Synesthetic Vibrations

METROPOLIS ENSEMBLE PRESENTS

A colorful program featuring voices of composers with synesthesia, framed by a dialogue between natural and supernatural themes, as part of In Visible Roads, Metropolis Ensemble x BLUEPRINTS Piano Series

Friday, April 19, 2019
1 Rivington Street / 2nd Floor (Buzzer #1) / New York, NY
6:30pm (doors) / 7:00pm (event)
Tickets: $15 general / $10 students / $100 festival pass / free for members

Photo credit: © Pedro Barbeito — James Webb I — 2013 — private collection Washington, D.C. (detail)

Pianists Daniel Anastasio, Xak Bjerken, Vicky Chow, David Kaplan, Cory Smythe, soprano Kristina Bachrach, cellist Gabriel Cabezas and flutist Catherine Gregory.

This evening emphasizes the musical voices of composers born with synesthesia, or those for whom specific colors play an important role in their creative process. With works by Andy Akiho, George Crumb, Olivier Messiaen, Alexander Scriabin, and improvisatory interludes by Cory Smythe, this colorful program is framed by a dialogue between natural and supernatural themes.

on the program

Andy Akiho: Vivk(i/y)

George Crumb: Voice of the Whale

Alexander Scriabin: Black Mass

Cory Smythe: Improvisation

Messiaen: Chants de Terre et de Ciel

BLUEPRINTS unites pianists from different musical genres for eclectic concerts that present traditional classical music alongside contemporary works (including premieres), jazz and free improvisation. Co-founded by Daniel Anastasio and Erika Dohi, these unusually varied programs are each inspired by an aesthetic theme or blueprint. In Visible Roads, co-created with Metropolis Ensemble, represents its first major artistic collaboration with another performing organization, with the goal of enriching the community of pianists, composers, and instrumentalists alike through creating and fostering new collaborative relationships.

Yamaha CF6 premium grand piano provided by Yamaha Artist Services New York.

CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS

Featured

DANIEL ANASTASIO / PIANO

A soloist, chamber musician, and educator based in San Antonio, Texas, Daniel Anastasio combines an intellectual curiosity with “technical prowess and emotional sensitivity” (Rivard Report). His performance of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto no. 3, conducted by… READ MORE

KRISTINA BACHRACH / SOPRANO

Soprano Kristina Bachrach is emerging as a young artist confident in an extensive range of styles and languages. In 2018, she joins New York's Center for Contemporary Opera as the principal soprano characters in Taggart's Swan's Inlet and Pascal Dusapin's… READ MORE

XAK BJERKEN / PIANO

Pianist Xak Bjerken has appeared with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Spoleto Festival Orchestra, Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra, the Schoenberg Ensemble, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic in Disney Hall. He has performed at the Concertgebouw… READ MORE

GABRIEL CABEZAS / CELLO

“An intense player who connects to music naturally, without artifice, and brings a singing line to the cello” (The Oregonian), Gabriel Cabezas is one of America’s most sought after young musicians. Combining a superb technique... READ MORE

VICKY CHOW / PIANO

With her expressive and nuanced interpretations of contemporary works, Canadian pianist Vicky Chow has been described as “brilliant” (New York Times), “new star of new music” (Los Angeles Times) and “one of our era’s most brilliant pianists” (Pitchfork)… READ MORE

CATHERINE GREGORY / FLUTE

Australian flutist Catherine Gregory has built a diverse and accomplished career as a soloist, orchestral player, chamber musician, and teaching artist. The New York Times has called her playing “magically mysterious,” also writing that “Ms. Gregory left a deep impression… READ MORE

DAVID KAPLAN / PIANO

David Kaplan, pianist, has been called “excellent and adventurous” by The New York Times, and praised by the Boston Globe for “grace and fire” at the keyboard. He has appeared as soloist with the Britten Sinfonia at London’s Barbican Centre, at Miami’s Arscht… READ MORE

CORY SMYTHE / PIANO

Pianist Cory Smythe has worked closely with pioneering artists in new, improvisatory, and classical music, including saxophonist-composer Steve Lehman, violinist Hilary Hahn, and multidisciplinary composers from Anthony Braxton to Zosha Di Castri. His own music… READ MORE

ANDY AKIHO / COMPOSER

Described as "mold-breaking," "alert and alive," "dramatic," and "vital" by The New York Times, Andy Akiho is an eclectic composer and performer of contemporary classical music. Recent engagements include commissioned premieres by the New York Philharmonic… READ MORE

GEORGE CRUMB / COMPOSER

George Crumb is one of the most frequently performed composers in today's musical world. Crumb is the winner of Grammy and Pulitzer Prizes, and continues to compose new scores that enrich the lives of all who come in contact with his profoundly humanistic art… READ MORE