NATIONALSAWDUST+ PRESENTS INSECTUM FEATURING SUSIE IBARRA, JEFFREY ZEIGLER, GRAHAM REYNOLDS, AND EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGIST JESSICA WARE

Don't miss a zany evening devoted to INSECTUM, a sonic exploration of the world of arthropods. The fascinating program takes its name from the forthcoming record release featuring composer-musicians Susie Ibarra, Jeffrey Zeigler, and Graham Reynolds, who worked closely with University of Texas at Austin entomologists to create their album showcasing original tunes such as “Mosquito” and “Melolonthinae Larvae.” American Museum of Natural History evolutionary biologist Jessica Ware shares research that unravels the evolutionary history of dragonflies and damselflies (Odonata), termites, and cockroaches (Blattodea) in this event, hosted by NationalSawdust+ curator Elena Park. INSECTUM will be both a celebration of the most successful and longest existing multicellular group of animals on the planet, as well as a cautionary tale about how their current threatened status poses dangers for the entire global ecosystem.

Part of NS+’s continuing For Nature series, INSECTUM kicks off three programs exploring the interplay and collision between the natural and human worlds, featuring artists and musicians, scientists, and activists working to preserve and restore the environment. For Nature is made possible by the generous support of Kathryn and Emmanuel Morlet and the Westcustogo Foundation.

INSECTUM commissioned by Golden Hornet
Co-Commissioned by Kathleen and Harvey Guion & The Guion Family Fund
Co-Commissioned by Suzanne Deal Booth & The Suzanne Deal Booth Cultural Trust
This project is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts

Presented in partnership with the Asia Society and its initiative, Coal + Ice: Inspiring Climate Action Through Art and Ideas.

Insectum was created in consultation with Alex Wild and Jo-anne Holley at University of Texas at Austin. Insect images displayed are courtesy of Alex Wild. 

About NationalSawdust+ 

Often topical and always imaginative, NationalSawdust+ is a lively performance and conversation series in which artists and thinkers share their passion for music and explore timely ideas, making surprising connections. Since National Sawdust’s inception, NS+ has been a home for intimate stories and unexpected artmaking, blurring boundaries between genres and disciplines. Last season's For Nature programs included works connected to ocean, land, and the animal kingdom; native and indigenous wisdom; and recent research and ways forward.

Curated by Elena Park, NS+ taps luminaries from theater, film and visual art, literature, science and beyond, to create insightful programs that reflect their own interests. Guests have included Jad Abumrad, Ava DuVernay, Tiokasin Ghosthorse, Min-Jin Lee, Yo-Yo Ma, Nico Muhly, Carl Hancock Rux, Gabriella Smith, Patti Smith, esperanza spalding, Carrie Mae Weems, Marina Abramovic + Laurie Anderson, and Caroline Shaw + Anthony Roth Costanzo + Gandini Juggling. Jeff Tang is consulting producer for the series.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Susie Ibarra

Susie Ibarra is a Pilipina-American composer, percussionist and sound artist whose artistic practice combines being on field, in performance, in studio and supporting conservation of traditional heritages and environments.She has recorded over 40 albums as a composer and drummer and performed in events such as the London Olympics, Rio Olympics, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Carnegie Hall, MASSMoCA, Anthony Davies Hall, Sharjah Art Biennial UAE, Zamane Music Festival Morocco, and many more.

‍Jeffrey Zeigler

Jeffrey Zeigler has released dozens of albums on Nonesuch Records, Deutsche Grammophon, Cantaloupe, and Smithsonian Folkways and has appeared with Norah Jones on her album Not Too Late on Blue Note Records. While serving as the cellist of the internationally renowned Kronos Quartet for eight seasons, he was the recipient of the Avery Fisher Prize, the Polar Music Prize, the President’s Merit Award from the Grammys, and The Asia Society's Cultural Achievement Award. Jeffrey was recently appointed Assistant Professor of Chamber Music and Innovation at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami.

‍Graham Reynolds

Called “the quintessential modern composer” by the ​London Independent​, Austin-based composer-bandleader-improviser Graham Reynolds records and performs music for film, theater, dance, rock clubs, and concert halls. He recently scored Richard Linklater’s Where’d You Go, Bernadette (Annapurna Pictures) with Cate Blanchett, Kristen Wiig, and Laurence Fishburne, Happy Jail (Netflix), Stop Hitting Yourself (Lincoln Center Theater), Out of Her Mind (BBC), Grimm Tales (Ballet Austin), and a multi-year commission from Ballroom Marfa, The Marfa Triptych, culminating in his Creative Capital Award-winning project Pancho Villa from a Safe Distance. Amidst his many other projects, Graham also serves as the Artistic Director of the new music focused non-profit Golden Hornet. In 2020, Graham signed with London-based record label Fire Records and released his original score for Alfred Hitchcock’s silent classic, The Lodger, with a forthcoming album of original material in 2024.

