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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261024T200000
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DTSTAMP:20261019T150848Z
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UID:10001334-1792872000-1792879200@www.bowerbird.org
SUMMARY:Blackbox Ensemble
DESCRIPTION:Bowerbird is pleased to present the Blackbox Ensemble at The Perch. \nBlackBox Ensemble presents a program honoring milestones in American history\, culture\, and music: the centennial of pioneering American composer Morton Feldman and the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. The program pairs works by Feldman with Elliott Carter’s “A Mirror on Which to Dwell\,” settings of Elizabeth Bishop poems written in 1976 to honor the United States bicentennial. In dialogue with these works is Tania Leon’s “In the Field\,” a song cycle setting of poetry by Carlos Pintado reflecting on the historical landmarks of Philadelphia which\, in the words of the composer\, “reflects the love and respect we all feel for the multiple and diverse communities coming together to create a nation.” \nPROGRAM \nMorton Feldman: Four Songs to E.E. Cummings\nTania Leon: In the Field\nElliot Carter: A Mirror on Which to Dwell \nFeaturing Amber Evans\, Soprano \n\nABOUT THE ARTISTS \nDescribed as “ambitious” by The New Yorker\, the New York City–based BlackBox Ensemble creates immersive\, interdisciplinary\, and site-responsive performances that engage deeply with classical traditions while reimagining them through contemporary lenses\, opening space for new ideas\, collaborations\, and ways of listening. \nBlackBox has presented work at leading museums\, festivals\, and performance spaces across the U.S.\, including the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art\, The Whitney Museum\, Bang on a Can’s Long Play Festival\, National Sawdust\, Roulette Intermedium\, the Clark Art Institute\, the Noguchi Museum\, and PS21. The ensemble has toured nationally and held residencies at universities including NYU\, University of Chicago\, Penn State\, George Washington University\, UC Davis\, University of Richmond\, University of Michigan\, University of Florida\, and San Francisco State University\, among others. Recent highlights include a three-performance run of Speculative Listening: The Sonic World of Julius Eastman\, a program exploring Eastman’s influences curated by Eastman scholar Isaac Jean-François in collaboration with Kyle Marshall Choreography\, as well as The Sound of Space Between Us\, a site-specific outdoor music and dance performance at the Clark Art Institute conceived by flutist Annie Nikunen. \nOur name\, BlackBox\, comes from the many meanings the term holds. In theatre\, a black box is a bare\, flexible space—four dark walls that can transform into anything\, creating an environment ripe for bold experimentation and intimate connection. In science and technology\, a black box is a system with known inputs and outputs\, but the mystery of what happens inside makes it compelling. For us\, we believe music\, as a cultural medium\, lives in that same space—enacting an ambiguous but vital relationship between artistic expression and social life\, where sound\, expression\, and human experience collide in ways that can’t always be explained\, but always resonate. Guided by the spirit of the theatrical black box\, we create programs that invite risk\, innovation\, and connection\, presenting contemporary classical music in ways that feel fresh\, human\, and alive. \n\n\n\n\nProgram support provided by the Amphion Foundation
URL:https://www.bowerbird.org/event/blackbox-ensemble-2026/
LOCATION:The Perch\, 2321 Emerald St\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19125\, United States
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261108T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261108T220000
DTSTAMP:20260916T173635Z
CREATED:20260916T173635Z
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UID:10001340-1794168000-1794175200@www.bowerbird.org
SUMMARY:Postal Pieces 3
DESCRIPTION:Bowerbird is pleased to present the Arcana New Music Ensemble performing its third iteration of “Postal Pieces\,” a concert featuring living composers in Philadelphia and beyond composing postcard-sized works inspired by James Tenney’s unorthodox set of compositions. \nTenney’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. \nSets of the these newly commissioned postcard works will be available for purchase at the concert\, with all proceeds benefiting the Arcana New Music Ensemble. Previous postcard sets will also be available and are available to purchase online. \nPROGRAM \nRosie Langabeer: unraveling\, the\nRichard Belcastro: Where Do We Go From Here?\nMelinda Rice: For One or More Musicians: Known\nJoshua Stamper: Pin\nJacob Cooper: Noctilucence\nJoshua Marquez: Balikbayan\nCerulean S. Payne-Passmore: As if a tree still rooted\, breathing soil and sunlight\nAnna Weesner: The Beauty of Effort \nARCANA NEW MUSIC ENSEMBLE \nTom Kraines\, cello\nChelsea Meynig\, flute\nNicholas Handahl\, flute\nJonathan Leeds\, clarinet\nNoa Even\, saxophone\nTessa Ellis\, trumpet\nJay Krush\, tuba\nAndy Thierauf\, percussion \n\nABOUT THE ARTISTS \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. \nArcana New Music Ensemble is a group of Philadelphia-based musicians dedicated to presenting interesting\, beautiful\, and unconventional music in interesting\, beautiful\, and unconventional places. Founded in 2015\, the chamber ensemble is dedicated to contemporary classical music performing works by living composers and to reexamine music from the past\, often focusing on composers whose work has been overlooked. A hallmark of Arcana’s programming is its frequent use of portrait concerts\, which allow the ensemble to explore a composer’s work in depth. These programs balance music by widely recognized composers with works by those who are less well known or historically underrepresented.
URL:https://www.bowerbird.org/event/postal-pieces-3/
LOCATION:The Perch\, 2321 Emerald St\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19125\, United States
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