Upcoming events

5-26-10 to 5-28-10

Three brand new concerts. All LA based composers, all the time. Held at USC. The most comprehensive retrospective of new music taking place in Los Angeles today. Submit your music at www.lacomposersproject.com.

News

3-4-10

I will be premiering Sarah Gibson's new piece, Sea Monkey, written for me and cellist Peter Myers. Alfred Newman Recital Hall, USC campus.
7:30 pm. Map

3-1-10

The LA Composers Project is now accepting scores for the 2010 festival. Postmark deadline March 1st! Submit your music at www.lacomposersproject.com.

2-23-10

Because who doesn't want to hear some unrepetent British modernism, I will be playing Harrison Birtwistle's Carmen Arcadiae Mechanicae Perpetuum with the USC Contemporary Music Ensemble. Bleep-blop at its finest. Then stay for Eric Guinivan's Mie. If you hear virtuosic xylophone, that's me. Alfred Newman Recital Hall, USC campus.
7:30 pm. Map

2-10-10

Rogue Artist Ensemble's 2009 production, GOGOL PROJECT, based on the works of Nikolai Gogol- which I worked intensively to develop- has been nominated for six awards each by both the LA Drama Critic's Cricle and the LA Weekly Theater Awards. Congratulations, all nominees (and winners!). Sadly, neither organization offers an award for dramaturge. To see the nominations, please visit www.rogueartists.org. I would point out that both groups nominated the script, which I do take a certain personal pride in.

9-25-09 to 11-8-09

GOGOL PROJECT has been extended one more weekend to November 8th! Written by Kitty Felde (of KPCC fame). Based on three short stories of Nikolai Gogol. I'm acting as dramaturg. Performances are at the Bootleg Theater. 8pm. Map

9-12-09

I will be performing Sean Naidoo's Bad Times Coming with the Los Angeles Percussion Quartet and pianist and Los Angeles new-music mainstay Vicky Ray at Chapman University. 8 pm.

8-11-09

I have added sound files and information about several of my more recent pieces, Night and Fugue for Marimba (alone), Passacaglia per augmentationem, and Musical Offering (for bass clarinets).

8-9-09

I'm told that apparently Overture Maximus was once again played on KUSC tonight, this time paired with John Corigliano's Circus Maximus- my piece's arch nemesis. His piece may be more maximal, but mine definitely has more circus AND more overture. There was no clear winner.

8-1-09

There are some pretty awesome new webpage improvements. All media now streams on a pretty awesome flash player. Check it out.

6-11-09 to 6-19-09

Tango (for four musicians) will open the first ever LA Composers Project Thursday, June 11th at 8 pm in USC's Newman Concert Hall. I am helping to organize the event, which will produce 3 concerts over the course of a week, featuring 18 local composers from at least 3 generations, young upstarts and established giants, as well as countless dedicated and (dare I say) beautiful performers. Sure to be one of the most exciting presentations of music by Los Angeles based composers EVER. Be there. More info

5-13-09

Check out my performance of chorale / lament / rhapsody on YouTube. Sure to go viral any second now!

5-2-09

I will be competiting as a semi-finalist in the first annual Southern California Marimba Competition at Chapman University against some of the best young marimbists in the world. Of course I'll be playing my own piece Night and Fugue for Marimba (alone) should I advance to the finals.

4-28-09 and 4-29-09

The Rogue Artists are pleased to present a workshop performance of the Gogol Project, based on three short stories of Nikolai Gogol and written by KPCC's Kitty Felde. I'm acting as dramaturg. At the Bootleg Theater. 8pm. Map

4-17-09

I'm excited to announce that I've been named a winner in the USC Concerto competition, performing my own marimba concerto.

4-1-09

I'm very excited to announce that I will be developing Pinocchio for Rogue Artist's Ensemble. Based on Carlo Collodi's original, this is definitely not your mother's (or Disney's) wooden child. Coming 2010.

