© 2012 PJR
Recent News
October 27, 2012
Here’s an excerpt from the Star Tribune’s review about Cantus’ When Twilight Falls program: “The program featured two world premieres. ‘Song of Sky and Sea,’ by Cantus tenor Paul John Rudoi, looked at the approach of death from a lush lyrical perspective. His sensitive setting of text allowed for optimal clarity.” You can read Randy Beard’s full review here. You can also read another review, by Ron Hubbard of the Pioneer Press, of Song of Sky and Sea and Cantus’ program here!
September 25, 2012
Cantus is gearing up for its 2012 home concert season with a fall concert entitled “When Twilight Falls”. It will feature a work that I wrote for the Svanholm Singers Composition Award, where it was a finalist in the competition! The work is entitled Song of Sky and Sea, and it is a large, seven and a half minute work on ecstatic prose by Rumi. It’s turning out to be a good addition, and I'm looking forward to the premiere on October 25, 2012 at The Cowles Center in downtown Minneapolis!
September 11, 2012
I won the Milwaukee Choral Artists’ Young Composer Award several years ago, and I wrote one of my most performed works, an arrangement of Amazing Grace, for the National Lutheran Choir last year. I recently created a work for both ensembles for their upcoming program, “The Call”, entitled Two or Three Angels. It will be premiered in Milwaukee on October 20, 2012, and then performed two more times in the Twin Cities on November 2nd and 3rd!
July 2, 2012
Several of my works were selected for the finals of the American Prize, an annual competition for artists. More information on the American Prize and the winners can be found here.
June 14, 2012
VocalEssence commissioned a new work from me as a result of our work together in their Essentially Choral program back in February. The resulting piece, You Carry Oceans Within, was premiered this evening at the national Chorus America conference. It was a wonderful evening of great music, and thanks to the poet, Sara Dailey, for an amazing poem to work with. If you’d like to read more of her poetry, check out her website by clicking here. You won’t regret it!