theaterdancemusic Fall 2013

Body/Head MCA STAGE featuring Kim Gordon and Bill Nace at the Sep 24 Edlis Neeson Taylor Mac Theater An Abridged Concert of The History of Political Popular Music Sep 27–28

Timbre 4 Tercer Cuerpo (Third Wing) Oct 3, 5 and 6

ICE (International Contemporary Ensemble) Retrospective Oct 26

Rainpan 43 Elephant Room Nov 2, 3, 7–10

Nassim Soleimanpour White Rabbit, Red Rabbit Nov 3–5 and 9

Chicago Dancemakers Forum Break Out! Celebrating ten years of supporting new work by Chicago dancemakers Nov 16

Sandra Bernhard Experience an electrifying array of Everything Bad and Beautiful artists from around the globe—all at Dec 5 and 7 a great price. Tsukasa Taiko Visit mcachicago.org/stage or call Taiko Legacy 10 and Reduction 312.397.4010 for tickets. Dec 21–22 ICE (International Contemporary Ensemble) John Zorn Retrospective October 26, 2013

David Fulmer, conductor

International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE) Claire Chase, flute Joshua Rubin, clarinet Rebekah Heller, bassoon Erik Carlson, violin Kyle Armbrust, viola Michael Nicolas, cello Cory Smythe, harpsichord Dan Lippel, guitar , drums

ICE’s 2013–14 MCA residency is made Edlis Neeson possible through generous support from the National Endowment for the Arts; the A.N. and Pearl G. Barnett Theater Family Foundation; the MacArthur Fund for Arts and Culture at Prince; The Aaron Copland Fund for Music; the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation; The Amphion Foundation; Museum of The Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation; the Illinois Arts Council, a state Contemporary Art agency; the Alice M. Ditson Fund; and Photo: Armen Elliott International Contemporary Ensemble Chicago the BMI Foundation. MCA STAGE at the Edlis Neeson Theater the steppenwolf Walpurgisnacht (for madmen only! A Witches’ Sabbath in three movements price of admission: your mind) 2004 2012 For string trio For solo clarinet Rainpan 43 Chicago premiere Canon to Stravinsky in memoriam Occam's Razor 1972 Elephant Room canons, interludes and fantasies For flute, clarinet, bassoon, and viola 2013 Chicago premiere For cello and piano Nov 2, 3, 7–10 Chicago premiere Baudelaires part I. Paris Spleen A trio of world-class illusionists the tempest part II. Flowers of Evil deliver a candy-colored love letter a masque part III. Artificial Paradises to the world of magic 2012 2013 For flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, For flute, bass flute, bass clarinet, bassoon, drumset, and percussion harpsichord, guitar, violin, viola, and cello Buy tickets online at Chicago premiere World premiere mcachicago.org

The performance runs approximately Copresented with the 70 minutes with no intermission. Chicago Humanities Festival

Artists Up Close

Gain insight into the creative process through these intimate opportunities to engage with the artists.

As part of the evening, John Zorn and ICE Artistic Director/CEO Claire Chase—who names Zorn as a major influence—join each other onstage for a conversation about their Museum of ongoing work together. Contemporary Art Chicago From the artists About the music

John Zorn says that he writes music for people. the steppenwolf (for madmen only! two parts are named after two of Baudelaire’s After a conversation over lunch with Zorn last price of admission: your mind) (2012) most famous books of prose-poetry, and the year, Claire Chase and I were inspired by his A piece for solo clarinet, this short, third takes its name from his controversial book legendary enthusiasm about the music and virtuosic composition takes Herman about his personal experiences with opium musicians that he cares about. Then, not a Hesse’s 1927 novel of the same name and hashish. month later, he e-mailed to tell us that a new as its inspirational material. piece was already done, for us—the tempest. Full of characters taken from the play, the piece Occam’s Razor, canons, interludes felt natural in our hands, so much fun to play; and fantasies (2013) it was custom, personal. He captured our John Zorn continues his interest in blending characters in the margins of Shakespeare's music with logic and mathematical principles own, and gave us freedom to play (loudly at with a series of canons, interludes, times, as you will hear). and fantasies between a piano and cello.

