VIDEO PREMIERE: John Luther Adams’ “there is no one, not even the wind…”

Posted on November 15, 2017 by maestrobeats

John Luther Adams’ newest work whispers like the winds of the Sonoran Desert. Inspired by the stillness and light of the American Southwest, “there is no one, not even the wind…” is an immersive desert soundscape scored for two flutes, strings, piano, and percussion.

We are thrilled to premiere our video of Emerald City Music in their sold-out world premiere performance of Adams’ “there is no one, not even the wind…”

The piece takes its title from a poem by the great Mexican poet Octavio Paz titled Piedra Nativa (Native Stone). He writes, “No hay nadie ni siquiera tú mismo.” (“There is no one, not even yourself.”) Adams takes this line one step further, removing even the wind itself.

“there is no one, not even the wind…” was co-commissioned by Emerald City Music, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Camerata Pacifica, the Redlands Symphony Orchestra, and Chamber Music Northwest. Click here to learn more about Emerald City Music’s world premiere performance in our conversation with Artistic Director Kristin Lee and Executive Director Andrew Goldstein.

Emerald City Music Broadcast on KING FM: Oct. 20 at 9pm PST

Posted on October 20, 2017 by maestrobeats

by Maggie Molloy

If you missed Emerald City Music’s sold-out world premiere of John Luther Adams’ “there is no one, not even the wind…” last month, you’re in luck. This Friday, October 20 at 9pm PST, you can hear the full concert broadcast on our parent station Classical KING FM. Tune in at 98.1 or click here to stream online from anywhere in the world!

Inspired by the stillness and light of the American Southwest, Adams’ piece is an immersive desert soundscape scored for two flutes, strings, piano, and a whole lot of percussion (expect to hear glockenspiels, marimbas, vibraphones, and a bass drum or two). The piece takes its title from a poem by the great Mexican poet Octavio Paz titled Piedra Nativa (Native Stone). He writes, “No hay nadie ni siquiera tú mismo.” (“There is no one, not even yourself.”) Adams takes this line one step further, removing even the wind itself.

“John Luther Adams’ work often resembles minimalism in the sense that it says as much as possible with as little as possible,” said violinist and Artistic Director Kristin Lee, who co-founded Emerald City Music with Andrew Goldstein in 2015. “It’s very ethereal, very atmospheric—often inaudible since it is so soft.”

John Luther Adams became a household name in the classical music community after the Seattle Symphony’s world premiere of Become Ocean in 2013. The 45-minute masterwork went on to win the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for Music and the 2015 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Classical Composition, putting Seattle on the new music map.

“The Pacific Northwest is the most beautiful part of the country, in my opinion,” said Lee, who performed in the piece’s premiere. “We have the beautiful water and mountains, and the city, the sound of the people. It’s really the meeting point and the melting pot where nature and the city meets. It’s the perfect place for John Luther Adams’ music.”

Adams’ music also in many ways epitomizes Emerald City Music’s eclectic programming, which highlights new and experimental works alongside jewels of the traditional classical canon. Adams’ music famously transcends all manner of categorization, blurring the boundaries between classical, ambient, jazz, experimental, and other genres.

“John Luther Adams is one of the first, biggest examples of the post-genre world that we’re navigating,” said co-founder and Executive Director Andrew Goldstein. “The connection that his music has defies classical music, defies jazz, defies all these genres and just goes straight to touching the listener.”

The world premiere is framed by performances of Andrew Norman’s vibrantly colored “Light Screens” and Steve Reich’s canonic, notoriously virtuosic “Nagoya Marimbas.” Also included is a violin and piano rendition of Leonard Bernstein’s iconic “America” from West Side Story, tying in with a larger overarching season theme celebrating Bernstein’s centennial. And for the traditionalists: Dvorák’s sparkling Piano Quartet in E-flat Major.

“The way that Kristin [Lee] does her programming is so much about connecting to people and letting music touch you beyond just the barriers of what classical music is,” Goldstein said. “She really allows the genre to live outside of itself a little bit.”

Emerald City Music’s “Not even the wind…” concert will be broadcast on Classical KING FM 98.1 on Friday, Oct. 20 at 9pm PST. Tune in at 98.1 or click here to stream online from anywhere in the world.