Jessica Ware

Dr. Jessica Ware is an evolutionary biologist and an Associate Curator and the current Division Chair in the Division of Invertebrate Zoology at the American Museum of Natural History. Her research focuses on the evolution of behavioral and physiological adaptations in insects, with an emphasis on how these occur in Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) and Dictyoptera (termites, cockroaches and mantises). Her research group focuses on phylogenetics/phylogenomics and uses these tools to inform their work on reproductive, social and flight behaviors in insects.

Jessica holds a BSc from the University of British Columbia in Canada, and a PhD from Rutgers, New Brunswick. She was an NSF postdoctoral fellow at the AMNH 2008-2010, before being hired at Rutgers Newark where she was an associate professor of evolutionary biology. She is the current president of the Worldwide Dragonfly Association, and serves as an elected board member on the executive committee of the Entomological Society of America Governing Board. She was recently awarded a PECASE medal from the US government for her work on insect evolution.

Elena Park

Director, producer, and NationalSawdust+ curator Elena Park has moved freely through the worlds of arts, culture, and media throughout her colorful career. Last spring, she conceived and directed Visual Cavafy, a series of visual poems screened at the New Museum as part of the Onassis Foundation's Cavafy Festival, showcasing the talents of Taylor Mac, Julianne Moore, Caroline Shaw, and Carl Hancock Rux with Daniel Bernard Roumain, Bora Yoon, and Jeffrey Zeigler, among others.

Elena’s director/executive producer credits include eight In Song video portraits for San Francisco Opera, featuring Pretty Yende and Jamie Barton; Cleveland Orchestra’s In Focus performances ranging from Mozart to Debussy to Unsuk Chin, conducted by Alan Gilbert and Jane Glover; Vân-Ánh Võ for Stanford Live; and Jake Heggie's Intonations for the Cabrillo Festival. For the Metropolitan Opera, she is Executive Producer of the Saturday radio broadcasts and was Supervising Producer for the first 140 shows in its worldwide Live in HD series.

The daughter of Korean immigrants, Elena founded Lumahai Productions, an independent consulting and production company, to embrace opportunities for artistic collaboration and social change with artists, thinkers, and communities as well as institutions, large and small. Selected roles: Curator for San Francisco Opera's INSTIGATORS; Supervising Producer for San Francisco Symphony's MTT25: An American Icon; Special Advisor for …(Iphigenia); Artistic Consultant for the Kennedy Center; Executive Producer for WNYC Radio; and Strategic Advisor for Cambodian Living Arts, Meyer Sound, and San Francisco Opera. TV/film credits: Bel Canto, Amazon's Mozart in the Jungle.

WORLD PREMIERE OF INSECTUM

A SONIC EXPLORATION OF THE WORLD OF ARTHROPODS

INSECTUM is a sonic exploration of the resilience and beauty of the world’s oldest living multicellular creatures: arthropods. Originally inspired by the pioneering imagery of artist-entomologist Maria Sibylla Merian, and furthered by consultation with entomologists Alex Wild and Jo-anne Holley at the University of Texas at Austin, the event aims to not only bring audiences “down” to these creatures' level but also to reframe our relationship with them. As global climate change accelerates and insect populations suffer from a rapid collapse, INSECTUM challenges listeners to move beyond simply writing these organisms off as mere “bugs.”

The event will feature world premieres by composers/performers Susie Ibarra, Jeffrey Zeigler, and Graham Reynolds. Part performance, part educational experience, INSECTUM combines science and music to weave together an unforgettable evening that finds beauty in all things small.

General admission. The performance starts at 7:00 PM. Join us for the optional pre-performance talk from 6:00 PM - 6:30 PM. Doors open at 6:30 PM.

