LIVE CONCERT SPOTLIGHT: March 13-17

Posted on March 12, 2015 by maestrobeats

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.

LIVE CONCERT SPOTLIGHT: Feb. 27-March 2

Posted on February 26, 2015 by maestrobeats

by Maggie Molloy

This week’s colorful music calendar has birds, hors d’oeuvres, and science fiction flicks!

Coo, Chirp, Flap, Flutter: Birds in Song

Sometimes the most beautiful music is found in nature—the gentle pitter-patter of the rain, the soothing sway of the sea, the birds chirping in the trees. We could learn a thing or two from the birds. That’s why this weekend, soprano Sarah Davis and friends are performing an evening of art song and chamber music inspired by nature’s most charming song makers: the birds.

Of course, no two birds are the same, and so the concert features a wide spectrum of musical styles ranging from the blended brushstrokes of Debussy’s Impressionism to the romantic musings of Mahler and the inimitable, avant-garde musical experiments of John Cage. Ralph Vaughan-Williams, Aaron Copland, and Jake Heggie are also on the program, naturally.

The performance is this Friday, Feb. 27 at 8 p.m. at the Chapel Performance Space at the Good Shepherd Center in Wallingford.

Seattle Modern Orchestra Benefit Concert

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The earliest orchestras date all the way back to the 16^th century—which is precisely why Seattle Modern Orchestra is committed to keeping orchestral music exciting and relevant by catering to contemporary audiences. The group is committed to presenting innovative new music from the 20^th and 21^st centuries in both traditional concert settings and in nontraditional venues.

This weekend, you can support Seattle Modern Orchestra’s 2014-2015 season by attending a special benefit concert filled with delightful new music, delicious wine and hors d’oeuvres, and a silent auction full of exciting prizes. The program features surround-sound performances of solo and chamber music by Robert Platz, Marcin Pączkowski, Luciano Berio, Elliott Carter and more!

The performance is this Saturday, Feb. 28 at 7:30 p.m. at the Chapel Performance Space at the Good Shepherd Center in Wallingford.

Degenerate Art Ensemble Performing “Metropolis”

The Oscars may be over, but that doesn’t mean the magical movie music has to end. This upcoming Monday you can watch Degenerate Art Ensemble perform their original orchestral score for “Metropolis,” a 1927 expressionist science-fiction silent film directed by Fritz Lang.

The two and a half hour classic is highly regarded as the first feature-length film of the science-fiction genre, influencing the likes of George Lucas and Ridley Scott. Degenerate Art Ensemble first premiered their score for the film in 1997 to an audience of 10,000 people in Seattle’s Gasworks Park Outdoor Cinema. Now, they are bringing the score back to life and adding an additional 40 minutes to the influential work.

The movie screening with live orchestra is this Monday, March 2 at the Paramount Theatre. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the show begins at 7 p.m.

LIVE CONCERT SPOTLIGHT: January 29-February 2

Posted on January 29, 2015 by maestrobeats

by Maggie Molloy

This week’s spectacular music calendar has everything from Schnittke to Stockhausen to saxophone quartets and more!

University of Washington’s Modern Music Ensemble Winter Concert

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As millennials, the students of UW’s Modern Music Ensemble (Inverted Space) know a thing or two about new music. This Thursday, they are presenting a winter concert featuring a wide spectrum of works by contemporary composers.

The colorful program starts off with George Crumb’s “Dream Sequence (Images II),” an ethereal sound tapestry written for violin, cello, piano, percussion, and an off-stage glass harmonica. The students will also perform Alfred Schnittke’s poignant and powerful Piano Quintet, which was written in memory of his mother. Karlheinz Stockhausen’s serial “Kreuzspiel” and Jacob Sundstrom’s “no comment from the Grey Room” round out the program.

The performance is this Thursday, Jan. 29 at 7:30 p.m. at the Floyd and Delores Jones Playhouse Theater at University of Washington.

Ivan Arteaga’s Neijing Ensemble

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What could be better than the sweet and sensual sound of a solo saxophone? Four saxophones at once. This weekend, Seattle saxophonist Ivan Arteaga’s Neijing Ensemble is presenting a series of new improvisational pieces for saxophone quartet.

