universal language 21st century music project

by Maggie Molloy

This week’s concert calendar has everything from Croatian cello rock stars to traditional Celtic music!

TORCH at the Good Shepherd Center

As the great 20^th century German novelist Thomas Mann once said, “Art is the sacred torch that must shed its merciful light into all life’s terrible depths.” And it is precisely this mantra from which the contemporary music quartet TORCH gets its name. This weekend, the fiery foursome is blazing through Seattle to perform an evening of hot new music

Composed of clarinetist Eric Likkel, trumpeter Brian Chin, vibist/percussionist Ben Thomas, and bassist Brady Millard-Kish, the group’s compositions artfully merge elements of progressive jazz, post-rock, and contemporary classical to create a one-of-a-kind sound rooted in groovy melodies and bluesy harmonic backdrops.

TORCH is performing this Friday, March 13 at 8 p.m. in the Chapel Performance Space at the Good Shepherd Center in Wallingford.

2CELLOS at the Moore Theatre

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Young Croatian cellists Luka Šulić and Stjepan Hauser are not afraid to break a few bow hairs. The two play with infectious energy, incredible technical prowess, and utterly captivating stage presence—proving that classically-trained musicians can still be total rock stars.

Better known as 2CELLOS, the duo rose to fame in 2011 when their version of Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal” became a YouTube sensation. (Seriously, watch that video—it’s unbelievable.) But it’s not all just classic pop covers: their amazingly diverse repertoire ranges from the Baroque beauty of Bach and Vivaldi to the rebellious rock and roll of AC/DC and everything in between.

2CELLOS is performing this Saturday, March 14 at the Moore Theatre. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the performance begins at 8 p.m.

Earl’s Chair: Celtic & Baroque Music

Nothing says St. Patrick’s Day quite like traditional Celtic music. This Tuesday, celebrate the patron saint of Ireland with Earl’s Chair as they perform a concert filled with Celtic and Baroque music from Ireland, Scotland, and New England.

Earl’s Chair is comprised of violinist, oboist, and countertenor Michael Albert and harpsichordist and organist Henry Lebedinsky. Their shared love of Celtic music from a variety of traditions and time periods brought them together nearly 20 years ago, and now they’re coming to Seattle to share with you an evening of tunes, songs, and stories both old and new from the charming Celtic tradition.

The concert is this Tuesday, March 17 at Naked City Brewery and Taphouse at 7 p.m.

by Maggie Molloy

Why not make it your New Year’s resolution to listen to more new music? This week is packed with innovative contemporary music performances to start your year off right!

Universal Language 21^st Century Music Project’s “Inception”

It’s a new year and a new music organization is taking root in Seattle. This year marks the inaugural season of the Universal Language 21^st Century Music Project, which is pushing the boundaries of contemporary music in Seattle and beyond. For the first concert of their 2015 season, they are premiering new works by composers Wayne Horvitz and Sean Osborn.

Horvitz is a composer who has performed throughout the world as an improviser on both piano and electronics, while Osborn is a critically acclaimed clarinetist whose music uses extended clarinet techniques to create a unique new genre-bending sound.

The performance is this Friday, Jan. 9 at 7:30 p.m. at Velocity Dance Center on Capitol Hill.

Seattle Composers’ Salon’s New Music Holiday Office Party

Celebrate the city’s bustling contemporary music scene in style this weekend at the Seattle Composers’ Salon’s New Music Holiday Office Party.

Seattle Composers’ Salon is dedicated to supporting new music by regional composers and performers. At informal gatherings twice a month, the Salon features new works and works in progress by local composers and performers. This weekend’s gathering will feature music by Neil Welch, Cole Bratcher, Ivan Arteaga, and Matthew James Briggs.

The performance is this Friday, Jan. 9 at 8 p.m. at the Chapel Performance Space at the Good Shepherd Center in Wallingford. The concert will be preceded by a New Music Holiday Office Party from 6:30 to 8 p.m., where composers, performers, and audience members are invited to visit, share CDs, enjoy snacks, and listen to live music performed by cellist Carson Farley.

Town Music Presents Third Coast Percussion

Third Coast Percussion is a Chicago-based group that marches to the beat of its own drum. The ensemble is dedicated to exploring all of the far-reaching possibilities of percussion through unique instrumentation and the integration of new media in performances. This weekend, the quartet is coming to Seattle to perform a colorful program of percussion works by David T. Little, Tan Dun, and John Cage. (Yes, John Cage.)

Third Coast Percussion will perform Little’s “Haunt of Last Nightfall,” a piece which laces together pre-recorded heavy metal sounds with live percussion. Also on the program is Cage’s “Credo in Us,” a wartime piece written after the attacks on Pearl Harbor. The quartet will also be joined by guest cellist Joshua Roman to perform Dun’s “Elegy: Snow in June,” a piece which was written to commemorate the 1989 massacre in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square.

The performance is this Monday, Jan. 12 at 7:30 p.m. at Town Hall Seattle. If you can’t make it to the concert, don’t fret: we’ll be live broadcasting this performance on Second Inversion!