Thursday June 26
GORDON MONAHAN, OLIVIA BLOCK + JODA CLEMENT
Co-presented with Abient Editions
Part of Suoni per il Toronto

Doors 7pm, concert 8pm
Tickets: $15 regular, $10 member + student

Abient Editions has been operating since 2005, regularly organizing unique presentations of experimental music, through various events at venues around Montreal and more recently Toronto. This co-presentation with the Music Gallery will feature three performances by composers whose work is united by a similarity of approaches addressing the reorientation or re-contextualization of acoustic instruments, by means of electronic amplification or unusual psycho-acoustic phenomena.

In his performance of “Piano Mechanics” (1981-86), Canadian composer Gordon Monahan utilizes an extreme, un-pianistic keyboard technique to “excavate” acoustical sounds that are not normally associated with the piano. Here, traditional compositional elements such as pitch or rhythmic relationships are of secondary concern. A hierarchy of compositional priorities is developed from the acoustical and phenomenological properties of piano string excitation. The musical forms that arise are those created by a harmonic resolution of chaotic resonance, as the piano strings, holding approximately 10,000 kg of tension, are excited by extreme body gestures that induce the piano mechanism into convulsive activity. Gordon will also perform two new compositions, “Layered Lines Fading Away” (theremin solo) and “A Theremin Inside the Piano” for theremin and piano.

Olivia Block is an electroacoustic composer living in Chicago who concentrates on the fruitful intersections between electronics, altered acoustic sources and instruments. Her recorded works focus on a particular quality of spare orchestration, and the introduction of instrumental elements into indeterminate structures consisting of field recordings and electronic sounds. Olivia's works tend to be careful and laboriously constructed, full experiences in sound, rich in detail and variety. On her way to the Suoni per il Popolo Festival in Montreal, Olivia will be making a special appearance in Toronto to perform a piece for prepared piano and electronics, utilizing the grand piano as a feedback source.

Joda Clement
Toronto based artist Joda Clement has been performing and composing experimental music in Canada for over ten years. His work incorporates analog and acoustic instruments, the human voice, found objects and sounds recorded from the natural and urban environment, blurring the distinction between sources to create landscapes of sound that unite the properties of both musical and everyday context. His live performance draws a strong influence from work by 20th century composers like Cage or Cardew, as well as free improvisation. Through his organizational activity with Abient Editions, Joda has collaborated in performance musicians such as Magali Babin, Kai Fagaschinski, Bonnie Jones, Michael Northam and Hitoshi Kojo.

http://oliviablock.net/
http://gordonmonahan.com
http://www.jodaclement.com/