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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250118T193000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250118T213000
DTSTAMP:20260425T052115
CREATED:20241209T154857Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250121T160305Z
UID:10001246-1737228600-1737235800@www.bowerbird.org
SUMMARY:New Thread Quartet: Album Release
DESCRIPTION:Bowerbird is pleased to present New Thread Quartet’s album release show featuring “A Little Night Music\,” and Tori Cheah’s Walk for a Shell from their new album\, Saxifraga. \n$15-25 suggested donation\, which includes a CD and digital download; No one turned away for lack of funds \nWhile Irish composer Emma O’Halloran was living in Miami\, she listened to the ocean waves at night for comfort and reflection. Her Night Music ripples and whirls like the sea with a nod to Latin music and Miami Sound Machine\, the mixtape that kept O’Halloran company during that year abroad. LA-based Kay Rhie composed Night Blooms for mixed trio following her father’s death in 2019. Adapted for saxophone quartet\, the piece tells the story of his final days in the hospital. As she watched his breathing machine expand and contract\, Rhie was reminded of flowers that bloom at night and how “many first-generation immigrants probably dreamed of beautiful ‘blooms’ during the quiet hours when not too many people took notice.” Helena Tulve‘s Öö\, which is “night” in Estonian\, sets an unsettled atmosphere of impending doom. The concert concludes with Walk for a shell\, which Tori Cheah describes as a reference to a pilgrimage wherein one applies time and effort across a distance in an offering of respect for forces greater than oneself. Short lullaby interludes composed by New Thread members weave the program together. \n\nABOUT THE ARTISTS \nNew Thread Quartet was formed with the mission to develop and perform impactful new music for the saxophone\, and to provide high level ensemble playing to feature today’s compositional voices. In 11 seasons\, the quartet has commissioned and premiered over 45 new works by composers such as Amy Beth Kirsten\, Richard Carrick\, Ben Hjertmann\, Ebun Oguntola\, Scott Wollschleger\, Kathryn Salfelder\, Taylor Brook and Emily Koh. \nBased in New York City\, New Thread has performed at Carnegie Hall\, Roulette\, Dance Theatre of Harlem\, Morgan Library\, Bang on a Can Summer Festival Benefit\, and Monadnock Music. The quartet has performed\, toured and recorded more than 30 important works for saxophone quartet including Kati Agócs’ Hymn in New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall; Marilyn Shrude’s Evolution V and energy flows nervously… in search of stillness\, as part of a 75th Birthday Celebration Concert at the Dimenna Center featuring Lost Dog Ensemble and the Momenta Quartet; Erin Rogers’ Urban Composites at the World Saxophone Congress in St. Andrews\, Scotland; and the premiere recording of Elliott Sharp’s seminal work Approaching the Arches of Corti for 4 soprano saxophones\, recorded with Grammy-winning engineer\, Judith Sherman\, now available on New World Records. New Thread released its debut album Plastic Facts in 2018 on New Focus Recordings and in 2020 recorded three works on [word]plays\, an album by Emily Koh now available from Innova Recordings. \nNew Thread has a track record of working closely with composers in a workshop environment during the formation of new works. The quartet strives for multiple performances of newly commissioned works in an attempt to bring new music to different audiences as often as possible. New Thread’s annual self-presented Explorations Series showcases works by emerging composers\, adding exciting new voices to the saxophone canon. \nNew Thread has conducted masterclasses\, residencies\, and performances for student saxophonists and composers at Peabody Conservatory\, University of Virginia\, Berklee Conservatory\, Bronx Community College\, Aaron Copland School (Queens College)\, Montclair State University\, and New York University. A strong community supporter\, New Thread attends NASA Regional and Biennial conferences across the US. The quartet encourages young composers to create new works for saxophones through an open submission policy\, conducting reading and feedback sessions throughout the year. New Thread is a presenting partner of Composers Now. \nEnsemble members are Jonathan Hulting-Cohen (soprano saxophone)\, Noa Even (alto saxophone)\, Erin Rogers (tenor saxophone)\, and Zach Herchen (baritone saxophone). \nwww.newthreadquartet.com/ \n\n
URL:https://www.bowerbird.org/event/new-thread-quartet-album-release/
LOCATION:University Lutheran\, 3637 Chestnut Street\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250117T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250117T220000
DTSTAMP:20260425T052115
CREATED:20241111T163003Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250118T141000Z
UID:10001243-1737144000-1737151200@www.bowerbird.org
SUMMARY:Laraaji
DESCRIPTION:*Please note: The performance starts at 8:00pm. Those who reserved tickets will be able to enter at 7:30pm with seating on a first come first served basis; then standing room only. After 8pm\, those without reserved tickets may enter depending on capacity* \n  \nWe are thrilled to welcome back Laraaji\, a key figure in the evolution of ambient music whose distinctive sound has been captivating listeners for decades. Philadelphia-born and New Jersey-raised\, Laraaji has pursued spiritual transcendence through music since the mid-1970s. After years of developing an aesthetic shaped by Eastern philosophies and transcendental research in his longtime Harlem home\, Laraaji’s breakthrough came when Brian Eno discovered him busking in Washington Square Park in 1979\, improvising celestial meditations on his electric zither. This encounter led to a collaboration on Eno’s influential Ambient series\, resulting in the 1980 album Day of Radiance. \nSince then\, Laraaji has become a defining figure in new age and ambient music\, known for his commitment to hand-crafted sounds over synthesizers and his embrace of a human presence in his performances. Whether playing monochord instruments\, singing\, or using electronics-kissed percussion\, his music remains rooted in a cosmic African-American tradition. His soundscapes are as hypnotically beautiful as they are rich with moments of tension and dissonance\, bringing depth to his trance-inducing explorations. For over four decades\, Laraaji’s work has continued to evolve\, inviting listeners into deep states of reflection while remaining grounded in a deeply personal musical journey. \n\n\n  \n\n 
URL:https://www.bowerbird.org/event/laraaji-2025/
LOCATION:The Rotunda\, 4014 Walnut St\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241220T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241220T220000
DTSTAMP:20260425T052115
CREATED:20241104T171842Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241223T162633Z
UID:10001242-1734724800-1734732000@www.bowerbird.org
SUMMARY:The Adventures of Prince Achmed
DESCRIPTION:Bowerbird is delighted to present a special screening of Lotte Reiniger’s pioneering animated film\, The Adventures of Prince Achmed. \nWhen The Adventures of Prince Achmed premiered in Germany on September 23\, 1926\, it was hailed as the first full-length animated film. More than seventy-five years later\, this enchanting film still stands as one of the great classics of animation — beautiful\, mesmerizing and utterly seductive. \nTaken from The Arabian Nights\, the film tells the story of a wicked sorcerer who tricks Prince Achmed into mounting a magical flying horse and sends the rider off on a flight to his death. But the prince foils the magician’s plan and soars headlong into a series of wondrous adventures — joining forces with Aladdin and the Witch of the Fiery Mountains\, doing battle with the sorcerer’s army of monsters and demons\, and falling in love with the beautiful Princess Peri Banu. \nThis cinematic treasure has been beautifully restored with its spectacular color tinting and with a new orchestral recording of the magnificent 1926 score by Wolfgang Zeller. Thrilling\, sensuous and dazzling\, Prince Achmed will enthrall children and film enthusiasts of all ages. \n\nABOUT THE ARTIST \nLotte Reiniger made over sixty films\, of which eleven are considered lost and fifty to have survived. The film maker is best known for her pioneering silhouette films\, in which paper and cardboard cut-out figures\, weighted with lead\, and hinged at the joints were hand-manipulated from frame to frame and shot via stop motion photography. The figures were placed on an animation table and usually lit from below. In some of her later sound films the figures were lit both from above and below\, depending on the desired visual effect. Framed with elaborate backgrounds made from varying layers of translucent paper or colorful acetate foils for color films\, Reiniger’s characters were created and animated with exceptional skill and precision. \nIn addition to producing silhouette animation films\, Reiniger was equally engaged by live shadow puppetry\, which was at times recorded on film and used in live-action films. For example\, in 1933\, Reiniger made a shadow play sequence for G.W. Pabst’s Don Quixote (1933). In 1937 she created “Le Pont Cassé\,” which translates to “the Broken Bridge\,” a short shadow play sequence filmed for Jean Renoir’s La Marseillaise (1938). This famed shadow play was the most popular piece by François Dominique Séraphin\, founder of the Theatre Séraphin in Versailles in 1770. Reiniger’s filmed play emulated Séraphin’s style and was thus an homage to the roots of European shadow play. \n\n
URL:https://www.bowerbird.org/event/the-adventures-of-prince-achmed/
LOCATION:The Rotunda\, 4014 Walnut St\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241208T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241208T170000
DTSTAMP:20260425T052115
CREATED:20241114T155538Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241209T153009Z
UID:10001244-1733670000-1733677200@www.bowerbird.org
SUMMARY:Chris Dingman
DESCRIPTION:Bowerbird is pleased to present Chris Dingman in a solo set at the Maas Building for a “sound bath” style performance. \nPlease bring a blanket\, yoga mat\, or other similarly comfortable option. Chairs will be limited. \n\nABOUT THE ARTIST \nChris Dingman is a vibraphonist and composer known for his distinctive approach to the instrument: sonically rich and expansive\, bringing listeners on a journey to a beautiful\, transcendent place. He has done significant work with legendary artists Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter as well as next generation visionaries such as Linda Oh\, Ambrose Akinmusire\, Steve Lehman\, and many others\, performing around the world including India\, Vietnam\, and extensively in Europe and North America. \nHe has been profiled by NPR\, The New York Times\, AMNY and many other publications\, and has received fellowships and grants from the Chamber Music America\, the Doris Duke Foundation\, New Music USA\, South Arts\, and the Herbie Hancock Institute (formerly the Thelonious Monk Institute). Hailed by The New York Times as a “dazzling” soloist and a composer with a “fondness for airtight logic and burnished lyricism\,” the fluidity of his musical approach has earned him praise as “an extremely gifted composer\, bandleader\, and recording artist.” (Jon Weber\, NPR). \n\n
URL:https://www.bowerbird.org/event/chris-dingman/
LOCATION:Maas Building\, 1325 N Randolph St\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19122\, United States
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241115T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241115T220000
DTSTAMP:20260425T052115
CREATED:20240930T151755Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241118T155655Z
UID:10001241-1731700800-1731708000@www.bowerbird.org
SUMMARY:Moondog on the Keys
DESCRIPTION:Bowerbird is pleased to present Moondog on the Keys\, a concert featuring piano works by the maverick composer Moondog performed by trimbist Julian Calv\, pianist Alex Stewart\, and vocalist/percussionist Sarah Penna. Moondog aka Louis Hardin composed music creating an unexpected link between the resurgent science of counterpoint\, Arapaho\, Navajo\, Blackfoot\, and Sioux rhythms and song forms\, the art of jazz improvisation\, and the beginnings of a repetitive and minimalist aesthetic. The concert will span Moondog’s career and include comments about the music from Julian– who studied with Moondog’s only student\, Stefan Lakatos. \n\nABOUT THE ARTISTS \nJulian Calv is a musicologist and performer who specializes in the music of Moondog. He graduated from Moravian University in 2021 with a Bachelor of Music degree and plays the trimba\, a percussion instrument invented by Moondog. Moondog’s only trimba student\, Stefan Lakatos\, was the teacher of Julian. He does both studio and live projects. His 2023 vinyl release “Route 4/Thorn and Roots” presents two percussion compositions based on rhythmic patterns utilized by Moondog. Following this on November 9th 2024\, Julian’s debut album Nonstop Motion will be released– presenting original compositions alongside never before recorded Moondog compositions. He’s brought Moondog’s music to uncharted territories too. On July 18th\, 2024\, he performed with his vocal sextet Non Prophets at the Southern State Correctional Facility\, in Springfield Vermont\, to a captive audience – some of whom had never heard live music in the last seventeen years. This project was the first of a lifetime of activism projects Julian hopes to continue. \nAlex Stewart is a musician\, architect\, and man about town. He loves living in Newport\, NH. He directs the adult choir and bell choir at the South Congregational Church where he plays organ and piano each week. He directs the Kearsarge Community Band in nearby New London. He also accompanies several community and school ensembles\, performs with the NH Troubadours and the Newport Opera House Association\, serves on the Choral Arts Foundation of the Upper Valley\, and does other stuff. He is grateful for this opportunity\, and hopes you’re having fun. \nSarah Penna is a musician and all around nature lover. She graduated from Moravian university in 2021 where she studied music education along with vocal\, and piano\, performance. Her honors project “The Human Faith Melody and the Power of the Common Soul: Charles Ives and the Concord Transcendentalists” was completed in 2021 and is a culmination of her music studies and spiritual interests. Sarah continues to unify community and music through her work with the Vermont State parks and performances with Julian. \n\nEncore by Julian Calv
URL:https://www.bowerbird.org/event/moondog-on-the-keys/
LOCATION:The Rotunda\, 4014 Walnut St\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241102T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241102T220000
DTSTAMP:20260425T052115
CREATED:20240805T143823Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241104T165922Z
UID:10001237-1730577600-1730584800@www.bowerbird.org
SUMMARY:Chamber Music of George Walker
