On Thursday, March 14th, 2019, at 8pm, the fifth concert of the 2018-2019 Interpretations series’ Thirtieth Anniversary Season presents striking music sets from both vocalist and composer Joan La Barbara, and mixed-instrumentation group Ensemble Metrix, led by violinist Tom Chiu.

Held at Roulette, 509 Atlantic Ave, Brooklyn, NY, tickets are $20 for adults / $15 for students & seniors, and available online.

The perennially influential and innovative vocalist/composer Joan La Barbara presents new material from her ongoing opera-in-progress, Dreams of Water Beyond One’s Depth, inspired by the lives and work of the iconic Virginia Woolf and the enigmatic Joseph Cornell, with lyrics by the award-winning Vietnamese-American novelist Monique Truong, and featuring an ensemble of voices, instruments, synthesizer, and sonic atmosphere.

Tom Chiu’s Ensemble Metrix is a mixed-instrumentation group exploring the recontextualization of music in a variety of styles and genres. Using material from the broad canon of popular and underground music, Chiu deconstructs and distorts melodic hooks and motivic riffs, and weaves the material into an extended, minimalistic jam. The resulting structured score represents an analogue to a dee-jay’s pre-determined playlist. Replacing turntables and records, the musicians produce the music live, each injecting personal flair in the final mix. Joining Ensemble Metrix will be some of Chiu’s favorite collaborators, including Meaghan Burke, Sara Schoenbeck, Charles Waters, Peter Zummo, and other special guests.

About Interpretations: 

“When we started, this was a real need, especially for the more experimental new music,” says Founder and Artistic Director Thomas Buckner. “Now we are experiencing a blossoming of new music groups and solo performers, which makes the series necessary in a new way. There are so many exceptional composers and performers who need a great place to perform.”

The Interpretations series, now in its thirtieth season, is a New York-based concert series focusing on the relationship between contemporary composers and their interpreters. Sometimes the interpreters are the composers themselves; more often, the series features performers who specialize in the interpretation of new music. 

For its 30th Anniversary, Interpretations has assembled an eclectic line-up of innovative composers and their interpreters, representing a wide variety of approaches to music making. The Interpretations Series is dedicated to nurturing the relationship of innovative composers with the growing community of new music virtuoso performers. 

REMAINING 2019 SERIES LINEUP

Thursday, April 4, 2019: Thomas Buckner (with Joseph Kubera, Melanie Genin, William Winant, & James Ilgenfrtz)

Thursday, May 2, 2019: Annie Gosfield (with Harris and Chow); Edmund Camplon (with Marilyn Nonken, Manuel Laufer, and others)

Thursday, June 6, 2019: String Noise (Pauline Kim Harris and Conrad Harris); The String Trio of New York (featuring James Emery, Toni Marino, Rob Thomas)

This February 15th through 17th, singers Deborah Carmichael and Kinga Cserjési will offer a three-day workshop to give participants a thorough introduction to the Libero Canto Approach. The workshop includes individual singing lessons, musical work, and sessions in listening to historical and contemporary vocal recordings, and will be held at the Rudolf Steiner School, 15 E. 78th Street in New York City. The cost is $200, and space is limited to 8 singers.

To apply, or for more information, email [email protected] by February 1st with a short statement about your musical background and why you are interested in the workshop. You may also be asked to provide a recording. All vocal types are welcome. Those who would like to experience the Libero Canto Approach prior to the workshop are invited to take a free introductory lesson with Kinga Cserjési.

Moreover, for those who apply for the workshop by January 18, a 20% discount ($160) will be offered if accepted. (Additional financial assistance may be available upon request – please contact [email protected] by January 18.)

Using Early Italian arias and ensemble pieces, the workshop is designed to give participants a thorough introduction to the Libero Canto approach: a way of teaching singing that leads to freedom and naturalness of vocal expression. It is not a method or specialized technique, rather a process and attitude toward singing and music making.

A central idea of Libero Canto is that the release of excess physical tension and force allows the body to become genuinely responsive to the singer’s musical feeling and imagination, thereby giving singing the spontaneity and vitality of true expression. (The name ‘Libero Canto’ comes from “la via al libero canto,” the path to free singing. This approach was originated by Lajos Szamosi in Budapest before the Second World War.)

SCHEDULE (subject to change) 
* Friday, Feb. 15 —
5:00 – 8:00 p.m. Introduction and listening session

* Saturday, Feb. 16 —
10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Individual lessons (auditing encouraged);
2:30 – 6:30 p.m. Musical work and listening session (all present)

* Sunday, Feb. 17 —
12:00 – 3:00 p.m. Individual lessons (auditing encouraged);
4:30 – 7:30 p.m. Musical work and conclusion (all present)

for more information, please visit liberocanto.com