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Arcis Saxophone Quartet_ 2024-25_Biographies.pdf

Discover the Magic of Music The children will be introduced to our music, exploring the sounds of the saxophone in a way that sparks their curiosity.Meet Adolphe Sax We share the fascinating (and fun!) story of Adolphe Sax, the inventor of the saxophone, and how his creativity shaped the world of music.Hands-On Saxophone Experience In this interactive segment, the children get a chance to see how the saxophone works—and even try playing a few notes themselves!Make Music Together The grand finale is all about participation! The children join us in making music, whether by conducting or with some body percussion, creating an experience they’ll never forget. &nbsp;Arcis tailors the content on the spot, adjusting to the age group, space, and energy of the kids. This program is possible for children aged 6 to even up to 16-18, with a sweet spot for those between 10 and 14. 60 min session is optimal.&nbsp;

Educational Performance (K-12)

Arcis Saxophone Quartet—Photos for Public Download.zip

Arcis Saxophone Quartet

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2xdanced

What do you get when you combine game show constraints with two choreographic visions of the same 20-minute piece of music? Arcis Saxophone Quartet invites you to join the beauty and the hilarity of "2XDanced" to find out. The presenter secures one local choreographer and two or more dancers from their community. Arcis Saxophone Quartet arrives 10 days before the performance, bringing with them the second choreographer, Roberta Pisu.Let the games begin!&nbsp;The ProcessEach receiving 5 days of devoted time, the two choreographers work independently with the two (or more) local dancers and the Arcis Saxophone Quartet to create one 20-minute choreography apiece, to the same piece of music. And the pressure is high because everyone has to abide by the rules of the game:<ol><li>The choreographers only have 5 days to create.</li><li>The music will only be delivered 5 days before the start of rehearsals.</li><li>The music is the same for both choreographies.</li><li>The musicians are part of the scene.</li><li>Props and costumes are only what you can find.</li></ol>&nbsp;The Performance (total time = 60 minutes without intermission)After 10 days, it's time to perform, no matter what! Both choreographies are performed one after the other so that the audience can experience how differently the creative brains of the choreographers tick. The audience will also witness the dancers and musicians themselves transform entirely as they inhabit the different choreographies. The artists involved host a conversation with the audience throughout, offering insights into the motives for the respective artistic decisions and inviting shared experience and reflection. Repertoire SamplesEmma O'Halloran – Night MusicCaroline Shaw – Entr'acteJacobTV – Jesus is ComingLeonhard Kuhn – Morning MusicFor the presenter, in addition to engaging the choreographic and dance talents of your institution or community, there is also the opportunity to commission the 20-minute work of music from the composer of your choice.&nbsp;Interested? What you need to know…How long will the final performance last?With two choreographies each 20 minutes and a talk with the audience in between we aim for a total length of 60 minutes.&nbsp;What do we need for the creation process?We need a rehearsal space for 10 days, which is suited for dance practice. That‘s it!Which artists will be involved?The music part is covered by the Arcis Saxophone Quartet and the artistic direction is in the hands of Roberta Pisu, who will also contribute one of the two choreographies. This leaves us with one choreographer and at least two dancers missing. We are happy to cooperate with local artists of your institution or community. Let‘s discuss! Additionally parts of the music could be newly written by a composer of your choice.&nbsp;BiographiesArcis_CollectiveThe collective consists of choreographer Roberta Pisu and the Arcis Saxophone Quartet, who began their collaboration with the full-length production <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QAhkwSj1QU">HEIMAT</a>, which premiered on September 21, 2020 in the Philharmonie am Gasteig Munich. The goal of the collective is to transfer the idea of chamber music to contemporary dance: to create an intimate form of expression in a small ensemble in order to implement subtle and refined artistic ideas.&nbsp;A very important aspect is the joint creative process. The relationship between classical music and contemporary dance and the possibilities and interfaces that result from them should be explored more and more and thus a common statement brought to the stage. For this reason, the musicians are involved in the entire process and not just at the end of the creation process, as is usually the case. With their unique saxophone sound, the musicians, like the dancers, are part of the performance on stage.&nbsp;While Roberta Pisu and the Arcis Saxophone Quartet form the core of the collective, it is more than open to collaboration with any type of music, choreographic approach and any type of art form willing to share an intimate and stimulating creative process.<a href="https://www.arielartists.com/artists/arcis-saxophone-quartet#section-biography" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Arcis Saxophone Quartet</a>Roberta PisuRoberta Pisu received her dance training at the Académie de Danse Classique “Princesse Grace” in Monte Carlo and at the Accademia Nazionale di Danza in Rome. She was a member of the ensemble “La Compagnia” in Rome. She gained her first choreographic experience in 2010 as an assistant to Ismael Ivo, the artistic director of the Venice Biennale. Since 2013 she has been dancing in the ballet of the Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz Munich, where she also works as a choreographer (Momo, Minutemade, Je suis Faust, and others).

