David Felder

This coming week, June in Buffalo celebrates its fortieth anniversary. The festival has been a vital presence on the new music scene, helping hundreds of composers to have the opportunity to get performances by world class ensembles and to participate in master classes with an extraordinary array of prominent composers. JiB has grown to encompass programs focusing on electronic music and a Performance Institute. This year’s schedule is particularly loaded, with a bevy of composers and prominent performers on hand to celebrate the festival’s forty year milestone.

I was fortunate to attend June in Buffalo in 1998, where I heard my Quintet played by New York New Music Ensemble, and again in 1999, where the Cassatt Quartet played my  String Quartet. Many of the composers I met at JiB have remained friends to this day and I treasure the memories that I have of the festival.

There’s another anniversary to be celebrated. David Felder has been JiB’s Artistic Director for thirty years. In an interview with Felder, you can learn more about the festival’s history. Below, there’s also a teaser video of an excerpt from Felder’s Les Quatres Temps Cardinaux, which Ensemble Signal and the Slee Sinfonietta will perform on Saturday, June 6th.