I get to write original music in a 1930’s jazz style for this production of Berthold Brecht’s play which parallels Adolf Hitler’s rise to power from street gangster to supreme government official.  Directed by the fabulous David Long.

www.stedwards.edu/theater

Totally immersed in this commission from Gertrude Opera in Melbourne, Austrailia:  Re-orchestrate and edit the hell out of Verdi’s opera based on Shakespeare’s MacBeth.

WORLD PREMIERE

McBeth could be your neighbour, the odd guy up the road with a McMansion and his own business...Mr & Mrs with an aptitude for glory led by an appetite for destruction...vandalised opulence...menacingly beautiful.
Click for Gertrude Opera Website
Gertrude Opera has commissioned a 're-imaging' of Verdi's score by US composer, Peter Stopschinski - orchestration for electric violin, electric guitar, trombone, double bass, keyboard and percussion - and will bring a 21st century aural sensibility to Verdi's sublime melodies. In our first co-production with Monk Parrots (NYC), a cast of 12 will present a 70minute version, sung in English.  Set in fantasy modern Scotland where every day is All Hallow's Eve, in the Underground Cellar at Mitchelton winery, with Australia's most revered Verdi baritone, MICHAEL LEWIS OAM, in the title role.

Artistic Director: LINDA THOMPSON

Director/Designer: LUKE LEONARD (USA)

Verdi 're-imagined' by Composer PETER STOPSCHINKSI (USA)

Conductor: WARWICK STENGARDS

'THE SCOTTISH OPERA'
VERDI/STOPSCHINSKI
Violent themes - PG*
All tickets $60

Its so much fun taking the red pencil to “the masters”.  I don’t know why I put it in quotes.  Those guys are pretty good and my love for MacBeth and the music Verdi wrote for it has come into full bloom.  There is some amazing music in there plus: the re-orchestration includes electric guitar!  Its totally messed up.  I have about 2 months to complete the score.  Its going quickly and I can’t wait for the premier in Melbourne in September.  Thanks to director Luke Leonard and artistic director and Lady MacBeth Linda Thompson.  Boom.  international baby.

Bought my next door neighbor’s Roland EP-30 especially for this gig with Bois D’Arc by mastermind Eric Roach.  I’m helping record and produce the new album and we have a killer band with Eric, Peter Stopschinski, Cameron Page, Sam Arnold.  We totally Jam.  Here is an album review from Reverb Nation:

Zirque Bois D’Arc – Things I Should’ve Done Better

display for my love of Austin progressive rock groups, including Opposite Day, proud farmer, and the Orchestra stop motion, it shows that they have no stop sign on which the State of Texas will go in the next to see which lie ahead. One of the guitarists who have just had my brilliant ears up is a guitarist named Zirque Bois D’arc. It is an alter ego name for Eric Roach. He has been performing in bands in the Austin area, such as: Lick Lick, Baby Got Bacteria, and the stylings of bluegrass The fencesitters.   Eric itself occurs since the 1980s, with more than 100 live acts as Membership while n ‘there’s no sign of stopping for him everywhere as trucks powerfully and see where it will go next. What I should have done better is his first solo album. He recorded music and his compositions demoed four years ago in Los Angeles. And what you will hear is a dystopian universe set with Zirque hypnotic guitar improvisations.   He brought along people like Sam Arnold (Opposite Day) on Bass Drummers David Hobizal (brother Eddy Hobizal), Pat Kennedy Chuck Fischer (invisible czars), Matt Kelly (Lick Lick) on Organ and pianist Peter Stopschinski. Not to mention a horn section and strings on the album. But let’s go directly to the music. The music itself is a haunting, surreal, avant-garde and experimental journey into the world that was once peaceful, transformed into hell.   And the music of Eric defines the atmosphere of the place where he takes his guitar in these areas. There are 15 compositions on the album that just take me by surprise in the whole structure, nearly as whether he follows in the footsteps of Danny Elfman and Fred Frith (Henry Cow). I can hear some of Rock In Opposition sounds that looks as whether it was recorded in the mid-70s he nailed.   On both tracks, player and Brilliant, is channeled improvisations and Fred Roger Trigaux (Univers Zero, Present) with Zappa touch to it. And it does not show everything, it is really showing its chops and it is freezing, which can be disturbing and sinister. Techniques and galloping percussion crescendo of David and Sam Hobizal bass goes into some amazing fretwork that has both a flavor and Jannick Top Jaco to it, shows the teamwork. gggggg has this wah psychedelic groove underwater funky with a quirky turn and zany while ASDF has a quiet movement with a bluesy section alarmingly brass before seguing in the deafening unexpected signatures a Hendrix-sk style that resembles Axis: Bold as Love -era on Flirt. experimental, electronic, classical and meet in full circle withNews.   The strange synths, string section, and nightmarish just doing guitar licks my hair arms up where Stopchinski arranged for them Eric wants to see where the string head. Peter knows precisely where sounds with room-sk beauty to it and deafening intensity is believed.   This is my fourth time listening to What I should have done better. And Eric Roach has really come into a circle that is now full. And I really had a blast enjoying this album with virtuosity, Crimson-sk, and the unexpected momentum that triggered this year and his new album, Songs approximately Russia I’ll delve into later . But his first album, is a intellect-blowing experience that has made me want to play more of the music of Eric.   Irresistible, Complex, Experimental and Avant-Garde, early Ziroque Bois d’Arc is an adventurous and energetic.

