Face the Music to Launch 2012-13 Concert Season On November 12 at Roulette NYC’s Only Teen “Alt-Classical” Ensemble to Perform with JACK Quartet & International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE)

2012-13 Repertoire Includes 's “Triple Quartet,” John Adams's “Fearful Symmetries” and music by Daniel Bernard Roumain, Michael Gordon, Julia Wolfe, Conrad Tao and more

Since its founding in 2005, Kaufman Center’s Face the Music youth ensemble has taken its place as a full-fledged player in New York City’s vibrant contemporary classical scene, rapidly becoming what Allan Kozinn of the New York Times has called “a force in the New York new-music world.”

This season the ensemble will perform at venues across New York City, including Merkin Concert Hall, Lincoln Center’s David Rubenstein Atrium, Queens Museum of Art, Roulette, the Baryshnikov Arts Center and Issue Project Room among others. They will perform on Kaufman Center's Ecstatic Music Festival, Make Music New York and in support of New York City public schools through the Neighborhood Classics series. The group will also perform at benefits in support of New York Public Radio and MATA Young Composers - Now!

Highlights of the 2012-13 season include performances of Steve Reich’s Triple Quartet with the JACK Quartet at the Baryshnikov Arts Center and George Lewis’s Artificial Life with the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE) on the Ecstatic Music Festival as well as world premieres of works by members of Face the Music.

The only student ensemble in New York City dedicated to performing music by living classical composers, Face the Music has been praised by the New York Times for its “stunning performances” of music by contemporary composers such as Steve Reich, and . Critics have hailed them as “polished, exuberant” (New York Times) and one of “New York’s favorite contemporary-classical ensembles” (Time Out New York). Together with its co-founder and director, Dr. Jenny Undercofler, Face the Music was awarded ASCAP’s 2011 Aaron Copland Award and has been featured on National Public Radio and in the New York Times. Past concerts include a collaborative performance of Steve Reich’s with Alarm Will Sound and opening for Philip Glass Ensemble at the 2012 River To River Festival.

Founded in 2005 by Dr. Undercofler with eight students with unique passion for experimenting with music, the ensemble has now grown to more than 100 teens and pre- teens from over 40 elementary, middle and high schools from across the New York City area. Students in Face the Music come from all the major NYC arts high schools and pre- college music programs. Face the Music performs in several configurations: As three string quartets – Face the Music Quartet, Pannonia Quartet and Sorpresa Quartet – as a chamber orchestra and in medium-sized mixed ensembles. Many of the performers are students or alumni of Kaufman Center’s own Special Music School, the only K-12 public school in New York City that integrates pre-conservatory musical training with academic education.

2012-13 Concert Schedule:

Mon, Nov 12, 2012, 7:30 pm Roulette (509 Atlantic Ave., Brooklyn; roulette.org) Philip Glass, Quartet No. 5; Conrad Tao, Quartet No. 2; Ljova, Asha; Daniel Bernard Roumain, La, La, La, La; World Premiere of Lionfish by Ethan Cohn (student)

Sun, Dec 2, 2012, 2 pm Neighborhood Classics Series – PS 69Q (77-02 37th Ave., Jackson Heights; neighborhoodclassics.com) Andrii Didorenko, Double Concerto; Daniel Bernard Roumain, La, La, La, La; Ethan Cohn (student), Lionfish

Sun, Dec 16, 2012, 7 pm Vaudeville Park (26 Bushwick Ave., Brooklyn; vaudevillepark.org) Conrad Tao, Quartet No. 2; David Crowell, Open Road; Ethan Cohn (student), Lionfish

Sat, Jan 26, 2013, 7:30 pm Ecstatic Music Festival (Merkin Concert Hall, 129 W. 67th St., NYC; kaufman-center.org/mch) Face the Music performs George Lewis’s Artificial Life with the world-renowned International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE), whose Artistic Director, Claire Chase, has been named a 2012 MacArthur Fellow.

Sun, Jan 27, 2013, 5 pm Musica Reginae at Church in the Gardens (50 Ascan Ave., Queens; musicareginae.org) Philip Glass, Quartet No.5; Conrad Tao, String Quartet No. 2; Julia Wolfe, Lick; Ethan Cohn (student), Lionfish; World Premiere of Inseguimento by Jack Guglielmetti (student)

Sun, Feb 3, 2013, 5 pm St. Mark’s Church (131 E. 10th St., NYC; stmarksbowery.org) John Adams, Fearful Symmetries; Steve Reich, Triple Quartet, World Premiere of Cumulonimbus by Joe Jordan (student)

Thu, Feb 28, 2013, 8:30 pm Lincoln Center's David Rubenstein Atrium (Broadway & 63rd St.; atrium.lincolncenter.org) Andrii Didorenko, Double Concerto; Daniel Bernard Roumain, La, La, La, La; Philip Glass, Quartet No. 5; David Crowell, Open Road; Joe Jordan (student), Cumulonimbus

Sun, Mar 10, 2013, 2 pm & 3:30 pm Queens Museum of Art (Flushing Meadows Corona Park, queensmuseum.org) John Adams, Fearful Symmetries; Steve Reich, Triple Quartet; Joe Jordan (student), Cumulonimbus

Thu, Mar 14, 2013, 8 pm The Tank (151 W. 46th St., thetanknyc.org) The program includes two works by Bang on a Can founders Julia Wolfe and Michael Gordon: Wolfe’s Lick and Gordon’s Yo Shakespeare along with Philip Glass’s, Quartet No. 5; Steve Reich’s Triple Quartet and Jack Guglielmetti’s (student) Inseguimento

Tue, Mar 19, 2013, 8 pm Baryshnikov Arts Center (450 W. 37th St., NYC; bacnyc.org) Face the Music performs Steve Reich’s Triple Quartet with the JACK Quartet; Conrad Tao, Quartet No. 2. The JACK Quartet will perform two works by Face the Music composers.

