On Thursday, November 16, 2017 at 7:30 p.m. in the Machine Shop in Minneapolis, The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra's Liquid Music Series presents Emily Wells' The World Is Too ______ For You with violinist/composer Michi Wiancko, percussionist Greg Fox and musicians of the SPCO. This world premiere was commissioned by the SPCO's Liquid Music Series.
"Quietly transfixing" violinist, singer, producer and composer Emily Wells is known for her varied use of classical and modern instrumentation, deft approach to live sampling, and "dramatic, meticulous and gothic songs" (New York Times) that blend "traditionalism with electronic ambiance" (NPR). Speaking to our cultural moment, The World Is Too ____ For You includes new work inspired by hymns, imagined eulogies for loved ones and arrangements of Wells' music by Michi Wiancko. The performance features musicians of the SPCO and also reveals new video work designed by Wells, drawing heavily from contemporary dance.
"Emily Wells is a seeker and her music overflows with longing," says Liquid Music Curator Kate Nordstrom. "This new body of work for chamber ensemble extends Wells' already-expansive sound world, and opens a new realm of musical and emotional possibility. Always personal, Wells' Liquid Music debut will envelop audiences in the here and now."
FEATURED ARTISTS:
DATE AND LOCATION:
Thursday, Nov. 16, 2017
Doors at 6:30pm | Music at 7:30pm
Machine Shop, 300 2nd St SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414
TICKETS: $20 ($16 for Liquid Music subscribers)
liquidmusicseries.org | 651.291.1144
ABOUT LIQUID MUSIC: The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra's Liquid Music Series, named "Best of Classical" by The New York Times,develops innovative new projects with iconoclastic artists in unique presentation formats. Liquid Music performances invite adventurous audiences to discover the new and the fascinating within the flourishing landscape of contemporary chamber music.
ABOUT THE SAINT PAUL CHAMBER ORCHESTRA: Renowned for its artistic excellence, remarkable versatility of musical styles and adventurous programming, The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra is widely regarded as one of the finest chamber orchestras in the world. Entering its 59th season in September 2017, the SPCO has recently undergone transformational change with the opening of its new home, the Ordway Concert Hall, the addition of a new generation of players, and significant changes in its artistic vision. The SPCO is primarily an unconducted ensemble that performs a broad range of repertoire from Baroque to new music and works in close collaboration with a diverse series of artistic partners. The virtuoso musicians of the SPCO present more than 130 concerts and educational programs each year, and are regularly heard on public radio programs that reach more than 2 million listeners each week on over 300 stations. Additionally, the SPCO reaches more than 200,000 listeners annually through its free online Concert Library. The SPCO is nationally recognized for its commitment to broad community accessibility, its innovative audience outreach efforts, its pioneering Liquid Music Series and its educational and family programming. The SPCO offers the most affordable tickets of any major orchestra in the United States, with over 50 percent of tickets available for $12 or less, and has expanded accessibility even further by offering free tickets for children and students starting in the 2016.17 season as a part of the New Generation Initiative. For more information, visit thespco.org.
Emily Wells: Emily Wells is a performer, producer, singer, and composer known for her varied use of classical and modern instrumentation as well as her deft approach to live sampling. Classically trained as a violinist, she also performs using drums, synths and beat machines and has toured worldwide. Wells released her most recent studio album "Promise" to critical acclaim on her label "Thesis & Instinct" January 2016. In May, after a three month international tour, Wells appeared live on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon sitting in with the Roots. Wells will release a follow up EP early next year.
Michi Wiancko: Michi Wiancko is an internationally-acclaimed and multi-dimensional violinist, composer, and collaborator, described by Gramophone as an "alluring soloist with heightened expressive and violinistic gifts." She gave her debut concerto performances with the Los Angeles and New York Philharmonics, made her NY recital debut in Carnegie's Weill Hall, and released a solo album of works by Émile Sauret on Naxos. She has performed and toured extensively with a diverse array of today's leading ensembles and soloists in classical and contemporary music, including Silk Road Ensemble, Alarm Will Sound, International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE), East Coast Chamber Orchestra (ECCO), Mark Morris Dance Group (MMDG), The Knights, The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Musicians from Marlboro, Yo-Yo Ma, Emanuel Ax, Jeremy Denk, Patricia Kopatchinskaja and Vijay Iyer.
