Ross Garren: News

Check out the music page to hear some samples of recent performances. Just posted are "Melts Away" for string orchestra and jazz ensemble and a performance of a currently untitled piece by violinist Nigel Armstrong and me.

hey guys,

Nick DePinna and my first duo record, "Expansions on Solo Piano", has officially been released! You may ask yourself how can a solo piano record be duo? Well, in short, we spent about two days recording me playing various material on keyboard and piano and then spent the next several months exploring ways to orchestrate, enhance, and re-imagine those original recordings through post-production techniques. That's where Nick really came in. For a more complete synopsis of the project, you can read the full liner notes at on the page appropriately titled "liner and other fun stuff". If you're so inclined, I'd be honored if you picked up your own copy of the record (digital download only!) at http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/expansions-on-solo-piano/id430619597. We're both really proud of the record and would love to hear what you think of it. Please also note the wonderful contributions of Hitomi Oba, the only non-Garren to contribute to both of my records. Unbelievably talented, she supplied not only the fantastic sax work on my first record, but also the wonderful sketch that is featured on the cover of this album.

Hey all you loyal fans (mary, lloyd, melissa, and possibly andy),

Though it''s been a busy and exciting 2011, I'm still working on wrapping up 2010! I just posted some samples from premieres from the last fall/winter; "Pantomime for Orchestra", my first recorded orchestral work (performed by the Symbiosis Chamber Orchestra) and "Falling Apart for Woodwind Quintet", an orchestration of a piece from my album Elision (performed by the Midnight Winds).

Also of note, my partner in crime Nick Depinna has posted a piece he wrote for me to perform on his [slated] 2012 release, "Music for Spaceports". You can check out "MFS terminal D" at www.myspace.com/nickdepinna. Watching him create this homage to Brian Eno was a great learning experience for me and exposed me to a number of exciting new (for me at least!) compositional and production possibilities.

Stay tuned for the release of my duo recording with Nick...it's currently being mastered by much missed Hans Bernhard in the land of Arcade Fire and should be ready in the next month or so.

Ross

I know that I took a year off from maintaining this site, but better late then never...check out the music page to hear a whole batch of new recordings, many of which can only be heard on this site! Check back over the next couple of months as I'll be posting some clips from the duo project that Nick Depinna and I are currently working to finish up. I'm really excited about this project; it's something very unique for me with what I hope will be a long future!

On another note, I have recently been named "Composer in Residence" along with George N. Gianopoulos by the exciting new LA-based concert music ensemble, Symbiosis. This was an unexpected development and has been a great context for the creation and debut of new concert works. The ensemble recently premiered a woodwind quintet of mine and will (hopefully) be premiering my first work for orchestra in the next couple of months, an orchestration of my composition, "Pantomime", for chamber orchestra and clarinet soloist (written for the great clarinetist John Tegmeyer).

Check out the "Curts Collective" link on music page.
A great tune by Nick Depinna!

Should be getting some video footage up soon...stay tuned.

I'm currently in the process of uploading music...check back and I should have some new music up soon!