Next Wednesday marks the debut concert of my new ensemble, AMERICAN ACCENT -- 8:00 PM, November 15th, at Manhattan's Merkin Hall -- with a big program: Harbison's "Fantasy Duo", Perle's "Monody I", Gubaidulina's "Klange des Waldes" and "Allegro Rustico", Rorem's "Bright Music", and my own "ZONES - Piano Trio #2". Since something of the rationale behind our group's formation may be of interest to list members, I offer the following background: Almost four years ago I decided to found an ensemble that, simply, would love to perform new music. (This remains -- even in year 2000 -- a "moderately" radical notion.) The group would cherish its connection with the resident composer, would be excited about the music of our own time, and would relish having the opportunity to present great pieces from current-day repertoire regularly. (Peter Maxwell Davies' Fires of London, and Joan Tower's association with Da Capo Chamber Players are sorts of models for a group of this kind.) What's different here, though, is that American Accent celebrates important recent music mostly composed in this country. There are many reasons why the music industry celebrates music and musicians from abroad at the expense of home-grown excellence -- but those reasons are primarily holdovers from past eras and really should not track forward into the new century. (Mark Swed's piece in a September issue of LA Times was blunt on the subject.) As I've said a number of times in public, in this 'niche-market world' there are many adjectives one could use to describe me as "composer", but the one that means most to me is the term "American". If we take a fresh look at a sample of significant music, most of it composed by Americans, we can begin to restore this sense of WOW! about the caliber, stature, variety and substance of our native product. -- So, AA revisits pieces already past their premiere, pieces that *should* be in rep. And every program will also have music by composer(s) from other parts of the world, too, to encourage listeners to make appropriate cross-references. I broached the idea to pianist Joanne Polk in late '98. (Joanne is director of chamber music at the Manhattan School of Music, and she and I also worked together in editing Vol. III of THE MUSICAL WOMAN book series.) Joanne and I became co-directors of AA, and before we knew it, the Lark Quartet and flutist Chesis had signed on and we were ready to go. We think we have a good shot at what we plan to present over the long term: committed and passionate performances of some of the best music of our country and our own time. Please join us, if you can, for our first concert next week -- and the second, on April 9th, when we present music by Rands, Tower, Morton Gould, Messiaen, Ives and Beach. Cordially, Judith L. Zaimont Composer WEBsite: www.joblink.org/jzaimont