Program will be streamed at https://www.facebook.com/SPLICEorg/live_videos/
Concert 3 Program
Alexandra Gardner : Cypress
Kyle Jones, baritone saxophone
Francis Favis, mastering
Nathan Nokes, recording engineer
Mary Lou Williams : Roll 'Em
Mark Micchelli, piano and toy piano
Christopher Poovey : Hypoxia
Robin Meiksins, flute
Robin Meiksins, editing and mastering
Caroline Louise Miller : Spelunking
Sam Wells, trumpet
Caroline Louise Miller, electronics
Michael Flynn : Smells Like Green Noa Even, saxophone
Schuette<>Sommerfeldt Duo : Improvisation
Schuette<>Sommerfeldt Duo:
Paul Schuette, synthesizer
Jerod Sommerfeldt, synthesizer
Schuette<>Sommerfeldt Duo, production
Jean-François Charles : Petrified
Will Yager, double bass
Jean-François Charles, live electronics
James Edel and Chris Jensen, videography and audio recording/editing/mastering
SPLICE Festival IV is supported by a State-of-the-Art Conference Grant from the Office of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost.
Notes
Alexandra Gardner : CypressCypress for baritone saxophone and soundtrack is the 13th work in my series of compositions for solo instrument with electronics. As is my habit with these pieces, the two parts are woven together into an aural landscape of shifting rhythms and textures based upon the sonic material of the acoustic instrument. The electronic part of Cypress is comprised entirely of acoustic saxophone sounds, some of which are easily identifiable, and others of which have been processed into completely different forms using a variety of software tools.
The cypress tree is considered a symbol of both mourning and immortality in many cultures and makes appearances in legends from Greek mythology to Christianity. It has often been planted to mark graveyards, with the idea that its straight, tall stature helps guide departed souls towards heaven.
This work is also part of my saxophone quartet Tides. I wanted a complete movement of that work dedicated exclusively to the instrument's capacity for warmth, strength, and agility. back to program
Mary Lou Williams : Roll 'Em
Roll ‘Em is a boogie-woogie standard that Williams originally wrote for the Benny Goodman Orchestra, though she also recorded the tune a number of times with piano trio. My somewhat maximalist take on the tune is also inspired by the player piano music of Conlon Nancarrow, relating the I-V-IV foundation of the blues progression to the 2:1, 3:2, and 4:3 tempo relationships that frequently characterize his works. back to program
Christopher Poovey : Hypoxia
Hypoxia originally came about as a flute study I created as an attempt to use timbrel descriptors to drive processing in an interesting and intuitive fashion for a performer. Often in music with live electronics, pieces are guilty of using a high number of either pre-baked tracks or carefully manipulated automation which feign true interaction and often, as an unintended result, make performing electronic music very difficult for a performer. I, being quite guilty of the latter, often found my piece having an obscene rate of cues driving the live processing in my patches. Using tumbrel descriptors gets rid of a number of these issues as they can be used to create classifiers for different types of sound which can then either trigger events and manipulate effects. Originally the flute study was intended to be a compositional etude, but I enjoyed the sonic world it created, so I re-wrote the score and revised the electronic to create Hypoxia.
Note: despite the performance centric model of the electronics, the title Hypoxia refers to the sensation the flute player may or may not be experiencing while performing this piece. back to program
Caroline Louise Miller : Spelunking The soundscapes and improvisation in Spelunking are inspired by spaces found in caves: a bottomless pit, strange geological and crystal formations, underground lakes, beams of light from the surface, and ancient electrical infrastructure. back to program
Schuette<>Sommerfeldt Duo : Improvisation We believe in making freely improvised music with modular synthesizers because as instruments they are dependent upon interconnected yet entropic networks which magnify the idea that . . . “Improvisation is a game that the mind plays with itself, in which an idea is allowed to enter the playing field, in order to be kicked around in pleasing patterns for a moment before being substituted by another idea. The first idea is unintentional, an error, a wrong note, a fumble in which the ball is momentarily lost, a momentary surfacing of an unconscious impulse normally kept under cover. The play to which it is subjected is the graceful recovery of the fumbled ball, a second ‘wrong’ note that makes the first one seem right, the justification for allowing the idea to be expressed in the first place.” “Improvisation tells us: Anything is possible - anything can be change - now.” -Frederic Rzewski And we need this reminder more than ever. back to program Jean-François Charles : Petrified Petrified is a reflection on the plastic nature of stones and rocks. The different states of the piece include Explosion, Ebullition, Expansion, Erosion, Effusion and Eruption.
