Paul Dresher Ensemble and Amy X Neuburg perform “They Will Have Been So Beautiful” (CANCELLED)
Venue: Moss Arts Center at Virginia Tech, Blacksburg
Organizations: Amy X Neuburg, Paul Dresher Ensemble
Date: Friday, May 1, 2020
Time: 7:30 - 9:00 PM
Event Types: Music, Arts & Theatre
Cost:

Description:
UPDATE: Continuing to place the health of its patrons, staff, performers, and the community as its top priority, the Moss Arts Center is canceling its two remaining season performances in May, the Paul Dresher Ensemble and Amy X Neuburg, They Will Have Been So Beautiful on Friday, May 1, and Flor de Toloache on Friday, May 8.

In addition, Virginia Tech’s School of Performing Arts has canceled all of its events at the Moss Arts Center for the remainder of spring semester.

The Moss Arts Center at Virginia Tech presents the Paul Dresher Ensemble and Amy X Neuburg performing “They Will Have Been So Beautiful” on Friday, May 1, 2020.

Inspired by a little-known text by photographer Diane Arbus, the Paul Dresher Ensemble and composer and vocalist Amy X Neuburg collaborate on an electroacoustic song cycle featuring 10 newly commissioned works from a host of today's most compelling composers presented alongside the images that inspired them.

The Paul Dresher Ensemble believes deeply in the transformative power of artistic expression. Like the best of American culture, our work is grounded in experimentation and exploration, and embodies a distinctly entrepreneurial spirit. For over 30 years the Ensemble has been a creative force and active member of the San Francisco Bay Area as well as the national arts community. Our overarching goal is to produce innovative and engaging performances that reach for the highest artistic standards.

Dresher, composer, electric guitar, and bass, is an internationally active composer noted for his ability to integrate diverse musical influences into his own coherent and unique personal style. He pursues many forms of musical expression, including experimental opera/music theatre, chamber and orchestral composition, live instrumental electro-acoustic music, musical instrument invention, and scores for theatre and dance.

Links:

• https://www.dresherensemble.org/
• https://www.facebook.com/Paul.Dresher.Ensemble
• https://www.youtube.com/user/pauldresher2007/videos

Amy X Neuburg has been developing her unique brand of irreverently genre-crossing works for voice, live electronics, and small and large ensembles for over 30 years. One of the earliest performers to work with live digital looping, she is known for her innovative looping style using electronic percussion, as well as her four-octave vocal range and colorful lyrics. Neuburg has presented her solo “avant-cabaret” songs at such diverse venues as the Other Minds and Bang on a Can new music festivals, the Berlin International Poetry Festival, jazz festivals in New Zealand, the Warsaw Philharmonic Hall, and colleges, rock clubs, and concert halls throughout the U.S. and abroad.

As composer, commissions for voices and chamber ensembles — often with electronics — include Paul Dresher ensemble, San Francisco Chamber Orchestra, Robin Cox Ensemble, Present Music, Solstice vocal ensemble, Pacific Mozart Ensemble chorus, Sqwonk, and Del Sol String Quartet. Her acclaimed song cycle The Secret Language of Subways for voice, cello trio and electronics has played at Yerba Buena Center, the San Francisco Symphony After Hours, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic Left Coast Festival. She has also composed extensively for theater, visual media and modern dance.

A classically trained vocalist, Amy has been featured in contemporary operas and recordings including works by Robert Ashley, Culture Clash and Guillermo Galindo.

Amy received degrees in linguistics and voice from Oberlin College and Conservatory and an MFA in electronic music from Mills College. Her many grants and honors include Arts International, the Gerbode Foundation, Meet the Composer, The U.S. Embassy New Zealand, SF Friends of Chamber Music, and the Alpert/Ucross prize.

Links:

• http://www.amyxneuburg.com/
• https://www.facebook.com/Amy-X-Neuburg-72325167828
• https://www.twitter.com/AmyXNeuburg
• https://www.youtube.com/user/amyxneuburg/videos

Tickets can be purchased online, in person at the Moss Arts Center Box Office Monday-Friday from 10:00 am - 5:30 pm and Saturday 10:00 am - 4:00 pm and by phone at 540-231-5300.

To purchase tickets online, visit: https://artscenter.vt.edu/performances/curtis-symphony-orchestra.html.

Curtis on Tour is the Nina von Maltzahn Global Touring Initiative of the Curtis Institute of Music.

For more information, visit: https://artscenter.vt.edu/performances/curtis-symphony-orchestra.html or https://www.facebook.com/artscenteratvt or https://www.instagram.com/artscenteratvt/.