DESCRIPTION:Bowerbird is pleased to present a concert of chamber works by composer George Walker performed by the Daedalus Quartet\, Dynasty Battles\, David Hughes\, and members of the Arcana New Music Ensemble. \nAs an aspiring pianist in his early teens\, George Walker (1922-2018) gave his first public recital at Howard University’s Andrew Rankin Memorial Chapel before studying performance and composition at Oberlin College and the Eastman School of Music.   Walker graduated from Philadelphia’s prestigious Curtis Institute with Artist Diplomas in piano and composition in 1945\, as one of the first Black graduates of the music school.  Walker was a trailblazer within the landscape of twentieth and twenty-first century American music. He was the first African-American performer to appear in performance with the Philadelphia Orchestra and the first African-American musician to receive a doctoral degree from Eastman. Walker’s many firsts are perhaps best captured by his singular achievement in 1996: the Pulitzer Prize for Lilacs for Voice and Orchestra. Despite Walker’s many achievements\, much of his chamber music is not widely known.  \nPROGRAM \nPerimeters for Clarinet and Piano\nJonathan Leeds\, clarinet\nDavid Hughes\, piano \nPiano Sonata 1\nDynasty Battles\, piano \nSelection of Songs\n“In the Time of Silver Rain”\n“What If I Say I Shall Not Wait”\n“I Have No Life But This”\n“Bequest”\nAlize Rozsnyai\, soprano\nDavid Hughes\, piano \nPiano Sonata 4\nDavid Hughes\, piano \nString Quartet No. 1\nDaedalus Quartet \n\nABOUT THE ARTISTS \nPraised by The New Yorker as “a fresh and vital young participant in what is a golden age of American string quartets\,” the Daedalus Quartet has established itself as a leader among the new generation of string ensembles. Since winning the top prize in the Banff International String Quartet Competition in 2001\, the Daedalus Quartet has impressed critics and listeners alike with the security\, technical finish\, interpretive unity\, and sheer gusto of its performances. The New York Times has praised the Daedalus Quartet’s “insightful and vibrant” Haydn\, the “impressive intensity” of their Beethoven\, their “luminous” Berg\, and the “riveting focus” of their Dutilleux. The Washington Post in turn has acclaimed their performance of Mendelssohn for its “rockets of blistering virtuosity\,” while the Houston Chronicle has described the “silvery beauty” of their Schubert and the “magic that hushed the audience” when they played Ravel\, the Boston Globe the “finesse and fury” of their Shostakovich\, the Toronto Globe and Mail the “thrilling revelation” of their Hindemith\, and the Cincinnati Enquirer the “tremendous emotional power” of their Brahms. \nDynasty Battles\, the recipient of the 2021 Career Advancement Award by the Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia\, has been featured with soprano Marietta Simpson in The Philadelphia Inquirer\, and on music critic David Patrick Stearns’ radio program “Creatively Speaking” on Philadelphia’s WRTI (90.1FM). \nOne upcoming highlight: Battles will debut a piano concerto by composer Nina Shekhar\, whose music has been performed by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra\, Chicago Symphony Orchestra\, and many more. Battles recently debuted a composition by multiple Grammy nominee and Pulitzer Prize finalist Ted Hearne\, composed for Dynasty himself\, which was featured in The Philadelphia Inquirer. Other recent engagements include hall debuts at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in a concert curated by John Adams\, the Chicago Cultural Center’s Preston Bradley Hall as a featured artist in the International Music Foundation’s Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts\, and the Benjamin Franklin Hall with the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society. Additionally\, he made his international debut at the Barbican Centre in London while in residency with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. \nCareer highlights include an invitation to perform George Walker’s Piano Sonata No. 1 in a private engagement at the distinguished composer’s home. In a project profiled by The New York Times\, he also performed in Bowerbird Philly’s ongoing series highlighting the works of Julius Eastman. \nBattles studies with concert pianist Leon Bates and Eve Wolf\, pianist\, and Executive Artistic Director of Ensemble for the Romantic Century. He also studied counterpoint and harmony and analysis with Jonathan Coopersmith\, Chair of Musical Studies at the Curtis Institute of Music. A native of Philadelphia\, Dynasty received a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance\, cum laude from Temple University\, under the instruction of Harvey Wedeen as a recipient of the Esther Boyer College Scholarship. \ndynastybattles.com \nDavid Hughes is a Philadelphia-based pianist with a wide-ranging repertoire that places a special emphasis on modern and lesser-known works\, as well as chamber music. Hughes has performed at the Kennedy Center\, Amsterdam’s Muziekgebouw and the Spanish Embassy in Washington\, DC. He has been featured on Philadelphia’s WRTI radio station in an hour-long segment of solo repertoire\, and can also be heard playing four different keyboard instruments on John Zorn’s violin concerto\, “Contes de Fées\,” on the Tzadik label. Mr. Hughes has a strong interest in contemporary music and received third prize in the Gaudeamus Interpreters Competition—one of the world’s premier competitions for modern music—as a member of Outer Banks Duo with saxophonist Stacy Wilson. This was followed by the release of their debut CD\, L’Incandescence. He regularly works with instrumentalists at the Curtis Institute of Music and has appeared on Curtis’ student recital series. He is also a past recipient of a fellowship to the Tanglewood Music Center\, a prizewinner in the MTNA National Chamber Music Competition\, and holds a doctoral degree in piano performance from Indiana University. \nAlize Francheska Rozsnyai\, soprano and graduate of The Curtis Institute of Music “displaying profound imagination and control” (Philadelphia Inquirer)\, is building a diverse and exciting performance career as a classical soprano with a “superb voice” (Harrogate News) which is “sparkling” (ArtBlog)\, all while serving up “deliciously diva performances” (I CARE IF YOU LISTEN). This season she appears with St. Petersburg Opera as an Emerging Artist and cover for Morgana in Handel’s Alcina\, Minerva and Cookie in the World Premiere of Five Ways to Die with Experiments in Opera NYC\, and makes her role debut as Frasquita in Carmen with Boheme Opera NJ. Recent performances include Serpina in La Serva Padrona with Hub City Opera\, Katherine Hutchinson in Silk City with Garden State Opera\, and Rivka in the world premiere of Part I of Misha Dutka’s Liebovar with Opera Boheme New Jersey. Recently\, Alize portrayed Zina in Nico Muhly’s Dark Sisters with Opera Fayetteville\, Soloist in Beth Morrison Projects’ Next Gen Concert with Contemporaneous Ensemble at National Sawdust\, Morgana in Alcina REVAMPED with Alter Ego Chamber Opera\, and Phyllis in Iolanthe at the International Gilbert & Sullivan Festival in Harrogate\, England. Alize has performed with Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro\, Den Nye Opera in Bergen\, Norway\, Opera Philadelphia\, San Diego Opera\, Chautauqua Opera\, Seattle Symphony [Untitled 3] Series\, Carnegie Hall\, The Kennedy Center\, Opera Fayetteville\, Center for Contemporary Opera\, The Cape Cod Symphony\, and favorite role credits include Adina (l’elisir d’amore)\, Susanna (le Nozze di Figaro)\, Blanche (Dialogues des Carmélites)\, Cleopatra (Giulio Cesare)\, Eurydice (Orphée aux Enfers)\, Königin der Nacht (Die Zauberflöte)\, Thérèse (Les Mamelles des Tirésias)\, Hilda (Elegy for Young Lovers-Henze)\, and Ilia (Idomeneo). Alize is also an accomplished librettist and is has had several works performed with companies including Experiments in Opera\, Hub City Opera\, ENA Ensemble\, and the University of Connecticut. \nFounded in 2016\, the Arcana New Music Ensemble is a group of Philadelphia-based musicians dedicated to presenting interesting\, beautiful\, and unconventional music in interesting\, beautiful\, and unconventional places. Built on a flexible roster of 25 musicians\, Arcana is able to perform a broad range of repertoire in numerous configurations. Composers featured in recent programs include Julius Eastman\, Morton Feldman\, Galina Ustvolskaya\, Pauline Oliveros\, Tom Johnson\, Moondog\, and James Tenney. Arcana has performed at the Philadelphia Museum of Art\, Fleisher Art Memorial\, The Rotunda\, The Kitchen (NYC)\, and collaborated with Variant Six\, Prometheus Chamber Orchestra\, and Pig Iron Theater Company. \n\nSupport for this program provided by the Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia
URL:https://www.bowerbird.org/event/chamber-music-of-george-walker/
LOCATION:University Lutheran\, 3637 Chestnut Street\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241017T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241017T220000
DTSTAMP:20260425T052115
CREATED:20240715T163633Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241021T144627Z
UID:10001236-1729195200-1729202400@www.bowerbird.org
SUMMARY:Exploratorium
DESCRIPTION:Bowerbird is pleased to present a concert of works from Gene Coleman’s recent album Exploratorium and solo performance by Toshimaru Nakamura. \nPROGRAM  \nKATA (2021) film version of the work\nEnsemble N_JP\nSansuzu Tsuruzawa (voice and shamisen)\nAkikazu Nakamura (shakuhachi)\nAdam Vidiksis (percussion and electronics)\nKo Ishikawa (sho)\nNaoko Kikuchi (koto)\nNick Millevoi (e-guitar)\nHemmi String Quartet Yasutaka Hemmi (violin 1)\nMarino Nagira (violin 2)\nYuta Tsubonouchi (viola)\nYasunori Onishi (cello)\nGene Coleman (composition\, video and musical direction)\n*US Premiere \nNeuro Music I: Dialog of Thought and Intuition (2024)\nTom Kraines (cello)\nToshimaru Nakamura (live electronics)\nAdam Vidiksis (neuro electronics)\n*World Premiere \nRippling Waves (2024) Text score for ensemble based on haiku by Matsuo Basho\nToshimaru Nakamura (live electronics)\nAnne Ishii (percussion)\nAdam Vidiksis (percussion)\nNick Millevoi (e-guitar)\nTom Kraines (cello)\nGene Coleman (direction) \nThe evening will conclude with a solo performance by Toshimaru Nakamura. \nAlbum available here:\nhttps://www.falsewalls.co.uk/release/exploratorium/ \nhttps://falsewalls1.bandcamp.com/album/exploratorium  \nFocused on his recent compositions based on models from auditory neuroscience the album includes Coleman’s 2nd string quartet\, three works for voices and electronics and a new work for a large ensemble titled “Across Time (Transonic Symphony #1)”. \n\nABOUT THE ARTISTS \nGene Coleman is a composer\, musician and video director\, who has created over 70 works for various instrumentation and media. Central to his work is the inventive use of sound\, image and time\, and the desire to create experiences that expand our understanding of the world. Since 2001 he has explored the global transformation of culture and music’s relationship with video\, science and architecture. He began composing and performing both composed and improvised music in the late 1980s; founded the groups Ensemble Noamnesia\, Ensemble N_JP\, and Transonic Orchestra; was artistic director of the Transonic festival at the House of World Cultures (Berlin)\, Director of the American Composers Forum (Philadelphia)\, artistic director of the Public Art festival Site/Sound (Philadelphia) and a Creative Arts Fellow of the US Japan Friendship Commission. He has an extensive discography of both composed and improvised music\, including the False Walls CD Storobo Imp. with Uchihashi Kazuhisa (2004). Since 2016\, his works have explored the concepts of Neuro Music and audiovisual composition based on Neuroscience. Gene is a 2014 Guggenheim Fellow and received the 2013 Berlin Prize for Music from the American Academy in Berlin.\nwww.genecolemancomposer.com \nComposer Gene Coleman formed Ensemble N_JP in 2001 as a vehicle for his on going work with musicians from Japan. Through concert programs\, multimedia works and educational projects\, the group explores connections between contemporary and traditional forms of art. N_JP is made up of musicians who work with Coleman on a project-by-project basis. It unites outstanding Japanese and US musicians from the traditional\, experimental and contemporary classical music communities\, along with guest artists from Europe. Ensemble N_JP has performed in a number of important festivals and venues since it’s inception\, these include the I-House of Tokyo\, Pitt Inn Shinjuku\, Kidailack Art House (Tokyo)\, The House of World Cultures Berlin\, The Dresden Society Theater\, The Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art\, Lake Forest College\, The Chicago World Music Festival\, I-House Philadelphia\, The Blurred Edges Festival in Hamburg\, The Renaissance Society at the University of Chicago\, The Japan Society NY\, University of Illinois Urbana\, The Philadelphia Museum of Art\, MaerzMusik Festival\, Warsaw Autumn Festival and The Museum of Modern Art\, New York. \nToshimaru Nakamura’s instrument is the no-input mixing board\, which describes a way of using a standard mixing board as an electronic music instrument\, producing sound without any external audio input. The use of the mixing board in this manner is not only innovative in the the sounds it can create but\, more importantly\, in the approach this method of working with the mixer demands. The unpredictability of the instrument requires an attitude of obedience and resignation to the system and the sounds it produces\, bringing a high level of indeterminacy and surprise to the music. Nakamura pioneered this approach to the use of the mixing board in the mid-1990’s and has since then appeared on over one hundred audio publications\, including nine solo CD’s. \n  \n\nThis program is supported by mediaThefoundation\, The Institute for Music and Neuroaesthetics\, and The New Jersey Arts Council
URL:https://www.bowerbird.org/event/exploratorium-2/
LOCATION:The Rotunda\, 4014 Walnut St\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241012T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241012T220000
DTSTAMP:20260425T052115
CREATED:20240715T163605Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241014T152228Z
UID:10001235-1728763200-1728770400@www.bowerbird.org
SUMMARY:Evan Chapman - Reveries
DESCRIPTION:Bowerbird is pleased to present Evan Chapman performing works from his recently released album “Reveries.” Opening the night will be Koof Ibi and Lizdelise. \nReveries\, Evan’s debut solo full-length album of original music (out 10/11 on Better Company Records) is a boldly personal creative statement that is the culmination of a vast musical background paired with ambitious originality. The percussion-driven collection of compositions draws elements from contemporary-classical\, post-rock\, electronic\, post-minimalist\, ambient\, and pop in ways that are genre-defying and adventurous\, yet emotive and lyrical. The unexpected combinations of instruments and sonic palettes throughout the record – heightened through contributions by modern jazz electric guitarist & upright bassist Joshua Stamper and Wild Up’s virtuoso guitarist JIJI – blur the lines of recognizability between acoustic and electric timbres to create an expansive sound world that becomes greater than the sum of its parts. \n\nABOUT THE ARTISTS \nEvan Chapman has carved a unique and multifaceted path for himself in both the film and music industries\, most prominently as a founding member of instrumental percussion-driven trio Square Peg Round Hole and of film production company Four/Ten Media. \nBoth solo and alongside Square Peg Round Hole and indie-pop band Lydia\, Evan has toured and recorded extensively\, performing at some of the country’s most esteemed venues including NYC’s National Sawdust\, Webster Hall\, and Brooklyn Bowl\, LA’s Fonda Theater\, House of Blues in Dallas\, Houston\, Orlando\, San Diego\, and Chicago\, and festivals such as SXSW (Austin\, TX)\, Treefort (Boise\, ID)\, and Bunbury (Cincinnati\, OH). He has also performed on concert stages such as the Lincoln Center\, playing “Clapping Music” alongside its legendary composer Steve Reich\, among countless others. \nEvan’s compositional contributions spanning four full-length albums with Square Peg Round Hole have been dubbed a “creative adventure” by Bob Boilen of NPR and have landed the group in a headlining showcase concert at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention (Indianapolis\, IN) and sharing bills with Mitski\, Rafiq Bhatia\, The Album Leaf\, Sō Percussion\, The Bad Plus\, Kneebody\, Dawn of Midi\, and touring the East Coast with Son Lux’s Ian Chang and post-rock legends The Mercury Program. \nHis concert compositions have been performed by soloists and ensembles across the globe\, having received commissions from groups including the Pathos Trio\, the LINÜ Guitar Duo\, and the University of Tennessee Percussion Ensemble\, among many others. Additionally\, he is also a prolific commissioner and performer of new concert works for drum set\, having released the album Caustics in 2020 that features premiere recordings of pieces by composers Ian Chang\, Molly Joyce\, Robert Honstein\, Alicia Walter\, Anna Meadors\, Alexis C. Lamb\, and Ted Babcock. \nLizdelise is an experimental pop band based in Philadelphia\, the decade-long project of collaborators and partners\, Lizzy and Mark. They play with otherworldly textures to transport\, and catchy hooks to make you dance 🙂 LDL is the 2024 recipient of the Recording Fund and will be releasing new music / videos in the coming months. Their 2023 release\, I Swore I Heard You Laughing\, was recorded with Andy Stack (Wye Oak\, Helado Negro). Lizdelise’s music centers radical self-acceptance through excavation of memory. They have supported Another Michael and Worriers on recent tours. \nKoof Ibi is a multi-instrumentalist in the Philadelphia area. On any given day you could find him strolling down Broad Street straight into the Kimmel Center with brass bands like The West Philadelphia Orchestra\, or sharing the stage with rock stars like Japanese Breakfast\, or performing in the Philadelphia Museum of Art with poet/musician Moor Mother. Koof effortlessly blends his diverse musical influences into his own distinct style. At his solo shows Koof combines live instruments\, loops\, and effects pedals to create surprising soundscapes\, re-invented covers\, and sonic liberation. \n\n \n\nProlog for a Dream by KooF
