Serving the San Francisco Bay Area New Music Community

Sun, Feb 15 2026 7:15 PM

West Oakland Sound Series
2201 Poplar Street Dresher Ensemble Studio Oakland
Click for Venue page

Moe Staiano'S "MUSIC FOR EIGHT GUITARS"
JOSHUA ALLEN

Moe Staiano continues to explore works for electric guitar ensembles with his third work-in-progress composition, "Music for Eight Guitars (The Parting Gift)." This plans to be an exploration of tonal interplay and contrasting rhythms with eight electric guitars, bass, drums and percussion. He plans to have it feature assertive rhythmic structures and intertwining tremolo structures, balanced by continuous play against each guitarist with bouncing rhythms and ongoing hockets while surrounding the audience with a bombastic attack. This piece comes after his "Music for 48 Guitars" (2023), which has yet to be performed.

Bay Area tenor saxophonist JOSHUA ALLEN unveils a new direction of deeply intimate solo works. Following a challenging hiatus while recovering from two recent surgeries, Allen has spent months of intensive recovery dedicated to a meticulous "re-mapping" of his instrument. This new vocabulary of soft, micro-textural multiphonics was refined amidst the ambient hum of the Rockridge BART station. By transforming a public transit hub into a laboratory for sonic exploration, he has mastered the art of projecting even the softest timbres with clarity and soul. Join us for a performance that celebrates resilience and the beauty of finding a new voice in the quietest spaces.

Cost: $10-$25 sliding scale
Audio samples in which musicians at this event play: