St. Paul Chamber Orchestra's Liquid Music Series Presents Ben Frost Tonight

Today, February 9, at Amsterdam Bar & Hall in downtown Saint Paul, The SPCO's Liquid Music program will present composer, performer and producer Ben Frost in a rare US appearance previewing new material and a new ensemble prior to a highly anticipated 2013 album release.

Frost's music is about contrast, influenced as much by classical minimalism as by punk rock and metal. Muscular yet cerebral, ambient yet urgent, his compositions merge guitar-based textures, musique concrète samples, and building-shaking amplified electronics into sweeping digital soundscapes. His compositions are created with an acute awareness of the listener and their comfort thresholds, exploiting every Extreme of pitch and volume.

Increasingly in demand for his exorbitant electronic production work, Frost has collaborated with artists as diverse as Björk, Sinfonetta Cracovia, Swans, Tim Hecker and label mates Nico Muhly and Sam Amidon. He was recently awarded Music Protégé in the The Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative and has spent the past two years learning from and working with music producer, theorist, and composer, Brian Eno. Frost has just completed scores on several film and stage productions and is currently writing his first opera, based on the Iain Banks novel, The Wasp Factory.

"One of the most interesting and groundbreaking producers in the world today... showing us the future of electronic music" (Boomkat), Frost makes a rare US appearance in Saint Paul, previewing new material and a new ensemble - including former Liturgy drummer Greg Fox (recently named NYC's "Best Drummer" by The Village Voice) and composer/multi-instrumentalist Paul Corley - prior to a highly anticipated 2013 album release.

The concert will take place tonight, February 9, 2013, 8:00pm at the Amsterdam Bar & Hall, Saint Paul. Ben Frost single tickets: $10. Call 651.291.1144, visit www.thespco.org or stop by the ticket office at Third Floor, The Historic Hamm Building, 408 Saint Peter St., Saint Paul, Minn. For more information, visit thespco.org/liquidmusic or call 651.291.1144.

In 2005, after receiving a degree in fine arts in Melbourne, Australia, Ben Frost relocated across the world to Reykjavik, Iceland, where he co-founded the Bedroom Community record label. His genre-defying work, influenced as much by Classical Minimalism as by Punk Rock and Metal, includes three emotionally powerful and critically acclaimed albums: Steel Wound, Theory of Machines and By the Throat. Frost's multidisciplinary collaborations have linked him with renowned choreographers Gideon Obarzanek, Erna Ómarsdottír and Wayne McGregor, and with artists as diverse as Amiina, Tim Hecker, Nico Muhly, Brian Eno and Björk. He recently completed the music for the Random Dance Company's production, Flesh in the Age of Reason, and written a new score of Tarkovsky's classic film, Solaris. Ben Frost also composed music for the 2011 film Sleeping Beauty, written and directed by Julia Leigh. ethermachines.com.

Liquid Music is a new concert series presented by The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra that seeks to expand the world of classical music through innovative new projects, boundary-defying artists, and unique presentation formats. Liquid Music performances invite adventurous audiences of all ages to discover the new and the fascinating among the kaleidoscopic landscape of classical music today. The inaugural season (2012-13) features regional and world premieres by Laurie Anderson, Reid Anderson (The Bad Plus), Ben Frost, Shara Worden (My Brightest Diamond), yMusic, Ian Ding, Ashley Bathgate (Bang on a Can All-Stars), Ted Hearne, Zola Jesus, Stephen Prutsman, Jace Clayton (DJ/rupture), Ensemble 61, and more.

The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, now in its 54th season, is widely regarded as one of the finest chamber orchestras in the world. In collaboration with five artistic partners - Roberto Abbado, Edo de Waart, Dawn Upshaw, Christian Zacharias and Thomas Zehetmair - the 34 virtuoso musicians present more than 130 concerts and educational programs each year, and are regularly heard on public radio's Performance Today which reaches 1.3 million listeners each week on 256 stations, and SymphonyCast reaching 335,000 listeners each week on 126 stations nationwide. The SPCO has released 67 recordings, commissioned 131 new works, and performed the world premiere of 49 additional compositions. The SPCO has earned the distinction of 16 ASCAP awards for adventurous programming. Renowned for its artistic excellence and remarkable versatility of musical styles, the SPCO tours nationally and internationally, including performances in premier venues in Europe, Asia and South America.

The SPCO is nationally recognized for its commitment to broad community accessibility and innovative audience outreach. Regular subscription series are performed in ten different venues across the Twin Cities metropolitan area each season, a unique commitment to geographic accessibility for a major orchestra. The SPCO also offers the most affordable tickets of any major orchestra in the United States, with tickets for only $10, $25 or $40, with over 80% of tickets available for $25 or less. The orchestra also recently launched an innovative new ticket membership model in which members pay $5 a month to attend unlimited concerts.

Launched in 1995, the SPCO's award-winning CONNECT Education program reaches nearly 6,000 students and teachers annually in 16 Minneapolis and St. Paul public schools. For more information, visit thespco.org.

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