Bios
Praised as "highly lyrical and provocative of thought" (San Francisco Classical Voice) and "mesmerizing" (The New York Times), the music of composer Alexandra Gardner mixes acoustic instruments with electronics, blending lyricism, rhythmic exploration, textural constructions, and a love of sonic storytelling.Alexandra's compositions are performed around the world, including at the Aspen Music Festival, Beijing Modern Festival, Centro de Cultura Contemporania de Barcelona, Festival Cervantino, Grand Teton Music Festival, and the Warsaw Autumn Festival. Her music has been commissioned and performed by acclaimed ensembles and musicians such as cellist Joshua Roman, Percussions de Barcelona, pianist Jenny Lin, and the Seattle Symphony.
Among Alexandra's awards are recognitions from American Composers Forum, ASCAP, Maryland State Arts Council, The Netherland-America Foundation, and the Smithsonian Institution. She has held residencies at the Atlantic Center for the Arts, Harvestworks, Liz Lerman Dance Exchange, The MacDowell Colony, and the Institut Universitari de l'Audiovisual in Barcelona, Spain. back to program
Kyle Jones, saxophonist, is a performer, teacher, and new music advocate whose natural curiosity towards music leads him to challenge the parameters of his craft. Kyle is continuously working to make his art more approachable by seeking out unusual performance venues, collaborating with artists in other mediums, and dismantling long-standing barriers between performers and audience-members.
Recently, he has been involved in a commissioning project with Dr. Nathan Mertens, centered around Queer identity with composers Anthony R. Green and Michael Gilbertson. Kyle was also chosen as the winner of the 2018 Sarah and Ernest Butler Winds, Brass, and Percussion Concerto Competition, held at the University of Texas-Austin. In addition to his performing activities, Kyle serves as a Co-Director for Fast Forward Austin and publicist/core member of Less Than <10. data-preserve-html-node="true" He holds degrees from The University of Texas-Austin, Peabody Conservatory, and East Tennessee State University back to program
Mark Micchelli is a pianist, composer, technologist, and scholar whose work bounces between the jazz and new music worlds. Recent projects include developing software applications for a wearable motion sensor, arranging a set of jazz standards for piano and electronics, and compiling a detailed analysis of Cecil Taylor’s solo piano music. Mark is currently pursing his PhD at the University of Pittsburgh, where he splits his time between the Jazz Studies and Composition/Theory departments. back to program
Christopher Poovey (b. 1993) is a composer and creative coder based in Dallas Texas who creates music and software which produce rich and colorful sound and encourages interactive structures. Christopher’s music has been played by members of Ensemble Mise-en, the University of North Texas Nova Ensemble, Indiana University's New Music Ensemble, and Indiana University Brass Choir. Christopher’s pieces have been presented at conferences such as the Society for Electro-Acoustic Music in the United States, the International Computer Music Association, the New York City Electronic Music Festival, the Soul International Computer Music Festival, Inner SoundScapes, and the National Student Electronic Music Event. In addition to his reconditions, Christopher he has taken courses at the Institut de Recherche et Coordination Acoustique/Musique, at Princeton University in the Só Percussion Summer Institute, and has attended a residency at the Atlantic Center for the Arts. Christopher currently holds a master’s degree in music composition from University of North Texas as has a bachelor of music in composition at Indiana University. He is currently perusing a PhD in music composition from University of North Texas with a focus in computer music.
