October 11, 2015 / 6pm
Le Poisson Rouge / 158 Bleecker Street NYC
Multiphonics
Metropolis Ensemble's latest Resident Artist Series project at Le Poisson Rouge
Brad Balliett, Solo Bassoon
Majel Connery, Mezzo-Soprano
Brad Balliett, Composer
Doug Balliett, Composer
ComposerCraft, Composers
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Composer
Bora Yoon, Composer
Nina Young, Composer
Andrew Cyr, Conductor
On the Program
Brad Balliett: Concerto in Triple Time*
Nina Young: Fleetings Musings and Restless Pause*
Bora Yoon: Concerto for Basoon and Electronics*
Doug Balliett: Cleopatra*
Concerto After VIvaldi ii - Pgantoms
Concerto After Vivaldi iii - Fantasmi
*World Premiere Metropolis Ensemble Commission
Join bassoonist/composer Brad Balliett and Metropolis Ensemble for four premieres of new works featuring the bassoon, the soulful tenor of the woodwind section. Four composers were commissioned for Balliett to revitalize the solo repertoire for this often-forgetten instrument, placing the bassoon in a multiplicity of sonic situations, ranging from chamber concerto to song cycle.
The centerpiece of the evening is a re-imagination of Mozart's Bassoon Concerto K. 191, in a new version for bassoon with live electronics by composer Bora Yoon. Doug Balliett pits the bassoon against Majel Connery's unearthly mezzo-soprano voice in a solo song cycle on texts about Cleopatra.
Also on the program, a work featuring the bassoon in a chamber music setting by this year’s Rome-Prize winner, Nina C. Young, and a new bassoon concerto written by the performer, Brad Balliett.
Finally, a Vivaldi-inspired work for bassoon and strings by the young composers of ComposerCraft, a program for middle-school composers at the Kaufman Music Center, in collaboration with Metropolis Ensemble’s Youth Works program. The group composition was written by Austin Celestin, Graydon Hanson, Yusei Hata, Daniel Ma, Sara Stebbins, Misha Swersey.
The Performers
Siwoo Kim, violin, leader
Caitlin-Mary Lynch, viola
Madeline Fayette, cello
Doug Balliett, double bass
Sejoon Park, piano
Ashley Jackson, harp
Britton Matthews, percussion
Lance Suzuki, flute
Carlos Cordeiro, clarinet
Nathan Mills, oboe
About the Series
The Resident Artist Series offers a platform for Metropolis Ensemble performing artists and composers to initiate and realize commissioning projects and produce concerts and musical events, giving our core members unique opportunities collaborate with those who inspire them.
Multiphonics, developed by bassoonist Brad Balliett in collaboration with Metropolis Ensemble, is the fifth project in this series. To date, 30 new works have been commissioned and premiered with pianist David Kaplan, harpist Bridget Kibbey, violinist Kristin Lee, and composer Ricardo Romaneiro, with more to come this season with cellist Ashley Bathgate (commissioning The Sleeping Giants) and pianist Conor Hanick (commissioning Elliot Cole).
The June Wu Artist Fund
In 2011,The June Wu Artists Fund was established to honor the vision of Metropolis Ensemble board member June Wu and her passionate dedication to our community of composers and artists. The Artists Fund helped Metropolis launch our Resident Artist Series, among other artist-led creative and career-building endeavors, to more fully engage our mission to emerge the next generation of outstanding composers and musicians.
*A group composition by Austin Celestin, Graydon Hanson, Yusei Hata, Daniel Ma, Sara Stebbins, Misha Swersey.
Special thanks to Amy Kessler and Daniel Bertram for their major support of this season’s Resident Artist Series.