July 18 commission event a success!

The first fund raising event for the Mark Petering Tuba Concerto Commission project was a great success. Five hundred dollars were raised, bringing the total donated so far to $2,500. There are also pledges of $3,000 due in in the coming weeks.

Twenty seven supporters attended the event. Aubrey Foard played 2 movements from a Bach Cello Suite, and he and Mark Petering talked about their collaborative efforts on the Concerto thus far. The talk and performance were followed by questions from the audience, and Mark's DVD recording of his piece Train and Tower, just performed at the Music Festival of the Hamptons. (See http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E04E6DC163FF931A15754C0A9659C8B63 for a review of the piece.) Train and Tower is the first piece to use a real locomotive as a part of the orchestra!

The next event, on October 5 at 6:00 p.m. at the Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts, will include two of Mark's pieces: the Train and Tower DVD and his Duo for Two Violins. Also on the program, sponsored in part by the Becker-Ritter Funeral Home, will be The Only Piece Ever Written for Violin and Tuba by PDQ Bach, the Debussy Sonata for Violin, and a Marcello Sonata. Pamela Foard will perform on violin, and Aubrey on tuba. Gina Wood will join Pamela in the Petering Duo, and pianist Kay Kim from Chicago will accompany.

Donations may be sent to The Underwood Foundation and mailed to Pamela Foard, 1820 N. 166th St., Brookfield, WI 53005.

Petering Project announced

The Mark Petering project, a commission for a new tuba concerto, has just begun! Mark (www.markpetering.com) is a Wisconsin composer teaching at Carthage College. He has been asked to create a new work for 26 year-old tubist Aubrey Foard. The tuba concerto will be completed in May of 2009, and a world premiere will be announced in the coming months.

The concerto will be three movements and approximately 15 minutes in length. The commission fee is $16,000. Donations are being accepted through The Underwood Foundation, and are tax-deductible.

On Friday, July 18 at 5:00 p.m., there will be a pre-benefit recital event where Mr. Petering will give a short talk, and Mr. Foard will play. This is to give donors and potential donors an opportunity to meet these two young artists and hear about their plans. Please call 262-227-4717 for more information.

Please go here www.musicfestivalofthehamptons.com/filelib/mfh_2008_brochure.pdf for information on Mr. Petering's upcoming performance of his piece "Train and Tower" at the Music Festival of the Hamptons. He will coordinate using a real train engine with live orchestra!