Viewing entries tagged
Bridget Kibbey

Washington Post: "Bold, Engaging, Powerful, and Forceful"

Cecelia Porter from The Washington Post reviewed Metropolis Ensemble’s performance at The Phillips Collection with the Phillips Camerata, Bridget Kibbey, and Quartet Senza Misura

The Washington premiere Sunday of a bold new harp concerto capped an engaging and powerful performance of recent music by members of the Phillips Camerata, the resident ensemble of Washington’s Phillips Collection; the Quartet Senza Misura; and musicians from the New York-based Metropolis Ensemble.

Sunday’s combination of forces was a fortunate grouping of young musicians dedicated to contemporary music and sharing a truly visionary outlook. (We clearly need another way to distinguish between avant-garde compositions of the 1950s, still called “contemporary,” and today’s “contemporary” music hot off the press.)

The forceful collaboration was conducted by Grammy-nominee Andrew Cyr, a prominent influence in the world of newly emerging music. The afternoon opened with the Washington premiere of Christopher Cerrone’s “High Windows,” for solo string quartet and string ensemble. It is an imaginative work in a personal minimalist fashion calling for powerfully lunging bows, sighing harmonics and perky half-tone statements. Cyr led the players with tasteful panache, emphasizing the fluidity of the music. One of the lush moments in the ever-changing texture of the Cerrone echoed Samuel Barber’s elegiac temperament.

Cyr then led his players with driven, but elegant force in Steve Reich’s “Duet for Two Violins and Strings” and Elliott Carter’s Bariolage for solo harp. Both Reich and Carter’s music reflected an earlier version of Reich’s minimalist style of continually overlapping processes and Carter’s ever-fluctuating ideas. For the Reich, the players tackled insistent syncopations and interlocking motifs with seeming ease. In the Carter, harpist Bridget Kibbey, at once confident and delicate, displayed her instrument’s wide-ranging vocabulary for music, revealing ever-fluctuating tempos, lightning-fast leaps and the chordal richness of the piece.

Joined by a string quartet, Kibbey gave nuanced voice to the black atmosphere of Nathan Shields’ brooding “Tenebrae,” underlining its snatches of elusive luminance. In Vivian Fung’s Concerto for Harp, which was commissioned by the Phillips and other musical organizations, Kibbey’s bravura and sensitivity, especially in her cadenza, outlined the music’s intriguing mix of timbres, thorny sonorities, wailing glissandos and chirping pizzicatos echoed in the strings. In between, amusing parodies of a waltz and tango lightened up the texture. The drums and other percussion joined in, giving zest and a shade of violence to the composition.

Three of Sunday’s compositions were Washington premieres: Cerrone’s “High Windows,” Shields’ “Tenebrae” and Fung’s Concerto for Harp. Both Cerrone and Shields were on hand to explain their compositions. The concert’s end brought enthusiastic applause and cheering, concluding the Phillips’ Sunday musical 2013-2014 season.

Read the full article…

Washington Post: Phillips Camerata and guests perform a trio of Washington premieres

Washington Post: Phillips Camerata and guests perform a trio of Washington premieres

The Washington premiere Sunday of a bold new harp concerto capped an engaging and powerful performance of recent music by members of the Phillips Camerata, the resident ensemble of Washington’s Phillips Collection; the Quartet Senza Misura; and musicians from the New York-based Metropolis Ensemble.

Music and Shadows: Fireworks on Stage

Music and Shadows: Fireworks on Stage

Get an insider’s view of performances that are now in full swing for David Bruce’s “The Firework Maker’s Daughter” at The New Victory Theater.

Celebrating the June Wu Artists Fund

[caption id=“attachment_861” align=“alignright” width=“150” caption=“June Wu, Metropolis board member and patron, at the Glimpses concert with Artistic Director Andrew Cyr.”][/caption] Last year, the June K. M. Wu Artists Fund was established to honor Metropolis Ensemble board member, June Wu, and her vision and passionate dedication to our young performing artists. The Fund helped Metropolis launch a new Resident Artist Series, supported two studio recordings at Tanglewood with NAXOS and Nonesuch Records, and continued our mission to emerge the next generation of outstanding composers and musicians. As Metropolis embarks on several exciting new projects supported by the Wu Artists Fund, including the creation of our own record label, launching new albums and concerts, and expanding the Resident Artist Series, we wanted to reflect on the past year through the eyes of some of the artists who benefited from these generous gifts. [caption id=“attachment_847” align=“alignright” width=“150” caption=“Timothy Andres - pianist and composer”][/caption] Timothy Andres: An Ambitious New Album

