Haskell Small Wins Marin Ballet Dance Score Competition and American Composers Forum Grant for New Mount Vernon Chamber Orchestra Work Haskell Small's Trio for Flute, Violincello and Piano has been named the winner of the Marin Ballet Dance Score Competition. The trio, published by Brixton Publishing, was selected by the competition judges and has served as the inspiration for Marin Ballet choreographer Cynthia Pepper's new work, titled "Babes" - a multi-generational piece based on the relationships of sisters, aunts and girlfriends. David Shepard, Music Director of the Marin Ballet, stated, "The purpose of this competition was to create an opportunity for contemporary composers and choreographers to collaborate; to foster a new language in dance by introducing choreographers to cutting-edge sound." Haskell Small, who is also a renowned pianist, has recorded the work for the Northeastern label along with flutist Virginia Nanzetta and cellist Douglas Wolters. Mr. Small has also been awarded a grant by The American Composers Forum to work with the Mount Vernon Chamber Orchestra of Virginia and students at Mt. Vernon's Hunt Elementary School to create a complete musical production. The students will work with Mr. Small to create a story and develop musical themes to enhance the works theatricality. The composition will be performed in its final form by the Mount Vernon Chamber Orchestra. This project is part of the business partnership between the Mount Vernon Chamber Orchestra Association and the school. This project fits in nicely with Ongaku Records recent release of Once Upon a Time - Children's Tales for Piano and Narrator, with Mr. Small on piano, joined by narrator Robert Aubry Davis. Selections on the disk include Poulenc's The Story of Babar, Richard Wilson's A Child's London, Soulima Stravinsky's Three Fairy Tales and Henry Barraud's Histoires pour les Enfants. The Washington Post has described this collection as "an imaginative recording...There is a sophistication in this material and performance that will appeal to adults as much as to the children.." Haskell Small's compositions have been commissioned and performed by the National Chamber Orchestra, the Washington Performing Arts Society, the Three Rivers Piano Competition, the Paul Hill Chorale, the Washington Ballet and the Amadeus Orchestra. As a pianist, Mr. Small has performed at Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Columbia University's Miller Theater, the Kennedy Center, the National Gallery, Wolf Trap Farm, and the Spoleto Festival. For more information about Haskell Small, visit his website at www.jamesarts.com/h-small/, or contact Jeffrey James Arts Consulting at 516-797-9166 - phone and fax, or [log in to unmask] Jeffrey James