Welcome to Third Practice 2006 • November 3-4, 2006

Third Practice is an annual festival of new electroacoustic music and mixed media presented by the Department of Music and the Modlin Center for the Arts at the University of Richmond. Now in its sixth year, the festival will present works for instruments and computer, laptop, video, and stereo and multi-channel works for tape.

In past years, Third Practice has featured composers Evan Chambers 3P01, Natasha Barrett 3P02, Russell Pinkston 3P03, Mario Davidovsky 3P04 and Paul Lansky 3P05.

In 2006, Third Practice's ongoing commitment to the commissioning of new works has brought the release of [re], a DVD of multi-channel works by a diverse group of composers. The 2006 festival will premiere these new works. In 2001, Third Practice released Third Practice: Commissions and Premieres on CD, available from Centaur Records.

All Third Practice concerts take place in Camp Concert Hall, the University of Richmond's exclusive venue for musical presentations. Our technical specifications include a breakdown of all the equipment available to our visiting composers, as well as concert hall specifications. For further information on the festival, contact Benjamin Broening.

Third Practice News

• Third Practice releases [re], a DVD of new multichannel works commissioned by the festival.

• Third Practice Commissions two new works for eighth blackbird by Ashley Fure and Michael Barnhart.

• Mark your calendars! 3P07 will take place October 19-20, 2007. This is a bit earlier in the year than we typically schedule the festival for, so plan early!

Ensemble In Residence:   eighth blackbird

The Modlin Center for the Arts and the University of Richmond Music Department are pleased to announce that eighth blackbird will appear once again as the ensemble-in-residence at 3P06. The members of eighth blackbird are:

Matthew Albert, violin

Timothy Munro, flute

Matthew Duvall, percussion

Lisa Kaplan, piano

Michael Maccaferri, clarinet

Nicholas Photinos, violoncello

Why 'Third Practice'?

The term Seconda Pratica appeared in early 17th century Italy to characterize the emergence of a new compositional style that represented a departure from the modal, equal-voiced counterpoint of the Prima Pratica. The debate between practitioners of the old and new styles centered not only on innovative compositional techniques, but also on shifting compositional values. The Seconda offered composers not only new technical resources but also new ways of thinking about their craft.

The development of electro-acoustic music in the latter half of the 20th century might be understood as a change comparable in many ways to that of the early 17th century. While the specifics of the musical change differ in the two cases, both musical revolutions reflect innovations in compositional technique and practice as well new compositional goals and values.

The Third Practice Festival of Electro-Acoustic Music explores both the variety of the emerging electro-acoustic tradition and its relationship to past musical practices, and is committed to presenting new work through commissions and premieres.