URL:https://www.bowerbird.org/event/evan-chapman-reveries/
LOCATION:Kirk Hall – Resurrection Church\, 401 South 42nd Street\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.bowerbird.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Bowerbird-Main-Img-69.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241004T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241004T220000
DTSTAMP:20260425T052115
CREATED:20240703T163533Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241007T144323Z
UID:10001234-1728072000-1728079200@www.bowerbird.org
SUMMARY:Tiziana Bertoncini and Thomas Lehn
DESCRIPTION:Bowerbird is pleased to present violin and synthesizer duo Tiziana Bertoncini and Thomas Lehn with opening set by Tom Borax playing microtonal harpsichord. \nThe duo have been collaborating since 2002. The special feature of the duo is the alchemy created by the meeting of the classical and the electronic instrument. The different nature of sound\, the characteristics and histories of violin and analogue synthesizer could recall a friction. Actually\, what happens is a sort of mirror game\, in which the roles of the instruments are continuously exchanged. Bertoncini and Lehn move in an abstract territory\, their approach to sound is contemporary. Nevertheless their consideration to music is quite classical insofar as based principally on tension/release\, rupture\, intensity and expressivity in all its facets. The duo will also be performing at the High Zero Festival in Baltimore. \n\nABOUT THE ARTISTS \nThomas Lehn is a pianist\, analogue synthesizer player and a composer-performer of contemporary music. He has been one of the most innovative and successful musical personalities in the field of electroacoustic music in the practices of improvisation and composition for years. He was trained as a sound engineer and pianist at the music academies in Detmold and Cologne from 1979 to 1987. Rooted in the experiences as an pianist\, he has been developing his unique live electronic music since the early 1990s\, focusing on the use of analog synthesizer systems\, which allow direct access to the elements of electronic sound synthesis. As a synthesizer interpreter – live and on CD studio productions – he has realized works by Éliane Radigue\, Roman Haubenstock-Ramati\, Bogusław Schaeffer and Zbigniew Karkowski\, among others. He was soloist in the world premiere of Peter Jakober’s dort with Klangforum Wien at musikprotokoll festival and in the CD recording of Christopher Fox’s Topophony with the WDR Symphony Orchestra. \nTiziana Bertoncini graduated with a Master in Violin at Siena Conservatory and a Master in Painting at the Fine Arts’ Academy in Carrara. Completed by Studies in Art history\, and specialization masterclasses for chamber music and music didactics.\nAfter being playing in orchestras and chamber music ensembles\, she focused on contemporary music\, written and improvised. Her work is developing from interpretation ad improvisation towards composition and collaboration with artists of other medias. At the same time her interest is focused on the crossing and synthesis between visual elements and music/sound.\nShe has been performing in many international festivals and contexts and has been part of numerous dance\, theatre\, video and multi-media projects\, contributing the musical part of them. Her solo work includes composition\, performance and installation. \nTom Borax aka “Tom Boram” is a Baltimore native\, multimedia artist and musician. His live performances are all improvised\, focusing on intense physical techniques on the modular synthesizer and the harpsichord. His synthesizer work takes on a much more gestural approach than what is usually thought of with the instrument\, going from whisper quiet to explosive dynamics\, comprising sounds ranging from the natural – water\, human digestion\, storms\, animals – to the unnatural: broken radios\, rocket launches\, and fax machines. His harpsichord playing utilizes unique tunings – dissonant mathematical temperaments or Eastern/Asian intonations – and uses the shimmering overtones of the instrument to create synthetic-sounding shards of sound\, fractured melody\, and swarming textures. Borax is a founder of Baltimore’s High Zero Festival and Improvised and Experimental Music\, which is now enjoyings its 26th year. \n\nSupported in part by BMKÖS Austria
URL:https://www.bowerbird.org/event/tatiana-bertinova-and-tom-leonardson/
LOCATION:University Lutheran\, 3637 Chestnut Street\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.bowerbird.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Bowerbird-Main-Img-68.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241002T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241002T220000
DTSTAMP:20260425T052115
CREATED:20240828T150847Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241003T232854Z
UID:10001238-1727899200-1727906400@www.bowerbird.org
SUMMARY:Postal Pieces
DESCRIPTION:Bowerbird is excited to present “Postal Pieces\,” a concert featuring the Arcana New Music Ensemble that draws inspiration from James Tenney’s unorthodox set of compositions. Tenney’s “Postal Pieces\,” composed between 1954 and 1971\, are a series of ten concise works each printed on a postcard. These pieces capture Tenney’s exploration of sound and form\, focusing on minimalist structures\, intonation\, and what he called “Swell” forms—gradual crescendos and decrescendos that create a unique auditory experience. Conceived originally as musical “letters” to friends and collaborators\, such as Pauline Oliveros and La Monte Young\, these works reflect Tenney’s deep connections within the avant-garde music scene and his penchant for inviting listeners into meditative states of listening. \nFor this concert\, the Arcana New Music Ensemble presents a new collection of postcard-sized works commissioned from nine Philadelphia-based composers\, each inspired by the spirit of Tenney’s originals. The program features pieces by David Middleton\, Andrea Clearfield\, Erin Busch\, Natacha Diels\, Sepehr Pirasteh\, James Diaz\, Adam Vidiksis\, Gene Coleman\, and Nick Millevoi. Each composition reflects a dialogue with Tenney’s approach\, exploring the boundaries between notation\, interpretation\, and experience. \nSets of the nine newly commissioned postcard works will be available for purchase at the concert\, with all proceeds benefiting the Arcana New Music Ensemble. \nPROGRAM \nJames Tenney: Swell Piece\nDavid Middleton: All the Alleys Home\nAndrea Clearfield: The Rest Between Two Notes\nErin Busch: wave tones\nNatacha Diels: watermusic\nSepehr Pirasteh: New Norm\nJames Diaz: total internal reflection\nAdam Vidiksis: Orbital Mechanics\nGene Coleman: Rippling Waves\nNick Millevoi: Greetings from the Alligator Farm \nARCANA NEW MUSIC ENSEMBLE \nNicholas Handahl\, flute\nAaron Stewart\, saxophone(s)\nTessa Ellis\, trumpet\nJay Krush\, tuba\nErin Busch\, cello\nAndy Thierauf\, percussion \n\nABOUT THE ARTISTS \nFounded in 2016\, the Arcana New Music Ensemble is a group of Philadelphia-based musicians dedicated to presenting interesting\, beautiful\, and unconventional music in interesting\, beautiful\, and unconventional places. Built on a flexible roster of 25 musicians\, Arcana is able to perform a broad range of repertoire in numerous configurations. Composers featured in recent programs include Julius Eastman\, Sarah Hennies\, Raven Chacon\, Anahita Abbasi\, Morton Feldman\, Galina Ustvolskaya\, Pauline Oliveros\, Tom Johnson\, Moondog\, and James Tenney. Arcana has performed at the Philadelphia Museum of Art\, Fleisher Art Memorial\, The Rotunda\, The Kitchen (NYC)\, and collaborated with Variant Six\, Prometheus Chamber Orchestra\, Pig Iron Theater Company\, and Wildflower Composers. \nJames Tenney (1934–2006) was an American composer\, theorist\, and performer renowned for his innovative contributions to experimental and electronic music. A student of notable figures such as Carl Ruggles\, Edgard Varèse\, and John Cage\, Tenney was a central figure in the development of post-war avant-garde music. His work often explored concepts of indeterminacy\, microtonality\, just intonation\, and the physics of sound\, integrating mathematical and acoustical theories into his compositions.\nTenney’s diverse output includes works for computer-generated sound\, instrumental ensembles\, and unconventional notations that challenge traditional musical forms. He was also a significant educator\, teaching at the California Institute of the Arts and York University\, influencing a generation of composers with his boundary-pushing ideas. His collaborations and associations with artists such as Steve Reich\, La Monte Young\, and Philip Glass positioned him as a vital connector in the experimental music scene. Tenney’s legacy is marked by his relentless curiosity and his ability to blend rigorous theoretical frameworks with an intuitive approach to sound\, profoundly shaping the landscape of contemporary music. \n\nSupport provided by The Presser Foundation
URL:https://www.bowerbird.org/event/postal-pieces/
LOCATION:University Lutheran\, 3637 Chestnut Street\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.bowerbird.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Bowerbird-Main-Img-75.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240920T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240920T210000
DTSTAMP:20260425T052115
CREATED:20240903T142843Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240923T153121Z
UID:10001239-1726858800-1726866000@www.bowerbird.org
SUMMARY:The Musical Offering
DESCRIPTION:***Please note this concert is at 7:00pm*** \nBowerbird is pleased to present Filament with flautist Héloïse Degrugillier performing J. S. Bach’s The Musical Offering. In the spring of 1747\, J.S. Bach paid a visit to King Frederick the Great\, where his son Carl Phillip Emmanuel was employed as a court musician. Curious to test Bach’s contrapunctal prowess\, Frederick presented Bach with a subject to improvise two fugues\, first one in three parts\, and then one in six. Declining the second of these tests\, Bach took Frederick’s subject home with him to create one of his most fascinating collections of music\, The Musical Offering. \n  \n\n\nABOUT THE MUSICIANS \nFILAMENT is a chamber ensemble\, formed in 2019\, of Philadelphia-based period-instrument soloists. Comprising a core trio of violin\, viola da gamba\, and keyboards\, its respective founding members are Evan Few\, Elena Kauffman\, and John Walthausen. As a collective\, its mission is to be the bright connective thread—that eponymous filament—linking the world of its audience with that of its repertoire\, illuminating the delightful\, sometimes uncanny familiarity of the emotions and images it evokes. \nFilament is building a reputation as a leading proponent and champion of 17th- and 18th-century chamber music. The Broad Street Review praised Filament for a “fervor and delight that make early music seem current\, and easy\, joyful communication\,” and the Lancaster News noted Filament’s “profound understanding” of its repertoire. Filament’s programs bridge the gap between music from some of history’s most celebrated and familiar composers and music that is completely unknown. Recent concerts have featured unpublished music by anonymous composers\, Filament’s own original transcriptions\, and music by female composers. \nFilament presents concerts in its core formation and in collaboration with other musicians in \nPhiladelphia\, the Delaware Valley\, and across the country. In its hometown\, Filament performs on numerous concert series\, including Main Line Early Music and the PhilaLandmarks Early Music Series\, and in self-presented concerts in a variety of sacred and secular spaces\, including Gloria Dei “Old Swedes” Church and the Fleischer Art Memorial. Regionally\, Filament has been featured on Gotham Early Music Scene’s Midtown Concert Series and Musae (New York\, NY); Early Music at St. James (Lancaster\, PA)\, Market Street Music’s Festival Concerts (Wilmington\, DE)\, Concerts at Locktown Stone Church (Flemington\, NJ)\, and Immanuel Concerts at Immanuel on the Green (New Castle\, DE). Recent performances in South Carolina and Florida have expanded Filament’s reach. Of its 2023 collaboration with vocal ensemble Variant 6\, the Chestnut Hill Local cited a “sterling performance.” Filament was a featured ensemble in Early Music America’s 2021 Emerging Artists Showcase\, and in 2022 was featured on the American Bach Society’s TinyBach series. \nDuring the 2023-2024 season\, marking its fifth anniversary\, Filament made its debut at Penn Live Arts at the University of Pennsylvania with renowned mezzo soprano Meg Bragle and Friends\, presenting seldom-heard music of Salamone Rossi. In February 2024\, Filament traveled to New Orleans to perform 18th-century music from that historic city in partnership with fellow Philadelphia chamber ensemble Variant 6 in a concert presented by the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra. \nVisit www.filamentbaroque.com to learn more. \nFilament is joined by Héloïse Degrugillier who has worked extensively as both a recorder and traverso performer\, and teacher throughout Europe and the United States. She has performed with leading period ensembles\, including the Boston Camerata\, Boston Early Music Festival\, Piffaro and Tempesta Di Mare. \nHeloise also enjoys an active teaching career. She teaches at Tufts university and Rhode Island College. She is the president and music director of the Boston Recorder Society. She has completed her studies in the Alexander Technique and has a Masters in Music from the Utrecht Conservatory in the Netherlands.
URL:https://www.bowerbird.org/event/the-musical-offering/
LOCATION:University Lutheran\, 3637 Chestnut Street\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.bowerbird.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Bowerbird-Main-Img-76.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240710T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240710T200000
DTSTAMP:20260425T052115
CREATED:20240624T170710Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240715T143448Z
UID:10001230-1720634400-1720641600@www.bowerbird.org
SUMMARY:Wildflower Composers Festival Faculty Concert
DESCRIPTION:The Wildflower Composers Festival and Arcana New Music Ensemble are pleased to announce their annual concert featuring new works by Wildflower faculty. The July 10\, 2024\, performance will take place at 6pm at Rock Hall at Temple University\, 1715 N. Broad Street\, Philadelphia\, PA. The suggested donation is $10–20. \nThe program will feature five compositions by Wildflower faculty composers Melissa Dunphy\, Cerulean Payne-Passmore\, Sepehr Pirasteh\, Cece Olszewski\, and Erin Busch. The performers from Arcana will be Chelsea Meynig (flute)\, Jonathan Leeds (clarinet)\, Angelique Montes (cello)\, Aaron Stewart (saxophone)\, and Melinda Rice (violin). A Q & A with the composers will follow the program. \nPROGRAM\nSepehr Pirasteh: Narrative for solo cello scordatura\nErin Busch: inhabit\, for flute\, clarinet\, and cello\nCece Olszewski: bonedog\, for alto saxophone and tape\nMelissa Dunphy: Scallops and Bollocks for solo violin and pre-recorded tape\nCerulean Payne-Passmore: Duet for flute and live electronics \n  \nABOUT THE ARTISTS \nThe Wildflower Composers Festival is a 12-day program for young female\, transgender\, nonbinary\, and/or genderqueer composers between the ages of 13 and 19. This is the second year that Wildflower Composers and Arcana New Music Ensemble have partnered to highlight faculty works. \n“Our partnership with the Arcana New Music Ensemble allows our students to witness the creative collaboration process between Wildflower faculty and Arcana performers\, and also provides our faculty with an opportunity to showcase their creative work\,” says Wildflower founder and executive director Erin Busch. \nWildflower Composers was founded by Dr. Erin Busch in 2018 as Young Women Composers Camp (YWCC) as a way to address the gender disparity in contemporary classical music. The organization brings together young\, gender-marginalized composers for composition mentorship\, coursework\, and community-building. \nThe Arcana New Music Ensemble is built on a flexible roster of 25 Philadelphia-based musicians dedicated to presenting a broad range of repertoire in numerous configurations. \nFor more information about Wildflower Composers\, visit https://wildflowercomposers.org. \nFor more information about Arcana New Music Ensemble\, visit https://www.arcananewmusic.org/.
