Excited to be one of the composition faculty members at the Alba Music Festival Composition program. The festival is currently accepting applications for the May 2024 program featuring SOLI Chamber Ensemble, Aaron Jay Kernis, and faculty also including Erich Stem, Carl Schimmel, and J Anthony Allen. The application is free, open to composers of any nationality and stage of career, and some (limited) financial aid is available. To learn more, and to make an application, visit the program website: https://www.albacomposition.com/

Score and parts completed and sent! Just finished my piece Noir for tenor sax, electric guitar, and orchestra and really excited about this new version of the piece. Originally for big band, Chaowen Ting and the Georgia Tech Orchestras commissioned me to create this new version, which will be premiered by the Georgia Tech Concert Orchestra and members of the jazz ensemble on September 26. The piece will feature guest jazz tenor sax soloist Daniel Juárez and electric guitarist Nat Condit-Shultz. Andrea Pérez Muksi will be conducting the performance.

If you are interested in programming Noir for your orchestra after the premiere, send me a message! info@jenniferbellor.com

My composition Ballad of a Wanderer was performed at the 55th International Horn Symposium in Montreal on July 28, 2023. Click HERE for a link to the program. For more information about the piece, click HERE.

@jennifer_bellor

Improvising 😊🎹 I’m in the process of creating a version of my piece “Indigo Nocturne” for alto sax and piano and playing around with some ideas! This is a video I took a couple of weeks ago and thought I’d add this as my first improvisation video on here. Hope you enjoy it! (And still working on the piece!) 🎶🎹🎷. . . . #composers #composer #improvisation #piano #pianoimprov #composing #newmusic #brainstorming #composingmusic #homestudiolife .

♬ original sound – Dr.Jenwritesmusic🎶🎹🎻🎸🎷🥁

In addition to my composition projects this summer, one of my goals is to create and share keyboard improvisation videos. One of my favorite activities at home is improvising at my piano and antique pump organ. Improvising gives me happiness and serenity. A couple of weeks ago, I decided to share one of my improvisations on Instagram and Facebook. After receiving some really kind feedback on my first video, I decide this would be one of my new long term projects. I look forward to creating and sharing more improvisations in the coming weeks and cannot wait to communicate more musical ideas with all of you. I hope you enjoy listening!

Carousel (2023)

for string orchestra

Duration: 5′

Click HERE to view a PDF of the score.

Now available for purchase at JW Pepper and Sheet Music Plus

PROGRAM NOTE:

Carousel is inspired by the piece Alone in Kyoto by the french band Air which was featured in the Sophia Coppola Film, Lost in Translation. Scarlett Johansson’s character is exploring the Heian Shrine by herself to the sounds of electronic music, plucked piano and guitar. Carousel features rhythmic pizzicato strings in all four parts with bowed solos in the violins and cellos. The constant driving pizzicatos evoke the feeling of being on a mysterious carousel.

Total playing time is under 5 mins and is Level 4.

Carousel was premiered by the Las Vegas Youth Chamber Orchestra on May 1, 2023, conducted by Tim Warren.

For___* (2023)

for flute, piano, and timpani or violin, piano, and timpani

Duration: 4′

Level of Timpani part: Beginner

Level of Flute and Piano parts: Intermediate/Advanced

Click HERE to view the score with flute

Flute version available for purchase on JW Pepper, Sheet Music Direct, and Sheet Music Plus

Click HERE to view the score with violin

Link to premiere featuring violin

Violin version available for purchase on JW Pepper, Sheet Music Direct, and Sheet Music Plus

Dedicate the piece to your timpani player and add the first name of the timpanist to the title of the piece. This piece was written to feature a timpani player who is in the very early stages of learning the instrument and who wants to perform for the first time with their esteemed musician friends. I wrote the piece for Ellis Landau, a wonderful friend and supporter of the Las Vegas Philharmonic.  Titled FOR ELLIS,  Ellis premiered the piece alongside his distinguished friends  from the Phil at a gala event on March 29, 2023. It was his first time performing on stage and before the premiere, did not have a musical background.

The timpani player (for whom this piece was written) did not read music.  In lieu of the standard notation, I created a chart of numbers for the player.  I also conducted the premiere in order for him to  follow all of my cues and know when to play.  

For more information, please email info@jenniferbellor.com.

Thrilled to share my new music video A Grey Dream

Featuring:

John Irrera, violin

Joe Irrera, piano

Shahab Zargari, Director of Photography and editing

Ron George, Recording, mixing and mastering

Recorded and filmed in Doc Rando Hall, UNLV

A Grey Dream is now available on Spotify, Apple Music, etc.

I finished my first piece of the New Year! A Grey Dream for violin and piano will be premiered by the Irrera Brothers on February 6, 2023 at the UNLV Nextet series concert. Here is a MIDI mockup:

I also have another piece for violin, vibraphone and double bass titled Reviravoltas Sonoras, which is now available for purchase. Here is the audio of the MIDI mockup and for more information, please click HERE.