Musical Program
Katherine Balch
Spirals (2020, premiere)
Two Duets, paired with artwork by Katie Gorson
For Violin and Cello
For Two Violins
Trio for Two Violins and Cello, paired with artwork by Adebukola Ajao*
Robyn Bollinger and Jesse Irons, violins
Rafael Popper-Keizer, cello
*Artwork on display and artist present on site
Program Note: Spirals is the first set of pieces I composed after getting married to my best friend, Ted Moore. For the first three years of our relationship, we were long distance, and would often pass time on Skype reading aloud Italo Calvino’s Cosmicomics, a sort of folk-story rendering of phenomena in physics and evolutionary biology. One of our favorite sets of stories is about a mollusk who’s love for another mollusk —whom he can only sense through chemicals and vibrations in the water— catalyzes his secretion of calcareous matter into the shape of a spiraling shell (how romantic!). For me, this story is about love as the impetus for creative expression, as well as its insistence across time and space. The first of my three miniatures is a musical imagining of vibrations exchanged in the ocean depths. The second and third are musical spirals, each with their own microcosmic turn after turn.
-Katherine Balch
Katie Gorson
Artwork paired with Balch: Spirals, Two Duets
Katie Gorson is a digital media artist who combines sculpture, installation and electronics to create immersive experiences which engage all of the senses and pushes the audience to question their reality, their relationships and their roles in society.
“Katie’s work is unexpected as she combines light and the unconventional images of hands disconnected from the body, acting as clouds over other source images. Her pictures seem tactile as they take up space. Paradoxically, the images defy gravity and provoke deep thought. Spirals opens with exponential sounds communicated through an uncommon approach, seizing your attention. Gorson’s and Balch’s work both shock our senses, challenging us to see and hear in new ways. The music extends a hand to us in this new consciousness, inviting us to dance. ”
Adebukola Ajao
Artwork paired with Balch: Spirals, Trio for Two Violins and Cello
Adebukola Ajao is a freelance writer-turned-digital media entrepreneur who is passionate about storytelling and driving awareness through powerful marketing campaigns. With over 5 years of brand marketing experience, she's enthused to equip small businesses with tools to compete in the market. When she isn’t media consulting, you’ll find her educating and mentoring young people, preparing them for their digital first futures.
“Adebukola’s work evokes a feeling of underlying joy, bright and blooming. But if you look deeper, the typography reminds us of the loss and isolation of those no longer here, while serving as reminders to carry forth those names of the men and women who lost their lives remembering Black Lives Matter. The pairing of Spirals with Adebukola’s work serves as a reminder to be human, finding connections that you can’t always see but can feel.”
