ICElab at Atlas Performing Arts

ICElab at Reston

Georges Aperghis and the New Generation | ICElab on the MCA Stage, conducted by Ludovic Morlot

Mostly Mozart | A Little Night Music

Mostly Mozart | For the Birds

[Preview] ICElab at Atlas Performing Arts

May 16, 2012

Just imagine 11 Claire Chase’s playing simultaneously in a complex network of shifting loops…

Post ICE-Lab Workshop: Carla Kihlstedt

May 6, 2012

Remember Carla Kihlstedt’s really cool song series based on dreams? Carla explains the evolutionary process this piece undertook while being workshopped with ICE…

Juan Pablo Carreño [post ICElab workshop]

April 7, 2012

Juan Pablo Carreño took a few moments with us to reflect on his workshop experience with ICE back in February and what he is up to now.

Photos from the Scene: ICElab Workshop | Patricia Alessandrini, Carla Kihlstedt

April 1, 2012

We had a great time yesterday at the Baryshnikov Arts Center! Many thanks to everyone who came out to support the making of contemporary music!

InFormation: Patricia Alessandrini and Carla Kihlstedt [Preview]

March 30, 2012

This free workshop at the Baryshnikov Arts Center will be a showcase of the new works being created with ICE by Patricia Alessandrini and Carla Kihlstedt.

ICELab Intro: Carla Kihlstedt

March 27, 2012

Carla describes the way she composes as “messy”. She fills notebooks with ideas (she has one notebook for lyrics, one for concepts/lists, and one for actual notes), discovering which ideas evolve easily and letting those connect.

2013 ICElab Collaborators Announced!

March 23, 2012

These artists will participate in ICE’s unique commissioning project, developing new works through a series of residencies, focused on composer-performer collaboration.

Carlos Iturralde [post ICElab workshop]

March 18, 2012

A few weeks ago, Carlos Iturralde took the first step in his ICElab collaboration, workshopping his piece “Cupid’s Deeds” with members of ICE.

Photos from the Scene: ICElab at the CSUF New Music Festival

March 10, 2012

We had a great time last weekend at the CSUF New Music Festival! Many thanks to the CSUF Department of Music and everyone who came out to support contemporary music!

Lisa Coons Update [post ICElab workshop]

March 8, 2012

“It was the most enjoyable, most inspiring rehearsal process that I’ve ever experienced. The piece is challenging, but everyone was completely engaged, mentally, musically and physically.” - ICElab composer Lisa Coons

ICELab at the CSUF New Music Festival [Preview]

March 1, 2012

Heads up, West coasters! ICE comes to California State University Fullerton this Friday and Saturday with an impressive line-up of groundbreaking composers.

Juan Pablo Carreño [post ICElab workshop]

February 25, 2012

"I have a more clear idea about what I'm looking for in that piece, that idea of a disjunctive music, a disjunctive relation between different sonorous planes." - Juan Pablo Carreño following his ICElab workshop.

Photos from the Scene: ICElab Workshop with Lisa Coons and the Troupe

February 19, 2012

We had a great time collaborating with Lisa Coons and The Troupe last week at the Baryshnikov Arts Center! Many thanks to everyone who came out.

Today: Lisa Coons, The Troupe, BAC, 3pm

February 18, 2012

Today ICE will be showing off the progress we've made this week collaborating with 2012 ICElab composer Lisa Coons and The Troupe at the Baryshnikov Arts Center.

ICElab Intro: Lisa Coons

February 16, 2012

“. . . that level of trying new things and feeling like the only failure would be to not take advantage and take chances. . . it's thrilling!”

Photos from the Scene: ICElab Workshop with Juan Pablo Carreño and Carlos Iturralde

February 12, 2012

We had a great time collaborating with Carlos and Juan Pablo last week at the Baryshnikov Arts Center! Many thanks to everyone who came out.

George Lewis & Friends on the MCA Stage [Preview]

February 2, 2012

The work's chronically unstable sonic environment, mesmerizing as it builds through the rise and fall of polyrhythms and dissonances, will shake the air and eardrums of Chicago for the first time on Sunday.

ICElab introduces Carlos Iturralde

January 24, 2012

"It is just starting, but so far it is very promising above all because I've found nothing but openness to explore ideas and to give continuity to my work in every member of the ensemble that I've gotten in touch with." - Carlos Iturralde

ICElab introduces Tyshawn Sorey

January 18, 2012

Both on the bandstand and at the writing desk, Sorey is that rare kind of musical being who not only wears his influences on his sleeve, but shapes them into something wholly other. If that spirit of originality carries through to his time at ICElab – it will – it’s going to make for some very exciting results.

ICElab Application Deadline Extended to January 22nd, 2012

January 11, 2012

ICE has extended the deadline for the 2013-14 cycle of commissions. The deadline has been moved from 1/15 to 1/22.

