Composer Terry Riley And LCD Soundsystem's Gavin Rayna Russom Present World Premiere At National Sawdust

By: Aug. 13, 2018
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Composer Terry Riley And LCD Soundsystem's Gavin Rayna Russom Present World Premiere At National Sawdust

Terry Riley, the father of minimalism and "guru of American music" (The New York Times), will share the stage with guitarist and "one-man American-music machine" (The New Yorker) Gyan Riley and LCD Soundsystem's analogue "synth wizard" (NPR) Gavin Rayna Russom for a one-of-a-kind collaboration at National Sawdust - the music incubator and venue in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The trio's performance on September 15, 2018 emphasizes National Sawdust's commitment to creating a fertile artistic environment for revered artists to foster the next generation's emerging talents while opening their diverse, wide-ranging fourth season. The Opening Weekend lineup also includes a celebration of Riley's work directed by composer-conductor and National Sawdust Artist-in-Residence Julian Wachner and featuring The Choir of Trinity Wall Street and NOVUS NY, and Devon Welsh kicking off the series of concerts curated by the Brooklyn-based AdHoc.

Headlining Season Four's Opening Weekend is a rare collaboration between Founding Artistic Advisory Board member of National Sawdust and "pioneering American composer" (The New York Times) Terry Riley, guitarist Gyan Riley, and LCD Soundsystem's synth wizard Gavin Rayna Russom. Russom opens the show, and she has long been lauded as a revolutionary builder of analog synthesizers, LCD Soundsystem's secret weapon, and also as an influential composer. Terry Riley's celebrated composition style has influenced artists from John Cale to Damon Albarn, and his early experimentation with tape looping revolutionized the new music scene. Widely recognized as a virtuoso on the guitar and in minimalist composition, Gyan Riley has been commissioned by the Kronos Quartet, New Music USA, the Carnegie Hall Corporation, the American Composers Forum, and the New York Guitar Festival. Gyan Riley has also performed with the likes of Zakir Hussain, Lou Reed, John Zorn, and more. Together, the Rileys will bring their critically lauded duo-performance to National Sawdust's stage. Then, to close the show, the trio will present a once-in-a-lifetime electro-acoustic improvisation where minimalism will meet punk rock synth for an otherworldly musical event that ranges in styles from commercial pop to classical Indian Kirana gharana. This dynamic musical conversation and figurative passing of the baton will inform Gavin Rayna Russom's time as an Artist-In-Residence for the 2018-19 season.

Opening Weekend will also feature a concert honoring Terry Riley, lead by National Sawdust Artist-In-Residence Julian Wachner directing Trinity Wall Street's renowned ensembles NOVUS NY and The Choir of Trinity Wall Street. The concert will celebrate Riley as composer, featuring Madrigal (2015), Archangels (2003), and Remember This, O Mind (1997). The concert will also feature a performance of The Strange Highway (La Extrana Carretra) by composer Gity Razaz.

Wachner, hailed by The New York Times as a "viscerally dramatic" conductor. This concert will be recorded live for an upcoming release from National Sawdust Tracks, the non-profit, in-house record label and recording studio of National Sawdust.

Opening Weekend concludes with the debut of AdHoc as a National Sawdust Curator. AdHoc is an artist-created Brooklyn-based music publication and events company. On September 17th, AdHoc presents Devon Welsh (of Majical Cloudz). Welsh returns to National Sawdust with his new solo project, stepping beyond the style of his previous work and exploring deep, transcendent themes that cut to the heart of what it means to be alive.



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