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KMFA'S OFFBEAT SERIES PRESENTED BY AUDIO NOVA | ESTES AUDIOLOGY

AUSTIN UNCONDUCTED

NIGHT POEMS

FEATURING THE WORLD PREMIERE OF "NIGHT POEM" BY 2024 DRAYLEN MASON COMPOSER-IN-RESIDENCE SOPHIE MATHIEU

September 22 at 4:00 p.m. | Draylen Mason Music Studio

KMFA's Offbeat Concert Series presented by Audio Nova | Estes Audiology returns on Sunday, September 22 at 4:00 p.m. (pre-concert talk at 3:00 p.m.) with Austin Unconducted featuring the world premiere of NIGHT POEM, a piece by 2024 Draylen Mason Composer-in-Residence Sophie Mathieu, commissioned by KMFA specifically for this event.

Austin Unconducted's NIGHT POEMS concert features an enchanting evening of music inspired by the various shades and hues as it unfolds and deepens. Central to the program is KMFA’s Draylen Mason Composer-in-Residence Sophie Mathieu’s evocative new composition, Night Poem, which masterfully utilizes the textures and timbres of the string orchestra to delve into the profound mysteries of the nocturnal world.

Contemporary pieces, tonally aligned, enhance the journey through the night’s diverse realms, highlighting Austin Unconducted’s versatility – from the intimate to the expansive. Guests are invited for a captivating exploration of the night’s endless possibilities through the expressive power of music.

Tickets include a pre-concert talk beginning at 3:00 p.m. and complimentary sips from Tito's Handmade Vodka, STILL Austin, and wine courtesy of Georgetown Winery and Vineyard.

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Special thanks to our presenting sponsor:

Thanks to our in-kind sponsors:

You might also be interested in the KMFA Offbeat Series concert with INVERSION ENSEMBLE called Fire, Water, and the Air We Breathe featuring a brand-new work by composer Juhi Bansal on October 26 & 27 in the Draylen Mason Music Studio. Click the image below for more information or to purchase tickets.

ABOUT AUSTIN UNCONDUCTED 

Austin Unconducted was founded in 2021 by a group of friends seeking to reimagine how classical music is presented. The orchestra builds community by creating inclusive, immersive, and relevant concert experiences that engage diverse audiences. As a cooperative orchestra, they re-examine the long arc of musical tradition through a contemporary lens with performances that promote equity and generate new excitement for art music in an ever-changing Austin.

ABOUT SOPHIE MATHIEU

Sophie Mathieu is a composer and cellist based in Austin, TX. She specializes in creating ambient, ethereal, and immersive works about vast, expansive places in the natural world. Her music has won her numerous awards, including her orchestral work, moons, which recently received an ASCAP Morton Gould award. Sophie has collaborated with ensembles across the US, including Alarm Will Sound, yMusic, and Eighth Blackbird.

As a performer, Sophie ​eagerly engages with any type of music making that is hands-on and fun. She is passionate about the (small but mighty) local new music scene in Austin and appears regularly with ensembles Less Than Ten and Density512. During her time pursuing a master’s in composition at the University of Texas, she served as the principal cellist of UT New Music Ensemble and the director of the CLUTCH concert series, a series of performances showcasing works composed by students.

Sophie plays in the Austin-based queer folk band Middle Sattre and the indie-alternative band Maru. She also loves early music and studied baroque cello and viola da gamba during her undergraduate studies, receiving the Colburn Scholarship in Early Music Performance for her work with USC’s Baroque Sinfonia. After UT Austin’s Early Music Ensemble was canceled during the Covid-19 pandemic, she took the initiative to help restart it during the 2022-2023 school year. Sophie also enjoys performing theatrical and non-traditional musical works, having recently performed Mayke Nas and Wouter Snoei’s I Delayed People’s Flights by Walking Slowly in Narrow Hallways.

In addition to her recently completed master’s in composition at UT Austin’s Butler School of Music, Sophie completed her undergraduate studies in composition at the University of Southern California. Her primary teachers include Ted Hearne, Andrew Norman, Alyssa Weinberg, Omar Thomas, and Donald Crockett. Sophie is passionate about teaching and is currently the Youth Director at Golden Hornet.

Outside of music, Sophie enjoys cooking plant-based food, playing Sid Meier's Civilization, and watching psychological horror films in her free time.

Event Details

• Date: Sunday, September 22
• Time: 4:00 p.m. (Pre-Concert Talk at 3:00 p.m.)
• Venue: Draylen Mason Music Studio
• Website: https://nightpoems.planningpod.com/

Ticket Information

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

Presenter Details

• Name: KMFA Classical

KMFA 89.5 is an independent public classical radio station in Austin, TX. Established in 1967, KMFA serves approximately 120,000 listeners each week and features locally produced shows like Classical Austin, Early Music Now, and From The Butler School, as well as nationally distributed programming from Public Radio International, American Public Media, and National Public Radio.

KMFA supports many regional arts organizations such as the Austin Symphony Orchestra, Austin Opera, and Texas Performing Arts with on-air and online promotions, co-sponsorships, and interviews with KMFA hosts. Our Listen Local initiative broadcasts Austin’s finest classical music performances, making classical music and cultural events available to all. With popular programs like the “Kids On Key” and the Free Midday Concert Series, KMFA encourages arts education and supports the Central Texas community.

Venue Details