Brooklyn, NY — Roulette is pleased to announce the release of their fall season from September 5 to December 21, 2017.
The fall seasons begins in September with the fifth annual Resonant Bodies Festival, a one-of-a-kind opportunity to hear expert contemporary music vocalists curate and present repertoire that feeds their passion. Taking place over three nights, the festival features Theo Bleckmann, Jennifer Walshe, Davóne Tines, Hai-Ting Chinn, Joan La Barbara, Odeya Nini, Mary Bonhag, Kamala Sankaram, and Kayleigh Butcher. The following week, the Peggy Lee Septet, featuring Vancouver’s leading improvisers, presents Tell Tale, a project conceived in 2009 as a musical response to the HBO series Deadwood; followed by Matana Roberts presenting “breathe….” , a conceptual sound cycle exploring rise of militarized police in American culture. The month concludes with former artist-in-residence James Brandon Lewis presenting two new ensembles — UnRuly Notes, featuring works arranged and inspired by Antonin Dvorak, and a saxophone + electronics duo with composer Val Jeanty; followed by Japanese guitarist Kudzu Oshitashi performing FLECT with special guests Shelley Hirsch and Ikue Mori.
The month of October begins with Lunar Eclipse, an interactive audiovisual performance within an inflatable dome sculpture from the ensemble RE. Guitarist, vocalist, and composer Brandon Ross calls upon the photographs of Venezuelan artist, Carolina Muñoz, to present Immortal Obsolescence, followed by the acoustic duo of Ross and Stomu Takeishi. Ches Smith debuts new ensemble Laugh Ash, whose composition are morphed through a lens of low-fi hip hop, damaged electronics, and block structures. Glorious Ravage, a panoramic free jazz cycle from San Francisco bassist-composer Lisa Mezzacappa takes its inspiration from adventures and writings of 19th century female explorers. The Austrian Cultural Forum of New York once agains opens its Moving Sounds Festival at Roulette, featuring MSHR, Yatta, and BR-Laser; followed by emerging composer Kelly Moran presenting pieces influenced by states of altered consciousness and their effect on musical processes; and vocalist Charmaine Lee presenting Ceremony, a collaborative work developed with pianist and composer Conrad Tao preceded by an improvisational duo with Nate Wooley. Veteran string quartet Brooklyn Rider presents Spontaneous Symbols, an evening of new works from Tyondai Braxton, Paula Matthusen, and more; and dancer Nami Yamamoto draws on love and loss to present three nights of Headless Wolf.
November kicks off with Tredici Bacci celebrating 1960s-1970s pop culture by scoring soundtracks to Italian silent films. Composer Chris Lightcap combines for his two working groups, Big Mouth and Suprette, to convene SuperBigmouth; followed by violinist Mari Kimura presenting two world premieres inspired by the work of Japanese master ceramacist Susumu Notomi that utilize her prototype motion sensor “mugic.” Victoria Keddie returns to curate the second annual video art festival, Optics 0:1 Combinations; and David First’s Western Enisphere ensemble presents new works that explore hyper-minimalist microtonality and sensual phenomena. Producer Raz Mesinai performs Sleepwalker 3, a piece for piano, violin, bass and electronics that combines dub, contemporary composition, and sound system design. The month concludes with Experiments in Opera, ICE (International Contemporary Ensemble), and M.o.M., Inc. celebrating the life and legacy of Pauline Oliveros with the premiere of The Nubian Word for Flowers; A Phantom Opera, Oliveros’ opera collaboration with writer / director IONE.
December concludes with Austrian group Studio Dan performing Breaking News, featuring the premiere of a new work from George Lewis; followed by Jeremiah Cymerman premiering hypnotic new music for four clarinets and two percussionists inspired by Carl Jung’s Red Book. Acclaimed saxophonist Darius Jones will perform Samesoul Maker, which explores the commitment of the father figure during the process of childbirth on the planet Or’gen. The piano duo of Vicky Chow and a special guest, under the name X88, will present Outer Limits, featuring works by composers Tristan Perich, Nik Baärtsch, and more. Adam Rudolph’s Go: Organic Orchestra returns to Roulette’s stage for Murmuration, which draws on Rudolph’s usage of a non-linear score. The fall season concludes with Phill Niblock’s annual 6-hour Winter Solstice concert.