The New Music Circle has been bringing in avant-garde musicians from around the world for 47 years. Now they’re looking homeward to St. Louis’ increasingly sophisticated music scene
By Brett Underwood
Photograph by Andre Hoekzema
Since 1959, the New Music Circle has had an artistic deadeye for experimental music: prepared piano, free jazz, Minimalism, Modernism, circuit bending, third bridge guitar and electroacoustic. They booked John Cage, The Kronos Quartet and John Zorn when they were too new to be famous.
Now, after nearly 50 years, they’re making some changes. The ’07–’08 season will feature fewer touring artists and more locally produced work, including not only musical, but also multimedia shows. The change recognizes “a growth of artistic depth and quality in St. Louis,” says James Hegarty, chair of the NMC’s music committee and associate professor of music at Principia College. Coming up:
Third Wednesdays, September–April ’08: A Guided Tour of the Analog Synthesizer, a two-hour demonstrative lecture at the city library’s Carpenter branch, led by electronic musician Michael Murphy.
September 28: Avant-rock trio Konk Pack. Lee Henderson of The Wire called them “one of the most exciting improv groups in the world.”
October 14: Classically trained baritone Thomas Buckner, who’s run his voice through computers for minimalist operas; he’ll be joined by electronic composer David Wessel.
December 2: French-born digital composer Laetitia Sonami, best known for her “Lady’s Glove,” an elbow-length black Lycra glove outfitted with “five microswitches, four Hall effect transducers, [a] pressure pad, resistive strips, two ultrasonic receivers, amercury switch on the top of the hand” which allows Sonami to control the sound files stored in her laptop through movement, not mousing.
March 15: Hegarty and dancer Mary-Jean Cowell will debut Voyage, a fusion of music, dance and live computer-generated images at the Annelise Mertz Dance Studio at Washington University.
And these local concerts, date and location TBA:
META-MORPH-US: A Rainforest Inspired Multimedia Yoga Class, created by multimedia artist Kelsey LaPoint.
Cai Wan Sin, which combines poetry, tai chi, video and drumming, created by Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra percussionist Rich O’Donnell.
Synaesthesia, a concert of new music paired with video, organized by Webster professor Van McElwee.
Throughout the 2007–2008 season: Circle/Cinema, a series of silent films presented at the Saint Louis Art Museum with live, improvised scores.
For further details on prices, times and performances, call 314-567-5384 or visit newmusiccircle.org.