My work with Metropolis last year was a continuation of a scheme Andrew Cyr and I had been formulating since 2008. At first, it resulted in the concert Home Stretch in the spring of 2010; now it has evolved into the production of a CD. The album is centered around my piano concerto Home Stretch, bookended by my “re-composition” of Mozart’s Coronation concerto and my Paraphrase on Themes of Brian Eno, which were both Metropolis commissions. A recording is not just a concrete item to be sold, or a promotional tool, but an artifact of our musical culture at a specific time. These artifacts can be much more powerful than a one-off concert, which by nature has limited reach and duration. A recording is a commitment, a way of saying ‘this is what we feel most strongly about, and we need to share it as widely as possible’. The scope of this recording project is ambitious, especially for a group as young as Metropolis; recording an orchestra is simply a very time-consuming and expensive proposition. Such propositions are dependent on people like June Wu, who understands the importance of such projects, shares our ambitions, and helps both things come to fruition. I will always be grateful to June not just for helping me in my career, which is small in the scheme of things, but for helping my entire field.

[caption id=“attachment_848” align=“alignright” width=“150” caption=“Bridget Kibbey - harpist and composer”]

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Bridget Kibbey: One Woman Tour-de-Force

Over the course of three years, I conceived a project entitled Music Box in which composers - all born abroad and recent immigrants to the United States and mostly living in New York City - wrote solo works for the harp based on folk music from their native country. Metropolis presented the project in January. It was a powerful personal journey, because it allowed me to showcase some of my own arrangements and explore multiple genres of harp-writing in a single evening. What was most helpful was working alongside Metropolis to give this project the “kick-off” the composers deserved. Many in the audience at each sold-out concert had never heard a full solo harp program. It was incredibly satisfying to perform these new fun, eclectic works for such enthusiastic guests. I also walked away from the concerts with high-definition video and fabulous audio to show other interested presenters. I’m happy to say that I will be presenting the project next season in other venues in the United States as a result!

[caption id=“attachment_849” align=“alignright” width=“150” caption=“Kristin Lee - violinist”]

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Kristin Lee: From Bali to the Studio and Beyond

In 2010, I joined composer Vivian Fung on a trip to Bali to understand where her ideas came from in her music. It was remarkable to visit these communities filled with gamelan music and a tangible artistic energy. It gave me an entirely new perspective on living and breathing art every day. Vivian was inspired by our trip and wrote a new Violin Concerto that we premiered at Renderings last fall with Metropolis. From there, we recorded the work at Tanglewood with the extraordinary help of audio engineer Tim Martin and the whole Metropolis gang. Professionally it really means everything to have my first recording on a major label, NAXOS, which wouldn’t be possible without June’s help and the Fund. Premiering a concerto takes money to support the commission, book the beautiful concert space at Angel Orensanz Center, and bring in the audience. As a result, I performed Vivian’s cadenza on WQXR Cafe Concerts and Metropolis received a lot of publicity. It was a huge leap in every way. As a musician, this new work written specifically for me opened new doors for commission projects with other composers and the opportunity to build programs around innovative pieces. I’m looking forward to working with Andrew Cyr and Metropolis to produce new projects for the Resident Artist Series.

[caption id=“attachment_857” align=“alignright” width=“150” caption=“Conor Hanick - pianist”]

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Conor Hanick: Teamwork and Remarkable Opportunity

In the past year, I premiered Ray Lustig’s beautiful vocal work Compose Thyself from Renderings, recorded works by Ryan Francis with the superlative Kristin Lee, and, perhaps most significantly, participated not only in Timothy Andres’ new recording on Nonesuch, but also recorded world premiere recordings of Vivian Fung’s Glimpses for prepared piano and her titanic piano concerto called Dreamscapes, both supported by the Wu Fund. I’m indebted to June for her generous and unparalleled support of Metropolis. These remarkable projects simply wouldn’t happen without her, and it’s hard to adequately thank her for giving us such remarkable opportunities through the Fund. Metropolis Ensemble afforded me some of the most extraordinary and artistically rewarding experiences of my career. It’s touching to be offered opportunities like this and hard to overstate what a privilege its been to be associated with the ensemble. Vivian’s recording is a great example: it’s a professional boon to having a widely-released commercial recording of such high quality. I am humbled to be listed alongside Andrew, Vivian, Kristin, and others. These were experiences that for me will continue to inform my musical activities and serve as benchmarks for artistic quality.

Music Box: Old Songs, New Voices

Music Box: Old Songs, New Voices

Harpist Bridget Kibbey had a concept for a concert: to celebrate the diverse and colorful cultures that make up the American musical fabric.

I Care If You Listen: A Folk-Inspired Evening with Bridget Kibbey

I Care If You Listen: A Folk-Inspired Evening with Bridget Kibbey

Metropolis Ensemble features first class performers and Bridget Kibbey is no exception. It was such a treat not only to hear her play, but to get an insight into her sources of inspiration and her creative/collaborative process.

