events


cmntx presents: Emanuel Ayvas & Jackson Greenberg
Dec
1

cmntx presents: Emanuel Ayvas & Jackson Greenberg

cmntx records presents a double release show for Emanuel Ayvas ('AMMA') and Jackson Greenberg ('The Things We Pass On Through Our Genes'), with composer Fritz Myers and poet Jason Mitchell.

Ayas presents a set of narrative works that weave together his practices in poetry and music, performing alongside string quartet and double bassist David Lizmi. Through the electronic manipulation of a live string quartet, Greenberg's "The Things We Pass On Through Our Genes" explores inherited trauma and how that carries from generation to generation. Myers' premieres a set of songs with new string quartet orchestrations, paired with his quartet "The Time Is Going to Pass Anyways".

Featuring Giancarlo Latta, violin; Clara Kim, violin; Carrie Frey, viola; Julia Henderson, cello.

This performance will be filmed live for video.

Friday, December 1, 2023
Doors 7:30 PM | Show 8 PM
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church (3 W 65th St)
Tickets $20

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ALEX RING GRAY: "The Organ That Breathes" Album Release Show
Jun
17

ALEX RING GRAY: "The Organ That Breathes" Album Release Show

This event begins with a sound installation running from 3–6 PM. The installation features works from the album expanded and reconfigured for an 8 speaker immersive surround sound environment. It will run in 45 minute cycles.

There will be a concert at 6 PM featuring Alex Ring Gray (saxophone) and Austin Philemon (organ).

This event is FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. Enjoy a Saturday afternoon in Central Park, then stop by for drones & music at your leisure. No reservation required.

Suggested Donation: $10

CDs will be available for $15.

Presented by cmntx records

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String Theories 1: String Orchestra of Brooklyn – Nyokabi Kariũki
Mar
22

String Theories 1: String Orchestra of Brooklyn – Nyokabi Kariũki

For the first night of String Theories 2022, the String Orchestra of Brooklyn is joined by the “doom jazz” trio Nepenthae to present a new work by composer and Nepenthae guitarist Zach Layton. The SOB will then be joined by the composer and vocalist Nyokabi Kariũki to perform new string and percussion arrangements of songs from her celebrated peace places: kenyan memories album and her new record FEELING BODY.

Founded in 2007, the String Orchestra of Brooklyn has become an integral part of New York City’s vibrant and diverse musical landscape, bringing together creative instrumentalists, composers, and like- minded organizations and ensembles to collaborate on adventurous musical projects and present them to the public at an affordable price. Now in its 16th season, the String Orchestra of Brooklyn has been praised  for its admirable commitment to the music of our time by The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, I Care if You Listen, The New Yorker, and more.

The performance will begin with a performance by Serbian-born, New York City-based violinist Marija Kovačević, who works in classical, experimental, and improvisational music and theater. Her project Music for Broken Violins is an exploration of sonic textures and distortions with broken violins, bows, and their fragments. She envisions these instruments having an afterlife beyond their otherwise, discarded fates. A once-precious object is liberated from its functional norms, making way for new sound structures in both solo and group settings. Beyond New York, the project has traveled internationally to Stari Grad, Croatia, and Paris, France. During these exhibitions, spectators are encouraged to engage with the violins and abandon any preconceived notions of playing. Selections from Volumes 1 and 2 of Music for Broken Violins were recently featured on BBC Radio 3’s “Freeness” and “Late Junction” programs. The full albums can be streamed and purchased on Bandcamp.

TICKETS

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Nyokabi Kariūki @ Brooklyn Museum
Dec
8

Nyokabi Kariūki @ Brooklyn Museum

SOCIAL SCULPTURE, a highlight of Virgil Abloh: “Figures of Speech, stems from the late artist and designer’s desire to create space for Black creatives and young people. The installation offers a platform for Black cultural dialogue through lectures, poetry, performances, and workshops. In this spirit, the Brooklyn Museum has organized a three-part series with the New York–based collective BlackMass Publishing. Through its work, BlackMass grapples with the idiosyncrasies that make up the collective improvisation of African diasporic culture, combining archival photographs and found print materials with poetry and jazz.

In the second program of the series, enjoy a live performance by Kenyan composer and sound artist Nyokabi Kariũki. Based between Kenya and the United States, Kariũki uses sound to not only rediscover her culture but also highlight its significance—part of her commitment to preserving African thought, language, and stories.

Kariũki’s sonic imagination is ever-evolving, spanning from classical contemporary and experimental electronic music to sound art, pop, film, and (East) African musical traditions. She performs with piano, voice, electronics, and several instruments from the African continent, including the kalimba and djembe. Her concert works have been performed by notable ensembles such as Cello Octet Amsterdam and Third Coast Percussion, and she has received commissions from BBC Radio 3, Heartland Marimba, and more. Released in February 2022, her debut EP, peace places: kenyan memories (SA Recordings), was described as “deft” (Quietus) and “transcendent” (Guardian). Bandcamp wrote that she is “becoming a crucial voice in contemporary composition and experimental music.” Kariũki is currently working on her second record.

Tickets to Virgil Abloh: “Figures of Speech” on December 8, 2022, are required to attend this performance. After purchasing your ticket, RSVP to secure a seat, as space is limited. Those with exhibition tickets for earlier in the day may leave the Museum and return for the 4 pm performance. Member tickets are free. Not a Member? Jointoday!

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cmntx preview concert
Oct
21

cmntx preview concert

A special early preview of cmntx records at MIS-EN_PLACE in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

MISE-EN_PLACE is located at 341 Calyer St, Brooklyn, NY 11222

Doors + Drones @ 6:30pm
Music @ 7pm

Performances by:
-Alex Ring Gray
-Evan O. Adams
-Lena Ruth
-Michael Ó Callaghan
-Nyokabi Kariūki
-Vicki Leona Nguyen

Featuring Chris O'Leary, Nate Giordano, and Steven Mcardle

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This program is made possible by the New York City Artist Corps.

We ask that you please wear a mask and follow proper COVID safety protocol.

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