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Robin Meiksins is a freelance contemporary flutist focused on collaboration with living composers. Chicago-based, she uses the Internet and online media to support and create collaboration. In 2017, Robin completed her first year-long collaborative project, 365 Days of Flute. Each day featured a different work; each video was recorded and posted the same day. In 2018, Robin launched the 52 Weeks of Flute Project. Each week features different living composer to workshop a submitted work, culminating in a performance on YouTube. Robin has premiered over 100 works and has performed at SPLICE Institute, the SEAMUS national conference, and Oh My Ears New Music Festival 2018, she was a guest artist at University of Illinois for their first annual ’24-Hour Compose-a-thon.’ Robin holds a masters degree from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music where she studied with Kate Lukas and Thomas Robertello. back to program
Caroline Louise Miller’s practice explores affect, tactility, biomusic, and the materiality of digital production. She often works with electronics, theatrical elements, and sonic worlds that bridge genres. Her most current project is a concert-installation with Alarm Will Sound and video artist Stefani Byrd that explores intersections of movement, stasis, and desire with abandoned industrial structures. Caroline’s music appears across the U.S. and internationally, and she has most recently been honored with grants and awards from Chamber Music America, the Matt Marks Impact Fund, Transient Canvas, and Guerilla Opera. In 2018 she won the ISB/David Walter composition competition for Hydra Nightingale, created with improvisor/bassist Kyle Motl. Caroline also works as a curator, and organized multimedia concerts at the Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography between 2012–2017. In 2019 she launched concerts focused on science-fiction and post-humanist themes. She holds a Ph.D in Music from UC San Diego, and will be Assistant Professor of Sonic Arts at Portland State University beginning in winter 2021. back to program
Sam Wells is a Los Angeles-based trumpeter, composer, and improvisor who creates evocative and narrative multimedia performances. Sam has performed throughout North America and Europe, as well as in China. He is a recipient of a 2016 Jerome Fund for New Music award. He has performed electroacoustic works for trumpet and presented his own music at the Bang on a Can Summer Festival, Chosen Vale International Trumpet Seminar, Electronic Music Midwest, Electroacoustic Barn Dance, NYCEMF, N_SEME, and SEAMUS festivals. Sam is a member of Arcus Collective, Kludge, and SPLICE Ensemble. Sam has performed with Contemporaneous, Metropolis Ensemble, TILT Brass, the Lucerne Festival Academy Orchestra, and the Colorado MahlerFest Orchestra. Sam has recorded on the SEAMUS and Ravello Recordings labels. Sam is on faculty at SPLICE Institute, Molloy College, and the California Institute of the Arts. back to program
Michael Flynn is a composer of acoustic and electronic music whose works present familiar musical ideas in inventive sonic and structural contexts. To this end, his music juxtaposes timbral exploration and metric complexity with pop-music-inflected harmony and beat-driven groove. Drawn towards bright, sparkling timbres, Michael strives to create works that feature vividly colored, dreamlike sound worlds. Michael’s music has been featured at events such as SPLICE Institute, the CHIME Festival, the Summer Institute for Contemporary Performance Practice (SICPP), the National Student Electronic Music Event (NSEME), and SPLICE Festival. Michael has written for performers and ensembles including the Chicago Composer's Orchestra, Sonic Hedgehog, the Found Sound New Music Ensemble, the Vital Organ Project, the PRISM Saxophone Quartet, HINGE, and the MOD[ular] Contemporary Chamber Ensemble, among others. Michael graduated magna cum laude from Columbia College Chicago in 2016 with a bachelor of music in composition. While at Columbia, he received the William Russo Endowed Scholarship for Excellence in Music, presented to one student per year in Columbia College's music department. His teachers at Columbia included Kenn Kumpf, Eliza Brown, and Francisco Castillo-Trigueros. In the spring of 2018, Michael earned a master's degree in composition from Western Michigan University, studying under Christopher Biggs and Lisa Coons. During the 2018-19 school year, Michael held a part-time faculty position at Western Michigan, teaching courses in music theory and electronic music. Currently, he is pursuing a DMA in composition at the University of Georgia, studying under Emily Koh and Andrew McManus. back to program
Noa Even is a versatile saxophonist dedicated to the arts of today. In addition to creating new music through commissioning and close collaboration with composers, she interprets traditional classical repertoire and improvises.
