Press Release
May 11, 2022
For Immediate Release

Press Contact:
Gail Wein - (646) 484-9691
ClassicalCommunications@gmail.com

Soapbox Gallery presents Sono Fest! June 6-18, curated by Ethan Iverson

Two sets nightly by Ethan Iverson, Miranda Cuckson, Taka Kigawa, Aaron Diehl, Timo Andres and more

In person, in an intimate Brooklyn gallery, and live-streamed worldwide

An explosion of creativity is bursting through the intimate Soapbox Gallery (636 Dean St) in Brooklyn June 6-18. The inaugural Sono Fest! features nightly performances by the most spectacular artists in classical and jazz: pianists Ethan Iverson, Aaron Diehl, Taka Kigawa, Sylvie Courvoisier, Timo Andres, violinist Miranda Cuckson, Momenta Quartet, saxophonist Sam Newsome, and much more. A "Coda" concert with a special guest artist on June 23 will be announced soon.

Curated by composer/jazz and classical pianist superstar Ethan Iverson, the festival boasts in person and live streamed performances at 7:30 and 9 pm EDT every night. Full program details below.

Tickets are $25 in-person, or $15 for the live-stream, available at SoapboxGallery.org.

Program descriptions written by curator Ethan Iverson

All concerts are at Soapbox Gallery (636 Dean St., Brooklyn, NY)
Live-stream and in-person tickets available here

There are two hour-long concerts every night at 7:30 and 9 pm EDT, more like jazz practice than classical convention. We expect to turn the room over (there are only 60 seats) so most of those who are performing formally notated works will probably play the same program twice (a comparatively rare opportunity to enjoy such a liberating sequence).

Tuesday, June 6: Ethan Iverson, piano with Miranda Cuckson, violin

Ethan Iverson duo with Miranda Cuckson showcases my admiration of formal composition in the American grain. Our repertoire includes mid-century violin sonatas by Louise Talma and George Walker alongside an Elegy by another particular favorite, Peter Lieberson. To round out the program, I’ll also play my recent Piano Sonata. (More on Miranda below, she appears four times in the festival.)

Program:
Louise Talma Violin Sonata
Peter Lieberson Elegy
Ethan Iverson Piano Sonata
George Walker Violin Sonata

Wednesday, June 7: Ethan Iverson duo with Mark Turner, saxophone

Ethan Iverson duo with Mark Turner rides again in the first post-pandemic gig of this configuration, which toured dozens of venues in both America and Europe and recorded Temporary Kings for ECM. Mark is the most influential tenor saxophonist of his generation. 

Thursday, June 8: Violinist Miranda Cuckson

Miranda Cuckson delivers the most challenging music in a forthright and engaging manner. If I had an unlimited budget and resources I’d present the New York City premiere of the violin concerto Georg Friedrich Haas wrote for her; as it stands, I will enjoy her sublime solo sets. When she plays microtonal pieces by Xenakis, Sciarrino, and other high modernists, one can hear Miranda sing the blues.

Program:
J.S. Bach C major Sonata BWV 1005
Stewart Goodyear Solo
Iannis Xenakis Mikka S

Friday, June 9: Pianist Taka Kigawa

Taka Kigawa is famous for legendary programs of contemporary music in unlikely spaces. A few months ago, I was on assignment in somewhat random circumstances and suddenly realized Taka Kigawa was sitting right in front of me. For much of this list I am calling in favors…but in this case I now owe Mr. Kigawa one. 

Program:
Pascal Dusapin Etudes (complete)

Saturday, June 10: Pianist Timo Andres

Timo Andres fits the bill: he’s a true composer-pianist of the old school, a proper virtuoso and a major voice in composition. To my delight, Timo has offered to play his program of Joplin Rags and Chopin Mazurkas. I have also insisted that he include a few of his own remarkable rhythmic and poetic piano pieces, which someday will be thought of as classic Americana.

Program:
Robin Holcomb Wherein Lies the Good
Frédéric Chopin Mazurka Op. 24 no. 2
Scott Joplin Magnetic Rag
Chopin Mazurka Op. 17 no. 1
Joplin Gladiolus Rag
Chopin Mazurka Op. 59 no. 3
Joplin A Breeze From Alabama
Chopin Mazurka Op. 24, no. 4
Joplin Euphonic Sounds
Chopin Mazurka Op. 56 no. 1
Joplin Paragon Rag
Timo Andres Wise Words
Andres Honest Labor

Sunday, June 11: Saxophonist Sam Newsome

Sam Newsome is a regular collaborator of mine in the score to Pepperland for the Mark Morris Dance Group, which we have performed together over 60 times. Hidden in plain sight, Sam is one of the freshest musical minds in New York. He mastered straight-ahead jazz, playing solid tenor for Terence Blanchard in the ‘90s, before changing to soprano and adopting a decidedly avant-garde approach, incorporating extended techniques and developing a language for solo saxophone. Joining him for some duo explorations will be innovative pianist and improviser Sylvie Courvoisier. 

