The just announced Charles Spearin show at Le Poisson Rouge show made me want to dig a little deeper into the “Wordless Music” concert schedule for 2009 and when I did, I found lots of interesting things. A few of the things that caught my attention amongst the impressively eclectic lineup were: Toumani Diabate, James Blackshaw, Meg Baird, Craig Wedren, The Books, The Mountain Goats, John Vanderslice, Juana Molina and the aforementioned Spearin. The full schedule (so far) looks like this:
June 25, 2009
JOHANN JOHANNSSON (U.S. DEBUT)
WITH STRING QUARTET
Performing original compositions; classical program TBA.
Le Poisson Rouge
May 17, 2009
PHILIP GLASS: COMPOSER’S PORTRAIT
SIGNAL
BRAD LUBMAN, CONDUCTOR
MICHAEL RIESMAN, PIANO
Performing Philip Glass’ Symphony No. 3 and Suite from The Hours with Michael Riesman, piano.
Le Poisson Rouge
May 10, 2009
ARVO PART: COMPOSER’S PORTRAIT
SYMPHONY NO. 4 (N.Y. PREMIERE)
THE WORDLESS MUSIC ORCHESTRA
JEFF MILARSKY, CONDUCTOR
Performing the New York premiere of Arvo Part’s Symphony No. 4 (Los Angeles), the composer’s first new work for orchestra in 30 years, and other works TBA.
Le Poisson Rouge
May 8, 2009
MONO
ARVO PART’S SYMPHONY NO. 4 (N.Y. PREMIERE)
THE WORDLESS MUSIC ORCHESTRA
JEFF MILARSKY, CONDUCTOR
Performing the New York premiere of Arvo Part’s Symphony No. 4 (Los Angeles), the composer’s first new work for orchestra in 30 years. MONO will also be backed by the Wordless Music Orchestra.
Le Poisson Rouge
April 22, 2009
MICHAEL GORDON’S “TRANCE”
SIGNAL
BRAD LUBMAN, CONDUCTOR
Performing Michael Gordon’s large-ensemble classic Trance for its first NYC appearance since 1997.
Le Poisson Rouge
April 18, 2009
TOUMANI DIABATE
JENNY LIN, PIANO
Performing original compositions (Diabate) and polyrhythmic music for solo piano by Gyorgy Ligeti and Conlon Nancarrow (Lin).
Le Poisson Rouge
April 9, 2009
THE BOOKS
TIMOTHY ANDRES, PIANO
PAUL DE JONG, CELLO
Performing solo piano works by Charles Ives, Timothy Andres, and Ingram Marshall, and (with Paul de Jong of The Books) music for piano and cello by Dmitri Shostakovich. Tickets on sale via the Miller Theatre box office and Web site.
Miller Theatre at Columbia University
March 27, 2009
THE MOUNTAIN GOATS (SOLO)
JOHN VANDERSLICE
MIRANDA CUCKSON, VIOLIN
REIKO UCHIDA, PIANO
Performing music for piano and violin by Franz Schubert and Francis Poulenc.
NY Society for Ethical Culture
March 26, 2009
SAM SHALABI’S LAND OF KUSH (30-PIECE ORCHESTRA)
Co-presented with Constellation Records. Classical program TBA.
Le Poisson Rouge
March 18, 2009
NONCLASSICAL RECORDS SHOWCASE
GABRIEL PROKOFIEV (U.S. DEBUT)
THE ELYSIAN QUARTET (U.S. DEBUT)
JOHN MATTHIAS & NICK RYAN (U.S. DEBUT)
Performing music for string quartet and electronics by Gabriel Prokofiev, Graham Fitkin, John Matthias & Nick Ryan, and Nonclassical composers to be announced.
Le Poisson Rouge
March 15, 2009
CHARLES SPEARIN: “THE HAPPINESS PROJECT”
TODD REYNOLDS AND EVAN ZIPORYN GROUP
VERGE ENSEMBLE
Performing Stockhausen’s Zodiac (Verge Ensemble) and Stravinsky’s A Soldier’s Tale (Reynolds/Ziporyn group). Composer and multi-instrumentalist Charles Spearin (Broken Social Scene/Do Make Say Think) will perform his new composition The Happiness Project.
Le Poisson Rouge
March 4, 2009
JAMES BLACKSHAW
MEG BAIRD
HEATHER O’DONNELL, PIANO
Performing original compositions (Blackshaw/Baird) and Charles Ives’ Piano Sonata No. 2 (Concord, Mass., 1840-60) (O’Donnell).
Le Poisson Rouge
February 27, 2009
JUANA MOLINA
LUKAS LIGETI
Performing original compositions.
Le Poisson Rouge
February 14, 2009
AN EVENING OF SENSUAL MACHINE MUSIC:
GROUPER
THE SIGHT BELOW
LUSINE
MICHAEL BROFMAN, PIANO
A special Valentine’s Day dinner concert, with music from four corners of the ambient/experimental music world, including solo piano works by the early-20th-century inventor of ambient music, Erik Satie. Seating is extremely limited and will include a three-course pre-fixe menu. Co-presented with Ghostly International and Justine D.
Le Poisson Rouge
February 13, 2009
CRAIG WEDREN (SHUDDER TO THINK)
ACME
Performing music by Jefferson Friedman, Craig Wedren, Louis Andriessen, and John Cage.
Le Poisson Rouge
A special Valentine’s Day dinner concert, with music from four corners of the ambient/experimental music world, including solo piano works by the early-20th-century inventor of ambient music, Erik Satie. Seating is extremely limited and will include a three-course pre-fixe menu. Co-presented with Ghostly International and Justine D.Le Poisson Rouge.