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.
Ever wonder what’s happening in our brains when we make or hear music? Composers and researchers from the University of Washington teamed up with the JACK Quartet to find out.
Over the course of a three-year residency at UW, the team studied the integration of brain and body signals in artistic performance. They outfitted the JACK Quartet with portable brain helmets and muscle sensors that detected brain activity while listening to, seeing, and performing music. Then, they harnessed these neuroscientific discoveries to create new art.
The culmination of this extended residency is a concert this Saturday night titled Human Subjects. Featuring original music by Richard Karpen and Juan Pampin (from the UW DXARTS Faculty), the concert combines the JACK Quartet’s sonified brain waves and neural sensors with music played live on their actual string instruments.
In this interview, we talk with violinist Christopher Otto and violist John Pickford Richards about new music, neuroscience, and what it’s like to be a human subject.
The JACK Quartet performs Human Subjects this Saturday, May 18 at 7:30pm at Meany Hall. For tickets and more information, click here.
Second Inversion and theLive Music Project create a monthly calendar featuring contemporary classical, cross-genre, and experimental performances in Seattle, the Eastside, Tacoma, and places in between!
Keep an eye out for our this flyer in concert programs and coffee shops around town. Feel free to download, print, and distribute it yourself! If you’d like to be included on this list, submit your event to the Live Music Project at least 6 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. This month: avant-garde piano solos, Eastern-European cimbalom songs, a dark ambient memorial, and more. Various days, 7:30/8pm, Good Shepherd Chapel | $5-$15
Live Music Project: 4th Annual Lecture-Concert The Live Music Project celebrates its 4th birthday with a scintillating lecture from a cyborg, a centuries-spanning solo violin performance by Mikhail Shmidt of the Seattle Symphony, a ticket giveaway, and the most adorable cupcake toast this side of the Cascades. Tues, 5/1, 6:30pm, Naked City Brewery & Taphouse | $30
DXARTS: Points vs. Fields UW School of Music faculty performers Cuong Vu, Ted Poor, Richard Karpen, and Juan Pampin perform an ephemeral new improvisation for trumpet, drums, piano, and live electronics, programmed alongside Bernard Permegiani’s classic exploration of the meaning of sound itself, De Natura Sonorum for loudspeaker orchestra. Tues, 5/1, 7:30pm, Meany Theater | $10-$15
Emerald City Music: Metamorphosis A season-long celebration of Leonard Bernstein’s centennial ends with a special multimedia feature on the iconic conductor, plus performances of two composers whose work he championed during his lifetime: Strauss and Beethoven. Fri, 5/4, 8pm, 415 Westalve Ave, Seattle | $40-45 Sat, 5/5, 7:30pm, Evergreen State College Recital Hall, Olympia | $23-$43
Matt Shoemaker Memorial Concert Longtime friends and collaborators of the late Matt Shoemaker perform works in his honor ranging from experimental noise to sound art, dark ambient, and beyond. Sat, 5/5, 7pm, Good Shepherd Chapel | $5-$15
Town Music: JACK Quartet with Joshua Roman Cellist Joshua Roman joins forces with the JACK Quartet to perform his new piece Tornado, inspired by his roots in Oklahoma. Works by Jefferson Friedman, John Zorn, Amy Williams, and Carlo Gesualdo complete the program. Thurs, 5/10, 7:30pm, Seattle First Baptist Church | $15-$20
Harry Partch Festival Experience the handmade microtonal instruments of Harry Partch in this sprawling three-day music festival featuring new works composed for Partch’s instruments, as well as rarely-performed works from the composer’s archives. Master classes, demonstrations, and lectures, complete this homage to a uniquely American artist. Fri-Sun, 5/11-5/13, Various times, Meany Theater | $10-$60
Portland Cello Project Equally at home in rock clubs and concert halls, Portland Cello Project reimagines classical favorites and contemporary hits alike for their famous choir of cellos. Expect everything from Bach to Coltrane to Radiohead. Tues, 5/15, 7:30pm, The Triple Door | $26-$35
Seattle Art Museum: John Cage’s Themes and Variations John Cage is best known as one of the leading figures of the 20th century avant-garde in music—but much of his work crossed boundaries into performance art, theatre, and even visual art. His sculpture Not Wanting to Say Anything About Marcel recently joined the Seattle Art Museum’s collection. Learn more about his contributions to both art and music in this conversation with curators Catharina Manchanda and Carrie Dedon. Wed, 5/16, 6:30pm, Seattle Art Museum | $10
