In the WIRE
Thrilled to have a feature in the September issue, discussing some current releases with Julien Cowley including Harbors with Ellen Fullman, Live at zoom in with Frantz Loriot and Some Center by Chris Brown. Many thanks to Julien, photographer Nicholas Albrecht and the entire team at the Wire!
Del Sol's Fast Forward Fund
I'm so thankful to be one of the recipients of the Del Sol Quartet’s Fast Forward Fund. Here is a video of a chat I had recently with violist and fearless founder of the quartet, Charlton Lee. If you stick through my ecstatic rambling on about microphones, there is a video at the end from a 2019 performance at Grace Cathedral of "To Burst To Bloom", written for Vajra Voices and performed with Kitka Vocal Ensemble. A very special concert that was - especially looking back in these times.
Review of "Harbors" in The Wire
Thanks to Louise Gray for these words on Harbors in the August issue of The Wire. I’m so thrilled to share this new release, which will be out on LP/Digital in August on room40.org.
Video from the 2019 premiere of "To Burst To Bloom"
Here is an excerpt from a performance of To Burst To Bloom, premiered by Vajra Voices and Kitka Vocal Ensemble in 2019 at “The Eve of the March” concert in Grace Cathedral. Huge gratitude to Karen Clark, director of Vajra Voices and to the Ghiberti Foundation at Grace Cathedral for making this memorable night possible.
Berkeley Art Museum presents Duets in Social Distance
Here’s a look + listen into what Ellen Fullman and I have been doing in lock-down. Thanks to Sean Carson at the Berkeley Art Museum for the chance to share some sounds from the deep isolation booth.
On The Wire's “Virtual Office Ambience” playlist
I'm delighted to be included in The Wire's "Virtual Office Ambience" July playlist. The album “Live at zoom in” is a duo of improvised music with violist Frantz Loriot, recorded in the magnificent acoustic of the Bern Minster Cathedral in 2017 at our performance for the zoom in festival, curated by Christian Kobi. You can check out the playlist here and also stream or purchase the entire performance on bandcamp:
theresawong.bandcamp.com/album/live-at-zoom-in
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