Christopher Rountree will conduct the CalArts Ensemble in concert on Monday, Dec. 14, at 8 p.m. which will feature compositions by renowned contemporary composers Morton Feldman and György Ligeti, and presents original work by graduate composition students from The Herb Alpert School of Music at California Institute of the Arts.

The concert, which introduces the CalArts Ensemble, will take place in the Wild Beast music pavilion on the CalArts campus. Admission is free.

“The CalArts Ensemble is a fully professional performing entity with the mission to foster and promote the work of advanced student composers and instrumentalists,” said CalArts music faculty Mark Menzies, who coordinates the programming for the group. “This first concert with acclaimed conductor Chris Rountree marks the beginning of an ongoing professional collaboration between the CalArts music community–consisting of both students and faculty–and world-class guest artists.” The CalArts Ensemble is the successor to the New Century Players, previously the flagship student-faculty music group at CalArts.

Christopher Rountree stands at the intersection of contemporary music, art and pop. He is the founding director of the modern music collective, wild Up, which was recently described by The New York Times as ‘irresistibly exuberant’. “Chris Rountree has been involved with CalArts music in various ways before,” said CalArts Ensemble member Luke Martin, whose work will be performed at the concert. “It is always exciting to have him on board, particularly because of his influence and success in the new music world with wild Up.”

The program includes Madame Press Died Last Week at Ninety (1970) by former CalArts faculty member Morton Feldman and two compositions by György Ligeti: Double Concerto for Flute and Oboe (1972), and Chamber Concerto (1969-1970). The student compositions, not in program order, are Ruptures by Luke Martin, Corsica by Estella Veloce, and Synapse by Danny Clarke.

More Information:

Christopher Rountree
http://wildup.la/profile/chris-rountree/

Morton Feldman
http://www.theguardian.com/music/tomserviceblog/2012/nov/12/morton-feldm…

György Ligeti
http://www.theguardian.com/music/tomserviceblog/2012/aug/27/gyorgy-liget…