Matthew Evan Taylor: Postcard 5

Postcards to The Met   |   01   |   02   |   03   |   04   |   05   |   06   |   07   |   08   |   09   |   10   |   11   |   12   |   Life Returns

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Metropolitan Museum of Art (@metmuseum)

---

Credits

Matthew Evan Taylor, composition and saxophone

Evan Runyon, double bass

Developed and produced by Metropolis Ensemble

Andrew Cyr, Founder/Artistic Director

Christopher Botta, Editor

Videography: Sam Kann

Juniper Creative LLC, Art

Commissioned and produced by The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Department of Live Arts

This program is made possible by the Adrienne Arsht Fund for Resilience through Art.

---

Matthew Evan Taylor: Postcards to The Met

Postcard 5: July 2021

Postcard 5 was filmed in Middlebury, VT, May 7, 2021 and Paradox Lake, NY, July 16, 2021.

---

Program Notes

View fullsize

Score Preview

To Evan –

We emerge from isolation into a world both familiar
And alien.
We work tirelessly to keep the demons at bay,
But still the damage is done.
The smoke from the west reaches the east, and makes the south more violent 
The north less predictable.
One way out of this reality –

Stay grounded
Be attentive
Connect
And BREATHE

---

---

---

Watch recent Postcards

Flame Keepers 24: Ricardo Romaneiro

Flame Keepers

Ricardo Romaneiro

July 26, 2021

Travel back in time to experience any Flame Keeper's work. The most recent artists are at the bottom of this page.

About the Artist

The New York Times describes Ricardo Romaneiro's work as “a blissful and compelling mix of minimalist-derived rhythmic ecstasy and nightclub beats”. A graduate of The Juilliard School, Ricardo’s music synthesizes his major musical influences & passions: classical music & electronic music. His music has been featured, performed and commissioned in eclectic range of ensembles, institutions, festivals, & film. His work has been featured in publications such as the Wall Street Journal, Vice/Creators Project, Esquire Magazine, Brooklyn Magazine, Untapped Cities, Vogue & Edible Manhattan.
Recent works include Nat Geo & Disney+ commission for “Secrets of The Whales” live performance at National Sawdust, and Kennedy Center’s live scoring of Thomas Edison’s silent film “A Christmas Carol” performed by Metropolis Ensemble. More »

---

More Flame Keepers

---

Newsroom

The latest news and updates from Metropolis.

Biophony 1.1

the biophony project

Biophony 1.1

July 22nd, 2021 / 4pm / Rose Center for Earth and Space on West 81st street and Central Park West

---

Biomes Performed

---

Meet the Artists

---

Explore More Biophony Events

---

“Biophony" is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.

Flame Keepers 23: Susanna Hancock

Flame Keepers

Susanna Hancock

July 19, 2021

Travel back in time to experience any Flame Keeper's work. The most recent artists are at the bottom of this page.

About the Artist

Susanna Hancock is an Asian-American composer whose music explores color, process, and acoustic phenomena. Plurality, ambiguity, juxtaposition, transience, and impermanence are currents that move throughout Susanna’s work as a reflection on identity and “place” - or lack thereof.

Susanna’s compositions have been performed by the JACK Quartet, ZAFA Collective, Metropolis Ensemble, and members of the LA Philharmonic and St. Louis Symphony, among others. Susanna’s work has been recognized by such organizations as ASCAP and United States Artists, and has been featured in concerts and festivals across the world including the Bang on a Can Marathon and the Dimitria Festival in Thessaloniki, Greece. More »

---

More Flame Keepers

---

Newsroom

The latest news and updates from Metropolis.

Flame Keepers 22: Jack Gjaja

Flame Keepers

Jack Gjaja

July 12, 2021

Travel back in time to experience any Flame Keeper's work. The most recent artists are at the bottom of this page.

About the Artist

Jack Gjaja (b. 2005) is a composer and pianist from New York City. They currently study piano and composition at Manhattan School of Music Precollege and previously studied at the Preparatory Division of Mannes School of Music. During the summer of 2020, they joined composers from around the world at the Virtual Young Women’s Composers Camp, where their piece Icy climb with a side of Mockingtrack was premiered by saxophonist Kristen McKeon. Jack draws inspiration from Ravel, Tchaikovsky’s Queen of Spades, Scriabin, Kelly Moran’s Don’t Trust Mirrors, and playwrights such as Ionesco and Martin McDonagh. Their works include small ensemble acoustic works, pieces for voice, solo works, electronic soundscapes, and pieces for period instruments. They've studied composition and piano with the following wonderful people: Mary Kouyoumdjian, David Bird, Tamar Muskal, Elena Leonova, Adrienne Kim. In addition to composition, they've performed in Montreal, Rovinj, Cremona, Bennington, and New York.