Peter Nelson-King: Post Avant-Garde Multi-instrumentalist and modern music rabble-rouser Peter Nelson-King presents an eclectic program of individualist piano music from the 1980s, featuring works by Robert Beaser, George Benjamin, Peter Sculthorpe, John Tavener, Augusta Read Thomas, Charles Wuorinen, and more. Thurs, 5/17, 8pm, Good Shepherd Chapel | $5-$15
Seattle Pro Musica: Sacred Ground Explore the intersections of music, spirituality, and the natural world in this program of nature-inspired works by Tõnu Kõrvits, Hyo-Won Woo, and Healey Willan. Fri, 5/18, 8pm, St. James Cathedral | $12-$38 Sat, 5/19, 8pm, St. James Cathedral | $12-$38
Nat Evans: Flyover Country Composer and interdisciplinary artist Nat Evans uses his family history across the last three centuries as a lens to look at ecological destruction, genocide of indigenous people, capitalism, and food systems in the United States. Sat-Sun, 5/19-5/20, 8pm, The Grocery | $5-$20
Mostly Nordic: Finlandia The Emerald Ensemble perform Jean Sibelius’s beloved hymn to Finland alongside 20th century works by Finnish composers Einojuhani Rautavaara, Jaakko Mäntyjärvi, and more. Sun, 5/20, 4pm, Nordic Museum | $25
Music of Remembrance: Gaman A world premiere by composer Christophe Chagnard explores the experience of Japanese immigrants who were forced into internment camps in the wake of the attacks on Pearl Harbor. Combining traditional Japanese and classical Western instruments, the piece brings a powerful story to life through the words and images created by three artists and poets during their captivity in the Minidoka camp. Sun, 5/20, 5pm, Nordstrom Recital Hall | $30-$45
The Westerlies Far from your typical brass band, this Seattle-bred, New York-based quartet is known on both coasts for their bold artistry, impeccable finesse, eclectic musical interpretations, and remarkable versatility. The band returns to the West this month for a one-night-only performance in Seattle. Wed, 5/23, 7:30pm, The Royal Room | $5-$15
Frequency with Yura Lee: Dialogues Guest violinist Yura Lee joins members of Frequency (violinist Michael Jinsoo Lim, violist Melia Watras, and cellist Sæunn Thorsteinsdóttir) for duos by Berio, Maderna, Ravel, and Watras. Also on the program is Dohnányi’s Serenade for string trio. Sun, 5/27, 7:30pm, Meany Theater | $10-$20
Second Inversion and theLive Music Project create a monthly calendar featuring contemporary classical, cross-genre, and experimental performances in Seattle, the Eastside, Tacoma, and places in between!
Keep an eye out for our this flyer in concert programs and coffee shops around town. Feel free to download, print, and distribute it yourself! If you’d like to be included on this list, submit your event to the Live Music Project at least 6 weeks prior to the event and be sure to tag it with “new music.”
Racer Sessions A weekly showcase of original music with a jam session based on the concepts in the opening presentation. Every Sunday, 8-10pm, Cafe Racer | FREE
Wayward Music Series Concerts of contemporary composition, free improvisation, electronic/electroacoustic music, & more. Various days, 7:30/8pm, Good Shepherd Chapel | $5-$15
Eighth Blackbird with Will Oldham (Bonnie “Prince” Billy) Will Oldham joins Eighth Blackbird for half the program with original songs and Frederic Rzewski’s Coming Together. The program also includes Bryce Dessner’s Murder Ballades, and David Lang’s Learn to Fly. Thursday, 5/4, 7:30pm, The Neptune Theatre | $33.50
Harry Partch’s Oedipus: A Musical Theater Drama The UW School of Music presents the rarely performed Oedipus by Harry Partch after the play by Sophocles. This performance is a “multi-genre theatrical work” featuring a unique collection of Harry Partch’s handmade instruments currently in residence at UW. Friday, 5/5, 7:30pm, Meany Theater | $10-$20 Saturday, 5/6, 7:30pm, Meany Theater | $10-$20 Sunday, 5/7, 2:00pm, Meany Theater | $10-$20
Seattle Classical Guitar Society Presents Antigoni Goni Award winning guitarist and renowned pedagogue Antigoni Goni performs a solo recital including music by contemporary Greek composers and others. Saturday, 5/6, 7:30pm, Nordstrom Recital Hall, Benaroya Hall | $38
Angelo Rondello: Music of Our Sister Cities Seattle Music Exchange Project presents pianist Angelo Rondello. The program includes music of Seattle’s sister cities in Italy, Japan, Hungary, and Norway. Thursday, May 11, 7:30pm, Nordstrom Recital Hall, Benaroya Hall | $20-$42
