Houston, TX (August 15, 2016) — Musiqa is proud to announce its fifteenth-anniversary season, one which continues to explore new music and exciting partnerships with organizations in Houston’s arts community. Musiqa will present top-quality chamber music at a variety of venues, as well as continue to foster young creative talent and present special programs for young audiences.
The core programming of Musiqa has always been its two well-received and highly acclaimed public concert series: the Major Series, taking place both at the MATCH (Midtown Arts & Theater Center Houston) and at the Hobby Center’s Zilkha Hall; and our free Loft Concerts at the CAMH – Contemporary Arts Museum Houston.
Musiqa’s Major Series begins at MATCH on October 1 with the concert, Sustained by Breath and Line. In collaboration with the Houston Ballet Academy, Musiqa presents Anthony Brandt’s chamber ballet, “Full Circle.” Choreographer Oliver Halkowich creates a
thrilling dance to Brandt’s score for saxophone quartet, which spotlights the bluesy, brassy expressivity of the instruments. Further musical explorations include Robert Paterson’s aptly-titled “Tongue and Groove” and David Ludwig’s “Josquin Microludes,” a work that transfigures Renaissance vocal motets. Works by James Primosch, Per Nørgård, and Zack Browning complete the program.
The nod to popular music continues on January 7 as Musiqa presents The White Album at Zilkha Hall. Commissioned by the Fromm Foundation, the work references The Beatles’ iconic album, and features soprano Karol Bennett and poet Erica Funkhouser. Musiqa composer Pierre Jalbert’s “Piano Trio No. 2” juxtaposes a desolate, nocturnal landscape with the relentless whirl of driving on Houston’s highways. Also featured on the program are David Rakowski’s jazzy “Natura Morta” and Laura Schwendinger’s expressive “Wet Ink.”
Musiqa heads back to MATCH for American Trios! on March 11. Good things come in threes, and we celebrate the trio with the world premiere of Musiqa composer Marcus Karl Maroney’s “Horn Trio.” Composed as a “labor of love” at the Copland House, the work builds on iconic masterpieces by Brahms and Ligeti. Ellen Taafe Zwilich, the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize in Music, brings her distinctive voice to the stage with her “Piano Trio,” which has become a mainstay of the repertoire since 1987. “Lonesome Roads,” a sonic travelogue by emerging compose Dan Visconti, complements John Harbison’s evocative and virtuosic “Twilight Music.” The evening will also include a short film curated by Houston Cinema Arts Society.
Finally, Musiqa caps off a busy Spring with a final performance at the MATCH, Light, Land, and Sea, on April 8. The program begins with Karim Al-Zand’s “Studies in Nature,” inspired by the captivating illustrations of biologist and naturalist Ernst Haeckel. Kaija Saariaho’s “Fall” originated in a ballet, but stands on its own as a vivid exploration of harp and electronic sounds. Frank Lloyd Wright’s glass windows get a musical interpretation in Andrew Norman’s “Light Screens,” and the concert will feature a world premiere by Musiqa’s Composer+Intern.
Musiqa continues its popular series of free, informal “loft concerts” at the CAMH on September 15, with Right Here, Right Now. The works programmed on each concert are carefully curated so as to compliment the exhibits on display. Musiqa returns to the CAMH once again on February 9 as part of the exhibit, Angel Otero: Everything and Nothing. Musiqa wraps up the season on May 4 with a concert designed around the Atlas, Plural, Monumental exhibit.
Musiqa continues its commitment to educational programming. Since the educational outreach concerts were instituted twelve years ago in partnership with the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, we have given more than one hundred free school performance as part of the Hobby Center’s “Discovery Series,” serving close to 50,000 public school students and teachers. Our educational programs have been awarded eight grants from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Since its found in 2002, Musiqa has presented the music of nearly 170 established and emerging composers, including over two dozen world premieres. Reflecting the global vitality of modern concert music, we have presented works from Asia, Africa, North and South America, Europe and Australia. In recognition of our efforts, Musiqa has earned two Adventurous Programming Awards from Chamber Music America and ASCAP (2013 and 2016), and commissioning grants from Chamber Music America and New Music USA.
Musiqa is led by four composers with careers of international renown: Anthony Brandt, Karim Al-Zand, Pierre Jalbert, and Marcus Maroney. The composers write, “As Houston establishes itself as an international center for innovation in technology, industry and medicine, there’s no more enjoyable and exhilarating way to experience the leading edge than through the arts.”
Subscription and ticket information on MATCH and Hobby Center shows is available at www.musiqahouston.org.
About Musiqa
Musiqa is dedicated to the performance of contemporary classical music. Founded in 2002 and led by four composers, Musiqa aims to enrich and inspire the community through programs that integrate contemporary music with other modern art forms. Musiqa celebrates modern creative arts through interdisciplinary concerts that highlight modern music and its connections to literature, film, dance, art, and more. With its innovative collaborations and educational programming, Musiqa strives to make modern repertoire accessible and vital to audiences of all ages and musical backgrounds.
Media Contact:
Brian Hodge
Executive Director
(713-524-5678)
bhodge(at)musiqahouston.org