Arcis_Collective | Arcis Saxophone Quartet | Roberta Pisu

2XDANCED

Palaver Strings_2024-25_Biographies.pdf

What exactly is “classical” music? Join Palaver Strings for an engaging presentation exploring string music by Bach, Mozart, and Haydn, as well as groundbreaking voices of the modern age. This 45-minute workshop introduces the sounds of the string instrument family (violin, viola, cello, and bass), as well as the diverse voices, eras, and styles under the classical umbrella, with an emphasis on music by women and composers of color. This presentation is designed for grades K-8, with no prior musical experience required.

Outside The Bachs (Grades K-8)

Designed for school orchestra students, this workshop puts Palaver Strings musicians side by side with students, introducing the fundamentals of chamber music and conductorless ensemble playing. We also introduce the concept of improvisation and spontaneity as tools for creative musical expression. This 60-minute workshop is designed for grades 4-12, with some prior string instrument study required. Repertoire will be chosen in consultation with the school’s orchestra director/string teacher and tailored to the age and experience of the students.&nbsp;

SideXSide (Grades 4-12)

Hear the classic story of Ferdinand the Bull with a full string orchestra and narrator! With music by Alan Ridout and text by Munro Leaf, Ferdinand the Bull tells the story of a young bull who feels different from others, and eventually learns to accept himself for who he truly is. This 10-15 minute performance is designed for students age 5-10, with no prior music experience required. Palaver Strings or the host organization may provide a narrator.

Ferdinand The Bull (Ages 5-10)

Join Palaver Strings for an engaging and hands-on experience that empowers students to unleash their creativity! Guided by experienced musicians, participants will explore music through interactive activities such as instrument-making and painting to live music.&nbsp; This multi-sensory approach encourages students to explore and experiment freely. These 45-60 minute workshops can be customized according to age group, with no prior musical experience required. Additional costs for materials may apply, depending on the activities involved.

Touching Sound

Music and emotion are inextricably linked; music evokes a wide range of emotions in listeners, from happiness to sadness to excitement to calm. Join Palaver Strings in an interactive concert of music and emotion through active listening, musical expression, movement, and mindfulness.This 45-minute presentation is designed for students ages 5-9. No prior musical experience is required.

Harmony of the Heart (Ages 5-9)

Creative collaboration brings together people from different backgrounds, skills, and experiences. This 60-minute workshop/performance features Palaver Strings and collaborating artists, and includes a short performance and discussion of musical style, cultural values, power dynamics, and strategies for equitable collaboration across cultures, genres, and artistic disciplines. Examples of collaborating artists include Kinan Azmeh (clarinet/composer/improviser), Heather Stewart (modern dance), Chris Pattishall (jazz pianist), and Lauren Stevens (traditional Wabanaki song). This presentation is designed for students age 8 and up, with no prior musical experience required. Note that this workshop is dependent on the availability of collaborators, must be booked at least one year in advance, and that additional costs for guest artists may apply. &nbsp; &nbsp;

Come Together: Palaver and Friends (Ages 8+)

Palaver Strings—Photos for Public Download.zip

Palaver Strings

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This 3-day residency will explore the expressive potential of collaborative music-making, storytelling, and protest through song, and how themes of hope and justice can connect us with each other. The project will celebrate the release of the&nbsp;Change is Gonna Come&nbsp;album while working closely with local&nbsp;community members to write their own stories through the lens of Palaver's Lifesongs Project. Presenters can choose which community, and which members within that community, would benefit most from participating in the Lifesongs songwriting workshop.&nbsp; Examples of communities could include: an LGBTQ group, an Osher lifelong learning group, an Alateen group, a group of inmates pursuing higher education degrees, etc.&nbsp;After a day of songwriting followed by a day of revision/demoing, Palaver and the community songwriters will offer a culminating public performance of the songs, as well as the process-sharing discussion.&nbsp;Day 1:&nbsp;Lifesongs songwriting workshop. Palaver musicians will work with 3-5 members of the community of your choice to write songs about their life stories or issues that are important to them.Day 2:&nbsp; Lifesongs songwriting revision session and creation of take-home demo recordings. Palaver musicians and participating community members will finish the songs and record demo recordings for the community member's&nbsp;personal use.Day 3:&nbsp;Lifesongs live performance and process-sharing session with public audience, followed by a culminating&nbsp;Change is Gonna Come&nbsp;performance by Palaver Strings and Nicholas Phan&nbsp;A Change is Gonna ComeFeaturing Grammy-nominated tenor Nicholas Phan and Palaver Strings,&nbsp;A Change is Gonna Come&nbsp;explores our country’s rich legacy of protest songs. Repertoire includes traditional songs of protest and music inspired by social movements and historical events, including Nico Muhly’s Stranger, Akenya Seymour’s Fear the Lamb, and the premiere of Errollyn Wallen’s Protest Songs. Spanning genres, eras, and movements, A Change Is Gonna Come confronts our past and present and celebrates protest as one of our most precious rights. Read more about the album release <a href="https://www.arielartists.com/news/palaver-strings-announce-3rd-album:-'a-change-is-gonna-come'" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a>.&nbsp;RepertoireNico Muhly – Stranger Roberta Slavitt, Alfred Hayes, Malvina Reynolds, arr. Domenic Salerni – Freedom is a Constant Struggle/I Dreamed I Saw Joe Hill/It Isn't Nice Harry Burleigh/ Langston Hughes, arr. Ian Gottlieb – Lovely, Dark and Lonely One Abel Meeropol/Billie Holiday, arr. Jonathan Bingham – Strange Fruit Akenya Seymour – Fear the Lamb Bob Dylan, arr. Domenic Salerni – Blowin’ in the Wind Joni Mitchell, Pete Seeger, Phil Ochs, arr. Domenic Salerni – Fiddle and the Drum/Where Have all the Flowers Gone/What Are You Fighting For? Errollyn Wallen – Protest Songs (Project Commission) Sam Cooke, arr. Domenic Salerni – A Change is Gonna Come&nbsp;Reviews“Here’s an entertaining collection of protest songs, old and new. Having them sung by a tenor and string orchestra is a risky prospect on paper; you worry that the originals will be sanitised beyond recognition. Nicholas Phan and Palaver strings avoid the trap: Domenic Salerni’s arrangements are never saccharine.” – Graham Rickson, The Arts Desk