June 30, 2016

LOLA at 4th Tap

By KMFA 89.5, Staff Submission.
LOLA Local Opera Local Artists kicks off its monthly concert series in collaboration with 4th Tap Brewing Cooperative featuring mezzo soprano, Liz Cass and composer, pianist, and musical director, Peter Stopschinski.

June 30th @ 8 pm 4th Tap Brewing Cooperative 10615 Metric Blvd. Austin, TX 78758 Tickets - LOLAaustin.org Austin – LOLA is pleased to announce the beginning of a monthly concert series to take place one Thursday a month at the 4th Tap Brewing Cooperative in North Austin.

Each concert will feature some of Austin’s finest talents with a focus on classical vocal music.

The premier concert will take place on June 30th @ 8 pm and will feature mezzo-soprano and LOLA executive director, Liz Cass and one of Austin’s premier composers, pianists, and musical directors, Peter Stopshchinski.

The program will include music of Verdi, Schumann, Fauré, and Stopschinski himself.

LOLA has also commissioned a new opera from Peter Stopschinski and Kirk Lynn set to premier in Fall 2017!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So very pleased to get a second chance to perform Massacre of Spring (my percussion trio and piano arrangement and reconstruction of Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring) at NMASS festival this year.  Thank you to Henna Chou and Melissa Seely.  The band is incredible featuring Thomas Burritt – marimba, Chuck Fischer – drum kit, Cullen Faulk – vibes, glock, bass drum and Peter Stopschinski – piano.  I have very few of my Vacation With Stravinsky graphic novels left which will be for sale at the show.  I was reminded when I began revisiting this piece that I only arranged the first part of the Rite.  Someday I need to do that second part.  It starts with the Tatooine music from starwars.

 8:00pm Thursday 6/23/2016

The Beachcomber Boys: A Reading by Playwright Myra Slotnick and Composer Peter Stopschinski

 

WHENFriday, April 22, 7pm

PHONE508-487-1750

EMAILinfo@paam.org

PRICEFree and open to the public

“The Beachcomber Boys” is a fictional tale of the historic true-life fraternity of painters and poets and novelists and playwrights who, since 1916, have gathered each and every Saturday night for an evening of rollicking good fun and certain debauchery, in a not-so-disclosed decrepit location, on a spit of sand jutting out to the sea, known as Provincetown, Massachusetts.

The story, set in 1953, amidst the Hollywood Blacklist, touches upon the intersection of art, literature, fame and family, and the disappointment of failure, in work and love. Driven by this, seeming, male dominance, it is also propelled by the powerful force of the women who orbit and confound their lives; words are tossed and hearts are wrecked and the foghorn blows and the wind whips and the bells chime!

And art is made.

“The Beachcomber Boys” is an age-old fishing village “love storm” and, as such, has an emotional rip-tide, where some swim safe to shore…and others are pulled out to sea.

So stoked to be asked to compose music for this, the graduating play of graduate playwright Joanna Garner and Directed by the fantastic Alexandra Bassiakou Shaw.  I had the pleasure of working with Joanna on her play 100 Heartbreaks which was a honky tonk musical.  This is so different.  Set mostly in Iran in the 1970’s this play explores social differences, love, and geographical displacement.  I had a blast making the music and used the lovely voice of Erin Ivey on much of the soundtrack.  The play runs April 15-April 23, 2016 in the Oscar G. Brockett theater.  Check it out!

