CCCC Grossman Ensemble to Present World Premiere Of Eric Nathan's IN BETWEEN

On Friday, March 4, 2022 at 7:30pm, the Chicago Center for Contemporary Composition's (CCCC) resident Grossman Ensemble will present the world premiere of composer Eric Nathan's In Between at the University of Chicago's Logan Center Performance Hall. Led by conductor Timothy Weiss, the Grossman Ensemble will also perform the world premieres New Examples of Confusion by Daniel Pesca, Simulacra by Felipe Tovar-Henao, and Unveiled by Ingrid Laubrock. The concert is presented in partnership with UChicago Presents. Following the performance is a reception in the Gidwitz Lobby of the Logan Center for the Arts where audience members can meet the musicians and composers.

Eric Nathan's In Between (2022) for ensemble was born out of the unique collaborative and explorative workshop experience afforded by composing for the Grossman Ensemble at the University of Chicago Center for Contemporary Composition. "With this piece," Nathan explains, "I explore a newfound personal artistic space in my practice in between areas of improvisation, controlled aleatory, spatialized gestural choreography and detailed music notation." The players invent rustling, feathery sounds and the conductor "paints" gesturally through the ensemble in a music filled with chorale-like singing, with meditative stillness and intricately vibrant musical textures woven throughout.

"The emotional inspiration for the work came from my standing in a forest near my house this fall on a late afternoon," Nathan says. "As I stood there amidst the trees - these magisterial, quiet, monumental, and seemingly wise beings - I felt their imposing yet comforting presence, and listened to all the motion and movement that seemed to inhabit the 'quiet' that surrounded me. It reminded me of a visit I made to my friend's property in Vermont a few years prior, on an invitation to come and 'meet' the trees that are so dear to him. He told me how at his age he now speaks with them and hoped they might speak to me. This has all been a starting point that unlocked my imagination in surprising ways, creating within and between spaces of stillness and activity and listening and singing."

In Between was commissioned by the Chicago Center for Contemporary Composition for the Grossman Ensemble, and is dedicated to the Grossman Ensemble, conductor Timothy Weiss, and director and founder Augusta Read Thomas, with admiration and gratitude.

Concert Information

Grossman Ensemble with Tim Weiss, conductor
Friday, March 4, 2022 at 7:30pm
Logan Center for the Arts Performance Hall | 915 E 60th St | Chicago, IL 60637
Tickets: $20 general admission; free for students with ID
Link: https://cccc.uchicago.edu/concerts-events/grossman-ensemble-tim-weiss-conductor-0

INGRID LAUBROCK: Unveiled [World Premiere]
ERIC NATHAN: In Between (2022) [World Premiere]
DANIEL PESCA: New Examples of Confusion [World Premiere]
FELIPE TOVAR-HENAO: Simulacra [World Premiere]

Timothy Weiss, conductor
The Grossman Ensemble
Greg Beyer, percussion
Kate Carter, violin
Hannah Collins, cello
John Corkill, percussion
Katherine Jimoh, clarinet
Dominic Johnson, viola
Ellie Kirk, harp
Tim Munro, flute
Andrew Nogal, oboe
Matthew Oliphant, horn
Daniel Pesca, piano
Taimur Sullivan, saxophone
MingHuan Xu, violin

All event attendees aged 12+ must provide proof of vaccination. By exception, visitors who are unable to be vaccinated for medical reasons or due to a sincerely-held religious belief may provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of the event, or proof of a positive test 14-90 days prior to the event with affirmation that you are not experiencing any symptoms. All attendees aged 2+ must wear a face-covering over the nose and mouth at all times. For full details on the Chicago Center for Contemporary Composition's vaccination and masking policies, visit their COVID-19 Updates page.

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