One of the most enjoyable aspects
about the Loboe Project is the anticipation of new works! There are several
original compositions and transcriptions in various states of progress at the
moment, all of which should result in excellent pieces. Today's feature
is about composer Alexandra Fol who is currently writing a work for Loboe and
piano.
I had the pleasure of meeting Alexandra while studying at the Eastman School of Music in 2002. Her enthusiasm for new works was contagious; she championed the music of her fellow composers as if they were her own. Her dedication to contemporary music was obvious but her skill set was not limited to composition. As a talented church organist and conductor, she is able to bring a very unique perspective to her work as a composer. Since our overlapping time at Eastman, she has continued to have a distinguished career and currently resides in Montreal. Needless to say, I greatly await the completion of her Loboe Project piece!
Alexandra Fol is a Bulgarian composer and organist and
has composed more than 50 works in different mediums. Fol's "Two Songs for Voice and Orchestra" were performed by the Tokyo Symphony Orchestras and her Concerto for Violin was premiered with the Boston University Orchestra. In 2005, Fol was one of four composers commissioned to write a children's work for the 70th anniversary of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra's Children Series. "Pegasus", Op. 37, was performed during the 2005-06 Montreal Symphony Orchestra's Children's Series and included an educational CD. Fol's commissions include chamber music premiered at Carnegie Hall, two short film scores, a work for the McGill University Orchestra, choir works, a piece for the orkestr de ereprijs in the Netherlands, corporate commissions, etc. Her works have been played by the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra and the Young Artists Orchestra. Fol was a finalist for the 2006 Gaudeamus Prize in composition and a 2007 Tanglewood Music Center composition fellow. Born in Sofia, she studied composition at Boston University, the Eastman School of Music and McGill University where she earned her Doctorate. She currently works as an organist at Missione Maria Ausiliatrice.
You can learn more about Alexandra by visiting her blog.
