Tag: Experimental

Nordic Affect

by Janette Tilley

Nordic Affect performs a selection of works that features the intimate and unique music that has emerged from the Icelandic scene in recent years. “Decades ago, the Sugarcubes proved to the rest of the world that Icelandic rock was its own original creation – now Nordic Affect promises to do the same for the country’s new-music community.” The performance of this program for varying combinations of violin, viola, cello, harpsichord, and electronics coincides with the release of their album, Raindamage. Raindamage offers music with connections to ecology, be it through references to nature, exploration of sound or interaction with the environment of the performance space, and was released in February 2017 on Sono Luminus. The performance will feature works from the album by Valgeir Sigurðsson and Úlfur Hansson, as well as music by Anna Thorvaldsdottir, Hildur Guðnadóttir, and María Huld Markan Sigfúsdottir.

About the Artists

 Icelandic ensemble Nordic Affect has been hailed for its “affectionate explorations” (BBC Music Magazine) and “commitment to their repertoire” (Classical Music). Nordic Affect (Halla Steinunn Stefánsdóttir, violin and artistic director; Gudrún Hrund Hardardóttir viola; Hanna Loftsdóttir, cello; Gudrún Óskarsdóttir harpsichord) was formed by a group of period instrument musicians united in their passion for viewing familiar musical forms from a different perspective and for daring to venture into new musical terrain. In 2013, the ensemble was nominated for the Nordic Council Music Prize and was named Performer of the Year at the 2014 Iceland Music Awards.

Lukas Ligeti Presents: Four Oceans

by Janette Tilley

About the Show

 Four Oceans explores ritualistic forms of interplay in an improvised context. A new group, it combines the talents of Old Time Relijun frontman Arrington De Dionyso, Rupert Huber of the famous Viennese trip-hop duo Tosca, and globetrotting drummer/composer Lukas Ligeti. De Dionyso, who is also a painter, performs on bass clarinet and various Indonesian traditional instruments; Huber, on piano and electronics, and Ligeti, on drums. Together, they explore new sonic spaces, evoking distant or nonexistent traditions, references to forgotten or freely invented cultures, and sounds that transport the listener to fantastic worlds the rest of us will never see. It is a music of sparse determination and internal revolution. They will be joined by a visual artist tbd.

FREE: Contemporaneous

by Janette Tilley

Six brand new compositions that began as a part of the Composers’ Seminar last semester. Featured composers are Jean-Patrick Besingrand, Daniel Fox, Peter Kramer, Nathan Pell, Charles Rudig, and Matthew Sandahl.

contemporaneous.org

Contemporaneous is an ensemble of 21 musicians whose mission is to bring to life the music of now. Recently recognized for a “ferocious, focused performance” (The New York Times) and for its “passionate drive…setting an extremely high bar for other ensembles to live up to” (I Care If You Listen), Contemporaneous performs and promotes the most exciting work of living composers through innovative concerts, commissions, recordings, and educational programs.

Based in New York City and active throughout the United States, Contemporaneous has performed over 90 concerts at a wide range of venues, including Lincoln Center, Park Avenue Armory, (le) poisson rouge, Merkin Concert Hall, Baryshnikov Arts Center, St. Ann’s Warehouse, and the Bang on a Can Marathon. The ensemble has worked with artists as diverse as David Byrne, Donnacha Dennehy, Yotam Haber, Dawn Upshaw, and Julia Wolfe.

Contemporaneous has premiered more than 70 works, many of them large-scale pieces by emerging composers. Through its commissions and readiness to play challenging music, the ensemble encourages composers to take risks and defy constraints. Contemporaneous’ debut album, Stream of Stars — Music of Dylan Mattingly (Innova Recordings), has been featured on radio programs around the world, including WNYC’s “New Sounds” and WRTI’s “Now is the Time.”

Contemporaneous also leads participatory programs for public school students in the communities where the ensemble performs. These workshops are designed to instill a passion for new music and to convey the power of careful listening and meaningful expression through music. The ensemble has held residencies at Simon’s Rock College, the University of New Orleans, Williams College, and Bard College, where the group was founded in 2010.