Friday Afternoon Desktop Concert - Debussy and Massenet

Debussy: Clair de Lune and Massenet: Meditation from Thais from Metropolis Ensemble on Vimeo.

Claude Debussy: Clair de Lune, featuring Sean Lee on violin and Edvinas Minkstimas on piano; Jules Massenet: Meditation from Thais, featuring Sean Lee on violin and Bridget Kibbey on harp. Performed on February 14, 2010 at Le Poisson Rouge in New York City. This was part of Love Letter to Haiti, a Valentine’s Day benefit concert for Partners in Health, organized by Metropolis Ensemble and artistic director Andrew Cyr. Video by Gareth Paul Cox and Kyrie Cox; sound by Ryan Streber.

Metropolis Launches Resident Artist Series

Metropolis Ensemble is thrilled to present the inaugural concert of our new Resident Artists Series- concerts, musical events, and social gatherings that feature our core ensemble artists as solo instrumentalists in creative collaborations with composers from all genres. Metropolis Ensemble’s founding harpist Bridget Kibbey kicks-off this new initiative with a concert presentation entitled Music Box, featuring the world-premieres of six newly commissioned works for solo harp. Music Box gathers music by composers born in other countries who now call the United States home. Moved by both their individual stories and their music, Bridget solicited new work whose inspiration is based in folk idioms from each composer’s country of origin as well as from their own personal narratives. The harp is an instrument emblematic of storytelling and folklore. Music Box will allow the harp to carry this tradition forward into the 21st century, giving expression to the diverse voices that make up contemporary American culture. I would especially like to thank June Wu for her extraordinary leadership and commitment to our performing artists and composers and to all those who contributed so generously to The June Wu Artist Fund to make this series possible. I would also like to thank the good people at (Le) Poisson Rouge, David Handler, Justin Cantor, and Ronen Givony as well as the able staff at LPR for being such important advocates and supporters of our community of emerging musicians and composers. Special thanks as well to Jessica Healy and Buffalo Trace, Jakub Ciupinski, Zipora Fried, Kristin Lee, Candice Madey, Jennifer McCrae, Andrew Schorr, Jonathan Schorr, Sara Menker, Jennifer Salomon, Richard Salomon and Laura Landro, Roy and Diana Vagelos, and tonight’s host committee for their efforts to broaden our community of fans, friends, and supporters. At these concerts, we are an orchestra of one, yet in Bridget’s hands (and feet), she will sound like many!

Friday Afternoon Desktop Concert: David Bruce's Caja de Musica

Bruce: Caja de Musica and Capulet: A l'espangol from Metropolis Ensemble on Vimeo.

David Bruce: Caja de Musica; Andre Capulet: A l'espangol, both featuring Bridget Kibbey on harp. Performed on February 14, 2010 at Le Poisson Rouge in New York City. This was part of Love Letter to Haiti, a Valentine’s Day benefit concert for Partners in Health, organized by Metropolis Ensemble and artistic director Andrew Cyr. Video by Gareth Paul Cox and Kyrie Cox; sound by Ryan Streber.

Bridget Kibbey on the Origins of Music Box

Bridget Kibbey on the Origins of Music Box

“With each new reel or change in the music, the locals instinctively changed their steps to a new regional dance. I was in shock.”

Launching A Cutting-Edge Ensemble

How do you launch a new ensemble that makes an impact? What does it take to produce innovative concert experiences that garners praise and attention? Join conductor and founder Andrew Cyr, composer Ryan Francis, and harpist Bridget Kibbey to hear the story of Metropolis Ensemble in the “Setting the Stage” workshop series from Manhattan School of Music’s Center for Music Entrepreneurship. Two identical workshops will be held with Andrew, Ryan, and Bridget. All MSM students and alumni are welcome.

Wednesday, February 9 (1-3pm) Miller Recital Hall - 601 West 122nd Street Friday, February 11 (11-1pm) Mikosky Recital Hall - 601 West 122nd Street

“Setting the Stage” is one of CME’s programs that invites an exciting array of presenters from the music industry to lead single-session workshops on topics including new media, the art of fundraising, launching a concert series, producing recordings, and creating press kits. Each of the Center’s programs give young musicians real-world experience and guidance with the fundamental tools they need for a career in music today.

Learn more about the Center for Music Entrepreneurship…

Schedule of upcoming workshops…

New York Times: 26 Works, New and Old, to Aid Relief in Haiti

New York Times: 26 Works, New and Old, to Aid Relief in Haiti

“All told, twenty-six works of various lengths were performed, most contemporary and eclectic.”