After a several year hiatus of the NY Theremin Society concert series (partly due to the death of Suzanne Fiol, Director at the Issue Project Room and one of the NY Theremin Society's biggest supporters) Dorit Chrysler and Rob Schwimmer are happy to announce the start of a new series, bringing Thereminists from New York and out of town together on a regular basis, to present their new works and to give participants and audience the possibility of exchange.
Founded by Suzanne Fiol and Dorit Chrysler, musician/composer, the NY Theremin Society launched its concert series December 2nd 2005, bringing together skilled interpreters on Theremin, each presenting their solo works and joining in an experimental Theremin Orchestra. Those concert series took place at Issue Project Room and sold out regularly, featuring Pamelia Kurstin, Rob Schwimmer, Dalith Warshaw, Anthony Ptak, David Simons & Armen Ra, just to name a few. The NY Theremin Society started to serve as a platform for Thereminists and Enthusiasts and its mission statement evolved; namely to exchange, inspire and educate, as well as to demonstrate the surprising variety of different approaches that this relatively young and unique instrument has to offer in the contemporary world of music. The NY Theremin Society was instrumental in the recreation of a Ten Piece Theremin Orchestra performing at the LA Disney Hall (emulating the first theremin orchestra concert taking place at Carnegie Hall in 1930.)
Starting September 20th at Joe's Pub - 4 Thereminists present their solo works:
DORIT CHRYSLER "Imagine if Marianne Faithfull and Nikola Tesla had a love child, with Jane Birkin as the nanny and Bjork as the wayward Girl Scout Leader!" Ann Magnuson, Paper Magazine Austrian born composer/musician Dorit Chrysler has presented her work at Lincoln Center, Coachella Festival, World Trade Center, Roskilde Festival, The Venice Biennale, Vienna Konzerthaus, Moogfest & CBGB's - she is a featured Moog Music artist and her contemporary electronic compositions have taken her around the world, including concerts in Brazil, Japan, Russia & Australia. Having released several records, she has also written sound tracks for TV and Cinema, as well as for visual artists such as Jesper Just. Other collaborators include Elliott Sharp, JG Thirlwell, Anders Trentemoeller, The The & Gibby Haynes. Dorit produced and curated the 10 piece Theremin Orchestra at the Disney Hall of Los Angeles. Her solo work includes Theremin, Vocals, Laptop and Taurus. http://www.doritchrysler.com/
ALLISON SNIFFIN is a multi-instrumentalist (piano, French horn, violin) and composer, who began playing the theremin in the late 90‘s. She joined Meredith Monk & Vocal Ensemble in the mid-90‘s, and currently collaborates as performer, engraver, editor and orchestrator (she is a featured performer on many of Monk’s recordings). Allison and her accompanist for this evening, Cynthia Powell, who built the instrument she plays, appeared together in a documentary about the theremin for CUNY-TV.
MICHAEL EVANS, percussionist and thereminist investigates and embraces the collision of sound and theatrics; combining ordered systems with intuitive choices of sound making. He has worked with EasSide Percussion, Eleven Twenty-nine, Fast Forward, Fulminate Trio, God Is My Co-Pilot, Susan Hefner, Lary Seven, Gordon Monahan, Evan Parker, Psychotic Quartet, LaDonna Smith, The Talking Band and Peter Zummo. Appearing with duo partner harpist Mia Theodaratus. http://www.michaelevanssounds.com/
ROB SCHWIMMER A pianist-composer described as a "Theremin master" in The New York Times and a "Theremin hero" in The New Yorker, Rob was theremin soloist with The Orchestra of St. Luke's at Caramoor playing the premiere of Bernard Herrmann's Scene d'Amour from Vertigo performed with theremin for the first time and played theremin and piano on Matthew Barney's epic Cremaster 3 movie. A founding member of Polygraph Lounge, Rob has worked with Wayne Shorter, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Paul Simon, Bobby McFerrin, Willie Nelson, Chaka Khan, Laurie Anderson, Simon & Garfunkel, Stevie Wonder, Bette Midler, Adam Guettel, T-Bone Walker, Sam Rivers, Marc Shaiman, Trey Anastasio, The Klezmatics, Theo Bleckmann, Christian Marclay, Gwyneth Paltrow, Marshall Brickman, Mary Cleere Haran, Arif Mardin, Mabou Mines, John Cale, Steve Buscemi, Burt Bacharach, The Roches, Edie Brickell, Teo Macero, Hal Willner, Vernon Reid, The Everly Brothers, Ethel, Kurt Vonnegut, Sammy Davis... Rob has recently added the Haken Continuum to his arsenal of instruments! http://www.robschwimmer.com/
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