World Premiere of Saxophone Quartet by Mika Pelo
Mana Quartet / contemporary
Website(s) : http://www.manaquartet.com
A World Premiere of the Saxophone Quartet Mana by M. Pelo, based on sketches of M.C. Escher. The musical language of M. Pelo possesses several qualities aptly paired for the visual aesthetic of Escher.
Biography
Among Pelo’s wonderful teachers is the highly prolific, widely acclaimed Sven-David Sandström. This relationship is particularly interesting for us as Sandström’s own saxophone quartet is a favorite of our ensemble. A highly neglected work, the piece was composed in 1985 and was scarcely performed thereafter due to it’s extreme demands in all voices and as a corporate ensemble. Pelo’s writing borrows much inspiration to his famed teacher.
The quality of the end result of this commissioning project was recognized and funded by Chamber Music America and offers to be an exciting addition to not only Sight as Sound and the Mana Quartet, but the ongoing crafting of the quartet canon.
More informations
The Mana Quartet’s Sight is Sound project is a long-term effort to fuse genres into a single composition or musical program, developing a living repertoire that engages the audiences and concert halls of our time. SiS concerts include multi-media elements that represent the music being played: lighting, projection of visual art works, electronics, film, staging and interactive presentations. Serving as an evolution to the traditional concert experience, these programs aim to provide an environment where contemporary music is understood in a meaningful, relevant context. As represented with the sample recording, this project has successfully inspired composers to write from a completely new angle.
Over the past year, the Mana Quartet has premiered 3 pieces from this one project alone, each from a diversely different composer.
The long term goal of the project is to present entire concert programs of Sight as Sound in concert halls everywhere, encouraging meaningful conversation about the place of modern art, and it’s many branches, in today’s ever-changing world.
This large scale work from Mika Pelo is to be the largest work Mana has commissioned in the context of Sight as Sound – a substantial work of 20 minutes. Because of Pelo’s particular background – Sight as Sound’s first international composer, an international success – we anticipate a highly refined, impactful addition to the project.
Among Pelo’s wonderful teachers is the highly prolific, widely acclaimed Sven-David Sandström. This relationship is particularly interesting for us as Sandström’s own saxophone quartet is a favorite of our ensemble. A highly neglected work, the piece was composed in 1985 and was scarcely performed thereafter due to it’s extreme demands in all voices and as a corporate ensemble. Pelo’s writing borrows much inspiration to his famed teacher.
The quality of the end result of this commissioning project was recognized and funded by Chamber Music America and offers to be an exciting addition to not only Sight as Sound and the Mana Quartet, but the ongoing crafting of the quartet canon.
This commission has been made possible by the
Chamber Music America Classical Commissioning Program,
with generous funding provided by
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and
the Chamber Music America Endowment Fund.
Programming
10/07/2015 13:00 - 13:30
Cité de la musique et de la danse - Salle 24
Musicians / speakers
- Giles Thomas / Saxophone Quartet (United States)
Program
- Saxophone Quartet (on sketches of M.C. Escher) (Mika Pelo) / World Premiere
Videos