URL:https://www.bowerbird.org/event/wildflower-composers-festival-faculty-concert/
LOCATION:Rock Hall Temple University\, Philadelphia\, PA
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.bowerbird.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Bowerbird-Main-Img-64.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240621T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240621T220000
DTSTAMP:20260425T052115
CREATED:20240515T154853Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240624T171523Z
UID:10001229-1719000000-1719007200@www.bowerbird.org
SUMMARY:Screening: John Cage Meets Sun Ra
DESCRIPTION:Bowerbird is pleased to present a special screening of John Cage Meets Sun Ra: The Complete Concert at The Rotunda. \nRecorded at Sideshows by the Seashore along the Coney Island boardwalk on June 8th\, 1986 as documented by John Polizzi under the commission of event producers Rick Russo and Bronwyn Rucker. \nFrom Pitchfork: “John Cage Meets Sun Ra: The Complete Concert gradually emerges as something greater than a footnote. That’s not because the pairing results in an ‘avant super duo.’ As it happens\, the two artists tend to trade off soloing\, and only play together audibly at one point during this hour-plus set\, recorded at Coney Island. Yet despite the arms-length embrace\, the overall concert has a surprisingly seamless quality.” \nCo-presented with The Rotunda \n\n
URL:https://www.bowerbird.org/event/screening-john-cage-meets-sun-ra/
LOCATION:The Rotunda\, 4014 Walnut St\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.bowerbird.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Shiraz-Main-Bowerbird-Main-Img-2.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240612T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240612T220000
DTSTAMP:20260425T052115
CREATED:20231103T160403Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240613T203552Z
UID:10001209-1718222400-1718229600@www.bowerbird.org
SUMMARY:Dynasty Battles
DESCRIPTION:Bowerbird is pleased to present pianist Dynasty Battles at University Lutheran Church. \nPROGRAM \n\nFranz Schubert: 4 Impromptus\, Op. 90\, D. 899 with Improvised Interludes in-between loosely based on its themes. \nFranz Schubert: Allegro molto moderato in C minor\, No.1\nDynasty Battles: Improvised Interlude\nFranz Schubert: Allegro in E-flat major\, No. 2\nDynasty Battles: Improvised Interlude\nFranz Schubert: Andante in G-flat major\, No.3\nDynasty Battles: Improvised Interlude\nFranz Schubert: Allegretto in A-flat major\, No.4 \nJohannes Brahms: Rhapsody\, Op. 79\, No.2 (Part 1)\nPaul Hindemith: Ludus Tonalis: XI. Interludium (Part 2)\nJohannes Brahms: Ballade\, Op. 118\, No.2 (Part 3)\nAlexander Scriabin: Piano Sonata\, Op. 30\, No.4 \n\nABOUT THE ARTIST \nDynasty Battles\, the recipient of the 2021 Career Advancement Award by the Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia\, has been featured with soprano Marietta Simpson in The Philadelphia Inquirer\, and on music critic David Patrick Stearns’ radio program “Creatively Speaking” on Philadelphia’s WRTI (90.1FM). \nA highlight include a composition Battles debuted by multiple Grammy nominee and Pulitzer Prize finalist Ted Hearne\, composed for Dynasty himself\, which was featured in The Philadelphia Inquirer. Recent engagements comprise of hall debuts at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in a concert curated by John Adams\, the Chicago Cultural Center’s Preston Bradley Hall as a featured artist in the International Music Foundation’s Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts\, and the Benjamin Franklin Hall with the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society. Additionally\, he made his international debut at the Barbican Centre in London while in residency with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. \nCareer highlights include an invitation to perform George Walker’s Piano Sonata No. 1 in a private engagement at the distinguished composer’s home. In a project profiled by The New York Times\, he also performed in Bowerbird Philly’s ongoing series highlighting the works of Julius Eastman. \nBattles studies with concert pianist Leon Bates and Eve Wolf\, pianist\, and Executive Artistic Director of Ensemble for the Romantic Century. He also studied counterpoint and harmony and analysis with Jonathan Coopersmith\, Chair of Musical Studies at the Curtis Institute of Music. A native of Philadelphia\, Dynasty received a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance\, cum laude from Temple University\, under the instruction of Harvey Wedeen as a recipient of the Esther Boyer College Scholarship. \nmore at www.dynastybattles.com \nPhoto: Helena Raju \n  \n\n
URL:https://www.bowerbird.org/event/dynasty-battles/
LOCATION:University Lutheran\, 3637 Chestnut Street\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.bowerbird.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Bowerbird-Main-Img-51.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240520T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240520T200000
DTSTAMP:20260425T052115
CREATED:20240206T203301Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240529T142310Z
UID:10001224-1716235200-1716235200@www.bowerbird.org
SUMMARY:Claire Rousay
DESCRIPTION:Bowerbird is pleased to present LA-based musician and artist claire rousay at The Rotunda with opening set by Apologist. claire rousay\, known for challenging conventions in experimental and ambient music forms\, recently released a new album in early 2024. A meditation on loneliness\, her new album is her most audacious work yet\, synthesizing disparate and unexpected influences from throughout rousay’s long and varied career as a performer. \nPhoto: Zoe Donahoe \nABOUT THE ARTISTS \nclaire rousay is a singular artist\, known for challenging conventions in experimental and ambient music forms. rousay masterfully incorporates textural found sounds\, sumptuous drones and candid field recordings into music that celebrates the beauty in life’s banalities. Her music is curatorial and granular in detail\, deftly shaped into emotionally affecting pieces. sentiment is a meditation of the poignant emotional terrains of loneliness\, nostalgia\, sentimentality\, guilt\, and sex. The album’s narrative arc is guided by delicate musical gestures and artistic vulnerability\, audaciously synthesizing disparate and unexpected influences. rousay crafted the songs in various homes\, bedrooms\, hotels\, and other private places\, the feeling of time and energy spent alone radiating from each passage. The album is a collection of heart-rending\, incisive pop songs that explore universal feelings with subtlety and remarkable vision. \nRose Actor-Engel is a Philadelphia based musician and composer. She uses synthesizer\, tape and field recordings to create ambient and experimental music\, implementing specific rules and protocols to determine structure. She has been recording/performing as Apologist since 2018.
URL:https://www.bowerbird.org/event/claire-rousay/
LOCATION:The Rotunda\, 4014 Walnut St\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.bowerbird.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Bowerbird-Main-Img-61.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240518T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240518T220000
DTSTAMP:20260425T052115
CREATED:20230913T150957Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240520T154824Z
UID:10001205-1716062400-1716069600@www.bowerbird.org
SUMMARY:Un bel sol
DESCRIPTION:Bowerbird is pleased to present vocal ensemble Variant 6 performing an acapella program that explores the timeless theme of the natural world and its influence on the human condition. In a stunning presentation of music spanning over 1\,000 years – from Medieval composers like Hildegard Von Bingen and Claude le Jeune all the way through music of today by Edie Hill\, Edith Canat de Chizy\, and Pelle Gudmunsen-Holmgreen – this program will showcase the wide range of composer’s reflections of the world we inhabit. \nPROGRAM \nO Viridissima Virga\nHildegard Von Bingen (1098-1179) \nGreen (to the greenwood we must go\, alas)\nPelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen (1932-2016) \nLe Chant des Oiseaux\nClément Janequin (1485-1558) \nSweet Suffolk Owl\nThomas Vautor (1592 – 1619) \nIl Bianco e Dolce Cigno\nJacques Arcadelt (1505 – 1568): \nIl Mio Più Vago Sole \nSulpitia Cesis (1577 – 1619) \nO Radiant Dawn\nJames MacMillan (1959-) \nAlma Beata et Bella\nEdie Hill (1962-) \nSolhyme – Movements II & III\nVagn Holmboe (1909 – 1996) \nOctonaires de la Vanité et Inconstance du Monde (excerpts)\nQuand la terre au Printemps\nLa glace est luisante et belle\nLors que la fueille va mourant\nVois tu l’Hyver accroupi\nCe luy qui pense pourvoir\nCe Monde est un pelerinage\nRevecy Venir du Printemps\nClaude Le Jeune (1528 -1600) \nTEXTS AND TRANSLATIONS \n  \nVARIANT 6 \nRebecca Myers – soprano\nJessica Beebe – soprano\nTim Parsons – counter-tenor\nNick Karageorgiou – tenor\nSteven Eddy – baritone\nDan Schwartz – bass \n  \nABOUT THE ARTISTS \nLauded as having a “honey-colored tone” and “the most radiant solo singing” (Opera News)\, soprano Jessica Beebe is an affecting interpreter of repertoire from the Renaissance and Baroque to contemporary American opera. As a sought-after concert soloist\, Ms. Beebe has performed as a soloist with several major orchestras and ensembles across the world including The New York Chamber Orchestra at Carnegie Hall\, The English Concert at the Barbican Theatre and Carnegie Hall\, The Los Angeles Philharmonic\, The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra\, The Indianapolis Baroque Orchestra\, The Folger Consort\, Utah Symphony\, Omaha Symphony\, Baltimore Symphony\, Lancaster Symphony\, The Washington Bach Consort\, Piffaro\, Gamut Bach Ensemble\, Bach Choir of Bethlehem\, Philadelphia Bach Collegium\, Lyric Fest and more. Some of Beebe’s solo operatic highlights include premiering multiple operas by Jennifer Higdon\, Lembit Beecher and David Hertzberg with Opera Philadelphia\, Bergen National Opera in Norway\, and a Los Angeles Philharmonic debut in Meredith Monk’s opera\, Atlas. Ms. Beebe is a member of Variant 6\, The Crossing\, Seraphic Fire\, Clarion\, Lorelei\, Trio Eos\, The Thirteen\, and is on several GRAMMY-nominated albums with The Crossing and Clarion Ensemble. Most recently\, Ms. Beebe was placed as a finalist in the New York Oratorio Society competition. Ms. Beebe is a graduate of The University of Delaware and Indiana University. Ms. Beebe has been a voice faculty member at Franklin and Marshall College since 2015.  \nAn accomplished concert artist and Baroque music specialist\, baritone Steven Eddy has garnered praise as a soloist and professional choral singer with such ensembles as The New York Philharmonic\, The Oratorio Society of New York\, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra\, Seraphic Fire\, True Concord Voices and Orchestra\, Spire Chamber Ensemble\, Clarion Music Society\, American Classical Orchestra\, Sacred Music in a Sacred Space\, Choral Arts Philadelphia\, Handel Choir of Baltimore\, and Bach Vespers at Holy Trinity. \nUpcoming projects in the 2023-2024 season include Considering Matthew Shepard with Spire Chamber Ensemble\, the premiere of Benjamin Perry Wenzelberg’s Any of Those Decembers in conjunction with LyricFest\, Bach’s Mass in B Minor with American Classical Orchestra and The Thirteen\, and concert projects with Seraphic Fire\, Variant 6\, and Choral Arts Philadelphia. \nTenor Nick Karageorgiou has established himself as a formidable chamber musician and soloist. A resident of Brooklyn\, Nick is a member of the Trinity Wall Street Chorus\, performing a wide array of choral repertoire\, from baroque gems\, to new commissions. Last fall\, Nick sang the reimagined role of Narrator in Craig Hella Johnson’s Considering Matthew Shepard. \nHe can also be heard singing in ensembles like Seraphic Fire\, TENET\, and Clarion Music Society. Previous engagements have also included ensembles such as Pegasus Early Music Society\, True Concord\, The Crossing\, Spire\, The Thirteen\, and The Rose Ensemble. \nOutside of a busy performance season\, Nick is frequently seen with needles and yarn\, biking through the park\, or going on a hike. Nick is excited to join Variant Six for their ‘23-‘24 season! \nPhiladelphia based artist Rebecca Myers is a soloist\, vocal chamber singer\, collaborator\, recording artist\, and creator in high demand. Rebecca has gained a reputation for her “timbral clarity and flawless pitch”\, “nimble coloratura” and “vulnerability and grace”. She has appeared on three GRAMMY winning albums\, most notably as a soloist on The Crossing’s Born\, winner of the 2023 GRAMMY for Best Choral performance. Last season she made her New World Symphony Debut under the baton of Patrick Dupre Quigley in 2023 as soprano soloist in Carmina Burana. This past summer she performed at the esteemed Institute de France in Paris for the European premiere of Philip Lasser’s A Mask in the Mirror with Verità Baroque. \nHer 2023/2024 season includes the world premiere of David T. Little’s SIN-EATER with The Crossing\, the world premiere of Benjamin Perry Wenzelberg’s Any of Those Decembers with Lyric Fest\, the role of Vagaus in Vivaldi’s Juditha Triumphans with Tempesta di Mare\, several solo and ensemble engagements with Seraphic Fire\, and an appearance as the the soprano solo in J.S. Bach’s St. John Passion at the annual CalPoly Bach week. Rebecca is thrilled to be taking on this new role as Artistic Director of Variant 6. \nTimothy Parsons is an acclaimed and GRAMMY®-nominated countertenor & choral conductor. \nHe has traveled and performed extensively – as an ensemble & consort singer\, and as soloist – in such venues as New York’s Carnegie Hall\, Metropolitan Museum of Art\, and Alice Tully Hall\, London’s St John’s Smith Square\, Montreal’s Salle Bourgie\, and Utrecht’s Tivoli Vredenburg. Timothy has performed with many of North America’s top early music ensembles\, including TENET Vocal Artists (for whom he has also served as programming consultant) and Apollo’s Fire\, and has twice toured with the English Concert performing Handel oratorios. He has had the great privilege of premiering two Pulitzer-prize winning operas\, Ellen Reid’s p r i s m\, for LA Opera and the Prototype Festival\, and Du Yun’s Angel’s Bone\, for the Prototype Festival. He is a former Lay Clerk of Christ Church Cathedral\, Oxford\, and a longtime member of two GRAMMY®-nominated New York ensembles\, the Choir of Trinity Wall Street and the Clarion Choir. Timothy can be heard on numerous recordings\, including the Liturgy of St John Chrysostom and the GRAMMY®-nominated Vespers by Benedict Sheehan\, recordings of p r i s m and Angel’s Bone\, and numerous recordings with the Clarion Choir and the Choir of Trinity Wall Street. Highlights of the ’23/’24 season include a marathon concert of Ockeghem at the Metropolitan Museum’s Cloisters\, festival appearances in Norway and Germany with Ekmeles\, and debut appearances with Blue Heron and Variant Six. He is an avid hiker\, meditator\, and vegan. He is the co-artistic director of Ampersand\, a vocal chamber music ensemble and resides in Vermont. \nA Philadelphia native\, Daniel Schwartz received both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music from Temple University where he studied voice with retired Metropolitan Opera baritone Daivid Arnold.  Upon his graduation in 2011\, Daniel was honored with the Elaine Brown Award for musicianship\, dedication to excellence\, and humanitarianism. \nAfter graduating\, Daniel won the position of Artistic Director of the Philadelphia Voices of Pride\, Philadelphia’s LGBT mixed voice chorus. From 2014-2017 Daniel sang with the Opera Philadelphia chorus where he performed a number of roles such as The Foreman in the east coast premiere of Oscar.  Daniel also sings with The Crossing and has performed on three of their Grammy winning albums.  In 2014 he traveled to California to perform Louis Andriessen’s De Materie with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and seven other singers from The Crossing\, who also made their Carnegie Hall debut that year.  In 2018 he made his debut as a soloist with The Philadelphia Orchestra for Pat Metheny and the American Beat.  Most recently\, he has performed with The Crossing alongside the New York Philharmonic. Daniel also teaches voice at Haverford College. \nVariant 6 explores the expressive potential of the human voice through vocal chamber music that is at once virtuosic\, poignant\, and approachable. Composed of artists with a diverse set of skills and a wide range of expertise\, we seek out repertoire that embodies this potential. We collaborate with artists of many disciplines\, creating refreshing interpretations of music of the past and innovative premieres of new works. Our concerts are unique and intimate musical experiences that foster deep conversation between artists and audience. \nVariant 6 shares our unique take on vocal chamber music with people all over the city of Philadelphia. Our approachable and collaborative projects create an environment where audiences of different backgrounds will feel inspired to attend our events\, respond to our music\, and get to know us as individuals.  \nVariant 6’s artists have performed with internationally recognized ensembles and orchestras including The Crossing\, Lorelei\, Seraphic Fire\, Roomful of Teeth\, The Santa Fe Desert Chorale\, Apollo’s Fire\, Chicago Bach Project\, Piffaro\, Tempesta di Mare\, TENET Vocal Artists\, the Philadelphia Orchestra\, Opera Philadelphia\, The New World Symphony\, The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra\, The Aspen Festival Orchestra\, Opera Philadelphia\, American Bach Soloists\, The Philadelphia Orchestra\, Lyric Fest\, and more.  \n\n\n 