For Zorn, it's the only way. The power of his the tempest, a masque (2012) many unique musical and artistic collaborations William Shakespeare’s play is pared down are unnecessary to mention except to reinforce to a ten-minute trio. In this supernatural drama, how much the loyalty and respect of his flute, bass clarinet, and drums reenact the collaborators defines his ever-evolving career. story of Prospero, the rightful duke of Milan, In a short couple of years, I've been able who uses illusion and deception to restore to watch Zorn's furious, prolific streak from his family’s position. front-row seats. It's been one masterpiece after another, written for and played with Walpurgisnacht, A Witches’ Sabbath abandon by the best performers in the world. in three movements (2004) This has been made explicit in the carnival of This three-part composition showcases events celebrating his sixtieth birthday this year: Zorn’s aggressive compositional side, hundreds of musicians pouring their creative using dissonance and irregular rhythm energy into Zorn's similarly energetic scores to eerie effect. Written in 2004, it has since at concert halls, theaters, clubs, and museums. spawned the 2012 companion piece All Hallows’ Eve. John Zorn Music is storytelling, and Zorn's connection Photo: Scott Irvine with the people he works with is, of course, only Canon to Stravinsky, in memoriam (1972) made clear to the audience in performance. Written when Zorn was only nineteen, Canon The pieces on our program tonight are colorful to Stravinsky is one of his earliest works. gems that some words can describe (complex, Its composition was inspired by the death of cut-and-paste, haunting, wild, improvisatory, the famous Russian composer Igor Stravinsky, playful, extreme precision), but the players tell which occurred during the previous year. it even better. Baudelaires (2013) Joshua Rubin Similar to Zorn’s 2012 work Rimbaud, Program Director, International Baudelaires interprets the work of another Contemporary Ensemble. French poet, Charles Baudelaire. The first About the artists

