About

KMFA OFFBEAT SERIES PRESENTED BY ESTES AUDIOLOGY

INSECTUM

FEATURING WORLD PREMIERES FROM SUSIE IBARRA, JEFFREY ZEIGLER, & GRAHAM REYNOLDS

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH GOLDEN HORNET

Thurs., Feb. 22 at 6:00 p.m. | Draylen Mason Music Studio

***SOLD OUT***

Thank you Austin for another SOLD OUT KMFA Offbeat Series Concert!

Don't miss your chance to see our next Offbeat Concert with American Dreamer on Friday, April 12 at 7:00 p.m. Get tickets here.

KMFA Classical’s Offbeat Series announces the world premiere of Golden Hornet’s INSECTUM featuring new works by Susie Ibarra, Jeffrey Zeigler, and Graham Reynolds, on February 22, 2024 at the Draylen Mason Music Studio. In partnership with the nonprofit commissioning and presenting organization Golden Hornet, the evening will include a pre-concert chat with the featured artists and consulting scientists.

Co-commissioned by Kathleen and Harvey Guion & the Guion Family Foundation and Suzanne Deal Booth & The Suzanne Deal Booth Cultural Trust and supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, INSECTUM dives into the fascinating, though often overlooked, lives of arthropods. In addition to shining a light on these resilient creatures, the performance also offers a cautionary tale as to the dangers of climate change and the loss of species diversity.

INSECTUM is a sonic exploration of the resilience and beauty of the world’s oldest living multicellular creatures; arthropods. Originally inspired by the pioneering imagery of artist-entomologist Maria Sibylla Merian, and further by consultation with entomologists Alex Wild and Jo-anne Holley at The University of Texas at Austin, the event aims to not only bring audiences “down” to these creatures' level but also to reframe our relationship with them.

The event will feature world premieres by composer/performers Susie Ibarra (drums/percussion), Jeffrey Zeigler (cello), and Graham Reynolds (piano/keyboards/electronics). Part performance, part educational experience, INSECTUM combines science and music to weave together an unforgettable evening that finds beauty in all things small.

6:00 p.m. Pre-Performance Talk

7:00 p.m. Performance

BUY TICKETS

Special thanks to our presenting sponsor:

Additional support for KMFA's Offbeat Concert Series comes from:

Tickets include complimentary sips from Tito's Handmade Vodka and STILL Austin.

Wine courtesy of Georgetwon Winery and Vineyard

You might also be intersted  in the KMFA Offbeat Series concert ADORATION & REMEMBRANCE featuring Aerican Dreamer on Friday, April 21 at 7:00 p.m.

ABOUT KMFA'S OFFBEAT SERIES:

Explore the dynamic tapestry of Austin's contemporary classical music scene with KMFA's Offbeat Series. This captivating program presents talented artists at the forefront of innovation, bringing their performances to life in the renowned Draylen Mason Music Studio. With a mission to introduce a new genre to dedicated classical music enthusiasts and foster a growing community of new music lovers, KMFA invites you to join us on a journey that celebrates the vibrancy of Austin's musical landscape.

ABOUT SUSIE IBARRA

Susie Ibarra is a Pilipina- American Composer, Percussionist and Sound Artist whose artistic practice combines being on field, in performance, in studio and supporting conservation of traditional heritages and environments. She has recorded over 40 albums as a composer and drummer and performed in events such as the London Olympics, Rio Olympics, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Carnegie Hall, MASSMoCA, Anthony Davies Hall, Sharjah Art Biennial UAE, Zamane Music Festival Morocco, and many more.

ABOUT JEFFERY ZEIGLER

Jeffrey Zeigler has released dozens of albums on Nonesuch Records, Deutsche Grammophon, Cantaloupe and Smithsonian Folkways and has appeared with Norah Jones on her album Not Too Late on Blue Note Records. While serving as the cellist of the internationally renowned Kronos Quartet for eight seasons, Zeigler was the recipient of the Avery Fisher Prize, the Polar Music Prize, the President’s Merit Award from the Grammys and The Asia Society's Cultural Achievement Award. Jeffrey Zeigler was recently appointed Assistant Professor of Chamber Music and Innovation at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami.

ABOUT GRAHAM REYNOLDS

Called “the quintessential modern composer” by the ​London Independent​, Austin-based composer-bandleader-improviser Graham Reynolds records and performs music for film, theater, dance, rock clubs, and concert halls. He recently scored Richard Linklater’s Where’d You Go, Bernadette (Annapurna Pictures) with Cate Blanchett, Kristen Wiig, and Laurence Fishburne, Happy Jail (Netflix), Stop Hitting Yourself (Lincoln Center Theater), Out of Her Mind (BBC), Grimm Tales (Ballet Austin), and a multi-year commission from Ballroom Marfa, The Marfa Triptych, culminating in his Creative Capital Award winning project Pancho Villa from a Safe Distance. Amidst his many other projects, Graham also serves as the Artistic Director of the new music focused non-profit Golden Hornet. In 2020, Graham signed with London-based record label Fire Records and released his original score for Alfred Hitchcock’s silent classic, The Lodger, with a forthcoming album of original material in 2024.

Event Details

• Date: Thursday, February 22
• Time: 6:00 p.m. Pre-Performance Talk | 7:00 p.m. Performance
• Venue: Draylen Mason Music Studio at KMFA
• Website: https://insectum.planningpod.com/

Ticket Information

• Cost: $30.00 General Admission | $15.00 Student Tickets

Presenter Details

• Name: Golden Hornet

In the 1990s, Golden Hornet co-founders Graham Reynolds and Peter Stopschinski were both composers struggling to find spaces, presenters, and funding to support their original chamber works. During their search, they found that many other young and emerging composers were facing the same challenges. At the time, both Reynolds and Stopschinski were also bandleaders in the burgeoning rock and punk scene of Austin, TX – of Golden Arm Trio and Brown Whörnet respectively – and they decided to team up to solve this challenge. BY applying the collective creation and self-production methods of the rock genre to the world of classical music, they were able to form a thriving community of living composers. Through Golden Hornet, numerous new works have emerged over the years from full-size symphonies performed in warehouse spaces to collaborations with Tosca String Quartet, Austin Lyric Opera, local high school orchestras, and composers like Glenn Kotche. More information at goldenhornet.org.

Venue Details