Composer Avner Dorman Spices Things Up
Praised as a “fresh, young voice, worth following” (
Gramophone Magazine), Avner Dorman has quickly risen to become one of Israel’s most successful and renowned composers.
On July 28, the Los Angeles Philharmonic with two-man percussion group PercaDu performed Spices, Perfumes, Toxins! at the Hollywood Bowl. The three-movement concerto which combines elements of Arabic, Indian and Western music was first performed in Tel Aviv in 2006 and enjoyed its US premiere this year with the New York Philharmonic. This performance was the first of Dorman’s work in Los Angeles, his adopted hometown.
“I wanted to come up with something innovative, and the thing about the substances of the title is that they are all seductive,” Dorman told the Los Angeles Times. “With all three substances, if you follow them too far, they can be dangerous. So that was the musical idea.”
The work for percussion and orchestra features two drum sets, marimbas, glockenspiel, xylophone and customized metal implements.
Dorman studied at Julliard under G. Schirmer composer John Corigliano, and his eclectic style has encompassed composing for orchestras and rock bands alike.