On Saturday, Oct. 22 at 7 pm, the concluding night of the American Composers Orchestra's SONiC Festival, the Winter Garden at the World Financial Center played palatial host to the world premiere of composer-performer Bryce Dessner's double guitar concerto, St. Carolyn by the Sea. Featuring Bryce Dessner on guitar along with his twin brother Aaron Dessner, the SONiC-commissioned piece was led by American Composer Orchestra conductor George Manahan and hosted by John Schaefer from WNYC's New Sounds Live. 

Q2 Music host Olivia Giovetti moderates a live online chat beginning at 6:45 p.m. for the virtual community listening in on this premiere-laden, culminating concert. Sign up now for a live chat reminder. You can also Tweet comments directly into the chat using the #SONiCfest hashtag.

In a recent interview with Q2 Music's own Nadia Sirota, Dessner explains the Jack Kerouac-inspired literary origins of St. Carolyn by the Sea and his trepidation in writing for orchestral forces. Fellow under-40 composer Andrew Norman also spoke with us about the re-orchestration of his piece Unstuck, which is based on how listeners make sense of a fragmented musical world. The night's concert also features New York premieres from Ruby Fulton, Ryan Gallagher, Suzanne Farrin as well as a world premiere by Paul Yeon Lee. 

COMPLETE PROGRAM:

Ruby Fulton: Road Ranger Cowboy (NY Premiere)

Paul Yeon Lee: Echo of a Dream (World Premiere)

Bryce Dessner: St. Carolyn by the Sea with special guests Bryce and Aaron Dessner, electric guitars (World Premiere)

Ryan Gallagher: Grindhouse (NY Premierer)

Andrew Norman: Unstuck (NY Premiere)

Suzanne Farrin: Infinite Here (NY Premiere)