featuring Palaver Strings and Nicholas Phan

A Change is Gonna Come Performance and Lifesongs Project

Akropolis Reed Quintet_ 2024-25_Biographies.pdf

Winner of the 2015 Fischoff Educator Award, Akropolis has engaged more than 40,000 youth during its 13-year history, including an annual, yearlong residency at three high schools in their home Detroit community. As an independent nonprofit they have received grants from the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, and many individuals nationwide to support their educational programming, which comprises a noteworthy portion of their activity.&nbsp;Akropolis delivers fast-paced and informative workshops, including its “The Best Story” presentation for elementary schools, featuring a musical reenactment of the Eileen Spinelli children’s book. At the middle and high school level, Akropolis gives performances, coachings, Q&amp;A's, and offers a side-by-side band concerto by Peter Terry.&nbsp;“I am in awe of your genius in this educational arena and excited for all the young lives that you will impact and change because you are first and foremost extraordinary artists who are bringing that excellence and meticulous preparation and execution to the educational arena.”-Kathy Soroka, Allegheny RiverStone Center for Arts Education

K-12 Education

Akropolis believes that "quality" in classical music comes not only from the technical competency of the performers, but of the relevance an artist creates within their community. To do this, Akropolis engages their communities nationwide through experiences informed by the communities they serve. This includes collaborating with community members on new musical works, including&nbsp;so much more, featuring interviews with local business owners, and&nbsp;Sprocket, featuring a rideable percussion bike created by scrap metal artist, Juan Martinez. They commissioned new work from Detroit poet Marsha Music, and in their travels have performed with guest percussionists in several communities.&nbsp;Akropolis has performed at dozens of workplaces during its Detroit Workplace Concert Series, including hospitals, factories, tech companies, and more. They have performed in juvenile&nbsp;detention centers, homeless shelters, development centers, and senior care centers. They have given dozens of outdoor performances at parks and other pop-up locations, including grocery stores and farmers markets. They have given house concerts, backyard concerts, and concerts on river walks and bike paths.&nbsp; &nbsp;Each concert is custom-designed with community input and shaped to reflect the vibrancy of the community.&nbsp;

Community Engagement

Based on Akropolis' 8 year of experience teaching and entrepreneurship and career development, including courses at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre, and Dance and the Michigan State University College of Music, Akropolis created&nbsp;<a href="https://akropolisquintet.org/mastermind/">Akropolis Mastermind</a>&nbsp;in 2019 and since then have engaged 22 early career artists and over 80 participants&nbsp;in this weeklong career development workshop.&nbsp;Please visit&nbsp;<a href="http://akropolisquintet.org/mastermind">akropolisquintet.org/mastermind</a>&nbsp;to read the testimonials from these participants' experiences.&nbsp;At the university level, Akropolis provides customized workshops derived from their Mastermind, including sessions on health and sustainability, marketing/branding, financial planning, project development, and more.&nbsp;Akropolis also delivers inspiring master classes, reads and premieres works by student composers, and has even collaborated with college students in performance.&nbsp;

Akropolis Mastermind (University)

