Media Alert Tuesday February 28, 2014 Contact: Jessica Wolf 310.825.7789 [email protected]

CAP UCLA’s Tune-In Festival L.A. Celebrates Emerging Contemporary Ensembles March 27-29

Lively concerts from eighth blackbird, Imani Winds, ETHEL and yMusic plus guest composer-performers Simon Shaheen and Kaki King

Center for the Art of Performance at UCLA presents Tune-In Festival L.A., a multi-performance weekend March 27-29 featuring four award-winning ensembles with a vibrant and energetic approach to classical repertoire showcased alongside a commitment to exploratory work with modern composers. Tickets ($20- 55) are now available cap.ucla.edu , Ticketmaster or the UCLA Central Ticket Office (310.825.2101).

Tune-In Festival L.A. is the evolution of the contemporary music festival that CAP UCLA artistic and executive director curated for the 2011-2012 season of New York’s Park Avenue Armory. Tune-In Festival L.A. turns a much-deserved focus on the evolution of the contemporary ensemble and allows Los Angeles audiences a glimpse at ensembles they may not have yet encountered in the local music scene.

“These are four virtuosic, ebullient and award-winning ensembles that are quite literally changing the landscape of contemporary music one note at a time,” Edmunds said. “It’s only a matter of time before they become household names. They all hold a passion for exploring and playing in a new contemporary terrain and are bringing forward the next generation of composers. They are not only impeccable performers; they are also a lot of fun.”

Tune-In Festival L.A. kicks off Thursday March 27 at UCLA’s Schoenberg Hall with North America’s premier wind quintet Imani Winds , in an earthy and eclectic program that features two works by and a performance from Palestinian-American oud and violin virtuoso and composer Simon Shaheen. Imani Winds also presents the West Coast Premiere of New York-based composer Mohammed Fairouz’ “Jebel Lebnan.” Fairouz will join CAP UCLA artistic and executive director Kristy Edmunds for a pre-show discussion of his work as part of opening-night festivities, which will also include free performances from innovative local ensemble Quattro and UCLA student group Tahkt Dirty .

Friday March 28 features concerts at UCLA Schoenberg Hall from a pair of emerging forces contemporary music, ETHEL (at 6 p.m.) and yMusic (at 8 p.m.).

String quartet ETHEL has for the past decade and a half actively, aggressively, joyfully, adapted their epic skill-set to the presentation of rainbow-colored music of every style and description. They perform with virtuoso guitarist Kaki King has, who likewise, won an enthusiastic international following for gutsy, honest, and astonishingly beautiful works and has been called as one of “The New Guitar Gods” by Rolling Stone . ETHEL’s program is anchored by a groundbreaking re-imagining of Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto #6 and also includes works from ETHEL’s repertoire by Phil Kline and John Zorn. Original works by Kaki King and a world premiere composition for ETHEL & Kaki King by Serbian composer Aleksandra Vrebalov round out the program.

New York-based sextet yMusic , hailed by NPR’s Fred Child as “one of the groups that has really helped to shape the future of classical music,” makes its Los Angles debut in a compelling program of Los Angeles premieres of works created specifically for the ensemble by , Marcos Balter, Andrew Norman and more. Equally comfortable in classical and rock, yMusic launched new projects with Dirty Projectors, Gabriel Kahane and Richard Reed Parry of . Past collaborations include work with The National, St. Vincent, My Brightest Diamond, Aaron and , Ra Ra Riot, and of Bon Iver.

Tune-In Festival L.A. ends Saturday March 29 at 8 p.m. with a command performance from multi- Grammy winning “super-ensemble” (L.A. Times) eighth blackbird performing work from The National’s Bryce Dessner, Tristan Perich, Ligeti and Johnson and more. To close the festivities, yMusic and UCLA percussionists will join eighth blackbird for a rousing interpretation of Louis Andriessen’s “Worker’s Union.”The final performance event will also include a pre-show artist talk on the Royce Terrace and informal post-show meet and greet with the performers.

