Shulamit Ran
The 51st season of the University of Chicago's Contempo series opened on October 27, 2015 with a program celebrating its recently retired artistic director, Shulamit Ran. The towering music was given probing and gutsy performances by U of C ensembles-in-residence Pacifica Quartet and eighth blackbird with mezzo-soprano Julia Bentley. New artistic director Marta Ptaszyn'ska joined Ran on stage as longtime colleagues and friends.
Photos © Copyright 2015 by Elliot Mandel. All rights reserved.
In the green room at intermission, legendary jazz pianist and vocalist Patricia Barber turns to me and asks, "How the f*** do I follow that?" She was referring to a performance by percussionist Nicholas Reed of Marta Ptaszynska's "Space Model," a work for three sets of percussion instruments and recorded track. Reed's seamless playing held the audience in rapt attention, igniting waves of applause. Pianist Lisa Kaplan and cellist Nicholas Photinos, both of eighth blackbird, opened the show with the haunting "Habil-Sayagy" by Franghiz Ali-Zadeh. The Pacifica Quartet followed with Elena Firsova's String Quartet No. 11, "Purgatorium," playing with its trademark precision and sensitivity. I didn't have an answer to Barber's very serious question, other than to say, "I'm glad I don't have to."
Barber was just as intense during her set as she was before it. Sensing the enormity of the concert - the 10th anniversary of the new music series Contempo at the University of Chicago curated by Pulitzer-Prize-winning composer Shulamit Ran - Barber gave a performance both searing and deeply touching, poignant and beautiful. Drummer Ari Hoenig, bassist Patrick Mulcahy, and guitarist Gilad Hekselman provided ample solos and witty accompaniment. But it was Barber who carried the full weight of the music. I know this because I witnessed it from the front row, often dropping my camera from my eye just to watch for a minute. It was an honor to photograph these artists, and to share for the briefest of moments the space they occupy.
Patricia Barber: Completely awesome jazz pianist, vocalist, poet.
Patricia Barber rocking the Steinway.
eighth blackbird's Lisa Kaplan (piano) and Nicholas Photinos (cello).
The Pacifica Quartet in the spotlight.
Percussionist Nicholas Reed
Forget the canned default music programmed on your phone. Spektral Quartet has launched a brilliant project that brings new, fresh music to your device - and everywhere else you go. The quartet commissioned more than 40 composers across the country to write ringtones, alerts, and alarms. The result is Mobile Miniatures - dozens of tiny masterpieces for your phone. On Saturday, the Spektrals gave a ringtone party at Constellation, including the premiere performance of several pieces, curated listening stations on phones from olden days, and two ringtones composed live that night. I was thrilled to photograph the event and to walk among so many accomplished artists. Check out a few of my shots below, then go download some new ringtones!
Spektral Quartet plays a brand new ringtone.
Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Shulamit Ran listens to the big red lips phone.
Go get ringtones!
Ye olde talking device from olden times.
Composer Marcos Balter does his thing.