Akropolis Reed Quintet—Photos for Public Download.zip

Akropolis Reed Quintet

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Grammy-nominated, Are We Dreaming the Same Dream?&nbsp; is a “tour-de-force” (I Care If You Listen) of a concert experience that blurs the lines between classical, jazz, and contemporary music, examining what Ralph Ellison calls “the unity of American experience.” With a hybrid ensemble comprised of Akropolis Reed Quintet, pianist/composer Pascal Le Boeuf, and drummer Christian Euman, Le Boeuf deconstructs the fabric of his American experience by recognizing the strands of his musical DNA—Geri Allen, Dave Brubeck, Charles Mingus, and Leonard Bernstein. What are the strands that form our collective identity, and are we dreaming the same dream?&nbsp;<h3>"Brilliant writing, exquisitely performed, and ingenuously conceived! Are We Dreaming The Same Dream? is a musical journey that shares a sound world that reveals the deep layers of life experience, and done so in the hands of some real masters of their instruments." ~ Jennifer Higdon, Pulitzer Prize &amp; Grammy Award-Winning Composer</h3>&nbsp;<h3>Concert Repertoire</h3>Pascal Le Boeuf – Are We Dreaming the Same Dream? (full septet) 50′Pascal Le Boeuf – Variations on a Mood (Pascal &amp; Christian) 8'George Gershwin arr. Raaf Hekkema – An American in Paris (Akropolis) 18′Geri Allen arr. Le Boeuf – “RTG” (full septet) 5′Charles Mingus arr. Le Boeuf – “Self-Portrait in Three Colors” (full septet) 7′&nbsp;<h3>Watch Grammy-nominated single, Strands:&nbsp;</h3><figure class="media"><oembed url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mt9IBnRuLGk"></oembed></figure>&nbsp;Composed by Le Boeuf, the composition draws upon a careful selection of his musical “ancestors”—Geri Allen, Dave Brubeck, Charles Mingus, and Leonard Bernstein—each of whom have historically represented a variety of perspectives concerning the unity of the American experience.&nbsp;As author Ralph Ellison observed, “the most agonizing mystery sponsored by the democratic ideal is that of our unity-in-diversity, our oneness in manyness.”Ellison also described a “unity of American experience beyond all considerations of class, of race, of religion.” More than a half-century later, have we realized this ideal of what it means to be American? Le Boeuf’s concert-length composition asks: Are we really dreaming the same American dream, or is our consumer culture overshadowing our own sense of belonging?&nbsp;<h3>Album Reviews</h3>"Brilliant writing, exquisitely performed, and ingenuously conceived! Are We Dreaming The Same Dream? is a musical journey that shares a sound world that reveals the deep layers of life experience, and done so in the hands of some real masters of their instruments."~Jennifer Higdon Pulitzer Prize &amp; Grammy Award-Winning Composer“It is truly one of the greatest releases I’ve heard in years.”~Mark Dover Grammy Award-Winning Clarinetist, Imani Winds“Imaginative rhythmic inventions and distinctly expressive and lyrical use of the winds' colors makes for both super playful and thoughtful listen! Love the drive and character in the performances!”~Curtis Stewart 4X GRAMMY Nominated Violinist&nbsp;and Composer“A great addition to the wind quintet repertoire with fantastic jazz elements. Brilliant and engaging.”~Elaine Martone 5X Grammy Award-Winning Classical/Jazz Producer"Amazing writing and playing."~Rudresh Mahanthappa Jazz Saxophonist Composer and Guggenheim Fellow“I just love the lushness of the wind writing on this album. Before you get too comfortable enjoying the transporting harmonies, the groove takes you into an intricate vortex, ping ponging between the Akropolis adept players always puppeteered by the drums. Le Boeuf draws a delicate balance between homages to his inspirations, and unique writing that leaves selections feeling reassured, then punchy, then ominous, always exploring the wondrous palette of the reed quintet.”~Mariam Adam Clarinetist&nbsp;(founding member of Imani Winds)&nbsp;<h3>Biographies</h3>Each artist on stage is a powerhouse in their field. Founded in 2009, the Billboard charting, 7-time national prize winning Akropolis Reed Quintet makes music with “infallible musicality and huge vitality” (Fanfare Magazine). Winner of 7 national chamber music prizes including the 2014 Fischoff Gold Medal, Akropolis has premiered and commissioned over 150 works by living artists and composers. Pascal Le Boeuf is a Grammy-nominated composer, pianist, and producer described as "sleek, new" and "hyper-fluent" by the New York Times. He is widely recognized for his polyrhythmic approach to chamber music and hybridization of disparate idioms. Christian Euman, one of Revive Magazine's "six drummers you should know about," has toured with Jacob Collier, Kurt Elling, Billy Childs, Walter Smith III, and Geoff Keezer, among others. He attended the Thelonious Monk Institute where he studied and performed with Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Chris Potter, Jimmy Heath, and Stefon Harris.

Akropolis Reed Quintet | Pascal Le Boeuf | Christian Euman

Are We Dreaming the Same Dream?

ZOFO_ 2024-25_Biographies.pdf

In this interactive and fun 45-minute program, children and young adults ages 12–18 are introduced to the history of the piano duet—from its inception to its future.What were people doing for entertainment before there were LPs, CDs, or iTunes? Why was playing piano duets was so hot? What does English composer Gustav Holst have to do with Star Wars? Wait—these sounds came from a piano?What happens when you break the territorial boundaries of one-piano-four-hands playing?How can you prevent fights between the two players? How can we help give birth to new piano duets?&nbsp;Excerpts from the following works are played during the presentation:<ul><li>BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 5, arranged for piano duet</li><li>SCHUBERT: Fantasy in F minor</li><li>GUSTAV HOLST: The Planets, arranged for piano duet</li><li>ALLEN SHAWN: Hard-Edged</li><li>URMAS SISASK: The Milky Way</li><li>TOMOHIRO MORIYAMA: Let’s Play a Duet! (video)</li><li>GABRIELA LENA FRANK: Karnavalito from Sonata Serrana No.1</li></ul>

