PROGRAMS
Exploding with infectious energy and intensity, the Akropolis Reed Quintet takes listeners on extraordinary musical adventures, offering audiences, presenters, and music students of all ages engaging, exemplary performances of both new and traditional repertoire.
Akropolis presents a program of traditional and contemporary classical music separated by a century, connected by common musical influences. Gershwin and Debussy, turn of the century composers influenced by America’s jazz and France’s impressionism, are joined by a present-day Dutch composer whose circus-inspired music has become a staple of the burgeoning reed quintet repertoire. Then, Charles Ives’ tongue-in-cheek collage of late 19th century popular music is complemented by two contemporary American composers who reach into the same well of popular music, inspired by modern influences from the world around us.
Gershwin – 3 Preludes (1926) video
Debussy – Children’s Corner Suite arr. Hekkema (1908)
Peres – Fun Fun Fun Fun (2011)
Steinmetz - Sorrow and Celebration for reed quintet and audience (2015) video
Doest - Circusmuziek (1991) video
Presenting a cohesive collection of reed quintet commissions, the Unraveled project invited several talented composers to uniquely interpret the word “Unraveled” through music composition. The prompt was put to action emotionally, musically, and even metaphysically, resulting in a collage of spiraling lines, twisting rhythms, chaos, peace, and everything in-between. Unraveled became Akropolis’ second studio album of the same name, garnering significant praise from publications including New Music Box and Fanfare Magazine. This concert program draws from the Unraveled disc, but also looks forward to related compositions from more recent projects as well.
Dooley – Warp & Weft (2013)
Turbin – Morse Code (2013)
Mellits – Splinter (2014)
Doest – Circusmuziek (1991)
Biedenbender - Refraction (2013)
Deemer – Gallimaufry (2015)
Full program information
Akropolis explores the various compositional devices of time and rhythm through its unique and colorful repertoire of eclectic contemporary works. Inspired by jazz, techno, minimalism, and "avant-pop", the music reflects a present-day emphasis on pulse as binding agent for all types of music. The program also makes connections to audience members and the world around us through two unique works which comment on tragedy, reconciliation, mourning, and celebration. Ultimately, this program reveals our own, collective "pulse".
Gershwin – 3 Preludes (1926)
Mellits - Splinter (2014)
Peres – Fun Fun Fun Fun (2011)
Jacob TV – Jesus is Coming for reed quintet and ghettoblaster (2003)
Steinmetz - Sorrow and Celebration for reed quintet and audience (2015)
Continuously seeking to enrich the burgeoning reed quintet repertoire, the Akropolis Reed Quintet is proud to present a new collection of original reed quintet repertoire from their upcoming third studio album, The Space Between Us. Akropolis commissioned five acclaimed composers whose music has influenced Akropolis' development, and whose output adds color, strength, and diversity to Akropolis' eclectic catalog of new music. The Space Between Us explores elements of space within musical structure, within social contexts, and even within the physical hall in which the music is performed. Each composer addresses "The Space Between Us" in a different way, from quiet contemplation to audience interaction. This program synthesizes Akropolis' affinity for engaging audiences with the composers' skill at crafting meaningful music.
Deemer – Gallimaufry (2015)
Biedenbender – Refraction (2015)
Puckett - Owl Moon (2015)
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Steinmetz – Sorrow and Celebration for reed quintet and audience (2015)
Wanamaker - The Space Between Us (2015)
All works are commissioned by Akropolis
PROGRAMS
Under the Influence
Unraveled
Pulse
The Space Between Us
Repertoire List
Originals Composed for Akropolis
Street Beat (4') - Ezra Donner
Sorrow and Celebtration (15') - John Steinmetz
Gallimaufry (10') - Rob Deemer*
Refraction (10') - David Biedenbender*
Owl Moon (5') - Joel Puckett*
Nonet No. 2 (20') - David Schiff**
Sound-Traveler-Angels-Sound (5') - J.C. Rosaz
Variations on Reverse Entropy (7') - R. Zare
Warp & Weft (4') - Paul Dooley
Delevarnu (15') - Florie Namir
A Frayed, Jute Whipping Knot (7') - J. Marquez
High Speed Reed (3') - Garrett Schumann
The Old Rusty Merry-Go-Round (5') &
Morse Code (5') - Jason Turbin
Fun Fun Fun Fun (11') - Asaf Peres
Pitchblende (13') - David Heetderks
Birdus Petroleum (8') - Babur Tongur
Quintet for Reeds (15') - Andrew Kohler
*premiere in 2016
**for Akropolis and Dover Quartet
Other Original Reed Quintet Works
Splinter (17') Marc Mellits
Autumn in New York (3') Elliott Bark
Four-Letter-Word (9') Robbie McCarthy
Multus (10') - Vladimir Tosic
Tyro (2') - Robbie McCarthy
The Woman Who Hatches Eggs (7') -
Chiel Meijerng
Mania (3') - Chiel Meijering
The Newspaper Boy Waltz (3') - Chiel Meijering
Nuclear Child Games (15') - Babur Tongur
Listful (12') -Alison Cameron
CircusMuziek (11') -Ton ter Dost
Motet (2') -Ron Ford
Ranae (4') - Jeff Harringon
Artefaxxx (10') - Jonathan Pontier
Our Composer Network and Commissions
Babur Tongur, Istanbul/Calgary
Joel Puckett, USA (reed quintet consortium)
John Steinmetz, Alta Dena, CA
Gregory Wanamaker, SUNY Potsdam
Rob Deemer, SUNY Fredonia
David Biedenbender, Boise State University
Robbie McCarthy, USA
Asaf Peres, Israel/Michigan
David Heetderks, Oberlin Conservatory
Garrett Schumann
Paul Dooley
Jason Turbin, Los Angeles
Roger Zare, University of Michigan
Joshua Marquez, North Carolina
Florie Namir, Israel
Eli Stine, Oberlin, Ohio
Vladimir Tosic, Serbia
Jean-Christophe Rosaz, France
Eric Lacy, North Carolina
Ezra Donner, Michigan
Christiaan de Jong, Netherlands
Andrew Kohler, Ann Arbor
CALEFAX Transcriptions
Children's Corner Suite (17') - Claude Debussy
Suite La Triomphante (24') -
Jean-Philippe Rameau
Serenade in C Minor (23') - W.A. Mozart
Le Tombeau de Couperin (30') - Maurice Ravel
La Poule (3') - Jean-Phillipe Rameau
Tu M'uccidi O Crudele (3') - Carlo Gesualdo
The Nutcracker Overture (3') -
Pytor IIyich Tchaikovsky
The Neo-Hip-Hot-Kool-Kiddies -
Duke Ellington
Arranged by Akropolis
Overture to Treemonisha - Scott Joplin*
Variations on America (7') - Charles Ives
Kinderszenen (17') - Robert Schumann
The Electric House, silent film (25') -
Buster Keaton
Three Preludes (8') - Gershwin
Six Bagatelles (11') - Gyorgy Ligeti
Adagio for Strings (8') - Samuel Barber
Romeo and Juliet (3') - Nino Rota
Serenade for Winds (25') - Antonin Dvorak
Arrival of the Queen of Sheba (3') - Handel
Medley of Pixar Soundtracks (5') - Various
*coming soon