A home for new and unusual music from all corners of the classical genre, brought to you by the power of public media. Second Inversion is a service of Classical KING FM 98.1.
re·create percussion performs live on Classical KING FM 98.1 on Friday, Sept. 20 from 8-9pm PT. Click here to tune in from anywhere in the world.
re·create percussion is an ensemble on a mission. With mallets in hand, the duo serves up well-crafted and sparkling performances on marimba and vibraphone that range from reimagined classics to bold new compositions (and even a few pop arrangements).
You can find the duo, which consists of Rebekah Ko and Storm Benjamin, performing at a wide variety of new music events around the region, such as the recent Good Vibes Only concert in Washington Hall or with the Seattle-based Sound Ensemble. Whether as part of a larger ensemble or as a duo, re·create has been active in sharing their love of percussion music with their community and find ways to bring new listeners into the fold. Since their founding in 2017, the duo has brought energy, skill, and elegance to repertoire ranging from Steve Reich to Ed Sheeran.
This Friday at 8pm PT, we’re lucky to have the dynamic duo in the KING FM studios on NW Focus LIVE, where they’ll be treating us to a program featuring Ivan Trevino’s entrancing “2+1,” Anders Koppel’s lively Toccata for Vibraphone and Marimba, Ryan Elvert’s evocative “Ocean Dances” (written specifically for the duo), a reimagined Ed Sheeran classic, and an original re·create composition. Click here to tune in.
“Ominous funk” is the expression marking at the beginning of David Lang’s score for Cheating, Lying, Stealing.
It’s an apt descriptor for a pulsing piece of post-minimalism that owes about as much to rock music as it does the classical tradition. The piece has an immediacy that’s hard to shake, and its infectious off-kilter groove is heightened by its unusual instrumentation: cello, bass clarinet, piano, marimba, and some triangles and car parts for percussion.
We’re thrilled to premiere our exclusive in-studio video of the piece, performed by an all-star cast of Seattle musicians: cellist Rose Bellini, clarinetist Rachel Yoder, pianist Brooks Tran, and percussionists Melanie Sehman, Storm Benjamin, and Kerry O’Brien.
For more performances by percussionists Melanie Sehman, Storm Benjamin, and Kerry O’Brien, check out Good Vibes Only this Friday, Aug. 30 at Washington Hall.
byMaggie MolloyThe Westerlies. From left: Chloe Rowlands, Riley Mulherkar, Willem de Koch, Andy Clausen.
An old English ballad gets a brassy new spin in the Westerlies’ rendition of “Saro,” which borrows from an arrangement by Nico Muhly and Sam Amidon.
The tune, which dates back to the 18th century, is timeless in its bittersweet melody and melancholy lyrics—the wrenching memory of a love just out of reach. Yet the Westerlies capture the tune’s heartache and spin it into hope without using any words at all, their radiant melodies and hymn-like harmonies telling a new tale of the poor man and his pretty Saro.
We’re thrilled to premiere our in-studio video of the Westerlies performing “Saro.”
byMaggie MolloySeattle Symphony’s [untitled] series takes place in the lobby of Benaroya Hall.
Second 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!
Keep an eye out for our 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, please submit your event to the Live Music Project at least six weeks prior to the event and tag it with “new music.”
