Slovakia’s Cluster Ensemble plays Philip Glass’ minimalist masterpiece Music With Changing Parts for the first time in New York City in several decades. Cluster Ensemble’s unique take on the this work from Glass’ early minimalist phase utilizes live video made of digitized fragments of a dance performance.
Formed in 2009 in Bratislava, Slovakia, Cluster Ensemble is comprised of nine members playing three electric organs, flute, clarinet, saxophone, electric guitar, marimba and VJ. The ensemble originated with the Slovakian premiere of Steve Reich’s Six Pianos, performed in a piano store in Bratislava. Since then, the loose grouping of artists surrounding the artistic duo of Ivan Šiller and Fero Király have played all over the world, including Austria, Germany, Denmark, Norway, and the United States. The ensemble specializes in rarely-played ensemble works by composers such as Philip Glass, Steve Reich and John Cage, as well as their own artistic projects. The group’s first album, Cluster Ensemble Plays Philip Glass, was released in June 2016 to critical acclaim in Pitchfork, Guardian, and others.
This performance is supported from public funds by Slovak Arts Council.