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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PRESS CONTACTS March 18, 2019 Aleba Gartner, 212/206-1450 Tickets & Information: 212/854-7799 [email protected] millertheatre.com Lauren Bailey, 212/854-1633 [email protected]

"There are few series as satisfying as the Miller Theater’s signature dives into one composer." — The New York Times

Miller Theatre at Columbia University School of the Arts

concludes its 2018-19 Composer Portraits series with David T. Little

American Contemporary Music Ensemble (ACME) and Third Coast Percussion perform recent works by Little including the New York premiere of Agency

Thursday, April 18, 2019, 8:00 p.m. Miller Theatre (2960 Broadway at 116th Street)

Tickets: $20–$30; Students with valid ID: $7–$18

From Miller Theatre Executive Director Melissa Smey: “David T. Little is a composer and percussionist whose work marries the sonic possibilities of new music with serious storytelling. I’m delighted to bring audiences into his orbit for this Portrait, so they can experience firsthand the power of his dramatic and emotionally compelling compositions.”

Q&A with Melissa Smey about this Portrait by writer Lara Pellegrinelli https://www.millertheatre.com/about/news/david-t-little-QA David T. Little (photo by Matt Zugale for Miller Theatre)

Composer Portraits Thursday, April 18, 2019, 8:00 p.m. Miller Theatre (2960 Broadway at 116th Street) David T. Little David T. Little grapples with essential human issues through powerfully dramatic compositions. This Portrait features two major works—companion pieces presented together for the first time—that explore the tension between the individual, secrecy, and state violence. Haunt of Last Nightfall, a visceral “ghost play in two acts” for percussion quartet and electronics, examines America’s role in the 1981 massacre at El Mozote. AGENCY, for string quartet and electronics, questions individual autonomy, whether we are subject to unknown and powerful social and political forces. Together, they offer a disquieting account of our place in contemporary society.

PROGRAM: AGENCY (2013), New York premiere Haunt of Last Nightfall (a ghost play in two acts) (2010)

ARTISTS: American Contemporary Music Ensemble (ACME) Third Coast Percussion

David T. Little davidtlittle.com

David T. Little is “one of the most imaginative young composers” on the scene (The New Yorker), with “a knack for overturning musical conventions” (The New York Times). His operas Dog Days, JFK, and Vinkensport (librettos by Royce Vavrek), and Soldier Songs have been widely acclaimed, “prov[ing] beyond any doubt that opera has both a relevant present and a bright future” (The New York Times).

Other recent works include the earthen lack (London Sinfonietta / BGSU), The Conjured Life (Cabrillo Festival / Cristian Macelaru), Ghostlight—ritual for six players (eighth blackbird / The Kennedy Center), AGENCY (Kronos Quartet), and dress in magic amulets, dark, from My feet (The Crossing / ICE). Little is currently composing a new opera with Royce Vavrek, commissioned by the / Lincoln Center Theater New Works Program, and the music-theatre work Artaud in the Black Lodge with poet Anne Waldman (Beth Morrison Projects). This season, JFK makes its European debut at Staatsteater Augsburg, and Soldier Songs receives its German premiere in Saarbrücken.

Little’s music has been presented by the LA Philharmonic, Carnegie Hall, LA Opera, the Park Avenue Armory, Holland Festival, BAM's Next Wave Festival, and Opéra de Montréal. He has previously served as Executive Director of MATA and on the board of directors at Chamber Music America, and currently chairs the composition program at Mannes–The New School. From 2014–2017, he was Composer-in-Residence with Opera Philadelphia and Music-Theatre Group. The founding artistic director of the ensemble Newspeak, Little’s music can be heard on New Amsterdam, Innova, and National Sawdust Tracks labels. He is published by Boosey & Hawkes.

American Contemporary Music Ensemble acmemusic.org

The American Contemporary Music Ensemble’s (ACME) dedication to new music extends across genres and has earned them a reputation among both classical and rock crowds. Led by Artistic Director Clarice Jensen, ACME was honored in 2015 by ASCAP for the “virtuosity, passion, and commitment with which it performs and champions American composers.” NPR calls them “contemporary music dynamos,” and The New York Times describes ACME’s performances as “vital,” “brilliant,” and “electrifying.”