UPDATE:  Our production got nominated for several Austin Critic’s Table awards (including Best Musical Director) and ended up in a tie for first place in Best Musical Production.  Sweet!  

Running through April 17, 2016

Tis the season of musicals for me right now.  Among all the others I am also music directing and playing piano in the 1960’s Broadway underdog hit, She Loves Me book by Joe Masteroff, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, music by Jerry Bock (Fiddler on the Roof)  There is a lot of great things about this musical including a crazy-ass plot twist at the end of act one and some really well scored music.  I had to create a 6 piece orchestra reduction from the original 12 piece version which was a ton of work but well worth it.  The students are really excellent and we have 3 equity actors acting alongside the students in this production.  Our fearless director is Nick Mayo and he has a super clear and passionate vision of this production.  He has big Broadway cred and also starred in She Loves Me in high school at the age of 16 so has lots of great insight into the piece.

photo by: Bret Brookshire

Click HERE to read an Austin American Statesman interview with Director Nick Mayo about the show

Running through May 15, 2016

They lead the kids all over the lovely grounds of Zach Scott (down near Town Lake) and the kids watch little performances and sing songs and dance.  There is sweet video design by Stephanie Busing and awesome actors including children and adults.  See Humpty Dumpty sitting on a wall and a great huge Caterpillar and Tweedle Dee and… you get the picture.  Its totally cool and I wrote the music including a surf-punk tantrum song that Alice sings in the beginning that makes me so happy every single time.

I super loved collaborating with Katie Bender and Gabrielle Reisman from Underbelly and Nat Miller from Zach Scott’s Children’s Theater department. My first time at Zach Scott and this thing is really crazy and fun and aparently the kids are going crazy for it.

CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE WEBSITE FOR THE SHOW

Erin Ivey has the most lovely voice both physically (expressed with her clear bell like sound) and her spiritual voice (expressed through her lyrics and vocal expression).  I have heard her name around town but never had the pleasure of hearing her.  Now, through Chuck Pinnell (film score composer and guitarist extraordinaire), I am proud to say i’m currently playing piano for her and we just had an really fantastic gig at the one of Austin’s loveliest venues.  It also happened to be our first gig as a band!

CLICK HERE FOR ERIN IVEY’S WEBSITE

Our band is amazing and we have a very cinematic sound.  Every musician is killer and a pleasure to play with.  Steve Schwelling – Drums, Chris Afflerbough – Upright Bass, Chuck Pinnell – Guitars, Peter Stopschinski – Piano, and of course Erin Ivey – Guitar/Mandolin

Music writer Jim Caluguri posted on social media right after the gig: They were subtlely fabulous and the 1st great local show of the year!  Album coming soon…

Aw man, I’m producing CHRISTEENE now.  Fuck.  So fucking awesome!!!!!!!!  New album on the way.  This project is so much fun>>  Musically its a huge lesson in what goes on below 200 hertz.  So much bass theory.  Simply fascinating.  Socially and lyrically its about the party that ends the world.

Oh man, can I tell you how excited I am to get a new opera commission?  Holy cow!!!  LOLA Austin, a local opera company, has commissioned Kirk Lynn and I to compose a new opera for their 2017 season and I couldn’t be more excited.

Click HERE for the LOLA Austin website

Kirk and I are looking at the short fiction of O. Henry as a starting point.  Things are just getting started and the possibilities are infinite!!!

Ritual of the Abduction from the Album and Artbook Vacation With Stravinsky or The Massacre of Spring.  Tom Burritt – Marimba.  Chuck Fischer – Drums, Vibes, Glock.  Peter Stopschinski – Piano.  Peter Stopschinski and Eric Roach – Recording.

Ok, let me just say The Calico Buffalo with music and lyrics by Peter Stopschinski and book and lyrics by E.J. Stapleton is the little musical that COULD!!  Not only were we held over in our Off-Broadway production at the Pearl Theater but we were voted #1 Best In Fest of the New York Musicals Festival.  It is impossible but out little sincere, big-hearted, family show with a message of love was the audiences favorite.  The band was amazing led by the masterful Jesse Warkentin and the cast just brought the energy and the drama each night.  Congrats to us and our entire cast, crew, and creative team!!!!

