Tribeca New Music presents Seven World Premieres at The Cell

Tribeca New Music continues its 2017 Festival season with On Behalf. The phrase "On Behalf," drawn from an exchange between Killer Mike and Stephen Colbert on The Late Show, was used to inspire seven new works by composers Will Ayers, Andy Costello, Alexandra du Bois, Molly Joyce, Nate May, DJ Sparr, and Dorian Wallace.

The concert takes place at Nancy Manocherian's - the cell, 338 West 23rd Street (bet. 8th & 9th Ave.) in NYC, on Sunday, February 19 at 4 pm.
Tickets range in price from $15 to $25. For details and to buy tickets, please go to Tribeca New Music - On Behalf.

The dynamic and inventive pianist Brianna Matzke has teamed up with New York City-based violinist Hajnal Pivnick and special guest pianist Kathleen Supovéto commission seven important emerging composers to create innovative new works for piano and violin, as part of the Response Project initiative. The phrase "ON BEHALF" was drawn from an exchange between Killer Mike and Stephen Colbert on The Late Show. The composers have been invited to consider how this phrase impacts them personally, politically, and/or artistically, as well as potential manifestations of the phrase within musical composition and performance. Each has chosen to create "on behalf" of an idea, person, community, or condition.

On the program:

Will R. Ayers • A Sense of Something Commonplace is in two movements that attempt to speak "on behalf" of my two very different southern grandmothers. I have drawn on their experiences and way of communicating.

Andy Costello • On Behalf of the Failure to Create Collaborations That Are Truly Equal Due to Inherent Privileges That Cannot Be Erased is about celebrating and bemoaning failure, privilege, and collaboration. Personal identity and heritage are considered, as well as the delicate nature and balance of the triangle in the piece among the composer (who is male) and the pianist and violinist (both female). Each person has a unique role, based on the acoustic and technical advantages and disadvantages that the instrument offers, as well as the inherent privileges of gender, heritage, race, and background.

Alexandra du Bois • Bells from the Abyss stands against intolerance, oppression, hatred, recklessness, destruction, murder, and war. Every single note will vibrate against hate. All construction is based on the creation of hope, tolerance, empathy, and compassion. My art is a sanctuary for all ears. I stand here in solidarity with and on behalf of all Americans, linking arms with all artists and all who hear us, and our friends in every country, to shine the clearest light and hold the brightest mirror towards you until we can all agree to eradicate hatred, intolerance, and oppression.

Molly Joyce • Down and Out was inspired by the concept and on behalf of one's mind-body relationship and addressing that relationship with an impairment such as a physical disability. I feel that this phrase, while traditionally of a more negative connotation, can also be of a positive connotation in that it can allow freeing one's self of past burdens.

Nate May • Future Humans On behalf of future humans, this piece tracks the intelligence and character of the human genus from its Early Stages of evolution to the year 802,701 according to the account given by H.G. Wells in his 1895 novel The Time Machine.

D. J. Sparr • Metaphor for Forging Many religious groups use literalism to interpret their "books" in a way that ruin their members' critical thinking and lets them use those books to keep people down.

Dorian Wallace • When Five Eyes Are Watching is an immersive chamber work ON BEHALF of whistleblowers Edward Snowden, Thomas Drake, Chelsea Manning, and Daniel Ellsberg. This piece is dedicated to all those who have risked their lives, careers, and personal safety to expose any kind of information and activity that is deemed unethical, illegal, or not correct within an organization that is either private or public. Whistleblowers are heroes.