John Zorn Tanglewood, appearing as the soloist in International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE) Ludovic Morlot, Matthias Pintscher, John has created an influential body of work that his concerto. is dedicated to reshaping the way music is Adams, and Susanna Mälkki. defies academic categories and draws on his created and experienced. With a modular performance and composing experience in a New commissions include the Salzburg makeup of thirty-three leading instrumentalists With leading support from The Andrew W. variety of genres including jazz, rock, hardcore Foundation for the Scharoun Ensemble performing in forces ranging from solos to Mellon Foundation, ICE launched ICElab in punk, classical, klezmer, film, cartoon, popular, of the Berlin Philharmonic, Ensemble large ensembles, ICE functions as performer, early 2011. The program places teams of ICE and improvised music. A native of New York, Intercontemporain, Heidelberg Festival for the presenter, and educator, advancing the music musicians in close collaboration with six emerg- he has been a central figure in the downtown Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen and of our time by developing innovative new works ing composers each year to develop works music scene since 1975, incorporating a wide violinist Stefan Jackiw, RTÉ National Symphony and new strategies for audience engagement. that push the boundaries of musical exploration. range of musicians in various compositional of Ireland and clarinetist Carol McGonnell, ICE redefines concert music as it brings together ICElab projects are featured in more than one formats. Early inspirations include American , and Alte Oper Frankfurt, as well new work and new listeners in the twenty- hundred performances from 2011–14 and innovators Ives, Varèse, Cage, Carter, as a commission from BMI for a new work for first century. documented online through DigitICE, a new and Partch, the European tradition of Berg, cellist Jay Campbell and his Carnegie Hall online venue. Stravinsky, Ligeti, and Kagel, soundtrack debut recital. Fulmer's work will be premiered Since its founding in 2001, ICE has premiered composers Herrmann, Morricone, and Stalling, by the New York Philharmonic this season in more than 500 compositions, the majority ICE’s commitment to build a diverse, engaged and avant-garde filmmakers such as Harry their inaugural NY PHIL BIENNIAL CONTACT! of these new works by emerging composers, audience for the music of our time has inspired Smith, Jack Smith, Kenneth Anger, Stan concert series. His hour-long cycle for saxo- in venues ranging from alternate spaces to The Listening Room, a new educational initia- Brakhage, Richard Foreman, and Jean-Luc phone and ensemble, On Night, composed for concert halls around the world. The ensemble tive for public schools without in-house arts Godard, as well as avant-garde theater, art, saxophonist Eliot Gattegno, was released this received the American Music Center’s curricula. Using team-based composition and and literature. Zorn established the Tzadik summer and features the Argento Ensemble Trailblazer Award in 2010 for its contributions graphic notation, ICE musicians lead students label in 1995; opened The Stone, a performance and Fulmer conducting on the Tzadik label. to the field, and received the ASCAP/Chamber in the creation of new musical works, nurturing space, in 2005; and has published and edited Music America Award for Adventurous collaborative creative skills and building five volumes of musicians’ writings under the This season, Fulmer received the Charles Programming in 2005 and in 2010. ICE is an appreciation for musical experimentation. title Arcana. He has been awarded the William Ives Fellowship from the American Academy Ensemble-in-Residence at the Museum of Read more at www.iceorg.org. Schuman Award for composition from Columbia of Arts and Letters and the Carlos Surinach Contemporary Art Chicago through 2013. University, the Cultural Achievement Award Commissioning Award from BMI. In 2010, he The ICE musicians also serve as Artists-in- from the Foundation for Jewish Culture, and was the first American ever to receive the Residence at the Mostly Mozart Festival of is a MacArthur Fellow. Grand Prize at the International Edvard Grieg through 2013, curating and per- Competition for Composers. Other honors forming chamber music programs that International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE) David Fulmer include the ASCAP Morton Gould Young juxtapose new and old music. has garnered numerous international Composer Award, a special citation from the Staff accolades as a composer, violinist, and Minister of Education of Brazil for Fulmer’s ICE has released acclaimed albums on labels Claire Chase, Artistic Director/CEO conductor. The success of his award-winning series of lectures on music, and the George such as Nonesuch, Kairos, Bridge, Naxos, Joshua Rubin, Program Director Violin Concerto at Lincoln Center in 2010 Whitefield Chadwick Gold Medal from the New Tzadik, New Focus, and New Amsterdam, with Kit Baker, Grants Manager resulted in engagements of his work with England Conservatory (2004). several forthcoming releases on Mode Records. Jonathan Harris, Business Manager major orchestras and at festivals in the United Recent and upcoming highlights include head- Ross Karre, Production Director Kingdom, Europe, North America, and Fulmer appears regularly and records often with line performances at the Lincoln Center Festival Jacob Greenberg, Education Director Australia. Fulmer made his European debut Argento New Music Project, Speculum Musicae, (New York), Musica Nova Helsinki (Finland), Rebekah Heller, Development Associate performing and recording his concerto with the Group for Contemporary Music, and the Wien Modern (Austria), Acht Brücken Music Forrest Wu, Assistant to the Artistic Director/CEO the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra under New York New Music Ensemble, among others, for Cologne (Germany), and La Cité de la Maciej Lewandowski, Program Assistant the direction of Matthias Pintscher in 2011. and with the Second Instrumental Unit, which Musique (Paris), and tours of Japan, Brazil, and Julia Shim, Production Coordinator That same year, Fulmer made his debut at he cofounded and directs. France. ICE has worked closely with conductors Thank You MCA STAGE

