By Kate Hill

Staff Writer

This July, the Society for New Music (SNM) will present the 21st annual Cazenovia Counterpoint, a festival of the expressive arts.

The theme of this year’s festival is “Arts & the Cosmos.” The program series is presented in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing.

The festival will feature performances by accomplished high school musicians; the work of young composers; art exhibits; poetry readings; workshops with regional writers and composers; an opera; and more.

“Showcasing regional creative artists is very important,” said SNM Program Advisor Neva Pilgrim. “Even famous composers like Bach were ‘regional’ in their time. No one knew his music would be world famous hundreds of years after his death.”

Founded in 1971, SNM is dedicated to fostering the continued growth of the Central New York musical community. The Syracuse-based society is the only year-round new music organization in New York State outside of Manhattan.

To further its mission, SNM commissions new works, produces recordings, and promotes composers through Society News, the organization’s in-house publication.

Its radio show, Fresh Ink, on WCNY-FM. SNM also provides regional musicians with opportunities to perform music by their peers in front of live audiences and on television and the radio.

According to Pilgrim, Cazenovia Counterpoint evolved from SNM’s Cazenovia Summer Series, which began 39 years ago at Stone Quarry Hill Art Park.

Eventually, the summer music series was expanded to highlight the many distinguished visual artists in the Cazenovia area.

“The first of those was 21 years ago,” Pilgrim said. “Then the Writers Corner was added, [along with] the focus on prize-winning high school musicians and young composers . . . [Caz Counterpoint evolved] very organically and has always been organized by a committee — a combination of Society for New Music board members and Caz residents.”

Upcoming festival events

The 2019 festival will kick off with the opening of a Regional Invitational Art Exhibit, on display July 1 to 30 at various venues along Main Street, including the Cazenovia Public Library, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church Hall, Cazenovia Jewelry, Common Grounds, Cazenovia Artisans and The Key.

The exhibit includes curated works by more than 25 artists from within a 100-mile radius of the village. An artist reception is scheduled for July 13 at St. Peter’s Hall, 12 Mill St, Cazenovia. The CNY Jazz Youth orchestra will perform at the event.

Regional artists are also invited to share their talents in a “Plein Air” event at Lorenzo State Historic Site. The performance will be held on July 13 in the Ellen Shipman formal garden.

A key aspect of Cazenovia Counterpoint is the introduction of “Rising Stars” — high-school musicians who have been awarded for their performances in area competitions. The gifted artists will perform works by young regional composers. This year, the Rising Star concerts are scheduled for July 10 and 17.

Additional concerts, scheduled for July 12 and 14, will debut new works by regional composers, including Cazenovia native Christopher Cresswell and Cornell University professor Roberto Sierra, whose works have been performed across the the Americas and Europe.

Sierra’s narrated chamber work addresses global warming, while Cresswell’s composition for chamber ensemble and electronics was inspired by paintings created by Nelson native Shawn Gilmore using found and recycled objects.

The July 14 concert will also include a solo set by Rising Star organist Dominic Fiacco, who previously performed at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City.

Ryan Chase, Assistant Professor of Music at Colgate University, will lead a “Young Composers Corner” at Cazenovia Public Library July 15 to 19. Chase is the 2016 recipient of SNM’s Brian M. Israel Prize — awarded annually to a New York State composer 30 years of age or younger. Designed for middle and high school students, the free mentoring program will offer both morning and afternoon sessions. Register at societyfornewmusic.org.

On July 20, SUNY Oswego music faculty member Paul Leary will present his original composition, “Larger Than Us,” at the Catherine Cummings Theatre. The performance will be accompanied by a video of NASA photos of outer space. The event will also feature Charles Fussell’s “The Astronaut’s Tale,” a staged chamber opera modeled after Stravinsky’s “The Soldier’s Tale.” Renowned Syracuse-based children’s book author Bruce Coville will narrate.

Other events include a July Fourth jazz concert; a musical performance during the July 6 Farmers’ Market; and Writer’s Corners with authors Eric James Evans, Thomas Townsley and Diane Wiener.

The festival will culminate in a Family Arts Day at SQHAP on July 21. The free event will feature a Poetry Round-Robin, a Young Composers Corner performance, Rising Stars performances, ice cream and lemonade, and a reception for Ellen Blalock’s quilt exhibit — on display in the Gallery July 7 to 28.

While most Cazenovia Counterpoint events are free, select performances require an admission charge. Tickets: $20 for adults, $15 for students/ seniors, free for children 12 and under, $40 per family. Purchase tickets at the door or call 315-446-5733 to make reservations.

To support the festival and SNM, send donations by check to the Society for New Music, 438 Brookford Rd. Syracuse, NY 13224

For more information and a complete list of programs, dates and venues, visit societyfornewmusic.org or cazarts.com/calendar, or email [email protected].