Æsopica Sold Out Tonight! + Critic’s Pick

December 16, 2011

The world premiere of ICElab composer Marcos Balter's Æsopica is sold out tonight! We hope to see you there. The New York Times selected this show as a Critics' Pick! They write: The restless young virtuosos known as ICE are worth hearing no matter what they undertake. Here, continuing their innovative ICElab series, they perform “Aesopica,” a brash, whimsical song cycle by Marcos Balter based on Aesop’s fables; Peter Tantsits, a tenor both skillful and brave, serves as the narrator and soloist. At 7:30 p.m., Baryshnikov Arts Center, 450 West 37th Street, Manhattan, (866) 811-4111, bacnyc.org; free, with reservations required. (Smith)

Guest Post: Marcos Balter on Aesop’s Fables

December 15, 2011

In preparation for our two night run of ICElab composer Marcos Balter's Æsopica (including a FREE special children's performance tonight), we have a special guest post from the composer! Marcos discusses the selection process for the fables, and muses on the moral significance of a few of the ones he chose:

“I Want To Be Just Like You When I Grow Up”: Notes from Elementary Schoolers

December 13, 2011

Last month, ICE did one of our Listening Room workshops at Swift Elementary School in the Edgewater neighborhood of Chicago, programmed by Tricia Von Eck of The Happiness Project. Eric Lamb, Claire Chase, Josh Rubin, and Jacob Greenberg, our Education Director, worked with students for two hours to create a graphic score, which was then rehearsed by our musicians and performed for the students' parents. Check out these adorable thank you notes from students at Swift Elementary:

Marcos Balter: Composing Aesopica (via Meet The Composer)

December 13, 2011

As we gear up to present Marcos Balter's Æsopica on Friday at the BAC, we wanted to share this video and article (originally published here) from our good friends at Meet The Composer, who supported the creation of the piece:

Nathan Davis’ “Bright and Hollow Sky” in TONY’s “Best of 2011” list!

December 12, 2011

ICE percussionist and ICElab composer Nathan Davis' recent release, "The Bright and Hollow Sky", appears in Time Out New York Music Editor Steve Smith's list of The Best Classical Albums of 2011! It's number 5, in fact. Smith writes: Long a tremendous asset to the International Contemporary Ensemble as both a brilliant percussionist and a resourceful composer, Nathan Davis finally documented five of his sonically beguiling works, with predictably rich results.

Æsopica: Bringing Fables to the BAC

December 6, 2011

We're excited to be performing ICElab composer Marcos Balter's Æsopica during a FREE show at the BAC on December 16th! Check out the video excerpt from the piece below: The Chicago Tribune praised Æsopica's "minutely crafted whimsy" after we presented the piece in Chicago on June 4th: Arnold returned for the world premiere (at least in its present form) of Marcos Balter's Aesopica (2011), another suite-like piece for singer-narrator and 10-member ensemble, this one drawn from various Aesop fables. The Brazilian-born Balter, who directs the music composition program at Columbia College Chicago, has a wickedly original sense of humor and a fiercely imaginative palette of instrumental and vocal sounds rare in today's dour, post-classical new music.

InFormation // Introducing Matt Orenstein

December 5, 2011

We're pleased to introduce Matt Orenstein, one of our new ICE interns, who you'll be hearing from periodically starting in January. He brings tidings from Chitown; read below for his account of ICElab InFormation, which took place on the MCA stage on Saturday:

Three Beats: InFormation Featured in Chicago Reader

December 2, 2011

For those of you in the Chicago area: don't miss ICElab InFormation, a FREE event tomorrow on the MCA stage. The event will include a discussion with ICE and composers George Lewis and Steve Lehman alongside live music and video in advance of their MCA premiere concert on February 5. Don't take our word for it - read the feature by Peter Margasak in the Chicago Reader:

Apply to ICElab!

November 22, 2011

We're currently accepting applications for ICElab, our new program which places teams of ICE musicians in close collaboration with six emerging composers each year to develop works that push the boundaries of musical exploration. Selected composer-collaborators will receive a commission to create a substantial new piece for ICE that will be presented in ICE's 2013 and 2014 seasons in New York, Chicago and select other cities. The ICElab program is currently open for both the 2013 and 2014 cycles until January 15, 2012. ICE will choose six composer-collaborators for the 2013 cycle, and may choose up to six collaborators for the 2014 cycle. Composers and artists of all backgrounds, styles, and approaches—Western or non-Western, traditional or nontraditional notation, jazz, classical, improvisatory, performance art, etc.—are invited to apply.

