E.B. Marks Newsletter: William Bolcom Turns 80 

"We wanted to pay tribute to the busy schedule that he is keeping even at 80; an itinerary not unlike ones he has kept for his entire career.'

From the E.B. Marks Newsletter: Read the newsletter online here

William Bolcom turns 80 on May 26th, a fact that we and many others in the music press have mentioned many times thus far this year. Yet, in this month's newsletter - the month of his birthday - we wanted to pay tribute to the busy schedule that he is keeping even at 80; an itinerary not unlike ones he has kept for his entire career. Mr. Bolcom will be spending his actual 80th birthday as he has spent much of his professional life, along with his life and performing partner, singer Joan Morris: on the road (or in the air, to be specific). This year finds him jetting from his home in Ann Arbor, Michigan to New York City to Bellingham, Washington to Los Angeles to Paris and London in a single month. It is no surprise that there are a few World Premieres peppered in as well. In homage, and in awe, we present a little bit of the Bolcom itinerary below. If you squint, we believe you can see him in two places at once. Happy Birthday, Bill! 

Photo by Evan Hause: Following the April 29 Birthday Concert at Merkin Hall, New York City. From L to R: Elias Goldstein (violist), Angela Draghicescu (pianist), William Bolcom, Linda Tsatsanis (soprano), Yung-Chiao Wei (bassist). Performers not pictured: Jacob Adams (viola) and Dennis Parker (cello).


January 11 - New York Festival of Song, 80th birthday co-celebration with John Corigliano, Juilliard School, New York City (in attendance) 

February 11 - World Premiere of The Walrus and the Carpenter (Sasha Cooke, Mezzo, Pei-Yao Wang, Piano), Milton, Massachusetts 

March 9 - First Symphony for Band, University of Michigan Symphony Band (in attendance) 

March 26 - A Song for St. Cecilia's Day, Soprano Saxophone Concerto, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois (in residence at the RED NOTE music festival) 

April 9 - Concert-Suite, University of Michigan Symphony Band (in attendance) 

April 19-22: Lucrezia staged at Western Washington University, Bellingham, Washington 

April 23: New York/Carnegie Hall Premiere of Trombone Concerto (Alessi, University of Central Arkansas Band) 

April 29: World Premiere of Dark Dreams That Will Not Disappear for Viola and Piano (Jacob Adams, viola and Angela Drăghicescu, piano) at Merkin Hall, New York City (in attendance) REVIEWED 

May 1: Bolcom & Morris performance at Mohawk Trail Concerts, Amherst, Massachusetts 

May 4-6: Lucrezia staged at San Francisco Conservatory; World Premiere of orchestration 

May 4-6: Symphony No. 2 (“Oracles”) performance at Western Washington University (in residence) 

May 11-12: Performances of piano music (by Lori Sims) and Symphony No. 1 at The Gilmore Keyboard Festival, Kalamazoo, Michigan (in attendance) 

May 20-25: Bolcom & Morris in residence at Songfest, Los Angeles, California 

June 1-2: Multiple concerts and a master class at St John’s Smith Square, London, England (in residence) 

June 6: The Bolcom Song Project (Rayanne Dupuis, soprano and Guy Livingston, piano), Paris, France (in attendance) 

July 6-7: Symphony No. 4 and “Machine” from Symphony No. 5 at Grant Park Music Festival, Dennis Russell Davies, conductor, Chicago, Illinois (in attendance) 

August 4: Violin Concerto at the Cabrillo Festival, Santa Cruz, California (in residence) 

September 15: World Premiere of An Ann Arbor Saturday by the Ann Arbor Symphony (in attendance) 

September 20, 23: World Premiere of Horn Trio (Finehouse, Ficsor, Gross) at University of Denver and Kerrytown Concert House, Ann Arbor, MI (in attendance) 

October 20 – November 4: Performances of Dinner At Eight, Wexford Festival Opera, Wexford, Ireland (in residence)