‘The high point of the evening…a clever, jazz-influenced confection by Derek Bermel – winner of PNME’s 1996 Harvey Gaul Composition Contest…fun, fanciful, and brief.’
The Pittsburgh Post Gazette ‘Bermel’s Continental Divide makes no claims to monumentalism, instead shooting musical accents off long notes and exuding jazzy energy. Hints of lyricism peek through the textures, as do passages of gleeful cacophony. The composer led a crisp account of his inviting nine minute piece.’
The Cleveland Plain Dealer