I am a composer and pianist based in the SF Bay Area. This year I am composer-in-residence for Symphony Parnassus, and I am co-director of the new music ensemble After Everything.
Take a listen below. All mp3 files are downloadable. If you would like to perform any of these pieces, or simply want to take a look, let me know and I will send you the score, parts, and anything else you need. shostako@comcast.net
Heaven-haven (Jennifer Paulino, soprano)
Words by Gerard Manley Hopkins.
My Pretty Rose Tree (Jennifer Paulino, soprano)
Words by William Blake.
Nurse’s Song (Jennifer Paulino, soprano)
Words by William Blake.
Witchcraft By a Picture (Jens Ibsen, tenor)
Words by John Donne.
Uncreated Light (Jens Ibsen, tenor)
Words by the composer.
Mirror-Winged Butterfly
The sea took pity
For some time I have been planning a series of piano pieces depicting the Moses story of water from the rock. “The sea took pity” is the epilogue, and references the waters of Meribah, or waters of strife, where the people “strove” with God. Moses has already committed the fatal error of doubt, for which he will later be punished by being barred from the promised land. So even as night falls, and the merciful waters spread over the desert, Moses recalls the immense burden of his divine office, and premonitions of a new, higher isolation take hold.
Variations & Theme (Meraki Quartet)
A Basil Tale (After Everything New Music Ensemble, conducted by Matthew Cmiel. Lora Libby, soprano)
A cantata for similar instruments as Ravel’s Mallarmé songs, culminating in an aria describing Ophelia’s death. Includes a toy piano. Words by John Keats & William Shakespeare.
What Wondrous Love (Symphony Parnassus, conducted by Stephen Paulson)
The old hymn tune is played by the bassoon, then later with full brass regalia.
Chopin: Scherzo #4
I have made two transcriptions of John Adams’ music for Christina & Michelle Naughton.
Christina & Michelle Naughton play John Adams’s Short Ride in a Fast Machine (arranged for 4 hands)
In this world premiere recording, twin sister pianists Christina & Michelle Naughton play John Adams’s iconic orchestral work Short Ride in a Fast Machine, arranged for 4 hands by Preben Antonsen. Listen to their newest album: https://w.lnk.to/apLY American Postcard features music by four distinct American composers: John Adams, Aaron Copland, Conlon Nancarrow, and Paul Schoenfield.
Roll Over Beethoven (Transc. Antonsen for 2 Pianos) : I. Allegro molto
Provided to YouTube by Warner Classics Roll Over Beethoven (Transc. Antonsen for 2 Pianos) : I. Allegro molto · Christina & Michelle Naughton American Postcard ℗ 2019 Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company. Piano: Christina Naughton Piano: Michelle Naughton Composer: John Adams Transcriber: Preben Antonsen Auto-generated by YouTube.
Roll Over Beethoven (Transc. Antonsen for 2 Pianos) : II. Andantino
Provided to YouTube by Warner Classics Roll Over Beethoven (Transc. Antonsen for 2 Pianos) : II. Andantino · Christina & Michelle Naughton American Postcard ℗ 2019 Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company. Piano: Christina Naughton Piano: Michelle Naughton Composer: John Adams Transcriber: Preben Antonsen Auto-generated by YouTube.
A Helpful Handbook of 777 Very Virtuous Voicings
I gathered these gems to share my love of harmony, and to show what infinite care these composers took to fine-tune the emotional specificity of their chords.
A Grotesquerie of 999 Lines
The forthcoming sequel to the chord book. For curiosity’s sake, here is a preview.
