New works by:

Eda Er,

Curtis Rumrill,

Aine Nakamura,

Dionysius Arya Nataraja,

George Papajohn,

Alfred Jimenez, and

Jeremy Wexler.

Eco Ensemble. David Milnes, director

 Thursday, May 9th, 8pmHertz Concert Hall101 Cross-Sproul Path, Berkeley, CA 94704free & open to the public, seating is limited https://events.berkeley.edu/music/event/232526-berkeley-new-music-project-with-eco-ensemble 

Program information:

The Empress, Eda Er

Bio:

Eda Er is a composer, sound artist, and singer currently based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her artistic pursuits primarily revolve around the exploration of expressivity and narrativity in her music. Drawing upon a diverse range of mediums, including singing, composition, analogue and digital electronics, video, theatricality, and storytelling, she creates a multifaceted and immersive musical experience. Eda's creative endeavors encompass contemporary classical composition, voice art, new media, music theatre, and electronic music. Through her approach, she seamlessly merges elements of theatricality and intimacy, delving deep into the limitless potential of the human body as a captivating source of sound.

Eda has had the pleasure of working as a composer with notable groups, musicians, organizations, and ensembles, including Antwerp Symphony Orchestra, Ensemble Multilarérale, Kugoni Trio, Hermes Ensemble, Hezarfen Ensemble, Atlas Ensemble, Vertixe Sonora, Ensemble Suono Giallo, Nordic Trombone Quartet, Eco Ensemble, Académie Voix Nouvelles, Royaumont, Nicolas Isherwood, Christine Cornwell, Tom Collier, IKSV International Theater Festival, Gaudeamus Festival, Festival Mixtur, Ikincikat, Mamut Art Project, Clout Theater, A corner in the world and Berika Collective. She is also a recipient of the Nicola de Lorenzo Prize in Music Composition (2024). Besides composing and producing, she performs with electronics and vocals. She is currently a PhD candidate in Music Composition with a Designated Emphasis on New Media at the University of California, Berkeley in the Music Department, CNMAT (Center for New Music and Audio Technologies) and BCNM (Berkeley Center for New Media). 

Ouverture – "Widerklang", George Papajohn

 Bio:

George Papajohn (b. 1998 Milwaukee) is a composer and clarinetist based in the San Francisco Bay Area. His music adopts the materials of a derelict tradition to express a sense of wrongness, brokenness, and historicity in the present, often punctuated by moments of hope for a distant redemption. Recent collaborations include pieces for Switch~ Ensemble, Hinge Ensemble, Ensemble Dal Niente, Garden Unit Duo, Eco Ensemble, Masso Quartet, the Northwestern University Contemporary Music Ensemble, Nicholas Isherwood, and Sarah Grace Graves. George earned his BM in music composition from Northwestern University. He is currently pursuing a PhD in music composition at the University of California, Berkeley, from which he also holds an MA.

The Square, Curtis Rumrill

Bio:

The music of Curtis Rumrill explores the intersection of literary form, theater, opera and modern chamber music. He also composes instrumental chamber music with and without electronics and works for tape. 

Kamratōn, Quince Contemporary Vocal Ensemble and Shana Simmons Dance commissioned and premiered his opera, Her Holiness, The Winter Dog. His music has been performed by, among others, Juna Winston, Ensemble Dal Niente, Quince, Rage Thormbones, Soo Yeon Lyuh, Ashley Bathgate, NAT 28, Alia Musica, Tony Arnold, Thomas Rosenkranz, Aiyun Huang, Jordan Dodson, Kenneth Meyer, the Syracuse University Contemporary Music Ensemble, and Lisa Cella.  He has been performed in Panama City, Panama; Bogota, Colombia; Mexico City, Mexico; Vienna, Austria; Basel and Baden, Switzerland; Maccagno, Italy; Berkeley, CA; Boston, MA; Bloomington, IN; Cleveland, OH; Bowling Green, OH; Pittsburgh, PA; and Syracuse, NY.

Along with Andres Carrizo and Lilliana Carrizo he co-founded MusicArte Panama, a new music festival in Panama City which ran until 2015. He also served as Board Chair of Alia Musica, a Pittsburgh-based New Music ensemble and presenting organization, serves on the student board of SCI, and worked through student organizations and in collaboration with the faculty at UC Berkeley to create a self-sustaining ensemble residency program. Aside from his work in New Music, Rumrill is a committed activist for social justice. This work, a constant over the last two decades, has taken many forms including community organizing and labor organizing. He has presented at AMS/SEM/SMT as a scholar on music and labor organizing. Rumrill is currently a Doctoral Student at UC Berkeley.