Timber, with Bent Frequency & Chamber Cartel

Bent Frequency will open its 2022-2023 season RESONANCE with a performance of Michael Gordon's 70-minute monolithic work, Timber. Bent Frequency is partnering with venerable contemporary chamber ensemble Chamber Cartel to produce this unique concert.

Timber is a percussion sextet scored for six 2x4s of varying sizes known as "simantras". For centuries these simple instruments have been used as a call to prayer in Eastern Orthodox religions. They were first incorporated into Western music by Iannis Xenakis in the late 20th Century. Through the stark instrumentation and the subtle shifting of accents and rhythmic patterns among the six players, Gordon creates a beautiful meditation on sound and rhythm: bringing the physicality, endurance, and technique of percussion performance to a new level.

Bent Frequency and Chamber Cartel will partner with the Georgia State University College of the Arts and School of Music to present this one-of-a-kind work. Additional funding is provided by season support from the Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs, Fulton County Arts Council, the Amphion Foundation, and the Alice M. Ditson Fund.

About Chamber Cartel

Founded in 2012, Chamber Cartel is a band of gifted musicians dedicated to finding the rare, wonderful, imaginative, and beautiful in Contemporary Chamber Music.

About Bent Frequency

Bent Frequency, ensemble in residence at Georgia State University, is a professional contemporary music ensemble based in Atlanta. Hailed as “one of the brightest new music ensembles on the scene today” by Gramophone magazine, Bent Frequency engages an eclectic mix of the most adventurous and impassioned players from the greater Atlanta area. Founded in 2003, Bent Frequency (BF) brings the avant-garde to life through adventurous and socially conscious programming, cross-disciplinary collaborations, and community engagement. One of BF’s primary goals is championing the work of historically underrepresented composers - music by women, composers of color, and LGBTQIA+. Its programming, educational outreach, and community events aim to be inclusive of the diverse and dynamic community they are a part of.