The CNMAT Users Group Presents:

The Made in California project is an exciting collaborative concert series with 11
composers throughout the state. The project creates a statewide dialogue among
composers, performers, and audiences.

Now Hear Ensemble believes that collaboration is a tremendously useful mode of
creation for new music. The landscape of Californian music is rich and diverse,
and as a part of this artistic realm, NHE seeks to create an accessible, uniform
medium for the interchange of ideas between composers, performers and audiences.

Founded in Santa Barbara, California in early 2012, the Now Hear Ensemble is a
unique combination of clarinet, saxophone, percussion, viola and double bass,
who’s primary goal is the premier of new works by emerging composers. Now Hear
Ensemble has performed at venues such as Left Coast Books, the Santa Barbara
Museum of Art, Muddy Waters Café, and recently gave their highly successful Los
Angeles Debut at REDCAT (Roy and Edna Disney CalArts Theater). In addition to
the Made In California Tour, NHE will perform at the Santa Barbara Museum of
Contemporary Art in October of this year. Now Hear Ensemble includes Amanda
Kritzberg—clarinet, Joel Hunt/Isaac Lopez—saxophone, Anthony Paul Garcia
—percussion, Jonathan Morgan—viola, Federico Llach—double bass and artistic
direction.

Now Hear Ensemble
Amanda Krtizberg, clarinet // Joel Hunt - Isaac Lopez, saxophone // Anthony Paul
Garcia, percussion // Jonathan Morgan, viola // Federico Llach, double bass and artistic
direction

THE MUSIC AND THE COMPOSERS
And After // by Eoin Callery
Eoin writes small ensemble and electro-acoustic pieces, creates interactive sound
and video performances/situations/installations, also having written and collaborated
in the production of sound and music for theater. Currently Eoin is in his 2nd
year of Doctor of Musical Arts studies at Stanford University.

Made in China, Made in California // by Carolyn Chen
Born in New Jersey and raised in California, Chen grew up with people assuming
she was from somewhere else, usually China. Chen wondered what China would be
like, having never actually lived there. This year, Chen finally visited China, and
this is piece is a collection of small musics, moving around and conversing with
thoughts and experiences she had.

The Variable Speed Machine // by Todd Lerew
The Variable Speed Machine-Wound Monochord Chorus is written for custom
instruments of the same name, which were constructed solely for this piece. The
monochords have tuning machines on both sides of the string, and the performers
loosen the string at one end at the same rate that it is being tightened on the other
end. Todd Lerew is a Los Angeles-based composer and instrument inventor,
currently pursuing an MFA in Experimental Sound Composition at CalArts.

Harmonic Distances // by Mateo Lugo
With “Harmonic Distances” Lugo seeks a reconceptualization of vertical pitch
structures and chordal harmonies, achieving a connection between the performers
that is tangible yet fleeting. Guitarist/Composer Mateo Lugo, born in Caracas, Venezuela,
received degrees in Jazz Composition and Performance from Berklee
College of Music in 2008.

A Smaller Moment // by Daniel Miller
Just as all colors of visible light combine to form white, Miller seeks to combine
elements of sound into one piece that cancel each other out, thus leaving small
moments for the listener. Daniel Miller is a young composer from Rhode Island
who is living in California.

Mobile // by Jon Myers
Mobile is a study of gradual tempo and dynamic curves using only two pitches. The
processes involved lead to asynchronous rhythmic and timbral overlays. From
moment to moment, sound objects in this piece seem to rotate past each other
chaotically, while large-scale structural events generate balance and unity throughout.
Jon Myers is a composer and musician from Boston, Massachusetts, and is
pursuing a master’s degree in composition at Mills College.

Ghost Pepper Eyes // by Nick Norton
Norton’s rock-inspired work is generated from a two bar groove. The title refers to
Anthony Garcia (NHE Percussionist) and Norton first becoming friends over ghost
pepper salsa. Norton got Ghost Pepper juice in his eye once, and described the
experience as “horrible, but delicious.” Nick Norton was born in Southern California,
and studied at UC San Diego, L'ecole Normale de Musique de Paris, King's
College London, and UC Santa Barbara.

Into this Dislocated Assemblage, this piece of Damaged Geology // by Iván Naranjo
The original 'object' from which this piece departed, was conceived as an assemblage
of multi-dimensional topological data on which a number of simple operations
were executed.Ivan Naranjo is a Mexican composer currently living in California.

Ghost in the Machine // by Dan VanHassel
In "Ghost in the Machine" the entire ensemble is fused into a single robotic entity,
playing tightly interlocking patterns of percussive sounds. Dan VanHassel is a composer
and multi-instrumentalist based in the San Francisco Bay Area, and is
co-director of the Wild Rumpus new music ensemble.

A Havoc Wrought // by David Werfelmann
Using unison starts and stops, Werfelmann ignites his work until it gains momentum
as it spreads into five voices before it consumes itself in a disquieted viola
solo, and just as the brush fires of Southern California spawn new flames, the piece
runs a course of fiery destruction. David Werfelmann is a candidate for the Doctor
of Musical Arts degree in composition at the USC Thornton School of Music where
he also teaches.

Punctuations, in/over Silence // by Kevin Zhang
"Punctuations" serve as metaphors for the syntactic desires and requirements that
musical events create. Currently at the University of California, San Diego, Kevin
is working towards a PhD.