We're pleased to share a new documentary video about Metropolis Ensemble's world premiere of The Rite Remixed, last summer's adventurous collaboration exploding the boundaries of live electro-classical music. Get a behind-the-scenes look at the three concerts and watch exclusive interviews with the performers and composers!

Update: You can also experience the concerts through our highlights page with streaming audio, photo gallery, interviews, and press.

Video produced by Gareth Paul Cox and Kyrié Cox. Audio engineering by Leo Leite.

Labels: andrewcyr, deerhoof, ensemblenews, hilaplitmann, leoleite, ricardoromaneiro, ryanfrancis, therite, three

Hear the Metropolis Ensemble and Deerhoof perform a concert from the Wordless Music Series, recorded live by WNYC at Prospect Park in Brooklyn, NY. Listen on NPR.org starting at 7:30pm EST. An hourlong special about the Wordless Music Series begins at 6:30pm. Tonight's webcast is produced by WNYC and hosted by David Garland.

Go to the broadcast now...

Wordless Music Series pairs Metropolis Ensemble led by Artistic Director/Conductor Andrew Cyr and indie sensation Deerhoof for a night of music under the stars. Experience The Rite: Remixed and Two-Part Belief with an expected audience of 10,000 at Celebrate Brooklyn. Featuring soprano Hila Plitmann.

Join us in Prospect Park - either in person or online - for a night of music under the stars!

Labels: andrewcyr, deerhoof, ensemblenews, npr, ricardoromaneiro, therite, wnyc

Artistic Director/Conductor Andrew Cyr and Composer Ricardo Romaneiro will be on WNYC Soundcheck at 2pm EST today to discuss their new composition, The Rite: Remixed and share the secrets of setting Stravinsky's most famous work to keyboards, laptops, brass and drums.

Three ways to listen...

1. Tune into WNYC FM 93.9 Radio
2. Listen on iTunes
   • Click on Radio (top left)
   • Open the "Public" category
   • Click on WNYC-FM
3. Listen Online. Click on the "listen live" box on this page.

UPDATE: You can now listen to the broadcast online or as a podcast.

Labels: andrewcyr, ensemblenews, ricardoromaneiro, therite, wnyc

Metropolis Ensemble and composer Ryan Francis are delighted to offer the complete live recording of Concerto for Piano and Chamber Orchestra during its world premiere performance at The Times Center in New York City on April 10, 2008. You can download it here, absolutely free.

Ryan Francis: Concerto for Piano and Chamber Orchestra:

• Movement 1
• Movement 2
• Movement 3
• Movement 4

(right-click to download the mp3s, ctrl-click on a mac)

You can also watch the entire Concerto, featuring pianist Anna Polonsky and the Metropolis Ensemble led by Artistic Director/Conductor Andrew Cyr on the Media Page, along with an extensive archive of performances and behind-the-scenes footage. Watch now...

Looking for more of Ryan Francis? Check out his MySpace, and get ready for this summer's world premiere of The Rite: Remixed. Ricardo Romaneiro joins forces with Ryan Francis and Leo Leite to re-conceptualize the most revolutionary work of the 20th Century, Igor Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring, through the lens of the latest sounds and technology from electronica! Three opportunities to experience the revolution (July 16-18)! Complete details...

Concerto for Piano and Chamber Orchestra is co-commission from the Metropolis Ensemble and the American Composers Forum with funds provided by the Jerome Foundation. Metropolis Ensemble's Wet Ink and Youth Works programs are generously funded by the van Otterloo Foundation. Special thanks to audio engineer Ryan Streber, videographer Tim Bakland, and photographer Vern Kousky.

Labels: education, ensemblenews, loop, ryanfrancis, therite

Metropolis Ensemble will be opening for Deerhoof in Prospect Park on July 18, 2008, as part of the Wordless Music Series and Celebrate Brooklyn.

Metropolis Ensemble led by Artistic Director/Conductor Andrew Cyr and Wordless Music co-commissions The Rite: Remixed, a collaboration between three composers and live electronics producers, explodes the boundaries of live electro-classical music. Ryan Francis, Leo Leite, and Ricardo Romaneiro re-conceptualize the most revolutionary work of the 20th Century, Igor Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring, through the lens of the latest sounds and technology from electronica. Combined with acoustic forces consisting of huge percussion and brass ensembles, 2 keyboards / 2 laptops, and electric bass, the remixed version will fuse a futuristic, rhythm-inspired sonic tableaux with a hyper-kinetic visual show.

The Metropolis Ensemble and The Rite: Remixed appears as part of the Wordless Music Series, which puts popular and classical artists together to tear down boundaries between performers and audiences of each. "At the moment, there is no more inventive music series in New York" (Alex Ross, The New Yorker).

The mercurial SF experimentalists Deerhoof, "the most creative band in indie rock today," (LA Weekly) forge a distinctive sound out of sophisticated improvisation, fierce dissonance, and weirdly catchy melodies.

Labels: andrewcyr, deerhoof, ensemblenews, leoleite, ricardoromaneiro, ryanfrancis, therite