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    Copyright © 2018 The Curiosity Cabinet, Inc.

    2015 Calendar

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    The Strange Library

    Tuesday, December 15th 2015—7:30 pm

    The Strange Library is a musical setting by Whitney George of the recent novella by Haruki Murakami. Designed and illustrated by famed book jacket designer (and frequent Murakami collaborator) Chip Kidd, the novella is packaged like a graphic novel, whose moody and mysterious depictions of a child’s darkest dream match Murakami’s surreal imagination.

     

    The plot is equally eerie: a little boy enters a quiet library -- “even more hushed than usual,” we’re told in the opening line -- and is sent to Room 107, where he meets a creepy old librarian who leads him deep into a maze of dark catacombs beneath the library. There, we learn of the librarian’s ghoulish designs and the boy encounters a small man wearing the skin of a sheep and a pretty young girl pushing a teacart, their worlds now “all jumbled together.” Not even fresh-made doughnuts can sweeten the boy’s nightmarish predicament as the librarian’s prisoner.

     

    This evening's concert will consist of a complete reading of The Strange Library with projections of Kidd's colorful and disorienting illustrations, accomanied by live music composed by Whitney George and performed by The Curiosity Cabinet.

     

    [ The Curiosity Cabinet: Alice Jones, flute; Adam von Housen, Violin; Hugh Ash, Trumpet; 

    Joe Tucker, Percussion; Whitney George, conductor; Jonas Barranca, Narrator ]

     

    The Center for Fiction

    17 E. 47th Street

    New York, New York

     

    $15 General | $12 Members & Students

    PURCHASE TICKETS HERE

     

    Footnote

    Wednesday, December 9th 2015—8:00 pm

    Howl —Allen Ginsberg, accompaniment by Whitney E. George, read by Jerome Kitzke

    Clarinet Trio Op. 114, Allegro—Johannes Brahms

    I am Right. You are Wrong—Marc Thorman, on a text by William S. Burroughs, read by Allen Ginsberg

    Clarinet Trio Op. 114, Adagio—Johannes Brahms

    Kerouac Poems —Marc Thorman 

    1. from “Old Angel Midnight”

    2. Poem

    3. Long Dead’s Longevity

    4. Sitting under Tree Number 2

    5. Poem

    6. Poem

    7. Poem

    8. Poem

    9. More from “Old Angel Midnight”

    The Green Automobile — Jerome Kitzke 

    Footnote to Howl —Allen Ginsberg, accompaniment by Whitney E. George, read by Jerome Kitzke

     

    Jerome Kitzke, Narrator & Piano

    with The Curiosity Cabinet: Carl Bolleia, Piano; Aleksandr Karjaka, Clarinets; 

    David Whitwell, Trombone; Joe Tucker, Percussion

     

    Spectrum 

    121 Ludlow St #2

    New York, NY 10002

     

    [ private event | by invitation only ]

    Silent Night

    Monday, December 7th 2015—7:30 pm

    An evening of silent films from the 1960s-1970s by experimental artist Frans Zwartjes rescored by composer Whitney George, and performed by The Curiosity Cabinet. The progam includes:

     

    Spare Bedroom

    for Horn in F & Fixed Media

    Spectator

    for Flute/Alto Flute, Bass Clarinet, Horn, Trombone, Violin, and Double Bass

    Visual Training

    for Flute/Piccolo, Clarinet, Horn in F, Trombone, Violin, 'Cello, Piano, Percussion 

    Birds

    for Flute, Percussion, & Fixed Media

    Anamnesis

    for Violin, Bass Clarinet, & Fixed Media

    Seats Two

    for Piano & Electronics

     

    [ The Curiosity Cabinet: Alice Jones, flute; Aleks Karjaka, clarinet; Melissa Danas, horn in F; Malec Heermans, trombone; Maya Bennardo, violin; Jillian Bloom, 'cello; Evan Runyon, double bass; Kristin Samadi, piano; Markus Kaitila, piano;  Joe Tucker, percussion; Whitney George, conductor ]

     

    Elebash Recital Hall

    The Graduate Center, CUNY

    365 Fifth Avenue

    New York, NY 10016

     

    [ admission is free ]

    The Sphere of Influence: (a)Lone

    Sunday, November 22nd—7:00 pm

    Sun Propeller — Nina C. Young

    for solo violin & electronics

    For the Love of a Wolf— Nicholas R. Nelson

    for solo flute and electronics

    Birds — Whitney George

    for solo flute, solo percussion and electronics + video

    Anamnesis — Whitney George

    for solo bass clarinet, solo violin, and electronics + video

    excision no. 1 — Tina Tallon

    for solo percussion and electronics

    Cherry Blossom and a Wrapped Thing After Hokusai — Judith Shatin

    for solo clarinet and electronics 

     