“Self-fiction, ¿a disjunctive music?”: An Interview with Juan Pablo Carreño

November 21, 2011

Colombian composer and 2012 ICElab collaborator Juan Pablo Carreño is quickly emerging as a prodigious and dynamic voice from a region rich in cultural traditions. His varied work explores the intersections between art, politics, latin-american identity, and different cultural heritages, drawing on both the violence and the cultural vivacity of his home country. He has studied composition at Javeriana University in Bogotá and at the Paris Conservatoire, where he was recently awarded first prize in composition. His work has been performed by several leading European ensembles, and featured at the Festival Musique sur Ciel. Check out this interview with Juan Pablo, in which he discusses, among other things, the concept of “disjunctive music”, how the places in which he has lived and worked have inspired his music, and what it means to be a composer in today's world:

“Chimers”: Photos from the Scene

November 17, 2011

We had a great time playing the music of Phyllis Chen last night at the MoCP in Chicago! Many thanks to everyone who came out. Click the image above to view a few more photos from our pre-show run through.

FREE ICElab: Chimers @ MoCP Tonight!

November 16, 2011

Attention all Chicagoans: we're playing another FREE ICElab show tonight! Come hear us perform Phyllis Chen's Chimers (2011) at the MoCP at 7:30pm. Although this is a free performance, the reservations list is filling up rapidly; please email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) with your name and the number in your party if you plan to attend. Watch a video of the piece, read an interview with the composer, and delve into the intersections between tonight's performance and the current photography exhibit, Crime Unseen.

Meditations on Memory: Phyllis Chen x Crime Unseen

November 15, 2011

We're packing up our toy pianos and metal bowls for a FREE encore presentation of 2011 ICElab composer Phyllis Chen's amazing Chimers in Chicago at the MoCP on Wednesday night. The New York Times has praised Phyllis for her “delightful quirkiness matched with interpretive sensitivity,” which you can hear in this evening-length cycle. Wednesdays free performance of Chimers at the MoCP will coincide with the exhibition Crime Unseen, which also concerns memory and "reactivat[ing] historical material".

Tonight: Glass Clouds and Fallen Warriors

November 4, 2011

We're pumped for our FREE ICElab show tonight at The Baryshnikov Arts Center (BAC)! Featuring music by ICElab composers Phyllis Chen and Du Yun, this will be, in the words of ICE bassoonist Rebekah Heller, "an incredible night of toy pianos, metal bowls, oboe solos, video projections, and free beer lovingly provided by Brooklyn Brewery". Click the photo below to view a few snapshots from the setup (our three most recent wall photos): The show starts at 7:30pm and, although tickets are free, the reservations list is currently full. Please email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) to add your name to the waitlist.

Evading Authority, Russian Solfege, and the Downfall of Genres/Binaries: an Interview with Du Yun

November 3, 2011

Composer Du Yun has been a fixture on the ICE scene since our inception; in fact, she was one of the founders of the ensemble. Since then, she's gone on to garner international performances and praise for her highly original work. The New York Times has hailed her as "cutting-edge…to whom the term ‘young composer’ could hardly do justice,” and Time Out New York has classified her as “...an indie pop diva with an avant-garde edge," and mused that "[Du Yun] re-invents herself daily…so does her music”. We're excited to be playing a new work by Du Yun tomorrow night at our FREE ICElab show at The Baryshnikov Arts Center (BAC). Check out this interview with the composer, conducted by Brianne Galli:

Du Yun x Shahzia Sikander @ Mass College of Art

November 1, 2011

Watch ICElab composer Du Yun perform original music to accompany animations by visual artist Shahzia Sikander. The footage comes from a recent performance at Mass College of Art on October 3, 2011, which was part of an exhibition entitled The Exploding Company Man and Other Abstractions. ICE presents a brand new work by Du Yun on Friday, November 4th as part of our FREE ICElab show at The Baryshnikov Arts Center (BAC). We hope to see you there!

Streaming Glass Clouds

October 31, 2011

Earlier this year, we were deeply saddened to find that a performance of ours at The Southern Theater was canceled due to severe financial difficulties at the venue. We had commissioned several works that we were planning to play during that concert, including two world premieres by ICElab composer Phyllis Chen. We decided that the show needed to happen regardless: we partnered with our friends at Meerkat Media, who filmed us performing the pieces in our rehearsal space, and broadcast them to the world via WQXR.

Snapshots from BAC Load In

October 28, 2011

Here are a few snapshots from ICE's load in at the Baryshnikov Arts Center (BAC) on Friday, October 28th:

Phyllis Chen on “Chimers”

October 27, 2011

In anticipation of our upcoming performance of Phyllis Chen's Chimers during our FREE show on November 4th at The Baryshnikov Arts Center (BAC), we thought we'd bring back this recent interview that we conducted with the composer regarding this work. While you're at it, check out this video from the premiere of the piece. Enjoy!

Du Yun Interviewed by HuffPost

October 26, 2011

We're gearing up for Glass Clouds and Fallen Warriors, a FREE concert featuring the music of ICElab composers Du Yun and Phyllis Chen at the Baryshnikov Arts Center on November 4th. Check out this great recent interview with Du Yun by Daniel J. Kushner of The Huffington Post (view the original published version here):

Phyllis Chen - “Chimers” Video

October 25, 2011

Check out this video of ICE presenting the world premiere of ICElab composer Phyllis Chen's piece Chimers (2011) at the 2011 Mostly Mozart Festival. We're looking forward to performing it again as a part of our FREE show at the Baryshnikov Arts Center (BAC) on November 4th!

