Matt McBane and Friends

Friday, August 26, 7:00-7:30pm

Festival Founder and composer/violinist Matt McBane and friends perform his critically-acclaimed suite of compositions for bluegrass string band, “Drawn.”

“a natural composer, a fresh voice and, from the evidence of his festival, a first-rate organizer with a broad range of musical interests” -Los Angeles Times

Program:

Drawn (2014) Matt McBane

1. Flourish
2. Interlude
3. Entwined
4. Repose
5. Ground

Musicians:

Matt McBane: violin
Thomas Wright: mandolin
Mark Cassidy: banjo
Bob Boss: guitar
Gunnar Biggs: bass

wild Up perform future folk

Friday, August 26, 8:00-9:15pm

Modern music collective slash chamber orchestra wild Up creates a communal concert of sound/noise/experience that celebrates old-world ways of living in the modern era. Featuring works by Meredith Monk, Julius Eastman, members of the ensemble and more.

“All the performances, led by Rountree, were exceptional, the ensemble turning on an astonishing stylistic dime.” -Los Angeles Times

Program:

Induction of the Space
CHRIS ROUNTREE: for Allen Ginsberg
CHRIS KALLMYER: Paradise Choir
JULIUS EASTMAN: Stay On It  
ANDREW THOLL: Front Matter
MEREDITH MONK: Panda Chant
FREDERIC RZEWSKI: Coming Together
ALEXANDER SCRIABIN: Mysterium (realized by: Valitutto and Carey)
curated and conceived of by: Kallmyer and Rountree
created by: Rountree, Kallmyer, Carey, Valitutto

Musicians:

Erin McKibben, Flute
Brian Walsh, clarinets / saxophones
Richard Valitutto, keyboard / melodica
Andrew Tholl, violin
Adrianne Pope, violin
Carson Rick, viola
Derek Stein, cello
Stephen Pfeifer, bass
Jodie Landau, percussion / voice
Matt Cook, percussion
Chris Kallmyer, guitar
Chris Rountree, artistic director / conductor

LA Percussion Quartet

Saturday, August 27, 5:00-6:00pm

Grammy-nominated LA Percussion Quartet performs newly commissioned music by Ellen Reid, Daniel Bjarnason, Kevin Volans, and a west-coast premiere by Matt McBane for triangle quartet.

"mesmerizing.., colorful, atmospheric and...supremely melodic music." -New York Times

Musicians:

Matthew Cook, Justin DeHart, Cory Hills, and Nick Terry

Program:

Daniel Bjarnason: Qui Tollis (2013)
Matt McBane: Triangles in the Shape of a Square (2016)
       West Coast Premiere
Ellen Reid: Fear | Release (2015)
Kevin Volans: Four Marimbas (2016) 

wild Up perform WEST. 

Saturday, August 27, 8:00-9:15pm

One of the country’s hottest young musical collectives performs an orchestral study of west coast experimentalism, pulse music, noise, punk rock, Los Angeles, and tumbleweeds. Featuring works by Ennio Morricone, Andrew Tholl and Nick Deyoe.

“A raucous, grungy, irresistibly exuberant...fun-loving, exceptionally virtuosic family” -New York Times

Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith 

Saturday, August 27, 10:00-11:00pm

Synthesist, singer and composer Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith performs a set featuring music for her latest critically-acclaimed release, EARS.

“The West Coast singer and producer mixes meditative synths with organic instrumentation to create a beautifully bespoke sound world.” -Pitchfork

Read Pitchfork profile

HOCKET 

Sunday, August 28, 1:00-2:00pm

LA-based contemporary piano duo HOCKET comprised of composer-pianists Sarah Gibson and Thomas Kotcheff, performs recent works written for the group including world premieres by Alexander Elliott Miller and Michael Laurello, plus their arrangements of Aphex Twin’s Avril 14th and Nanou 2,

“Their teamwork was exemplary, their playing was a delight... They not only showed a commitment to the music, but to communicating with each other.” -San Diego Union-Tribune

Richard Valitutto, Justine Aronson and gnarwhallaby
Part of the wild up invasion

Sunday, August 28, 2:30-4:00pm

wild Up musicians, pianist Richard Valitutto, soprano Justine Aronson and ensemble gnarwhallaby share a bill for a concert of new works.

Richard Valitutto: “quietly dazzling,” and “vigorously virtuosic” -Los Angeles Times

Justine Aronson: “a deep reservoire of expressive devices to fill the jagged score
with life and dread." -New York Times

Program:

2:30-3:00pm
Richard Valitutto
Katharina Rosenberger :: ahom (2002)
Richard Valitutto :: papier-mâché (2015-16) 
Chaya Czernowin :: fardanceCLOSE (2012) 
Michael Finnissy :: from Gershwin Arrangements (1975-88) 

Justine Aronson and Richard Valitutto
Amy Beth Kirsten :: To See What I See (2006) 
Thomas Adès :: Life Story, Op. 8b (1994)

3:30-4:00pm
gnarwhallaby
Adriana Hölszky :: Avance: impulsions mécaniques (1997) 
Morton Feldman :: Half a minute, it’s all I’ve time for (1972)
Nicholas Deyoe :: Lullaby 4 (2013) 

Namaad Trio

Sunday, August 28, 7:00-8:00pm

Namaad Trio featuring Kourosh Taghavi on Setar, Naser Sheikhzadegan on Oud, and Milad Jahadi on Tombak and Daf perform a set of traditional Persian classical music.

Program:

Selection of traditional Persian classical music to be announced from stage.

Musicians:

Nourish Taghavi: Setar
Naser Sheikhzadegan: Oud
Milad Javadi: Tombak and Daf