In Tuesday’s (10/4) Chicago Sun Times, Hedy Weiss writes that composer Augusta Read Thomas, “a fervent champion of ‘contemporary classical art music, … [has] obsessively devoted herself to realizing” Chicago’s first Ear Taxi Festival, “the extravaganza of new music running Oct. 5-10 at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance (and several other venues)…. ‘Ear Taxi’ will involve more than 300 musicians and the work of 88 composers in 30 events scheduled in 30- to 90-minute sets, and it will feature 54 world premieres, 25 ensembles, five sound installations and a two-day marathon…. [Says Thomas,] ‘We have a very defined focus, with about 75 percent of the pieces acoustic works…. The rest will use electronic media.… A great many works in the festival have been created within the past year.’ … The festival also will have its own ‘music marathon,’ running alongside the Chicago Marathon … and will culminate in a ‘Blowout Party!’ at Constellation on Oct. 9.” Festival co-curator is Stephen Burns; participating artists include musicians of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and ensembles including International Contemporary Ensemble, Spektral Quartet, Third Coast Percussion, Ensemble Dal Niente, Chicago Harp Quartet, Arcomusical, Latino Music Festival and Avalon Quartet, and Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music Contemporary Ensemble.
Posted October 6, 2016