Monday, June 12: Momenta Quartet

The Momenta Quartet (Emilie-Anne Gendron, Alex Shiozaki, Stephanie Griffin, Michael Haas) has recently released a wonderful recording of Alvin Singleton quartets. I have interviewed Singleton and regard him as one of the true living masters, with the four string quartets being a major contribution to this hallowed form. Momenta will play Singleton’s quartets no. 2 “Secret Desire to Be Black” and no. 4 “Hallelujah Anyhow” at Soapbox, alongside Meredith Monk’s lovely “String Songs.” 

Program:
Alvin Singleton Quartet no. 2 “Secret Desire to Be Black”
Meredith Monk String Songs
Alvin Singleton Quartet no. 4 “Hallelujah Anyhow”

Tuesday, June 13: Judith Berkson

Judith Berkson: singer, pianist, composer, cantor. My first exposure to Judith was at a rare NYC concert by the late Joe Maneri, an epic event that lives in my mind as one of the finest avant-garde jazz gigs I’ve ever seen. Judith has diverse capabilities. She creates electronic re-toolings of Robert Schumann; her solo ECM album Oylam is hypnotic; when she unleashes her full cantorial vocal style, the hair on the back of my neck stands up.

Program:
Berkson electroacoustic pieces
Schubert lieder

Wednesday, June 14: Pianist Marta Sánchez 

Marta Sánchez has a bright future. I have written liner notes for two of her records and dig David Murray’s current quartet with Marta in a heavily-featured role. Her intricate and contrapuntal jazz compositions are in the modern style, but, crucially, they are also informed by the long musical lineage of her native country, Spain.

Program:
Marta Sánchez new etudes for prepared piano

Thursday, June 15: Pianist Aaron Diehl

Aaron Diehl has grown into being not just a pianist of the first rank but an ambassador across several disciplines. Aaron swings Gershwin with the symphony, he smartly updates James P. Johnson and John Lewis for the modern taste, he casually deals out correct Bach at a recital, and rages into atonality with Tyshawn Sorey at the club. One of a kind. 

Friday, June 16: Composer Scott Wollschleger

Scott Wollschleger possesses an ear for fresh notes, and delivers them in a slow and almost terrifying manner: Morton Feldman meets Thelonious Monk meets H.P. Lovecraft. His pianist is the stellar Karl Larson, who will supply mostly solo Wollschelger for the first set, with Miranda Cuckson joining on viola for one piece. In the second set, Miranda will play a Wollschelger violin premiere; other solo and chamber music will include Miranda, Larson, John Popham and Kevin Sims.

Program: Set 1

 Scott Wollschleger

 Tiny Oblivion 
Music Without Metaphor 
 Brontal No. 2  
 Brontal No. 6
 Brontal No. 11
 Brontal No. 12  
 Secret Machine No. 4
 Secret Machine No. 6
Karl Larson, piano 
 Soft Aberration No. 2 
Karl Larson, piano; Miranda Cuckson, viola

Program: Set 2 

 Lost Anthems (NYC premiere)
Karl Larson, piano; Miranda Cuckson, viola 
 Fish of the sea (NYC premiere)
Kevin Sims, percussion 
 Secret Machine No. 7 (World premiere)
Miranda Cuckson, violin 
  Brontal Symmetry 
Cuckson, violin; Larson, piano; John Popham, cello

Saturday, June 17: Pianist Han Chen

Han Chen is a major virtuoso and has carved out a vital place in the NYC scene. When Thomas Adès gave a master class at New England Conservatory several years ago, I cancelled my own NEC students in order to go check it out. Chen played Adès’s “Traced Overhead” and the composer told him, “You play it better than me.” The whole Naxos recital of Adès by Chen is marvelous. At Soapbox, Chen will play “Traced Overhead” alongside further masterpieces by Berg, Corigliano, and Ravel.

Program:
Alban Berg Piano Sonata Op. 1
John Corigliano Etude-Fantasy
Thomas Adès Traced Overhead
Maurice Ravel Gaspard de la nuit 

Sunday, June 18: Composer Robert Cuckson (first set)

Robert Cuckson is another great NYC composer who lives a bit below the radar. When Miranda told me her dad was really good I demanded aural evidence, and, of course, Miranda was right. His style features long form structures that unfold in an unforced manner, high on lyricism and swept with chromaticism. For Father’s Day, Miranda will join a cast of elite chamber musicians including Haodong Wu, David Ordovsky, and Blair McMillen for a set of flute, violin, viola, and piano music. 

Program:
Robert Cuckson
  Objets de vertu
Haodong Wu, piano 
  Lines from Vergil
Wu, piano; David Ordovsky, flute 
 The Ballad of Camden Town
Ordovsky, flute 
 Boat of Ra
Miranda Cuckson, violin; Blair McMillen, piano 
  Six Piano Pieces
McMillen, piano 
  Fantasia on a Song by Delius
Miranda Cuckson, viola; Blair McMillen, piano

Sunday, June 18: Pianist Ethan Iverson (second set)
CODA Concert
Friday, June 23: Special Guest Artist TBA

Program descriptions written by curator Ethan Iverson