Roger Zahab

Fields

Orchestral Conducting; Violin Performance; Composition; Chamber Music Coaching; Writing on Music.

Teaching

Composition; Chamber Music; Conducting; Ensemble and Orchestral Performance; Music Theory; Orchestration; Violin and Viola.

Selected Honors/Awards

Louis Lane Scholarship given by the Akron Symphony Orchestra (1978).

Ohio Arts Council Individual Artist Grant (1995).

Selected Publications

His version of John Cage's Thirteen Harmonies for violin and keyboard instrument is published by C.F. Peters Corporation (1986).

Recent Compositions (selected works)

Battery Park, New York Harbor (2004) for violin.

Winter Forest (2003) for solo viola and string orchestra.

Highland Square (2003) for violin and guitar.

Remembering (2003) for flute, 'cello and piano.

Greetings from Tomorrow (2003) for solo piccolo and orchestra.

Strip District (2003) for violin and piano.

…and stars will appear (2003) for string quartet.

Phantoms, Assorted (2003) for violin.

memory flakes (2003) for two guitars.

now stay the hand of time (2003) for violin.

bicoastal (2003) for vibraphone and marimba.

reaching after (2003) for solo 'cello ( in scordatura ).

the tricky joys (2003) for violin, viola, trombone, and double bass.

Winter Dance (2003) for chamber orchestra.

Vigil (2002) for soloists, chorus, and orchestra

levitation of pianos during a waltz (2001) for piano.

Recordings as a Violinist (selected)

Eric Moe, Blue Air, on Up & At 'Em, Albany Records (2002).

John Cage: Thirteen Harmonies, on Koch International Classics (1995).

Six Melodies Variation by Christian Wolff in the two-disc set A Chance Operation-Tribute to John Cage, Koch International Classics (1993).

Stubborn Beauties, works for violin by Charlillo, Mackey, Macbride, Mamlok, Dennis Riley, and Zahab, Truemedia Records Ltd. (1993).

Recordings of Compositions (selected)

Fall/Return for guitar - James Marron, guitar on the CD titled Spring Rising.

Doubles Keening for wind quintet, Pennsylvania Quintet, Centaur.

Doubles Keening for wind quintet, Solaris, Capstone Records (2003).

your offending kiss for wind quintet, Solaris; Capstone Records (2003).

Verging Lightfall on the CD John Cage: Thirteen Harmonies, Koch International Classics (1995).

Recent Commissions (selected)

Winter Forest (2003) for solo viola and string orchestra;commissioned by the Pittsburgh Music Academy.

reaching after (2003) for solo 'cello (in scordatura); commissioned by Lawrence Stomberg.

the tricky joys (2001-3) for violin, viola, trombone and double bass; series commissioned by Benny and Jane Leonard.

levitation of pianos during a waltz (2001) for piano; commissioned by Eric Moe.

Afterglow (2000) for winds; commissioned by Eric Benjamin and the Tuscarawas Philharmonic in honor of the 100th anniversary of Aaron Copland's birth.

Signs of Life (1997) for orchestra; commissioned by the Children's Concert Society of Akron, Ohio in celebration of their 50th Anniversary Season for the Akron Symphony Orchestra.

Selected Performances as Violinist

Tison Street, Labyrinth for solo violin and orchestra with the University of Pittsburgh Orchestra, Bellefield Hall Auditorium, February 4, 2004.

Election Day, New Music for Violin, Frick Fine Arts Auditorium, November 4, 2003.

Mercyhurst College; Erie, PA, February 2003.

California Recital Series, California, PA, February 24, 2003.

Hearing into the Mist, St Peter's Church in Chelsea, New York City, March 8, 2002 and

New Music Gallery; Toronto, Canada, October 20, 2002.

Composition in Africa and the Diaspora International Symposium and Festival

Churchill College, Cambridge, UK. Gave premieres of works by Halim El-Dabh (Rivers in Confluence) and J.H.Nketia (Bolga Sonata) with pianist Robert Frankenberry, August 2, 2001

Selected Performances as Conductor

Gustav Mahler. Symphony No. 1 - University Orchestra, April 14, 2004.

Johannes Brahms. Symphony No. 1 - University Orchestra, March 3, 2004.

Gyorgy Ligeti, Piano Concerto, with Ursula Oppens and the Music on the Edge Chamber Orchestra, December 2, 2003.

Carl Nielsen, Symphony No. 1, University Orchestra, December 4, 2002.

Eric Moe, Fierce Lament (premiere) University Orchestra, September 25, 2002.

Oliver Knussen, Two Organa and Mathew Rosenblum, Möbius Loop, Music on the Edge Chamber Orchestra, February 6, 2002.

The Biddle Boys and Mrs. Soffel, opera, premiere, June 2001.

Selected Recent Performances of Compositions

Three Western Reserve Pieces for organ(1988) – Alastair Stout, tour, March 2004.

Silence Orchids & The Earth's Jig – Bennett Lerner, piano, world tour, Europe, USA and Southeast Asia, Fall and Winter 2003-04.

memory flakes (2003) – premiere; Bachmann Englehart Duo, Kent State University – Stark Campus, November 15, 2003

bicoastal (2003) – premiere; two, a percussion duo, Seattle, Washington, October 12, 2003.

reaching after (2003) – Lawrence Stomberg, cellist, Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, September 7, 2003 (premiere) repeated Sept. 8, University of Tulsa and Sept. 9th,Southern Nazarene University.

Vigil (2002) – Severance Hall, Cleveland Ohio, University of Akron Chorus and Orchestra, Samuel Gordon, conductor. April 21, 2003.

not later( 1999) - California EAR Unit, Los Angeles, January 8, 2003.

Residencies/Consulting

Composer/Guest Conductor for Pittsburgh Youth Symphony String Workshop, Winter, 2003.

Guest Composer in Residence, Composer's Club, Washington School, Mt. Lebanon School District - January/June, 2002.

Activities

Highland Square Philharmonic – founder and instigator of an ever-changing group of amateur and professional musicians who gather on a moment's notice to play and hear music in coffee houses and other informal settings.

Conductor, Music on the Edge Chamber Orchestra, which specializes in the newest music.

Director, University of Pittsburgh Orchestra, where he seeks to give students a well-rounded overview of Western music while exploring works from outside those increasingly porous boundaries.

President of Prism Projects, Inc., New York City, a non-profit presenter of new music concerts in the New York metropolitan area.

Zahab's conducting repertoire encompasses the history of ensemble music from Andrea Gabrieli up to the present.

Current Projects

Ohio Telechron – a multimedia theatrical work about politics, religio,n and teleportation.

Ongoing work with individual students and ensembles from ages 8 to 70 in all aspects of music.