SAWDUST 10.01.15-08.01.17 SNAPSHOT Dear Friends, It's hard to believe that it's been only 20 months since our opening night, which set in motion a ride of success consisting of more than 660 unique performances of the highest quality, ripe with discoveries. When I reflect on how we blazed this path so quickly, I think, first of all, of our programming. It is daring, combines emerging and established artists, is powered by diversity, and addresses today’s most pressing issues. Artists in residence, curators, and world-renowned artists work alongside the NS team to collaborate, incubate, and create the music of the future. I also think of our architecture: a pure design and acoustic miracle that brings Joy to both performers and patrons. We believe National Sawdust is at the center of a music revolution where genres, ages, origins, and talents get together to create and celebrate the musical emotion we all value and need. Join us! Jean-Pierre Chessé President of the Board of Trustees Dear Friends, As a composer, I believe the role of an artist in the 21st century should be that of creator, educator, performer, and entrepreneur. I believe that 21st-century composers/artists need to be thinking about what impact they can have on their existing community, both locally and globally. Our hope is to create an inclusive home where artists and audiences can learn, explore and listen creatively. I believe that by giving audiences access to the artists in this intimate way, in this intimate venue, we will make a unique contribution to New York City’s musical ecosystem. Paola Prestini Composer, CEO and Artistic Director “...tough and full of magic.” - New York Magazine Education, Mentorship and Career Development Since Opening...in Numbers! • First ever call to female composers in the Hildegard Competition, judged by composers Angélica Negrón, Du Yun, and Paola Prestini. • Two finalists will receive funding and have their work premiered at NS, conducted by Lidiya Yankovskaya. Supported by the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation. • New partnership with University of Michigan and Juilliard School will open up NS’ performance venue 660 performances to host works in progress for students, as well as provide guided mentorship in areas such as project management and marketing. 52,000 audience members from: 5 boroughs of New York City, 47 states, and 53 countries across the world 2.1M unique media impressions 47 world premieres 12 operas 63 commissions 50 New York Times reviews “The buzz has shifted to National Sawdust.” – The Washington Post Festivals Winterreise Nights • A curated series by throat singer Tanya Tagaq and cellist Jeffrey Zeigler, with Northern voices and discoveries represented. Season 3: 12 World Premieres | 3 New Opera Presentations by Anna Clyne, Marcela Rodriguez and Spring Revolution Kate Soper | New Operas by Kate Soper, Missy Mazzoli, Nico Muhly, Paola Prestini, • A festival inspired by rite and revolution. • Includes John Zorn’s mystical music, Brazilian music curated by composer Felipe Marcela Rodriguez and Du Yun| 4 New Work Presentations | 11 Curators | 10 Lara, and the Velvet Revolution, a deep dive into the music of China, curated by Residencies | 10 Workshop Presentations | Continued Festivals, Series and Labs composer Du Yun. Season 3 Theme: Origins FERUS In Season 3, we turn our lens of music discovery to a fresh theme: Origins. Origins will • A series held every January focused on interdisciplinary work in progress, aimed be a deep dive into the roots of culture itself through the music of our varied histories. towards getting the work recognition by placing it during national conferences such What does that look like? as those of International Society for the Performing Arts and Association of Performing Arts Presenters. • It’s the Refugee Orchestra premiering a work by the next great woman composer. • It’s Sudanese pop singer Sinkane curating the best music of African diaspora and New Series first-generation immigrant culture. • NIGHTGOWNS, curated by Sasha Velour, winner of RuPaul's Drag Race, are • It’s a two-day expedition into the Amazon, guided by leading Brazilian artists Felipe evenings of short performances dedicated to celebrating the diversity, depth, and Lara and Stéphane San Juan. wild power of drag. • It is an insistent return to empathy, celebrating the multicultural, the borderless, and the marginalized through their music and stories. Through sharing the Origins of Returning Series disparate artists, we hope to remind the world of the common bonds that we all Stone Commissioning Series share. • A monthly curated series by John Zorn features the top avant grade jazz and out-of-the-box musicians. Residencies and Curators The Revolution • Pursuing the Origins theme, National Sawdust