INSECTUM commissioned by Golden Hornet

Co-Commissioned by Kathleen and Harvey Guion & The Guion Family Fund

Co-Commissioned by Suzanne Deal Booth & The Suzanne Deal Booth Cultural Trust

This project is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts

Created in consultation with Alex Wild and Jo-anne Holley at the University of Texas at Austin.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Susie Ibarra

Susie Ibarra is a Pilipina- American Composer, Percussionist and Sound Artist whose artistic practice combines being on field, in performance, in studio and supporting conservation of traditional heritages and environments. She has recorded over 40 albums as a composer and drummer and performed in events such as the London Olympics, Rio Olympics, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Carnegie Hall, MASSMoCA, Anthony Davies Hall, Sharjah Art Biennial UAE, Zamane Music Festival Morocco, and many more.

Jeffrey Zeigler

Jeffrey Zeigler has released dozens of albums on Nonesuch Records, Deutsche Grammophon, Cantaloupe and Smithsonian Folkways and has appeared with Norah Jones on her album Not Too Late on Blue Note Records. While serving as the cellist of the internationally renowned Kronos Quartet for eight seasons, Zeigler was the recipient of the Avery Fisher Prize, the Polar Music Prize, the President’s Merit Award from the Grammys and The Asia Society's Cultural Achievement Award. Jeffrey Zeigler was recently appointed Assistant Professor of Chamber Music and Innovation at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami.

Graham Reynolds

Called “the quintessential modern composer” by the ​London Independent​, Austin-based composer-bandleader-improviser Graham Reynolds records and performs music for film, theater, dance, rock clubs, and concert halls. He recently scored Richard Linklater’s Where’d You Go, Bernadette (Annapurna Pictures) with Cate Blanchett, Kristen Wiig, and Laurence Fishburne, Happy Jail (Netflix), Stop Hitting Yourself (Lincoln Center Theater), Out of Her Mind (BBC), Grimm Tales (Ballet Austin), and a multi-year commission from Ballroom Marfa, The Marfa Triptych, culminating in his Creative Capital Award winning project Pancho Villa from a Safe Distance. Amidst his many other projects, Graham also serves as the Artistic Director of the new music focused non-profit Golden Hornet. In 2020, Graham signed with London-based record label Fire Records and released his original score for Alfred Hitchcock’s silent classic, The Lodger, with a forthcoming album of original material in 2024.

Join us on December 1st for music, talk, food, and drink at Austin’s most intimate venue: The Rosette. Our annual Golden Hornet fundraiser will include a performance from our Young Composer program, a panel discussion with Kier-la Janisse, and a work-in-progress performance by Artistic Director Graham Reynolds, the live printing of a souvenir poster at the press room, plus food by the incomparable Nixta, and drinks by Alamo Drafthouse founder Tim League himself!

This year’s theme: Horror!

Golden Hornet has commissioned Mexican composer Jimena Contreras and Graham to compose horror pieces. Jimena is basing her work on Mexican folk monsters, while Graham is adapting his Ballet Austin piece on Edgar Allan Poe. We’ll show you a bit of the initial developments in as raucous style as we can!  

👉 Tickets are available here 👈

MXTX is hitting the road again!

• 📍Next stop: Guanajuato, Mexico

• We have been invited to perform at the Festival Internacional Cervantino (FIC), popularly known as El Cervantino

• Performance date: Saturday, October 14, at 5:00 PM central time

———

The Festival Internacional Cervantino (FIC) is a renowned cultural event held annually in the city of Guanajuato, Mexico (central Mexico). Established in 1972, this iconic event pays homage to the literary genius of Miguel de Cervantes, author of the timeless classic "Don Quixote." FIC has evolved into one of Latin America's most prominent and diverse arts festivals, captivating audiences and artists from all corners of the globe.

Spanning several weeks in October, the festival transforms historic venues and squares into vibrant stages for a diverse array of artistic disciplines, including music, dance, theater, visual arts, literature, and film. FIC's programming balances a mix of celebrated international artists and emerging talents, fostering cultural exchange and artistic collaboration.

Beyond performances, FIC hosts academic forums, workshops, and lectures, sparking intellectual and creative dialogues. Embracing inclusivity, many events are accessible to the public, enriching lives through the transformative power of the arts. By promoting cultural diversity and exploring contemporary issues through creativity, the Festival Internacional Cervantino remains a captivating celebration of human expression and imagination.

Interested in attending this performance & learning about the partcipating artists? 

Learn more below

Golden Hornet & Tetractys will be participating in this amazing night of music by co-commissioning a work for solo viola and fixed media titled "you go, I follow". This will be a world premiere of a work by composer, Kennedy Taylor Dixon, to be performed by frequent Golden Hornet collaborator, Luis Eduardo Bellorín.