---

More Flame Keepers

---

Newsroom

The latest news and updates from Metropolis.

Flame Keepers 21: Erika Dohi

Flame Keepers

Erika Dohi

July 5, 2021

Travel back in time to experience any Flame Keeper's work. The most recent artists are at the bottom of this page.

About the Artist

Osaka-born and New York-based pianist Erika Dohi is a multi-faceted artist with an eclectic musical background. From highly polished traditional classical to bold improvisation, she is a dynamic performer whose timeless style and unidiomatic technique sets her apart in contemporary NYC avant-garde circles. Dohi’s vast repertory is impressive, but what makes her truly such a barrier-defying artist is what lies ahead. More »

---

More Flame Keepers

---

Newsroom

The latest news and updates from Metropolis.

Flame Keepers 20: Jeremy Ajani Jordan

Flame Keepers

Jeremy Ajani Jordan

June 28, 2021

Travel back in time to experience any Flame Keeper's work. The most recent artists are at the bottom of this page.

About the Artist

Critically acclaimed, “a clear technical virtuoso”, “a rare talent”, and “a true Wunderkind,” Chicago born Jeremy Jordan burst onto the music scene at age 9 playing Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in a live televised performance. Jordan was born into a musical family where his mother and father were his first instructors. They ensured that his burgeoning talent was nurtured by providing a strong foundation in classical training and also encouraged his study of improvised music and composition. Jordan went on to appear on the acclaimed radio program From The Top and From The Top: Live from Carnegie Hall performing Liszt. Since then Jordan has made his solo Carnegie Hall debut performing Chopin, Liszt, Schubert, and Wagner. More »

---

More Flame Keepers

---

Newsroom

The latest news and updates from Metropolis.

Matthew Evan Taylor: Postcard 4

Postcards to The Met   |   01   |   02   |   03   |   04   |   05   |   06   |   07   |   08   |   09   |   10   |   11   |   12   |   Life Returns

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Metropolitan Museum of Art (@metmuseum)

---

Credits

Matthew Evan Taylor, composition and saxophone

Rajna Swaminathan, voice and mrudangam

Developed and produced by Metropolis Ensemble

Andrew Cyr, Founder/Artistic Director

Christopher Botta, Editor

Videography: Sam Kann (VT) and Ganavya Doraiswamy and David Jacobs-Strain (OR)

Juniper Creative LLC, Art

Commissioned and produced by The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Department of Live Arts

This program is made possible by the Adrienne Arsht Fund for Resilience through Art.

---

Matthew Evan Taylor: Postcards to The Met

Postcard 4: June 2021

Postcard 4 was filmed in Middlebury, VT, May 25, 2021 and Eugene, OR, May 13, 2021.

---

Program Notes

To Rajna –

Unless we listen to our hearts,
Time will pass imperceptibly.

Once we listen to our hearts
We vocalize the future we wish to see.

The challenge – to make our marks within the time we have

View fullsize

Score Preview

---

---

---

Watch recent Postcards

Flame Keepers 19: Arone Dyer

Flame Keepers

Arone Dyer

June 21, 2021

Travel back in time to experience any Flame Keeper's work. The most recent artists are at the bottom of this page.

About the Artist

Arone Dyer is a musician, composer & founding member of duos Buke and Gase & Mistresses, the producer of Dronechoir (Patreon), a project which examines social dis/comfort through long-durational choral performance, and a non-stop collaborator with an extensive resume of appearances. More »

---

More Flame Keepers

---

Newsroom

The latest news and updates from Metropolis.

Flame Keepers 18: Adrianne Munden-Dixon

Flame Keepers

Adrianne Munden-Dixon

June 14, 2021

Travel back in time to experience any Flame Keeper's work. The most recent artists are at the bottom of this page.

About the Artist

Adrianne Munden-Dixon is a violinist, improviser, and composer based in New York and Montreal. Her work explores timbre and texture and she often incorporates electronics and field recordings to expand the sonic and expressive capabilities of the violin. More »

---

More Flame Keepers

---

Newsroom

The latest news and updates from Metropolis.

Flame Keepers 17: Adam Holmes

Flame Keepers

Adam Holmes

June 7, 2021

Travel back in time to experience any Flame Keeper's work. The most recent artists are at the bottom of this page.

About the Artist

Adam Holmes is a Brooklyn-based musician and artist who makes music for humans and computers. He is an avid percussionist, drummer, and composer interested in creating and discovering sounds for himself and others. More »

---

More Flame Keepers

---

Newsroom

The latest news and updates from Metropolis.

Flame Keepers 16: David Bird

Flame Keepers

David Bird

May 31, 2021

Travel back in time to experience any Flame Keeper's work. The most recent artists are at the bottom of this page.

About the Artist

David Bird is a composer and multimedia artist based in New York City. His work explores the dramatic potential of electroacoustic and multimedia environments, often highlighting the relationships between technology and the individual. He is a founding member of the New York-based chamber ensemble TAK, and an artistic-director with Qubit New Music, a non-profit group that curates and produces experimental music events in New York City. More »

---

More Flame Keepers

---

Newsroom

The latest news and updates from Metropolis.

Matthew Evan Taylor: Postcard 3

Postcards to The Met   |   01   |   02   |   03   |   04   |   05   |   06   |   07   |   08   |   09   |   10   |   11   |   12   |   Life Returns

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Metropolitan Museum of Art (@metmuseum)

---

Credits

Matthew Evan Taylor, composition and alto saxophone

Ayane Kozasa, viola and Paul Wiancko, cello

Developed and produced by Metropolis Ensemble

Andrew Cyr, Founder/Artistic Director

Sam Kann, Videography (Vermont)

Christopher Botta, Editor

Juniper Creative LLC, Art

Commissioned and produced by The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Department of Live Arts

This program is made possible by the Adrienne Arsht Fund for Resilience through Art.

---

Matthew Evan Taylor: Postcards to The Met

Postcard 3: May 2021

Postcard 3 was filmed in Weybridge, Vermont and Red Hook, Brooklyn April 24, 2021.

---

Program Notes

To Paul and Ayane –

It is easy to see the strategy of humans:
Build things that mimic nature in order to “conquer” nature

Our species continues to try to impose its will using alloys and electricity
But the rest of creation undermines us through water, wind, and fire

The reason that the cosmic joke works is its punchline:
We are as ephemeral as smoke from a newly extinguished candle.

And time marches on…

---

To Matthew –

Ephemeral, indeed.
Last night I dreamt of waking up –

eyes wide open and unshielded from
the blinding complexity of the system we were raiding;

mind awash with the panicked realization
that our own gossamer nest rested at its core.

I awoke craving a mountain,
but settled for a bagel.

Paul Wiancko

View fullsize

Score Preview

---

Program note artwork created by Ayane Kozasa, May 20, 2021

---

---

---

Watch recent Postcards

Flame Keepers 15: Cassie Wieland

Flame Keepers

Cassie Wieland

May 24, 2021

Travel back in time to experience any Flame Keeper's work. The most recent artists are at the bottom of this page.

About the Artist

Cassie Wieland (pronounced ˈkæ-si ˈwee-lənd) is an Illinois-born and Brooklyn-based composer. Praised by The New York Times as “sweetly shimmering,” Wieland masterfully experiments with timbre and texture by exploring intimate and fragile sounds to achieve the “hand-made” sound she is often looking for: imperfect, but intentional. More »

---

More Flame Keepers

---

Newsroom

The latest news and updates from Metropolis.

Flame Keepers 14: Kirsten Volness

Flame Keepers

Kirsten Volness

May 17, 2021

Travel back in time to experience any Flame Keeper's work. The most recent artists are at the bottom of this page.

About the Artist

Smart, transcendent, and immersive, Kirsten Volness’ emotive soundscapes integrate electronics and modern composition techniques with jazz and pop influences. “Irresistible” (San Francisco Chronicle) and “nothing short of gorgeous.” (New York Arts), each of her compositions reveals “an exquisite sound world” (New Classic LA) inspired by nature, myth, spirituality, and environmental and sociopolitical issues. With commissions from the World Future Council Foundation, ASCAP/SEAMUS, BMI Foundation, and The American Opera Project, Volness received MacColl Johnson and RISCA Fellowships. She holds composition degrees from the Universities of Michigan and Minnesota, and is Visiting Assistant Professor at Reed College. More »

---

More Flame Keepers

---

Newsroom

The latest news and updates from Metropolis.

Flame Keepers 13: Adam Cuthbert

Flame Keepers

Adam Cuthbert

May 10, 2021

Travel back in time to experience any Flame Keeper's work. The most recent artists are at the bottom of this page.

About the Artist

Adam Cuthbert (b. 1988) is a Detroit-based composer, mix engineer, and sound designer whose sometimes spare, sometimes brutal music has been described as an “eerie dreamscape” (Alex Ross, The New Yorker) and “the lead-footed revving of double decker buses” (Acid Ted).

Their work fuses acoustic instruments with control voltage to create immersive sonic environments, drawing inspiration from the infinite palette of synthesized electronic sound, and the flow-state experience of open-world video games, garnering notice from The New York Times, NPR, Backstage Magazine, and the San Francisco Chronicle, which finds it “hard to resist the vigor and inventiveness of his writing.” More »

---

More Flame Keepers

---

Newsroom

The latest news and updates from Metropolis.

Flame Keepers 12: Nnux

Flame Keepers

Nnux

May 3, 2021

Travel back in time to experience any Flame Keeper's work. The most recent artists are at the bottom of this page.

About the Artist

Nnux is a composer, producer and keyboard player from Mexico City. Her music is based on the digital processing of found sounds, voices, instruments, electronic beats and synthesizers. Influenced by pop, experimental and electronic music, Nnux creates music that aims to be emotional and vulnerable while being experimental and imaginative. More »

---

More Flame Keepers

---

Newsroom

The latest news and updates from Metropolis.

Flame Keepers 11: Impromptuo

Flame Keepers

Impromptuo

April 26, 2021

Travel back in time to experience any Flame Keeper's work. The most recent artists are at the bottom of this page.

About the Artist

Combining training in European classical music with influences from free jazz and electroacoustic music, Impromptuo is an improvisation-focused duo of violinist Katherine Kyu Hyeon Lim and pianist Joey Chang. They are recipients of Chamber Music America’s Ensemble Forward Grant and currently are mentored by Tyshawn Sorey. More »

---

More Flame Keepers

---

Newsroom

The latest news and updates from Metropolis.

Matthew Evan Taylor: Postcard 2

Postcards to The Met   |   01   |   02   |   03   |   04   |   05   |   06   |   07   |   08   |   09   |   10   |   11   |   12   |   Life Returns

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Metropolitan Museum of Art (@metmuseum)

---

Credits

Matthew Evan Taylor, composition and alto saxophone

María Grand, tenor saxophone

Developed and produced by Metropolis Ensemble

Andrew Cyr, Founder/Artistic Director

Sam Kann, Videography (Vermont)

Pedro de las Rosas, Videography (Mexico)

Christopher Botta, Editor

Juniper Creative LLC, Art

Commissioned and produced by The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Department of Live Arts

This program is made possible by the Adrienne Arsht Fund for Resilience through Art.

---

Matthew Evan Taylor: Postcards to The Met

Postcard 2: April 2021

Postcard 2 was filmed in Middlebury, Vermont, April 3, 2021; Río Cuchujaqui, Sierra de Álamos, Sonora, Mexico, April 5, 2021; and Álamos, Sonora, Mexico, April 7, 2021.

---

Program Notes

To Maria –

The meeting place is water. The first civilizations were innervated by tributaries and Streams of the Nile, the Tigris, the Amazon. The mysterious cenotes of the Yucatan promised to be pathways To the Great Beyond

Even now, though many societies seem to take it for granted, I admit an awe at how powerful and unknowable this substance Truly is... It's life-giving and life-taking.

Like Wildebeest or Zebra in the Serengeti, We underestimate water at our own peril...

Let's drink

Matthew Evan Taylor, April 7, 2021

—

View fullsize

View fullsize

Score Preview

I was surprised, intrigued, and honored that Matthew and Andrew asked me to do a Postcard.

Hearing Matthew’s music, I felt that there was a new direction there; so sincere, and so focused on breath. Each breath felt present.

And these days I struggle with presence. It seems that the omnipresence of technology is pulling me further and further away from simple presence. I steal moments to look at the sky, but the work of Zoom and screens is a bit like adding a level of illusion to a life already fraught with it.

Somehow, though, miraculously, hearing Matthew’s music through earbuds as I was standing on a rock, in a river, I felt a connection between technology, nature, and presence. This was a good way to let breath guide me, to let the music guide me. I’m grateful for this process, and grateful for this music so present; so clearly created by breath; so limpid.

María Grand, April 7, 2021

---

---

---

Watch recent Postcards