Reviews from The Kitchen

October 24, 2011

Many thanks to all who came out to The Kitchen last Thursday and Friday! We had a great time. Check out these reviews from Consequence of Sound and Thomas Deneuville: "It’s not often that I leave a show speechless, feeling a deep desire to merely contemplate what I’ve just heard. The best live music experiences have certainly done this for me, as I walk out wide-eyed into the cool night air and think, What the hell just happened?..." -Consequence of Sound

Kitchen Run Begins Tonight! + 20% Discount Tickets + More Rehearsal Shots

October 20, 2011

Our two night residency at The Kitchen starts tonight! Join us for an evening of the music of ICElab composers, presented as part of the 2011 SONiC Festival. A 20% discount is available for tickets for BOTH tonight and tomorrow night! Visit http://www.thekitchen.org/event/275/0/1/ to purchase and use the coupon code "icicle". See below for tonight's program details, and for more shots from the rehearsals:

Rehearsal Shots from The Kitchen

October 19, 2011

We're getting ready for our Kitchen shows tomorrow and Friday...hope to see you there!

Steve Lehman: Lenwood & Other Saints Who Roam the Earth (2011)

October 11, 2011

Watch this video from the world premiere of ICElab composer Steve Lehman's Lenwood & Other Saints Who Roam the Earth (2011), taken from one of our Mostly Mozart performances at Lincoln Center this past August. While you are at it, read this thorough guest post from Steve about the piece. We'll be performing Lenwood again during our SONiC Festival show at The Kitchen on Thursday, October 20th - get your tickets today!

Guest Post: Marcos Balter on Instability, Variation, and the Beauty of it All

October 10, 2011

Here's another ICElab guest post, this one from the phenomenal composer Marcos Balter, on instability, variation, and the beauty of it all:

Guest Post: Nathan Davis on “Dowser”

October 7, 2011

Nathan Davis's music brilliantly reflects and expands upon the peculiarities and essential characteristics of instruments and the nature of acoustic phenomena. Here, the composer and ICE percussionist speaks about his piece, Dowser, for bass clarinet and electronics. ICE performs Dowser, along with works by several other ICElab composers, on Friday, October 20th at The Kitchen as a part of the 2011 SONiC (Sounds of a New Century) Festival.

Mario Diaz de León: Portals Before Dawn Video

October 6, 2011

ICElab composer Mario Diaz de León doesn't ever seem to slow down. A few short months ago, we featured an evening of his music as the program for our inagural ICElab concert at LPR, including a staggering new ICElab-commissioned work, Portals Before Dawn. Now, we are told that MDdL plans to release an album of his electronic music in late January on Shinkoyo, the label he co-runs. The release show will be held at The Stone during the last two weeks of the month, which Mario curated for Shinkoyo. Here is some footage from that night, shot by our friends at Meerkat Media. Portals Before Dawn, the incredible ICElab-commissioned work that received it's world premiere that night, begins about 38 minutes into the video.

Webern - Concerto for Nine Instruments, Op. 24 (Rehearsal Excerpt)

September 16, 2011

In anticipation of our upcoming Chance Encounters program at the MCA in Chicago, we are breaking out Anton Webern's Concerto for Nine Instruments, Op. 24. This is an impressive piece of music filled with astonishing symmetries, patterns, and revolutions, all generated from a small amount of material. We'll spare you the details, but all of you curious aficionados can get the scoop from Kathryn Bailey's paper "Symmetry as Nemesis: Webern and the First Movement of the Concerto, Op. 24". Listen to a recording of ICE rehearsing the piece below. For those of you in the Chicago area, don't miss ICE's performance of this piece during our Chance Encounters performance at the MCA on October 5th!

An Interview with Patricia Alessandrini

September 7, 2011

Continuing our series profiling ICElab's 2012 collaborators, digitICE is excited to introduce Patricia Alessandrini, whose abundant musical imagination has us counting down the days until she joins us in the ICElab.

Claire Chase plays Nathan Davis’s “pneApnea”

August 25, 2011

A special treat from the archives today — a video of ICE's founder & flutist Claire Chase performing pneApnea by ICElab composer (and ICE percussionist) Nathan Davis, live from Chicago's Velvet Lounge at the release party for her debut album aliento.

Love for lovely Mount Tremper Arts!

August 2, 2011

ICE had the pleasure of visiting the fabulous artist retreat of Mount Tremper Arts in upstate New York last week; take a look at some photos from our time in the Catskills, out of cell phone range but immersed in a beautiful landscape and equally beautiful music.