URL:https://www.bowerbird.org/event/un-bel-sol/
LOCATION:University Lutheran\, 3637 Chestnut Street\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240517T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240517T220000
DTSTAMP:20260425T052115
CREATED:20231127T230027Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240518T140832Z
UID:10001213-1715976000-1715983200@www.bowerbird.org
SUMMARY:Music of Moondog
DESCRIPTION:Bowerbird is pleased to present the Music of Moondog performed by the Arcana New Music Ensemble. \nLouis Thomas Hardin\, Jr.\, better known as Moondog\, is one of the most famous and influential outsider musicians of the twentieth century. Born in Kansas to a devoutly religious family\, Hardin was blinded at age 16 when he dug up a live dynamite cap. For 30 years\, from the early 1940s to the early 1970s\, he lived in New York City\, where he became a well-known street performer known\, thanks to his Nordic garb\, as “the Viking of Sixth Avenue.” During this time he recorded several albums and won the respect of many important musicians\, including Leonard Bernstein\, Charlie Parker (for whom he wrote the piece “Bird’s Lament”)\, and Philip Glass (with whom he briefly shared an apartment). From 1974 until his death in 1999\, Moondog lived primarily in Germany\, where he enjoyed the most stable and productive creative period of his life. Celebrated for his diverse body of work that combines– among other influences– the rhythmic energy of jazz\, the ritualistic intensity of Native American tribal music\, and classical principles of counterpoint\, Moondog’s music is at once uncategorizable and instantly identifiable. \n\nPROGRAM \nTheme\nBird’s Lament\nWitch of Endor\nSpruchweisheiten\nSandalwood\nMother’s Whistler\nChaconne in G Major\nElf Dance\nDog Trot\nPastorale in C \nand others \nENSEMBLE \nAaron Stewart – saxophones\nTessa Ellis – trumpet\nCarlos Santiago – violin\nThomas Kraines – cello\nAndy Thierauf – percussion \n\nABOUT THE ARTISTS \nFounded in 2016\, the Arcana New Music Ensemble is a group of Philadelphia-based musicians dedicated to presenting interesting\, beautiful\, and unconventional music in interesting\, beautiful\, and unconventional places. Built on a flexible roster of 25 musicians\, Arcana is able to perform a broad range of repertoire in numerous configurations. Composers featured in recent programs include Julius Eastman\, Morton Feldman\, Galina Ustvolskaya\, Pauline Oliveros\, Tom Johnson\, Moondog\, and James Tenney. Arcana has performed at the Philadelphia Museum of Art\, Fleisher Art Memorial\, The Rotunda\, The Kitchen (NYC)\, and collaborated with Variant Six\, Prometheus Chamber Orchestra\, and Pig Iron Theater Company. \n 
URL:https://www.bowerbird.org/event/music-of-moondog/
LOCATION:The Rotunda\, 4014 Walnut St\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240426T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240426T220000
DTSTAMP:20260425T052115
CREATED:20231213T162741Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240429T161544Z
UID:10001214-1714161600-1714168800@www.bowerbird.org
SUMMARY:Ghost Ensemble
DESCRIPTION:Bowerbird is pleased to present Ghost Ensemble performing works by Catherine Lamb and Ben Richter.  Based in New York the ensemble fosters groundbreaking music that blurs borders of genre\, style\, and scene\, expanding perceptual horizons through shared immersive experience. \nBen Richter’s Rewild\, inspired by nonhuman perspectives and distant orders of magnitude in the universe of life\, explores the thresholds at which pitch becomes rhythm\, harmonic interval becomes beating rate\, and timbres morph over time. By offering an aural metaphor for the interacting gradual processes of quantum and cosmic systems\, Rewild’s pulsing\, breathing sonic ecosystem aims to auralize the vast and infinitesimal timescales we do not experience in everyday life. Catherine Lamb’s interius/exterius explores multi-dimensional harmonic space\, investigating how collective intentions or focal points allow various and sometimes unusual pathways to emerge. As the group links together in phase\, the greater web of activity aligns intention and desire within a community of musicians sounding together\, the initiation of sound constantly shifting\, unfolding new sonic dimensions. \nPROGRAM \nBen Richter: Rewild \nCatherine Lamb: interius/exterius \nABOUT THE ARTISTS \nGhost Ensemble fosters groundbreaking music that blurs borders of genre\, style\, and scene\, expanding perceptual horizons through shared immersive experience. Collaboration with living composers is its primary focus. Since its 2012 inception\, the ensemble has performed over 100 works and commissioned 34 new compositions by a diverse range of highly original composers who share a belief in music’s potential for individual and community transformation. Rethinking the norms of composer/performer collaboration\, Ghost Ensemble conducts innovative workshops to nurture adventurous new music over the course of multiple seasons. The resulting work often draws from contemporary classical\, experimental chamber music\, avant-garde jazz\, environmental sound art\, and territories in between. Critics have praised Ghost Ensemble performances as “prodigious … a thrilling listen” (Christian Carey\, Sequenza21)\, “wonderful work … both exhilarating and a bit scary” (Peter Margasak\, Bandcamp Daily)\, “beautifully performed and recorded … a body-felt sound mass … a multifaceted texture that evokes the primeval” (Meg Wilhoite\, Sound Meets Sound)\, and “cloudy\, mysterious\, and dark … Beckettian in its slow spread … certainly a group to keep an eye on” (Brian Olewnick\, Just Outside).\nwww.ghostensemble.org \nBen Richter is a composer\, accordionist\, and founding Artistic & Executive Director of Ghost Ensemble. Inspired by nonhuman consciousness\, Ben’s immersive\, gradually evolving compositions seek new orders of magnitude in musical parameters to mark humanity’s transient yet vital role within the immensity of geologic time. A student of Pauline Oliveros\, Ben also explores the extended microtonal and timbral potential of the accordion in solo works such as Panthalassa: Dream Music of the Once and Future Ocean\, hailed as “likely to offer a profound impact on the very nature of listening” (Stephen Smoliar\, The Rehearsal Studio).\nwww.benrichtermusic.com \nCatherine Lamb is an active composer exploring the interaction of tone\, summations of shapes and shadows\, phenomenological expansions\, the architecture of the liminal\, and the long introduction form. She began her musical life early\, later abandoning the conservatory in 2003 to study Hindustani music in Pune\, India. She received her BFA in 2006 under James Tenney and Michael Pisaro at CalArts in Los Angeles\, where she first developed her research into the interaction of tone. She mentored under the experimental filmmaker/Dhrupad musician Mani Kaul until his death in 2011. In 2012 she received her MFA in music/sound from the Milton Avery School of Fine Arts at Bard College in New York. She toured Shade/Gradient extensively and was awarded the Henry Cowell Research Fellowship to work with Eliane Radigue in Paris. In 2013 Lamb relocated to Berlin\, Germany where she lives currently\, and has written for ensembles such as the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra\, Konzert Minimal\, Dedalus\, Ensemble neoN\, the London Contemporary Orchestra\, as well as the JACK Quartet\, while collaborating regularly with Marc Sabat\, Johnny Chang (Viola Torros)\, Bryan Eubanks\, and Rebecca Lane. In 2019 she co-founded the collectively oriented Harmonic Space Orchestra. She is a 2020 recipient of the Ernst von Siemens Composer’s prize\, a 2018 recipient of the Grants to Artists award from the Foundation for Contemporary Arts\, a Staubach Fellow for the 2016 Darmstadt Summer course\, and a 2016-2017 Schloss Solitude Fellow. \nGhost Ensemble’s concerts with premieres by Catherine Lamb\, Sky Macklay\, and Miya Masaoka are presented\nwith the friendly support of
URL:https://www.bowerbird.org/event/ghost-ensemble/
LOCATION:University Lutheran\, 3637 Chestnut Street\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240417T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240417T210000
DTSTAMP:20260425T052115
CREATED:20240401T144939Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240421T175449Z
UID:10001228-1713380400-1713387600@www.bowerbird.org
SUMMARY:Opening Day: Baseball in Experimental Film and Video
DESCRIPTION:”It’s a paradise of balls and bats” — George Kuchar \n  \nWhat does baseball mean to the experimental filmmaker? In the great taxonomy of American archetypes\, the jocks and the artists don’t tend to sit together at the same proverbial table. So it’s unsurprising that although baseball was the most popular American sport from the days of early cinema through at least the Vietnam War and an unquestionable symbol of Americanism\, film outside of the mainstream paid little attention to the sport. But it was only a matter of time until filmmakers would begin mining baseball and its iconography to tackle subjects that have always been near and dear to the American avant-garde: nationalism\, nostalgia\, masculinity\, identity\, and celebrity. \nIn honor of the beginning of the baseball season\, Opening Day presents five very different films and videos which use baseball as raw material. Pittsburgh-based filmmaker Brady Lewis playfully works with his town’s obsession with the Pirates and much more in a dense collage of references. Robert Breer\, one of the legends of hand drawn animation\, incorporated his youthful love of baseball into Bang!\, a kaleidoscopic hybrid of drawings\, animation\, film\, and video. In Breer’s hands baseball takes a role as a symbol of nostalgia and American boyhood. Sharon Couzin similarly uses baseball as a marker of nostalgia and boyhood but to very different effects. Cousin’s OdilonOdilon looks back at the swirl of cultural and political forces surrounding young Odilon coming of age in World War II. Vanalyne Green’s A Spy in the House that Ruth Built is a quintessential work of 1980s feminist video art\, deconstructing the male-dominated sport and desire for their bodies with a confessional edge. With Joe Dimaggio 1\, 2\, 3\, Anne McGuire takes the obsession with the icons Green intellectualizes and turns it pure Id as she stalks and sings to the elderly Hall of Famer around San Francisco. Without any knowledge that McGuire is following him and McGuire’s performative total lack of self-awareness\, Joe Dimaggio 1\, 2\, 3 is the missing link between the earlier generation of videography and the current “weirdo” strain of YouTube and Vine video art. \nCo-presented with Nightletter. \n\nPROGRAM\nBang! / Robert Breer / 1986 / 10 min / 16mm\nOdilonOdilon / Sharon Couzin / 1984 / 21 min / 16mm\nQuick Opener / Brady Lewis / 1987 / 5 min / 16mm\nA Spy in the House that Ruth Built / Vanalyne Green / 1990 / 29 min / Digital\nJoe Dimaggio 1\, 2\, 3 / Anne McGuire / 1991 / 11 min / Digital
URL:https://www.bowerbird.org/event/opening-day/
LOCATION:University Lutheran\, 3637 Chestnut Street\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240410T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240410T220000
DTSTAMP:20260425T052115
CREATED:20240117T154612Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240415T141134Z
UID:10001220-1712779200-1712786400@www.bowerbird.org
SUMMARY:Bennardo-Larson Duo
DESCRIPTION:Bowerbird is pleased to present the Bennardo-Larson Duo – violin and piano – at UniLu performing works by Anthony Vine and Maya Bennardo. \n\nPROGRAM \nAnthony Vine: Worshipful Company \nMaya Bennardo: dormant gardens \n\nABOUT THE ARTISTS \nMaya Bennardo (she/her) is an active performer and composer living in Stockholm\, Sweden. Maya is interested in opening the dialogue and blurring the boundaries between composers and performers\, and is devoted to performing music of the present. She is a founding member of the violin/viola duo andPlay\, described by I Care If You Listen as “enthusiastic champions for new music and collaboration.” She is a member of the internationally acclaimed Mivos Quartet and also performs new and traditional repertoire for violin and piano with pianist Karl Larson in their Bennardo/Larson Duo. Maya’s compositions are characterized by slow\, unfolding timbral movements–exploring the co-existence of pitch and noise. Her compositions have grown naturally out of her improvisational practice on the violin\, and the two continue to inform each other. This season Maya is composing new works for NoExit + andPlay\, Lamnth\, Alkemie + Amanda Gookin\, Bennardo/Larson Duo\, and a new long-form piece for solo violin. \nKarl Larson is a Brooklyn-based pianist and specialist in the music of our time. A devoted supporter of contemporary composers and their craft\, Larson has built a career grounded in commissioning and long-term collaborations. He frequently performs in a variety of chamber music settings\, most notably with his trio\, Bearthoven\, a piano / bass / percussion ensemble focussed on cultivating a diverse new repertoire for their instrumentation. As a soloist\, Larson is known for championing the works of his peers and the recent canon alike\, often gravitating towards long-form\, reflective works of the 20th and 21st centuries. Through his work with Bearthoven\, collaborations with a wide variety of chamber musicians\, and his solo projects\, Larson has helped to generate a large body of new work\, resulting in world premiere performances of pieces by notable composers including David Lang\, Sarah Hennies\, Chris Cerrone\, and Michael Gordon. \nAnthony Vine is a composer and guitarist living in Brooklyn. He creates music about spirituality\, beauty\, and acoustics. His work across different media—performance\, installation\, and sound sculpture—is minimal yet acoustically rich and deeply emotive. Currently his imagination is most at ease with medieval liturgical and devotional music. His recent work has been inspired by medieval motets\, church acoustics\, the sound of prayer\, and how medieval notation communicates to the eye and ear. These projects range from hagiographic concertos to archaeoacoustic research. His music has been presented by Blank Forms\, Carnegie Hall\, Gaudeamus Muziekweek\, Lévy Gorvy\, The Metropolitan Museum of Art\, Musiikin Aika\, Pioneer Works\, Transit Festival\, and Ultima Festival\, and performed by Alarm Will Sound\, AndPlay\, Quatuor Bozzini\, Bearthoven\, Dudok Kwartet\, Gareth Davis\, Duo Axis\, Madison Greenstone\, Hotel Elefant\, Mari Kawamura\, The La Jolla Symphony and Chorus\, David Lackner\, Will Lang\, Karl Larson\, loadbang\, longleash\, The Minnesota Orchestra\, Ensemble Modelo62\, Palimpsest\, The Rhythm Method\, Steven Schick\, Trio SurPlus\, and Yarn/Wire. Recordings of his music have been released on Cantaloupe\, Galtta Media\, and Yarn/Wire’s imprint. \n\n
