The opening night of Black Lab kicks off with a series of exciting collaborative new works by young composers. The format showcases a variety of short-form pieces, including dance, chamber music and fashion.
I’m excited to start off the Black Lab festival this way. It’ll give a sneak peek into what’s in store for the rest of Black Lab as we continue into September and October. This is the world premiere for most of these pieces, and Kansas Citians will have an opportunity to experience something new and compelling in the heart of downtown.
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I'll be premiering two new works. The first is a collaboration with choreographer Chadi El-Khoury. Chadi is an incoming Charlotte Street Urban Culture Project resident and will be sharing studio space with Black House for the coming year. I've been hearing about Chadi for a while now and it's been great to finally get a chance to work with him.
Chadi will be working with dancers Lindsay Allan, Haley Day, Rachael Hulse, and Daley Kappenman.
The second work I'll be premiering will be three portraits for soprano: Now That I'm Dead I Know Everything. I wrote this for mezzo-soprano Anna Louise Hoard, who played Kim Kardashian in my opera from Rites of Being earlier this year. This piece is another inquiry into the world of chamber music. The vocalist is accompanied by a small ensemble of 2 winds, cello, vibraphone, and computer. The inspiration for the libretto, by Nadine Long, came from female roles in Greek mythology, so it seemed fitting to use and all-female ensemble (except for me):
Soprano - Anna Louise Hoard
Clarinet - Sharra Wagner
Clarinet - Teri Quinn
Cello - Nadine Long
Vibraphone - Amy Hearting
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Russell Thorpe will present a new duo piece for Euphonium and Alto Saxophone. Using the inherent resonance of the Paragraph space, he will explore melodic and textural combination with only two instruments. Drawing inspiration from contemporary saxophone literature, the piece will present an array of sonic possibilities as he and euphoniumist Ashley Hirt explore numerous variations on melody.
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Amy Hearting and Virginia Backman will be performing a duo, Mobbing Calls, for percussion and flute written by the new Hong Kong resident and childhood friend of mine, Steve Snowden. I first heard Amy perform this piece at the Taneycomo Festival Orchestra this summer in Hollister, Mo.
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Guitar/composer Rebecca Kephart will be leading an ensemble through a guided improvisation informed by the visuals from the Apollo XII moon mission. The ensemble features:
bassoon - Karl Gottschalk
trumpet - Erik Hulse
tuba - Joseph Felton
mezzo-soprano - Sarah Lockwood
electrice guitar - Rebecca Kephart
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Completing the evening will be Teri Quinn and Lynn Thonet presenting Situational Snafus, a chaotic fashion show with passionate spoken word and live ensemble.
Music by: Teri Quinn
Costumes designed by: Lynn Thonet
Spoken word by: Sarah Mundy
Clarinet - Teri Quinn
Peter Lawless - Alto saxophone and Accordion
Cody Kauhl- Tenor Saxophone
Mark Lauer-Bassoon and Contra Bassoon
Brian Padavic-Bass
Morgan Greenwood-Drums
Brad Van Wick-Keys