This program gives voice to competing visions for the future of the earth and the universe, journeying through whirlwinds of fear, joy, and resilience. Hannah Kendall’s How ruin nested… responds to the tragic homophobic murders of two men in their Dallas, TX home in 2011. Kendall’s hounded earth (in this premiere performance) and Jessie Cox’s Sound Drape Paintings take inspiration from visual art. hounded earth, inspired by the videos of Kenyan artist Wangechi Mutu, challenges the expected string quartet sound with a creolized approach to instrument preparations emblematic of Kendall’s distinctive harmonic language. Cox’s works, inspired by Sam Gilliam's drape paintings, treat the instruments as canvasses for a futuristic approach to sound-making.
Praised as “fierce, fearless, and virtuosic… unapologetically stylistically omnivorous and versatile” (New Music Box) and “trailblazing...skillful composer-performers” (The New Yorker), The Rhythm Method strives to reimagine the string quartet in a contemporary, feminist context. The four performer-composers of The Rhythm Method continually expand their sonic and expressive palette through the use of improvisation, vocalization, graphic notation, songwriting, and theater.
Live at St. Paul’s Chapel — or, watch on YouTube.
If you don’t have a current Columbia ID, you MUST register by clicking the blue “register” button below. (Please do not use the same email address to register multiple people; this will confuse the system.) Registration will close at 11am sharp the day before the concert.