Greg Fox: "Good drummers aren't uncommon. Great ones are. We still mourn Keith Moon of the Who and John Bonham of Led Zeppelin as the jolly bashers of modernity. Here comes the future, they seemed to be telling us with their sensational ka-blammo. Together, they popularized the notion that, in rock-and-roll, a drummer's unsolemn duty is to establish a sense of time while happily smashing it to bits. Greg Fox reactivates that idea for the Information Age." -Chris Richards, Washington Post
Francisco Fullana: Principal Violin of The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra since 2016, Spanish violinist Francisco Fullana is acclaimed for his performances in both Europe and the U.S. Upcoming engagements include debuts with the Buffalo Philharmonic and Alabama Symphony, and return concerto performances with the Xalapa, Central Aichi (Japan), Extremadura and Balearic Islands Symphonies. Starting in 2018, Fullana has been invited to join the prestigious Lincoln Center Chamber Music Society Two. Orchid Classics will release Fullana's new recording in March 2018, which includes Max Richter's "Four Seasons Recomposed" with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra under Carlos Izcaray, curated in conjunction with a series of contemporary solo works examining the tradition of baroque music. His ongoing collaboration with Argentinian bandoneonist J.P. Jofre will culminate with the 2018 premiere of Jofre's Double Concerto for bandoneon and violin. An advocate of music education for young people, Fullana co-founded San Antonio's Classical Music Institute and also created the Fortissimo Youth Initiative, a series of baroque and classical music seminars. Fullana currently performs on the 1735 "Mary Portman" ex-Kreisler Guarneri del Gesu violin, kindly on loan from Clement and Karen Arrison through the Stradivari Society of Chicago.
Hyobi Sim: Violist Hyobi Sim began the study of viola when she was 12 years old. After 3 years of playing viola, she was accepted as a student at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia where she studied with Roberto Diaz and received the Bachelor of Music degree. She was selected as a member of the Curtis on Tour ensemble. She performed in Detroit, California, Maine, Chicago and Philadelphia with Curtis faculty members Ida Kavafian and Peter Wiley. As a special prize winner of the Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition, she pursues her career as well such as performing with Czech Philharmonic Orchestra and performing the Hindemith Viola Concerto with the Curtis Chamber Orchestra. She received the Master of Music degree at the Juilliard School where she studied with Misha Amory and Hsin-Yun Huang.
Matthew Wilson: Matthew Wilson joined The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra as a member starting in the 2017.18 season, after playing as a guest musician for many years. He has been Principal Horn of the Minnesota Opera Orchestra for the last 5 seasons. He recently acted as Associate Principal Horn with Minnesota Orchestra on their 2016 European tour and has been a frequent guest Principal Horn with them and the SPCO. He has also been guest Principal Horn with the Florida Orchestra and the South Dakota Symphony and has had engagements with the Colorado Symphony and The Phantom of the Opera Broadway touring company. He has been Principal horn of the Crested Butte Musical Festival for several years and will be performing at the Festival of the Lakes in Alexandria, MN this August. A Southern California native, he started playing horn at the age of 9. His primary teachers were George Cable (San Diego Symphony), Herb Winslow and Kendall Betts. Wilson received his undergraduate degree from University of Northwestern in Saint Paul, Minnesota and his Masters of Music degree from the University of Minnesota. He is currently Horn Instructor at University of Northwestern Saint Paul.
Charles Block: Charles Block studied the double bass at San Francisco State University with Shinji Eshima and at Indiana University with Bruce Bransby. He currently serves as Principal Bass of both the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra and the Duluth-Superior Symphony Orchestra. He also can be heard performing as a substitute with groups such as the Minnesota Orchestra, the Milwaukee Symphony, the Chicago Symphony, the Minnesota Opera, the Grant Park Symphony and the Lakes Area Music Festival. Past positions include Assistant Principal of the Memphis Symphony. Internationally, Charles has worked with the RTE Irish National Symphony Orchestra, the Macau Orchestra, the Hong Kong Philharmonic and as guest Principal of the Hong Kong Sinfonietta. Block lives in Minneapolis with his wife Kathryn Nettleman, a member of the Minnesota Orchestra, and their daughter Inez.
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