One-Piano-Four-Hands: The Original iTunes

ZOFO—Photos for Public Download.zip

ZOFO

one piano, four hands

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Australian composer Carl Vine has written two piano solo concertos and a concerto for two pianos. Now ZOFO commissions him for a concerto for piano duet (one-piano four-hands) and full orchestra – a combination that is very attractive, but extremely rare.“When we came across Carl Vine’s Sonata for Piano Four Hands a few years ago, we were immediately enthralled by his music. We were attracted to the richness and depth of expression, the overflow of ideas, the carefully crafted score, so artfully and smartly composed for four hands — a masterwork, inspiring us and demanding that we give our very best. Now, a few years later, we are very excited to have the opportunity to commission Carl Vine for a piano duet concerto. It will be an invaluable addition to the almost non-existent list of piano duet concertos and will be cherished by generations of piano duos.” — ZOFO“I am overwhelmed by the artistic unity and performance perfection of ZOFO. They play with a single, massively inventive mind, and I want to create music for this mystical four-armed animal that will turn the piano into the acoustic embodiment of the twenty-fingered orchestra.” – Carl VineLength:&nbsp;22-23 minutesInstrumentation:&nbsp; One piano four hands and an orchestra, 2.2.2.2-4.2.3.1-timp, 2pc, harp, and strings.

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Carl Vine Piano Duet Concerto

