Talea Ensemble (US) – Apr. 23, 2022
Saturday, April 23, 2022; 8pm
Artist chat at 7:15pm.
ANNEX (823 Seymour Street, 2nd Floor) [map]
Read the full program notes here.
Having made their Vancouver debut as part of Vancouver New Music’s 2017 season, the Talea Ensemble returns to Vancouver this April. The seven member ensemble will offer up a new program that includes world premieres by two young BC composers, William Kuo and Brandon Chow.
The program also includes Inexpressible v. 2 by Amadeus Regucera, a departure from traditional polyphonic music, which is generally written for shared voices, Inexpressible v. 2 is described as “music for three soloists played simultaneously” that harnesses speed and energy. Raven Chacon’s Round, is a dynamic piece for turntable and several players with wooden kebab skewers. Rounding out the program is Olga Neuwirth’s coronAtion II: Naufraghi del mondo che hanno ancora un cuore, a recent work that imagines a “foursome of instruments (flute, clarinet, violin, viola) as lost and stranded but able to hear each other” (Bachtrack).
“…immeasurably enriched New York’s new-music scene in recent seasons, not least because the commitment with which they embrace even the most forbidding scores makes everything they do communicative.” – TimeOut New York
“Championing works like these, and playing them with a compelling lucidity, are precisely what Talea Ensemble does best.” – New York Times
Program:
Amadeus Regucera, Inexpressible v. 2 (2015)
Raven Chacon, Round (2007)
William Kuo, eidos; qualia (2022)*
Intermission
Olga Neuwirth, coronAtion II: Naufraghi del mondo che hanno ancora un cuore (2020)
Brandon Chow, Grey Waters (2022)*
* World Premiere, commissioned by Vancouver New Music
Talea Ensemble
Barry Crawford, Flute
Marianne Gythfeldt, Clarinet
Steve Beck, Piano
Clara Kim, Violin
Carrie Frey, Viola
Chris Gross, Cello
Sam Torres, Electronics
James Baker, Conductor
About Talea Ensemble
The Talea Ensemble’s mission is to champion musical creativity, cultivate curious listeners, and bring visionary new works to life with vibrant performances that remain in the audience’s imagination long after a concert.
Recipient of the Chamber Music America/ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming, Talea has brought to life more than 40 commissions of major new works since it was founded in 2008. Talea has helped introduce NYC audiences to important works of composers such as Pierre Boulez, Georg Friedrich Haas, Beat Furrer, Olga Neuwirth, Unsuk Chin, and Hans Abrahamsen.
Festival engagements include performances at Lincoln Center Festival, Internationales Musikinstitut Darmstadt, the Fromm Concerts at Harvard University, Warsaw Autumn Festival, Wien Modern, Vancouver New Music, and many more. The ensemble has also partnered with institutions from across disciplines, such as the Institute of Contemporary Art Boston, the City of Ideas Festival in Mexico, or the Storm King Art Center. Talea’s recordings have been distributed worldwide on the Kairos, Wergo, Gravina Musica, Tzadik, Innova, and New World Records labels, and been broadcast on ORF (Austria), HRF (Germany), and WQXR’s Q2.
Talea assumes an ongoing role in supporting a new generation of composers, and has undertaken residencies in music departments around the country.
Vancouver New Music is committed to keeping you safe and comfortable as we return to in-person gatherings. Masks are no longer required in indoor spaces, however in consideration of the comfort and safety of others we strongly encourage you to wear a mask while attending this event. We will continue to limit capacity to ensure that it is possible to maintain physical distance between groups. Find our full health and safety policy here.
Top photo: Talea Ensemble by Beowulf Sheehan.