2-6-09

For those of you in Northern California unable to make it to the main event, even though it will be amazing, the infamous bass clarinet duo Sqwonk will be performing my A musical offering (for bass clarinets) at the Old First Church in San Francisco. They will be appearing with the Real Vocal String Quartet at 8 pm. Map

2-6-09

Ben Phelps: The Recital
The big event. Four works, one night only. Alfred Newman Recital Hall, USC campus.
8 pm. Map

chorale / lament / rhapsody
Night and Fugue for Marimba (alone)
Tango (for four musicians)
Sonata for Flute and Piano......a romance

Assisted by these fine musicians:

Timothy Hagen, flute
Nicholas Casillas, saxophones
Sonia Sielaff, clarinet
Nicolas Gerpe, piano
Alan Chan , piano
Josh Salzbury, trombone

11-22-08

Ben Phelps performs Night and Fugue for Marimba (alone) at the Chapman University Percussion Symposium.

10-19-08

The Westside Collective performed (with Ben Phelps on vibraphone) at the second annual Masquerade put on by the Rogue Artist Ensemble. The group will perform Phelps's chorale / lament / rhapsody. 7 pm at the Shakespeare Festival/LA.

10-7-08

My new marimba solo, Night and Fugue for Marimba (alone) is premiered on a USC Contemporary Music Ensemble Concert in the Alfred Newman Recital Hall on the USC campus. 7:30 pm. Stay tuned for future performances!

7-8-08 to 9-7-08

Run extended!!! The Comical Tragedy or Tragical Comedy of Mr. Punch returns! At the Bootleg Theater in Los Angeles. Visit the Rogues for more info! You can also listen to some of the music from the show.

8-23-08

89.3 KPCC listeners, keep an ear open on Saturday, August 23: OffRamp will be running a spot on Mr. Punch, complete with audio and music from the show! It airs at noon with a re-broadcast at 8pm. Not in Southern California? Listen on-line at www.scpr.org.

7-26-08

A rave review of Mr. Punch appears in the LA Times. They also ran a full-page photo spread of the production which can be viewed here.

4-30-08

The bass clarinet duo Sqwonk will premier my piece A musical offering (for bass clarinets) at 8 pm at the San Fransisco Conservatory of Music, in the Salon.

11-17-07

Passacaglia per Augmentationem performed by the Nucleus Ensemble at a private fundraiser for the Definiens Project.

11-07-07

The Nucleus Ensemble, part of the Definiens Project, will perform Passacaglia per Augmentationem at the Parkside Performance Café on the USC campus at 7 pm.

10-14-07

My new work, Passacaglia per Augmentationem, for Oboe, Cello, and Piano will have its world premier by the Tonoi Ensemble at St. James Episcopal Church in South Pasedena at 3 pm.

8-10-07

Zoology is performed by Soprano Amanda Grooms at the Aspen Music Festival, in Harris Concert Hall at 8:30 pm.

7-30-07

I am pleased to announce a new commission for a work for Oboe, Cello, and Piano from the Tonoi Ensemble, based in Los Angeles.

7-13-07

There have been several major updates to the webpage. Checkout the new recordings, clips, and pictures available on the Media page.

4-27-07 to 5-27-07

The Comical Tragedy or Tragical Comedy of Mr. Punch runs for 20 performances, Friday through Sunday at Theatre / Theater in Los Angeles. For more information please visit www.rogueartists.com. More pictures from the production are also available on the Media page.

5-10-07

Overture Maximus, my circus march for orchestra, has been awarded the Sadye J. Moss Endowed Musical Composition Prize by the University of Southern California. I am also pleased to announce that I have received a generous scholarship to attend the Aspen Music Festival in Aspen, Colorado this summer, where I will be a student of reknowned composer George Tsontakis.

5-9-07

I will be interviewed by Martin Perlich on KCSN Arts and Roots Radio as part of the station's Arts and Roots Forum (ARF!). I will discuss my recent and on-going collaboration with the Rogue Artists Ensemble, the art of dramatic music composition, as well as my piece, Overture Maximus. The interview can be heard live at 4 pm or streaming over the internet at www.kcsn.org.

4-27-07

The world premier of my Sonata for Flute and Piano...a romance by Flutist Alaina Bercilla at the University of Michigan School of Music in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The recital is at 1 pm in the School of Music's McIntosh theater.

Old News