New Music Concerts: October 2016 Seattle * Eastside * Tacoma

SI_button2Second Inversion and the Live Music Project create a monthly calendar featuring contemporary classical, cross-genre, and experimental performances in Seattle, the Eastside, Tacoma, and places in between! 

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Keep an eye out for our this flyer in concert programs and coffee shops around town. Feel free to download, print, and distribute it yourself! If you’d like to be included on this list drop us a line at least 6 weeks prior to the event.

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Racer Sessions
A weekly showcase of original music with a jam session based on the concepts in the opening presentation.
Every Sunday, 8-10pm, Cafe Racer | FREE

Wayward Music Series
Concerts of contemporary composition, free improvisation, electronic/electroacoustic music, & more.
Various days, 7:30/8pm, Good Shepherd Chapel | $5-$15
Check website for complete listings

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Chorosynthesis: New Choral Music Reading Session & Happy Hour
A 3-hour reading session of “hot-off-the-press” choral works from Chorosynthesis’ call for scores, centered on themes of social justice. Happy Hour to follow.
Sun, 10/2, 1pm, UW School Music Room 213 | Free

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Town Music at Town Hall: Duos
Musical wunderkinds Caroline Goulding, violin & Joshua Roman, cello present a program of duos by Handel-Halvorsen, Kodály, & Ravel.
Wed, 10/5, 7:30pm, Town Hall | $10-20

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Cursive Presents: Imagist Alchemy
Rarely heard American works inspired by the Imagist poetry movement, a world premiere by Peter Nelson-King, and the first performance in 80+ years of George William Thomas’s In a Garden.
Thu, 10/6, 7:30pm, Kenyon Hall | $5-$14

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The Esoterics: WILDE: Like silhouettes against the sky
New music set to Oscar Wilde poems by Kenji Oh, Casey Rule, & Gordon Williamson (2016 POLYPHONOS competition winners) plus new works by Dominick DiOrio & Eric Banks.
Fri, 10/7, 8pm, St Stephen’s Episcopal Church | $15-25
Sat, 10/8, 8pm, Holy Rosary Catholic Church | $15-25
Sun, 10/9, 7pm, Christ Episcopal Church, Tacoma | $15-25

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Early Music Guild Presents Chanticleer
Chanticleer offers an evening of hope through compelling acapella works ranging from Renaissance master Thomas Morley to contemporary Paul Simon.
Sat, 10/8, 7:30pm, Nordstrom Recital Hall | $26 under 35; $46 general
Sun, 10/9, 2:30pm, Nordstrom Recital Hall | $26 under 35; $46 general

11/13
Loop 2.4.3 Percussion
Hear the Northwest premiere of Time-Machine_music by Thomas Kozumplik featuring the chamber ensemble Loop 2.4.3, with original video projections.
Tue, 10/11, 7pm, Old Town Slavonian Hall, Tacoma | Free
Thurs, 10/13, 8pm, Good Shepherd Chapel | $5-15

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Seattle Rock Orchestra performs Pink Floyd
SRO pays tribute to psychedelic rock pioneers Pink Floyd with a retrospective that features The Piper At the Gates of Dawn, The Wall, & The Dark Side of the Moon.
Sat, 10/15, 7pm, Auburn Performing Arts Center | $22 student/senior; $25 general

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Seattle Rock Orchestra performs David Bowie
SRO pays honor to David Bowie with a program that explores his early glam years as Ziggy Stardust and culminates with a string of dance hits from his middle and late career.
Sat, 10/22, 7:30pm, Kirkland Performance Center | $40

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Frequency: Debut Concert
This dynamic new chamber ensemble (Saeunn Thorsteinsdottir, Melia Watras, & Michael Jinsoo Lim) presents interconnected works by Beethoven, Janacek & Watras.
Sun, 10/23, 7:30pm, Meany Hall | $10 student/senior; $20 general

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Music of Today: Eighty and Ninety: Stuart Dempster and Bill Smith
UW Music celebrates 50 years of collaborative music-making by two beloved faculty all-stars: Stuart Dempster & William O. Smith, turning 80 and 90 in 2016.
Wed, 10/26, 7:30pm, Meany Hall | $10 student; $15 general

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Seattle Symphony: [untitled] 1
Captivating and remarkable worlds of sound: Two landmark works by Lutosławski (Chantefleurs et Chantefables & Chain 1) alongside Polish composer/singer Agata Zubel’s Chapter 13.
Fri, 10/28, 10pm, Benaroya Hall Lobby | $16

