World Premieres by Bermel and Moravec

A new piece by composer and musician Derek Bermel, Artist-in-Residence at the Institute, premiered on Sunday, August 1, at Tanglewood in the Berkshires. Swing Song, composed for Sir James Galway on the occasion of the flutist’s seventieth birthday, was conducted by Leonard Slatkin and featured Galway and the flutists of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Tanglewood Music Center, and the Boston University Tanglewood Institute. The Letter, a new opera by Paul Moravec, former Artist-in-Residence (2007–08), with a libretto by Terry Teachout, had its premiere on July 25 at the Santa Fe Opera. Moravec, who most recently served as Artistic Consultant (2008–09), composed the music during his time at the Institute. To read more about Bermel and Moravec, see the Spring 2009 issue of the Institute Letter.