Chatham, N.Y. — PS21’s House Blend concert series presents a mix of classic and contemporary music that is programmed with audiences in mind—or as PS21 puts it, “Brewed specially for our audience.”
The series opens on Sunday, August 18, with Juilliard pianist Conor Hanick performing works by Johannes Brahms and 20th-century Russian composer Galina Ustvolskaya. Hanick has performed throughout the world with many leading ensembles, instrumentalists, and conductors and has collaborated with such composers as Charles Wuorinen, Caroline Shaw, Marcos Balter, Nina Young, Samuel Adams, and Christopher Cerrone. He is known for his fierce advocacy of contemporary music and has premiered more than 200 pieces.
On August 19, Gelsey Bell and Erin Rogers perform their composition “Skylighght,” a work for voice and saxophone that only appears to be misspelled. Salt Peanuts wrote, “The physical vibrations and resonance tones clash, combine, and unite to create rich, vibrant harmonies, harsh dissonances, and stunning different tones, as the two musicians become one.” On the same bill, New York City-based composer, guitarist, and producer Patrick Higgins creates and performs experimental and contemporary classical music. Pitchfork wrote, “Patrick Higgins
composes with a scholar’s historical perspective and a punk’s sense of abandon.”
On August 20, Juilliard-trained violinist Miranda Cuckson and pianist Conor Hanick perform works by Bach, Xenakis, Copland, and Ives. Cuckson has made a name for herself recording and performing works by such composers as Bartok, Ligeti, Korngold, Ponce, Piston, Schnittke, and Lutoslawski. She has been a featured artist at the Berlin Philharmonie; Suntory Hall; Teatro Colón; Cleveland Museum; Art Institute of Chicago; San Francisco’s Herbst Theater; St. Paul Chamber Orchestra’s Liquid Music; 92nd St Y; National Sawdust; and the Ojai, Bard, Marlboro, Portland, Music Mountain, West Cork, Grafenegg, Wien Modern, Frequency, and LeGuessWho festivals. She made her Carnegie Hall debut performing Walter Piston’s Concerto No. 1 with the American Symphony Orchestra. Cuckson teaches violin and chamber music at Mannes School of Music, New School University, in the college and prep.
Bonnie Whiting is an improviser and composer of experimental music for percussion that integrates text, music, movement, and technology. She performs frequently with percussionist Jennifer Torrence, giving concerts of new works for speaking percussionist throughout Norway and the U.S. She lives in Seattle, Wash., where she is chair of Percussion Studies and the Ruth Sutton Waters Associate Professor at the University of Washington School of Music. She attended Oberlin Conservatory (BM), the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (MM), and the University of California San Diego (DMA).
Bass-baritone Davóne Tines has a modest goal: to change what it means to be a classical singer. And the New Yorker’s Alex Ross thinks he is succeeding. The Los Angeles Times calls him a “singer of immense power and fervor” and “[one] of the most powerful voices of our time.”
The full House Blend schedule is as follows:
- August 18, 5 p.m. — PS21 House Blend I
Conor Hanick plays Johannes Brahms and Galina Ustvolskaya - August 19, 7 p.m. — PS21 House Blend II, a double bill
“Skylighght,” Gelsey Bell (voice) and Erin Rogers (saxophone). Plus, five tracks from composer/multi-instrumentalist Patrick Higgins’ latest recording, “Versus.” - August 20, 7 p.m. — PS21 House Blend III
Miranda Cuckson (violin) and Conor Hanick (piano)
Iannis Xenakis: Mikka S.; J.S. Bach: Sonata in D minor (BWV 1004); Charles Ives: selections from Songs (Opus 114); Aaron Copland: Sonata for Violin and Piano. - August 21, 7 p.m. — PS21 House Blend IV, a double bill
Bonnie Whiting performs Wang Lu‘s “Stages” for solo speaking/singing percussionist, with stage design by Polly Apfelbaum, and Frederic Rzewski‘s “To the Earth” for speaking percussionist and four flower pots (text from the Homeric “Hymn to Gaia, Mother of All”). Plus, a recital by bass-baritone Davóne Tines.
The Pavilion Theater is located at 2980 Route 66, Chatham, NY, 12037. More information and tickets are available here.
