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Festival of New American Music
About the Festival
October 29-November 3, 2023
The Festival of New American Music brings extraordinary musicians to Sacramento, California, each year to present high-quality performances of a broad body of recently composed or improvised music by some of America’s most exciting artists. 2023 marks the 46th annual Festival!
Through public concerts, educational events, and outreach, the Festival serves three principal communities: those of the Sacramento State School of Music; the California State University, Sacramento; and the greater Sacramento region.
Committed to making music accessible to all, the Festival offers all of its concerts free of charge to the public. Waived-fee parking for the Festival concerts will be available from a link on the Calendar listing for each event.
Questions?
Call for Scores 2023
We are thrilled to announce the winners of the inaugural Call for Scores at the Festival of New American Music. With an overwhelming response of 546 submissions, the selection process bore witness to a rich diversity of voices and talents in contemporary music.
The winners are:
- Chamber Music: Robin McLaughlin Conine's "Falling Up" to be performed by Citywater and Kian Ravaei's "Unstoppable" by Kaleidoscope.
- Wind Ensemble: Ryan Lindveit's "Mysterious Butterflies."
- Choir: Isaac Lovdahl's "Though the great Waters sleep."
10/29 Opening Gala
7:00 P.M. - Capistrano Concert Hall
The Festival opens with performances by Citywater (pictured), members of Kaleidoscope, composer/saxophonist Joshua Anderson, and saxophonist Michael Hernandez.
Hailed by Edward Ortiz of the Sacramento Bee as “a top-flight interpreter of contemporary classical music,” Citywater is Sacramento State's Ensemble-in-Residence, and performs regularly on the Festival.
Kaleidoscope is made up of some of the finest musicians in the United States, many of whom have also performed with other leading ensembles including the Berlin Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, Chicago Symphony, London Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, and San Francisco Symphony. They will bring a sextet of flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano, and percussion to the Festival.
Joshua Anderson has composed for various ensembles, including the string quartet Flashbacks which was recorded by the Pacifica String Quartet. He also writes music for jazz combos and big band, and his chart Space Dust was recently premiered at teh Lionel Hampton School of Music, from which he is a graduate.
Michael Hernandez has been described as one of the finest soprano saxophone artists of the present generation. He has been heard in concert halls throughout Germany, Switzerland, Poland, France, Holland, Austria, Italy, the UK, Canada, and the United States. Recently He has been featured on WPRB’s Classical Discoveries-Viva 21st Century, WCNY Classic FM’s Fresh Ink, and has been broadcasted multiple times nationwide on NPR’s Performance Today.
10/30 Michael Hernandez
7:00 P.M. - Capistrano Concert Hall
Soprano saxophonist Michael Hernandez will present "Latinx Storytellers", a program featuring new works inspired by Latinx authors and stories composed by Latinx composers. Featuring the works of Caitlin Santos, Patricia Martinez, Juan Sebastian Cardona-Ospina, and Jared Isaac Aragon. Michael Hernandez has been described as one of the finest soprano saxophone artists of the present generation. He has been heard in concert halls throughout Germany, Switzerland, Poland, France, Holland, Austria, Italy, the UK, Canada, and the United States. Recently He has been featured on WPRB’s Classical Discoveries-Viva 21st Century, WCNY Classic FM’s Fresh Ink, and has been broadcasted multiple times nationwide on NPR’s Performance Today.
10/31 Local Voices
7:00 P.M. - Capistrano Concert Hall
The Local Voices concert features local artists and composers, with performances by the student brass quintet Hornet Horns, Sac State's Faculty Wind Quintet, and the Chevalier Quartet (pictured: violinists Dagenais Smiley and Chase Spruill, violist Cassandra Lynne Richburg, and cellist Susan Lamb Cook).
11/1 Faculty Jazz Nonet
7:00 P.M. - Capistrano Concert Hall
Our distinguished jazz faculty perform as a nine-piece jazz combo, including:
Mike Rocha, trumpet
Steve Roach, trumpet
Mike Souliere, trombone
Mike McMullen, alto saxophone
Greg Johnson, tenor saxophone
Duncan McElman, baritone saxophone
Joe Gilman, piano
Gerry Pineda, bass
Rick Lotter, drums
11/2 Citywater & Kaleidoscope
7:00 P.M. - Capistrano Concert Hall
The new music ensembles Citywater (pictured) and Kaleidoscope perform, featuring two winning works from the FeNAM Call for Scores, along with Steve Reich's Double Sextet.
Kaleidoscope is made up of some of the finest musicians in the United States, many of whom have also performed with other leading ensembles including the Berlin Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, Chicago Symphony, London Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, and San Francisco Symphony.
Hailed by Edward Ortiz of the Sacramento Bee as “a top-flight interpreter of contemporary classical music,” Citywater is Sacramento State's Ensemble-in-Residence, and performs regularly on the Festival.
11/3 Closing Concert
7:00 P.M. - Capistrano Concert Hall
The closing concert of the 46th Annual Festival of New American Music will feature Sac State's Symphonic Wind Ensemble and University Chorale, performing winning works from the FeNAM Call for Scores, along with works by composer David T. Little (pictured). David is known for his orchestral and operatic works, most notably his opera Dog Days which was named a standout opera of recent decades by The New York Times.
