Bent Frequency Season Opening Concert: TE;XT

Daniel Felsenfeld — Presidential Address
Stuart Saunders Smith — Songs I-IX
Anne LeBaron — The Heroine with a Thousand Faces
Paul Lansky — Songs of Parting
Charles Mason — Short Circuit

Bent Frequency is excited to open their 24/25 season with "TE;XT" featuring music by Daniel Felsenfeld, Stuart Saunders Smith, Anne LeBaron, Paul Lansky, and Charles Norman Mason.

"TE;XT" refers to the fact that most of the pieces on this program utilize text as a primary component and deal with interruption and disconnection. The use of the semi colon indicates a pronounced pause, cut, or interruption. In Presidential Address and Songs I-IX, the text represents a break in what is normal, what is expected. Felsenfeld uses the transcript of the now-infamous Access Hollywood tape to highlight the myriad ways Trump's candidacy and presidency broke with norms of public figures and of public discourse. Whereas Smith uses text–which is often non-syntactical or outright gibberish–not for its meaning, but as musical material itself. (Smith passed away in June of 2024 after a long battle with cancer, we present this work in memory of him and his work.)

Interruption, or perhaps more appropriately disruption, can be a symbol of hope and overcoming inequality, as seen in the amazing heroines LeBaron portraits. Of course, interruption is at the heart of Songs of Parting. Here, Lansky explores the sorrow and sense of longing associated with losing a loved one. Finally, Mason's Short Circuit explores the misfiring of neurons in the brain, causing the disruption of memory and its relation to time and meaning.

As artists in residence, Bent Frequency is partnering with the Georgia State University College of the Arts and School of Music to present this program. Additional funding is provided by season support from the Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs, Fulton County Arts Council, and the Amphion Foundation.

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.

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