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This page contains postings on compositions, performances and press.
I am honored to have been awarded a commission to write a site-specific work for the famous Newberry Library (https://www.newberry.org/) as part of Open House Chicago (https://openhousechicago.org/), funded by Access Contemporary Music https://www.acmusic.org/. My piece focuses on the front lobby and stairwell, with the instruments separated spatially. Event is Saturday, October 13, 2018. The work is played continuously (with short breaks) throughout the afternoon.
Found these three photos of, respectively, my grandfather (Abraham Jaffe) my father (Sol Jaffe) and me (David Jaffe), all playing the the Gibson A4 mandolin. The first two photos are from approximately 1936 (my father was age 16.) The last is from a concert of Santa Cruz New Music Works. Note that I am the only one who is using a strap to hold the instrument. What is the younger generation coming to?
On June 21, 2017, I performed as part of the unique Garden of Memory event, a columbarium walk-through event held every June 21st from 5pm to 9pm to celebrate the solstice at The Chapel of the Chimes in Oakland, California. Along with some forty other Bay Area new music performers, ranging from Kitka to Sarah Cahill, from the Rova Saxophone Quartet to Amy X Newburg, i will be positioned in one of the hidden nooks in the labrynthine Chapel of the Chimes, performing solo works for violin and mandolin, including "Cluck Old Hen Variations," "Ellis Island Sonata," and assorted improvisations on fretless banjo and other instruments. Note that tickets are available at the door throughout the event.
Here are some video excerpts:
May 3, 2017 - Stanford lecture by my long-time collaborator Andrew Schloss, with lots of the pieces we did together - "A history of radiodrum and robotics in musical performance".
Works discussedinclude "Underground Economy," "The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World," "Maravillas," "MaraDeviBot Variations," "The Space Between US," and others.
April 8, 2017 - Hillside Concerts. Bob Cowart's classic Berkeleyconcert series presented the preview performance of the 2nd and 3rd movements of a violin/piano version of my 2016 concerto, "How Did It Get So Late So Soon?," performed by Karen Bentley Pollick and Marja Mutru. This was my first opportunity to have the pleasure of working with Ms. Mutru, who also was extremely helpful in advising me on the piano arrangement.
