GSM.com is moving!

As times change, so do we. For over four years, gregsimonmusic.com has sported the designs of the extremely-talented Jonathan Ledbetter, a friend and a gifted web designer.

But it's time for something new! In just a few days, I'll be migrating gregsimonmusic.com to a Wordpress site - the look will be different, but the functions will be very, very similar. You'll still be able to see everything you can now - scores, audio, etc. But the site will be a bit easier to navigate, and I'll be able to upload more content more quickly.

As part of the migration, www.gregsimonmusic.com might be down for just a few days while I move things over to the Wordpress servers. If you see any errors or 404's in the next few days, don't despair - the site will be back before you know it!

Upcoming Performances: July 2012

July 3, 2012 - Dazzle (Denver, CO) with the Jodi-Renee Band! Featuring originals from myself, Jodi Renee, and others. Also featuring Bijoux Barbosa on bass, Eric Moon on piano, and Alejandro Castaño on drums. 7pm, $8/$5 students.

July 4, 2012 - The St. Julien Hotel (Boulder, CO) with the George Nelson band for a 4th of July celebration! 6:30pm, free.

July 11, 2012 - Saxophonist Andrew Allen premieres "27" for tenor sax and electronics at the 2012 World Saxophone Congress in St. Andrews, Scotland! This also marks the European premiere of my work - very exciting! Conference attendees can see Andrew perform in the Byre Theatre at 11:30am.

July 14, 2012 - The Bluebird (Denver, CO) with the Last Riot, opening for the Dirty Dozen Brass Band! Tickets and info at www.bluebirdtheater.net.

Other performances are on the horizon, and another update will follow soon. Check back often!

News on the March: April 25, 2012

It's coming right up on the last week of classes at MSCD, and so my mind has most decidedly been elsewhere besides news; but so much has happened lately, and there are some fantastic opportunities coming up, that I needed to take a few minutes to deliver this special bulletin:

- I'm very excited to announce that in the fall, I'll be joining the doctoral program at the University of Michigan! I'll be pursuing a DMA in Composition; it's a great honor to be a part of this program and I'm thrilled about taking this next step.

- I've been continuing my work with my wonderful colleagues at Melos Music, and we're underway with our preparations for our 2012 Annual Melos Music Recital in Philadelphia. While final details are still being settled, we're ready to announce that our collaborating artists for this recital will be the wonderful Curtis-based Ensemble 39. You can learn all about these gifted musicians at their website, found here. We're very lucky to have found such gifted collaborators, and this recital is sure to be our best yet!

- Foolish Fire is now being sold and distributed by Shattinger Music. If you're interested in purchasing a score and/or parts, digital or physical, you can still contact me using the "contact" link under the "Learn" tab, or you can head over to www.shattingermusic.com!

Upcoming Performances:
- April 28: The Playground Ensemble's Colorado Composers' Concert at the King Center in Denver. Features "Blood on the Curb," performed by pianist Reggie Berg. 7:30pm; $15, $5 students.

- May 17: The Playground Ensemble presents "Emerging Voices." Hamilton Recital Hall at the Newman Center for the Performing Arts, University of Denver. Features the entire "Piano Quintet No. 1: Scenes from Childhood" - the second-ever performance of the complete work! 7:30pm; $21, free for students. Tickets for this and CoCoCo available at www.playgroundensemble.org.

- June 6: Performing with Jeff Jenkins at Dazzle Restaurant and Lounge in Denver! More details coming soon.


With school wrapping up, and my last Colorado summer right around the corner, I'm going to try my hardest to stay busy, and this space will hopefully light up with news. Stay tuned, and check back often; and as always, drop a line if you've got any questions about me, my work, or just want to say hi!

News on the March: 12/18/2011

As we prepare to say goodbye to 2011, a lot has happened in the GSM world, and there's some wonderful things on the horizon. First the latest happenings:
- The magnificent premiere of Of Stellar Waters by Charles Creighton's Corvallis Youth Symphony is online! Head over to the "Listen" tab to find the audio.
- By clicking this link, you can listen to an interview I gave with Caitriona Bolster of Oregon's classical music radio, KWAX FM, about Of Stellar Waters. Anyone living in Oregon has probably tuned in (even if only accidentally) to Caitriona, and she's earned her fame by being a wonderful radio host and a brilliant interviewer. Definitely worth a listen!
- The Playground Ensemble of Denver recently announced the 2011 winners of their annual Colorado Composers' Concert call for scores, and for the third year in a row my music has made the cut! Blood on the Curb will receive its encore performance at CoCoCo, to take place at the King Center for the Performing Arts in Denver on April 28, 2012. If you're in Denver, this is a must-see!

Now for what's next on the horizon going into the new year:
- Foolish Fire will recieve its 17th performance at the CBDNA Southern Division Conference on February 25th, under the baton of the incomparable Dr. Stephen Kerr and the Liberty University Wind Ensemble! While the details are still to be worked out, chances are good that I'll be in attendance; if you happen to find me there, please say hi!
- The project closest on the horizon is a new piece for tenor saxophone and electronics for my friend at Claflin University in Orangesburg, SC, Andrew Allen. Andrew's an extremely talented player, and he'll be giving the premiere of the piece at the 2012 North American Saxophone Alliance convention and giving a repeat performance in Scotland shortly thereafter. I'm playing this particular one close to the chest for now, but check back soon for more details about the piece and its performance future.
- Next up will be a song cycle I've wanted to do for over a year now, on poetry by the extremely talented Alaina Ferris, written for this piece. This is a project I'm particularly excited about and thrilled to finally be able to pursue; check back as the piece develops.

