Imani Winds to Premiere Andy Akiho's BELOUD, BELOVING, BELONGING May 5 at Merkin Hall

On Thursday, May 5 at 7:30 pm, the 2022 Ecstatic Music series concludes with the world premiere of composer Andy Akiho's BeLoud, BeLoved, BeLonging by Akiho and 2022 GRAMMY nominees and Kaufman Music Center Artists-in-Residence Imani Winds at Merkin Hall. Inspired by the sound of 2019 protests by immigrant detainees at the Metropolitan Detention Center, the piece has been workshopped with a group of incarcerated young men at Rikers Island and will be performed around the country following the May 5 concert.

The project reflects Kaufman Music Center's commitment to deepening the impact of its programs in communities throughout NYC. This partnership with Rikers Island was forged by the Center's Director of Social Innovation, Claudie Mabry.

Imani Winds members explain, "BeLoud, BeLoved, BeLonging was inspired by the noise detainee protesters made at an immigrant detention center in Brooklyn, sounds that were poignant but also powerful, angry and tremendously musical. Together with Andy, we used that protest as the impetus for creating a work that was born from the idea of people who are detained or incarcerated coming together with the people who work at the facilities in a shared moment of music listening and creating. With this project, we hope to honor the protesters and shine a light on the humanity of all involved in the holding of people's bodies and souls. Music is one of the best vehicles for creating a positive shared experience, and an intentional communal event like this can be healing for everyone who takes part in it."

On April 11, Akiho workshopped BeLoud, BeLoved, BeLonging with five male participants at Rikers Island and will incorporate their insights and feedback as well as a recording of their rhythms into the final work that will be premiered at Merkin Hall on May 5. Designed to comfort, heal and empower both the performer and the listener, the piece features elements of percussion and found sound - including the activation of one's body, walls and floors - that are accessible to individuals who may not have instruments. In May, Akiho and Imani Winds will return to Rikers Island for a performance of the final work, and Imani Winds will continue to perform BeLoud, BeLoved, BeLonging in concert halls and at prisons and jails around the U.S.

For tickets and further info, visit https://www.kaufmanmusiccenter.org/mch/event/ecstatic-music-imani-winds/.
Celebrating over two decades of music making, the twice GRAMMY-nominated Imani Winds has led both a revolution and evolution of the wind quintet through their dynamic playing, adventurous programming, imaginative collaborations, and outreach endeavors that have inspired audiences of all ages and backgrounds. The ensemble's playlist embraces traditional chamber music repertoire and reflects Imani Winds' devout commitment to expanding the wind quintet repertoire by commissioning music from new voices that reflect historical events and the times in which we currently live.

Andy Akiho is a "trailblazing" (Los Angeles Times) GRAMMY-nominated composer whose bold works unravel intricate and unexpected patterns while surpassing preconceived boundaries of classical music. Known as "an increasingly in-demand composer" (The New York Times), Akiho has earned international acclaim for his large-scale works that emphasize the natural theatricality of live performance.

Kaufman Music Center transforms lives through music. Founded in 1952 as a community music school, today's Kaufman Music Center is leveling the playing field for young people all over NYC and beyond with innovative programs making music education accessible for 4,000 students of all ages and backgrounds each year at Special Music School; Lucy Moses School, a community arts school for all ages; and groundbreaking teen new music programs like Face the Music and Luna Composition Lab. At Merkin Hall, more than 50,000 audience members each year connect through music at performances ranging from classical to cutting-edge. The Ecstatic Music series has been hailed as "a who's who of the music scene" (WQXR) and "audacious combinations and post-genre hybrids" (The New Yorker).

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