Annea Lockwood (b. 1939), recently described by The New York Times as “a composer of insatiable curiosity and a singular ear for the music of the natural world,” brings a robust program of recent works from the last two decades to Harvard. The program includes Becoming Air (2018), a visceral solo work that plumbs the depths of trumpet sound through volatile textures and fragile resonances, at times fading to near inaudibility. Jitterbug (2007) transports listeners to the lakes and backwaters of Montana, where musicians interpret rock photographs as graphic scores, evoking a kind of sonic geology. Buoyant (2013) and Into the Vanishing Point (2019) are two alluringly lush works: the first draws audiences into the world of Lockwood’s visionary field recordings, while the second unfolds a unique soundscape of rubbed piano strings, gently handled objects, and chiming pitches that conjure a plethora of natural images––insects and frogs, wind through trees, and the wings of birds in flight.

Curated by flutist and professor Claire Chase, the evening draws upon Lockwood’s intensively collaborative compositional process by bringing together an array of performers—many of whom commissioned, premiered, and championed these works—including the trumpeter Nathan Wooley, pianist Vicki Ray, percussionist Wesley Sumpter, and the ensemble Yarn/Wire.

Curated and Hosted by Professor Claire Chase

PROGRAM:

“Becoming Air” (2018) with Nathan Wooley, trumpet

“Jitterbug” (2007) with Vicky Ray, piano, and Wesley Sumpter, percussion

INTERMISSION

“Buoyant” (2013)

“Into the Vanishing Point” (2019) with Yarn/Wire, piano and percussion

This event is part of ArtsThursdays, a university-wide initiative supported by Harvard University Committee on the Arts (HUCA).