2009 Earplay Donald Aird

Application

2009 WINNER

            San Francisco: Earplay announces the winning composition of the 2009 EARPLAY DONALD AIRD MEMORIAL COMPOSERS COMPETITION. Terâneler (2006) by Tolga Yayalar (Turkey) is the winning composition and carries a $1,000.00 cash prize with a performance during Earplay’s 25th season on May 24, 2010. The string trio composition was selected from 129 entries from 13 countries by a panel of composers and performers specializing in contemporary chamber music. The panelists also selected two finalists: Reflections (2004) by Vassos Nicolaou (Cyprus) and Scintilation II (2008) by Anthony Green (USA).  Honorable mentions were: Life Without Stars (2008-09) by Janet Jieru Chen (Taiwan); Dream Echo (2008) by Alastair Greig (England); De Profundis for Solo Cello (2002) by Jorge Grossman (Peru/Brazil/USA); Dancing Wind (2009) by Tan Hainu (China/USA); Subterrain (2009) by Michael Klingbeil (USA); In un gorgo d’azzurro (2008/09) by Massimo Lauricello (Italy); Three Images (2007) by Paul Yeon Lee (USA); and Faces (2008) by Riccardo Panfili (Italy).

Tolga Yayalar’s notes about his composition:  Terâneler consists of two short pieces.  The first one grew out of harmonizing a simple melody and the harmonies are mostly based on the various enharmonic genera of the Ancient Greek and Byzantine music. The second piece starts from the first’s end point and adds heterophony and polyphony to the texture.

The title refers to a type of poetry that was originated by Omar Khayyam in 11th century Iran. It consists of four lines with an AABA rhyme scheme. However, in Turkish, which has borrowed many Persian words over the centuries, it takes a whole different meaning.  It stands for something that becomes tedious as a result of over-repetition.

 
           

A native of Istanbul, Turkey, Tolga Yayalar (b. 1973) studied Jazz Composition at Berklee College of Music. He is currently a PhD candidate at Harvard University. He has studied with Harrison Birtwistle, Joshua Fineberg, Brian Ferneyhough, Chaya Czernowin and Helmut Lachenmann. Tolga Yayalar played electric guitar in rock and jazz bands before taking up composition. Upon his encounter with the music of Webern, his first serious works incorporated serialism with jazz. Since then, texture and timbre have always been in the center of his music. To overcome the harmonic and sonic limitations of the tempered system, his music focuses on different systems of microtonality. While harmonic series constitute the harmonic focal point of his compositions, he also fuses parts of the eastern tuning systems with the Western tradition.

Ensembles and performers who have played Tolga's music include Le Nouvel Ensemble Modern, Ensemble FA, Ying Quartet, Alarm Will Sound, The Cullithumpian Consort, Chamber Players of the League/ISCM, Orchestre National de Lorraine, Adorno Ensemble, Yesaroun Duo, Samual Z. Solomon, Benjamin Schwartz, Seda Roeder and Garth Knox.

Past Earplay Donald Aird Memorial Competition winners:

Massimo Lauricella (2001)
Shintaro Imai (2001)
Christophe Bertrand (2002)
João Pedro Oliveira (2003)
Vincent Chee-Yung Ho (2004)
Fredrik Fahlman (2005)
Mitru Escalona-Mijares (2006)
Hèctor Parra (2007)
Nicolas Tzortzis (2008)
           
Earplay concerts feature the Earplayers, a group of seven outstanding Bay Area artists who, as a group, have developed a lyrical and ferocious style. Led by Conductor Mary Chun, theEarplayers are: Tod Brody, flute and piccolo; Peter Josheff, clarinet and bass clarinet; Terrie Baune, violin; Ellen Ruth Rose, viola; Thalia Moore, cello, and Karen Rosenak, piano.
           
Founded in 1985 by a consortium of composers and musicians, Earplay is dedicated to the performance of new chamber music offering audiences a unique opportunity to hear eloquent, vivid performances of some of today's finest chamber music.