West End Micro Music Festival

The upcoming 2022 minMAX series will present ten diverse artists and four varied programmes that explores the dynamic contrast between minimalism and maximalism. WEMMF presents Nahre Sol as the 2022 composer in residence, presenting new works, as well as performing selections from her internationally recognized opus.

All concerts begin at 7:30 and are approximately 75 minutes in length, with an included 15 minute intermission. Performances are: Nov 18, Nov 25, Nov 26, Dec 2.

November 18: INTERRUPTION

INTERRUPTION examines minimalism and maximalism in scale and density, using the minimal forms of composers Nahre Sol, Nico Muhly, and Gyorgy Kurtag to disrupt and bisect the monumental Romantic structures of Johannes Brahms’ Quintet op. 115.

Nico Muhly – Long Drones, from Four Studies

Johannes Brahms – Quintet op. 115, for clarinet and string quartet

Gyorgy Kurtag – Selected Miniatures

Nahre Sol – New Work, for clarinet and strings

November 25: ONE + 2

ONE + 2 throws a spotlight on the creative brilliance of Nahre Sol, WEMFF’s inaugural Composer-in-Residence. Sol effortlessly pulls new ideas from their instruments as they jump between electric and acoustic keyboards, and composed and improvised music. Riffing on the quintessential jazz trio, Sol is joined by Bassist Ben Finley and Korean Traditional Percussionist John Lee, as they meld chamber music and improvisation in a genre-blending performance.

November 26: ALTROCK

Electric violins, kick drums, electronics, keyboards, and a toy piano come together for ALTROCK as the artists of the West End Micro Music Festival jump blend art rock and chamber music to perform music of Laurie Anderson, Lou Reed, Julia Wolfe, and Steve Reich.

Julia Wolfe – Blue Dress

Julia Wolfe – East Broadway

Steve Reich – New York Counterpoint

David Lang – Heroin

David Lang – Killer

Laurie Anderson – Let X = X, arranged by Louis Pino

Laurie Anderson – It Tango, arranged by Louis Pino

December 2: QUARTET PLUS PAPER V2

QUARTET PLUS PAPER V2 is the final offering of minMAX. This multimedia concert uses diversity — of genre, of artists, and ofform — to envision a future for the performance and presentation of chamber music. Minimalism is the connective tissue — its influence rejected in Jamaican-born Eleanor Alberga’s visceral, dense, and thrilling Quartet no. 2; embraced in the repetitive, lyrical gestures of Caroline Shaw’s Entr’acte and Philip Glass’ “Mishima; and manipulated in PAPER V2 a multimedia work for pianist, clarinetist/visual artist, video projection and electronics composed and performed by Nahre Sol and Brad Cherwin.

Nahre Sol/Brad Cherwin** – PAPER V2

Philip Glass – Finale from String Quartet no. 3, “Mishima”

Caroline Shaw – Entr’Acte

Eleanor Alberga – Quartet no. 2

FESTIVAL ARTISTS

Composer-in-Residence, Piano — Nahre Sol

Voice — Cormac Culkeen

Violin — Amy Hillis, Hee-Soo Yoon, Eric Kim-Fujita

Viola — Maxime Despax

Cello — Sebastian Ostertag

Bass — Ben Finley

Clarinet — Brad Cherwin

Percussion — John Lee, Louis Pino

Textile Artist — Esther Imm

Lighting Designer — Adam Harris

Sound Design/Tech — Dave Grenon

The West End Micro Music Festival is proudly supported by the Canada Council for the Arts, The Toronto Arts Council, SOCAN Foundation, and Gowling WLG.