ÆPEX Fest: Festival Showcase
Single event: $35 ($20 student w/ID; in-person purchase)
Festival pass: $60 general, $99 VIP
- Cameron Leach, percussion
- Olivia Johnson, mezzo-soprano
- Kevin Fitzgerald, conductor
Tyson Davis — Selected works
Augusta Read Thomas — Selected works
Following his guest conducting appearances with the New York Philharmonic and Minnesota Orchestra earlier in 2022, ÆPEX's music director Kevin Fitzgerald leads a world-class ensemble of local musicians in a program of thrilling works by Augusta Read Thomas, Tyson Davis, and the world premiere of Ypsilanti-based composer Garrett Schumann's percussion concerto This Could Be Madness. This performance features percussionist Cameron Leach and mezzo-soprano Olivia Johnson as soloists.
COVID-19 Protocols: All attendees must show proof of COVID-19 vaccination OR negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of the given performance in order to gain admission. Tight-fitting KN95/N95 masks are required indoors at all times.
About ÆPEX Contemporary Performance
ÆPEX Contemporary Performance is a concert presenting organization based in Ypsilanti, MI that is dedicated to celebrating the music of rarely-performed and underrepresented 20th and 21st century composers. Founded in 2015, ÆPEX has organized more than 30 concerts and community music events and programmed the music of more than 110 composers from around the world.
https://aepexcontemporary.org/ourstoryAbout Cameron Leach, percussion
American percussionist Cameron Leach is a bold performer recognized for his expressive virtuosity, musical athleticism, and daring interpretations. As a soloist and chamber musician, Leach has concertized in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia. He has appeared at some of the world’s finest institutions, including the Royal Danish Academy of Music, Royal Northern College of Music, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, Sibelius Academy, and the Norwegian Academy of Music, and notable halls such as the Meyerson Symphony Center, Lila Cockrell Theater, Ohio Theatre, Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre, and China’s National Centre for the Performing Arts.
http://www.cleachmusic.com/About Olivia Johnson, mezzo-soprano
Olivia Johnson, born in Jacksonville, NC, is a graduate of the University of Michigan, where she earned her Master’s degree while studying under Professor George Shirley. In 2022, Olivia participated in productions with the Seattle Opera and Detroit Opera. She was the resident mezzo-soprano at Toledo Opera in Toledo, Ohio for the 20/21 season. In October 2020, Ms. Johnson appeared with Michigan Opera Theatre as the second Rheinmaiden, Wellgunde, under the direction of Sharon Yuval in his re-imagining of Wagner’s Ring Cycle in the modern adaptation, Twilight: Gods.
https://www.mezzoliviajohnson.com/About Kevin Fitzgerald, conductor
2021 Tanglewood Music Center Conducting Fellow, and two-time recipient of Career Assistance Grants from The Solti Foundation U.S., American conductor Kevin Fitzgerald’s open-hearted presence, innovative programming, and commitment to a modernized musical world, bring him to the forefront of the next generation of conductors. Newly-appointed Associate Conductor of Jacksonville Symphony, and formerly the Assistant Conductor of the Alabama Symphony Orchestra, Kevin is also the founder of the Michigan-based contemporary music performer ÆPEX Contemporary Performance, and continues to develop relationships with orchestras, opera companies, and arts organizations nationwide. In the 2021-22 season appeared in assisting roles for the New York Philharmonic, Boston symphony, and the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, and made his subscription debut with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra.
https://www.kevinfitzgeraldconductor.com/