ACME’s recordings appear on the Deutsche Grammophon, New World, Butterscotch, and New Amsterdam labels. ACME released its first portrait album on Sono Luminus in 2017, featuring music by members Caroline Shaw, Timo Andres, and Caleb Burhans, and guest artist John Luther Adams. The Strad raved, “warmth and care are fully evident in the ensemble’s immaculate, considered performances—the four composers could hardly wish for more committed, convincing accounts of their music.”

ACME’s many collaborators have included The Richard Alston Dance Company, Wayne McGregor’s Random Dance, Gibney Dance, Meredith Monk, Jóhann Jóhannsson, actress Barbara Sukowa, filmmaker Jim Jarmusch, Blonde Redhead, Grizzly Bear, Low, Matmos, Jeff Mangum, A Winged Victory for the Sullen, Roomful of Teeth, Lionheart, and Theo Bleckmann. The group has performed at leading venues including Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, BAM, The Kennedy Center, (Le) Poisson Rouge, Miller Theatre at Columbia University, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Constellation Chicago, Stanford Live, UCLA, Peak Performances, Melbourne Recital Centre, Boston Calling, Big Ears, Sydney Opera House, the Sacrum Profanum Festival in Poland, All Tomorrow's Parties in the UK, Auckland Arts Festival in New Zealand, and the Summer Nostos Festival in Greece, among many others.

Third Coast Percussion thirdcoastpercussion.com

Third Coast Percussion is a Grammy-winning, artist-run quartet of classically trained percussionists from Chicago. For over ten years, the ensemble has forged a unique path in the world of percussion, praised for “commandingly elegant” (The New York Times) performances, the “rare power” (Washington Post) of their recordings, and “an inspirational sense of fun and curiosity” (Minnesota Star-Tribune). The four members are also accomplished teachers and have served as ensemble-in-residence at the University of Notre Dame’s DeBartolo Performing Arts Center since 2013.

Third Coast Percussion has commissioned and premiered new works from Philip Glass, Devonté Hynes, Donnacha Dennehy, Glenn Kotche, Lei Liang, Gavin Bryars, Christopher Cerrone, Marcos Balter, and today’s leading up-and-coming composers through their Emerging Composers Partnership Program. They have also been involved in a series of unlikely collaborations that have produced exciting new art, working with engineers at the University of Notre Dame, architects at the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, dancers at Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, and musicians from traditions ranging from the mbira music of Zimbabwe’s Shona people and to indie rockers, to some of the world’s leading concert musicians.

Third Coast Percussion’s recordings include five full-length albums, three EPs, and a number of appearances on other releases. In addition to recordings of the ensemble’s own compositions, Third Coast has also created first recordings of commissioned works by Augusta Read Thomas, David T. Little, and Ted Hearne. In 2017, the ensemble won the Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble performance for their recording of Steve Reich’s works for percussion.

Third Coast Percussion maintains a busy touring schedule, with past performances in the U.S., Canada, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Poland. They also maintain strong ties to Chicago’s vibrant artistic community including collaborating with Chicago institutions such as Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Chicago Philharmonic, and Adler Planetarium and with Chicago-based composers including Augusta Read Thomas and Glenn Kotche, and chamber ensemble eighth blackbird.

Miller Theatre millertheatre.com

Now in its 30th Anniversary season, Miller Theatre at Columbia University is the leading presenter of new music in New York City and one of the most vital forces nationwide for innovative programming. In partnership with Columbia University School of the Arts, Miller is dedicated to producing and presenting unique events, with a focus on contemporary and early music, jazz, opera, and multimedia performances. Founded in 1988, Miller Theatre has helped launch the careers of myriad composers and ensembles over the years, serving as an incubator for emerging artists and a champion of those not yet well known in the United States. A four-time recipient of the ASCAP/Chamber Music America Award for Adventurous Programming, Miller Theatre continues to meet the high expectations set forth by its founders—to present innovative programs, support the development of new work, and connect creative artists with adventurous audiences.

Major support for Miller Theatre’s 2018-19 Season is provided by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature

Major support for Composer Portraits is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.

Columbia University’s Miller Theatre is located north of the Main Campus Gate at 116th St. & Broadway on the ground floor of Dodge Hall.

Directions and information are available online at millertheatre.com or via the Miller Theatre Box Office at 212.854.7799.

For photos, please contact Lauren Bailey, 212/854-1633; [email protected].

For further information, press tickets, photos, and to arrange interviews, please contact Aleba & Co. at 212/206-1450 or [email protected].

Copyright © 2019 Aleba & Co., All rights reserved.

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