National Sawdust: Ning Yu + Qubit: Piano Realities
$25
Joanna Bailie — Marblepark (US premiere)
Aaron Einbond — Cosmologies
Heather Stebbins — All Things That Disappear (world premiere)
Alec Hall — A dog is a machine for loving (North American premiere)
"Piano Realities" is a program of works for piano and electronics, created and produced in collaboration by soloist Ning Yu and Qubit. As one of the foremost pianists of her generation, Yu is a champion of adventurous contemporary works, particularly those that incorporate aspects of sonic technology. As such, this concert has been specifically designed to realize the full potential of National Sawdust's Constellation audio system, a multichannel environment with dozens of speakers.
The program features work by a group of composers—all based throughout the US and Europe—centered around the relationship between the grand piano and spatial audio. Yu will perform excerpts from David Bird's Iron Orchid, a piece they developed together closely over several years. Also featured is the US premiere of Joanna Bailie's new work, Marblepark, which aims to create, in the composer's words "an impossible [acoustic] space," while Aaron Einbond's Cosmologies places the listener at the center of a larger-than-life grand piano. The program also includes the world premiere of Heather Stebbins' All Things That Disappear, as well as the first North American performance of Alec Hall's A dog is a machine for loving, a powerfully emotional cycle for piano and tape based on the dogs in his life.
About Qubit
Qubit is a music and sound-based arts organization founded in 2010 by Alec Hall. As a creative expression of contemporary sonic culture, Qubit imagines and produces events that touch on the issues and themes of our time. Qubit focuses primarily on live performances and has produced events that include experimental operas in parking garages, kinetic sculptures and self-destructing installations, immersive theatrical experiences, and pop-up outdoor concerts throughout landmark locations in New York City. Qubit strives to challenge existing artistic conventions while still evoking a sense of wonderment throughout.
https://qubitmusic.com/About Ning Yu, piano
Chinese-American pianist Ning Yu has performed across four continents as a soloist, chamber musician, and avant-garde theater collaborator. Her adventurous spirit and dedication to creating collaborative works have lead to dozens of world premieres. She has recorded over twenty of albums of new works, on labels in the United States, Australia, UK, and Europe.
https://www.ningyupiano.com/