Free Assembly

PRESENTED BY METROPOLIS ENSEMBLE, HOUSE OF YES, AND (LE) POISSON ROUGE

Metropolis Ensemble’s Debut Digital Festival

Tuesday, October 27, 2020
Online

Bringing together creative artists to develop newly commissioned projects outside of physical space, Free Assembly presents a collaborative platform for artists who might otherwise never meet. Curated by Metropolis Ensemble artists Immanuel Wilkins, Erika Dohi, Daniel Anastasio, and Ryan Francis and hosted by House of Yes and (Le) Poisson Rouge, creators of diverse aesthetics and media are paired to share and collaborate, culminating in thematic video performances as part of a rolling online festival.

Free Assembly will be fertile ground for audiences who seek to discover new voices and artists exploring new forms of expression outside of their own.

Artist list for the Opening Night to Metropolis Ensemble's Free Assembly includes:

Andy Akiho + Ambrose Akinmusire + Colin Brookes + Lauren Cauley + Joey Chang + Charmaine Lee + Shayna Dunkleman + Du Yun + Ganavya + Vijay Iyer + Jacqueline Kerrod + Ayane Kozasa + Marie Lavis + Leo Leite + Katherine Kyu Hyeon Lim + Paula Matthusen + Nappy Nina + Qasim Naqvi + Moscelyne ParkeHarrison + Keita Ogawa + Mariel Roberts + Sandbox Percussion + Wadada Leo Smith + Jen Shyu + Kweku Sumbry + Darian Thomas + Paul Wiancko

ON THE PROGRAM:

*Metropolis Ensemble World Premiere Commission

Yellow Trace*

Composed, created, and performed by Lauren Cauley (violin), Qasim Naqvi (synthesizers), and Moscelyne ParkeHarrison (dance/visuals)

Live Performance*

Created and performed by Shayna Dunkelman and Du Yun (live from Pioneer Works)

Pillar V

Composed by Andy Akiho

Performed by: Sandbox Percussion

We Walk with the Wind: Ode to John Lewis*

Composed and created by Jen Shyu & Keita Ogawa

Text from John Lewis' essay "Together, You Can Redeem the Soul of Our Nation," published July 30, 2020 (The New York Times)

Soft Encounters*

Composed and created by: Ganavya Doraiswamy (vocal composition, performance, poetry); Liana Kleinman (movement, co-cinematographer); Rajna Swaminathan (poetry); Darian Donovan Thomas (composer, violin, director, editor)

Sooner and Later*

Composed, created, and performed by Ayane Kozasa, Kweku Sumbry, and Paul Wiancko

between dust and the smell of moonlight*

Composed and created by Paula Matthusen

Performed by: Lauren Cauley, violin; Jacqueline Kerrod, harp; Ian Rosenbaum, percussion

Chorus and Supplemental Footage from: the collective artists of Free Assembly

The Game*

Composed, created, and performed by Charmaine Lee and Nappy Nina

Inflection Point*

Created and performed by Vijay Iyer

Battered Prophet (for John Lewis)*

Composed and created by: Ambrose Akinmusire and Wadada Leo Smith

Performed by: Ambrose Akinmusire, Wadada Leo Smith with Lauren Cauley (violin), Colin Brooks (viola), and Mariel Roberts (cello)

Free Assembly (visual animations)*

Created by Marie Lavis

Music composed and performed by Joey Chang and Katherine Kyu Hyeon Lim

Special Thanks

Daniel Anastasios, Armistead Booker, Christopher Botta, Stuart Breczinski, Kyle Bruckmann, Justin Cantor, Erika Dohi, Ryan Francis, Kate Gilmore, House of Yes, Molly Joyce, (le) Poisson Rouge, Leo Leite, Jared Losow, National Independent Venue Association, Bobby Nicholas, Cecile Nielson, Jacqui Rabkin, Brett Tabisel, Immanuel Wilkins, Stuart Wolferman

Major underwriting provided by: The New York Community Trust and the trustees of Metropolis Ensemble

Support our Musicians and Composers during COVID-19: metropolisensemble.org/support

CURATORS

Featured

DANIEL ANASTASIO / CURATOR

Daniel Anastasio is a multi-faceted artist whose “technical prowess and emotional sensitivity” is imbued with an intellectual curiosity (Elise Urrutia, Rivard Report). Conducted by Leon Fleisher with the Ithaca College Chamber Orchestra, Mr. Anastasio’s performance of… READ MORE

ERIKA DOHI / CURATOR

Pianist Erika Dohi, a multi-faceted artist with an eclectic musical background that ranges from traditionally classical to improvisation, and new music, has been described as a “dynamic” performer whose “technique is decidedly unidiomatic”… READ MORE