URL:https://www.bowerbird.org/event/bennardo-larson-duo/
LOCATION:University Lutheran\, 3637 Chestnut Street\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240330T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240330T220000
DTSTAMP:20260425T052115
CREATED:20240108T165707Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240401T145018Z
UID:10001217-1711814400-1711836000@www.bowerbird.org
SUMMARY:Shiraz Panorama
DESCRIPTION:TICKET PRE-SALES HAVE ENDED. TICKETS WILL BE AVAILABLE AT THE DOOR. \nThe Shiraz Arts Festival was a platform for cultural exchange that brought together artists from around the world to share and celebrate their diverse artistic expressions. One notable event from the festival was the “Stockhausen Panorama” in 1972\, which celebrated the work of the German composer Karlheinz Stockhausen through a series of multiple concerts. Our “Shiraz Panorama” celebrates that legacy through the rich lens of Philadelphia’s vibrant performing arts community. Mina Zarfsaz & Eugene Lew will present a new work inspired by the Persian poem “The Conference of the Birds\,” followed by a gallery tour with curator Vali Mahlouji. Traditional Indian classical Bharatanatyam dance will be performed by USILOQUY DANCE\, and the evening will include a cultural debate with special guests. Jupiter Blue\, featuring members of Sun Ra Arkestra\, will captivate with guitar and vocals\, leading to traditional Balinese music and dance by Gamelan Gita Santi x Modero & Company\, and a striking performance of Luciano Berio’s “Sequenza III per voce” (1965) by Alize Rozsnyai. Experimental percussion by Shakoor Hakeem & Pete Angevine\, Toshi Makihara’s unique fusion of percussion and dance\, and traditional Korean percussion by Uriol우리얼 will round out this vibrant celebration of world arts. \nThis event runs from 4pm to 10pm\, and the exhibition will be open this day from 2pm to 10pm.   \n\nSCHEDULE\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\nTIME\nTHEATER\nGALLERIES\n\n\n4:00 PM\n7 VALLEYS: REWIND/REWILD\nMina Zarfsaz & Eugene Lew perform a new work inspired by the Persian poem “The Conference of the Birds”\n\n\n\n\n\nGALLERY TOUR\nwith “A Utopian Stage” curator Vali Mahlouji\n\n\n5:00 PM\nUSILOQUY DANCE\ntraditional Indian classical Bharatanatyam dance\n\n\n\n\n\nA CULTURAL ATLAS DEBATE\nwith Vali Mahlouji and Peter Crimmins\n\n\n6:00 PM\nJUPITER BLUE\nguitar and vocals from members of Sun Ra Arkestra\n\n\n\n\n\nBREAK\n\n\n7:00 PM\nGAMELAN GITA SANTI x MODERO & COMPANY\ntraditional Balinese music and dance\n\n\n\n\n\nALIZE ROZSNYAI\nperforming Luciano Berio “Sequenza III per voce” (1965)\n\n\n8:00 PM\nUNIVERSAL RHYTHM\nExperimental rhythm & drone with percussion & electronics – Pete Angevine and Shakoor Hakeem\, percussion\, Chris Powell  and Manna Pourrezaei\, drones\n\n\n\n\n\nTOSHI MAKIHARA\nsolo drum improvisation\n\n\n9:00 PM\nURIOL우리얼\ntraditional Korean percussion ensemble\n\n\n\n\n\nADDITIONAL INFORMATION: \nEach performance will be approximately 30mins.  All start times are approximate and subject to change. Only one act will be performing at a time. \nPerformances will take place in the Theater and Galleries and audiences will be asked to move to different spaces through out the event. \nA single general admission ticket is good for one individual for the whole day.  Audiences may arrive or depart at any time they wish.  Re-entry (with provided wristband) will be permitted. \n  \n\nThis event is part of  A UTOPIAN STAGE\, an exhibition at Asian Arts Initiative from February 9 to March 30\, 2024. \nPictured above: Mantra\, for two Pianos\, Karlheinz Stockhausen (composer)\, Alfons Kontarsky\, Aloys Kontarsky (pianists) – Saray-e Moshir\, 1972; Courtesy Stockhausen-Stiftung für Musik / Archaeology of the Final Decade Archives \n\nABOUT THE ARTISTS\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n7 Valleys: REWIND/REWILD\nInspired by the Seven Valleys of Attar of Nishapur’s “Conference of the Birds\,” a renowned Persian literary masterpiece\, and the conservation concept of “Rewilding\,” this collaborative performance by Mina Zarfsaz & Eugene Lew synthesizes a multi-sensory space that revolves around the semiotics of social interactions among multi-species.\n\n\n\nUSILOQUY\nUsiloquy Dance Designs creates traditional and contemporary cross-cultural works rooted in the technique of Indian classical dance style Bharatanatyam. Founded in 2008 by Artistic Director Shaily Dadiala\, Philadelphia-based Usiloquy applies Bharatanatyam embracing new modalities of an ancient arts form.\nDancers: Aney Abraham\, Ankita Reddy\, Asavari Scarff\, Meghna Gummadi\, Shaily Dadiala.\n\n\n\nJupiter Blue\nFrom the Sun Ra Arkestra’s engine room\, Jupiter Blue’s tone scientists DM Hotep and Jupiter Girl (Tara Middleton) emerge to reveal elements and precepts of another kind of language\, another tomorrow. Their collaboration is interstellar and unique\, granting passage through spacious\, jazz textured sonorties informed by Ra’s ever necessary mission of saving the world.\n\n\n\nGamelan Gita Santi x Modero & Company\nGamelan Gita Santi is a community-based music ensemble and class led by Gapura\, the Indonesian community non-profit. The group offers free weekly classes for the Indonesian community in South Philadelphia\, catering to individuals aged 6 years and older. Tom Whitman of Swarthmore College leads the group\, which also collaborates with Modero & Company\, a dance company founded by Sinta Penyami Storms. Gita Santi hosts spring and fall concerts for the public and performs at the annual Indonesian Festival\, The Island Country.\n\n\n\nAlize Francheska Rozsnyai\nAlize Francheska Rozsnyai coloratura soprano and graduate of The Curtis Institute of Music “displaying profound imagination and control” (Philadelphia Inquirer)\, building a diverse and exciting performance career as a classical soprano with a “superb voice” (Harrogate News) which is “sparkling” (ArtBlog)\, all while serving up “deliciously diva performances” (I CARE IF YOU LISTEN). This season she appears with St. Petersburg Opera as an Emerging Artist and cover for Morgana in Handel’s Alcina\, is part of the development as Five Ways to Die with Experiments in Opera NYC\, and makes her role debut as Frasquita in Carmen with Boheme Opera NJ. Ms. Rozsnyai has performed with Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro\, Den Nye Opera in Bergen\, Norway\, Opera Philadelphia\, San Diego Opera\, Chautauqua Opera\, Seattle Symphony [Untitled 3] Series\, Carnegie Hall\, The Kennedy Center\, Opera Fayetteville\, Center for Contemporary Opera\, The Cape Cod Symphony\, and favorite role credits include Adina (l’elisir d’amore)\, Cleopatra (Giulio Cesare)\, Hilda (Elegy for Young Lovers-Henze)\, and Ilia (Idomeneo).\n\n\n\nUniversal Rhythm\nUniversal Rhythm is the catchall title for the always-in-flux musical expression of brothers in percussion\, Shakoor Hakeem and Pete Angevine.\nFearless percussionist Shakoor Hakeem\, a prolific up-and-coming talent\, has a gift for making experimental\, Afro-diasporan\, rhythmic improvisational music immediately enjoyable. Hakeem’s unique old soul has him adhering to the cultural traditions of mysticism and folklore\, within which are contained the secrets of his elders. The mythical experience of his stage presence evokes feelings that you are witness to a ceremonial gathering\, of an ancient rhythmic history. In building this\, he has long supported many of the most forward-thinking legendary improvisers\, including Graham Haynes\, Immanual Wilkins\, Joel Ross\, Adam Rudolph\, Bobby Zankel and Wallace Roney. Performing live with these great artists\, he refrains from overplaying and prefers minimalism\, playing with the musical and compositional contexts of colors and texture\, delivering limited solos\, all while occupying the eye of the hurricane.Pete Angevine works independently as a creative producer with a constellation of individuals and organizations in fields such as life sciences\, farmer cooperatives\, public art\, and experimental music.He has helped to develop and create many creative projects including musical albums\, experimental theater\, Ice Cream dreams\, public history themed augmented reality apps\, art exhibitions\, a Wide Range of Popular and Avant Garde Musics\, free food for the people\, murals\, watershed science infused walking tours\, two beloved children\, interactive sound sculptures\, historically interpretive artist-designed miniature golf holes\, psychedelic ceremonies\, gongs\, and more.\n\n\n\nToshi Makihara\nToshi Makihara’s performance utilizes traditional percussion with a variety of discovered sound media\, everyday objects and toys. Through a rigorous\, systematic\, and practiced process of experimentation\, Makihara seeks out sounds that have never been heard before\, experimenting with touch\, force\, and speed\, and always remaining aware of sound’s relationship to the body. Makihara studied drums and percussion with Sabu Toyozumi\, a renowned improvising percussionist in Tokyo. He has also studied butoh with dance master Kazuo Ohno and others.\n\n\n\nURIOL우리얼\nFounded in 2018\, URIOL(우리얼) is a traditional Korean percussion ensemble based in Philadelphia. URIOL began as a Samulnori group and continues to explore and create new music for traditional percussion instruments. Hyunjin Cha\, artistic director of URIOL\, has been a performer and director of programming & operations for Dulsori\, a world-renowned Korean world music ensemble that has appeared in over 54 countries and prestigious festivals such as WOMAD\, Edinburgh Fringe Festival\, and Roskilde Rock Festival. URIOL’s music is for anyone and everyone\, based on the traditional Korean performance of ‘Pungmul’\, ‘Minyo’\, and ‘Chukjae’. During the performance\, we play and dance to wish for our happiness and hopes to be fulfilled. As you become one with the performers\, enjoying and applauding\, you will feel a magical sensation.\n\n\n\nPeter Crimmins\nPeter Crimmins has been reporting on arts and culture for WHYY News since 2010\, reporting stories on a wide variety of cultural topics\, from artist profiles to community initiatives to philanthropic funding trends. He started his career in the San Francisco Bay Area\, cutting his teeth at community station KALX and producing syndicated radio programming for Ben Manilla Productions. He lives in Fishtown with his wife and dogs.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMajor support for A Utopian Stage has been provided by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage with additional support from the Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia.. Presented in collaboration with Asian Arts Initiative and Fire Museum Presents
URL:https://www.bowerbird.org/event/shiraz-panorama-a-utopian-stage/
LOCATION:Asian Arts Initiative\, 1219 Vine Street\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19107\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.bowerbird.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Bowerbird-A-Utopian-Stage-PANORAMA-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240329T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240329T220000
DTSTAMP:20260425T052115
CREATED:20240108T164524Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240517T202451Z
UID:10001216-1711742400-1711749600@www.bowerbird.org
SUMMARY:Contemporary Persian Poetry and Music
DESCRIPTION:Composer/performers Mahya Hamedi and Sepehr Pirasteh unite their talents with the Shiraz Ensemble and the Arcana New Music Ensemble to craft an enchanting evening celebrating Contemporary Persian Poetry and Music. With poems curated by Fatemeh Shams\, the event will immerse audiences in the depth of Iran’s poetic legacy while capturing the spirit of the contemporary moment. \nHarking back to the inception of the Shiraz Arts Festival in 1967\, the platform played a pivotal role in showcasing Iran’s vibrant community of poets and musicians. A recital of “Contemporary Persian Poetry\,” the inaugural year paid homage to literary giants Hafez and Sa’di and living poets took the stage to recite their own verses.  The venerable Mohammad-Hossein Shahriar\, Iran’s eldest living poet\, debuted a new poem in honor of the Festival. The poetic event took place at Hafeziyeh\, the final resting place of the esteemed Persian poet Hafez. \nParallel to the poets’ engagement with both historical and contemporary themes\, composers at the Shiraz Arts Festival drew inspiration from a fusion of past and present elements. Noteworthy figures from the Euro-American avant garde\, such as Karlheinz Stockhausen\, Iannis Xenakis\, Olivier Messiaen\, Bruno Maderna\, John Cage\, David Tudor\, and Morton Feldman\, were featured at the festival.  