Wayne Horvitz : Approaching Training and Musical Heritage in Composition and Improvisation, an informance presented by Rova Arts' Improv:21 series
In discussion with Derk Richardson, Wayne Horvitz will talk about and play music from his recent chamber-jazz compositions that feed off the heritage of American folk musics, jazz and blues, and reveal the thinking behind his own unique body of work, especially focusing on his chamber music for various ensembles.
Biography
Wayne Horvitz is a composer, pianist, and electronic musician. He has performed extensively throughout Europe, Asia, Australia, and North America. He has performed and collaborated with Bill Frisell, Butch Morris, John Zorn, Robin Holcomb, Fred Frith, Julian Priester, Philip Wilson, Michael Shrieve, Bobby Previte, Marty Ehrlich, Skerik, William Parker, Ron Miles, Sara Schoenbeck, Peggy Lee, Steven Bernstein, Briggan Krauss, Rova, and Dylan van der Schyff among others. He has been commissioned by the NEA, Meet The Composer, Kronos String Quartet, Seattle Chamber Players, Mary Flagler, PGAFF, BAM and others. Collaborations with choreographers include work with Paul Taylor/White Oak Dance Project and the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange. Film work includes music and sound design for 3 PBS specials and Gus Van Sandts' "Psycho." Works for theater include the world premier of Harold Pinter's Mountain Language with Carey Perloff directing and the ACT production of Death of a Salesman directed by Gordon Edelstein. He has produced CDs for Eddie Palmieri, Fontella Bass, Robin Holcomb and Bill Frisell, among others. He is the 2001 recipient of the Seattle Artist Trust Fellowship and the 2003 recipient of the City of Seattle Office of Arts and Culture fellowship. He is the 2002 recipient of the Rockefeller Map Grant for his chamber orchestra composition, "JOE HILL, 16 Actions for Chamber Orchestra, Voices and Improviser" which premiered October 2004. In 2008 he received the NEA American Masterpieces grant for "These Hills of Glory" for string quartet and improviser. Ensembles include The President, Pigpen, Zony Mash, the HMP Trio, the NY Composers Orchestra, the 4 Plus 1 Ensemble, Sweeter Than the Day and the Gravitas Quartet.
Rova:Arts is pleased to present Improv:21, a series of “informances” on twenty-first century music that explore the connection between predetermined structure (composition) and performer interpretation (improvisation). Led by master improvisers and composers from the Bay Area and beyond, and hosted by critic and KPFA radio host Derk Richardson, Improv:21 programs look at the many ways of organizing improvisation through a shifting (i.e. “improvised”) combination of onstage lecture and dialogue, musical demonstration and performance, and audience question-and-answer forum.
Cost: $10