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Chemistry for Gamelan and Piano is a new intercultural music collaboration between one of Bali's most exciting contemporary gamelan ensembles, Nata Swara, performing under the direction of Balinese composer and virtuoso performer Putu Septa, who performs alongside the scorching and internationally renowned piano-four-hands duo ZOFO, featuring Swiss pianist Eva-Maria Zimmerman and Japanese pianist Keisuke Nakagoshi, all of whom have been gathered together by composer and musical envoy, Brian Baumbusch. Their music showcases the thrilling potential of bringing brilliant minds and hands together to draw from disparate cultural reservoirs in order to concoct a new musical idiom that is both accessible and inconspicuously complex. Nata Swara and Baumbusch began working together in 2021, when Baumbusch donated two sets of "American Gamelan" instruments that he had designed and built over the course of a decade to Putu Septa and Nata Swara; this was the first instance of a set of "gamelan" instruments built outside of Indonesia being sent to Indonesia for local musicians to develop new repertoire and performance practices. Building on this relationship, Baumbusch then began to work with ZOFO to develop a repertoire that could combine the musical forces of Nata Swara with the kaleidoscopic tapestry of piano-four-hands into a new music that draws from traditional Balinese temple music and 20th century American minimalism alike. This project offers presenters a rare and luscious musical repertoire paired with enriching and deeply informed educational presentations offered by Baumbusch, Septa, and ZOFO by way of masterclasses, lectures, gamelan workshops, and concert talks.&nbsp; &nbsp;REPERTOIRE&nbsp;<ul><li>Kendang Tunggal (Balinese paired drumming demonstration with Putu Septa and Baumbusch)</li><li>Gender Wayang performance (2 Balinese musicians playing on a pair of interlocking metallophones)</li><li>Prisms for Gene Davis by Brian Baumbusch (full group, meaning piano four-hands, two balinese drummers, and Baumbusch on percussion)</li><li>Balinese Ceremonial Music transcribed by Colin McPhee for two pianos, arranged for one-piano four hands by Eva-Maria Zimmermann (ZOFO)</li><li>Speech Delay for Gender Wayang by Ni Nyoman Srayamurtikanti (Balinese shadow-puppet theater instruments), arranged for one-piano four hands by Brian Baumbusch (ZOFO)</li><li>New piece for ZOFO by Putu Septa (ZOFO)</li><li>Tombeau&nbsp;(Piano-four-hands and two Balinese gender-wayang interlocking metallophones)</li><li>Penrose&nbsp;by Brian Baumbusch (Nata Swara and ZOFO)</li><li>Penrose Prologue by Brian Baumbusch,&nbsp;10 minute&nbsp;excerpt for one-piano four hands only (ZOFO)</li></ul>&nbsp;EDUCATIONAL ENGAGEMENTMaster ClassZOFO offers their chamber music workshop/master class on piano-4-hands repertoire.Lecture/WorkshopThe Balinese musicians, in conjunction with Brian Baumbusch, offers a 1-2 hour lecture/workshop on Balinese music that includes a demonstration on Balinese instruments. This workshop could be spread across several days wherein the participants could learn to play a full (simple) piece from the gamelan repertoire. This offering features a short demonstration from the Balinese musicians on how Balinese musical structure works, particularly the aspect of duo-interconnectivity and rhythmic interlocking, which is central to Balinese musical structure and also has an interesting parallel with the piano-four-hands world.&nbsp;Global Music CompositionBrian Baumbusch offers a lecture, demonstration, or master class on composition, or if appealing to be more specific, “global music composition” where students will learn how to compose music that caters to intercultural collaboration, and talk about some experiences as well as considerations regarding effective collaborations with musicians from other parts of the globe, particularly centered on his experiences in Bali.Pre-Concert TalkThe concert itself offers a pre-concert talk where the audience will learn more about the form of the music on the program, as well as hear about the process of how these musicians found a way to collaborate while coming from disparate traditions and geographical regions.&nbsp;&nbsp;BIOGRAPHIESZOFO<a href="https://www.arielartists.com/artists/zofo" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Find more information about ZOFO here.</a>Brian BaumbuschComposer, instrument designer, and musicologist Brian Baumbusch’s work, while innovative within the global contemporary music community, is deeply in dialogue with cross-cultural exchanges. Baumbusch’s compositional work is centered on developing alternative acoustics paradigms through the creation of new instruments and tuning systems, and originating new performance practices that feature computer-assisted live performance and recording projects in order to achieve performances of inconspicuously complex polytempo music. Between 2007 and 2010, Baumbusch was deeply engaged in ethnomusicological field work centered on Argentine-Quechua folklore music. From 2012 to the present, Baumbusch has collaborated with several of Bali’s leading performing ensembles, and his works have premiered at the Bali Arts Festival. At the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, Baumbusch began creating new compositions that performers could collaborate on remotely by recording in isolation to individualized click tracks in order to cooperatively create complex polytempo structures. These include the symphonic length Isotropes, recorded by roughly 150 musicians between 2020 and 2021, and the evening length Polytempo Music, designed as a VR experience where the listener can interact with the music in a real-time spatial audio environment. Baumbusch resides in Alameda, CA. and teaches at the University of California, Santa Cruz.Putu SeptaI Putu Adi Septa Suweca Putra (Putu Septa) is a contemporary Balinese composer and performer, and the founder and artistic director of Nata Swara, an art community and performing ensemble located inside Padangtegal Village in Ubud, Bali. Septa actively composes diverse styles of music that connect local and international musicians with both traditional and newly designed instruments. As a performer, Septa is a senior member of Gamelan Salukat, led by Balinese composer Dewa Alit. As a musician and a gamelan teacher, Septa is engaged in artistic cultural activities with many diverse communities. As a teenager, Septa founded a children’s gamelan club for children aged 5-12 in his village. Many of those young students have matured to become part of his ensemble Nata Swara, and several of them have gone on to join Gamelan Salukat. His compositions include instrumental music with diverse instrumentations involving both Indonesian and global instruments, collaborations with dance choreographers, music for film, and experimental electronic music, among others. His devotion to traditional gamelan music started from childhood, when he drew inspiration from his grandfather, I Ketut Genjet, who’s role as a musical leader in his community was an inspiration to Septa. Septa regularly performs and tours with Gamelan Salukat, Gamelan Yuganada, and Shangrila. He holds a degree in music composition from ISI Denpasar, and resides in Ubud, Bali.Nata SwaraNata Swara is an art community that focuses on the explorations of traditional and contemporary gamelan music. The repertoire commissioned and performed by Nata Swara offers young gamelan musicians and composers the opportunity to explore new musical directions at the highest caliber. Nata Swara was established in 2011, in Padangtegal village, Ubud, Bali, which still serves as its home base. Nata Swara performs on a variety of different sets of gamelan instruments, including Gamelan Sada Sancaya, a large orchestra of extended range bronze instruments designed by Putu Septa; two sets of instruments created by American composer Brian Baumbusch; and a newly developed instrument set consisting of a varied collection of Balinese kendang drums called Kendang Briuk, of which Nata Swara has commissioned several new works for. Nata Swara actively engages in deepening the well of repertoire of both traditional and contemporary gamelan music, while collaborating with musicians and composers from within Bali and abroad.&nbsp;Ni Nyoman SrayamurtikantiSrayamurtikanti is a stage name of Ni Nyoman Srayamurtikanti. She is a musician and a composer based in Balinese traditional music (Balinese Gamelan). Sraya’s works often concern gamelan instrumental, innovative, vocal, and experimental music on Balinese gamelan. Sraya’s arts are developed by exploring the possibilities of composing and playing gamelan, musician’s movement, and space responses. She currently performed her compositions “Empowerment” at the SouthEast Asian Music Symposium (Bangkok, Thailand), “Nuutsih” at Pekan Komponis Indonesia (Jakarta, Indonesia), “Speech Delay” at Music Gamelan Creative Competition (Bali) and The Northern California Chapter of the Society for Ethnomusicology (NCCSEM), “Himpit” at Rocky Mountain Gamelan Bali Festival (Denver, Colorado-USA), “To Reckon through Complexities” Collaboration with Gabi Motuba (South Africa) at Mutual Mentorship of Musicians (New York, USA), “Just Us” Collaboration with Aine Nakamura at Center for New Music (San Francisco, California-USA), etc. Sraya is a Gamelan Guest Artist Bali Teacher at Gamelan Sekar Jaya based in Berkeley, California (2022-2024) and a Guest Artist Teacher/Instructor at Gamelan Bali Class at the University of California, Berkeley.

