Grammy® nominated pianist Aron Kallay‘s playing has been called “exquisite…every sound sounded considered, alive, worthy of our wonder” (LA Times). “Perhaps Los Angeles’ most versatile keyboardist,” (LaOpus) Aron has been praised as possessing “that special blend of intellect, emotion, and overt physicality that makes even the thorniest scores simply leap from the page into the listeners laps.” (KPFK) Aron’s performances often integrate technology, video, and alternate tunings; Fanfare magazine described him as “a multiple threat: a great pianist, brainy tech wizard, and visionary promoter of a new musical practice.”
Aron has performed throughout the United States and abroad and is a fixture on the Los Angeles new-music scene. He is the co-founder and board president of People Inside Electronics (PIE), a concert series dedicated to classical electroacoustic music, the managing director of MicroFest, Los Angeles’ annual festival of microtonal music, and the co-directer of the underground new-music concert series Tuesdays@MONK Space. He is also the co-director of MicroFest Records, whose first release, John Cage: The Ten Thousand Things, was nominated for a Grammy® award for Best Chamber Music Performance. Aron has upcoming recordings on MicroFest, Cold Blue, and Populist records. In addition to his solo work, Aron is currently a member of the Pierrot + percussion ensemble Brightwork newmusic, the Varied Trio, an`d the Ray-Kallay Duo. He is on the faculty of the University of Southern California and Chapman University.
More info: http://aronkallay.com
Sound and image share the ability to transcend culture and express the highest truths about the conditions of the human experience. Edward Steichen’s 1955 exhibition, “
Noa Even and Phil Pierick formed Ogni Suono in 2009 to expand and promote contemporary music for saxophone duo. They collaborate regularly with composers and other performers, presenting diverse programs to a wide range of audiences across the United States and abroad. Notable international performances include a residency at Western University in Ontario and appearances at the inaugural Singapore Saxophone Symposium and at the 16th World Saxophone Congress in Scotland. They have also performed in Houston, Boston, New York, Baltimore and throughout the Midwest.
With the precision and flexibility of modern chamber musicians, Quince Contemporary Vocal Ensemble specializes in experimental repertoire that is changing the paradigm of contemporary vocal music. Described as “a new force of vocal excellence and innovation” by The Brooklyn Rail, Quince continually pushes the boundaries of traditional vocal ensemble literature.
Kathleen Supové is one of America’s most acclaimed and versatile contemporary music pianists, known for continually redefining what a pianist/keyboardist/performance artist is, in today’s world. After winning top prizes in the Gaudeamus International Competition for Interpretation of Contemporary Music, she began her career as a guest artist at the prestigious Darmstadt Festival in Germany. Since then, Ms. Supové has annually presented a series of solo concerts entitled THE EXPLODING PIANO. In this series, she has performed and premiered works by a list of established and emerging composers that’s a Who’s Who of contemporary music for piano. She has especially championed music of compelling virtuosity and audience connection. In recent seasons, she has developed The Exploding Piano into a multimedia experience by using electronics, theatrical elements, vocal rants, performance art, staging, and collaboration with artists from other disciplines. She is involvled in an ongoing project of commissioning a repertoire of pieces for piano and electronics.
Through a combination of original music, improvisation and collaboration with leading composers of his generation, percussion soloist Owen Weaver’s “intensely focused” (Gramophone) performances combine the forces of rhythm, noise, beauty and stasis while seeking the musical potential in everyday life. He uses recycled objects, home made instruments and electronic sounds to construct a kaleidoscopic sound world ranging from the visceral to sublime, clangorous to hypnotic. To that end he has appeared twice in the NYC-based Wordless Music Series as well as the MATA Interval Series, Fast Forward Austin, Hartford New Music Festival, two Nonclassical Records SXSW official showcases and National Public Radio’s All Songs Considered.
Synchromy is a composers’ collaborative producing engaging new music events that foster greater understanding and connections between the people of Los Angeles, elevating the presence of the music being created here and around the world.
Milky Way or Galaxy are translations of the traditional Korean word that is also the first name of flutist Meerenai Shim. Pronounced “me-ren-ay,” the unusual name befits this unique performer and teacher.
Brooklyn based pianist Karl Larson is a specialist in the music of our time, consistently presenting adventurous programs. Karl has premiered many solo piano and chamber pieces, including substantial works by David Rakowski, Ken Thomson, Robert Honstein, Chris Cerrone, and Ravi Kittappa. He is also well versed in the modern canon, having presented concerts featuring the music of Olivier Messiaen, Morton Feldman, Pierre Boulez, and György Ligeti. Recent performances of note include Morton Feldman’s Triadic Memories, John Cage’s HPSCHD, and Tristan Perich’s Dual Synthesis for harpsichord and one-bit electronics.
Formed in 2009, line upon line percussion is committed to seeking new ways for percussion instruments to advance contemporary music. To date, the ensemble has commissioned and premiered 8 new works for percussion with 13 additional works currently in the collaborative process. In 2011, the Austin-based trio released a disc of commissioned, homegrown music and premiered their award winning project, seeing times are not hidden, a site-specific work for custom chimes. April 2013 brought the North American premiere of Hugues Dufourt’s massive, evening-length masterpiece, Erewhon.