Proposals for a significant arts center\, encompassing electronic music and recording studios\, were planned but were thwarted by the onset of the Revolution. Nevertheless\, the festival left an indelible mark on Iran’s contemporary and experimental music scene\, shaping its trajectory in enduring ways. \n\nPROGRAM \nFarzia Fallah (b. 1980): Posht-e Hichestan for solo flute \nAida Shirazi (b. 1987): ephemera for clarinet and percussion \nAnahita Abbasi (b. 1985): Situation IV/Io E iO for solo violin \nArcana New Music Ensemble\nNicholas Handahl\, flute\nJonathan Leeds\, clarinet\nAndy Thierauf\, percussion\nCarlos Santiago – violin \n~ INTERMISSION ~ \nMahya Hamedi\nShiraz Ensemble\nNooshin Nowrouzi\, kamancheh\nSepehr Pirasteh\, alto kamancheh\nSina Homaee\, santoor \nperforming new works based on poetry selections by Fatemeh Shams. \n  \n\nThis event is part of  A UTOPIAN STAGE\, an exhibition at Asian Arts Initiative from February 9 to March 30\, 2024. \nPictured above: Shahr-e Qesseh (City of Tales)\, Bijan Mofid (playwright & director); from left: Soheil Souzani\, Mehdi Ali Beigi\, Jamileh.Nedai\, Mahmood Ostad Mohamad\, Rashid Kanaani\, commissioned by the Festival\, University Hall\, 1968. Courtesy of Dariush Hajir / Afshin Mofid / Archaeology of the Final Decade Archives. \n\nABOUT THE ARTISTS \nMahya Hamedi (born 1999) is an Iranian vocalist\, pianist\, and composer from Tehran. Singing and playing the piano since the age of nine\, Mahya realized quickly that music was her lifelong passion. Her early compositions for theatre won local and national awards\, and she has performed in groups across Iran and in Greece before university. Unable to pursue studies in vocal performance in her home country due to a national ban on women singing\, she studied classical piano at the University of Tehran for two years before traveling to Berklee to focus on voice and composition. Mahya’s recorded works are highly syncretic\, fusing Iranian folk music with contemporary jazz pop\, and classical music showcasing her powerful and versatile voice. \nSepehr Pirasteh is a composer and conductor born in Shiraz\, Iran. His compositions draw on Persian classical and folk as well as contemporary classical music vocabularies to express his concerns and fears about the political and social realities of the world we are living in. Sepehr’s works have been performed by ensembles such as Argus String Quartet\, PRISM saxophone quartet\, Pushback Ensemble\, Unheard-of Ensemble\, Orquestra Criança Cidadã\, Hole in the Floor\, fivebyfive\, and members of the Fifth House Ensemble. He has been commissioned by Susan Horvath Chamber Music\, ENA chamber opera ensemble\, Philadelphia Student Composers Project\, Detroit Composers’ Project\, YInMn project\, Pushback Collective\, Fresh Inc. Festival\, Yara Ensemble\, Central Michigan University’s (CMU) Percussion Ensemble\, and the CMU Saxophone Ensemble. His music has been performed in Argentina\, Brazil\, Iran and the United States. Sepehr has also been a fellow in festivals and residencies such as Harvard University’s Fromm Foundation Fellowship (Composers Conference)\, CCI Initiative\, and Fresh Inc Festival. \nDr. Fatemeh Shams is a Persian poet\, literary scholar\, and translator. She currently teaches Persianate literature and history at the University of Pennsylvania and is a core faculty member of the Gender\, Sexuality\, and Women’s Studies Program. Her work focuses on the intersection of literature\, politics\, and society. Fatemeh is interested in the evolution of poetry and patronage in the Persian literary tradition and the representation and transformation of this relationship in modern Iran. She previously taught poetry at Oxford and SOAS Universities in the UK. She has published three award-winning poetry collections in Persian and English. In her academic research\, she concentrates on the intersection of poetry and politics in past and present Iran. Her book\, Revolution in Rhyme: Poetic Co-Option Under Islamic Republic (Oxford University Press)\, explores the role of poetry and poetics in the political ideology of the Islamic Republic. \nShiraz Ensemble embodies a global perspective\, combining their roles as citizens of the world and passionate artists to shed light on crucial socio-political matters through art. Drawing inspiration from their personal journeys as immigrants from Iran to the United States\, they channel their experiences into a transformative musical narrative. Blending contemporary classical music with the rich traditions of Iran\, Shiraz Ensemble aims to engage audiences and promote cultural understanding by fusing different musical aesthetics. Founded in Philadelphia\, Shiraz Ensemble takes its name from the ancient city of Shiraz in Iran\, a place of birth and upbringing for both its founders\, Sina Homaee (santoor and tombak) and Sepehr Pirasteh. \nFounded in 2016\, the Arcana New Music Ensemble is a group of Philadelphia-based musicians dedicated to presenting interesting\, beautiful\, and unconventional music in interesting\, beautiful\, and unconventional places. Built on a flexible roster of 25 musicians\, Arcana is able to perform a broad range of repertoire in numerous configurations. Composers featured in recent programs include Julius Eastman\, Morton Feldman\, Galina Ustvolskaya\, Pauline Oliveros\, Tom Johnson\, Moondog\, and James Tenney. Arcana has performed at the Philadelphia Museum of Art\, Fleisher Art Memorial\, The Rotunda\, The Kitchen (NYC)\, and collaborated with Variant Six\, Prometheus Chamber Orchestra\, and Pig Iron Theater Company. \n\n\n  \n\n\n\n\nMajor support for A Utopian Stage has been provided by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage with additional support from the Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia.. Presented in collaboration with Asian Arts Initiative\, Fire Museum Presents and Philly Iranians
URL:https://www.bowerbird.org/event/contemporary-persian-poetry-and-music-a-utopian-stage/
LOCATION:Asian Arts Initiative\, 1219 Vine Street\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19107\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.bowerbird.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/A-Utopian-Stage-Shahr-e-Qesseh-City-of-Tales.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240320T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240320T220000
DTSTAMP:20260425T052115
CREATED:20231120T183747Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240318T150451Z
UID:10001212-1710964800-1710972000@www.bowerbird.org
SUMMARY:POSTPONED: Ensemble Pamplemousse
DESCRIPTION:Photo by Joe Lamberti \nTHIS CONCERT IS POSTPONED. STAY TUNED FOR A NEW DATE \n  \nBowerbird is thrilled to bring Ensemble Pamplemousse back to UniLu featuring new works performed and composed by David Broome\, Natacha Diels\, Andrew Greenwald\, and Bryan Jacobs. \n\nABOUT THE ARTISTS:\nComposer/performer collective Ensemble Pamplemousse was founded in 2003 to provide a focal point for like-minded creators with a thirst for sonic exploration. The ensemble is a close-knit group of divergent artistic personalities\, emergent from training in disparate musical fields. Their collective love for the exquisite in all sonic realms leads the ensemble to persistently discover new vistas of sound at the frayed edges of dissective instrumental performance technique. Compositions aggregate each member’s unique virtuosic talents into extraordinary magical moments. In the flexible moments of performance\, the ensemble weaves together shapes of resonance\, clusters of glitch\, skitters of hyper action\, and masses of absurdity into impeccable structures of unified beauty. \nwww.pamplemoussies.bandcamp.com/album/shadows \n\n\n\n  \n 
URL:https://www.bowerbird.org/event/ensemble-pamplemousse/
LOCATION:University Lutheran\, 3637 Chestnut Street\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.bowerbird.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Bowerbird-Main-Img-57.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240315T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240315T220000
DTSTAMP:20260425T052115
CREATED:20240205T160435Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240318T150351Z
UID:10001222-1710532800-1710540000@www.bowerbird.org
SUMMARY:Kaffe Matthews
DESCRIPTION:Photo: Katharina Hauke \nBowerbird is pleased to present Berlin-based British music maker Kaffe Matthews at The Rotunda with opening set by Spectral Forces. \n  \nABOUT THE ARTIST \nKaffe Matthews is a pioneering music maker who works live with space\, data\, things\, and place to make new electroacoustic composition. Site\, accessibility and the physical experience of this music has always been central to her approach and so she has also invented some unique interfaces – the sonic armchair\, the sonic bed and a variety of sonic bikes which enable new paths into composition for makers\, and ways in to listening for wide ranging audiences. In 2021 she developed the breathing Enviro Bike to enable riders to hear music made by the pollution of the air as they ride. Summer 2022 saw the Buzz Bike in street compositional research in Berlin\, now ready to make new vibrational composition. Today\, she is back live on stage with no laptop. Instead a new DIY instrument the Ripley\, a noise filter system designed on alchemical discoveries made by G.Ripley\, a 15th British alchemist\, flanked by 2 processing ipads. \nSpectral Forces\, a Philadelphia based trio of Pete Dennis (bass)\, Julius Masri (drums)\, and Alex Smith (keys and words)\, brings triangulated octohedronal hysteria\, wired nexus and timpanic atom bathe! the new wave in mystic sonic structure. \n\n \nKaffe Matthews · Finding Languages
URL:https://www.bowerbird.org/event/kaffe-matthews/
LOCATION:The Rotunda\, 4014 Walnut St\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.bowerbird.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Bowerbird-Main-Img-63.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240309T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240309T180000
DTSTAMP:20260425T052115
CREATED:20240214T022647Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240311T143005Z
UID:10001223-1709992800-1710007200@www.bowerbird.org
SUMMARY:A Utopian Stage Film Marathon
DESCRIPTION:Beginning in its inaugural year in 1967\, the Shiraz Arts Festival treated audiences to daily film screenings\, drawing enthusiastic crowds\, particularly among the younger demographic. Initially held at the Paramount and Capri cinemas\, the festival later found its home at the Ariana Theatre\, a state-of-the-art venue owned and operated by filmmaker Shahrokh Golestan\, a native of Shiraz. The festival’s diverse lineup encompassed both classic and contemporary works\, ranging from retrospectives of esteemed directors like Brook\, Bergman\, Buñuel\, and Satyajit Ray to screenings of cutting-edge films by emerging Iranian talents and international auteurs. \nOne of the festival’s defining features was its thematic programming\, which showcased a wide array of genres and topics. In 1970\, for example\, the festival delved into the theme of ‘theatre and ritual\,’ presenting unfiltered glimpses of African rituals through the lens of French filmmaker Jean Rouch. Similarly\, thematic showcases such as the 1975 presentation of musicals from Hollywood’s Golden Age and the 1977 exploration of Japanese cinema’s historical significance enriched the festival’s offerings and expanded its cultural impact. \nOf particular note in the festival’s history was the premiere of Sergei Parajanov’s masterwork\, “The Color of Pomegranates\,” which took place amid significant anticipation and defiance of Soviet censorship. This groundbreaking film\, along with other daring and thought-provoking selections like “Grass” and “Heir to Genghis Khan\,” solidified the Shiraz Arts Festival’s reputation for showcasing groundbreaking cinema from around the world. Through its bold programming choices and pioneering spirit\, the festival played a pivotal role in shaping the trajectory of Iranian cinema and leaving a lasting mark on the global film landscape. \nThis program features three films shown back to back. Opening the afternoon is William Greaves’ “The First World Festival of Black Arts”\, a documentary film that celebrates a Shiraz-like festival that took place in the Senegalese capital of Dakar in 1966. Next shown will be a film shown at the Shiraz Arts Festival: Sergei Parajanov’s “The Color of Pomegranates”\, a visually stunning exploration of the life and work of the Armenia poet Sayat-Nova. And closing the afternoon will be another film shown at the Shiraz Arts Festival – “Dayereh-ye Mina”\, a film by Dariush Mehrjui\, an Iranian filmmaker who was assassinated in October 2023. \n\n  \nPROGRAM \n2:00pm: The First World Festival Of Negro Arts (Dir. William Greaves\, American\, 1966\, 40min)\n2:45pm: The Color of Pomegranates (Sergei Parajanov\, 1969\, Armenian\, Georgian\, 78 min)\n4:00pm: Dayereh-ye Mina / The Mina Cycle (Dariush Mehrjui\, 1975\, Iran\, 101 min) \n\nThis event is part of  A UTOPIAN STAGE\, an exhibition at Asian Arts Initiative from February 9 to March 30\, 2024. \n\nABOUT THE FILMS \nThe First World Festival of Negro Arts (1968) 40 minutes  \nWriter/Director: William Greaves\nProducer: Motion Picture and Television Service of the United States Information Agency\nCinematographer: Georges Bracher\, William Greaves\nCourtesy William Greaves Productions  \nWilliam Greaves (1926 – 2014) was a Harlem-born American documentary filmmaker\, writer\, producer and a pioneer of African American filmmaking. His film The First World Festival of Negro Arts is a Black history treasure and documents the landscape of the seminal performance festival held in Dakar\, Senegal\, in 1966\, one year prior to the inauguration of Shiraz-Persepolis. The festivals at Dakar and Shiraz-Persepolis shared a similar decolonising ethos. The film was officially commissioned to document the events that attracted over two thousand writers\, artists and performers from Africa and the African diaspora\, including: Duke Ellington\, Langston Hughes\, Alvin Ailey\, Aime Cesaire\, Leopold Senghor and other artists\, performers and dignitaries from thirty countries.  \nGreaves began his career as a Broadway actor and a member of The Actor’s Studio. He later served as executive producer and co-host of the Black Journal television programme for which he was awarded an Emmy in 1970. His recent film\, Ralph Bunche:  An American Odyssey (2001)\, documents the life and historic achievements of Dr. Ralph Johnson Bunche (1903-1971) the legendary African American Nobel prize-winning\, scholar turned statesman who contributed to international diplomacy\, decolonization\, peacekeeping\, and human rights in pre-civil rights America. His film From these Roots (1974) provides an in-depth study of the Harlem Renaissance. \n  \n\nThe Color of Pomegranates (1969) 78 minutes \nWriter/Director: Sergei Paradjanov\nEditors: Sergei Parajanov\, M. Ponomarenko\, S. Yutkevich\nCinematographer: Suren Shakhbazyan\nCourtesy Parajanov-Vartanov Institute. \nSergei Paradjanov (1924 – 1990)was a Soviet film director of Armenian descent who made a substantial contribution to Soviet cinematography through Ukrainian\, Armenian and Georgian cinema. He pioneered his own cinematic style by stepping outside socialist realism\, which was the only sanctioned art style within the USSR. His filmmaking and controversial lifestyle meant he was persecuted with his films regularly banned by Soviet authorities between 1965 and 1973.  \nThe Color of Pomegranates is based\, in part\, on the life and poetry of the eighteenth-century Armenian poet\, Sayat Nova (‘The King of Song’). Sergei Parajanov writes\, directs\, edits\, choreographs\, designs and creates every aspect of the film. It remains a masterpiece of cinema on account of being devoid of dialogue or camera movement and for its alluring imagery. The film was not seen internationally until 1977 due to Soviet censorship. It was screened at the Festival of Arts\, Shiraz-Persepolis in 1976 and subsequently smuggled to Paris where it was received to great acclaim. \n  \n\n  \n\nDayereh-ye Mina / The Cycle (1975) 101 minutes \nWriter/Director: Dariush Mehrjui \nDariush Mehrjui (1939 – 2023) was an Iranian filmmaker and a member of the Iranian Academy of the Arts. Mehrjui was a founding member of the Iranian New Wave movement of the early 1970s\, which also included directors Masoud Kimiai and Nasser Taqvai. His second film\, The Cow (1969)\, is considered to be the first film of this movement. Most of his films are inspired by literature and adapted from Iranian and foreign novels and plays. \nDayereh-ye Mina / The Cycle\, a harrowing tale of poverty and drug addiction in the slums in which people desperately sell their blood to survive\, is based on Gholam-Hossein Sa’dei’s short story “Garbage Dump.” Banned due to objections from the Iranian Medical Association\, The Cycle was shelved for three years before it was eventually shown at the Shiraz Arts Festival. The left saw the story of the poor selling contaminated blood for injection into new veins as a metaphor for the corruption of Pahlavis. For Mehrjui\, however\, this was more a candid investigation of a real problem\, and it eventually helped inspire the formation of the Iranian Blood Transfusion Organization. The casting of the popular filmfarsi star Forouzan was controversial\, but her fine performance proved the versatility of Iranian actors. \n\n\n\nMajor support for A Utopian Stage has been provided by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage with additional support from the Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia.
