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Old News

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.

12-8-06

Much news! I am pleased to announce that I am currently working on two commissions- a flute sonata for flutist Alaina Bercilla, which will be premiered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in April 2007, and a piece for the bass clarinet duo Sqwonk (that's right, a bass clarinet duo) based out of San Fransisco. The other big project in the works is a new collaboration with Rogue Artists Ensemble, a new play adapted from Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean's graphic novel, The Tragical Comedy or Comical Tragedy of Mr. Punch. The play is set to open next April. I am also happy to report that my recently completed orchestra piece, Overture Maximus, will be premiered February 8th 2007 by the USC Thornton Symphony, with Donald Crockett conducting.

11-17-06

Ben Phelps will be performing the single (ridiculously difficult) percussion part to British wunderkind composer Thomas Ades's chamber opera, Powder Her Face, tonight at 8 pm, with additional performances Saturday at 2 pm and Sunday at 7 pm, at USC's Bing Auditorium. The opera will be conducted by Ades himself, and is a joint production of the LAPhil and the USC Thornton School of music.

11-16-06

The Westside Collective, with Ben Phelps on vibraphone, will be performing as part of the LA Valley College's free Thursday morning concert series. The 11:30 am concert will include chorale / lament / rhapsody. For more information click here.

11-3-06

Phelps has been appointed timpanist of the American Youth Symphony.

10-22-06

Ben Phelps's piece chorale / lament / rhapsody will be performed by the West Side Collective (with Ben Phelps on vibraphone) on the USC composer's concert at 4 pm. Yes, it is at the Alfred Newman Recital Hall.

10-10-06

Zoology will be performed at 7:30 pm by the USC Contemporary Music Ensemble (Frank Ticheli, guest director) in USC's Alfred Newman Recital Hall. Also on the program will be works by Dan Becker, Belinda Reynolds, and a performance by violinist Midori. Wow.

10-5-06

Ben Phelps's song, Zoology, will be sung at 4 pm as part of the USC Thornton School of Music's "parent's day," in order to show how good the school of music is. The concert is at 4 pm in USC's Alfred Newman Recital hall.

4-22-06

On April 22 at 7 pm Phelps's new work, chorale / lament / rhapsody, for Clarinet, Sax, Trombone, Percussion, and Bass will be premiered by the Westside Collective at the Westwood Hills Christian Church, 10808 LeConte Ave, Los Angeles, CA, 90024. The concert is made possible in part by a grant from the Hanson Institute for American Music.

4-11-06

On April 11 at 3 pm a new song by Ben Phelps, entitled "Zoology," on a text by Jillian Burcar, will be premiered at the Fisher Gallery on the campus of the University of Southern California as part of the concert, "One Language, Many Voices." The concert is free and will feature premiers of several other new vocal works by young LA-based composers setting texts of young LA-based poets. There will be a reception to follow. A feature article will appear in Monday's (4-10-06) Daily Trojan about the concert because it is very interdisciplinary, which is an exciting buzz-word right now.

4-7-06

Here is an article which mentions my piece and collaboration with poet in Jillian Burcar.

3-20-06

Ben Phelps has been awarded a grant from the Hanson Institute of American Music (based out of the Eastman School of Music) to compose a new work for a quintet of Clarinet, Saxophone, Trombone, Percussion and Bass. The work will be premiered April 22, 2006.

12-10-05

This date marks heralded launch of this web site, the one you are reading this news on right now. At the moment, I have little else to report that isn't already included on this site, so I'm just filling space. Be sure to check out the page on The Adventures of Johnny Crumb (it's the best page on the site), and check out the Listening section so you know what all the hype is about in the first place.

7-11-80

Ben Phelps is born.