Prayer for the Innocents

US premiere of Avner Dorman’s String Quartet No. 2 (“Mirage”) played by the Jerusalem Quartet at 92nd St. Y

New York, NY (PRWEB) March 25, 2006 -- The U.S. premiere of Dorman's String Quartet No. 2 Mirage takes place on April 29th at the 92nd St Y, performed by the Jerusalem Quartet, a group praised for their “impeccable blend [and fiery sweetness” (The Daily Telegraph, London). The work, described as “very impressive [and full of essence and energy” (Ma’ariv) and “genuinely moving and delicate” (The Jerusalem Post), was commissioned for the quartet's tenth anniversary. The heart of the piece – the second movement, entitled “Prayer for the Innocents” – is dedicated to the memory of the children that perished in Beslan, Russia. The concert celebrates the 58th anniversary of Israeli Independence Day. Other works on the programme: Barber’s String Quartet, Op. 11 and Brahms’ Quintet for Piano and Strings in F minor, Op. 34.

Israeli-American composer Avner Dorman quickly rose to become one of Israel's most successful and renowned composers. At the age of 25, he became the youngest composer to win Israel's prestigious Prime Minister's Award. In 2001, Dorman received the Golden Feather award from ACUM, the Israeli performing rights society, for his Ellef Symphony. Ma'ariv, the second largest newspaper in Israel, named Dorman “Composer of the Year” for 2002, and the performance of his song cycle Boaz received the Israeli Cultural Ministry Prize for best performance of Israeli music the same year. Dorman's Variations Without a Theme, premiered by Zubin Mehta and the Israel Philharmonic in November 2003, won the 2004 Best Composition of the Year award from ACUM. Since his arrival in the United States, Dorman was thrice awarded the ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer's Award and he has been a composition fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center. Dorman currently lives in New York City where he is completing his Doctorate at the Juilliard School of Music, studying with composer John Corigliano.

String Quartet No. 2, Mirage, will be performed by the Jerusalem Quartet on 29 April at 92nd St Y, New York City.

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