At 20, Music on the Edge still fresh
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Eric Moe -- "We have enriched the cultural lilfe of our nifty city." -
The 2011 season of Pitt's Music on the Edge begins Saturday with Third Coast Percussion.
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The music is still daring and new, but after 20 years, the University of Pittsburgh's Music on the Edge series has become a central part of music in Pittsburgh.
Pitt composer Eric Moe founded MOTE, as it is affectionately known, presenting its first season in 1990-91. He modeled the contemporary music series on EARPLAY, the ensemble he co-founded in San Francisco. The recipe was straightforward:
Third Coast Percussion. 8 p.m. Saturday, Carnegie Lecture Hall., Oakland.
Cellist Dave Eggar and DEORO. 8 p.m. Feb. 4, Bellefield Hall, Oakland.
Jean Kopperud, clarinet and Tom Kolor, percussion. 8 p.m. Feb. 19, Andy Warhol Museum, North Side.
entelechron -- Music of John Cage, 8 p.m. March 5, Andy Warhol Museum.
counter)induction, 8 p.m. March 13, Andy Warhol Museum.
Newband and the Harry Partch Instruments. 8 p.m. March 19, New Hazlett Theater, North Side.
Information: 412-624-4125. Tickets: $20 general admission at ProArts, 412-394-3353 or www.proartstickets.org.
"I wanted the series to present fantastic performances of wonderful music that no one else in the city was doing, basically the best of contemporary chamber music performed by new-music specialists," he says.
After a preliminary concert at Pitt's Frick Fine Arts Auditorium in November 1989 had gone well, Mr. Moe secured funding for a full season. Modest funding, that is. In those early days, he put up most of the visiting performers in his house and the total publicity budget was $20.
The next year, composer Mathew Rosenblum joined Pitt's Department of Music faculty and immediately threw his support behind the project, to the point of being named a co-director with Mr. Moe. Scheduling an average of six concerts a year is no easy task for a new-music presenting series. But tapping on friendships both had made over the years, they managed to present most of the acclaimed contemporary music groups in the country, such as the New York New Music Ensemble, Alarm Will Sound, International Contemporary Ensemble, and composers such as David Del Tredici, Chen Yi, Paul Lansky, Joan Tower, Lee Hyla, Judith Weir and more.
But just as important as importing talent, Music on the Edge has served to showcase Pittsburgh composers. Most of the groups it has booked have played some music from a local composer, especially one of Pitt's.
First Published January 23, 2011 12:00 am