New York Musicals Festival Website

WHAT FOLLOWS IS THE OLDER PART OF THE POST:

SPECIAL NOTICE*****Calico Buffalo is being held over for an extra performance due to popular demand.  Saturday July 18, 2015 at Noon at the Pearl Theater 410 W. 42nd Street Between 10th and 11th Avenue.  One more chance to see the fantastic show!******

The new musical by E. J. Stapleton and Peter Stopschinski is finally getting it due!

5 Performances 42nd and Ninth Avenue in The Pearl Theater at Studio Row!

• Wednesday, July 8, 2015 at 8:00 pm
• Friday, July 10, 2015 at 9:00 pm
• Saturday, July 11, 2015 at 1:00 pm
• Sunday, July 12, 2015 at 4:00 pm
• Thursday, July 16, 2015 at 5:00 pm

It’s all part of the 2015 New York New Musical Theater Festival:

Click here for the official show page

Here is the promo video made by NYMF:

Newest video from my Vacation With Stravinsky or The Massacre Of Spring album and picture book.  Movement 4: Spring Rounds.  Classic:)  Tom Burritt – Marimba.  Chuck Fischer – Drums and Vibes.  Phillip White – Drums.  Peter Stopschinski – Piano.  Eric Roach and Peter Stopschinski – Recording.

More from my picture book and album Massacre of Spring or Vacation With Stravinsky.  The incredibly insistent Augurs of Spring.  Tom Burritt – Marimba.  Chuck Fischer – Drums, Vibes, Glock.  Peter Stopschinski – Piano.  Peter Stopschinski and Eric Roach – Recording.

The Wank Tribe “Nose Cam”

Saturday November 15 @ 7:30PM

North Door 502 Brushy in Downtown Austin

Golden Hornet Project presents the official CD and Book release of my adaptation of Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring and my book of drawings and anecdotes from Stravinsky’s and my imaginary vacation.

Massacre of Spring Commercial

GHP-StopschinskiPoster12x18

Elaine Barber, Peter Bay and I selfie during applause.

My new harp concerto “Rough Night w/Happy Ending” was premiered at the American Harp Society Conference last night.  Peter Bay conducted members of the Louisiana Philharmonic and fabulous soloist Elaine Barber in a killer performance to close out the festival.  Good time and good musicians!

Conductor Brent Baldwin accepts awards like a pro!

Every year the arts critics in Austin come together and give awards for outstanding arts events and performances.  This is called the Austin Critic’s Table Awards.  This year I was a part of several arts events that received awards:

I am lucky to be a company member and composer for the internationally acclaimed theater company Rude Mechs who were inducted into the Austin Arts Hall Of Fame this year.

I love my friend, playwright Kirk Lynn, who wrote an amazing adaptation of Shakespeare’s King John which was directed by Madge Darlington.  It was an all-star cast and crew and that play received two awards:
Best Actor:
Jason Liebrecht, The Lieutenant of Inishmore/Fixing King John
Best Ensemble Performance:
Fixing King John, Rude Mechanicals

I played piano in a touring show by Daniel Alexander Jones and Bobby Halverson which won

Best Touring Show:

Jomama Jones: Radiate!, Salvage Vanguard Theater

My 501c3 with Graham Reynolds, Golden Hornet Project, had our biggest show ever for the opening festivities of Fusebox this year.  We commissioned 8 composers to complete Mozart’s Requiem mass and collaborated with Texas Choral Consort , Convergence Ensemble, KMFA Classical Radio Austin, and Texas Performing Arts to present Mozart’s Requiem Undead which won much acclaim:
Best Choral Performance
Mozart Requiem Undead, Texas Choral Consort/Convergence/Golden Hornet Project
Best Singer
Cameron Beauchamp, Mozart Requiem Undead

BROWN WHöRNET is playing in Houston, New Orleans and Austin May 23-30th 2014.  We’re playing two shows with the fantastic and unique double-guitar-blade-weilding-poetic-avant-swamp rockers CHURCHWOOD and once with Flying Balalaika Brothers and OMGWTFBBQ.  We don’t play all that often but when we do we freakin’ tear shit up!  Here is a nice little featurette:

BROWN WHöRNET

Bizarre, frenetic, sometimes offensive, and always amazing, experimental rock collective Brown Whörnet has survived as long as it has on sheer grit and immense talent. The Austin eightpiece rocks out hardcore as effectively as they dismantle jazz, funk, klezmer, or anything else they get their eight sets of grubby hands on. The thinking man’s freakout session, their music leans as hard on Sun Ra as it does on Beefheart, as much Zappa as Minutemen. Chaos has ruled since their first show in 1993, and though the lineup has undergone changes over the course of the band’s decade-plus history, the sense of anything-goes and God-what’s-next has never left them. Currently composed of players with the monikers of Stin-G, RUNPMS, XSP, JimE, and Gaseous C, membership has evolved and revolved, including the likes of Juicy, AUNT J, MC Squeak, Chef Poonstick, Wolff, J, Oscar, and McKinney. Somewhere in there is Peter Stopschinski, composer, keyboardist, and a driving force behind this band and frequent collaborator with Golden Arm Trio’s Graham Reynolds. – Christopher Hess

I was super excited to get the call from my neighbor Adrian Quesada to write some string arrangements for use in ESPN’s coverage of the World Cup in Brazil!

 Last year I was fortunate enough to score a play by my friend, playwright Madeline George: The Curious Case of the Watson intelligence.  It went up off-broadway at Playwrights Horizons in fall of 2013. This year it was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in drama. Congratulations Madeleine!!!

Over 200 performers will come together Wednesday April 16, 2014 to present this new vision of Mozart’s Requiem Mass.  This classic was left unfinished at Mozart’s death and now Golden Hornet Project has commission 10 unique composers to each complete a movement.  Conducted by Brent Baldwin and performed by Texas Choral Consort, members of Convergence Vocal Ensemble, full orchestra, 4 percussionists, rock band, and electronics.

Composers:  Graham Reynolds, Todd Reynolds, Glenn Kotche, Kate Moore, Justin Sherburn, DJ Spooky, Adrian Quesada, Caroline Shaw, Petra Hayden, and Peter Stopschinski.

AND ITS FREE OF CHARGE!!!!

come see what we’ve been working on for almost 4 years now.  MOZART’s REQUIEM UNDEAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tomorrow (Wednesday) @ 6:30pm GOLDEN HORNET PROJECT will present our most ambitious project ever and its FREE!!!!  Please come and check out this very cool concert. Mozart’s Requiem Mass re-composed by 10 composers:  Graham Reynolds, Todd Reynolds, Glenn Kotche, Kate Moore, Justin Sherburn, DJ Spooky, Adrian Quesada, Caroline Shaw, Petra Hayden, and Peter Stopschinski.  Conducted by Brent Baldwin and performed by Texas Choral Consort, members of Convergence Vocal Ensemble, orchestra, 4 percussionists, rock band, and electronics (nearly 200 performers!).   Thank you to our co-presenters, Texas Choral Consort, Texas Performing Arts, Fusebox Festival and another heartfelt thank you to our generous friends and supporters.  We’ve been working on this show for almost 4 years and it’s finally here!!!!

GOLDEN HORNET PROJECT PRESENTS:
MOZART’s REQUIEM UNDEAD
Wednesday April 16, 2014
French Legation Museum – 802 San Marcos Street Austin, TX 78702
For the comfort and ease of your arrival and experience, we want to share the following guidelines and information.
Gates Open: 5.30pm
Show starts at 6:30pm
FREE ADMISSION
NO RESERVATION REQUIRED

For safety and legal reasons, the following items are not permitted onto the grounds:
Chairs (including folding)
Animals (with the exception of service animals)
Alcohol
Coolers / Ice Chests
You are welcome to bring:
Water (in canteens)
A small blanket, mat or cushion to sit on
Food contained in over the shoulder bags/backpack

PARKING

Street Parking is available surrounding the French Legation Museum on 7th, 6th and 5th Streets. Most street parking is available before 11pm without a permit. Please check street signs.

Paid Lots are available under the I-35 overpass at 7th Street. The lots are free before 7pm and $7 after. You may want to prepay if you are parking before 7pm, so you don’t have to leave the grounds during the concert.

Bicycle racks will be available outside the walls of the grounds on San Marcos Street.

Drop Off Zone – If you catch a cab or have someone drop you off at the grounds, they will be able to do so immediately opposite the Main Gate at 802 San Marcos Street.

ACCESSIBILITY
Please use the parking lot located at the intersection of East 9th Street and Embassy Drive for wheelchair access to the brick paths. The grounds are wheelchair accessible and all walkways are hard surfaced. There will be accessible seating at the event. If you need assistance, volunteers are available to direct you.

FOOD & BEVERAGES
There will be food vendors on site including Kerlin BBQ and Crepe Crazy (savory, sweet and vegetarian crepe options).  There will also be a full cash bar and an ATM.

Bring it!!!

Got to fill in on keyboard with this awesome Chicha band.   It’s like Cumbia mixed with surf and psychedelics and punk rock.  A great flavor after 6 weeks of opera in New York.  Everyone in it is an amazing musician and a joy to play with.  Money Chicha!!!

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/the-mouth-of-madness/id667155675?mt=8

I wrote the music for this fun and crazy game about dental hygiene!

WHO: Invincible Czars, Golden Hornet Project

Unbelievable that these sports heroes from the past and present will come together to support Kirk Lynn and my new opera about Bum Phillips on March 20, 2014 in New York City at La Mama experimental theater.  Here is a link to more information:

http://lamama.org/ellen-stewart-theatre/bum-phillips-all-american-opera/

It’s been almost 4 years since we came up with the idea. And now it’s all set to happen April 16, 2014.  With our amazing partners Texas Choral Consort, Fusebox Festival, and Texas Performing Arts, we are pleased to present our biggest show. And it’s free of charge!

Golden Hornet Project has commissioned 10 unique composers to finish Mozart’s final incomplete masterpiece: The Requiem mass in D minor.  We are proud to present adaptations by Glenn Kotche, Caroline Shaw, DJ spooky, Petra Haden, Kate Moore, Adrian Quesada, Justin Sherburn, Todd Reynolds, and of course Graham Reynolds and myself.  For more information click the link below:

http://www.fuseboxfestival.com/2014-festival/mozart-requiem-undead

We are rehearsing at La Mama almost every day now preparing for our big opening on March 13. We have a preview show on March 12 which happens to be my birthday. I can’t think of a better birthday present thab to premier this amazing opera by Kirk Lynn and myself!  Everybody on the team is amazing. Luke Leonard has really outdone himself and bringing us altogether. Charlotte Griffin is coming up with some  unique choreography which looks really cool. The cast and the rest of the production team are all doing a fantastic job. It’s my pleasure to be part of this top notch production!

PETER STOPSCHINSKI and MOTHER FALCON each perform sets and then join forces to present PETER STOPSCHINSKI’s RE-WRITE OF THE RITE OF SPRING.  I will have a limited number of advance copies of my new Rite of Spring Re-write CD available for sale.

THIS IS A LINK TO THE FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE

I spent my spring break coming up with solo piano adaptations of each movement of the first part of Igor Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring.  Eric Roach helped me record all of these and I intended to make a small run of CD’s of this solo piano adaptation of the Rite of Spring.

In the summer I had the opportunity to arrange the first 25 minutes for percussion ensemble featuring Chuck Fischer, Tom Burritt, Owen Weaver and Graham Reynolds at a percussion ensemble concert presented by Golden Hornet Project.

In the meantime friends of mine, Van and Kelli Hoisington, offered to help fund a CD of that percussion version so I ended up arranging the entire first part for percussion ensemble and producing a CD of that version.

The band MOTHER FALCON then commissioned me, through their manager John Reide, to arrange 25minutes of my Rite of Spring Re-write for their huge band which has violins, cellos, bass, drums, accordion, bassoon, multiple saxes and trumpets and guitars and I’m playing piano. Its going to be massive and I’ll have my new Rite of Spring Re-write CD’s on sale.  Yes!

Central Texas’ Alt(ernative)-Cunt(ry) sensation, CHABLIS, has released two new 45’s and we will play a lovely little holiday show with the Ron Titter Band, Blitzen and Churchwood at the Carousel Lounge Saturday, December 17th at 10pm.  FREE SHOW!!!