Guest Post: Steve Lehman on “Lenwood & Other Saints Who Roam The Earth”

July 29, 2011

Today, we feature a guest post from composer Steve Lehman on his new piece Lenwood & Other Saints Who Roam the Earth, a new ICElab commission to be premiered at our late-night Mostly Mozart show on August 11 at the Kaplan Penthouse.

Rebekah Heller: Carving a Path for Contemporary Bassoonists Everywhere

July 28, 2011

ICE’s esteemed and totally fabulous bassoonist, Rebekah Heller, is on a mission on behalf of bassoonists everywhere. DigitICE sits down with Rebekah to talk about her exciting new project.

Meet Carla Kihlstedt

July 27, 2011

Everyone, meet violinist, singer, composer, improviser, experimentalist, and creative mastermind, Carla Kihlstedt. I, Liz Bennett, a member of ICE’s summer intern staff, couldn’t be more excited about her upcoming work with ICE as one of the 2012 ICElab collaborators, and this is why!

Interview: Phyllis Chen

July 25, 2011

Today on digitICE: an interview with 2011 ICElab composer Phyllis Chen, who shares her thoughts about the toy piano, some of her musical philosophy, and the upcoming premiere of her new piece Chimers at the Mostly Mozart Festival. Also, give a listen to Phyllis's piece Munin Raven.

From the Archive: On & Off the Page | Peter Evans

July 11, 2011

Though the ICElab program is relatively new, ICE has long championed innovative new music, as with our On & Off the Page from last season, where we partnered with composer-performers who blur the line between written and improvised music. digitICE is proud to present a recording from the On & Off the Page show at (le) Poisson Rouge in March 2010 — Peter Evans's "Eat Your Dead." What's going on with that title? Watch the video to find out (SFW, we promise).

ICElab: Hollow Skies now streaming on Q2!

July 6, 2011

The third in our series of free ICElab concerts at (le) Poisson Rouge from May 31st is now streaming on Q2, featuring world and NYC premieres from ICElab composer Nathan Davis.

Photos: The annual roof party at the Delancey!

July 5, 2011

If you were at SummerICE, or missed the party but want to live the night vicariously via photo documentation, this is the blog post for you! Check out these fabulous photos from ICE's annual summer roof party last Tuesday, June 28th at Manhattan's legendary Delancey nightclub. It was quite the fiesta. Photos by Joanne Bouknight.

#chaseclaire on NPR

June 24, 2011

For a week NPR Music contributor Laura Pellegrinelli 'chased' ICE flutist & Executive Director Claire Chase. The endeavor culminated in a story which aired earlier this week on NPR's All Things Considered.

ICEcast: James Delancey, Du Yun, and empanadas

June 23, 2011

As ICE gears up for its exciting roof party at the Delancey on Tuesday, let us take this opportunity to study an important moment in New York history involving James Delancey, namesake of Delancey Street and our host venue.

Tomorrow Night: ICElab @ MCA Chicago!

June 3, 2011

We are really looking forward to our ICElab concert tomorrow night at the MCA! We'll be featuring world and Chicago premieres of music by ICElab composers Marcos Balter, Du Yun, and Nathan Davis.

Guest Post: Du Yun _ Music Crushes of the past year

June 1, 2011

When I was asked to write this blog, I realized there are enough posts about me covering my influences of other composers and other influences in my life… So I decide to share with you my music crushes of last year. We all have certain snippets of music that make us cry and laugh. This is how I define my musical crushes: the tracks on my iPod whenever they are on, no matter where I am, they would send me in tears repeatedly, or triggered my adrenaline, in tears, with no fails. Every Single Time. (Sometimes every other time.) At any rate, you know that feeling: the moment something grabs you, you are the happy prey while at the same time, the willing victim.

Tonight: ICElab presents “Hollow Skies: Music Of Nathan Davis”, a FREE Show/CD Release @ LPR!

May 31, 2011

Please join us for the final FREE concert of our three-month LPR residency tonight! We'll be featuring world and NYC premieres of music by ICElab composer Nathan Davis, and celebrating the release of his new album, "The Bright And Hollow Sky" via our good friends at New Focus Recordings. We're really excited for this show, and can't wait to share this music with you. Simply scroll down to read a guest post from Nathan, listen to a podcast/interview, and check out a full-lenth mp3 and clips from the forthcoming album!

Nathan Davis: “The Mechanics of Escapement”

May 27, 2011

We are very excited for the forthcoming release of ICElab composer and ICE percussionist Nathan Davis' new album, "The Bright And Hollow Sky", which will be brought to you by our good friends at New Focus Recordings starting this Tuesday, May 31st. We'll be celebrating the release with an evening of Nathan's music, including world and NYC premieres of new pieces, at our final FREE ICElab show next Tuesday evening at LPR. In anticipation of the release, we bring you a full length mp3 of "The Mechanics of Escapement". See below for Nathan's description of the piece, and for streaming audio:

Interview: Marcos Balter (by Elly Fishman)

May 26, 2011

by Elly Fishman I recently sat down with Marcos Balter in his Uptown apartment where I was enthusiastically greeted by both Marcos and his dog, Colin. It was a beautiful day in Chicago and spring fever seemed to have finally settled into the air. Marcos, an ebullient spirit, took time from his 3-deadline week (!), to discuss everything from his favorite Chicago spots to his enduring philosophies of music.

