Seattle Modern Orchestra: Double Portrait – Robert Erickson & Stuart Dempster
$10-$25
Robert Erickson — The Idea of Order at Key West
Robert Erickson — Pacific Sirens
Stuart Dempster — Milanda Embracing
Stuart Dempster — S.M.O.R.E.S.
Robert Erickson – The Idea of Order at Key West for soprano, flute, clarinet, trumpet, viola and cello (1979)
Robert Erickson – General Speech for solo trombone (1969)
Robert Erickson – Pacific Sirens for percussion and variable instruments / voices (1969)
Stuart Dempster – Milanda Embracing for various instrumentation (1993-94)
Stuart Dempster – S.M.O.R.E.S. for ensemble and voices (2017) – world premiere
Seattle Modern Orchestra celebrates the centennial of American composer Robert Erickson and the 80th birthday of legendary Seattle trombonist and composer Stuart Dempster. Erickson (1917-1997) crystallizes the American pioneering spirit in music. He was one of the first American composers to explore Schoenberg’s twelve-tone system, experimented with custom-made percussion instruments and instrumental extended techniques, and worked extensively with sounds recorded on tape with or without live performers. The three works on this program give a glimpse into this underrated American artist.
Erickson will be paired with another pioneer, Stuart Dempster. Dempster – whose motto is “put ‘play’ back in playing music” – and SMO collaborate on precomposed and improvised works, including a world premiere written for SMO, titled S. M. O. R. E. S.
Tickets: General $25, seniors $15, students $10
About Seattle Modern Orchestra
Founded in 2010, Seattle Modern Orchestra (SMO) is the only large ensemble in the Pacific Northwest solely dedicated to the music of the 20th and 21st Centuries. Led by co-artistic directors Julia Tai and Jérémy Jolley, SMO commissions and premieres new works from an international lineup of composers, in addition to presenting important pieces from the contemporary repertoire that are rarely if ever heard by Seattle audiences. The ensemble "operates at that exciting cusp between old and new, between tradition and innovation" (Vanguard Seattle) curating new sounds and experiences for concert goers in the region.
SMO provides audiences with performances of the best in contemporary chamber and orchestral music, and develops radio talks, lectures, and other forms of outreach in an accessible and inviting format all designed to expand the listener’s appreciation and awareness of the music of today.
http://www.seattlemodernorchestra.org/