ANCIA Saxophone Quartet
Premiere of Libby Larsen's Confluence
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May 14, 2016
Studio Z: 275 East Fourth Street, Suite 200, St. Paul 7:30 p.m. $10 in advance or for students $15 at the door |
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ANCIA Saxophone Quartet presents the U.S. premiere of Confluence, an environmentally-based work written for ANCIA about the effects of humans on nature as witnessed through the confluence of rivers worldwide, by the highly regarded Minnesota-based composer, Libby Larsen. The program also features music by a diverse range of women composers: O Virtus Sapientiae by 12th century Benedictine abbess, composer, and philosopher Hildegard of Bingen; French composer Ida Gotkovsky’s Quartet for Saxophones (1983); Amy Williams’ Univocity (2009), a pointillistic work that evokes a highly-charged rhythmic machine; Singapore native Emily Koh’s Homonym (2013), which features textures, expressive solos, and contemporary techniques; and David Milne’s arrangements of The Zodiac Suite (1945), by African-American jazz pianist/composer, Mary Lou Williams.
This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. There is no charge for patrons enrolled in one or more of the following: TANF, MFIP, WIC, General Assistance, Medical Assistance, MinnesotaCare, Supplemental Security Income, Social Security Disability Benefits, Food Stamps, Section 8, or Free/Reduced Price School Meals. Celebrated for its artistry, virtuosity and exquisitely blended sound, ANCIA (AHN-chee-uh, the Italian word for reed, the small piece of wood that vibrates to produce the saxophone tone) performs and conducts educational workshops throughout North America, Europe and Asia, juxtaposing traditional classical music with contemporary pieces by modern composers. The Minneapolis-based quartet’s repertoire spans centuries and musical styles – Renaissance, Baroque, Romantic, Jazz, Pop – with a special focus on modern work.
ANCIA is featured regularly on American Public Media’s Performance Today and on Wisconsin Public Radio’s Live From the Chazen. The quartet has performed twice at the World Saxophone Congress, and in 2007, toured South Korea with performances at Seoul National University, the Da-ism New Music Festival in Daegu, and the International Music Festival in Gwangju. The group’s passion for contemporary music pervades its critically heralded CD “Short Stories,” which features the title work by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Jennifer Higdon along with music by Charles Ives, Fred Sturm and Michael Torke. ANCIA is Joan Hutton (alto saxophone), David Milne (tenor saxophone), Matthew Sintchak (soprano saxophone) and Angela Wyatt (baritone saxophone). Tickets can be securely purchased by credit card or through your PayPal account in advance, or by cash, check, or credit card at the door. Tickets purchased online will be held at the door.
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