Fri, Apr 26, 2013, 8 pm BAMCafé (30 Lafayette Ave., Brooklyn; bam.org) Steve Reich, Triple Quartet and other works TBA

Sun, May 19, 2013, 2 pm Neighborhood Classics Series – P.S. 142 (100 Attorney St.; neighborhoodclassics.com) Andrii Didorenko, Double Concerto; Daniel Bernard Roumain, La, La, La, La; Julia Wolfe, Lick; Michael Gordon, Yo Shakespeare; Ethan Cohn (student), Lionfish

Sun, Jun 2, 2013, 2 pm Museum of Jewish Heritage (36 Battery Pl., NYC; mjhnyc.org) Steve Reich, , other works TBA

Thu, Jun 6, 2013, 6 pm Garibaldi Stage at Washington Square Park Julia Wolfe, Lick; Michael Gordon, Yo Shakespeare; Steve Mackey, Physical Properties; Jack Guglielmetti (student), Inseguimento; Ethan Cohn (student), Lionfish

Sun, Jun 9, 2013, 6:30 pm Kaufman Center Chamber Fest, Merkin Concert Hall (129 W. 67th St., NYC; kaufman-center.org/mch) Joe Jordan (student), Cumulonimbus

Fri, Jun 14, 2013, 7:30 pm The Firehouse Space (246 Frost St., Brooklyn; thefirehousespace.org) Jack Guglielmetti (student), Inseguimento, plus quartet music TBA

Wed, Jun 19, 2013, 8 pm Issue Project Room (12 Boerum Pl., Brooklyn; issueprojectroom.org) Face the Music and the JACK Quartet perform works by Face the Music students; John Adams, Fearful Symmetries; Steve Reich, Triple Quartet performed with the JACK Quartet

Fri, Jun 21, 2013, 6 pm Make Music New York (Kaufman Center, 129 W. 67th St., makemusicny.org) John Adams, Fearful Symmetries; Andrii Didorenko, Double Concerto; Daniel Bernard Roumain, La, La, La, La; Joe Jordan (student), Cumulonimbus

For additional ticket and price information, please contact the individual venues listed above.

Kaufman Center: New York’s creative home for listeners, learners and performers Kaufman Center is one of New York City's most vibrant cultural organizations, combining the finest in music education for all ages with world class performance in the acoustically superior Merkin Concert Hall. Founded in 1952 as a community school for pre-conservatory music training, today's Kaufman Center is home to Merkin Concert Hall; Lucy Moses School, New York’s largest community arts school; and Special Music School, a K-12 public school for musically gifted children. What People are Saying About Face the Music

“Face the Music, directed by Jennifer Undercofler, has given stunning performances in recent years, most notably a lively account of Terry Riley’s ‘In C’ as part of Make Music New York in 2009.” – Allan Kozinn, New York Times, 1/30/11

“Face the Music, a Kaufman Center new-music group whose members are teenage students, was poised and exuberant in works by Missy Mazzoli and Christine Southworth.” – Steve Smith, New York Times, 1/18/11

Face the Music is one of “New York’s favorite contemporary-classical ensembles.” – Time Out New York, 1/27/11

“Working with Face the Music was one of the most moving musical experiences I’ve had. The kids were terrific, and watching them throw themselves into this extraordinarily challenging piece and rise to the occasion of performing it was really inspiring.”

– Alan Pierson, Alarm Will Sound Director & Brooklyn Philharmonic Director

“Dealing with Face the Music has been akin to dealing with professionals. Weirdly, it didn't feel that much different than dealing with the Philharmonic.”

– Nico Muhly, composer

“’Writing for a kids’ group is like throwing a pass in football,’ said Phil Kline, whose ‘Exquisite Corpses,’ composed for the adult virtuosos in the Bang on a Can All-Stars, is part of Face the Music’s repertory. ‘You don’t want to throw it behind them, or too far in front, but so they can reach it. But here was this group working on a piece with a clarinet part written for Evan Ziporyn and a guitar part for Mark Stewart, extraordinary players, and they did a great job. There was no sense of boredom or squirming. They were totally focused and committed.’”

– Phil Kline, composer (quoted in a 3/24/12 New York Times feature by Allan Kozinn)

Read a 3/23/12 New York Times feature on Face the Music by Allan Kozinn: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/25/arts/music/face-the-music-teenage-alt-classical- ensemble.html?pagewanted=1#

Read a 5/23/11 Daily News feature on Face the Music by Clem Richardson: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/face-music-faces-music-wins-ascap-aaron-copland-award- article-1.146068

Listen to a 5/27/10 National Public Radio feature on Face the Music with Jeff Lunden: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=127139434