SFCMP to Continue Season in the “LABORATORY”

Poster design for next month’s SFCMP concert (from its Facebook event page)

Next month’s offering by the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players (SFCMP) will be its in the LABORATORY concert. This season has seen a variety of different events celebrating the 100th anniversary of the birth of choreographer Merce Cunningham. The program, entitled Kinetic Transformations, will recognize Cunningham’s long and prolific partnership with California composer John Cage. It is well known that Cage was not only Cunningham’s life partner but also a major creative force in building the repertoire for the Merce Cunningham Dance Company. He also assumed many critical managerial responsibilities when that ensemble was just beginning to tour with its repertoire of dances.

The major work on next month’s program will be Cage’s “Concert for Piano and Orchestra.” Cunningham served as conductor for the first performance of this piece and subsequently used it as the music for his choreographic creation “Antic Meet.” (Yes, that title can be taken literally. This was one of the funniest dances that Cunningham created over the course of his extensive career.) Cage’s score specified that the “orchestra” should consist of any solo or combination of flute, clarinet, bassoon, trumpet, trombone, tuba, piano, three violins, two violas, cello, and bass. The pianist for next month’s performance will be Kate Campbell; and dancer Antoine Hunter will contribute to that performance.

The program will also present the West Coast premiere of David Coll’s “Caldera,” scored for prepared bass clarinet and marimba. Cellist Hannah Addario-Berry will give a solo performance of Gloria Justen’s “Sonaquifer.” Cage’s colleague Henry Cowell will be represented by a performance of his third string quartet, which Cowell entitled “Mosaic Quartet.” The program will conclude with a performance of Anna Clyne’s “Steelworks,” scored for flute doubling on piccolo, bass clarinet, percussion, and tape (with optional video).

This performance will begin at 8 p.m. on Friday, January 17. It will be preceded at 6:30 p.m. by the next How Music is Made program facilitated by Eric Dudley. Both Coll and Justen will discuss their works, and Hunter will provide background information about Cunningham’s innovative approaches to choreography.

The venue will be the Concert Hall of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music (SFCM), which is located at 50 Oak Street, between Van Ness Avenue and Franklin Street. SFCM is a short walk from the Van Ness Muni station. General admission will be $35. Students, teachers, and arts employees will be admitted for $15. Tickets may be purchased online through an SFCMP event page.