Seeing in the Dark is an evening of new music that offers different ways to light our path through darkness — these three transformative works seek to provide us new ways to see:
Brendon Randall-Myers presents the world premiere arrangement of Only in the Dark, a gorgeous cello concerto for the chamber orchestral forces of Contemporaneous, joined by cellist Annie Blythe. The piece is inspired by Randall Myers’ and Blythe’s neurodivergent experiences and transforms our expectations as we connect through the senses to our world and ourselves.
Lila Meretzky’s extraordinary work to crave and to have illuminates “the gulf between what is and what ought to be.”
The world premiere of the next book in Paul Pinto’s years-in-the-making meta-opera Estabanico, featuring members of Mantra Percussion and Recap Percussion, follows a Moorish conquistador as it pulls apart threads of the stories of the past. Over a sprawling span of time, the work offers an expansive new vision of the history of the Americas.
Contemporaneous is an ensemble of 25 musicians whose mission is to bring to life the most transformative music by living composers through performances, commissions, recordings, and educational programs. Described as “exact and detailed, but also lively and openly dancing” (The New York Times) and “leading new music towards its better self” (I Care If You Listen), Contemporaneous particularly champions the creation of large-scale works and “dream projects,” which composers might not otherwise have opportunities to realize due to scale.
Based in New York City and active throughout the United States, Contemporaneous has premiered over 200 new works, and has been presented by such institutions as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Park Avenue Armory, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Walt Disney Concert Hall, PROTOTYPE Festival, Merkin Concert Hall, MATA Festival, St. Ann’s Warehouse, and Bang on a Can and has worked with such artists as David Byrne, Donnacha Dennehy, Iarla Ó Lionáird, Dawn Upshaw, and Julia Wolfe. Contemporaneous’ programming has also received acclaim from community members, artists, and press of all kinds, with the ensemble’s recent performance of Stranger Love being listed as one of 2023’s “best classical music performances” by the New York Times.
Contemporaneous also leads participatory programs for public school students in the communities where the ensemble performs. These workshops are designed to instill a passion for new music and to convey the power of careful listening and meaningful expression through music. The ensemble has held residencies at such institutions as Colgate University, Hamilton College, City University of New York, the University of New Orleans, Williams College, and Bard College, where the group was founded in 2010. Contemporaneous is a federally tax-exempt not-for-profit organization, supported by a dedicated community of listeners.
