Having just been awarded the 2007 Raymond and Beverly Sackler Prize in Composition in the field of chamber opera, Sheila has begun work on THE WOODEN SWORD, the story of a poor man whose joyful approach to living is put to the test by his powerful king. The man triumphs through wit, resourcefulness, and faith. It is based on a 14th century tale from Afghanistan. It will be scored for 4 soloists, a small chamber choir,and an instrumental ensemble o f nine. Premiere at University of Connecticut with subsequent performances in Moscow, are planned for early 2009.
Sheila has just completed TWILIGHT’S LAST G LEAMING two pianos and percussion for Gilbert Kalish, Christina Dahl, and Eduardo Leandro, to be premiered in New York at the Morgon Pierpont Library in New York and at Stony Brook In November, 2007.
MIDNIGHT PRAYER, written in 2003 for the Stockton Symphony Orchestra, was recently performed by the Rochester Philharmonic to audience and critical acclaim. The work is a prayer for peace and features the trumpet, English horn, trombone as soloists placed antiphonally around the hall. The piece also features an antique Tibetan “singing bowl.” The work will be performed by the Stony Brook Symphony Orchestra on Nov. 4th, 8pm, Staller Center for the Arts.
Feature length film of THE THIEF OF LOVE: Silver’s opera is finished — made by master filmmaker, John Feldman. Successful screenings took place at the Wang Center and Performing Space for the 21st Century (PS21) in May and September 2006. The New York City Premiere and release party took place at Makor, 35 W 67th, sponsored by Makor/Steinhardt Center of the 92nd ST. Y and American Opera Projects. To celebrate the release of the DVD, a champagne reception sponsored by Women and Wine followed the screening. It was a terrific event. See reviews on the review page.
Sheila went to Vienna last March to hear her Six Preludes for Piano on poems of Baudelaire performed by Carol Morgan at the Alte Schmiede. A repeat performance took place in September.
RECORDING OF PIANO CONCERTO: Alexander Paley and the Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra recorded Silver’s Piano Concerto in the Vilnius Congress Concert Hall in January 2002. The disk was recently released on the Naxos 21st Century Masterworks series, and includes Paley performing Silver’s Six Preludes for Piano on poems of Baudelaire. Available wherever Naxos discs are sold. (Naxos #8.557015)
RECORDING OF “SHIRAT SARA” (SONG OF SARAH): for string orchestra, featuring the concertmaster as soloist. Originally written in the 80’s, the piece was recently recorded with Gerard Schwarz and the Seattle Symphony as part of the Milken Archive of American Jewish Music. Naxos has just released this work on a disc entitled “Jewish Tone Poems.” Available wherever Naxos discs are sold. (Naxos# 8.559426).
FILM SCORE: Sheila Silver wrote the score for John Feldman’s recent feature “Who the Hell is Bobby Roos?” which won the 2002 New American Cinema Award at the Seattle International Film Festival. Variety applauded “Silver’s tense score, which features pounding piano and probing clarinet…”(Bass clarinet by Michael Lowenstern and viola by Kathy Green, Silver at piano). It is now available on DVD.
CHANT for contrabass and piano: this piece has been enlarged and now includes 3 movements. Following Deborah Dunham’s premiere of the first movement at the Portland Chamber Music Festival (Maine) the complete work was premiered by Peter Weitzner in various New York venues in early June. It was recently awarded an honorable mention in the Society of Bassists solo composition competition. Sheet music is now available. The piano part includes playing on the inside of the piano and the bass part pushes bass technique to the limits.
LULLALBY for bassoon and piano. Gili Sharret gave the premiere of a new and enlarged version (it now includes a “fantasy”) in May at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall as part of her Young Concert Artists debut recital. Sheet music is now available.