Press-Republican

Composer to debut revamped work

<img src="/homepage/images_image_276103054" alt="&#149;">&nbsp;&nbsp;Robert Paterson will present reworked commission at VYO Winter Concert

By ROBIN CAUDELL

If you go
WHAT: Vermont Youth Orchestra Winter Concert under the direction of Andrew Massey. Featuring works by Smetana, DvorÀk, "Enlightened City" by Composer-in-Residence Robert Paterson, and the first movement of the "Brahms Piano Concerto No. 1" presented by pianist Tim Woos.

WHEN, WHERE and HOW MUCH:

  8 p.m. Friday, Dibden Center for the Arts, Johnson State College, Johnson, Vt. Tickets are $10 adult/seniors, $5 students and 12 and under, and free for Johnson College students. (802) 635-1476. Web site: www.jsc.edu.

  3 p.m. Sunday Flynn Center for the Performing Arts, 152 Main St., Burlington. Tickets are $15, $12, $10 adults/seniors; $12, $10, $6 students. Phone: (802) 86-Flynn. Web site: www.flynntix.org.

COLCHESTER, Vt. — Composer Robert Paterson's reworked "Enlightened City" makes its world premiere in the Vermont Youth Orchestra's Winter Concert this weekend.

He originally wrote the single movement — an upbeat and exciting work with some dark moments — for the 100th anniversary of the Ithaca High School Orchestra in 2005.

"Apparently, they're the oldest high-school orchestra in the country," said Paterson, who is the Music Alive composer-in-residence with the VYO. Music Alive is a national residency program of the League of American Orchestras and Meet The Composer.

Paterson's compositional style is fairly accessible to orchestral-music patrons. "Enlightened City" clocks in between eight or nine minutes.

He enjoys writing for young orchestras.

"This group happens to be very good."

'AN HONOR'

A Buffalo native and a former Burlington resident, Paterson holds degrees from the Eastman School of Music, Indiana University and Cornell University. He is founder and artistic director of the critically acclaimed American Modern Ensemble.

On Facebook, he connected to the VYO through an Eastman classmate, Caroline Whiddon, who is VYO's executive director. After a passage of 16 years, they did lunch in Vermont when he was up visiting family.

Then VYO conductor Troy Peters liked his work, and they put their heads together and applied for a three-year grant through Meet The Composer/League of American Orchestras Music Alive Residency. Paterson's residency culminates this year with the premiere of a new 20-minute work written especially for the VYO and the VYO Choruses.

In the history of the residency program, Paterson is only the second recipient working with a youth orchestra.

"It's kind of an honor. They usually give it to a regular orchestra."

Paterson meets with the young musicians three times a year — summer, fall and winter. He also visits local schools and civic organizations such as Rotary Club.

"I love it," he said. "These kids, they're very nice. They have really great personalities and surprising diversity."

E-mail Robin Caudell at: rcaudell@pressrepublican.com