MAPS by Brittany J. Green

Maps is an improvisation piece for open instrumentation. Inspired by the poem “Maps” by Yesenia Montilla, the piece is broken into four sections, marked by a quote from the poem. Each section portrays a step in the process of what could happen when we remove borders we allow to define us. The A section features two clusters divided by middle C. It reflects the tension and limitations boundaries can create. In the B section, middle C displaced in lower and higher octaves, allowing the clusters to move more freely, and even interact with each other. This gesture changes the relationship the pitches have with one another, a representation of the change in interaction people encounter when barriers are displaced or shifted. In the C section, the C, or border, is completely removed, allowing the clusters to interact with each other with total freedom. Lastly, in the D section all the pitches coalesce into a singular wash of sound and then fades away.

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CROSSING 3 by Hesam Abedini

A newly-conceived improvisation led by Iranian composer and improviser Hesam Abedini, who will be Artist in Residence at the festival.

Note from Hesam about the piece:

Crossing 3 is an improvisatory work in which musicians are invited to practice creativity within a minimal structure provided by the composition. During the rehearsal process, we will explore ways of listening and responding to one another, with particular attention to timbre, dynamics, texture, and the spatial and relational qualities of sound rather than relying primarily on predetermined melodies or harmonic progressions. Musicians are encouraged to draw from their own musical backgrounds and traditions while remaining open to the sounds and ideas of others, allowing a shared musical language to emerge through the process of playing together.

There is no single predetermined “final” version of Crossing 3. My hope is that the performance creates a sonic space collectively: one shaped by the individual histories and creative choices of the musicians, their interactions with one another, and the act of listening itself. In this sense, the piece explores how musicians with different backgrounds can meet through improvisation and allow their musical traditions to evolve through encounter, while also leaving space for the audience to participate in the process of meaning-making rather than being presented with a fixed musical narrative.

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Left Coast Chamber Ensemble

Founded in 1992, Left Coast Chamber Ensemble (LCCE) is a consortium of 17 San Francisco Bay Area musicians who create exciting performances of all types of classical music for all types of audiences. We work as a cohesive collective of artists who share values of integrity, quality, inclusion, service, curiosity, and advocacy. LCCE centers the music of our time in conversation with musical influences of the past, combining a vast repertoire into thematic performances in our established and well-received concert series. We are also committed to continuing and evolving our broad-based education program, sponsoring our annual composition contest, championing new music through the commissioning of new works, and collaborating with current and diverse artists, thinkers, and scholars.

LCCE brings all types of music including small ensemble, vocal, orchestral, multi-media, and operatic productions to our listeners, conveying an essential and profound experience. With Left Coast Chamber Ensemble, nothing is out of bounds, and anything is possible.

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