Over the past year and a half or so, I've had the incredible privilege of working with Meredith Monk and her vocal ensemble on her new performance piece, Songs of Ascension.
This work developed as a collaboration between Meredith and the visual artist Ann Hamilton. Songs of Ascension has flexed and evolved as we have toured it to different locales. The most striking location was Ann Hamilton's Acoustic Tower on the Oliver Ranch in Geyserville, California. The tower is eight stories high and has a set of staircases in a double helix pattern. We performed on one set of stairs while the audience inhabited the other.
This week, our work culminated with a set of performances at BAM's Harvey Theater.
Meredith is a wonderfully inspiring artist and musician, and she chatted with me about the piece and its origins.
Playing with Meredith Monk must be very exciting, Nadia. But I bet it's a helluva lot more exciting playing Brahms and Bartok with a good pianist and/or orchestra.
Nov. 09 2009 09:19 PM
Score: 0/0
Paul Epstein
from Lower Manhattan
Playing for Meredith Monk must be exciting, Nadia. Will you be programming her music on Q2? I've had the stream going a lot lately, and haven't heard any.
Nov. 03 2009 09:16 PM
Score: 0/0
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Q2’s music blog shares insights and exclusive multimedia features from musicians, composers, critics, producers and artists making sense of our world. From innovative series here in New York City to spontaneous new music festivals from Helsinki to Buenos Aires, our bloggers-in-residence throw back the curtain of the global new music scene. Along with our Q2 Music specials, the Q2 Blog brings the music to you and you to the conversation… so share your reactions, hopes, fears, and suggestions on what’s going on and how we can better serve you and our collective musical world!
Comments [2]
Playing with Meredith Monk must be very exciting, Nadia. But I bet it's a helluva lot more exciting playing Brahms and Bartok with a good pianist and/or orchestra.
Playing for Meredith Monk must be exciting, Nadia. Will you be programming her music on Q2? I've had the stream going a lot lately, and haven't heard any.
Leave a Comment
Register for your own account so you can vote on comments, save your favorites, and more. Learn more.
Please stay on topic, be civil, and be brief.
Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments. Names are displayed with all comments. We reserve the right to edit any comments posted on this site. Please read the Comment Guidelines before posting.