In this age of drastic slashings of arts budgets, and bottom-line profit-driven cultural programming decisions, I would like to step into the discussion to applaud the extraordinary individuals that “keep on keeping on” in their of advocacy for the contemporary classical music of today, and the work of living composers.
Albany-based composer, pianist, conductor, and educator, Max Lifchitz, is one such extraordinary and dynamic force on the contemporary music scene. In addition to all of the above roles, he is also the Founder and Director of North/South Consonance.
The introductory text on the North/South Consonance website home page opens with this mission statement:
“Welcome to North/South Consonance’s thirty-first consecutive season.
In a culture overwhelmed by mere entertainment, North/South concerts celebrate the remarkable spectrum of artistic voices among us, while upholding an all-too-rare commitment to artistic discovery and innovation.”
And continues…
“Our free-admission concerts performed by first-rate artists focus on emerging and established composers whose works, often new to New York, always stimulate, challenge and excite.”
Emphasis should be noted here that North/South Consonance is in its thirty-first season. This longevity alone is cause for celebration. For thirty-one years, Max Lifchitz has been passionately promoting the music that is of our time – music written by today’s composers, alive with the sensibilities and influences of the world around us, and performed with exquisite sensitivity by today’s masterful professional musicians.
Through his visionary leadership and adventurous programming, Max Lifchitz has led the North/South Ensemble and Chamber Orchestra in over 750 different works, bringing public attention to composers from every corner of the world.
Not only has Max Lifchitz been providing New York audiences with free-admission concert programs of stimulating, innovative and exciting music, he has produced hundreds of wonderful, high quality recordings of the music of contemporary composers.
“North/South’s ever-expanding compact disc catalogue features expert performances of significant compositions, some written especially for the North/South Chamber Orchestra. These albums bring the music of composers we champion to an international audience…”
These recordings represent a substantial musical legacy, giving life to important segments of today’s contemporary repertoire and will offer future scholars and historians an invaluable window into the musical world of the 20th and 21st Centuries.
So, yes, funding for all arts organizations has become severely limited and will have a broad impact across our cultural landscape.
So, in response, let us, who believe in the power of great music, resolve to support the music of today’s composers and musicians by attending the concerts, purchasing the recordings, and making tax-deductible contributions to the deserving organizations that are struggling in this economic climate.
Certainly, we can all make a small difference, while celebrating the selfless efforts of those who enrich our lives with the music of our time.
Thanks for listening.
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