At 7:30pm, Ekmeles director, Jeffrey Gavett, will hold an informal pre-concert discussion with composers Bryan Jacobs, Evan Johnson, Louis Karchin, and Ken Ueno.
Ekmeles presents music from American composers and writers, for voices or voices with electronics. With composers Aaron Cassidy, Bryan Jacobs, Ben Johnston, & Louis Karchin. Pheeroan akLaff premieres new works featuring photographic installation & a libretto for voice, with multi-instrumentalist Scott Robinson, violinist Aska Kaneko, & others.
Ekmeles is a vocal ensemble, directed by Jeffrey Gavett, dedicated to the performance of new and rarely-heard works, and gems of the historical avant garde. New York is home to a vibrant instrumental New Music scene, with a relative paucity of vocal music. Ekmeles was founded to fill the gap by presenting new a cappella repertoire for solo voices, and by collaborating with these instrumental ensembles.
Pheeroan akLaff is a musician who has kept New York vibrant with live music and challenging performance art for over thirty years. His drumming with adventuresome composers has been documented in recorded works of Jazz and other genres since 1975. As a young artist Pheeroan akLaff toured several countries of Europe, and lived in West Africa. He has led ensembles at festivals In Europe, Japan, Australia and been at the forefront of musical expression with cultural enrichment in New York. His challenging approach to the drum-set includes solo performances in temples of Asia and oratorios of social protest. He presented the Double Duo with saxophonists, Mixashawn and Ravi Coltrane, and mentor Rashied Ali in several Columbia University concerts. Pheeroan teaches American Drum-set to university students at New School University New York, and at Wesleyan University in Connecticut.
