THE PAUL DRESHER ENSEMBLE PRESENTS

WIRED STRINGS: NEW (AND OLD) MUSIC FROM RUSSIA & AMERICA

FEB. 26 — MARCH 2, 2003 AT ODC THEATER

FOR TICKETS CALL 415-863-9834

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan 8, 2003–The Paul Dresher Ensemble today announced that it will present Wired Strings: New (and Old) Music from Russia and America, a Festival of seven concerts at the ODC Theater from Feb. 26 — March 2, 2003. The Festival will include concerts by thePaul Dresher Ensemble Electro-Acoustic Band premiering commissioned works from younger Russian & American composers; the U.S. debut of the remarkable 12-member Russian contemporary string ensemble Opus Posth, performing an exciting program of contemporary works by Russian, European and American composers; and the first West Coast performances by the celebrated Moscow Academy of Ancient Music, a group specializing in Baroque and early Classic period music, performing a unique repertory of music rarely or never before heard in the West.

One of the first events of its kind in the United States, the Festival is intended to foster an exchange of ideas between Russian and American composers and musicians dedicated to contemporary music, and to expose American audiences to the works of a younger and unknown generation of Russian composers.

The Festival begins on Wednesday, Feb. 26 at 8 p.m. with a Gala Opening Concert featuring all three ensembles: Paul Dresher Ensemble Electro-Acoustic Band, Opus Posth, and the Moscow Academy of Ancient Music. The specific repertory for this program is to be announced closer to the opening.

On Thurs., Feb. 27 at 8 p.m., Program #1 features The Paul Dresher Ensemble Electro-Acoustic Band with guest cellist Joan Jeanrenaud in a selection of Russian & American new music, including the world premieres of commissioned works from five Russian composers, Vladimir Martynov, Artem Vassiliev, Albina Stefanou, Vladimir Nikolaev and Dmitry Riabtsev. The concert will feature the final version of Dresher’s cello concerto Unequal Distemperament, and world premieres by young American composers, Keeril Makan and Mark Grey. This program will be repeated on Sat., March 1 at 8 p.m.

Program # 2 on Friday, Feb. 28 at 8 p.m. and repeated Sunday March 2 at 8 p.m., will be presented by the Russian string ensemble, Opus Posth, and will feature both Russian and American compositions, including works by Paul Dresher, Philip Glass, Iannis Xenakis, and Arvo Pärt. The group is led by noted violinist Tatiana Grindenko, who was featured with Gidon Kremer on the premiere recording of Arvo Pärt’sTabula Rasa, which introduced Pärt’s work to the U.S.

The Moscow Academy of Ancient Music presents Program #3 on Saturday, March 1 and Sunday, March 2 at 2 p.m. Renowned worldwide as Russia’s first ensemble to play Baroque period music using authentic instruments and to use the Baroque bow on stringed instruments, the Moscow Academy will present a program of works by Corelli, Biber, Telemann, J.S. Bach, E. Fomin, D. Bortniansky, and J.C. Khandoshkin.

In addition to the performances, the Festival will feature a symposium on contemporary Russian and American music on Sunday, March 2 at 4:30 p.m., ODC Theater, led by noted Russian musicologist Dr. Elena Dubinets. Further, there will be a post-performance “Q and A” with the musicians after the Feb 27 and March 1 evening concerts.

The Paul Dresher Ensemble is one of the foremost contemporary performing ensembles in the United States today. In addition to producing and touring its own works of collaboratively created avant-garde opera, experimental music theater and dance, the Ensemble performs as the Electro-Acoustic Band. With a challenging repertory of commissioned works from a diverse range of contemporary composers, the Band’s instrumentation combines traditional acoustic and contemporary electronic instruments. Artistic Director Paul Dresher formed the Band in 1993 to address the needs of contemporary composers, both in terms of advanced music technology and the ability to perform music with roots in the classical tradition, rock and roll, jazz and world music. The Ensemble has commissioned and premiered works from John Adams, John Luther Adams, Mark Applebaum, Eve Beglarian, Jay Cloidt, Cindy Cox, Alvin Curran, Paul Dresher, Bun Ching Lam, David Lang, Carl Stone, Ayuo Takahashi, Randall Woolf, Anthony Davis, Terry Riley, Koji Ueno, Martin Bresnick and Lois Vierk.

Opus-Posth was founded in 1999 based on the concepts of the composer Vladimir Martynov, who contends that music as conceived by traditional musicologists has exhausted its potential. “Opus-Posth” music is that which must follow. As a performing group Opus-Posth uses non-compositional traditions (archaic folklore, Gregorian and Byzantine chants), coupled with contemporary compositional fundamentals (repetitiveness, new simplicity) to reinvent both musical performance and the traditional relationship between performers and audiences. Opus-Posth musicians bring the rituality of sacred music into the non-ritual space of a secular concert, transforming listeners from consumers into ritual participants. The musicians perform in special costumes and masks, encouraging this process. The repertoire of the Ensemble includes pieces by Vladimir Martynov, Pärt, Glass, Xenakis, Aleksandr Knaifel, G. Kanchely, S. Gerber, Dresher, John Luther Adams, Steve Reich and others. They have produced four CDs: “Night in Galicia” (V. Martynov), “Come in” (Martynov), “Hymns” (Martynov), and “The Seven Last Words of Our Savior on the Cross” (Haydn).

The Moscow Academy of Ancient Music was established in 1982 by Tatiana Grindenko, and was Russia’s first ensemble to play Baroque music using authentic instruments, and to use the baroque bow on stringed instruments. The ensemble’s main focus is to perform music from the Baroque period, such as work by Monteverdi, Buxtehude, Pergolesi, Geminiani, Corelli, Telemann, Lully and Fux. Because of the unique manner of playing, the Academy has been invited to participate regularly in the most prestigious music festivals in the world, including those in Boston, Bonn, Barcelona, Berlin, Helsinki, Istanbul, Ravenna, Munich, and the Gidon Kremer’s festival in Switzerland. Ms. Grindenko, the group’s artistic director for the last 11 years, has been awarded the title of “Honorary Artist of Russia” in recognition of her work as a solo violinist and for her directorship of the Academy.

Noted Russian musicologist Dr. Elena Dubinets is functioning as the liaison between the groups and as the Artistic Advisor for the project. She has introduced the work of younger American composers — including John Luther Adams, David Lang, Paul Dresher, Eve Beglarian, Peter Garland and Lois Vierk — to composers and musicians in Russia. She was instrumental in helping to produce a large-scale festival of contemporary Russian music titled Icebreaker: New Music from Russia, as well as an international conference on Russian music, Russian Associations for Contemporary Music: Past and Present, held in February 2002 in Seattle.

ODC Theater is located at 3153 17th St. @ Shotwell, in San Francisco.
Tickets priced at $20 (Adult), $15 (Students w/ID & Seniors 65 & over), and $10 (Children 12 & under), may be purchased at the ODC Box Office by calling 415-863-9834 or online at www.odctheater.org.

Press Contact: Jon Finck and Brenda Hughes, Encore Communications

415-438-9933 or mail@encore-sf.com