Baruch Performing Arts Center Presents the Talea Ensemble

On April 2-4, the Baruch Performing Arts Center presents the "ever-adventurous" Talea Ensemble performing the US premiere of Manos Tsangaris' theatrical work Love & Diversity. This is a rare opportunity to hear Mr. Tsangaris' music performed in the United States, and Talea's only scheduled performance of this work. Tickets are $26 for general admission ($11 for students), and are available at this link.

Love & Diversity is an immersive, intimate, and unique music theater performance piece that is more like a social event than a concert. The audience takes an active role: rather than sitting in the concert hall, the audience interacts individually with each of seven performers, moving from encounter to encounter around the theater. After hearing each musician up close, the listener proceeds to the balcony, where they hear the piece in its entirety from a more recital-like vantage point.

According to Talea Ensemble's Executive Director and percussionist, Alex Lipowski, "Manos Tsangaris creates musical and theatrical situations that force us to think about our personal boundaries during a performance. Love and Diversity breaks down the barriers between individual audience members and performers thereby allowing all of the evening's 'participants' to mingle and interact more freely than during a traditional concert, putting the audience in the middle of a social and artistic experience."

Composer, installation artist, and one of the most important representatives of experimental music theatre, Manos Tsangaris has, since the 1970's, made the conditions of a performance the central focus for his compositions. His music has been performed at renowned festivals including Donaueschingen Festival, Witten Festival for New Chamber Music, Ultima Festival in Oslo, and in theatres and opera houses in Cologne, New York, Mannheim, Dresden, and Berlin.

Praised for their "verve and immaculate virtuosity" by the Washington Post, and heralded as "a crucial part of the New York cultural ecosphere" by The New York Times, the Talea Ensemble champions musical creativity, cultivates curious listeners, and brings visionary new works to life with vibrant performances that remain in the audience's imagination long after a concert.

The Talea Ensemble performs the immersive music-theater work by Manos Tsangaris, Love & Diversity, on April 2-4 at Baruch PAC, 55 Lexington Avenue (enter on 25th Street between 3rd and Lexington Avenues, on the south side of the street) in the heart of Manhattan. Praised for its superb acoustics, the Rosalyn and Irwin Engelman Recital Hall has been called "a perfect hall for chamber music" by Anthony Tommasini of The New York Times. Please note: due to the special nature of this work, the performance is ongoing with an average running time of 60 minutes. There are 3 entry times to chose from: 7:30 PM, 8:00 PM, and 8:30 PM. Tickets are $26 for general admission ($11 for students), and are available at this link.