ICEcast: Nathan Davis

May 25, 2011

We recently sat down with ICElab composer Nathan Davis to discuss his writing process, on the eve of the release of his new album on New Focus Recordings, The Bright and Hollow Sky. In this episode of the ICEcast, Nathan tells us about composing for his friends in ICE, pulling inspiration from author Italo Calvino, dadaist Hugo Ball, and Polish poet Zbigniew Herbert, in addition to what it's like for a professional percussionist & composer to try to make notes on a bassoon.

Guest Post: Shahzia Sikander on “The Last Post”

May 23, 2011

We are kicking off this week with a guest post from the amazing artist Shahzia Sikander. In the paragraphs below, Sikander discusses her collaboration with ICElab composer Du Yun, The Last Post, which will receive its Chicago premiere during our ICElab concert at the MCA on June 4th. Don't sleep!

Nathan Davis: “The Bright And Hollow Sky” - Streaming Clips via New Focus Recordings

May 19, 2011

This blog has been abuzz about ICElab composer Nathan Davis for days - we are anxiously anticipating his May 31st New York show (the final concert of our three-month residency at LPR) on and his contributions to our June 4th show at the MCA in Chicago. We're pleased to report today that New Focus Recordings has posted clips from Nathan's upcoming album, The Bright And Hollow Sky, which will be released on May 31st (same day as the LPR show, which is FREE)! The piece "Like Sweet Bells Jangled" is included as a part of the larger work Bells, which will receive its Chi-town premiere at the upcoming MCA show.

Du Yun: “Air Glow” for 5 Trumpets + Laptop

May 18, 2011

ICElab composer Du Yun's piece "Air Glow" was recently posted in the fifth issue of the Art & Culture Magazine Glasschord. Commissioned by the 2006 Festival of New Trumpet Music (FONT), this composition for 5 trumpets + laptop is a must listen.

Steve Lehman ICElab Show Streaming on Q2!

May 17, 2011

Our April ICElab show featuring music by Steve Lehman (the second performance in our three concert ICElab Residency at LPR) is now streaming on Q2. Watch it in HD (or just listen via the audio player) now! If you think Steve's work is as amazing as we do, we highly suggest that you investigate this guest post and this podcast/interview. And, if you want more, Q2 is also still streaming our inaugural LPR residency concert, featuring music by Mario Diaz De León. Watch the concert in its entirety here. For those of you in the New York area (or anywhere close by, for that matter), don't miss the final concert of our ICElab residency: Hollow Skies: Music of Nathan Davis on Tuesday, May 31st!

Marcos Balter on Musical Identity and Sensibilities

May 16, 2011

Happy Monday, everyone! Take a peek at these videos from ICElab composer Marcos Balter, originally posted by our friends at Meet The Composer, in which Marcos discusses his musical identity and sensibilities.

Du Yun + Phil Moffa + Gareth Flowers

May 13, 2011

In less than a month, we'll be presenting an amazing concert at the MCA in Chicago featuring music by ICElab composers Marcos Balter, Nathan Davis, and Du Yun. We have a long working history with Du Yun and are thrilled to premiere her latest piece, The Last Post, which will accompany video by artist Shahzia Sikander. Du Yun is a woman of many hats - those of you who have heard her latest release under her pop diva alter ego, duYun, know exactly what we mean. Those of you who haven't...well, you absolutely should; Shark In You is out now on the New Focus Recordings imprint. We urge you to check out these great vids from recent rehearsals and performances by Du Yun, DJ Phil Moffa, and trumpeter Gareth Flowers - their current collaboration is laying the groundwork for the upcoming world premiere of Angel's Bone (featuring ICE) at the Mann Center this September.

Guest Post: Nathan Davis on “On Speaking a Hundred Names”

May 12, 2011

Below we have yet another illuminating guest post, this one from ICElab composer and ICE percussionist Nathan Davis, who we've been covering recently. We hope you enjoy this unique insight into the composer's process in preparing music for our upcoming Chicago and New York premieres, as well as his musings on the peculiarities and essential characteristics of instruments, the nature of acoustic phenomena, and the way in which he gets acquainted with it all.

Guest Post: Marcos Balter Discusses “Æsopica”

May 11, 2011

We have a very special guest post from Chicago-based ICElab composer Marcos Balter. In the video below, Marcos discusses his new song cycle “Æsopica”, which will receive its Chicago premiere during our June 4th ICElab concert at the MCA ($10 student tickets are available, make your reservations today!). He also talks about the challenges of making work accessible, in the tradition of Aesop, to audiences of all ages while still making contemporary and boundary-pushing music. Enjoy!