28-29
Universal Language Project: Crowning Day
A new work by Marcus Oldham work focusing on racial reconciliation through the eyes of a NC plantation through the centuries. Featuring Skyros Quartet.
Fri, 10/28, 8pm, Resonance at SOMA Towers | $20
Sat, 10/29, 8pm, Velocity Dance Center | $20

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The Sound Ensemble: In Nature’s Realm
A program full of music inspired by nature, including susurrus by John Teske, songbirdsongs by John Luther Adams, Hrim by Anna Thorvaldsdottir & more.
Sat, 10/29, 7pm, Good Shepherd Chapel | $10 student/senior; $15 general

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Live Music Project presents: Dead Music Project
A Halloween benefit concert featuring new works that channel long-dead composers.Enjoy music by (very much alive) Seattle composers Spencer Arias, Kaley Lane Eaton, Aaron Grad, and Michaud Savage.
Sun, 10/30, 7pm, Steinway Piano Gallery of Seattle | $10-$25 suggested donation

From John Cage to Afro-Cuban Jazz: Concerts You Do NOT Want to Miss This Season

by Maggie Molloy

Ahh, fall. The leaves are changing, the rain is sprinkling, the sky is cloudy, and the pumpkin spice marketing is in full swing. Those hot summer days are finally behind us and we’re back to our familiar, cozy, flannel-covered fall in Seattle. After all, October is a time for new beginnings, new adventures, and—most importantly—new music.

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Seattle’s 2016-2017 concert season is jam-packed with fresh new music of every shape, style, and structure (or lack thereof). From John Cage to Afro-Cuban jazz,  Astor Piazzolla to Andy Warhol, Benjamin Britten to Brazilian poetry—there is something for everyone. Here are some of our top picks for the season:

On Stage with KING FM: Second Inversion is thrilled to host two concerts this year as part of the second season of On Stage with Classical KING FM! In March, we’ll present the Seattle Marimba Quartet with an eclectic program of classical favorites, modern marimba repertoire, and interactive drumming rhythms drawing from Afro-Cuban, Brazilian, and African musical traditions.

Then in May, back by popular demand, we present the Seattle Rock Orchestra Quintet with the mesmerizing Tamara Power-Drutis for a program that transforms pop songs into art songs, reimagining both classic and modern tunes as intimate chamber works for the recital hall. Check out our videos from last season for a sneak-peek of what you can expect.

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Seattle Symphony: Ditch the conventional concert-going experience of strict seating, fancy attire, and three-hour long performances with Seattle Symphony’s [Untitled] concert series. This season you can catch landmark works by Witold Lutosławski (arguably Poland’s most innovative composer since Chopin), drench yourself in the dramatic soundscapes of Polish composer and singer Agata Zubel, explore the wide-ranging musical styles of Soviet era composers, and even enter into the twisted worlds of two of America’s most confounding cultural icons: pop artist Andy Warhol and jazz pianist Thelonious Monk.

And speaking of jazz: Seattle Symphony will also co-present their annual Sonic Evolution concert with Earshot Jazz this November. Grace Love and the Garfield High School Jazz Band join the symphony for an evening celebrating two extraordinary Seattle musicians: the incomparable composer and record producer Quincy Jones and the legendary blues singer Ernestine Anderson, both of whom attended Garfield High School.

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Meany Center for the Performing Arts: Formerly known as the UW World Series, Meany Center is still just as committed as ever to bringing music from around the world to their Seattle stage. In November, they’ll feature the Grammy-nominated Imani Winds quintet, known around the globe for their dynamic playing, culturally conscious programming, and adventurous collaborations. Argentine tango composer Astor Piazzolla, Cuban-born jazz saxophonist Paquito D’Rivera, and Palestinian-American oud and violin virtuoso Simon Shaheen are just a few of the composers listed on this program.

In January, the New York-based Jack Quartet presents an evening of composed and improvised music along with visiting artists from the internationally acclaimed Six Tones Ensemble and UW School of Music faculty members Richard Karpen, Juan Pampin, Cuong Vu, and Ted Poor. And if you can’t make it to these concerts, don’t sweat—Second Inversion will be broadcasting them live on our online stream.

