National Sawdust Announces 5th Anniversary Season, TAKE ROOT

For its landmark fifth anniversary, National Sawdust - the performing arts institution in Williamsburg, Brooklyn - Takes Root by celebrating the artistic process, from incubation to dissemination, while honoring the local and global artistic community it serves.

Over the last four seasons, National Sawdust has tackled themes of multiculturalism, feminism, and more; developed work that has toured around the world; and solidified its position as the premier performing arts institution in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. As an institution co-founded by composer Paola Prestini, mentorship, representation of voices seeking equity, and the process of developing original work have always been at the forefront of National Sawdust's values. In its fifth season, National Sawdust deepens its ties to its community and digs into its roots with the Artists-In-Residence program, which takes artists' work from incubation to dissemination. By programming cross-cultural and stylistically polyglot artists, National Sawdust strives to reflect the world we inhabit and create a space for audiences to discover new work.

With a focus on mentorship, National Sawdust partners with Juilliard this season for the public debut of the BluePrint Fellowship Program, a dual-track career, project mentoring, and commissioning course designed to leverage the extensive project development and presenting experience of the National Sawdust team and guest women and female-identifying mentors to help bridge the fellows' training and bring their interdisciplinary projects to completion at National Sawdust. Guest composers for this first round, spearheaded by Composer, Co-Founder, and Artistic Director of National Sawdust Paola Prestini, include Prestini, Claire Chase, Reena Esmail, Nathalie Joachim, Alex Temple, and Laura Kaminsky. National Sawdust continues to stretch the boundaries of creative possibility through the launch of a long-term sound partnership with legendary Berkeley company Meyer Sound. With the installation of Meyer Sound's Constellation acoustic system as well as its immersive component Spacemap, National Sawdust builds upon its already stellar reputation as a place for bold experimentation and creativity. Spacemap's sophisticated, multi-channel panning system provides artists an extraordinary amount of freedom to explore and play with three-dimensional spatial sound, while Constellation offers an almost unlimited palette of acoustic possibilities with the press of a button.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE SEASON INCLUDE:

• Opening weekend concerts featuring Timo Andres and Nico Muhly performing music by Meredith Monk and honoring composers Missy Mazzoli, Paola Prestini, Ellen Reid, and Emma O'Halloran while showcasing the ingenuity and innovation of Meyer Sound Constellation and Spacemap systems (September 27), a premiere ambient concert by William Cashion of Future Islands (September 28), and a program of women composers commissioned and performed by Claire Chase (September 29)

• Two week-long curations, led by Black Thought (October 7 - 10) and Ted Hearne (June 2020)

• National Sawdust's Artists-in-Residence program, presenting world premieres of four new works exploring how music can address the aftermath of trauma, commissioned and performed by vocalist Lucy Dhegrae; a concert featuring the next phase of development in Ash Koosha's technologically innovative half human, half machine music project named YONA; thought-provoking concerts featuring world premieres curated by composer and artist collective Kinds of Kings; and more

• Expanding the birthday celebration of composers series, National Sawdust offers dual bashes featuring performances for iconoclast George Crumb's 90th birthday (October 28) and new music luminary, composer, conductor, and Music Director of Trinity Church Wall Street Julian Wachner's 50th birthday (November 10).

"Season 5 is the culmination of years of planning as we refine our incubator, which takes artists from the incubation of their ideas to their dissemination. Our theme this season, 'Take Root', highlights the process of development that is at the heart of what we do. Our programs are designed to bridge different phases of our residents' careers, from emerging to established life", says Paola Prestini, Composer, Co-Founder and Artistic Director of National Sawdust. "Furthermore, in terms of seeding systemic change, we place emphasis on voices seeking equity through programs such as the newly formed BluePrint Fellowship Program, designed to highlight women and female-identifying mentors and composers, and the Hildegard Competition, for female, trans, and nonbinary artists, which will be entering its third year. I could not be more proud of what we've contributed to the artistic ecosystem, and look forward to this incredible kickoff year, with our newly formed National Sawdust Ensemble, our new unlimited sonic palette from Meyer Sound, and the development of our Artists-in-Residence Program and the incredible art that emerges from it yearly."

Season Five begins with a night showcasing the roots of the institution. Co-founded by a woman and led by women, National Sawdust will honor game-changing female composers. The evening brings home second season curator Timo Andres and National Sawdust Artistic Advisory Board member Nico Muhly, who both played essential roles in laying National Sawdust's foundation. Together, they will perform a work by National Sawdust Artistic Advisory Board member Meredith Monk. Composer and pianist Samora Pinderhughes, a National Sawdust fan favorite, will premiere a new work inspired by revolutionary composer and distinguished pianist Clara Schumann in celebration of the 200th anniversary of her birth.

The newly formed National Sawdust Ensemble, with musical direction from Jeffrey Zeigler, will honor friend and supporter of National Sawdust Missy Mazzoli, Co-Founder and Artistic Director of National Sawdust Paola Prestini, and former National Sawdust Artist-In-Residence and 2019 Pulitzer Prize for Music winner Ellen Reid with performances of their works.

Acclaimed soprano Naomi Louisa O'Connell will perform Emma O'Halloran's Constellations, which premiered at the first Hildegard Competition Concert, with the National Sawdust Ensemble. The concert will also feature Rafiq Bhatia and Ian Chang of Son Lux, who will perform a tribute to pioneering and award-winning jazz composer Mary Lou Williams, and renowned duo Nelson Patton.

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