Nathan Davis: “Bells” Explained

May 10, 2011

Nathan Davis' "Bells" is one of the most interesting and fun pieces we've had the opportunity to perform recently, and we can't wait to bring it to the MCA in Chicago on June 4th! The piece, which is site-specific and involves the audience as co-composers (make sure you bring your cell phones), was premiered at the opening of the 2011 Tullyscope Festival recently to great effect. In characteristic digitICE fashion, we bring you words directly from the composer. Here are Nathan Davis' notes on the piece.

Mario Diaz De León ICElab Show Streaming on Q2!

May 9, 2011

Our recent ICElab show featuring music by Mario Diaz De León (which was the inaugural performance in our ongoing ICElab Residency at LPR) was an amazing experience for everyone involved. Now, thanks to our good friends at Q2, you can watch the concert in its entirety via streaming HD video (audio-only also available). Check it out!

Shahzia Sikander in Conversation with MoMa Director Glenn Lowry

May 5, 2011

We are very excited to for the upcoming world premiere of ICElab composer Du Yun's new work, The Last Post, on June 4th at the MCA in Chicago. The Last Post will be music for film by internationally renowned artist Shahzia Sikander. Watch this illuminating conversation between Ms. Sikander and MoMa director Glenn Lowry:

ICE Streaming Begins Today at 1pm on Q2!

May 2, 2011

We are pleased to announce that our recently recorded ICElab concert will be available via FREE streaming HD video beginning at 1:00pm today (Monday, May 2nd). Tune in to WQXR's Q2 at 1:00pm today or anytime after to check it out!

The Show Must Go On: Photos from the Recording Session

April 27, 2011

We had an amazing time recording last night. The HD video will be streaming starting on Friday, April 29th, so you can see the performance at no charge from the convenience of your computer screen. We'll post info on how to access it tomorrow on our homepage. Check out the photos!

The Show Must Go On: ICE Streams Starting Friday

April 26, 2011

We were deeply saddened by the news that our performance tonight at The Southern Theater in Minneapolis has been canceled due to severe financial difficulties at the theater... ...But the show must go on. We've partnered with Meerkat Media to bring the music to you, in Minneapolis or wherever you may be. We're going to be recording in HD tonight from our Brooklyn studio, and plan to release the results for online streaming starting this Friday, April 29th. Details for viewing the performance will be released on our homepage on Thursday, April 28th.

Marcos Balter, Du Yun, Nathan Davis - ICElab Concert Preview @ the MCA

April 21, 2011

For those of you in the Chicago area, come through the Museum of Contemporary Art this Saturday, April 23 at 3pm. We'll bring you onto the MCA stage, where you can meet and listen to works by ICElab composers Marcos Balter and Nathan Davis, as ICE musicians play some some of their works and discuss the ICElab composition process. We'll also screen video from the premiere of Davis's Bells, as well as a clip from visual artist Shahzia Sikander's animation The Last Post scored by ICElab composer Du Yun.

IMPOSSIBLE FLOW tonight! + NYTimes Critic’s Pick

April 19, 2011

We're pumped to continue our #ICElab residency with the world premiere of IMPOSSIBLE FLOW by ICElab composer Steve Lehman, which you can hear at our FREE performance at (le) poisson rouge tonight. Again, don't take our word for it: The New York Times featured this show as a Critic's Pick! Steve Smith writes: “This innovative new-music group constantly seeks out both fresh repertory and novel situations in which to showcase it; ICELab, a new incubation program..."

IMPOSSIBLE FLOW Tomorrow! + B-movie trailer

April 18, 2011

We can't wait to present the world premiere of Steve Lehman's new work IMPOSSIBLE FLOW (commissioned through our ICElab program) tomorrow night at (le) poisson rouge! It's a FREE show, so don't sleep on it! Check out our new b-movie-style trailer for the show.

ICEcast: Steve Lehman’s “Impossible Flow”

April 13, 2011

Our friend, composer Rafiq Bhatia, recently interviewed saxophonist and ICElab composer Steve Lehman. On this episode of the ICEcast, we feature selections from their conversation about rhythm, time, playing what you write, and writing what you want to play. Be sure to catch ICE as we perform the world premiere of Steve's "Impossible Flow" at (le) Poisson Rouge on April 19, 2011.

Steve Lehman on some of his influences, from Allen Iverson to Betty Carter to Grisey (and more!)

April 12, 2011

We're pleased to bring you this amazing guest post from 2011 ICElab Collaborator Steve Lehman, discussing his thoughts on "some of the contemporary composers, performers, and athletes (!) whose ideas about rhythm and musical time" have had a major impact on his work. Lehman's new work Impossible Flow will see its world premiere on Tuesday, April 19th during a FREE ICElab show at (le) poisson rouge in New York City. Enjoy!