ZOFO | Brian Baumbusch |  Putu Septa & Nata Swara 

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Chemistry for Gamelan & Piano

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JSB:48 is all about The Well-Tempered Clavier by Johann Sebastian Bach. Spanning a ten year recording project by the Arcis Saxophone Quartet, the original Bach fugues in their version for saxophone quartet are complemented by newly composed preludes all inspired by The Well-Tempered Clavier. Beginning in 2020, the collection of 48 fugues and new preludes will gradually grow over the next ten years as a growing playlist (found on <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1ljoYy83Rf277TQzBeMu8I?si=d47451c311f8456c">Spotify</a> &amp; <a href="https://music.apple.com/de/playlist/jsb-48-arcis-saxophon-quartett/pl.aa3c7dc426a74729a857cad402474333">Apple Music</a>).&nbsp;DIVERSITYWe believe there is so much more music to discover. Music that may not be so close to us at first, but is all the more exciting. We deliberately want to immerse ourselves in the most diverse worlds and take our listeners on this journey.GENREThe composers we commission come from a wide variety of genres. The basis will always be classical music, but we love diving into other worlds as well.GENDER RATIOFemale composers are still underrepresented. We do not want to accept that and make it very simple: 50% of our composition commissions go to female composers.CULTURESWe have divided the world into different earth culture parts. The new preludes are then distributed evenly among them. That challenges us and is a lot of fun when we are allowed to deal with music that works completely differently than, for example, classical Western music.&nbsp;Repertoire SampleCenterpiece:J.S. Bach paired with new works by contemporary composers – Selection of newly-composed preludes paired with fugues from The Well-Tempered Clavier&nbsp;In addition, selections from:Nikolai Kapustin – 24 Preludes and Fugues, Op. 82&nbsp;Dmitri Shostakovich –&nbsp;Preludes and Fugues, Op. 87Leonhard Kuhn – Fugue &amp; Loops

JSB:48

Paragon Ragtime Orchestra_2023-24_Biographies.pdf

The Orchestra also creates customized programs for special events, centennials, celebrations, and holidays. With over 20,000 historic scores covering every musical style popular from the Civil War era to the Jazz Age, and with acclaimed American-music expert—and showman—Rick Benjamin in charge, we have the power and experience to custom-build programs especially for your venue, event, or theme. Your imagination is the only limit! Our client list over 30 years ranges from billion-dollar entertainment conglomerates to major performing arts centers and museums to small not-for-profit groups (and everything in-between).

Special Events & Customized Programs

The PRO also offers condensed 50 minute versions of all of the above programs for young audiences in schools; we have different versions of each designed for specific age levels: kindergarten–grade 2, grades 3–5, middle school, and high school students.

Educational Programs for Schools

Paragon Ragtime Orchestra–Photos for Public Download.zip

Paragon Ragtime Orchestra

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Note: Paragon has one of the world’s largest libraries of historic American orchestral music, and the particular pieces played on each of Paragon’s concert programs are subject to change to reflect this unique resource.Meet Me at the Fair! is a two-hour spectacular musical celebration of the world’s fairs, including the 1876 Centennial Exhibition, the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair, and the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition. Musical “exhibits” rotate, but works by Offenbach, Joplin, Moses-Tobani, and Sousa are the core attraction, performed by Rick Benjamin and the Paragon Ragtime Orchestra, the official orchestra and conductor of the U.S. Pavilion of the 1992 World’s Fair. Music played a key role in the success of all these international festivals, launching both hit songs and the illustrious careers of many American musicians (including Scott Joplin and Sousa). This new PRO program reunites stirring world’s fair hits with the continuous projections of magnificent fairground images. There is audience participation (on “Meet Me In St. Louis, Louis”), and as a finale, the Orchestra accompanies the Moving Picture Travelogue – historic world’s fair films by Thomas Edison &amp; company. All is propelled forward with evocative narration by conductor Rick Benjamin.&nbsp;Repertoire – curated by Rick Benjamin using original historic orchestra scores from his Collection“unheard since ____" piecesCentennial Hymn - John Knowles Paine (1839-1906)Telephone Galop - Theodore Moses-Tobani (1855-1933)Hail Columbia: Fantasie Brilliante (Op. 184) - Theodore Moses-Tobani (1855-1933)World's Columbian Exposition Waltz - Adelaide Marcelia Glück (1863-1934)Scherzo (orchestral version) - Edward McDowell (1860-1908)The Official Panama-Pacific March - Harry L. Alford (1875-1939)Rediscovered by and exclusively performed by Paragon&nbsp;Swing Along! (orchestral concert version) - Will Marion Cook (1869-1944)Rarely performed but not “lost”La Nuit et L'Amour - Augusta Holmès (1847-1903)The Official St. Louis World's Fair March (excerpt) - Frank Van Der Stucken (1858-1929) FilmThe"Meet Me at the Fair!" performance includes actual moving pictures from the Panama-Pacific International Exposition (San Francisco, 1915) by the Edison, Biograph, and Keystone film companies, featuring 1915 fair music by Sousa, Saint-Saëns, and Louis Hirsch.&nbsp;BiographyParagon came into being as the result of Rick Benjamin's 1985 discovery of thousands of historic orchestra scores once belonging to Victor recording star Arthur Pryor. Since then, Rick has discovered or been gifted thousands more historic scores, making him custodian of the world's largest library of scores from this turn-of-the-20th-century era.