———

Here Be Monsters is…

A five-hour show of Austin's indie-classical music scene

• 15 performances including 11 world premieres by Austin composers featuring: Invoke, Montopolis, Kraken Quartet, Density512, Golden Hornet, LOLA, One Ounce Opera, Convergence, Goliath Was Bigfoot, Tom Echols, Less Than <10 Music, Nathan Felix, VAMP, Studio A, and Tetractys New Music

• Designed to reveal and celebrate the unique culture and identity of Austin's music creators

• Taking place on Saturday, May 27, 2023, 5 - 10pm at Butterfly Bar, 2307 Manor Rd.

Join us for Here Be Monsters, hosted by Tetractys New Music.

Tickets available NOW: https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/5762578

YCC fosters the growth of budding musicians into emerging composers with an emphasis on equity. We aim to change the perception about what classical music is, who writes it, and who consumes it. The program is entirely free for accepted youth.

In past years, the program's participants composed a brand new original work over six months for Pierrot ensemble, concluding with a concert in which a professional group performs and records their pieces. In the 2020-2021 season, students learned how to use various digital audio workstations (DAW) to mix their own recordings and add electronic elements to their pieces. This year the students composed for piano, cello, trombone, flute, and percussion.

The program is student-led, and they work together to collectively produce the concert, learning both the musical and non-musical skills necessary for promoting their works and sharing them with the public — all under the guidance of our staff and a network of professional mentors.

As a result of our Young Composers Concert program, participants can prepare for a variety of artistic pursuits.

Golden Hornet's String Quartet Smackdown is a bracketed, NCAA basketball-style tournament competition which brings original four-minute string quartet compositions head-to-head in front of a live, participatory audience. It’s like NCAA March Madness for the ears!

A diverse panel of judges selects 16 compositions to be performed live at the String Quartet Smackdown, which takes place on Feb. 25 at the South Lamar Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, TX. The audience uses their cell phones or a mobile app to vote, and their responses appear live on screen. The winner of each bracket moves on in the tournament. In a riotous – and usually very close – finish, the audience determines the String Quartet Smackdown champion!

All 16 finalists receive a professional studio recording of their piece, and the winner takes home a cash prize.

We will be presenting the album at the Museo Universitario del Chopo.

More details to come!

TIME TBA

We’re so excited for the MXTX Mexico premiere! We will be presenting the album at Ex Teresa Arte Actual.

More details to come!

TIME TBA

MXTX is coming to Marfa, TX! We will be presenting MXTX with Ballroom Marfa as part of the Marfa Lights Festival.

More details to come!

In collaboration with Austin Chamber Music Center, Golden Hornet presents jazz legend Andre Hayward.

Advance tickets on sale now here. Save up to 30% on your tickets by getting a discount package of 3+ Festival concerts. Subject to availability, $12 Student Rush (with student ID), $30 General Admission, and $55 Premium tickets may be purchased at the box office on the evening of the concert. The box office will open at 6:30 PM that day. If you prefer to watch online, please select a virtual ticket. Virtual tickets are available on a sliding scale and provide on-demand access starting the Monday after the concert until the end of July.

ACMC is closely monitoring the pandemic and its impact on in-person events. With the health and safety of the community in mind, ACMC has updated their COVID-19 guidelines in accordance with City of Austin and CDC. View all recent updates to their programming by visiting their COVID-19 Response page.

Program

Program order to be announced from the stage

Serene Intentions | Andre Hayward

Wifi (World Premiere) | Claudia Hayden

Untitled | Vincent Gardner

Doxology | Philip K. Jones II

Flying | Edward W. Hardy

Peace Offering | Andre Hayward

Andre Hayward, trombone & curator
Gene Genteno, saxophone
Santana Rojas, trumpet
Edward W. Hardy, violin
Ilia de la Rosa, cello
Jimmy Blazer, bass
Philip K. Jones II, piano
Terrance McDaniel, drums

Andre Hayward

Andre Hayward is a gifted trombonist with the sound and clarity reminiscent of the late J.J. Johnson. Born in Houston in 1973, Hayward’s first exposure to music was through his parents, Melvin and Barbara Hayward. He began playing trombone and tuba at the age of 11. He attended HSPVA, and continued to hone his skills with Houston’s legendary educator Conrad O. Johnson. He has recorded or performed with Betty Carter, Joe Williams, John Lewis, Kirk Whalum, The Duke Ellington Orchestra and many others. Hayward toured as lead trombonist with The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and the Duke Ellington Orchestra.

Join us during the Fusebox Festival for the live world premiere of MXTX: A Cross-Border Exchange! This event will be free! Tickets will go live on March 23 through Fusebox. More details will be posted soon. Read more about the project here.

MXTX is a National Performance Network (NPN) Creation & Development Fund Project co-commissioned by Harvey and Kathleen Guion, along with Ballroom Marfa, Fusebox Festival, Wexner Center for the Arts, with additional support from the National Endowment for the Arts. To find out more about how National Endowment for the Arts grants impact individuals and communities, visit www.arts.gov.

Join us for a panel discussion the day before the MXTX live world premiere!

FEATURING:

Felipe Pérez Santiago

Considered one of the most active and recognized composers of Mexico’s musical scene, Felipe Pérez Santiago has received several prizes and recognitions in Europe, United States and Latin America. His compositions have been played and commissioned in more than 40 countries by internationally renowned orchestras and ensembles, and he has been invited as resident composer to conservatories, universities, and institutions all over the world.

Sofía Zumbado

Sofía Zumbado is a Costa Rican saxophonist based in Mexico City since 2006. As a concert performer, she has performed in multiple stages in Costa Rica, the United States, México, Cuba, Peru, Colombia, Croatia and Uruguay. She is currently a saxophonist on various projects with national and international artists such as the group “Mal’Akh,” the piano and saxophone duet “Zumbado-Gell,” the classical music of northern India trio “Satya Mantra,” and the contemporary music project “Vórtice Ensemble."

MODERATED BY:

Graham Reynolds

Called “the quintessential modern composer” by the London Independent, Austin-based composerbandleader-improviser Graham Reynolds creates, performs, and records music for film, theater, dance, rock clubs, and concert halls with collaborators across a multitude of disciplines. He co-founded Golden Hornet alongside Peter Stopschinski in the 1990s, and his artistic vision continues to guide the organization.

*****Stream today’s concert HERE and view the program HERE*****

Tickets for Golden Hornet's seventh annual Young Composer Concert are available HERE. The concert will feature new music composed by young musicians from Austin between the ages of 12 and 18. An ensemble of Austin professionals formed by Golden Hornet will present the Young Composers’ original works. This concert is collectively produced by the program participants under the guidance of Golden Hornet's Artistic Director Graham Reynolds, Assistant Director Ally Moreno, and YCC Project Manager Kenzie Slottow.

Featuring Works by:

Aidan Barboza
Aiden Giroux
Andrew Scheible
Avi Beskrowni
Ariela Srivathanakul
Besa Carney
Carter Smith
Fiona Gehrke
Grant Shueh
Ian Glenwood Bates Ureña
Jasper Hovenweep
Leah Rutman
London Thomas
Mia Ansel
Nick Hernandez
Somesh Yatham
Stella Summerfield
Sulayman Bowles
William Gum
Zachary Gray

Ensemble:

Trombone - Andre Hayward
Cello - Sophie Mathieu
Piano - Joshua Piper
Flute - Kenzie Slottow
Percussion - Jordan Walsh

Golden Hornet is an Austin-based nonprofit which commissions new works, supports young and emerging composers, and presents adventurous works in non-traditional settings. Golden Hornet - and this event - are supported in part by the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin Economic Development Department.

WATCH ONLINE SUNDAY APRIL 18 at 2PM CDT BY CLICKING HERE! Join us for our Sixth Annual Young Composer Collaborative production! This year, instead of a live concert, the young composers will be sharing the album that they have created together, in isolation, during the pandemic lockdown. The young composers met twice each month via Zoom and worked with small group mentors Nia Imani Franklin, Chía Patiño, Felipe Pérez Santiago, and Dario González Valderrama in addition to Graham Reynolds and other composers and performers from around the world. You can learn more about the program at goldenhornet.org/youngcomposer

Tickets are NOT NEEDED to attend the live production, which will be held via Golden Hornet's youtube channel at youtube.com/goldenhornetatx. Donations to support the program are appreciated and can be made at goldenhornet.org/youngcomposerconcert2021.

Tickets are available now via Alamo On Demand!

Featuring Vórtice Ensemble String Quartet under the direction of Felipe Pérez Santiago, and in partnership with Alamo Drafthouse, our NCAA basketball style tournament competition will bring original four-minute string quartet compositions head-to-head in front of a live, participatory audience. It’s like NCAA March Madness for the ears! Stay tuned for details on how to access this special event live on the internet!