guide of innovative after-school art programs.

A schedule of activities at sites categorized as East End, Hill District, South Side, North Side and Carnegie Libraries of Pittsburgh is available at www.pittsburghroars.com, or visit www.carnegielibrary.org for more information.

Each neighborhood exhibit and related programming will be free and open to the public. Sponsors include the Grable Foundation, SouthSide Works and Whole Foods Market.

New Music

Ever since the Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble moved to the summer, there has been a need for more contemporary music in Pittsburgh during the concert season. A new group is seeking to do just that.

Alia Musica (Latin for "Another music") is not another ensemble, however. It is an association of young composers, 11 strong with none older than 32. Some are performers, with other players hired for concerts. Most of the members either attend or attended Pitt, but it is not exclusively a Pitt organization. "It is amorphous, and our doors are open," says Federico Garcia, a recent Pitt graduate in composition who is spearheading the group.

What isn't ambiguous is the Alia Musica's passion for new music. That will be obvious, or rather audible, in its inaugural concerts at Chatham College's Eddy Theater. The composer members have each written a piece of chamber music -- that's 11 world premieres. The concert at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday contains works by Michael Stephens, Ayo Ogunranti, Christopher Ruth, Mark Fromm, Matthew Gillespie and Benjamin Harris; Thursday's contains premieres by James Ogburn, Erica Kudisch, Kerrith Livengood, Ivan Jimenez and Garcia.

With such a large membership, the music will be quite diverse, says Garcia, artistic director. "Basically, anything goes." Pittsburgh may not be as exposed to new music as other cities, but Garcia feels there are fans out there.

"There is a core audience and there has been a vacuum since PNME left," he says. "There is more than meets the eye in Pittsburgh."

And now, more than meets the ear, too. (Post-Gazette classical music critic Andrew Druckenbrod)

Film composers' 'other music'

When Miklos Rozsa wasn't writing the thrilling score to "Ben-Hur" and other films, he wrote classical music. Most film composers did and do. Ron Samuels, a clarinetist in the Pittsburgh Symphony and on the faculty of Duquesne University, has arranged a concert showcasing the chamber music of some of the silver screen's great soundtrack creators. He will connect their lesser-known music with film clips of their blockbusters for a fascinating comparison:

Rozsa's Sonatina for solo clarinet and the films "The Lost Weekend" and "Ben-Hur"; Ennio Morricone's Trio for clarinet, horn and cello and "The Mission" and "Once Upon a Time in the West"; Georges Delerue's Elegia for clarinet and piano and "King of Hearts"; and, Nino Rota's Trio for clarinet, cello and piano and "Romeo and Juliet."

Performing with Samuels are Zachary Smith, horn, Mikhail Istomin, cello, and Natasha Snitkovsky, piano. The concert is at 8 p.m. Tuesday in PNC Recital Hall at Duquesne. (A.D.)

'Rock Star' at Hard Rock

MiG, a finalist on reality TV's "Rock Star: INXS," is coming to the Hard Rock Cafe at Station Square on Tuesday, as part of a lineup including singers/songwriters Julian Velard and Michael Glabicki of Rusted Root. Proceeds from the show will be donated to Music Rising, which aids Gulf Coast hurricane victims. MiG's self-titled debut album will be released on the Decca Label April 10.

More info: 412-481-7625.