American Contemporary Music Ensemble has two August performances

With Craig Wedren
Performing Jefferson Friedman’s On in Love
Tuesday, August 4 at 7pm (previously 7:30pm)
Joe’s Pub 425 Lafayette Ave., NYC
Tickets: $15 at www.joespub.org or 212.967.7555

Noguchi Museum’s Music in the Garden
Featuring the world premiere of Caleb Burhans’ new string quartet
Sunday, August 9 at 3pm
The Noguchi Museum 9-01 33rd Rd., L.I.C., NY
Info: www.noguchi.org or 718.204.7088FREE w/ $10 Museum admission

“Jefferson Friedman is one of the increasingly plentiful young composers who have found ways to meld their classical music training with rock sensibilities, and his version of this blend is both sophisticated and appealing.” ­­– The New York Times

New York, NY–ACME (American Contemporary Music Ensemble), led by cellist and artistic director Clarice Jensen, will perform two concerts in August at Joe’s Pub (August 4, 425 Lafayette Ave., NYC) and at the Noguchi Museum (August 9, 9-01 33rd Rd., Long Island City, NY). The New York Times describes ACME’s performances as “vital,” “brilliant,” and “electrifying,” while Time Out New York refers to the ensemble as “one of New York’s brightest new music indie-bands.”

At Joe’s Pub on Tuesday, August 4 at 7pm, ACME will present composer Jefferson Friedman’s genre-bending 3-song set, entitled On in Love, written for the ensemble and rock singer/songwriter Craig Wedren (formerly of the avant-rock band Shudder To Think). ACME and Wedren premiered On in Love in February 2009 at Columbia University’s Miller Theatre. The New York Times described the songs for singer, string quartet, flute, clarinet, piano and percussion, as, “punchy, energetic and strongly rhythmic.” The concert at Joe’s Pub will also include John Cage’s String Quartet in Four Parts (performed by ACME) and his Aria (performed by Wedren). Wedren will also perform a set with his band and ACME strings.

Friedman and Wedren met in 1998 when Friedman joined Shudder To Think for what turned out to be their last tour, playing keyboards and singing backup vocals. Friedman explains, “Through a series of happy accidents, I had the great opportunity to perform with one of my childhood idols, and that relationship has grown into these songs. To be able to collaborate with someone who helped turn me into a composer is a thrill and hopefully the beginning of a new chapter in my music. And then there's Craig's voice, which is truly one of the most unique and beautiful out there.”

On Sunday, August 9 at 3pm, ACME will return for the fourth summer to the Noguchi Museum in Long Island City to present an outdoor concert (free with $10 Museum admission) as part of the Museum’s Music in the Garden concert series. The program includes selections from J. S. Bach’s Art of the Fugue (arr. for string quartet), Friedman’s String Quartet No. 3, Mendelssohn’s String Quartet in F, Op. 80, and the world premiere of a new string quartet by ACME violinist Caleb Burhans.

For more information and audio:
American Contemporary Music Ensemble: www.acmemusic.org
Jefferson Friedman: www.jeffersonfriedman.com
Craig Wedren: www.myspace.com/craigwedren
Caleb Burhans: www.calebburhans.com

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The Role of Music in Opera

Episode 210b: Joyeuse le départ

Teaching Composition – What are we trying to achieve