The ensemble began as something of a saxophone jam circle, which inspired Arteaga to begin creating gestural and improvisational pieces for the group. The quartet has since expanded their repertoire to include a wide range of musical influences. This performance features an arrangement of an Alban Berg string quartet as well as arrangements of American folk songs by Arteaga, Levi Gillis, and Luciano Berio. Three acoustic bassists will join the ensemble to perform two original compositions by Arteaga.

The performance is this Friday, Jan. 30 at 8 p.m. at the Chapel Performance Space at the Good Shepherd Center in Wallingford.

Byrd Ensemble Presents “In Memoriam: Hallock and Tavener”

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Most Seattleites are familiar with the Sunday night Compline at St. Mark’s Cathedral—but are they familiar with the composer who started it all?

Peter Hallock was a composer and liturgist who founded the Compline Choir at St. Mark’s Cathedral, where he served as organist and choirmaster for 40 years. This weekend, Seattle’s own Byrd Ensemble will pay tribute to the late Hallock by performing several of his best choral works—and what better place to sing them than in St. Mark’s Cathedral? The concert will also honor John Tavener, another late, great composer of religious works.

The performance is this Saturday, Jan. 31 at 7:30 p.m. at St. Mark’s Cathedral.

Matt Haimovitz and Christopher O’Riley Present “Beethoven, PERIOD.”

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Forget the conventional concert-going experience of strict seating, formal attire, and refined performance etiquette. Next week cellist Matt Haimovitz and pianist Christopher O’Riley are bringing the sophistication of Beethoven to a whole new concert setting—Seattle’s own Tractor Tavern.

Following their collaboration on “Shuffle.Play.Listen,” an album exploring the evolution of music post-iPod, Haimovitz and O’Riley are now returning to the very beginnings of the cello and piano genre. In support of their new album, “Beethoven, PERIOD.,” the two will be performing Beethoven’s Sonatas and Variations on period instruments of the early 19th century. The repertoire provides unique insight into Beethoven’s life and work, and the informal setting allows for a contemporary spin on your favorite classics.

The performance is this Monday, Feb. 2 at 7 p.m. at the Tractor Tavern in Ballard.

LIVE CONCERT SPOTLIGHT: November 13 & 15

Posted on November 13, 2014 by maestrobeats

by Maggie Molloy

This week’s multihued, multidisciplinary music events blur the line between music and other artistic mediums.

The Frank Agency and Nonsequitur Present “People. Make. Awesome.”

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Music and movement are mixing this Thursday at a multidisciplinary performance experience. The Frank Agency and Nonsequitur have teamed up to present a new interdisciplinary art project titled “People. Make. Awesome.”—a three-part series of artistic pairings exploring different aspects of sound.

This week’s event explores the space between sound and movement, pairing local composers with local dancers and performance artists. The featured artists are multidisciplinary dance artist Ezra Dickinson, multi-instrumentalist and composer Chris Credit, dance artist Karin Stevens, composer and pianist Michael Owcharuk, performance artist Paris Hurley, and composer and vocalist Hanna Benn.

With so many different types of artists and artistic mediums, the performance possibilities are endless—but one thing’s for certain: it will be awesome.

“People. Make. Awesome.” will take place this Thursday, Nov. 13 at 8 p.m. in the Chapel Performance Space at the Good Shepherd Center in Wallingford.

Anthony de Mare Presents “Liaisons: Re-Imagining Sondheim from the Piano”

For decades Stephen Sondheim has dominated the theatre stage with his music and lyrics in classics like “Sweeney Todd,” “Into the Woods,” and “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.” However, his works have never graced the concert hall—until now.

“Liaisons: Re-Imagining Sondheim from the Piano” is a commissioning and concert project which celebrates and reimagines Sondheim’s music through unique contemporary music performances of his works. Conceived by renowned concert pianist Anthony de Mare, the project features Sondheim’s music reimagined by influential contemporary composers Steve Reich, Nico Muhly, Daniel Bernard Roumain, Adam Guettel, Mason Bates, Ethan Iverson, and countless others.

De Mare, who specializes in contemporary music, has performed these works throughout the U.S. This week, he is bringing the best of Sondheim to Seattle.

The performance will take place at the Cornish Playhouse at Seattle Center this Thursday, Nov. 13 at 8 p.m.

