John Cage Centennial

CMW, in conjunction with the experimental music series Ctrl+Alt+Repeat, will present a concert in commemoration of the John Cage Centennial on Friday, March 23. The evening will feature some of Cage's works for strings, voice (sung and spoken), percussion, and electronics, realized by local musicians, the CMW Players, and students in CMW's Media Lab.



The program includes a performance of Vocalise for a Man with a Twelve-Tone Name (1982) by Katherine Bergeron, who gave its premiere in 1983 at Wesleyan University. Also on this program are two of Cage's "number pieces" written in the last six years of Cage's life: Three² (1991) for three percussionists and Four (1988) for string quartet, performed by the CMW players. Also featured is Radio Music (1956), performed by Mark Cetilia, and selections from Cage's Song Books (1970) and Indeterminacy: New Aspects of Form in Instrumental and Electronic Music (1959), performed simultaneously by CMW students and local composer Forrest Larson.


CMW students (with Laura) preparing for March 23

The evening will culminate in a performance of For Cage 99 by Chicago-based composer Nomi Epstein, a piece that invites the audience to contemplate an excerpt from Cage's writing "On Robert Rauschenberg, Artist, and His Work" (from Silence, 1961). Come play a part in an eclectic evening of music and celebrate the 100th birth year of one of the most original thinkers of the 20th century!

Additional details here.

-Laura Cetilia, co-founder of CTRL+ALT+REPEAT and CMW Media Lab teacher

Comments

[Bob Wood]

I knew John quite well during the 60's and 70's when I played for Merce's dance classes. John and Rauschenberg, David Tudor and others came to our campsite hunting mushrooms in our forest. I also played in the Pocket Theatre Piano Relay Team who perform Satie's "Vexations" over a period of 18 hours. John was the most gentle of souls, yet devilishly clever in performance. During the dance, -"Antic Meet" John sat on stage at the side, opening very slowly…a champagne bottle. It was very hard to watch the dance.