Internationally Acclaimed Clarinetist Joshua Rubin on “Waves in Bloom” at Sierra Madre Playhouse

Joshua Rubin, a master of both modern and historical clarinets, collaborates with several of his esteemed musical colleagues on “Waves in Bloom,” a concert exploring the fascinating intersection between classical composition and electronic innovation that traces the emergence of new sonic possibilities, on Saturday, April 19, 2025, 7:30 pm, at Sierra Madre Playhouse. Known for his expressive and innovative performances merging historical and contemporary music, Rubin is the former artistic director of the lauded International Contemporary Ensemble.

Joining Rubin are Marta Tiesenga, saxophone; Cory Smythe, piano; and Leila Adu, keyboards.

The program includes Dai Fujikura’s Spirit of Being; Echoes by Olly Wilson; Let me die before I wake by Salvatore Sciarrino; and Leila Adu’s Inertia. A new work will also be premiered.

Rubin can be heard on recordings from the Nonesuch, Kairos, New Focus, Mode, Cedille, Naxos, Bridge, New Amsterdam, and Tzadik labels. His album There Never is No Light, available on the Tundra label, highlights music that uses technology to capture the human engagement of the performer and the listener. He has appeared as a soloist on modern and historical clarinets with The Seattle Symphony, Nagoya Philharmonic, Ojai Music Festival, Mostly Mozart Festival, Oregon Bach Festival, and with ensembles around the world including Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, and Tesserae Baroque.

Smythe has worked closely with pioneering artists in new, improvisatory, and classical music, including saxophonist-composer Ingrid Laubrock, violinist Hilary Hahn, and multidisciplinary composers from Anthony Braxton to Zosha Di Castri. His own music “dissolves the lines between composition and improvisation with rigor” (Chicago Reader), and his first record was praised by Jason Moran as “hands down one of the best solo recordings I’ve ever heard.”

Tiesenga is a multimedia artist, composer, improvisor, and multi-instrumentalist based in Los Angeles. Tiesenga’s interdisciplinary practice explores means of creating environments and communication. Tiesenga’s creative collaborations include work with the LA Phil, Civic Orchestra of Chicago, Wild Up, Long Beach Opera, Heidi Duckler Dance, Brightwork New Music, Kunsthalle for Music, SPEAK Percussion, Dog Star Orchestra, and Ensemble Supermusique.

Adu is a powerful force in the space where relevant electro rock, contemporary-classical and singer-songwriter meet… in the future. While her music explores her own roots (she is from New Zealand, Britain, and Ghana), Adu is also inspired by her surroundings, so Bali, France, Italy, and New York (where she currently lives) manifest in her music as well. Hailed for her “velvety, soulful voice” (WNYC), Adu has been compared to Nina Simone and Joanna Newsome.