Atomic, Noa’s solo commissioning project, features works with interactive electronics and video that explore themes of human connection, such as support for the transgender community, fluctuating immigration laws, and feelings of regret. Since the premiere in September 2019, she’s been touring Atomic across the country.
Noa’s saxophone duo, Ogni Suono, has performed throughout Asia, Europe, and North America, and released two albums since their formation in 2009. Most recently, they traveled to Taiwan and China to tour commissioned works and teach as guest clinicians. Patchwork, Noa’s saxophone and drum set duo, has been building an eclectic body of work for their unique instrumentation since 2013. Their self-titled debut album will be released in May 2020 on New Focus Recordings. When touring college campuses, both duos teach master classes, offer student composers readings, and lead discussions on entrepreneurship in the arts. Noa has also performed with Alia Musica Pittsburgh, Cleveland-based No Exit New Music Ensemble, and organist Karel Paukert.
In 2017, Noa co-founded Cleveland Uncommon Sound Project, a non-profit organization that champions new and experimental music by presenting an annual festival, a year-round concert series, and organizing professional opportunities for young composers. She recently helped establish the Committee on the Status of Women (CSW) within the North American Saxophone Alliance and co-organized a mentorship program for female saxophonists. She serves as an advisor of the CSW and on the editorial board for the Saxophone Symposium Journal.
Noa has been appointed as Lecturer and Head of Woodwinds at Rowan University and will begin her new position in September 2020. She has been teaching at Kent State University since 2013 and was a sabbatical replacement at the University of Oregon in the spring of 2017. She holds a DMA in contemporary music from Bowling Green State University, a master’s degree in performance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a bachelor’s in performance and music education from Northwestern University. Additional studies include the Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional de Boulogne-Billancourt outside of Paris, where she studied with Jean-Michel Goury. Her other primary instructors include John Sampen, Debra Richtmeyer, and Fred Hemke.
Noa is a Conn-Selmer Artist-Clinician and on the Vandoren Artist Roster. back to program
Schuette<>Sommerfeldt Duo Jerod Sommerfeldt teaches electronic music at the Crane School of Music in Potsdam, NY. His music and sounds explore glitch, microsound, and algorithmic design. jerodsommerfeldt.com
Paul Schuette teaches experimental and electronic music at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia. He curates a concert series, ‘Out of the Box’, which showcases visiting artists working in experimental, electronic, and improvised mediums. Paul is an active composer, sound artist, and improviser. paulschuette.com back to program
Jean-François Charles is a composer, clarinetist, and live electronics designer. After obtaining a MSc in Electrical Engineering at the National Institute for Applied Sciences in Lyon, he studied in Strasbourg with the Italian composer Ivan Fedele. He has collaborated with musicians for creations in the U.S.A., Canada, Europe, and China. As a clarinetist, he worked with Karlheinz Stockhausen for the world première and recording of Rechter Augenbrauentanz. He earned his Ph.D. in music/composition at Harvard, where he studied with Hans Tutschku, Chaya Czernowin, Julian Anderson, Michael Gandolfi, Helmut Lachenmann, and Gunther Schuller. He joined in 2016 the School of Music at the University of Iowa as Assistant Professor in Composition and Digital Arts. His recent works include the album Electroclarinet, the opera Grant Wood in Paris premiered in 2019 by the Cedar Rapids Opera Theater, and a Scientific Concert presenting new pieces created in collaboration with scientists. back to program
Will Yager is a versatile bassist/improviser committed to experimental music, improvisation, and collaborating with composers in the creation of new solo and chamber repertoire for the double bass. He is a founding member of both LIGAMENT, a duo with soprano Anika Kildegaard, and the experimental trio Wombat, with Justin Comer and Carlos Cotallo Solares. Recent appearances include performances at the Oh My Ears Festival, MOXsonic, Big Ears Festival, Feed Me Weird Things, Nief-Norf Summer Festival, New Music on the Point, Cortona Sessions for New Music, and the Bang on a Can Summer Music Festival, where he was a Robert Black Double Bass Fellow. back to program