Chris Brown's Some Center - out on New World Records
Very excited to be part of the release of Chris Brown's new album, "Some Center" - a collection of pieces written in Partch's 43-tone scale setting the poetry of Jackson Mac Low and Emily Dickinson. Performed by Chris on piano + electronics, Kyle Bruckmann on oboe and yours truly on cello and voice, it is a veritable mind and ear-bending ride. Available digitally or as a CD at New World Records.
Harbors - pre-sales available now for August release
Harbors is a collaboration with Ellen Fullman (Long String Instrument) which draws inspiration from the soundscapes, stories and atmospheres that manifest around bodies of water that propagate exchange. Structured around the extended harmonics of the open strings of the cello, the work utilizes subsets of these tonal areas to create distinct sonic environments. Harbors was inspired by the foggy San Francisco bay during our residency at the Headlands Center for the Arts and reveals an orchestration of shifting drones, aberrant melodies and glistening atmospheres. Preorder this vinyl or digital release on room40.org!
Live At Zoom In - out on Creative Sources
I’m pleased to announce the release of Live At Zoom In, a recording of a live concert of improvised music with violist Frantz Loriot. Having nothing to do with the now ubiquitous virtual meeting software, this music was recorded, rather, in the magnificent Bern Minster Cathedral in Bern, Switzerland from a concert curated by Christian Kobi as a part of the 2017 zoom in Festival. Out on the Portuguese label Creative Sources and available for digital download on theresawong.bandcamp.com. I will be shipping physical albums when the shelter-in-place eases here in California. In the meantime, enjoy, stay well, and be kind to one another.
Guest on the Aeolian Impromptu
Thanks to Barcelona based conductor and composer Maya Barsacq for having me on her podcast! Make yourself a cup o’ joe and sit with us: https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/aeolian-impromptu/episodes/2020-03-03T04_02_40-08_00
She Dances On Air...
Pianist Sarah Cahill shares some of her recent commissions, including her performance of She Dances Naked Under Palm Trees. I’m in good company with a program with Terry Riley, Ingram Marshall, Kui Dong and Kyle Gann. Tune in to PRX to listen.
Lijiang Quintet on The Wire's airwaves
Thanks to Chris Bohn for including music from Lijiang Quintet on The Wire’s radio show today. Tune in Sunday 2/2 to hear a repeat mix of new sounds from China and beyond or listen here.
The Chromelodia Project in the studio
Back at one of my favorite Oakland studios Tiny Telephone with Chris Brown and Kyle Bruckmann to record Chris’ new works, Some Centre - written in Harry Partch’s 43-tone tuning system.
Solo @ the Contemporary Jewish Museum, SF
Thanks to Gravity Goldberg and the Contemporary Jewish Museum for including me in the Experiments in Sonic Potential Series, playing to the stunning sculptures of Annabeth Rosen.
Lijiang Quintet China Tour July 2019
So much gratitude to Lijiang Studio, Jay Brown, Zhou Qiao and the folks at Yue Space (Beijing), Zhile Art Space (Guangzhou), Gebi Bar (Yiwu) and B10Live (Shenzhen) for putting together an extraordinary week of concerts in China with the Lijiang Quintet! I feel like roots go back long with Li Xing, Deng Boyu, Lao Dan and John McCowen.
Solo performance at Daria Martin's opening of 'Tonight The World' @ CJM
A grand reunion with my past Headlands Center for the Arts housemates filmmaker Daria Martin and poet Genine Lentine. We celebrated Daria’s brilliant and moving piece, Tonight the World, which draws upon dream diaries kept by her grandmother over a 35-year period. Daria and Genine shared a conversation about the making of the piece followed by my performance on cello and voice. The installation is now in exhibit at the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco through February 2020. Huge thank you to all the fabulous folks at the CJM for creating such a high spirited evening!
Singing with Shelley
Preparing and excited to join voices with the one and only Shelley Hirsch at the Garden of Memory @ Chapel of the Chimes for the annual Summer Solstice event! I’m so grateful to Sarah Cahill and Bay Area New Music for bringing Shelley to this year’s festival.
Turntable Drawings @ Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve
A foggy and atmospheric evening performing with Danny Clay and Jon Fischer, creators of the Turntable Drawing Project. Hello Bay Area summer!
Sarah Cahill performs "She Dances Naked Under Palm Trees"
Post concert photo op after a beautifully rich program performed by Sarah Cahill, Regina Myers, Riley Nicolson and Monica Chew. Thanks to Old First Church Concerts and especially to Sarah for a bringing my piece to life! Here’s a review of the concert at San Francisco Classical Voice.
the band at C4NM...
- with Chris Brown, Donald Robinson, Biggi Vinkeloe and Tim Perkis at Center for New Music, San Francisco
Pacific Pythagorean Music Festival
A marathon for adventurous ears! Thanks to Del Sol quartet and the Contemporary Jewish Museum for presenting an afternoon of eclectic music all rooted in just intonation. Daniel Libeskind’s Yud gallery resonated with soundings by Del Sol Quartet, Chris Brown, Kyle Bruckmann, Matt Ingalls, Ellen Fullman, Larry Polansky, Ben Johnston, Arjun Verma, Michael Harrison and yours truly.
Fred Frith live at the Stone
Over the moon to be part of this box release celebrating Fred Frith at the Stone- 3 CDs spanning 10 years of improvisations with an illustrious company of fellow mischief-makers. Gorgeous artwork by Heike Liss, and liner notes including an interview I did with Fred, one of the main master magicians in my book. Officially out on Intakt March 15th!
Splinter Reeds releases Hypothetical Islands
Splinter Reeds releases their second full length album, Hypothetical Islands, out on New Focus Recordings on March 15th! The album includes my piece, “Letters To A Friend” (dedicated to Alessia Pugliatti) as well as works by Sky Macklay, Matthew Shlomowitz, Cara Haxo, Eric Wubbels and Yannis Kyriakides.
Preorder here: https://newfocusrecordings.bandcamp.com/…/splinter-reeds-hy…
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07NBC89FF
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/…/…/hypothetical-islands/1453062288
New solo piano work for Sarah Cahill
"She Dances Naked Under Palm Trees", is a new work for solo piano, commissioned by and written for Sarah Cahill as part of her project, “The Future Is Female”. The piece is inspired by the poetry of William Waring Cuney, as sung by Nina Simone in her song "Images". Sarah will be premiering the piece at the Detroit Institute of Arts on March 22nd and the Bowling Green New Music Festival on March 25th.
The Eve of the March at Grace Cathedral
Thanks to everyone who came out to The Eve of the March on Friday - what an honor to premiere "To Burst To Bloom" at such a momentous occasion. Chapeau and gratitude to Karen Clark, Shira Cion, Janet Kutulas, Shira Kammen, Vajra Voices and all Kitka singers for this resounding evening of song!
The Eve of the March - Jan.18th save the date!
In honor and awe of the Women's March 2019, Vajra Voices & Kitka present The Eve of the March - a concert in the sacred space of Grace Cathedral where we will celebrate womens’ voices and the power of community. This is going to be quite a night! Join Vajra Voice, Kitka, multi-instrumentalist Shira Kammen and yours truly - I’ll be premiering To Burst To Bloom - 6 songs setting the texts of the 12th Century Chinese female Toaist, Sun Bu’er. Tickets available here.