Lesley Flanigan is in residence in Studio 2 to produce a new EMPAC-commissioned performance-installation that continues her exploration into the sculptural potential of sound.

Developing a performance for voice, speakers, electronic tone, and the resonance between, this residency follows from her visit in early 2020 in which she explored the acoustic environment of EMPAC’s concert hall with sine-wave oscillators that generate low-frequency tones, her signature speaker sculpture instruments, and pitches from her own voice. 

Continuing her work here at EMPAC with spatial audio and in particular, EMPAC’s Wave Field Synthesis Array, Nina C. Young will develop her acoustic brass quintet into a multimedia work for live musicians, spatial audio, and live video processing based on geometric forms and Renaissance music. The residency culminates in the premiere of the new evening-length work on March 19th in the Theater.

Mivos Quartet are in residence at EMPAC to record Steve Reich’s three string quartets Different Trains, Triple Quartet, and WTC 9/11.

As long-time collaborators with Reich, Mivos Quartet is the first group to record and release all three quartets on a single album. Each of his quartets has one or two layers of quartet parts that must be pre- recorded. Mivos is working closely with Reich to re-record all of the backing tracks as well as the live quartet parts for an album that can serve as the definitive recording of these works.

Proclaimed by many as America's greatest living composer, Steve Reich is a musical icon. His body of work has largely defined a genre of modern music, which in turn has become one of the defining schools of American musical style. Reich’s three string quartets are modern masterpieces in string writing, pioneering his technique of interweaving field recordings and speech patterns into the fabric of the acoustic and electronic elements of the compositions.

Abstract turntablist Maria Chávez comes to EMPAC for the first of several residencies to develop a newly commissioned work. Her interest in exploring extremely quiet sounds will be developed in EMPAC’s acoustically generous spaces.

Lesley Flanigan came to EMPAC to record her work Residue for voice and speaker sculptures. The recording residency focused on longer forms, as originally conceived for her performance of this work at the Guggenheim.

Choreographer Yanira Castro is in residence at EMPAC with sound collaborator Stephan Moore to explore possible uses of the Wave Field Synthesis (WFS) Array in participatory dance work.

Volunteer Day—Friday, December 6th at 2:30PM

EMPAC welcomes volunteers to assist the artists in the exploration of Wave Field Synthesis. Volunteers will be welcomed into the WFS Array to hear whispers and movement instructions that they can follow. As the bodies move through the space the sounds might follow them, or begin to sound different as others leave and enter the space.

At the end of participants’ time exploring the sounds, we will have a conversation with the artists about what people heard, perceived, and felt throughout their experience to consider the efficacy of using Wave Field Synthesis in live performance with audience members sharing a stage with performers.

How to Participate

If you are interested in participating, please meet in the EMPAC lobby at 2:30pm on Friday, December 6th. 

Please visit the event announcement for more information about this campus event.

For more information about this campus event please visit http://www.hass.rpi.edu/pl/hass-events/?objectID=100004592

Turkish composer Cenk Ergün will be in residence with the JACK Quartet (Christopher Otto, Austin Wulliman, John Pickford Richards, Jay Campbell) to record a pair of string quartets—Sonare and Celare—for future release on the label New Focus Recordings.

UK-based composer and playwright Klein is in residence at EMPAC developing a new performance to be presented at MoMA PS1’s VW dome. With references ranging from mythology to Pavarotti to defunct UK young-adult TV network Trouble, Klein uses collagist techniques to assemble recordings of her own vocals and instrumentation.