Complete Tune-In Program and Performances:

Imani Winds featuring Simon Shaheen: The Zafir Project Thu, Mar 27 at 8p.m. – UCLA Schoenberg Hall (445 Charles E. Young Drive East) Tickets ($20-$35/$15 UCLA Students)

“Far Away from Quintet No. 2” Miguel Del Aguila “Andaluza” Manuel de Falla arr. Wayne Peterson “The Lotus Pond” Gamal Abdel-Rahim arr. Adam Lesnick “Jebel Lebnan” (WEST COAST PREMIRE) Mohammed Fairouz “Zafir” Simon Shaheen “Dance Mediterranea” Simon Shaheen arr. Jeff Scott

ETHEL featuring Kaki King: … And Other Stories Fri, March 28 at 6p.m. UCLA Schoenberg Hall (445 Charles E. Young Drive East) Tickets ($20-$35/$15 UCLA Students)

“Brandenburg Concerto” (No. 6 - movement 1) J.S. Bach “Seong Nyun Sa” Kip Jones “Walking the Cat” Ralph Farris “Trying to Speak” (Parts 1 & 2) Kaki King “Great Round Burn” Kaki King “The Fire Eater” Kaki King Selections from "The Blue Room and Other Stories" Phil Kline Selections from “Logbook” Aleksandra Vrebalov “Cat O' Nine Tails” (Tex Avery Directs The Marquis De Sade) John Zorn

An evening with yMusic L.A. DEBUT Fri, Mar 28 at 8 p.m. - Schoenberg Hall (445 Charles E. Young Drive East) Tickets PROGRAM: (ALL L.A. premieres) “Music In Circles” Andrew Norman “Safe Travels” Timothy Andres “Everness” Mark Dancigers “Balance Problems” Nico Muhly “Bladed Stance” Marcos Balter “The Bear and the Squirrel” Jeremy Turner Selections from the albums “Beautiful Mechanical” and “Year of the Dragon” eighth blackbird and friends: Still In Motion Sat, Mar 29 at 8 p.m. - Royce Hall (340 Royce Drive) $30 - $55 ($15 UCLA Students) PROGRAM: “Qsqsqsqsqqqqqqqqq” Tristan Perich “Murder Ballades” Bryce Dessner “Duo for Heart and Breath” Richard Reed Parry “Etudes/Counting Duets” Ligeti/Johnson “Selections from Enjoy your Rabbit” Sufjian Stevens/arr. Moose (featuring yMusic) “Worker's Union” Louis Andriessen (featuring yMusic and UCLA percussionists)

TICKET INFORMATION General tickets are available at cap.ucla.edu, all Ticketmaster outlets, by phone at 310.825.2101 or in person at the UCLA Central Ticket Office located in the southwest corner of the James West Alumni Center. Student rush tickets, subject to availability, are offered at $15 one hour before show time to all students with valid ID.

PRESS REVIEW TICKETS/PHOTO PASSES/INTERVIEW REQUESTS Contact Jessica Wolf at [email protected]/

IMAGES Available for download at cap.ucla.edu/press-images . Register for access.

ABOUT CAP UCLA Center for the Art of Performance at UCLA (CAP UCLA) is dedicated to the advancement of contemporary performing arts in all disciplines — dance, music, spoken word and theater, as well the emerging digital, collaborative and cross-art platforms inspired by today's leading artists and creators. CAP supports the creation, presentation and critical dialogues vital to the ongoing innovation and expressive potential of artists whose work, whether vibrantly emerging or internationally acclaimed, forms the dynamic and evolving heritage of contemporary performance. Based in UCLA's iconic Royce Hall, CAP UCLA is the university's public center for the presentation of the performing arts and contributes to the cultural life of the campus and greater Los Angeles, promoting civic dialogue and creative inquiry. Through an annual season of performing arts programs and extensive community- engagement events — including artist fellows and residency programs, K–12 arts education (Design for Sharing), student mentorship (Student Committee for the Arts), and art-making and experiential activities (Art in Action) — CAP UCLA advances the importance of art in society by celebrating and deepening the connection between artist and audience.

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