Listen to BUTTNUTZ or THANKS FER THAT by CHABLIS

Listen to NO SHELLS or LUBE IT UP by CHABLIS

An all-percussion evening of madness featuring Tom Burritt, Chuck Fischer, Owen Weaver, Graham Reynolds, and Peter Stopschinski

Golden Hornet Project’s big summer event.  We just tied the Miro String Quartet for BEST CHAMBER MUSIC PERFORMANCE in Austin’s Critic’s Table Awards with our STRING QUARTET SMACKDOWN concert with the Tosca String Quartet and now we are moving on to the heavy hitting drums.  This is our 8th or 9th all-percussion show and more and more people come out each time.  Last year it was packed and everyone was getting into the percussive madness.  This year it is at the Off Shoot.

Check out this crazy-ass line up for a summer festival of rock:

Saturday July 20th 2013
*Ed Hall*
~Brown Whörnet~
!Gorch Fock!
^Pocket Fisherman^
#MIGAS#
`Tim Kerr’s Freedom Piece`
+Wood Grain+
$ John Galt $

My good friend and great pianist, Willis G. Miller, and I will bring his Kinda Blue/Goldberg Variations Original Piano Sample Pak and play Well Tempered Klavier, Rite of Spring, and improvise in EXTREME different tunings.

Last week I went to hang out with my friend Willis G. Miller at his place in Hyde Park where I got a demonstration of his newly purchased sample pak or the piano that Bill Evans played on Kinda Blue which also happens to be the piano that Glenn Gould played on his 50’s Goldberg Variations recording.  I’m sure many amazing pianists played it over the years.  He was playing Bach’s Well Tempered Klavier and had created some settings for different tunings that Bach may have used.  We went on to create random tuning schemes that became more and more extreme, some notes tuned as much as an octave from its original pitch.  We’d take turns creating a new tuning then we’d improvise in C major and it would sound completely amazing.  You’d play the note C on the keyboard but hear an F quarter sharp an octave and a fourth above that C. D would be F# and E would be middle C etc.  Sometimes we’d get tunings where C would become D but D would stay D and E would also sound like D so the C major scale would sound D-D-D-F-G-A-B.  You get the picture.

Golden Hornet Project, my 501c3 with Graham Reynolds, has been working for 4 years with Brent Baldwin and Texas Choral Consort, Fusebox Festival, Kathy and Cynthia at Texas Performing Arts

The Amazing Earl Campbell

The first workshop of the upcoming opera about Bum Phillips and the Houston Oilers was so successful that we extended the performance one more weekend at La Mama in New York City.  LIU Post University students and Musical Director Kerry Prep were absolutely amazing in helping to bring this wild new commission to life.  So happy to be collaboration with my good friend Kirk Lynn who’s writing the book (we did the musical I’ve Never Been So Happy together) and my new friend Luke Leonard of Monk Parrots theater company who commissioned the piece and will be directing.  This is really going to be a fun new take on Opera/Musical Theater.  The official premier date is April 2014 in NYC but there are plans for several workshops along the way.  I caint wait!!!

I Just had a great experience at a table read for a new musical called The Calico Buffalo concived and spearheaded and based on a published children’s book by artist and writer E.J. Stapleton.  It’s a furry animal drama!  I met the entire creative team and 10 singers all with Broadway credentials and taught them the 4 songs I’ve finished and they read the entire script.  The singers were amazing and we learned everything in 4-part harmony in less than 2 hours.  It’s a long term project with a big vision and big expectations.  Bound for Broadway baby!

Click here to hear an excerpt of the sassy toads song, Toads Up!

Golden Hornet Project (My non-profit with fellow composer Graham Reynolds) presented a string quartet composition contest in November modeled after a 16 bracket single elimination tournament.  We received 100 entries for all over the world including Iran, Scotland, Germany, Argentina, and Florida.  Graham and i chose 16 to compete at the concert.  The Tosca String Quartet performed and the audience voted via text message and the grand prize ($1000) winner was Chris Black from Tuscon, AZ (Austin ex-patriot)  It was truly a unique classical music experience and the audience was thoroughly engaged.  You can see in the photo as two piece were voted on a real time graph was created so we could all see who was winning as the votes came in.  That made for some exciting “ooh’s” and “ahh’s” from the crowd as one piece would surpass the other!

The Voting Screen at String Quartet Smackdown

The Austin Chronicle voted for this concert as one of the Top Ten arts events of 2012!

Watch The Cabinet Of Dr. Calgari Trailer with music by Peter Stopschinski

2 shows on Sunday October 28th. 4pm and 7pm. Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar.

