Percussionist Lisa Pegher to Premiere A.I.RE Multimedia Concert at the DiMenna Center in NYC

Known for reaching new heights in percussive music, pioneering percussion soloist, drummer and software engineer Lisa Pegher will premiere A.I.RE (Artificial Intelligence Rhythm Evolution), an evening-length multimedia concert on Friday, May 17th at Manhattan's DiMenna Center. In a groundbreaking collaboration with New York-based composer collective ICEBERG New Music, Pegher seamlessly melds new works by 10 different composers into an explosion of technology and sound, complete with stunning live video and sound processing installations. Audience members will be taken on a musical journey of percussion music's evolution starting with its roots of acoustic instrumentation to integration of computers and electronics to an eventual A.I.-generated soundscape.

"Will A.I. replace human beings? Will A.I. kills jobs for musicians? These are the conversations had by many of us today, both inside and outside of the field of classical music. This is a pivotal moment in history that might enhance our paths as musicians and as humans. I encourage listeners to join me on this exploration and wonder who's in control - the human performer or the A.I. operating behind the scenes?" LISA PEGHER

Pegher makes it her life's work to present percussion to larger audiences by commissioning, collaborating, and creating new works and performances that bring percussion to the front of the stage. During the pandemic, she commissioned ICEBERG New Music to compose A.I.RE - a coalescence of several new percussive works that merge contemporary classical music, metal, EDM, and other styles as an ever-greater portion of the music is generated by artificial intelligence. Approximately two years later, Pegher presents its world premiere on over a dozen different percussive instruments ranging from kalimba, balafon, bongos, vibraphone, marimba, glockenspiel, to midi boards alongside live video projections and electroacoustic sound designs.

Hailed as "tremendous (The New York Times)," and "forcefully balletic (The Boston Globe)," Pegher is one of today's leading contemporary percussionists and an innovator in the application of technology in music.When Lisa is not performing, she is often working on engineering new creator tools in the musical instruments space as an engineering leader at the music creation platform, Splice. Pegher credits technology for expanding her career both as an artist and creator. "I became interested in learning to code through creating and performing electro-acoustic music". I use many of the technology enhancements that I work with and in some cases have even coded portions as part of my own live performances where I can bring both worlds together."

About Lisa Pegher

Lisa Pegher is an American percussion soloist and drummer. In her international career she has performed throughout the world as a soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician. Featured in Symphony Magazine as one of the Top Six performers of her generation, Lisa has performed as soloist with numerous orchestras, wind ensembles and chamber groups across the globe including the Orchestré Symphonique de Trios Rivieres in Canada, Mulhouse Orchestré France, the Thailand Philharmonic, Boston Modern Orchestra Project, Symphoria, Reading Symphony, Peninsula Festival Orchestra, Annapolis Symphony, Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble, Mission Chamber Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra, New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, South Carolina Philharmonic, NEPA Philharmonic, Lansing Symphony Orchestra, Asheville Symphony Orchestra, Lake George Music Festival Orchestra, Louisiana (New Orleans) Philharmonic, and many more. Lisa performs concerti and new works by many of today's leading composers such as Jennifer Higdon, Joseph Schwantner, Tobias Bröström, James MacMillan, Kevin Puts and Derek Bermel, to name a few. She has, to date, given the world premiere performances of several percussion concertos and solo works that have been composed especially for her by composers such as Richard Danielpour, Paul Dooley, David Stock, Mathew Rosenblum, and numerous other composers. She has been a featured soloist at Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall, and numerous concert halls around the world.

Recently she premiered a new concerto show Circuits and Skins by up-and-coming composer, Paul Dooley that explores mixing orchestra and Electronic Dance Music. The work is said to "reach new heights in percussion music" and called "a wild throw down pitting full-tilt rock-and-roll drums against muscle-flexing symphonic fury" by the press, and has begun bringing EDM audiences into symphonic music halls. The recording of this epic cross-genre concerto was recently recorded by the Boston Modern Orchestra Project and will be released in 2024 along with a revamped show that includes new visualizations and orchestration enhancements. Another recent commission was Richard Danielpour's new percussion concerto "The Wounded Healer" that first premiered with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra where she was hailed as " an ideal interpreter of the work; receiving a vigorous ovation" by the Star Ledger. The work has since been toured extensively throughout the United States, Europe and Canada. In 2023 Lisa premiered a new work for string orchestra and solo vibraphone by Danielpour at the Schoenberg Hall in Los Angeles, California named, "Tears of an Angel" written in memory of the many tragedies that occurred around the world during the global pandemic. A full-length album of these works will be released in 2025. Lisa has recorded on labels including BMOP/sound, Albany Records, AKM Productions and her own label, Lisa P. Music Productions. lisapegher.com

Ticketing + Program Information:
Friday, May 17, 2024, at 8:00 p.m. (post-show talk + open bar)
DiMenna Center for Classical Music, Carey Hall, 450 West 37th Street, New York City.
Tickets: $30 ($15 for students and seniors) are available from EventBrite.com.

Performers:
Lisa Pegher, percussion
Drake Andersen, electronics
Kat Zhang, visual engineer

Program:
A.I.R.E (Artificial Intelligence Rhythm Evolution) world premiere
Works by ICEBERG New Music composers:
Drake Andersen, Victor Baez, Stephanie Ann Boyd, Alex Burtzos, Derek Cooper,
Yu Chun Chien, Jack Frerer, Max Grafe, Harry Stafylakis, and Lisa Pegher as Magenta-Z