'First' concert is musician's last

The Contemporary Music Consortium opens its new season Thursday in its home in the First Unitarian Church as part of the church's "First Thursdays at the First" series.

The concert, which includes several local premieres, will mark the end of one era and the start of another. For longtime CMC director Laurel Ann Maurer, the concert will be her last, as she will be leaving Utah shortly to relocate in another state.

Taking over will be Russell and Leslie Harlow, who founded and run the Park City and Salt Lake City Music Festival, the Autumn Classics Music Festival and the Park City Film Music Festival. "They are two very able concert presenters who have some very innovative ideas," said Maurer, adding that she was able to accomplish the goals she laid out for the new music series after assuming leadership a decade ago. "My vision was to couple the variety of new music with accessibility and to reach out to the audience without compromising the validity and intellectualism of the music."

Presenting a variety of styles and composers has always been central to CMC concerts. "And this last concert is another opportunity for me to do this," said Maurer, who, in addition to directing CMC, is also an internationally recognized flutist who has performed extensively in the United States and Europe, and who has released a dozen CDs that explore new flute music, as well as the standard flute repertoire.

Maurer said that the major work on next week's concert is Benjamin Lee's "Tapestry" for flute, clarinet, cello and piano, which is a co-commission by CMC and Pacific Serenades, and which will receive its Utah premiere on Thursday. "Lee is an interesting composer, who writes tonal music but pushes the envelope. 'Tapestry' is a great piece with a lot to it because Lee really develops his ideas."

Dana Paul Perna is a composer whose works Maurer has frequently performed. And his early "Oswego Set" will be on Thursday's program. "Dana is a friend of mine who I've known for many years. He's written so many different kinds of works, and I've played a lot of his music." Maurer said "Oswego Set," for flute, clarinet and cello, is a vignette of college life. "It's really delightful. It's serious, frivolous and fun."

Two Utah composers are also on the program, Stan Funicelli and Steve Roens.

Funicelli has figured prominently at CMC concerts over the years both as a composer and guitarist. "I asked him to write a piece for both of us that we could play together," Maurer said. The result of that request is "Discourse," for flute and guitar. "It's a short one-movement piece, and it's very beautiful."