has enlisted artists with roots in six • Curated by NS’ Katie Jones, this monthly series shines light on Brooklyn and Harlem continents as curators. based artists and musicians that are in the breeding ground of the independent pop • 11 world-class curators ranging from violinist Jennifer Koh to clarinetist Kinan genre. Azmeh. Heroes Residency Support • The Heroes series celebrates our compositional heroes. • National Sawdust’s Residency Program provides both individual artists and groups • This year we celebrate the 80th birthday of famed composers Joan Tower and John with space and technical/marketing staff support through recordings, rehearsals Corigliano. and shows as well as commissions. Operas • Over 80 hours of staff support for each residency with a total financial commitment • NS will develop, present and premiere commissioned operas involving women of $450k (in kind and reward payments combined) ensure that these dedicated composers Anna Clyne, Du Yun, Missy Mazzoli, Paola Prestini, Marcela Rodriguez artists can present their new works in various stages of development in concert. and Kate Soper, in addition to a new chamber opera by Nico Muhly, presented with • 12 Residencies ranging from Contemporaneous to the Refugee Orchestra. musicians from the International Contemporary Ensemble. NS+ • National Sawdust+, created by Elena Park, brings artists and thinkers together for stimulating, and often unexpected, concerts and conversations in an intimate setting. Artists from Marina Abramović to Patti Smith connect music with larger cultural issues and explore them through conversation and innovative musicianship. National Sawdust: Our Story “National Sawdust is a smashing success” - The New Yorker In the 22 months since opening, more than 52,000 audience members have experienced nearly 660 NS performances. We have provided commissions and project development support to 25 artists and groups, and countless new compositions have had their world premieres on our stage. We were named in the Best of 2015 lists by both The New York Times and New York Magazine, and were finalists for receiving the Classical:NEXT Innovation Award, which honors “forward-thinking activities taking place around the world.” Board Artistic Advisory Board Grant Aldonas Laurie Anderson Courtenay Casey Andrew H. Bart Jean Pierre Chesse, President Helena Christensen Rick D’Avino, President Emeritus Bryce Dessner Kevin Dolan, Founder and Chair Renée Fleming Chris Grymes Philip Glass Joanne Hubschman Stephen Godfroy Sarah Johnson Richard Kessler Elizabeth Madigan Jost David Lang Ellen O’Brien Kelly Brigitte Lacombe Harvey Mogenson, Treasurer Meredith Monk Fabien Moreau Nico Muhly Paola Prestini James Murphy Phillip Rapoport Elena Park, Advisory Board Chair Kris Sebastian Terry Riley Jill Steinberg, Vice President Limor Tomer Christopher Whitman Jeremy Turner Dan Widawsky Suzanne Vega Peter Zuspan, Secretary Karen Wong John Zorn "I just want to encourage you to support National Sawdust. If you like music the way I like music, and you want to hear something fresh and new, and you want to hear the grassroots development of the future and the hope of music... Let's support what's fresh and new." – Reneé Fleming, NS Advisory Board Member Second Season Highlights Programming Snapshot: Seasons 1 & 2 Rentals and Partnerships • 47 World Premieres • Mark by AVON Product Launch // January 2017 • 1 Opera premiere in collaboration with Aix-en-Provence and Rolex • TUMBLR // 10th Anniversary Party // February 2017 during • 11 New Opera Productions fashion week. • 12 Curators • 10 Residencies • Spotify Conference // Summer 2017 • 12 Workshop Presentations • 3 Festivals: Winnterreise, Spring Revolution, and FERUS • Mozart in the Jungle // An Amazon TV series // Summer 2017 • Launch of Heroes Series focusing on Philip Glass • Launch of Stone Commissioning Series curated by John These selected deals bought in over 200k of revenue to the Zorn nonprofit. • Launch of Summer Labs: incubation labs for local emerging artists Development • Increased contributed support by 50%. New Media Development • Secured institutional support from such distinguished • NS Productions: Current works have appeared at the foundations and government agencies as the Virginia B. Kennedy Center, Stanford University’s Bing Concert Hall, Toulmin Foundation, Howard Gilman Foundation, Celebrate Brooklyn, New Victory on Broadway, Ford Achelis and Bodman Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, New York State Council on the Arts, and Theater with LA Opera, and more. New York City Department of Cultural Affairs • The Log Journal: The Log Journal is an online resource for • Raised 10% of annual budget at the Spring Gala, a music news and thoughtful criticism, spearheaded by spectacular curated concert