A home for new and unusual music from all corners of the classical genre, brought to you by the power of public media. Second Inversion is a service of Classical KING FM 98.1.
Brazilian dancer Saan Queiroz spins and glides his way through a forest in the new video for Tristan Eckerson’s “Trozo.”
The piece, which is the title track from Eckerson’s 2016 debut full length album, is a melancholy work for solo piano featuring continuous arpeggios and sparse melodies. Recently, Eckerson completely re-recorded, re-mixed, and re-mastered the album, which he will re-release as Trozo Revisited on October 18.
In this video created by Caio Nogueira (Pupilla) and directed by Emily Naitê, Queiroz gives a fluid and animated dance performance in a sunlit forest, giving a new dimension to Eckerson’s atmospheric work.
Tristan Eckerson’s Trozo Revisited is out Friday, Oct. 18. For more information, click here.
Thirty years after Robert Mapplethorpe’s death, his controversial photographs remain radical and subversive. In a new multimedia tribute called Triptych (Eyes of One on Another), composer Bryce Dessner explores Mapplethorpe’s legacy—his unique merging of classical forms and erotic imagery, his masterful balance of light and dark, and the issues of objectification and censorship that surround his work even today.
Performed by the inimitable Roomful of Teeth, Triptych features Mapplethorpe’s visceral images projected onstage in unprecedented drama and scale. The work’s libretto by Korde Arrington Tuttle draws from the writings of two influential poets: Mapplethorpe’s close friend Patti Smith and one of his critics, Essex Hemphill.
Ahead of Roomful of Teeth’s performance of Triptych on October 9 at the Moore Theatre, we talked with the ensemble’s Artistic Director Brad Wells about how this piece came to be and what audiences can expect.
Roomful of Teeth performs Triptych on Wednesday, Oct. 9 at 8pm at the Moore Theatre. Click here for tickets and more information.
Photo by James Holt. Jesse Myers performs LIVE on KING FM on Friday, Oct. 11 at 8pm.
Whether he’s playing the prepared piano music of John Cage or creating immersive audio-visual experiences at the Good Shepherd Center, Jesse Myers is a pianist who is always up for a challenge.
As a performer with wide-ranging interests, Myers frequently performs music that expands the piano in some way—sometimes through live electronics or even lighting design. He is equally interested in performing more traditional repertoire in unusual contexts, such as pairing the music of Beethoven, Rachmaninoff, and Cage. Later this month, you can catch him tackling Morton Feldman’s sparse yet monumental Triadic Memories, a performance that continues his project of exploring new repertoire and pushing the boundaries of his instrument.
And this weekend, you can hear him perform LIVE on Classical KING FM. Tune in for NW Focus LIVE on Friday, Oct. 11 at 8pm as Myers performs a characteristically broad range of music, including Beat Furrer’s mysterious and atmospheric “Voicelessness: The Snow Has No Voice,” Christopher Cerrone’s tribute to the New York nightscape titled “Hoyt-Schemerhorn,” and more familiar works by Rachmaninoff, Philip Glass, and John Adams.
Jesse Myers performs LIVE on Classical KING FM on Friday, Oct. 11 at 8pm. Click here to tune in.
Second Inversion and the Live Music Project create a monthly calendar featuring contemporary classical, cross-genre, and experimental performances in Seattle, the Eastside, Tacoma, and places in between!
If you’d like to be included on this list, please submit your event to the Live Music Project at least six weeks prior to the event and tag it with “new music.”
Wayward Music Series Concerts of contemporary composition, free improvisation, electroacoustic music, and sonic experiments. Coming up: minimalism, meditation, and sound mosaics. Various days, 7:30/8pm, Good Shepherd Chapel | $5-$15
Pacific Northwest Ballet performs Carmina Burana. Photo by Angela Sterling.
PNB: ‘Carmina Burana’ A 2,500-pound golden wheel spins above 100 dancers, musicians, and singers in Pacific Northwest Ballet’s production of Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana (with choreography by Kent Stowell). It’s paired with the equally epic Agon, a legendary collaboration between George Balanchine and Igor Stravinsky. 10/3-10/6, Various times, McCaw Hall | $37-$190
Philharmonia Northwest: Songs of Life An ensemble of Tibetan singing bowls and strings accompany Sheila Silver’s new concerto for French horn and Alpenhorn, performed by Ann Ellsworth with Philharmonia Northwest. Amy Beach’s magnificent “Gaelic” Symphony and Emily Doolittle’s majestic “Reedbird” complete the program. Sun, 10/6, 2:30pm, St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church (Seattle) | $15-$25
Earshot Jazz Festival: The Westerlies The Seattle-bred, New York-based brass quartet returns home to perform original tunes and eclectic arrangements in the Earshot Jazz Festival, opening for the Gerald Clayton Quartet. Tues, 10/8, 7pm, The Triple Door | $10-$37
Roomful of Teeth performs Bryce Dessner’s Triptych.