Wayward Music Series Concerts of contemporary composition, free improvisation, electroacoustic music, and sonic experiments. This month: soaring voices, shamanic rituals, and music from beyond the margins. Various days, 7:30/8pm, Good Shepherd Chapel | $5-$15
Kin of the Moon: Wander and Wail Taiko drums and Chinese tea ceremonies are among the inspirations behind two innovative new compositions by Leanna Keith. Kin of the Moon performs them both alongside Kaley Lane Eaton’s new work, which features ultra-soprano Emily Thorner in an exploration of the voice as a conduit for expressing ancestral trauma. Learn more in our interview with the composers. Sat, 6/1, 8pm, Good Shepherd Chapel | $5-$15
Seattle Girls Choir: Unsung Voices Women composers across history are celebrated in this concert ranging from the hymns of Hildegard von Bingen to the art songs of Clara Schumann. Plus: hear music from contemporary Pacific Northwest composers like Joan Szymko, Karen P. Thomas, Jessica French, and Carol Sams. Sat, 6/1, 8pm, Chapel of St. Ignatius at Seattle University | $5-$15
Seattle Symphony: Gabrielli & Clarke Two recently uncovered chamber works by Rebecca Clarke (only made available to the public in the last decade) are highlighted on this program alongside mesmerizing works by Domenico Gabrielli, Einojuhani Rautavaara, and more. Sun, 6/2, 5pm, Octave 9 | $35
Seattle Symphony: [untitled] 3 The elegant art songs of Schubert and Schumann are reimagined with the rawness of early 20th century cabaret in Reinbert de Leeuw’s pastiche song cycle Im wunderschönen Monat Mai. Sarah Ioannides conducts this riveting melodrama starring soprano Maria Männistö. Fri, 6/7, 10pm, Benaroya Hall | $16
Seattle Modern Orchestra: Britten War Requiem Benjamin Britten’s harrowing War Requiem is brought to life in this concert collaboration between the Seattle Modern Orchestra and the UW Symphony Orchestra and Choirs. Members of the Seattle Girls’ Choir, Seattle Chamber Singers, and guest soloists also perform. Fri, 6/7, 7:30pm, Meany Hall | $10-$15
Seattle Peace Chorus: ‘Canto General’ Chilean poet Pablo Neruda’s epic hymn to South America, Canto General, is set to music by Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis and brought to life by the Seattle Peace Chorus, accompanied by flutes, plucked strings, and a wide array of percussion. Sat, 6/8, 7:30pm, Town Hall Seattle | $20-$27
Northwest Chamber Chorus: ‘Lux Aeterna’ A Pacific Northwest native, Morten Lauridsen’s choral works are often inspired by the radiant natural landscapes of our region. His Lux Aeterna explores another type of light: it was written in honor of his late mother, who first introduced him to music. Sat, 6/8, 7:30pm, University Congregational United Church of Christ | $20 Sun, 6/9, 2pm, University Congregational United Church of Christ | $20
Seattle Symphony: Bolcom, Jolley, Poteat, & Hausmann Seattle’s innovative new music scene is showcased in this concert featuring Seattle Symphony musicians performing music of local composers. Immersive new works by Angelique Poteat and Jérémy Jolley explore the possibilities of timbre while William Bolcom’s Afternoon Cakewalk harkens back to an earlier musical time. Tues, 6/11, 7:30pm, Octave 9 | $20
Ancora Choir: In Her Own Words Celebrating the legacy of writers and thinkers ranging from Emily Dickinson to Anne Frank and Susan B. Anthony, this choral concert serves not only to raise women’s voices but also to share their visions for a world of peace, equality, and justice. Sat, 6/15, 4pm, Green Lake Church of Seventh Day Adventists | $5-$20
Seattle Modern Orchestra: ‘Mouthpieces’ The line between human voice and man-made instrument starts to blur in Erin Gee’s ongoing collection Mouthpieces. Instruments mirror, mimic, and expand upon her extended vocal sounds to form a kind of “super-mouth” that moves far beyond the physical limitations of a single voice. Sat, 6/15, 8pm, Good Shepherd Chapel | $10-$25
Town Music: Bach to Bates From the hallowed music of J.S. Bach to the modern electronic masterworks of Mason Bates, Town Music ends its season with an exploration of what connects old and new classical music. Fri, 6/21, 7:30pm, Town Hall Seattle | $20
Sound of Late: Let the Light Enter The intersections of poetry and music are explored in this concert of rarely-performed chamber works by Eve Beglarian, Tina Davidson, Shawn E. Okpebholo, Evan Williams, and Anthony R. Green. Sat, 6/29, 8pm, Good Shepherd Chapel | $5-$15
Ultra-soprano Emily Thorner performs this weekend with Kin of the Moon.
Three world premieres make up the concert program for Kin of the Moon’s next performance this Saturday at the Good Shepherd Chapel.
Kaley Lane Eaton’s FUNERAL SENTENCES FOR DAMAGED CELLS, written for and performed by ultra-soprano Emily Thorner, explores the voice as a conduit for expressing transgenerational trauma. It’s paired with two new works by Leanna Keith inspired by taiko drumming and Chinese tea ceremonies, respectively.
In this audio interview, Kaley and Leanna talk about their new premieres, about how Kin of the Moon came to be, and—most importantly—about crows.
Audio production by Dacia Clay. Audio engineer: Nikhil Sarma.
Kin of the Moon and Emily Thorner perform this Saturday, June 1 at 8pm at the Good Shepherd Chapel. For more information, click here.
