Upstate New York in Glens Falls. Charles Peltz, music director, has been doing some wonderful things here. We first met when we did a concert on Long Island several years ago with the Merrick Symphony--Prokofiev Third Piano Concerto. We've stayed in touch, and when I read that his orchestra was doing the World Premiere of Joan Tower's "Made in America", I thought instantly that he might be interested in the Lowell Liebermann Third Concerto Project--and he was. That's what brings us together for this weekend's opening season concert in Glens Falls.

Last night, one of the integral parts of the prelude to the orchestra concert was a chamber music concert of various players in different combinations ie flute/piano, clarinet solo and w/piano, cello/piano, horn trio, piano trio--to musically illustrate the bridge between combinations of two composers. It was illuminating, and I must say the Liebermann Piano Trio was played splendidly as was everything else on the program. Lowell admitted that since his files for some works were gone from his PC back in 2001, he had to re-write everything, then spent a few days on one new work and going full speed ahead for one week in writing his Piano Trio--no food, hardly any sleep--finished the double bar at 4am the morning of 9-11, and finally fell asleep. He remembered three days after 9-11 going outside on the Upper West Side and smelled a very strange odor, and went back to his aprtment. He then declined to compose for a period of time--it just didn't seem appropriate to him to reflect in musical terms of what had happened.

So composers out there, Charles Peltz is a strong advocate for new music.