Seattle Symphony: Celebrate Asia Seattle Symphony is joined by Indian composer, producer, and performer A. R. Rahman is their ninth annual celebration of the musical traditions of Asia, focusing this year on India and Japan. Friday, 5/12, 7:00pm, Mark S. Taper Auditorium, Benaroya Hall | $40-$105
DXARTS: Music of Today The UW School of Music and The Center for Digital Arts and Experimental Media (DXARTS) present a concert of audio and video by current DXARTS students and alumni. Friday, 5/12, 7:30pm, Meany Theater | $10-$15
Gamelan Pacifica: Lou Harrison at 100 Years Celebrate the centenary of Lou harrison with a rare opportunity to experience his music for gamelan and percussion live. Saturday 5/13, 8:00pm, Good Shepherd Chapel | $5-$15
Seattle Rock Orchestra Performs The Beatles In a Seattle Mother’s Day tradition, Seattle Rock Orchestra performs the Beatles. Bring your mom. Saturday, 5/13, 8:00pm, Moore Theatre | $25 Sunday, 5/14, 2:00pm, Moore Theatre | $25
Nat Evans’s Vertical Saxophone Aura Readings at Seattle Art Museum Nat Evans presents an interactive work for saxophonists on escalators. Two saxophone players serve as personal sound escorts to museum patrons on the escalators leading up to the Seeing Nature exhibition. Thursday, 5/18, 7:00pm, Seattle Art Museum | free-$20
Ecco Chamber Ensemble: Enough is Enough Ecco ends their inaugural season with music that protests modern violence and points toward peace, including a premiere by Seattle composer Sarah Bassingthwaighte. Saturday, May 20, 2:00pm, St. John United Lutheran Church, | $15
Seattle Metropolitan Chamber Orchestra: SPARK.1 This Capitol Hill performance marks the first event in SMCO’s genre-bending SPARK series. Live SMCO musicians are joined by local DJ Suttikeeree and the Skylark Horn Quartet. Saturday, May 20, 8:00pm, Fred Wildlife Refuge (21+) | $25
Second Inversion and theLive Music Project create a monthly calendar featuring contemporary classical, cross-genre, and experimental performances in Seattle, the Eastside, Tacoma, and places in between!
Keep an eye out for our this flyer in concert programs and coffee shops around town. Feel free to download, print, and distribute it yourself! If you’d like to be included on this list drop us a lineat least 6 weeks prior to the event.
Racer Sessions A weekly showcase of original music with a jam session based on the concepts in the opening presentation. Every Sunday, 8-10pm, Cafe Racer | FREE
Wayward Music Series Concerts of contemporary composition, free improvisation, electronic/electroacoustic music, & more. Various days, 7:30/8pm, Good Shepherd Chapel | $5-$15 Check website for complete listings
3 patchtax at Vermillion patchtax is a viola/saxophone duo based in Boston who explore unconventional performance practices within the realm of classical chamber music. Thurs, 11/3, 8pm, Vermillion Art Gallery & Bar | Pay-what-you-can
3 Seattle Modern Orchestra: Reflections on Sound and Silence SMO presents Andrew Waggoner’s Concerto for Piano featuring soloist Gloria Cheng along with works by Wolfgang Rihm & Vykintas Baltakas. Thurs, 11/3, 8pm, Good Shepherd Chapel | $10- $25
4 Cornish Presents: Bora Yoon Korean-American composer, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist Bora Yoon presents audiovisual storytelling through music, movement and sound. Fri, 11/4, 8pm, Kerry Hall | $10-$20
4 Seattle Composers’ Salon Composers, performers, & audience gather in a casual setting that allows for experimentation & discussion of finished works & works in progress. Friday, 11/4, 8pm, Good Shepherd Chapel | $5-$15
7 PLU Symphony Orchestra: Kracht, Copland, Youtz Svend Rønning premieres a violin concerto by Jerry Kracht. Also on the program: Copland’s Appalachian Spring. Mon, 11/7, 8pm, Lagerquist Concert Hall, Tacoma | $5-$8 (PLU Students/18 and under free)
11 Seattle Symphony: Sonic Evolution Co-Presented with Earshot Jazz The Garfield High School Jazz Band & singer Grace Love join SSO in celebrating Quincy Jones & Ernestine Anderson with a world premiere by Kenji Bunch. Fri, 11/11, 8pm, Benaroya Hall | $21-30
12 Cornish Presents: Inverted Space Seattle’s Inverted Space Ensemble presents two continuous sets of music from Anthony Braxton and Morton Feldman. Sat, 11/12, 8pm, Kerry Hall | $10-$20
12 On Stage with Classical KING FM: Multimedia/Art Mashup Art leaves the gallery and becomes an interactive and musical experience led by artists from Gage Academy and the Skyros Quartet. Sat, 11/12, 7:30pm, Resonance at SOMA Towers | $25
15 Meany Center for the Performing Arts: Imani Winds Joined by pianist Fabio Bidini, Imani Winds presents a program of Piazzolla, D’Rivera, Mozart, Valerie Coleman (Imani Winds flutist), and more! Tue, 11/15, 7:30pm, Meany Hall | $40-$45
