Water Stories in the Illuminated Forest

Featuring REDSHIFT with Mason Bates, Crooked Jades Trio and Theresa Wong

Water breathes life and destruction to the world. Water stories looks into the power of these forces in our lives. Innovative chamber ensemble REDSHIFT on piano, violin, clarinet, cello, takes the audience on a sonic journey into the Colorado River “Red River” (2007) featuring its composer Mason Bates on live electronics. Combining chamber with the rhythmic power and drama of electronics, Red River traces the river flows, from its source in the Rockies, through a landscape transformed by human activity, until it arrives exhausted at its final resting place in the vast emptiness of the Sonoran Desert. Mason Bates’ unique musical voice skillfully unlocks the environmental lessons drawn from the history of one of America’s great rivers.

Called the finest string-band in America by the Boston Herald, the Crooked Jades Trio bring to the surface the past trials and tribulations of how water effected rural life on this planet, floods, the transportation of slaves, ocean migration, sinking ships and drought and on the other side exploring the early ritual songs of Baptism- submerging the body in the beautiful pool to wash away the sins of the world, rebirth and salvation.

Composer Theresa Wong concocts a world turned upside down through her unique melding of video projection, text and performance on voice and cello. Part play, part science lecture and part opera experiment, Wong will present a new work examining the fragility of the ocean’s biosystems by illuminating the lives of a few legendary Bay Area grains of sand.

The mission of classical ensemble REDSHIFT is to promote experiences of live contemporary classical music that foster appreciation of the music’s artistic value. REDSHIFT presents music from a wide range of composers with a casual style and artistic intensity that invites audiences into a visceral and intellectual experience. Their recent performances have been described as “a knockout” (San Francisco Classical Voice). REDSHIFT is: Jeffrey Anderle (clarinets), Rose Bellini (cello), Keisuke Nakagoshi (keyboards), Andie Springer (violin).
www.redshiftensemble.com

Awarded both a Rome Prize from the American Academy in Rome and an American Academy in Berlin Prize, Mason Bates composes for a wide variety of forces, with a portfolio of symphonic, chamber, theatrical, and electronic works. A composer who often includes live electronica in his orchestral and chamber music, he has become known as an artist who moves fluidly between those two worlds — performing on electronic drumpad and laptop, with The National Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, or The Berlin Philharmonic at the Volksbühne in the former East Side. His work is performed across the country, from the New York Philharmonic to the Chicago Symphony (where he currently serves as composer in residence) and has been commissioned by the San Francisco Symphony (“The B-Sides”), the renown chorus Chanticleer (“Sirens”), and the Oakland and California Symphonies. Mason also stays busy as a DJ of trip-hop and electronica in San Francisco’s many clubs, lounges, and artspaces.
www.masonbates.com.

San Francisco-based folk revivalists The Crooked Jades are called the finest string band in America by The Boston Herald and hailed as one of the 10 bands representing the best of Americana by fRoots Magazine (UK). Presenting its trio configuration of Jeff Kazor (co-founder), Lisa Berman (co-founder) and Erik Pearson, the Jades are on a mission to reinvent old-time music, bringing their soulful sound (brilliant arrangements of obscure old tunes mixed with hauntingly beautiful original compositions played on an eclectic array of vintage instruments) out of the bluegrass & folk ghettos to brand new audiences. With an old-time foundation they create a unique and original modern sound by exploring the roots of Americana and interweaving the diverse musical influences of Europe and Africa. With a live show lately described as Emmy Lou singing with Nick Cave, they were chosen by Sean Penn to be part of the soundtrack of his Oscar-nominated film “Into the Wild” (2007) and are profiled in an upcoming BBC & BBC America co-production representing the cutting edge modern folk scene.
www.crookedjades.com.

Theresa Wong is an improviser and composer whose work encompasses music, theater and the visual arts. Her recent works include O Sleep, an improvised opera exploring the conundrum of sleep and dream life and Disasters of War, a duo for cello, violin and two voices inspired by the etchings of Francisco Goya. As a cellist and vocalist, she has collaborated with kindred spirits such as Ellen Fullman, Dohee Lee, Fred Frith and ROVA Saxophone Quartet. She has performed at the Fondation Cartier in Paris, Unlimited 21 Festival in Wels, Austria and at The Stone in New York City.
http://www.theresawong.org/