Click to go to the Alamo Drafthouse page with info and TICKETS!

I’ve created a new score to the Silent Film Classic The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.  I used the Alt-Classical criteria I created for my new album coming this fall, Now Would Be A Good Time.  This is an amazing film with incredible sets and inspired Edward Scissorhands and Shutter Island.

The band will be the fabulous Dissonant Romantics:  Leah Nelson – viola, Tom Echols – guitar, Chuck Fischer – drums, Hen3ry Q Vines – bass and Peter Stopschinski – piano.

Not to be missed!!!!!

Click to go to the Alamo Drafthouse page with info and TICKETS!

Rocking with DJ Spooky at the state theater as part of SXSW ECO.  Its the first year for the environmentally focused national gathering and I joined Paul Miller aka. DJ Spooky in a performance of his recently composer hour long chamber piece dedicated to Antarctica.

Click to check out the SXSW ECO Page for Terra Nova

This piece is really interesting and the performance involves lots of cool video and opens with him playing a block of dry ice with chimes.  Its a very fun, icy sound.

We are playing tonight for the Bee v. Moth new record release.  Bee v. Moth is one of the best examples of the “new” school of bands in Austin that have rock instrumentation, are mostly instrumental, influenced heavily by a very wide variety of music including classical and even the extreme stuff of the 20th century.

Very talented, very engaging, we are happy to be playing with them.  In celebration I’m offering the Dissonant Romantics live album download for free:

Click here to Download the Dissonant Romantics album for free:

http://www.wastedwork.com/music/DissonantRomantics.zip

I’ve been teaching music composition at Austin Chamber Music Center for 7 or 8 years now, many of those years with Graham Reynolds.  One of our proudest teaching experiences is having mentored the students that became the band Mother Falcon.

Last night 20 of our composition student ranging in age from 8th grade to seniors in high school got to sit in with Mother Falcon at Antone’s for their final concert.  Everybody was so stoked and it truly made Graham and I feel proud.

Click for a you tube of Mother Falcon – Fireflies

The band I’ve played in since 1993 played some rare shows.  Brown Whörnet.  Unstoppable.  It was so much fun an I love those people!

Click to listen to Brown Whörnet – Nightcrisis from The Hamburger Album

Click to watch an awesome short phone video clip from a really drunk friend at the Austin show.  We are in the middle of a hippie drum-hole!

Just finished scoring a feature length horror film: “Saturday Morning Massacre.”  The score was based on John Cage’s Second Construction and Some Xenakis and Penderecki Orchestral works.  Oh yeah, and drones.

Click here to hear one of the sound cues from the film

It was very fun to make and I only had 2 weeks to do it.  It premiered at the L.A. Horror Film Festival.  Got the job through Graham Reynolds.  Thanks Graham!  He did the opening credits and I did the rest.  Spent a whole day score a decapitation scene…awesome!

Click here to read a review and see the trailer

Graham Reynolds and I played a sweet set of Prokofiev’s Visions Fugitives with our amazing band at this year’s Alt-Classical showcase hosted by Innova Records.  Others on the bill that night were ex-Austinite Sxip Shirley and New York Violinist Todd Reynolds who has played with Laurie Anderson and Bang On A Can.  Todd is also soon to be GHP’s newest featured artist in two shows we are presenting at this year’s Fusebox Festival on May 5, 2012.  We will be playing a more formal indoor show and then a less formal site specific show at these cool drainage tunnels beneath Mopac.  I hope it don’t rain!!!

It has just been released by Merge Records but It seems everybody loves the new Lambchop album.  NY Times review below.  I was so happy to hear from Kurt and get a chance to do some more arrangements for this exciting new project and to get to write for and record the Tosca String Quartet yet again.

Go to the article at newyorktimes.com

I applied and got accepted to go to this cool workshop in NYC held by New Dramatist. They accept 5 composers to work with 5 writers and 5 performers to complete a series of high turnover creative assignments all geared towards creating new music theater.  February 10-27.  Working all day every day.  Should be awesome!

from their site:

“Pairing five New Dramatists playwrights with five composers from a variety of musical and stylistic backgrounds, this nearly round-the-clock workshop sparks early-stage collaborations. During the two-week studio, facilitated by Ben Krywosz and music director Roger Ames, an ensemble of five singer/actors support the participants as they develop overnight responses to five songwriting assignments.”