RYAN FRANCIS / CURATOR

Portland-based composer Ryan Francis’s music has been described as having an “aggressively original musical language that uses nuance, precision and stylistic-variance to create music that is at once lush, probing and inventive.” (WQXR) His work has received grants and awards including… READ MORE

IMMANUEL WILKINS / CURATOR

Immanuel Wilkins is a Saxophonist, Composer, Arranger, and Bandleader from the greater Philadelphia-area. While growing up, he honed his skills in the church and studied in programs dedicated to teaching jazz music like the Clef Club of Jazz and Performing Arts. Moving to New York in 2015… READ MORE

KYLE BRUCKMANN / HOST AND MODERATOR

Oakland, CA-based oboist Kyle Bruckmann tramples genre boundaries in widely ranging work as a composer/performer, educator and New Music specialist. His creative output – extending from conservatory-trained foundations into gray areas encompassing free jazz, post-punk rock… READ MORE

CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS

Featured

ANDY AKIHO / COMPOSER/PERFORMER

Described as “trailblazing” (LA Times) and “an imaginative composer” (NY Times), Andy Akiho is a composer and performer of new music. Recent engagements include commissioned premieres by the New York Philharmonic, National Symphony Orchestra, Shanghai Symphony… READ MORE

AMBROSE AKINMUSIRE / COMPOSER/TRUMPET

During his 15-year career, Ambrose Akinmusire has paradoxically situated himself in both the center and the periphery of jazz, most recently emerging in classical and hip hop circles. He’s on a perpetual quest for new paradigms, masterfully weaving inspiration from other genres, arts, and life in… READ MORE

COLIN BROOKES / VIOLA

Praised as “master of the strong lines”, concert violist Colin Brookes is a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he made his solo debut with the Pittsburgh Symphony at the age of 17. A founding member of the award-winning Ulysses Quartet, Colin has taught in the… READ MORE

LAUREN CAULEY / VIOLIN

Violinist and improviser Lauren Cauley has quickly risen in New York’s avant-garde as an artist known for genre-breaking performances that expand the sonic possibilities of her instrument. Now a “mainstay of the local new-music scene” (New York Times), she’s built a reputation as an interpreter… READ MORE

JOEY CHANG / PIANO

Pianist/Improviser Joey (Ian-Joe) Chang, obtained his B.M. and M.M. from the Juilliard School and is a recipient of the school’s 2018 Career Advancement Fellowship for professional artists. Following his residency as an improviser at the Banff Centre in the summer of 2017, Joey works extensively in… READ MORE

CHARMAINE LEE / VOICE

Charmaine Lee is a New York-based vocalist. Her music is predominantly improvised, favoring a uniquely personal approach to vocal expression concerned with spontaneity, playfulness, and risk-taking. Beyond extended vocal technique, Charmaine uses amplification, feedback, and… READ MORE

SHAYNA DUNKELMAN / PERCUSSION

Shayna Dunkelman is a musician and percussionist based in Brooklyn, NY. Dunkelman is known for her versatile and unique techniques, and use of electronics to access a sonic pallet not found in acoustic percussion. In addition to solo performances, Dunkelman tours with the Puerto Rican… READ MORE

DU YUN / COMPOSER/PERFORMER

Du Yun, born and raised in Shanghai, China and currently based in New York City, is a composer, multi-instrumentalist, performance artist, activist, and curator for new music, who works at the intersection of orchestral, opera, chamber music, theatre, cabaret, musical theater, oral tradition, public… READ MORE

GANAVYA / COMPOSER/VOICE

Vocalist, scholar, and composer Ganavya has carved a niche for herself at the nexus of South Indian vocal styles and contemporary music. Her own debut album, Aikyam: Onnu, ("Harmony: One") features the incredible breadth of her character: it draws from an amalgam of ancient Indian spirituals… READ MORE

JACQUELINE KERROD / HARP

Described as 'exceptionally virtuosic and sensitive', South African harpist Jacqueline Kerrod is perfectly at home across multiple genres and performs throughout the United States and Europe. Most recently… READ MORE

AYANE KOZASA / VIOLA

Hailed for her “magnetic, wide-ranging tone” and her “rock solid technique” (Philadelphia Inquirer), violist Ayane Kozasa enjoys a career that spans a broad spectrum of musical personas. A violinist turned violist, she was inspired to dedicate herself to the alto clef when she discovered the beauty of… READ MORE

VIJAY IYER / COMPOSER/PIANO

Composer-pianist Vijay Iyer has carved out a unique path as an influential, prolific, shape-shifting presence in modern music. He was described by Pitchfork as “one of the best in the world at what he does,” by the Los Angeles Weekly as “a boundless and deeply important young star,” by the New York… READ MORE

MARIE LAVIS / ANIMATOR/ILLUSTRATOR

Marie Lavis is a French-Belgian freelance animator and illustrator, born in 1996. She graduated from HEAD-Geneva (Arts and Design school) in 2018, and is working with the music field through animated videoclips, festival posters, editorial illustration for jazz magazines etc., because it simply is… READ MORE