Marcos Balter: Portmanteaux

April 11, 2011

This Thursday, April 14, ICE performs the world premiere of the new piece Æsopica from ICElab composer Marcos Balter at the Morgan Library and Museum in New York. As you might guess from the title, Marcos takes inspiration from the timeless fables of Aesop, with the protagonist narrator portrayed by ICE's incredible tenor Peter Tantsits and an ensemble of ICE musicians playing the role of the Greek Chorus. Take a listen to ICE performing an earlier Balter work, Portmanteaux.

Fieldwork – “Rai”

April 7, 2011

Fieldwork is one of our favorite improvising ensembles active today. A collectively-led trio of composer-performers featuring ICElab collaborators Steve Lehman (alto saxophone, ICElab 2011) and Tyshawn Sorey (drums, ICElab 2012), as well as the venerable Vijay Iyer (piano), Fieldwork makes music to remember. Take a listen to their track "Rai," from the album Door.

Steve Lehman - “Manifold” (from Cut/Paste)

April 6, 2011

More Steve Lehman footage ahead of our next FREE ICElab show at (le) poisson rouge, this time performing with us! The video below was shot by a fan during our Cut/Paste show last year at LPR. The piece is "Manifold"; crew is SL (alto saxophone, computer), Eric Lamb (flute), and Joshua Rubin (bass clarinet).

Steve Lehman Octet – Live @ The 2010 Moers Festival

April 5, 2011

We're pumped for our next FREE ICElab show at (le) poisson rouge, which will feature a world premiere from composer and saxophonist Steve Lehman. Check out the video below for a glimpse at Steve's formidable musical vision.

Thanks again! + ICElab Launch Video

April 4, 2011

We want to thank each and every one of you who came out last week to celebrate the launch of our ICElab Residency at (le) poisson rouge! We had a blast premiering/performing Mario Diaz De Leon's works, and we can't wait for the next one; we'll be presenting the world premiere of Steve Lehman's "Impossible Flow" during another FREE show on April 19th! In the meantime, check out this rad ICElab launch video.

TONIGHT!

March 30, 2011

Our three-month #ICElab residency begins tonight! We'll be featuring world and NYC premieres of music by ICElab composer Mario Diaz de León during this FREE performance at (le) poisson rouge tonight. Also, the good people at Time Out New York chose this one as a Critic's Pick, so you don't have to take our word for it!

Portals Before Dawn

March 29, 2011

Check out this preview of tomorrow evening's FREE show at LPR, featuring rehearsal footage from Mario Diaz de León's brand new piece Portals Before Dawn. ICE will present the world premiere of Portals Before Dawn, along with NYC premieres of several of Mario's other pieces, during a FREE concert tomorrow night at (le) poisson rouge in New York, NY.

Reservations for MDdL this Wednesday + CD Giveaway!

March 28, 2011

There has been an overwhelming amount of interest in the FREE ICElab launch performance this Wednesday at LPR. For those of you who are just tuning in, we're going to be presenting the world and NYC premiers of pieces by Mario Diaz de León! In anticipation of Wednesday's performance, we're also happy to provide you with a chance to win a FREE copy of MDdL's debut album Enter Houses Of. All you have to do is submit a creative response to MDdL's music in 180 characters or less, and submit it to us via Facebook or Twitter!

Photographs: “Impossible Flow”

March 24, 2011

Here are some pictures of ICE rehearsing Impossible Flow, the new commissioned piece by composer/saxophonist Steve Lehman.

2012 ICElab Collaborators Announced!

March 22, 2011

We are pleased to announce our 2012 ICElab Collaborators! We'd like to congratulate those who were selected, as well as to thank everyone who submitted an application.

Mario Diaz de León on Wolf Eyes, Morbid Angel, and Musicians of Nechmaya, Algeria + MIRRORGATE Sneak

March 21, 2011

We're pleased to have Mario Diaz de León back in the house with another guest post, this time discussing three tracks that have inspired him as a composer and performer.

MIRRORGATE

March 15, 2011

We've noticed that only a surprisingly small portion of the folks that rave about Mario Diaz de León's concert music have ever checked out his noise/metal band, MIRRORGATE, a duo outfit consisting of MDdL and sound/visual artist Doron Sadja. Take a listen!

Mario Diaz De León + ICE on SoundCloud

March 11, 2011

ICElab composer Mario Diaz De León has launched a SoundCloud page! Stay tuned for updates (read: more music and perhaps some unreleased tracks!) as we approach our first FREE ICElab show feat. world and NYC premiers of Mario's works at (le) poisson rouge on March 30th.

ICElab: Prism Path | Music of Mario Diaz de León

March 7, 2011

We’re very excited for our upcoming ICElab residency at (le) Poisson Rouge, we’re presenting three FREE concerts over the next three months, starting with a tour de force program from composer & multi-instrumentalist Mario Diaz de León. Check out this unreleased footage of ICE’s Joshua Rubin premiering MDdL’s composition The Soul is the Arena at The Velvet Lounge in Chicago.