17 Music of Today: DXARTS Fall Concert The Cuong Vu Trio collaborates with UW faculty composers Richard Karpen and Juan Pampin and Vietnamese master musician Nguyễn Thanh Thủy (Six Tones Ensemble). Thurs, 11/17, 7:30pm, Jones Playhouse | $10-$15
19 John Cage Musicircus Music & lectures written and influenced by John Cage. Dance inspired by Cage & Cunningham. Live art inspired by the I Ching & chance operations. Sat, 11/19, 7pm, Town Hall | $5-15 (youth free)
19 Tacoma Symphony Orchestra: Copland and Glass Saxophonist Amy Dickson presents her transcription of Philip Glass’ Violin Concerto No.1. Barber, Copland, and Bernstein round out this all-American program. Sat, 11/19, 7:30pm, Pantages Theater, Tacoma | $19-80
20 Second City Chamber Series: Looking Back – Looking Forward A program exploring the great chamber music of the past AND present composed by former SCCS Artistic Directors William Doppmann & Jerry Kracht. Sun, 11/20, 7:30pm, Great Hall at Annie Wright School, Tacoma | $10-$25 (18 and under free)
Music and machine unite this week at a diverse and sundry performance featuring the electroacoustic works of students and graduates from the University of Washington.
“Machinations Musical, Divers & Sundry” will feature original works by composers who are currently studying (or have previously studied) at UW’s School of Music or Center for Digital Arts and Experimental Media (DXARTS). The wide-ranging program has everything from 19-tone equal temperament electric guitars to violin-horn duos to computer-realized surround sound to kinetic sculpture—all performed by the composers themselves.
The performance is this Thursday, May 7 at 8 p.m. at the Chapel Performance Space at the Good Shepherd Center in Wallingford. Seattle Composers’ Salon
Jazz up your Friday night with a trip to the Seattle Composers’ Salon, featuring a selection of Seattle’s smoothest, snazziest jazz cats.
The bi-monthly Salon presents new music in a casual setting, offering composers, performers, and audience members a space to experiment and discuss contemporary works. This evening’s performance features composer, jazz pianist, and accordionist Michael Owcharuk, jazz drummer Matthew James Briggs, and composers Jessi Harvey and Ian McKnight.
The performance is this Friday, May 8 at 8 p.m. at the Chapel Performance Space at the Good Shepherd Center in Wallingford. Prism: Pärt and MacMillan
“I could compare my music to white light which contains all colors,” said Estonian composer Arvo Pärt. “Only a prism can divide the colors and make them appear; this prism could be the spirit of the listener.”
In honor of Pärt’s 80th birthday, Seattle Pro Musica is performing a concert full of the influential composer’s colorful choral works. Known for his sacred and classical music, Pärt is inspired by elements of minimalism as well as his own mystical experiences with chant music.
The concert will also feature the melodic, modern works of James MacMillan, the multihued harmonies of Brian Edward Galante, and a world premiere of a new commission by John Muehleisen.
This weekend, Seattle Rock Orchestra is taking fans down a “Long and Winding Road” through the Beatles’ discography. The performance is the fourth entry in their chronological exploration of the band’s catalogue of classics, arriving at their final studio recordings: “Let it Be” and “Abbey Road.”
“Come Together” for this beautiful evening of beloved Beatles tunes which will take you “Across the Universe,” to an “Octopus’s Garden,” all the way along “Abbey Road’s” famous 16-minute medley, and through countless other rock ‘n’ roll classics. The performance will feature guest vocalists Zach Davidson (of Vendetta Red), Tamara Power-Drutis, Matt and Mike Gervais (of Mikey & Matty), and Miranda Zickler (of Wild Rabbit).
Harry Partch was a composer, music theorist, and instrument maker interested in much more than just your typical 12 intervals to the octave. He was one of the first 20th century composers in the West to work with microtonal scales, building his own custom-made instruments in different tunings in order to perform his compositions.
And now, you can see (and hear) these instruments in all their microtonal magnificence at the University of Washington. Next week Charles Corey, director of the Harry Partch Institute at UW, will be giving a public demonstration of instruments from the collection. The Harry Partch Instrumentarium is currently in residence at the UW School of Music.
The presentation is this Monday, May 11 at 7:30 p.m. at UW’s Meany Hall.
