THIRD STREAM CONCERTS
Guitar Player (Jerry Hau) (1977)
JOHN BURTON HARTER
LPO Violist Sixto Franco with musicians from Chicago, Los Angeles, and New Orleans to give the regional premiere of Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Gunther Schuller's String Quartet No. 4 along with a world premiere by New Orleans composer Jonathan Freilich.
Sixto Franco,
Viola
Missing Piece Music,
Dan Galat, violin
Kelly Quesada, Cello
Myra Hinrichs,
Violin
Jonathan Freilich,
composer
Juan Horie,
Cello
Tim Robertson,
Guitar
LPO Violist Sixto Franco, Missing Piece and Myra Hinrichs takle the Third Stream world, a world that lives between genres and travels through the misteries of improvisation. Program: "Tiralineas" by Sixto Franco "Themes and improvisations on the blues" by Leroy Jenkins "4th String Quartet" by Gunther Shuller
LPO Violist Sixto Franco, Missing Piece and Myra Hinrichs make their come back to the outsatanding Stuido St. PHillip to takle the Third Stream world, a world that lives between genres and travels through the misteries of improvisation. Program: "Tiralineas" by Sixto Franco "Themes and improvisations on the blues" by Leroy Jenkins "4th String Quartet" by Gunther Shuller
LPO Violist Sixto Franco, Missing Piece and Myra Hinrichs join cellist Juan Horie and guitarrist Tim Robertson to take a journey through the evolution of Third Stream music. With the world premier of Jonathan Freilich's sextet "Propaganda Umbrella #1", the sextet takes a deep dive into a genre that allowed classical musicians to rediscover improvisation Program: "Themes and improvisations on the blues" by Leroy Jenkins "Propaganda Umbrella #1" by Jonathan Freilich "4th String Quartet" by Gunther Shuller
Concerts graciously underwritten by New Orleans local Brian Sands and The John Burton Harter Foundation
THIRD STREAM MUSIC FOR THE THIRD WEEK OF APRIL
LPO Violist Sixto Franco with musicians from Chicago, Los Angeles, and New Orleans to give the regional premiere of Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Gunther Schuller's String Quartet No. 4 along with a world premiere by New Orleans composer Jonathan Freilich.
Sixto Franco, who has been performing with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra for the past 2 years, will be joined by Missing Piece from Chicago (Dan Galat, violinist; Kelly Quesada, cellist) and violinist Myra Hinrichs of Los Angeles as well as local guitarist Tim Robertson and local cellist Juan Horie for a program of "Third Stream" music, a genre that fuses jazz and classical music. These concerts will take place at various venues on Monday, Tuesday and Friday during the third week of April 2024.
"Third Stream", which can transform from structured music to free improvisation, is a description coined by the late Gunther Schuller whose Fourth String Quartet will be given its regional premiere on these programs. Chicago-based composer Leroy Jenkins similarly worked in this genre and his Themes and Improvisations on the Blues will also appear on each of these programs.
French Quarter resident Brian Sands commissioned Schuller's String Quartet No. 4 in honor of his parents and in memory of renowned violinist Felix Galimir, a founder of the Marlboro Music Festival and longtime Juilliard faculty member; for many years, Galimir was Sands' downstairs neighbor in New York City. The Quartet was given its world premiere in 2002 by the Juilliard String Quartet and has subsequently been performed by the Borromeo String Quartet, among others.
The program on April 19 will feature the world premiere of Jonathan Freilich’s Propaganda Umbrella 1, a work inspired by the principles of “Third Stream”. Freilich, an esteemed musician and experienced improviser well-known from his appearances on various New Orleans stages, has crafted a sextet for string quartet, with the addition of an extra cello, and guitar. Propaganda Umbrella 1 unites elements from classical music and jazz, folk music and free improvisation all of which combine for a masterful, only-in-New-Orleans style composition.
Performances will be Monday, April 15, at The New Marigny Theater; Tuesday, April 16, at Studio St. Philip; and Friday, April 19, at the Marigny Opera House. All three concerts shall begin at 7:30pm. Tickets and further information can be found at www.sixtofranco.com and www.missingpiecemusic.com
Tiralineas
by Sixto Franco
Tiralineas refers to a Chalk Line Reel. Once visiting the SCAD, Savanah College of Art Design, in Savanah, Georgia, my family and I came across a hallway containing art works under the theme of urban spaces. One in particular called my attention. On a long table, a long roll of paper laid under the action of a chalk line reel. This artifact many times used by my uncles in their construction business had drawned a myriad of lines departing form multiple point of origins dividing the canvas in capricious sections. It was a very appealing sight.
At the time, I had been working with graphic scores for a few years in my performances as well as through my teaching. Naturally, I looked at this piece as a musical score.
"Tiralineas" is a collection of gestures and textures for the musician to freely interpret. Here they find individual freedom of sonic choices. However, the score is divided into sections where some actions need to be precisely synchronized in time. My intention is to appeal to the inner communication of the ensemble while interpreting this work and craft a performance that is both at their highest imaginative and creative caliber as well as a tool to elevate their inner common artistry.