Volti to Conclude Virtual Season with Pamela Z

Composer Pamela Z (courtesy of Volti)

The last of the four mini-concerts that the a cappella vocal ensemble Volti planned for its 42nd season will take place exactly two weeks from today. Like the three preceding events, the program will present a world-premiere performance. The composer for this final offering will be Pamela Z, and the title of her composition is “Ink.”

Z conceived this piece as the unfolding of five sonically distinct movements. Each movement has its own “ground rules,” involving, respectively, standard notation, graphic elements, instructions, and rote transmission of sung and spoken vocal material. In preparing for the performance, Z interviewed the Volti singers and extracted speech fragments from her recordings of those interviews. The speech structures also determined some of the work’s melodic and rhythmic passages.

The performance will take place at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 24. There will be no charge for admission, and the performance will be less than an hour in duration. All that is necessary is that one register prior to 5 p.m. on that day through the Tix Web page that creates a free ticket.

For those unfamiliar with Z’s work, Volti’s Artistic Director Bob Geary has arranged a preview event later today. Geary and Cole Thomason-Redus will live-stream a conversation with Z to give her the opportunity to share thoughts about not only her composition but also her experiences in working with the Volti singers. Those familiar with her past performances probably know that most of them have been solo offerings, so “Ink” is probably providing her with an opportunity to explore a new domain of creativity.

This conversation is part of a series that Volti calls Composers+Cocktails. Clearly, those watching the video stream will have to supply their own cocktails! Like the concert, the conversation will begin at 5:30 p.m. this evening, Saturday, April 10. Advance registration will again be required. Fortunately, the Tix Web page for the concert also has the hyperlink for this evening’s offering.