URL:https://www.bowerbird.org/event/a-utopian-stage-film-marathon/
LOCATION:Asian Arts Initiative\, 1219 Vine Street\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19107\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.bowerbird.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Bowerbird-Main-Img-11.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240308T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240308T210000
DTSTAMP:20260425T052115
CREATED:20240214T022830Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240309T183326Z
UID:10001225-1709920800-1709931600@www.bowerbird.org
SUMMARY:Moniro Ravanipour and Fatemeh Shams
DESCRIPTION:Bowerbird and Philly Iranians\, a volunteer-led\, non-partisan\, multi-faith coalition of Iranians and allies in the greater Philadelphia area advocating for a free Iran\, are pleased to co-present an evening with Moniro Ravanipour and Fatemeh Shams in celebration of International Women’s Day. Join us for an event where Ravanipour and Shams\, two esteemed Iranian authors\, will share excerpts from their work and engage in discussions about the profound role of literature in offering unique perspectives on resilience and compassion through the lens of the Iranian identity\, especially amidst today’s challenging social landscape. This event aims to create a space that fosters unity and empathy while reflecting on the uncertainties facing the Iranian people. \n Please note the early start time. All proceeds from this event support Philly Iranians and their work. \n\nThis event is happening on the occasion of  A UTOPIAN STAGE\, an exhibition about the Shiraz Arts Festival on view at Asian Arts Initiative from February 9 to March 30\, 2024. \n\nABOUT THE SPEAKERS \nMoniro Ravanipour is an Iranian American internationally acclaimed\, innovative writer\, activist\, and poet currently living in Nevada. Ravanipour was among seventeen activists to face trial in Iran for their participation in the 2000 Berlin Conference\, where she was accused of taking part in “anti-Iran propaganda”. Copies of her current work have in fact been stripped from bookstores in Iran. Ravanipour is the author of many novels\, short stories and memoirs such as The Drowned\, Heart of Steel\, Gypsy by Fire\, These Crazy Nights\, and An Angel on Earth\, to name a few. With much of her writing fueled by her Iranian identity and imaginative mind\, her work ranges from children’s stories\, short stories\, novels\, and screenplays. Her short stories have been published in various anthologies\, including the PEN International Anthology of Contemporary Iranian Literature. With several of her works translated into multiple languages\, Ravanipour’s bestselling short fiction collections include Kanizu and Satan’s Stones. \nFatemeh Shams is a poet\, intersectional feminist activist\, and associate professor of Persian literature at the University of Pennsylvania. An internationally acclaimed and award-winning poet\, her work engages the fundamental struggles of her era: tyranny\, sexual violence\, bodily autonomy\, alienation\, forced displacement\, and loss of the mother tongue. Writing in a wide range of forms from classic styles to prose poetry\, Shams constantly moves beyond rigid boundaries of form and language to write about hunting memories of childhood and coming of age in her hometown and the experience of living in exile and her struggle for gender justice. Her literary honors and awards include Jaleh Esfahani Poetry Award in 2013\, Latifeh Yarshater Prize in 2016\, Poetry International Chapbook Prize in 2023 among others.
URL:https://www.bowerbird.org/event/moniro-ravanipour-and-fatemeh-shams/
LOCATION:Asian Arts Initiative\, 1219 Vine Street\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19107\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.bowerbird.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Bowerbird-Main-Img-16.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240214T193000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240214T213000
DTSTAMP:20260425T052115
CREATED:20231127T182321Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240219T152101Z
UID:10001211-1707939000-1707946200@www.bowerbird.org
SUMMARY:Alash Ensemble
DESCRIPTION:Bowerbird is pleased to present Philadelphia favorites Alash at The Rotunda for a FREE concert. Alash are masters of Tuvan throat singing (xöömei)\, a remarkable technique for singing multiple pitches at the same time. Masters of traditional Tuvan instruments as well as the art of throat singing\, Alash are deeply committed to traditional Tuvan music and culture. At the same time\, they are fans of western music. Believing that traditional music must constantly evolve\, the musicians subtly infuse their songs with western elements\, creating their own unique style that is fresh and new\, yet true to their Tuvan musical heritage. \nPresented with The Rotunda. \n*Please note: The performance starts at 7:30pm. Seating and admission to the building for the performance will be on a first come first served basis. Doors will open at 6:45pm.* \n\n\n 
URL:https://www.bowerbird.org/event/alash-ensemble-2024/
LOCATION:The Rotunda\, 4014 Walnut St\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.bowerbird.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Bowerbird-Main-Img-54.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240210T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240210T200000
DTSTAMP:20260425T052115
CREATED:20240108T170958Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240821T153554Z
UID:10001218-1707589800-1707595200@www.bowerbird.org
SUMMARY:Xenakis: Persepolis
DESCRIPTION:In 1971\, the Greek-French composer Iannis Xenakis (1922-2001) was commissioned to create a piece for the opening day of the fifth edition of the Shiraz Arts Festival. The event commemorated the 2500th anniversary of the founding of the Persian Empire and took place at the ruins of Persepolis\, the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire (~550 – 330 BCE)\, situated about 45 miles northeast of the modern city of Shiraz. Xenakis created a site-specific\, open-air spectacle called “Polytope de Persepolis”. The original performance included a 55-minute long 8-track electroacoustic composition distributed over 59 speakers\, two laser beams\, army searchlights\, a choreography of 150 children carrying torches and several large bonfires on the surrounding hills facing the ruins. \nFor this event we have collaborated with the LA-based listening non-profit BLACK HOLE to present a special new rendering of “Persepolis”. This event\, under the sound direction of Micah Silver\, offers a rare chance to hear Xenakis’ original source audio material in a multi-speaker arrangement specifically devised for the Asian Arts Initiative Theater. \n\nLISTENING SESSIONS \nApproximate 60 min run time. Limited space available. Advanced tickets required. \nSaturday\, February 10th @ 6:30 pm: Buy Tickets\nSaturday\, February 10th @ 8:00 pm: Buy Tickets  \n\nThis event is part of  A UTOPIAN STAGE\, an exhibition at Asian Arts Initiative from February 9 to March 30\, 2024. \nPictured above: Iannis Xenakis in preparations for the premiere of “Persepolis” music and light spectacle\, at the ancient ruins of Persepolis\, 1971. (World Premiere\, festival commission for the opening event); Courtesy Les Amis de Xenakis / Archaeology of the Final Decade Archives \n\nA NOTE ABOUT THIS PROJECT \nAs is true with much of Xenakis’ “Polytopes”\, this ritualistic\, site-dependant and intersensory performance fully resists documentation\, substantive “re-presentation” or interpretation. In spite of this\, and with almost nobody alive having experienced it directly\, it remains an influential work of art\, more legend than anything else. \nThis is not unique to this work or Xenakis\, but is a common problem with audio works that can’t be distributed easily as stereo media products by the record industry since the 1950s. For pieces like this\, how can we extend the research invested in these practices into the present without confusing them with more familiar tropes? How can we share the insights into music\, listening\, and composing with those looking to account for and build on this history? \nIn the case of “Persepolis”\, much can be learned from listening with and imagining through the fragmented partiality carried by the audio components of the work\, even absent the torchbearers\, lasers\, and tens of loudspeakers in an ancient ruin. This is especially true in the context of this exhibition\, where visitors are given tools to imagine its context of creation. \nBLACK HOLE takes as its point of departure that “listeners are the performers” – to emphasize that audio is not a carrier for a real or an original but a vehicle for our own projections and imagination\, to reflect on the way our attention is structured in time and space by this technology. Audio is a technology of representation not recreation. \nIn presenting a new rendering of audio from the work “Persepolis” we invite the audience to imagine the expanded possibilities of what audio can do – how it can alter a landscape and engage in the feelings and tactics of history\, myth\, and the pressures of the present. \n  \n\n\n\nMajor support for A Utopian Stage has been provided by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage with additional support from the Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia. Presented in collaboration with Asian Arts Initiative.
URL:https://www.bowerbird.org/event/xenakis-persepolis-a-utopian-stage/
LOCATION:Asian Arts Initiative\, 1219 Vine Street\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19107\, United States
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240209T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240209T220000
DTSTAMP:20260425T052115
CREATED:20240108T162934Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240326T005249Z
UID:10001215-1707508800-1707516000@www.bowerbird.org
SUMMARY:Traditional Music from Korea and Iran
DESCRIPTION:Inspired by the Shiraz Arts Festiva’s curatorial vision\, “Traditional Music from Korea and Iran” brings togethers two duos: Jung-Hee Oh\, a Korean music artist of “Gayageum Byeong-chang” (Solo zither performance with song) with Song Eun Shin\, who performs the 25 String Gayageum; and Mehrnam Rastegari\, a Persian master of the Kamancheh (an Iranian bowed string instrument\, with Jalal Kimia\, who performs the Iranian percussion instruments Daf and Tombak.   Iranian traditional music held a central role in the Shiraz Arts Festival’s programming. Prior to the festival\, large\, high-profile\, live performances of Iranian traditional music were rare – with performances primarily confined to private homes and small gatherings.   The inaugural 1967 festival showcased Iranian master musicians in multiple concerts at the picturesque Hafezieh (a memorial garden in Shiraz\, Iran\, housing the tomb of Hafez\, a 14th-century Persian poet).  By the following year\, Iranian music was also being featured alongside music from other cultures.  Programs such as “Traditional Music from India & Iran” or “Traditional Music from Morocco & Iran” invited audiences to hear connections and interplay between musical styles and instrumentations in ways that are still rare today. \n\nThis event is part of  A UTOPIAN STAGE\, an exhibition at Asian Arts Initiative from February 9 to March 30\, 2024. \nPlease join us for the opening reception of “A Utopian Stage” before this concert (February 9th at 6pm). \n\nABOUT THE ARTISTS \nMs. Jung-Hee Oh is a Korean traditional music artist in ‘Gayageum Byeong-chang’ (singing with self-accompaniment of the Gayageum instrument) and ‘Pansori’ (a traditional story-telling performed by a solo vocalist). Ms. Oh is recognized as a Korean government cultural ministry’s intangible cultural property No. 23 in Gayageum with song and ‘Sanjo.’ She had performances in numerous significant musical events and was featured as the main guest in many Korean Cultural events in prominent institutions. She received her master’s degree in Korean music from Chung-Ang University in Seoul Korea. She currently serves as the music director of the music band G-Hwaja and performing artist based in NY & NJ metropolitan area. \nSong Eun Shin has established her reputation for her outstanding performance and detailed expressions of the unique musical language. In addition\, she has been a pioneer in spreading across the world the sound of Gayageum\, traditional Korean string instrument. She started to play Gayageum when she was 10 years old. She graduated from Korean National Traditional Arts High School and received bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Chung-Ang University with top honors. She won Seoul Gayageum Competition and has continued to advance her career through great concerts and performances\, including Shanghai Expo\, the G20 Summit\, and Hong Kong national holiday events. \nMehrnam Rastegari is a well-established Iranian music and film score composer\, singer\, violinist\, and master Kamancheh player. She has performed in concerts in more than ten countries\, including the United States\, Germany\, Switzerland\, France\, Finland\, Iran\, and Kazakhstan\, and music festivals such as the WOMEX World Music Expo\, Tampere\, Finland\, and the Fajr International Music Festival\, Tehran\, Iran. Mehrnam’s main instrument is the Kamancheh\, for which she has been recognized by some of the best Kamancheh performers and instructors globally\, who certified her as a master Kamancheh player. She was a guest speaker at the TEDx event Oasis: Existence in Nothingness. Additionally\, she composed the score for multiple award-winning films\, including Dispirited\, for which she won the Best Original Score Award at the Melbourne City Independent Film Awards (MCIFA)\, A Poetess\, presented at the Cannes Film Festival 2022\, and the Rotten\, nominated for the original score in Japan Kadoma Festival. \nJalal Kimia\, a talented Persian Percussionist\, was born and raised in Iran. He embarked on his musical journey by learning the famous Iranian frame drum\, Daf\, at an early age\, guided by Meysam Afshin and Behzad Mahjoobi. Later\, he felt compelled to learn the other main Persian percussion instrument\, Tombak\, and continued his training under Master Dariush Eshaghi and later continued his training with Master Pejman Hadadi\, further developing his skills as a percussionist. \n\n\n  \n\n\n\n\nMajor support for A Utopian Stage has been provided by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage with additional support from the Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia.. Presented in collaboration with Asian Arts Initiative\, Fire Museum Presents and Philly Iranians
URL:https://www.bowerbird.org/event/traditional-music-from-korea-and-iran-a-utopian-stage/
LOCATION:Asian Arts Initiative\, 1219 Vine Street\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19107\, United States
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240121T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240121T160000
DTSTAMP:20260425T052115
CREATED:20230817T165438Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240821T153514Z
UID:10001199-1705845600-1705852800@www.bowerbird.org
SUMMARY:Bartok's Monster
DESCRIPTION:The 7pm performance of “Bartok’s Monster” has been sold out. A 2pm performance has been added.  \nInspired by Avoid the Day: A New Nonfiction in Two Movements\, by Jay Kirk \nThe “insightful and vibrant” (The New York Times) Daedalus Quartet returns to our stage with Bartok’s Monster\, a collaboration with Dan Rothenberg\, Co-Founder/Co-Artistic Director of Pig Iron Theatre Company\, and Sebastienne Mundheim\, Founder/Artistic Director of White Box Theatre. A musical investigation into a missing string quartet\, this world premiere program by Penn’s exceptional quartet-in-residence takes inspiration from Penn English professor Jay Kirk’s Avoid the Day: A New Nonfiction in 2 Movements\, a book Gideon Lewis-Kraus described as “a vividly funny Gothic picaresque…and a dark\, self-consuming act of memoiristic alchemy.” \n\nABOUT THE ARTISTS \nPraised by The New Yorker as “a fresh and vital young participant in what is a golden age of American string quartets\,” the Daedalus Quartet has established itself as a leader among the new generation of string ensembles. Since winning the top prize in the Banff International String Quartet Competition in 2001\, the Daedalus Quartet has impressed critics and listeners alike with the security\, technical finish\, interpretive unity\, and sheer gusto of its performances. The New York Times has praised the Daedalus Quartet’s “insightful and vibrant” Haydn\, the “impressive intensity” of their Beethoven\, their “luminous” Berg\, and the “riveting focus” of their Dutilleux. The Washington Post in turn has acclaimed their performance of Mendelssohn for its “rockets of blistering virtuosity\,” while the Houston Chronicle has described the “silvery beauty” of their Schubert and the “magic that hushed the audience” when they played Ravel\, the Boston Globe the “finesse and fury” of their Shostakovich\, the Toronto Globe and Mail the “thrilling revelation” of their Hindemith\, and the Cincinnati Enquirer the “tremendous emotional power” of their Brahms. \nJay Kirk is the author of Avoid the Day: A New Nonfiction in 2 Movements (Harper Perennial)\, which Helen Macdonald (H is for Hawk) said “truly seems to push nonfiction memoir as far as it can go without it collapsing into a singularity and I am at a loss for words. You are just going to have to read it.” His first book\, Kingdom Under Glass\, was picked by the Washington Post as one of the “Best Nonfiction Books of 2010.” His work has appeared in Harper’s\, GQ\, and The New York Times Magazine\, and has been widely anthologized in the Best American series. He is a recipient of a 2017 Whiting Writing Award\, a 2005 Pew Fellowship in the Arts\, and a finalist for the 2013 National Magazine Award for his story “Burning Man.” He is the founder and faculty adviser for Penn’s experimental nonfiction journal\, Xfic. \n\nBartok’s Monster is a co-presentation with Penn Live Arts and the Pig Iron School. \n\nSupport for Bartok’s Monster has been provided by The Sachs Program for Arts Innovation and the Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia.
URL:https://www.bowerbird.org/event/bartoks-monster/
LOCATION:Annenberg Center\, Harold Prince Theater\, 3680 Walnut St\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
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