LEO LEITE / WEB PRODUCER/ENGINEER

Leo Leite, Brazilian-born sound engineer and music producer, grew up in São Paulo. Passionated for music at early age, Leo was motivated by strong influences from his family with gatherings to play instruments. At the age of 11 he was already blowing up speakers while trying to figure out… READ MORE

KATHERINE KYU HYEON LIM / VIOLIN

South Korean violinist/improviser Katherine Kyu Hyeon Lim started performing at the age of 10 in Prague, Czech Republic, as part of partnership between Seoul Oratorio and Prague Conservatory. Her appearances that year took place at the Rudolfinum – the home of Czech Philharmonic Orchestra since… READ MORE

PAULA MATTHUSEN / COMPOSER

Paula Matthusen is a composer who writes both electroacoustic and acoustic music and realizes sound installations. In addition to writing for a variety of different ensembles, she also collaborates with choreographers and theater companies. She has written for diverse instrumentations, such as… READ MORE

NAPPY NINA / EMCEE

Nappy Nina is an Oakland born writer, emcee and producer. Her debut album “The Tree Act” was released In January 2019 via Lucidhaus records and has received much acclaim. Her rap efforts have led her to perform around the U.S. as well as spread her west coast chill to France, Switzerland, Germany… READ MORE

photo by Alexia Webster

QASIM NAQVI / COMPOSER/PERFORMER

Qasim Naqvi is a drummer and founding member of the group Dawn of Midi. Outside of his role in D.O.M., Qasim works on a variety of projects from electronic music, to composing for orchestras, chamber groups, dance and film. His concert music has been performed/commissioned by… READ MORE

KEITA OGAWA / PERCUSSION

Hailing originally from Nagasaki, Japan, Keita Ogawa is 2 times Grammy nominees and Grammy Award winner and one of the most versatile and sought-after percussionist and drummer in New York City. He started his music career on drum set at the age of 15. After performing regularly in Tokyo for… READ MORE

MOSCELYNE PARKEHARRISON

Moscelyne ParkeHarrison graduated from The Juilliard School in 2019, with the Joseph W. Polisi Award for Artist as Citizen. She attended Walnut Hill School for the Arts where she received her high school degree. She has had the pleasure of performing new works by Helen Simoneau, Katarzyna Skarpetowska, Roy Assaf, Hannes Langolf, Dana Foglia, Ryan Mason… READ MORE

MARIEL ROBERTS / CELLO

American cellist Mariel Roberts is widely recognized not just for her virtuosic performances, but as a “fearless explorer” in her field (Chicago Reader). Her ravenous appetite for collaboration and experimentation as an interpreter, improviser, and composer has helped create a body of work that… READ MORE

SANDBOX PERCUSSION

Described as “virtuosic and utterly mesmerizing” by The Guardian, Sandbox Percussion has established themselves as a leading proponent of this generation of contemporary percussion chamber music. Brought together by their love of chamber music and the simple joy of playing together… READ MORE

WADADA LEO SMITH / COMPOSER/PERFORMER

Wadada Leo Smith, trumpeter, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and improviser is one of the most acclaimed creative artists of his times, both for his music and his writings. For the last five decades, Mr. Smith has been a member of the historical and legendary AACM collective. He distinctly defines… READ MORE

JEN SHYU / COMPOSER/PERFORMER

Born from Taiwanese and East Timorese immigrant parents, 2016 Doris Duke Artist Jen Shyu (Chinese name: 徐秋雁) is an experimental jazz vocalist, composer, multi-instrumentalist, dancer, producer, and Fulbright scholar. Known mostly for her virtuosic singing with saxophonist and 2014… READ MORE

KWEKU SUMBRY / COMPOSER/PERCUSSION

Kweku Sumbry is a drummer, percussionist, and composer from Washington, D.C. with deep roots in the world of West African drumming. Sumbry comes from a family of musicians and knows his craft from the ground up: He literally builds his own djembe drums. That solid foundation, combined… READ MORE

DARIAN THOMAS / COMPOSER/PERFORMER

Composer, multi-instrumentalist, and interdisciplinary artist Darian Donovan Thomas was born in San Antonio, Texas and is currently based in Brooklyn, New York. He is interested in combining genres and mediums into a singular vocabulary that can express ideas about intersectionality (of medium and identity)… READ MORE

PAUL WIANCKO / CELLO

Paul Wiancko has led an exceptionally multi-faceted musical life as a composer and cellist. As a performer, he has collaborated with Midori, Yo-Yo Ma, Richard Goode, Mitsuko Uchida, Nico Muhly, and members of the Guarneri, Takács, JACK, Parker, Orion, and Juilliard quartets. Chosen as one of Kronos… READ MORE