Meet Me at the Fair!: Music from the Great World's Fairs

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There are hundreds of concertos for one piano, dozens for two pianos, but how many people can name a one-piano four-hands concerto?Here’s a brand-new addition to the almost nonexistent repertoire: Argentinian-born American composer Pablo Ortiz will write a piano duet (one-piano four-hands) concerto for ZOFO and chamber orchestra. Instead of using piano benches the pianists will sit on Cajóns, changing quickly between playing these Latin-American box percussion instruments and the keyboard.Length: 15 minutesInstrumentation: Version 1: One-piano four-hands and Chamber Orchestra (Strings only). The pianists will each sit on a Cajón. They will play on the Cajóns as well as on the keyboard. Version 2: One-piano four-hands and string quintet (2 violins, viola, cello, double bass). The pianists will each sit on a Cajón. They will play on the Cajóns as well as on the keyboard.

Pablo Ortiz Piano Duet Concerto

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With more than 700 screenings across 48 States and 7 countries, PRO is one of the world’s foremost silent film accompanists. From Hollywood (American Cinematheque) to Chicago (Ravinia Festival) to New York (Lincoln Center), PRO leads the way in designing, producing, and performing silent film programs for contemporary audiences. Paragon also has one of the world’s finest collections of more than 900 original film scores (c. 1898-1928), adding unmatched historical depth and interest to its screenings.&nbsp;The Clown PrincesOur most popular two-hour silent film program of featuring a “variety pack” of three short, complete comedies, one each by Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and Harold Lloyd, accompanied by their original 1910s/20s orchestral scores. See&nbsp;<a href="https://paragonragtime.com/programs-and-bookings/film-programs/">here</a>&nbsp;for the current list of films.&nbsp;Chaplin – A Dog’s Life (New Program!)&nbsp;A two-hour silent film program of Charlie Chaplin’s 1918 featurette&nbsp;A Dog’s Life, with Rick Benjamin’s new reconstruction of the original score. The big city adventures of the Tramp, with his trusty “thoroughbred mongrel,” scraps. Charming!&nbsp;Fairbanks – The Mark of ZorroA two-hour silent film program of the original&nbsp;Zorro, Hollywood’s very first action-adventure movie! Douglas Fairbanks thrills audiences with swordplay, romance, and just a bit of comedy. Features the spectacular original Spanish flavored 1920 orchestral score.&nbsp;Keaton – The GeneralA two-hour silent film program of Buster Keaton’s 1927 masterpiece&nbsp;The General, a “story of love, laughs, and locomotives,” is a Civil War railroad epic inspired by the Great Locomotive Chase. World famous, and rightly so, featuring the original 1927 orchestral score.&nbsp;Chaplin – The KidA two-hour silent film program of Chaplin’s first full-length feature,&nbsp;The Kid. The Tramp adopts an abandoned child, and the two set off on a series of adventures. Sweet and funny, with touches of high drama featuring the original 1921 orchestral score.&nbsp;&nbsp;Keaton – Steamboat Bill, Jr.A two-hour silent film program of Keaton’s late-era,&nbsp;Steamboat Bill, Jr.&nbsp;features Keaton as the hapless son of a Mississippi riverboat captain trying to learn the family business. Extremely funny, with a fantastic cyclone finale! Features the original 1928 orchestral score.

Silent Film

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The ZOFOMOMA live concert experience unfolds as an aurally and visually stunning walking tour through a virtual museum of modern art. Against an ever-changing backdrop of contemporary paintings, 15 new ZOFO-commissioned compositions are revealed throughout the 72-minute continuous performance. Composer Terry Riley praised the performance, saying, “It is just what the world needs now.”In a nod to Mussorgsky, this 21st century “Pictures at an Exhibition” leads viewers and listeners from one gallery to the next accompanied by a re-imagined Promenade Theme by ZOFO’s Keisuke Nakagoshi. For this cutting-edge project ZOFO solicited new works from top composers around the globe, and requested each to select a painting representative of his or her culture as a springboard to the creative process. The result is a rich tapestry of sights and sounds reflecting the cultural, musical and artistic diversity of our world community.&nbsp;PROGRAMIntroductionGilles Silvestrini: Le bassin d'ArgenteuilPromenade 1Carl Vine: The Arrival of Implacable GiftsPromenade 2Avner Dorman: Dancing with the Torah at Mount MeronPromenade 3Pawel Mykietyn: SM34Promenade 4Franghiz Ali-Zadeh: Spring Morning in BakuPromenade 5Lei Liang: Will you come to my dream? (Detail from Landscapes)Promenade 6Jonathan Russell: Untitled SkeletonPromenade 7I Wayan Gde Yudane: Street SolacePromenade 8Kenji Oh: Sacred Chichibu Peaks at Spring DawnPromenade 9Cécile Marti : Wendung&nbsp;Promenade 10Sahba Aminikia : Inspector’s Scrutiny&nbsp;Promenade 11Gabriel Prokofiev : Untitled Etching 3&nbsp;Promenade 12Samuel Adams : Night Sea (for Agnes)Promenade 13Pablo Ortiz : Paisaje&nbsp;Promenade 14 for SaraKeyla Orozco : Viajeros&nbsp;&nbsp;Introduction and Promenades: Keisuke Nakagoshi,&nbsp;inspired by Modest Mussorgsky&nbsp;This project has been made possible through generous funding and support from the Van Dyke Family Foundation.

ZOFOMOMA