Lead support for the 2013–14 Friends of MCA Stage $500–999 at the Edlis season of MCA Stage is Neeson Theater provided by Elizabeth A. $10,000–24,999 Julie and Shane Campbell Liebman. Additional generous Terri and Stephen Geifman support is provided by Graff, Ginger Farley and Bob Shapiro Marcia Lazar David Herro and Jay Franke, Nancy Lauter McDougal and Cynthia Raskin Caryn and King Harris, Lisa Yun Lee Ms. Patricia F. Sternberg Lois and Steve Eisen and Alfred L. McDougal Jim Stone Chicago Dancemakers Forum The Eisen Family Foundation, Anonymous and Mary Ittelson. MCA $5,000–9,999 Break Out! Chicago is a proud member $499 and under of Museums in the Park and Ellen Stone Belic receives major support from Patricia Cox Richard Poston Nov 16 the Chicago Park District. Pamela Crutchfield Maya Polsky Celebrating ten years of supporting new explorations by Chicago Dancemakers, this exuberant event $1,000–4,999 features performances throughout the museum all day.

Amphion Foundation, Inc. Janet Alberti Buy tickets online at and Fred Schneider mcachicago.org Foundation Season Sponsor Leigh and Henry Bienen Shawn M. Donnelley and Christopher M. Kelly Sarai Hoffman Official Airline of MCA Chicago and Stephen Pratt Maecenas Susan Manning and Doug Doetsch Herbert R. and Paula Molner Sharon Oberlander Elizabeth Price and Lou Yecies The MCA is a proud partner Carol Prins and John Hart of the National Performance Cheryl and John Seder Network. As of October 2013

Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago Courtesy Guidelines and Information

As one of the nation’s largest multidisciplinary museums devoted to Parking the art of our time, the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago offers Validate your ticket at the coat exhibitions of the most thought-provoking art of today. The museum’s check for $11 parking in the MCA garage (220 East Chicago Avenue) performing arts program, MCA Stage, is the most active presenter of and Bernardin garage (747 North theater, dance, and music in Chicago, featuring leading performers Wabash Avenue). The $11 parking from around the globe in the 300-seat Edlis Neeson Theater. is limited to six hours on the date of the performance.

MCA Stage is committed to presenting groundbreaking performances Lost and found that focus on collaboration; working closely with artists; converging To inquire about a lost item, call the museum at 312.280.2660. with the larger programming of the museum; and offering a contem- Unclaimed articles are held for porary view of the traditional roots of performance. 30 days.

King Harris, Performance Programs Seating Chair of the Peter Taub, Director Please switch off all Board of Trustees Yolanda Cesta Cursach, noise-making devices while Madeleine Grynsztein, Associate Director you are in the theater. Pritzker Director Richard Norwood, Theater Janet Alberti, Production Manager Patrons are seated at the Deputy Director Cameron Heinze, Manager management’s discretion. Food and Michael Darling, Kevin Brown, House open beverage containers are not James W. Alsdorf Management Associate allowed in the seating area. Chief Curator Phill Cabeen, House Management Associate Reproduction Performance Committee Tiffany Goodman, House Unauthorized recording and Lois Eisen, Chair Management Associate reproduction of a performance Ellen Stone Belic Quinlan Kirchner, House is prohibited. Patricia Cox Management Associate Pamela Crutchfield Jamie Mermelstein, Intern Museum of Contemporary Art Ginger Farley Diandra Miller, Intern Chicago Jay Franke Duncan Reilly, intern 220 East Chicago Avenue John C. Kern Chicago, IL 60611 Lisa Yun Lee Facilities mcachicago.org Elizabeth A. Liebman Dennis O’Shea, Manager of Alfred L. McDougal Technical Production General information 312.280.2660 Paula Molner Sharon Oberlander Box Office Box office 312.397.4010 Maya Polsky Matti Allison, Manager D. Elizabeth Price Phongtorn Phongluantum, Volunteer for performances Carol Prins Assistant Manager 312.397.4072 Cheryl Seder Molly Laemle, Coordinator [email protected] Patty Sternberg Amanda Abernathy, Associate Richard Tomlinson Molly Mullen, Associate Museum hours Ethan Schleeter, Associate Tuesday: 10 am–8 pm Wednesday–Sunday: 10 am–5 pm Program notes compiled by Closed Mondays, Thanksgiving, Yolanda Cesta Cursach Christmas, and New Year’s Day