Miller Theatre Slates Spring 2016 Pop-Up Concerts

Miller Theatre at Columbia University School of the Arts announces its spring 2016 season of Pop-Up Concerts. Bring a friend, grab a drink, and join some of today's most interesting performers onstage at Miller Theatre on select Tuesday evenings.

Pop-Up Concerts have become a beloved mainstay at Miller, providing free, informal performances in the early evening. The unique format allows the theater to test out new ideas, giving established ensembles the chance to experiment and introducing new performers before they hit the Miller mainstage.

Free libations contribute to the laid-back ambiance. All concerts start at 6 p.m. Admission is on a first-come, first-served basis, and doors open at 5:30 p.m.

From Miller Theatre Executive Director Melissa Smey: "This Spring's Pop-Up Concerts truly have something for everyone. Whether you join us for an evening of computer music with Ensemble Pamplemousse, for Either/Or's study of the great György Ligeti, or for Michael Nicolas' exploration of cello and electronics, you're sure to find something you love on our stage. And who better to close our 2015-16 season than our longtime collaborators, Mivos Quartet? Each of these musicians has a unique take on new music that is sure to inspire."

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POP-UP CONCERTS:

Tuesday, March 29

Ensemble Pamplemousse

Natacha Diels, flutes; Jessie Marino, cello; Andrew Greenwald, drums;
David Broome, keys; Bryan Jacobs, electronics;
with Ross Karre, miniature drumset

The first Pop-Up Concert of the Spring features "one of the most distinctive new music ensembles in New York" (New York Classical Review) playing world-class pieces composed exclusively by its own members. Each of the five members of Ensemble Pamplemousse is represented in this repertoire as both a musician and a composer, exemplifying the multifaceted talent of this ensemble. A stand out piece is David Broom's electronic playground, Ominousty, which uses samples of Billy Joel's Honesty to create a new frenzied sound world.

PROGRAM:
Jessie Marino: RotBlau (2010)
Andrew Greenwald: A Thing is a Hole in a Thing it is Not (iv) (2014)
Bryan Jacobs: Organic Synthesis Vol. 1 (2015)
David Broome: Ominousty (2014)
Natacha Diels: An Economy of Means (2014)

Tuesday, April 26

Either/Or:
A Study of György Ligeti

Jennifer Choi, violin
Rachel Drehmann, horn
Taka Kigawa, piano

Either/Or returns to Miller Theatre for an evening of György Ligeti's later works. Pianist Taka Kigawa expresses the versatility and power of piano in six of Ligeti's Études-"a kaleidoscopic set of works that demands the unrelenting energy and precision that are Mr. Kigawa's specialties" (The Wall Street Journal). Violinist Jennifer Choi and horn player Rachel Drehmann join Kigawa for Trio for Violin, Horn and Piano, a piece that marked a turn toward historic influences in Ligeti's career.

PROGRAM:
György Ligeti: Trio for Violin, Horn and Piano (1982)
Ligeti: Selections from Piano Études:
- Book 3, No. 15: White on White (1995-2001)
- Book 2, No. 8: Fém (1988-94)
- Book 1, No. 4: Fanfares (1988)
- Book 2, No. 11: En Suspens (1988-94)
- Book 2, No. 9: Vertige (1988-94)
- Book 2, No. 13: L'escalier du diable (1988-94)

Monday, May 16

Michael Nicolas, cello

with Annie Gosfield, keys
Jaime E. Oliver, MANO controller
Erik Friedlander, cello

Cellist Michael Nicolas enlists some of his longtime collaborators, including composer Annie Gosfield, to bring this repertoire to Miller audiences. This Pop-Up explores the cello in relation to electronics and computer music, pairing one of the most traditionally classical instruments with its singularly contemporary counterpoint. In flexura, composer Jaime Oliver accompanies Nicolas on MANO controller, an electronic instrument of his own design that uses video to track hand movement to create sound.

PROGRAM:
Mario Davidovsky: Synchronisms No. 3 (1964)
Annie Gosfield: Four Roses ...and a Five-Spot (1997/2015)
David Fulmer: Speak of the Spring (2015)
Jaime E. Oliver: flexura (2015)
John Zorn: Bagatelles (2015)

Tuesday, June 7

Mivos Quartet

Olivia De Prato, violin; Joshua Modney, violin;
Victor Lowrie, viola; Mariel Roberts, cello;
with Kate Soper, soprano

Composer and soprano Kate Soper joins the audience favorite Mivos Quartet to close the 2015-16 season at Miller Theatre. Soper's Nadja pairs a string quartet with the words of Tennyson, Ovid, and Breton "sung with absolute authenticity by Ms. Soper" (The New York Times). Violist Victor Lowrie's arrangement of the 17th century Madre la de los primores brings the Mexican villancico into the 21st century. Mivos Quartet will also premiere a new work by Columbia University alum Carl Bettendorf entitled String Quartet No. 2, Yggdrasil.

PROGRAM:
Juana Inés de la Cruz (arr. Lowrie): Madre la de los primores (1686/2016)
Carl Bettendorf: String Quartet No. 2, Yggdrasil (2016) world premiere
Kate Soper: Nadja (2013-15)