    [ The Curiostiy Cabinet: Alice Jones, flute; Aleks Karjaka, clarinet;

    Maya Bennardo, violin; Joe Tucker, percussion ]

     

    Stony Brook Recital Hall

    Stony Brook University

    New York

     

    Admission is FREE

    The Sphere of Influence: (a)Lone

    Thursday, November 19th—7:30 pm

    Sun Propeller — Nina C. Young

    for solo violin & electronics

    For the Love of a Wolf— Nicholas R. Nelson

    for solo flute and electronics

    Birds — Whitney George

    for solo flute, solo percussion and electronics + video

    Anamnesis — Whitney George

    for solo bass clarinet, solo violin, and electronics + video

    excision no. 1 — Tina Tallon

    for solo percussion and electronics

    Cherry Blossom and a Wrapped Thing After Hokusai — Judith Shatin

    for solo clarinet and electronics 

    Concordance — Anton Rovner

    for stereo playback

     

    [ The Curiostiy Cabinet: Alice Jones, flute; Aleks Karjaka, clarinet;

    Maya Bennardo, violin; Joe Tucker, percussion ]

     

    Gallery MC

    529 West 52nd Street

    New York, New York

     

    Tickets: $15 general admission | $7 for students

     

    ::doors open at 7:15, show stars at 7:30::

    Day of the Dead

    Friday, October 30th 2015—7:30 pm

    Join The Curiosity Cabinet for an evening of macabre works for chamber ensemble, incorporating theater and choreography 

     

    Seven Sins for String Trio — Whitney George

    violin, viola, 'cello with original choreography by Kimani Fowlin 

    Quoth the Raven — Whitney George

    clarinet, violin, viola, 'cello, percussion, and narrator

    The Masochist's Tango— Whitney George

    solo violin

     

    [ The Curiosity Cabinet: Aleks Karjaka, clarinet; Charlotte Munn-Wood, violin;

    Dan McCarthy, viola; Pat Muchmore, 'cello; Joe Tucker, percussion; Whitney George, conductor ]

     

    Grace Church

    39 Erie Street

    Jersey City NJ

     

    [Tickets Available at the Door] 

    GC Composers Alliance Concert

    Tuesday, October 27th—7:30 pm

    The GC Composers' Alliance presents a concert of new music by Graduate Center composers:


    Nathan Pell
    Hyun-Kyung Lee
    Vicente Alexim
    Gregory Joseph Menillo
    Jacob Sachs-Mishalanie

    & Whitney George's Chasing Light

    Performers: Maria Hadge, Thea Mesirow, Vicente Alexim, Alex Yu, Thomas Weaver, Carl Patrick Bolleia, and The Curiosity Cabinet.

     

    [ The Curiosity Cabinet: Alice Jones, flute; Aleks Karjaka, clarinet; Maya Bennardo, violin; Eric Cooper, 'cello; Paul Kerekes, piano; Joe Tucker, percussion; Whitney George, conductor ]

     

    Elebash Recital Hall

    CUNY Graduate Center

    New York, New York

     

    [ admission is free ]

    The Devil's Night

    Sunday, October 25th 2015—8:00 pm

    Join The Curiosity Cabinet for an evening of macabre works for chamber ensemble, incorporating theater, art, puppetry, and silent film. 

     

    The Tell Tale Heart — Whitney George

    flute, oboe/eng. hn., clarinet, two violins, viola, 'cello, double bass, mallet & aux. percussion & piano

    Funeral Symphony — Nick Omiccioli

    string quartet & projection

    2ⁿ-ion 3 or 2^n-ion 3— Pat Muchmore

    english horn, violin I, violin II, viola, 'cello, double bass

    Madrigals (Book 1) — George Crumb

    soprano, double bass, and mallet percussion

    The Night Mare — Christopher Cerrone

    flute/alto flute, bass clarinet, violin, 'cello, piano, percussion & fixed electronics

    Quoth the Raven — Whitney George

    clarinet, violin, 'cello, double bass, percussion, narrator, and puppeteer

     

    [ The Curiosity Cabinet: Lindsey Eckenroth, flute; Kristin Leitterman, oboe/english horn; Daniel Padmos, clarinet; Adam von Housen & Charlotte Munn-Wood, violin; Pedro Vizzarro-Vallejos, viola; Pat Muchmore, 'cello; Emilio Guarino, double bass; Joe Tucker, mallet percussion; Michael Lupo, auxiliary percussion; Whitney George, conductor ]

     

    South Oxford Space

    138 S. Oxford Street

    Brooklyn, New York

     

