Hello world!

For my flutist colleagues: two new recorded and published pieces that I am very excited about and anxious to share with the flute world!

Fantasy on Syrinx and Fantasy on the Allemande of the Partita, both for solo flute and published by Falls House Press, are now up on my Facebook page and my YouTube channel: Peter John Bacchus Videos. Soon to come will be my Flute Variations from 2006, which is published by Dinsic. Instruction and information sheets on how I used these pieces as a basis for my composition (o for improvisation) are available further down on this same page.

These fantasies on Syrinx and the Allemande are subtitled as concert etudes or "improvisations in the style of...". It was an exciting process working with these two rep pieces as if they are the basis for improvising, the way a jazz musician might work with them. As composer, I wanted feel intuitively how these two gems are composed, expanding them almost as if Debussy or Bach (or one of Bach's sons) might have done it themselves!

Grup21 - We have finished the editing of a brand new recording of instrumental ensemble music with electronics, with works by Guix and Oliviera, Lewin-Richter and Brncic. It was very exciting to prepare these four futuristic pieces for recording. I conducted a first class group of 6 musicians: flute-alto fltue, clarinet-bass clarinet, violin, cello, piano and percussion; all accompanied by electronic sounds and music. This was a collaboration with the Phonos Foundation for electro-acoustic music.

Grup21 has also completed the recording of the flute chamber concerto written for us (with me as soloist) by the late Jorge Liderman, Flautando. It will soon be on CD with Concerto Jalisco by Carl Mansker which I recently recorded under supervision of the composer with the Bratislava Radio Orchestra.

Composer - Cor Vivaldi of Barcelona was just awarded 1st prize in an important international competition, with my Sicut Locus Est for a capella choir as part of it's repertory. I am pleased to announce that this great high voice choir, which just won the coveted Cross of Saint Jordi from the Catalonian government, will perform my Magnificat again in the spring of 2014. Also, Dinsic Publicacions just released my Petita Suite for cobla instruments, in 2 versions: for 8 and for 14 instruments.

Other news - I continue directing 3 choirs of retired people in civic centers for the city of Barcelona. It is gratifying to bring the joy of making music to these fine people from all walks of life in the district of Eixample! Along the same lines, I have been working asdirector and flute instructor for the exciting youth orchestra inspired in El Sistema, Riborquestra.

- Announcing two recently released CDs!

Grup21 of Barcelona brings it's first CD out into the world! Contemporary Mùsica Contemporània. With works by Chen Yi, Michael Torke, Jorge Liderman, Carles Guinovart and Jep Nuix.

Here is what the composers say:

Chen Yi: I love the excellent performance of your ensemble, so vivid, precise and expressive. You have really spoken for me in my mixed quintet Happy Rain on a Spring Night. Bravo!

Michael Torke: I just got back to New York and listened to yout recording of Telephone Book. It is very exciting, and quite accurate at those tempos! Bravo. I enjoyed it very much.

Order it by sending an e-mail to info@grup21music.com or going to Solfa Recordings. Solfa is putting up a great new site that will allow you to download seperate tracks!

Also, two recent works of mine: Nonet for Flutes, and Serenade UpTown Flutes 21st Century Gems by the fabulous New Jersey flute ensemble. I conduct on Nonet and perform with them as soloist on Serenade. This wonderful recording that all flute ensemble enthusiasts will want in their collection also includes works by Ian Clarke, Catherine McMichael and Andrew Downes.

Flutist Quarterly says about the CD: "... two recent pieces by Peter Bacchus: Serenade (2007), featuring the composer playing the melancholic flute line above the alto/bass flute richness; and Nonet (2006), with four contrasting movements, of which my favorite is the second, Moto Perpetuo, with its lines chasing one another merrily throughout...Bravo to guest soloist and conductor Peter John Bacchus..." Cynthia Stevens

You can order it through Uptown Flutes.

Instruction and information sheet for Fantasy on Syrinx (coming shortly!) :