This article was previously published on Sept.13, 2017. Please click here to read the original article.

From John Cage to John Luther Adams: September in Seattle

Posted on August 31, 2017 by maestrobeats

by Maggie Molloy

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!

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.”

Program Insert - September 2017

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, and sonic experiments. This month: saxophone sextets, prepared guitar improvisations, music for speaking pianist, and more.
Various days, 7:30/8pm, Good Shepherd Chapel | $5-$15

Untouchable Numbers: Celebrating John Cage
In celebration of what would have been John Cage’s 105th birthday, Seattle’s Ace Hotel hosts a 24-hour marathon of his music in the lobby.
Tues, 9/5, all day, Ace Hotel Seattle | FREE

Opera on Tap
Local singers let their hair down and sing their hearts out, performing famous operatic masterpieces and hidden musical gems alike in a friendly, relaxed atmosphere.
Tues, 9/5, 7:30pm, High Dive Seattle | $5-$8

Seattle Symphony: ‘Star Trek Beyond’
The Seattle Symphony busts out the big screen for a live performance of Star Trek Beyond featuring Oscar-winning composer Michael Giacchino’s soaring new orchestral score.
Wed, 9/13, 7:30pm, Benaroya Hall | $45-$120

Emerald City Music: Not Even the Wind…
Emerald City Music kicks off their second season with a John Luther Adams world premiere inspired by the Sonoran Desert. Chamber works by Bernstein, Norman, Reich, and Dvořák round out the program.
Fri, 9/15, 8pm, 415 Westlake Ave, Seattle | $45
Sat, 9/16, 7:30pm, The Washington Center, Olympia | $28-$43

Seattle New Music Happy Hour
Second Inversion and The Live Music Project host a happy hour for musicians, new music enthusiasts, and curious bystanders alike to come together and expand Seattle’s ever-growing network of artists and musicians.
Tues, 9/19, 5:30pm, Queen Anne Beerhall | Free; Food & drink available for purchase

Celebrating the Life and Songs of Bern Herbolsheimer
Seattle Art Song Society pays tribute to the late Bern Herbolsheimer with a recital featuring vocal works by the celebrated Seattle composer.
Sat, 9/23, 7:30pm, Queen Anne Christian Church | $20-$30

Seattle Classic Guitar Society: Matt Palmer
Guitarist Matt Palmer presents an evening of music by composers from Russia, Brazil, and beyond, including Sergey Rudnev, Olga Amelkina-Vera, Konstantin Vassiliev, Dilermando Reis, and more.
Sat, 9/23, 7:30pm, Nordstrom Recital Hall | $28-$38

New Music for Singing/Speaking Percussionists
Percussionists Bonnie Whiting and Jennifer Torrence perform an evening of world premieres for speaking and singing percussionists, including music for crash cymbals, resonant feedback, small electronic toys, deconstructed language, and more. Plus, an improvisation with DXARTS professor Afroditi Psarra featuring her signature wearable electronics and embroidered synthesizers.
Wed, 9/27, 7:30pm, Meany Studio Theater | $10-$20

Chris Botti with the Seattle Symphony
Grammy Award winner and pop-jazz powerhouse Chris Botti brings his trumpet and his acclaimed band to Benaroya Hall to perform with the Seattle Symphony.
Fri, 9/29, 8pm, Benaroya Hall | $65-$105
Sat, 9/30, 8pm, Benaroya Hall | $65-$105
Sun, 10/1, 2pm, Benaroya Hall | $65-$105

Seattle Pro Musica: Rearranged
Seattle Pro Musica lends their classically-trained voices to Broadway choruses and cabaret solos in this lively evening of show tunes at the Triple Door.
Fri, 9/29, 7:30pm, The Triple Door | $25-$49
Fri, 9/29, 9:15pm, The Triple Door | $25-$49

On Stage with KING FM: Seattle Marimba Quartet
Seattle Marimba Quartet performs a program of modern marimba repertoire from the 20th and 21st centuries, plus marimba arrangements of music by the likes of Bach, Ravel, Saint-Saëns, and more.
Sat, 9/30, 7:30pm, Resonance at SOMA Towers | $20-$25