Works for Piano & Violin at the Bryant Library in Roslyn

Concert managers Murray Cohen and Herbert Deutsch

The annual Long Island Composers Alliance (LICA ) concert, now in its twenty first consecutive year, will take place at the William Cullen Bryant Library on April 19, 2020, at 2:00PM. The concert comprises a violin- piano recital, featuring works by six LICA composers: Herbert Deutsch, Murray Cohen, Julie Mandel, Dana Richardson, Edward Smaldone,and Sonny Tobler.

The composers represented have widely varying styles. Herb Deutsch’s ‘When to Visit Donna’ is a tribute to the late saxophonist Charlie Parker’s jazz piece, regarding the conundrum of having three separate time zones in the state of Indiana. Murray Cohen’s Sonata No. 3 is in a style influenced by early 20th century composers Debussy, Ravel, and Ibert. Julie Mandel writes chamber music ,opera, musical theater, popular and art songs and is widely performed throughout the U.S. Edward Smaldone is Professor of Music Theory and Composition at the Aaron Copland School of Music, Queens College, writes in a complex of modern virtuosic style. The modern classical music of Dana Richardson has been widely broadcasted over more than 70 radio stations throughout The U.S. and Greece. Pianist- Composer Sonny Tobler has written the popular ‘Harlem Series’, based on the poems of the late Langston Hughes.

Concert performers Hsin Chiao Liao, pianist, and Brian Pak, violinist, have recently received their musical doctorates from SUNY Stonybrook’s music department. Born in Taiwan, Hsin Chiao Liao received national recognition in her younger years and has performed in Brahms and Beethoven concertos for piano and orchestra. Korean- American Brian Pak enjoys a career as a sought after performer and pedagogue.

Concert directors Murray Cohen and Herb Deutsch regard the Bryant library concerts among their most important and enjoyable venue, for both, the composers and the audience.