Seattle Modern Orchestra Presents “Electro-Colors”

Seattle Modern Orchestra is putting pigment into pitches this weekend at their 2014-2015 season opener titled “Electro-Colors.” The performance features a colorful program with a broad spectrum of compositions.

The concert is the U.S. premiere of American composer Huck Hodge’s “Alêtheia” for large ensemble, a vibrant and dramatic composition which won the International Society for Contemporary Music’s League of Composers Competition earlier this year. The event will also feature Hodge’s “Zeremonie.”

The multihued program also features a composition by Pierre Boulez, one of the most influential avant-garde composers of the 20^th century. Boulez’s “Dérive 1” radiates with rich colors and melodies, creating a vivid rainbow of textures and timbres.

Seattle Modern Orchestra musicians will also perform a work by French spectralist composer Tristan Murail. The piece, titled “Treize couleurs du soleil couchant” (“Thirteen Colors of Sundown”), transports its listeners into a fascinating exploration of sound and color.

The performance will take place this Saturday, Nov. 15 in the Chapel Performance Space at the Good Shepherd Center in Wallingford. There will be a pre-concert presentation at 7:30 p.m. and the concert begins at 8 p.m.

LIVE CONCERT SPOTLIGHT: October 17-18

Posted on October 16, 2014 by maestrobeats

by Maggie Molloy

Looking to expand your musical horizons? Here are some exciting and experimental Seattle music events taking place this weekend.

Inverted Space Featuring UW Student Compositions

Young 20-somethings are often at the forefront of new music ventures, constantly pushing the boundaries of familiar music genres and creating new ways of experimenting with sound. Seattle’s vibrant young musician scene is no exception. This Friday, music students from the University of Washington are presenting a colorful concert full of contemporary musical compositions written by their peers.

Inverted Space, UW’s contemporary music ensemble, will be performing small ensemble works written by fellow UW music students. The compositions include a solo work for violin and electronics, a duo for saxophone and cello, and many other unique musical compositions with imaginative instrumentation.

The concert is part of Nonsequitur’s Wayward Music Series, and will take place in the gorgeous Chapel Performance Space at the historic Good Shepherd Center in Wallingford. The concert is this Friday, Oct. 17 at 7:30 p.m.

Seattle Symphony’s [untitled] Season Opener

(photo credit: Brandon Patoc)

This Friday, the Seattle Symphony is taking their music outside of Benaroya Hall and into…the lobby.

That’s right; Seattle Symphony is opening their 2014-2015 [untitled] series with a late-night concert presented in Benaroya Hall’s beautiful Samuel and Althea Stroum Grand Lobby. The performance will feature compositions by the influential 20th century Hungarian composer György Ligeti as well as contemporary composers Djuro Zivkovic and Andrew Norman.

Symphony musicians will perform Gyorgy Ligeti’s String Quartet No. 1, “Métamorphoses nocturnes.” One of his more daring early works, the quartet is written in one continuous movement which can be divided into 17 contrasting sections. The concert program also features Serbian-Swedish composer and violinist Djuro Zivkovic’s “On the Guarding of the Heart” as well as American composer Andrew Norman’s “Try.”

If you’d like to hear some insightful interviews with Andrew Norman, Djuro Zivkovic, and Mikhail Schmidt, one of the violinists, check out this great feature from Seattle Symphony!

The performance will take place in Benaroya Hall’s grand lobby this Friday, Oct. 17 at 10 p.m. Be sure to stop by the KING FM table and say hi to Second Inversion’s Maggie Stapleton!

William O. Smith’s Jazz Clarinet

This Saturday night, William O. Smith is jazzing up classical clarinet music with a performance of his own imaginative compositions and creative improvisations. The classically-trained jazz clarinetist has devoted much of his career to studying and cataloguing an impressive range of extended clarinet techniques, all of which have informed his own original compositions.

Smith will be joined by trombonist Stuart Dempster and clarinetist Jesse Canterbury. The captivating program includes a piece written for clarinet and improvising computer, a piece written for clarinet and computer-transformed sounds, as well as artful improvisations in duo and trio combinations.

The event, which is co-presented by the Earshot Jazz Festival and Nonsequitur, will take place at the Good Shepherd Center’s Chapel Performance Space in Wallingford this Saturday, Oct. 18 at 8 p.m.