    Tickets: $15 general admission

    The Sphere of Influence: Chasing Light

    Wednesday, October 21st 2015—7:30 pm

    Poems of a Bright Moon — Maria Grenfell

    for flute, clarinet, & piano

    Between the Dark and Daylight — Adrienne Albert

    for flute, violin, viola, 'cello, piano

    ​Walls of Light — Eric Nathan

    for flute, clarinet, violin, 'cello, piano, & percussion

    Watching the Dark Slowly Unfold from Night, like Velvet: in Twelve Letters — Whitney George

    for clarinet, violin, viola, 'cello, piano, & percussion

    Chasing Light — Whitney George

    for flute, clarinet, violin, viola, 'cello, piano, & percussion 

     

    [ The Curiosity Cabinet: Alice Jones, flute; Aleks Karjaka, clarinet;

    Maya Bennardo, violin; Dan McCarthy, viola; Eric Cooper, 'cello;

    Paul Kerekes, piano; Joe Tucker, percussion; Whitney George, conductor ]

     

    Elebash Recital Hall

    The Graduate Center, CUNY

    365 Fifth Avenue

    New York, NY 10016

     

    [ admission is free ]

    The Curious Tale of Ed Leedskalnin

    Thursday, September 17th & Friday, September 18th 2015—8:00 pm

    Meet Ed Leedskalnin: a small unassuming Latvian immigrant who is responsible for singlehandedly constructing the monument Coral Castle in Florida. This was an impossible feat for one man to create, but he claimed that he had discovered the secret of the Egyptians and constructed this monolithic coral city using nothing but a small mysterious box set on a tripod that he claimed could reverse the magnetic forces on Earth and levitate these huge structures. To this day no one can explain how these coral formations could have been moved from the sea miles away to the location where he built this and he did it for a woman he loved who never came to see his creation. Ed's story is retold through live music by Whitney George, performed by The Curiosity Cabinet and staged drama with puppets created by Daniel Fay. 

     

    [ The Curiosity Cabinet: Alice Jones, flute; Mara Mayer, bass clarinet;

    Adam von Housen, violin; Joe Tucker, percussion; Whitney George, conductor ]

     

    The Standard Toykraft

    722 Metropolitan Avenue

    Brooklyn, New York

     

    THURSDAY Tickets: $12.50 in advance/students | $15 at the door

    FRIDAY Tickets: $12.50 in advance/students | $15 at the door

    The Curious Tale of Ed Leedskalnin

    Saturday, May 23rd 2015—8:00 pm

    Meet Ed Leedskalnin: a small unassuming Latvian immigrant who is responsible for singlehandedly constructing the monument Coral Castle in Florida. This was an impossible feat for one man to create, but he claimed that he had discovered the secret of the Egyptians and constructed this monolithic coral city using nothing but a small mysterious box set on a tripod that he claimed could reverse the magnetic forces on Earth and levitate these huge structures. To this day no one can explain how these coral formations could have been moved from the sea miles away to the location where he built this and he did it for a woman he loved who never came to see his creation. Ed's story is retold through live music by Whitney George, performed by The Curiosity Cabinet and staged drama with puppets created by Daniel Fay. 

     

    [ The Curiosity Cabinet: Alice Jones, flute; Mara Mayer, bass clarinet;

    Adam von Housen, violin; Joe Tucker, percussion; Whitney George, conductor ]

     

    The Standard Toykraft

    722 Metropolitan Avenue

    Brooklyn, New York

     

    Tickets: $10 in advance/students | $15 at the door

    In Between the Lines: Correspondence Concert Series No. 3

    Friday, May 22nd 2015—7:30 pm

    In Green Water from Night, like velvet: in twelve letters — Whitney George

    for flute, clarinet, violin, 'cello, piano, & percussion

    As the Crow Flies from Night, like velvet: in twelve letters — Whitney George

    for flute, clarinet, violin, 'cello, piano, percussion, & soprano

    Still & Brimming—Mirror  from Night, like velvet: in twelve letters — Whitney George

    for flute, clarinet, violin, 'cello & percussion

    Thursday — Robert Paterson

    for soprano & piano

    4midable4 — Girolamo Deraco

    for flexible ensemble

    The End of Greatness — Greg Pfeiffer

    for solo bass clarinet

    Love Letter Written in a Burning Building — Steve Landis

    for flute, clarinet, violin, 'cello, piano, percussion, & soprano

    五十 — Pat Muchmore

    for flute, clarinet, violin, 'cello, piano, & percussion

     

    [ The Curiosity Cabinet: Lindsey Eckenroth, flute; Mara Mayer, clarinets;

    Charlotte Munn-Wood, violin; Pat Muchmore, cello; Izzy O'Connell, piano;

    Justine Aronson, soprano; Joe Tucker, percussion; Whitney George, conductor ]

     

    South Oxford Space

    138 S. Oxford Street

    Brooklyn, New York

     

    Tickets: $10 general admission

    Circuit Bridges: Up to Upstate

    Thursday, March 26th 2015—7:30 pm

    Seats Two—Whitney George

    film by Frans Zwartjes (1970)

    for solo piano and fixed media

     

