Your level of holiday cheer (and happiness in general) will be greatly elevated by going to the following shows:
Chicago:
Spektral Quartet - Break Right Through That Line
Where: Lutkin Hall - Northwestern University - 700 University Place, Evanston, IL
When: Monday, December 5, 2011 at 7:30pm
Tickets: FREE
This is a portrait concert of sorts, providing a look at the latest works coming out of Northwestern University. The program will include two works by current grad students - Eliza Brown's String Quartet No. 1 and Chris Fisher-Lochhead's Dig, Absolutely - as well as three faculty pieces - Lee Hyla's String Quartet No. 4, Hans Thomalla's Alumblatt and Jay Alan Yim's The Blue Voice of Air.
Ensemble Dal Niente - Hard Music Hard Liquor
Where: Mayne Stage, 1328 Morse Avenue
When: Saturday, December 10, 2011 at 7:30pm
Tickets: $20 general, $25 reserved, $10 student (with valid ID)
Dal Niente describes this concert as "a celebration of the most dazzlingly difficult music created in the past fifty years." The program will include Luciano Berio's Sequenzas III and VI (female voice and viola respectively), Claude Vivier's Shiraz for piano, Iannis Xenakis' Kottos for cello, Georges Aperghis' P.S. for saxophone (see below for additional video and links regarding Aperghis) and Brian Ferneyhough's La Chute d'Icare for clarinet and ensemble.
Third Coast Percussion - Common Patterns in Uncommon Time
Where: Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St.
When: Sunday, December 11, 2011 at 3pm
Tickets: FREE
The program is titled after David Skidmore's work of the same name which will receive its Chicago premiere at this concert. The program also features John Cage's Credo in Us and Steve Reich's Mallet Quartet.
Chicago Symphony Orchestra Music NOW: Hubbard Street Dance Company and MusicNOW
Where: Harris Theatre for Music and Dance, 205 East Randolph Drive
When: Monday, December 12, 2011 at 7pm
Tickets: $22 general, $10 students
This will be the first collaboration between Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and MusicNOW. The program includes Julia Wolfe's Dig Deep, Anthony Cheung's Enjamb, Infuse, Implode, Aaron Kernis' L'Arte della Danssar, Lee Hyla's The Dream of Innocent III and Anna Clyne's Within Her Arms.
New York:
loadbang - Worlds Collide
Where: The Tank Playroom Theatre, 151 W. 46th St. - 8th Floor
When: Thursday, December 15, 2011, 7:30pm
Tickets: $10
Aside from Jeffrey Gavett's arrangement of Machaut's Messe de Nostre Dame, this program is made up entirely of world premieres of works by Marco Alunno, Eve Beglarian, Andy Kozar, Alexandre Lunsqui, Gary Philo and Fay Wang.
Talea Ensemble - Inharmonic/(x)enharmonic: A Conference and Concert Celebrating Microtonal Music
Where: Conference - Columbia University Dodge Hall, Room 622 | Concert: Merkin Concert Hall, 129 W. 67th St.
When: Saturday, December 17, 2011 | Conference: 9:30am - 3pm | Concert: 8pm
Tickets: Conference - FREE (open to public) | Concert: $10
This promises to be a exceptional day of information and music. Below is the conference schedule and concert program:
Conference Schedue
9:30-10:10am - Anthony Cheung, Old Technologies, New Signifiers: Non-tempered Horn Writing in 20th Century Music Through Ligeti’s Hamburg Concerto
10:10-10:50 - Toby Twining, Tuning, Imagination, Accuracy
10:50-11:30 - Frank J. Oteri, Wyschnegradsky: Paths Not Taken and Missing Links
11:30-12:10 - Christopher Trapani, Cognitive Consonance: Composing Precise and Practical Microtones in an Ensemble Context
1:00-1:40 - Robert Hasegawa, “Le vertige de la durée pure”: Time and Harmony in Gérard Grisey’s Vortex Temporum
1:40-2:20 - Dean Drummond, Performing Harry Partch
2:20-3:00 - Panel discussion moderated by Frank Oteri
Concert Program
Ivan Wyschnegradsky: String Quartet No. 2 (1923)
Dean Drummond: Mars Face (1997)
Toby Twining: 9:11 Blues (2003)
Enno Poppe: Holz (2000) *US Premiere
Tristan Murail: Seven Lakes Drive (2006)
Anthony Cheung: Discrete Infinity (2011) *US Premiere


Art Links:


