Thursday & Saturday, June 7 & 9, 8 pm Zellerbach Playhouse $36 West Coast Premiere! The Tyrant Music composed by Paul Dresher Libretto by Jim Lewis Directed by Melissa Weaver Set Design by Alex Nichols Lighting Design by Tom Ontiveros Sound Engineering by Gregory Kuhn Performed by: John Duykers, tenor The Paul Dresher Ensemble Paul Dresher, conductor Tod Brody, flute, piccolo, alto flute Joel Davel, percussion Peter Josheff, clarinet, bass-clarinet Alex Kelly, cello Marja Mutru, piano Karen Bentley Pollick, violin Thu, Jun 7, 8 pm Sat, Jun 9, 8 pm The Berkeley Edge Fest opens with the West Coast premiere of Paul Dresher's The Tyrant, only the second time this fully staged music theater work has been performed! Inspired by Italo Calvino's short story, A King Listens, the score to this tale of a embattled king, forced to experience his kingdom entirely through the medium of sound, was written to set off the full range and depth of tenor John Duyker's remarkable voice. Best known for his original performances in the role of Mao Tse Tung in John Adams' Nixon in China, Duykers is a frequent performer at Chicago Lyric, Los Angeles and San Francisco Operas and has sung in nearly 90 contemporary productions, including 53 world premieres. "A gripping music-theater piece that is witty, poignant and wonderfully effective. Duykers was absolutely mesmerizing in the role of the king who dare not leave his throne for fear of being overthrown," says The Seattle Times. Learn More! Program Notes: Program notes are available online. Education and Community Programs: Composer Interviews Sat, June 9, 2-4 pm 125 Morrison Hall (Department of Music, UC Berkeley Campus) Free and open to the public Pianist and radio host Sarah Cahill will talk with Edge Fest artists in successive interviews. First Frederic Rzewski with pianist Ursula Oppens, then Paul Dresher, will take the stage to discuss their music and the process of collaboration in the creation of new work. These sessions will bring forward some of the more significant and compelling aspects of the work performed at Edge Fest concerts. Flyer [PDF] Video Program Notes: ( Quicktime Player ) The Tyrant Composer Paul Dresher talks about the making of his solo opera The Tyrant, written for tenor John Duykers. The interview includes excerpts from the opera. The production's West Coast premiere will be presented at Berkeley Edge Fest June 7-10. (Length: 6:00) Audio clips: ( Windows Media Player ) Maestro, Is That You? Lullaby Singing Contest Video clips: ( Windows Media Player ) Do You Know? Summon Friday, June 8, 8 pm Hertz Hall $32 The Music of Frederic Rzewski Frederic Rzewski, piano Ursula Oppens, piano Fri, Jun 8, 8 pm Regarded as one of the contemporary music world's most important and influential living composers, Frederic Rzewski makes a rare U.S. appearance in this first of two programs featuring his works, performing his 1977 piece, Four Pieces. In addition, pianist Ursula Oppens, a long-time collaborator of the composer, will perform 36 Variations on The People United Will Never Be Defeated, one of Rzewski's signature works. One of the few pianists performing today who is celebrated as both an interpreter of classic repertoire and a champion of contemporary music, Oppens has performed with many of the world's major orchestras, including the New York and Los Angeles Philharmonics, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and the Berlin Symphony. Program: Rzewski/36 Variations on The People United Will Never Be Defeated (1975); Four Pieces (1977) Learn More! Program Notes: Program notes are available online. Education and Community Programs: Composer Interviews Sat, June 9, 2-4 pm 125 Morrison Hall (Department of Music, UC Berkeley Campus) Free and open to the public Pianist and radio host Sarah Cahill will talk with Edge Fest artists in successive interviews. First Frederic Rzewski with pianist Ursula Oppens, then Paul Dresher, will take the stage to discuss their music and the process of collaboration in the creation of new work. These sessions will bring forward some of the more significant and compelling aspects of the work performed at Edge Fest concerts. Flyer [PDF] Video Program Notes: ( Quicktime Player ) The Music of Frederic Rzewski Pianist Sarah Cahill plays and talks about the music of Frederic Rzewski, including his masterpiece 36 Variations on "The People United Will Never Be Defeated." Rzewski's music is part of Berkeley Edge Fest June 7 -10. (Length 6:30) Audio clips: ( Windows Media Player ) The People United Will Never Be Defeated (Thema) Four Pieces * * Clip is of a piece being played as part of the Edgefest program, but is played by a different artist (Emanuele Arciuli) Sunday, June 10, 3 pm Hertz Hall $32 The Music of Frederic Rzewski Frederic Rzewski, piano Ursula Oppens, piano William Winant, percussion Ben Paysen, percussion Sun, Jun 10, 3 pm Frederic Rzewski and Ursula Oppens are joined by percussionist William Winant and Ben Paysen in a second program featuring the World premieres of Rezewski's Nanosonatas, Book 2 (Nos. 8-14) and The Fall of the Empire, Act 6: Sacrifice (2007), pieces that express Rzewski's opposition to the Iraq war. Program: Rzewski/Nanosonatas, Book 2 (2006, World premiere); To the Earth (1985); Bring Them Home! (2004); The Fall of the Empire, Act 6 :Sacrifice (2007, World premiere); Ping/The Mountain (2004); Carter/Intermittences (2005) Learn More! Program Notes: Program notes are available online. Education and Community Programs: Composer Interviews Sat, June 9, 2-4 pm 125 Morrison Hall (Department of Music, UC Berkeley Campus) Free and open to the public Pianist and radio host Sarah Cahill will talk with Edge Fest artists in successive interviews. First Frederic Rzewski with pianist Ursula Oppens, then Paul Dresher, will take the stage to discuss their music and the process of collaboration in the creation of new work. These sessions will bring forward some of the more significant and compelling aspects of the work performed at Edge Fest concerts. Flyer [PDF] Video Program Notes: ( Quicktime Player ) The Music of Frederic Rzewski Pianist Sarah Cahill plays and talks about the music of Frederic Rzewski, including his masterpiece 36 Variations on "The People United Will Never Be Defeated." Rzewski's music is part of Berkeley Edge Fest June 7 -10. (Length 6:30) Audio clips: ( Windows Media Player ) To the Earth