And for those of you who do actually read the words in this space, please enjoy a small musical gift to start your holiday season off on the right track:

Happy holidays!

News on the March: 10/20/11

Welcome to fall! As the air grows crisper and the days get shorter, all new things continue to happen in the world of GSM. Here's a sampling:

- The Fifth House Ensemble has released their debut recording, Black Violet Act I: The Leagues of Despair! This wonderful new recording features not only Kites at Seal Rock from my Piano Quintet, but other fantastic music by the likes of Brahms, Piston and Villa-Lobos. Especially with holiday season coming up, this is going to fly off the proverbial shelves! You can get your copy (physical or digital) by visiting 5HE's website, www.fifth-house.com.

- Dr. Stephen Kerr and his band at Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA, are busily preparing their version of Foolish Fire for the concert stage. They recently found out that they were invited to perform at the CBDNA Southern Division Conference, and they're taking Foolish Fire with them! Congratulations to the band; very excited for this performance!

- Oregonians and Coloradans alike: mark your calendars. There are a few wonderful performances on the horizon! On Saturday, December 10, Matt Roeder's Colorado Wind Ensemble will give Foolish Fire its fifth Colorado performance on their concert "A Wind Wonderland," at Littleton United Methodist Church in Littleton, CO. The very next day (Sunday, December 11), the Corvallis Youth Symphony, under the direction of my great friend and teacher Charles Creighton, will premiere Of Stellar Waters, written especially for them. That concert is in the LaSells Stewart Center on Oregon State University's campus in Corvallis, OR. They're both sure to be incredible concerts, and I for one can't wait for either one! There's more news coming on both fronts in the near future; check Notes and Words again soon!

News on the March: 7/12/11

Happy summer! Today it's raining in Corvallis, my home for the next two weeks. Here's what's been happening:

- Of Stellar Waters, commissioned by Charles Creighton and the Corvallis Youth Symphony, is underway and slated for a December 2011 premiere. More news to come!

- Foolish Fire hasn't finished its exciting journey just yet! On the calendar for this year are performances at Liberty University and in Broomfield, CO. Meanwhile, the Cal State Fullerton Wind Symphony, dir. Mitch Fennell, just wrapped on the premiere recording, to be released next year. More details as they approach.

- The Fifth House Ensemble also just finished in the studio, and they're mixing their debut album, which will feature Kites at Seal Rock from Piano Quintet No. 1! Audio will be here as soon as it's available. These guys are true friends of GSM - they've taken Kites to venues in Chicago, Ann Arbor, and various other locales in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Illinois, just to name a few. Learn more about these amazing musicians at www.fifth-house.com.

- In just a few short weeks, I'll be heading with the Park Hill Brass to our summer home in Villard, France, for the Jazz en Vercors summer festival. Music will be made, jazz will be in the air, and most importantly, wine will be drank.

- Short on the horizon as well: Melos Music, of which I am a proud member, is gearing up for our annual new music recital, this year in San Francisco at the Community Music Center on Capp. The recital takes place on August 19 at 7:30pm, and is just $15/$10 for students. This recital will feature amazing works by all of the Melos composers; I'll be conducting works by friends Brian Penkrot and Ryan Olivier. It will also feature the world premiere of my Blood on the Curb for solo piano by pianist Preben Antonsen. This is one not to miss! Check back for more information, including links to our Kickstarter page and for samples of work by other Melosians. More about us can be found on our website at www.melosmusic.com, and even more about the concert can be found here.

- In the slightly-further future are projects for saxophonist Andrew Allen, the long-awaited premiere of One for concert choir, and the completion and premiere of Desaparecida, a song cycle in collaboration with poet and composer Alaina Ferris. Come visit Notes and Words again soon for more information about all of these as they grow closer.

Now, enough reading - go enjoy the sunny weather!

News on the March: 8/21/10

A bit of post-summer catching up to do. Some important developments:
- I've been hired as an Affiliate Instructor of Music Theory and Aural Skills at the Metropolitan State College of Denver! This is in addition to my existing appointment as a Lecturer at my alma mater, the University of Colorado at Boulder.

- Foolish Fire is having a very exciting life! After performances in November by Loveland High School at the Western International Band Clinic in Seattle and the California State University, Fullerton Wind Symphony, Mitch Fennell and his band at CSUF will record it alongside Frank Ticheli's Concerto for Clarinet and Wind Ensemble. Then, Foolish Fire will be done by the California All-State Symphonic Band at the CBDA Convention in February. Wow!

- I've joined the ranks with my friends Tonia Ko, Jason Thorpe Buchanan, Daniel Temkin, David Carpenter and others over at Melos Music. Melos is a publishing house run by Jason and a few other wonderful composers; they'll be distributing some of my music. Clearly I have no shortage of things to do, so the page may be a few weeks in going live, but in due time you'll be able to purchase some of my chamber and large ensemble music directly from Melos. Check the links page for a direct link to my site when it goes live (I'll also link to it from Notes and Words).