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On Friday, June 12th, at 7pm, Composers Concordance will present an evening wherein contemporary music, poetry, and improvisation collide in a vibrant live radio-show setting. Readings & Reeds brings together adventurous composers, dynamic reed performers, celebrated poets, and the winners of the first annual Joseph Pehrson Composition & Poetry Competition for a unique multidisciplinary experience in the heart of Chelsea.
The event will take place at Jim Kempner Fine Arts Gallery and will be presented as a live episode of “Bar Crawl Radio,” hosted by Rebecca McKean and Alan Winson. Blending spoken word, chamber music, improvisation, and theatrical radio-show energy, Readings & Reeds celebrates the rich sonic possibilities of reed instruments alongside contemporary poetry and storytelling.
The program features music by Dennis Bathory-Kitsz, George N. Gianopoulos, David Gunn, Peri Mauer, Melanie Mitrano, Ginka Mizuki, Joseph Pehrson, Gene Pritsker, Kevin Scott, and Stefan Zeniuk. Performers include Loki Karuna on bassoon, Gottfried Stoger on saxophone, Michiyo Suzuki on clarinet, Ariana Varvaro on oboe, and special guests soprano Melanie Mitrano and Gerson Galante. The evening will also showcase poetry by Max Dorfman, Peter Christian Hall, Robert C. Ford, Jim Kempner, Imelda O'Reilly, and Ruthie Adamson AKA Wonky Wordsmith.
A special highlight of the concert will be featured performances of the winning works from the inaugural Joseph Pehrson Composition & Poetry Competition by poet Michael Davis and composer Fraser Sharp.
Known for presenting genre-defying performances that bridge classical, jazz, rock, spoken word, and multimedia art, Composers Concordance continues its mission of fostering collaboration and adventurous creativity through this eclectic and immersive production.
Readings & Reeds promises an evening of unexpected textures, expressive language, and boundary-pushing contemporary artistry in an intimate gallery setting.
The concert will also be live-streamed at this link. Thanks to our friends at Vox Novus
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6N2jXmQVuYE
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Event Details
Concert: Readings & Reeds
Composers: Dennis Bathory-Kitsz, George N. Gianopoulos, David Gunn, Peri Mauer, Melanie Mitrano, Ginka Mizuki, Joseph Pehrson, Gene Pritsker, Kevin Scott, Fraser Sharp, Stefan Zeniuk
Performers: The CompCord Reed Quartet
Ariana Varvaro - oboe, Michiyo Suzuki - clarinet
Gottfried Stoger - saxophone, Loki Karuna - bassoon
Special guests: Melanie Mitrano - soprano, Gerson Galante - flute
Date: Friday, June 12th
Time: 7pm
Venue: Jim Kempner Fine Arts
501 W. 23rd St., NYC
TICKETS
$20 in advance $30 at the door
Facebook
Live Stream
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Staying in rotation for 42 years in NYC is a rare feat. In the case of a new music presenting organization, it requires not only diligence and cognizance of achievements of the past but also an ethic of keeping one's ear to the ground for emerging stylistic and technological developments, as well as talented new composers on the scene. Composers Concordance, founded in 1984 by Joseph Pehrson and Patrick Hardish, advised by Otto Luening, strives to present contemporary music in innovative ways, with an emphasis on thematic programming. Directors Gene Pritsker and Dan Cooper co-curate the programs and lead the CompCord Ensemble, Chamber Orchestra, String Orchestra, and Big Band. Associate Directors are Milica Paranosic, Peter Jarvis, Debra Kaye, Seth Boustead, and Audrey Morse. Composers Concordance has also created a Naxos-distributed record label: Composers Concordance Records. Composers Concordance's overriding vision is to promote contemporary music, composers, and new works as a rightful and respected part of society. Good music performed and recorded well, pushing the boundaries of sound and composition.
"Composers Concordance..a veritable New York new music institution of concerts, album production and multiple ensembles under a sweeping, tenacious brand, thriving on the emulsion of contemporary classical, free improv, jazz and rock, overt humor and fearless political statements, all very much in evidence..The ensemble..was masterful throughout.”- John Pietaro, The New York City Jazz Record
"An unwavering force in giving composers exposure through concert bookings and its own record label, the intrepid new-music organization Composers Concordance” - The Brooklyn Rail
"The Composers Concordance folks are unpredictable and at times refreshingly irreverent in a reverent sort of way....ingenious fun" - Classical-Modern Music Review
“Enterprising new music organization” - The New York Times
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