Bryce Dessner: ‘Triptych’ ft. Roomful of Teeth Thirty years after Robert Mapplethorpe’s death, his controversial photographs remain radical and subversive. In this multimedia tribute featuring music by Bryce Dessner, poetry by Essex Hemphill and Patti Smith, and performances by the inimitable Roomful of Teeth, Mapplethorpe’s visceral images are displayed in unprecedented drama and scale. Click herefor 15% off tickets. Wed, 10/9, 8pm, The Moore Theatre | $42-$72
Seattle Symphony: Olga Neuwirth Premiere Clattering typewriters and muted trumpets add texture to the backdrop of Olga Neuwirth’s kaleidoscopic new flute concerto Aello. It’s performed by Claire Chase with the Seattle Symphony alongside music of Mozart and Bach. Thurs, 10/10, 7:30pm, Benaroya Hall | $24-$134 Sat, 10/12, 8pm, Benaroya Hall | $24-$134
Seattle Symphony: Density 2036 Claire Chase is working on a new body of repertoire for solo flute. In fact, she’s commissioning one new piece for her instrument every year until 2036, which marks the centennial of Edgard Varèse’s groundbreaking flute composition Density 21.5. Hear her perform selections from the project in the immersive new Octave 9 space. Fri, 10/11, 7:30pm, Octave 9 | $25
Amy Denio: ‘Truth is Up for Grabs’ Current events, the politics of war, and the poetry of Pablo Neruda are among the inspirations behind composer and multi-instrumentalist Amy Denio’s chamber suite Truth is Up for Grabs. See it performed live alongside an expansive video production by James Drage. Fri-Sat, 10/11-10/12, 8pm, Good Shepherd Chapel | $5-$25
Ladies Musical Club: Contemporary Korean Composers Two Korean artists, soprano Ki-Jung Jun and pianist Hannah Cho, breathe life into songs and piano solos celebrating the vibrant and diverse voices of contemporary Korean composers. Mon, 10/14, 7:30pm, University House (Wallingford) | Free
Earshot Jazz Festival: Seattle Modern Orchestra This ear-expanding collaboration brings together a cast of all-stars from Seattle’s jazz and classical scenes to perform sprawling works by Anthony Braxton, George Lewis, and more. Plus, new premieres by saxophonist Darius Jones and pianist Wayne Horvitz. Tues, 10/15, 7:30pm, Town Hall | $10-$23
Max Richter. Photo by Wolfgang Borrs.
Max Richter ft. Grace Davidson and ACME Hovering above a collection of keyboards and synthesizers, Max Richter builds electroacoustic sound worlds that are as introspective as they are immersive. For this concert, he performs them with soprano Grace Davidson and musicians of the American Contemporary Music Ensemble. Click here for 15% off tickets. Wed, 10/16, 7:30pm, The Moore Theatre | $26-$76
Earshot Jazz Festival: Clarice Assad Drawing inspiration from classical, jazz, and Brazilian music, Clarice Assad performs original solo works for piano and voice, plus wide-ranging works for string quartet featuring local musicians. Fri, 10/18, 8pm, Good Shepherd Chapel | $5-$20
The Esoterics: Honesty Truth, lies, and unanswered questions are among the themes tying together this concert of wide-ranging works by Ted Hearne, Julia Wolfe, and more. Four world premiere commissions by this year’s POLYPHONOS Competition winners round out the program. 10/18-10/20, Various times and locations | $15-$22
Seattle Symphony: [untitled] 1 Brass instruments sparkle and shine in this late-night concert featuring old and new works for french horn, trumpet, tuba, and timpani. Fri, 10/18, 10pm, Benaroya Hall Lobby | $15
Jesse Myers: Feldman’s ‘Triadic Memories’ It’s easy to lose track of time amid the sparse tones of Morton Feldman’s Triadic Memories. The 90-minute work lends itself well to meditation—which is exactly the idea behind pianist Jesse Myers’ upcoming performance. Grab a pillow and get lost in its softly sprawling sounds. Fri, 10/25, 8pm, Good Shepherd Chapel | $10-$15
byMaggie MolloyDerek Hunter Wilson. Photo by Nika States.
Expansive panoramas of Willamette Falls form the basis of a new music video for Derek Hunter Wilson’s “Catalogue of Trying.” Shot by Portland photographer and filmmaker Chloé Jarnac, the images reflect the inherent tension between nature and industry.
It’s a theme echoed throughout Wilson’s new album Steel, Wood, & Air (named after the instruments it features: piano, strings, and bass clarinet). In it, the pianist and composer focuses on the elemental aspects of music, exploring color, texture, and timbre through introspective works that highlight the essence of the instruments themselves. Recorded live in the studio with minimal overdubbing, the resulting works highlight the organic nature of music-making, even amid a technology-driven world.
We’re thrilled to premiere the music video for Wilson’s “Catalogue of Trying.”
Derek Hunter Wilson’s new album Steel, Wood, & Air is out now on Beacon Sound. Click here for more information.