    In the ​film Seats Two (1970​) two women, Zwartjes'​ regular actresses Moniek Toebosch and Trix Zwartjes, are sitting side by side on a couch, looking at a photo of a mountain landscape. The physical attraction between the two is clearly perceptible, but the two conceal their mutual craving. Sexuality is suggested through the odd cuts and splices of the film's editing and the tactile quality of the images. All is suggested, but nothing happens. Fascinated by the highly rhythmic nature of the films, and the obscured narratives, ​Seats Two is George's 5th re-scoring of a silent film by Frans Zwartjes. Her other compositions include scores to Spare Bedroom, Spectator, Sorbet III, and A Fan which have been performed both by Ensemble Mise-en and The Curiosity Cabinet. 

     

    [ The Curiosity Cabinet: Melinda Faylor, piano ]

     

    Gallery MC

    529 West 52nd Street

    New York, New York

     

    Tickets: $10

    Return to Sender: Correspondence Concert Series No. 1

    Saturday, March 21st 2015—8:00 pm

    There’s an Awful Lot of Beeps on Your Machine — Chris Danforth

    for solo percussion & tape

    Radio Music — John Cage

    The Curiosity Cabinet on radios

    A Compass as My Planchette from Night, like velvet: in twelve letters — Whitney George

    for flute, trombone, violin,  viola,  ‘cello, piano, percussion, conductor

    The Viola in My Life (I) — Morton Feldman

    for flute, violin, viola, ‘cello, piano, percussion, conductor

    4midable4 — Girolamo Deraco

    for flute, trombone,  violin, viola, ‘cello, piano, & two percussion

    Burning a Name with Black Edges from Night, like velvet: in twelve letters — Whitney George

    for violin, ‘cello,  piano, & conductor

    Rope at the Throat from Night, like velvet: in twelve letters — Whitney George

    for flute, violin, ‘cello, percussion, & conductor

     

    [ The Curiosity Cabinet: Alice Jones, flute; David Whitwell, trombone; Charlotte Munn-Wood, violin; 

    Pedro Vizzarro-Vallejos, viola; Pat Muchmore, 'cello; Melinda Faylor, piano; Joe Tucker, percussion;

    Whitney George, conductor ]

     

    Scholes Street Studio

    46 Scholes Street

    Brooklyn, New York

     

    Tickets: $10

    Fragile: Handle With Care: Correspondence Concert Series No. 1

    Thursday, March 11st 2015—7:30 pm

    Threnody I & II (for Igor Stravinsky and Beatrice Cunningham)—Aaron Copland

    for flute, violin, viola, & 'cello

    For Frank O’Hara—Morton Feldman

    for flute, clarinet, two peruccussionists, piano, piano, violin & 'cello

    Music for Marcel Duchamp—John Cage

    for solo piano

    Her Secret Drawer from Night, like velvet: in Twelve Letters—Whitney George

    for clarinet, trombone, violin, viola, 'cello, double bass, piano & peruccussion

    The Flickering of a Four Cornered Eye from Night, like velvet: in Twelve Letters —Whitney George

    for flute, clarinet, violin, viola, 'cello, double bass, percussion, piano, & soprano 

    A Compass as My Planchette from Night, like velvet: in Twelve Letters —Whitney George

    for flute, clarinet, trombone, violin, viola, 'cello, double bass, percussion, piano, & soprano

     

    [ The Curiosity Cabinet: Alice Jones, flute; Daniel Padmos, clarinet; 

    Charlotte Munn-Wood, violin; Pedro Vizzarro-Vallejos, viola; Meaghan Burke, 'cello; 

    Tristian Kasten-Krausse, double bass; Melinda Faylor, piano; 

    Joe Tucker, percussion; Ellery Trafford, percussion; Justine Aronson, soprano;

    Whitney George, conductor ]

     

    Elebash Recital Hall

    The Graduate Center, CUNY

    365 Fifth Avenue

    New York, NY 10016

     

    [ admission is free ]

    Iktus Percussion Presents: The Curiosity Cabinet & The Feldman Players

    Friday, February 7th 2015—8:00 pm

    Burning a Name with Black Edges from Night, like velvet: in twelve letters — Whitney George

    for violin, 'cello, & piano

    Rope at the Throat from Night, like velvet: in twelve letters — Whitney George

    for flute, violin, 'cello, & percussion

    A Compass as My Planchette from Night, like velvet: in twelve letters — Whitney George

    for violin & vibraphone

     

    [ The Curiosity Cabinet: Martha Cargo, flute; Charlotte Munn-Wood, violin;

    Pat Muchmore, 'cello, Melinda Faylor, piano; Joe Tucker, percussion ]

     

    The Firehouse Space

    246 Frost Street

    Brooklny, NY

     

    Tickets: $10 at the door

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