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John Cage Musicircus: Come one, come all to the John Cage Musicircus this November 19! This multimedia concert “happening” features over over 60 musicians, dancers, performance artists, and poets simultaneously performing pieces from Cage’s expansive body of work, including the Sonatas and Interludes for prepared piano, In a Landscape for (unprepared) piano, Child of Tree for amplified cactus, Third Construction for unorthodox percussion instruments, Cartridge Music for amplified small sounds, 45’ For A Speaker for spoken voice, and much more!

Performers will be stationed all over Town Hall, with audience members encouraged to explore how the sonic and visual experience shifts as they wander freely throughout the building. Plus, Second Inversion’s own Maggie Molloy will present the pre-concert lecture, perform two piano works, and distribute free copies of her John Cage Diary series as a zine for audience members to take home!

john-cage-musicircusNorth Corner Chamber Orchestra: Celebrate those cozy winter nights with NOCCO’s annual Solstice Celebration, this year featuring the music of Stravinsky, Respighi, Bach, and Seattle composer Angelique Poteat. Then in February for Black History Month, NOCCO performs a program featuring a newly commissioned work by local composer Hanna Brenn and performance artist C. Davida Ingram alongside classics by two Pulitzer Prize-winning African American composers: Scott Joplin and George Walker. And in April, their season wraps up with a brand new world premiere by NOCCO’s principal clarinetist and composer, Sean Osborn, along with well-loved works by Rossini and Haydn.

noccoSeattle Modern Orchestra: These guys are starting their season off with a bang: three new premieres by living composers. First, a U.S. premiere by Lithuanian composer Vykintas Baltakas, then a West Coast premiere by German composer Wolfgang Rihm, followed by a world premiere by American composer Andrew Waggoner featuring Grammy-winning guest pianist Gloria Cheng.

The rest of the season features cutting-edge collaborations with University of Washington’s Solaris Vocal Ensemble and the Paris-based clarinetist Carol Robinson, a world premiere by SMO co-artistic director Jérémy Jolley, the 80th birthday of legendary Seattle trombonist Stuart Dempster, the 90th birthday of renowned Seattle clarinetist and composer William O. “Bill” Smith, and the centennial celebration of American composer Robert Erickson.

gloria-chengUniversal Language Project: ULP is back for another season of interdisciplinary and out-of-the-box collaborations between 21st century musicians and artists of all disciplines. In October: a multi-media work by Marcus Oldham about racial reconciliation (featuring Second Inversion regulars the Skyros Quartet). In January, composer Chris Stover showcases his works for chamber jazz ensemble featuring spoken word, found sounds, and dance inspired by Brazilian poets. Then in March, the season wraps up with a surreal, outer space-inspired performance featuring artist Erin Jorgensen with local musicians, the overtones of her 5-octave marimba merging with intimate whispering and beautifully minimal music in a small stab towards enlightenment.

erin-jorgensenEmerald City Music: Now in its inaugural season, Emerald City Music is on a mission to make classical chamber music accessible to broader audiences in Seattle and Olympia. And they’re not wasting any time: their inaugural season features 45 renowned guest artists from around the world. Each of the concerts offers a uniquely thematic glimpse into the chamber music repertory, featuring classical masterworks and newly composed music alike. Bookended by concerts featuring familiar works by Bach and Beethoven, this year you can also expand your classical music palette with cutting-edge performances of works by the likes of Henri Dutilleux, Thomas Adès, Benjamin Britten, Bohuslav Martinů, Percy Grainger, David Schiff, Per Nørgård, Ryan Francis, Thomas Koppel, and more.

dover-quartetTown Music Series: Curated by Second Inversion Artistic Advisor Joshua Roman, the Town Music Series programs cutting-edge and virtuosic chamber works which bring together the best of old and new classical traditions. Their 2016-2017 season kicks off with cellist Joshua Roman joined by violinist Caroline Goulding for an evening of dynamic duets by Halvorsen, Kodály, and Ravel. Stay tuned for details on the rest of the season!

joshua-romanWayward Music Series: If you’ve got wayward or otherwise unconventional music taste, the Wayward Music Series will keep you satiated all year long. Check their online calendar or subscribe to their newsletter for specifics on upcoming events, which span the new music gamut from contemporary classical to the outer limits of jazz, electroacoustic experiments to explorations of the avant-garde, eccentric instruments to unorthodox sound art, multimedia collaborations and much more.

wayward-music-seriesThese are just a handful of the new music happenings we’re most looking forward to this season—for more up-to-the-minute details on experimental, avant-garde, and otherwise unconventional music events around the Northwest, check out Second Inversion’s full event calendar!