Varo String Quartet and ~Nois play Poetics of Space Translation Symmetry  by Noah Jenkins

Chicago contemporary music powerhouses ~Nois and Varo String Quartet come together for the first time for the world premiere of Poetics of Space Translation Symmetry by Chicago composer Noah Jenkins. The 45-minute octet features a spatial arrangement with the strings centered in the performance space and the saxophones posted around the perimeter. Tones, players, and quartets sound individually and fuse together into composites, melodic shapes blur into vertical harmony, and just-intonation harmonies are animated as their constituent tones take shape in spatiotemporal patterns. 

This Valentine’s Eve, step into a world of sonic enchantment at the Athenaeum for Imaginary Lovers, a special concert event presented as part of Eighth Blackbird’s Artist-in-Residence.

In this groundbreaking collaboration, Shara Nova, the visionary founder of My Brightest Diamond and Broadway star (notably in “Illinoise”), joins forces with the Grammy Award-winning ensemble Eighth Blackbird to premiere a new work that blends Nova’s signature pop-chamber style with the group’s genre-bending, virtuosic musicianship.

This one-of-a-kind performance is a not-to-be-missed opportunity to witness a truly unique musical collaboration between two of today’s most innovative forces in contemporary music. Plus, an exciting opener from Chicago’s own saxophone quartet, ~Nois! (That’s US!!)

Tickets are FREE, but seats are limited. RSVP to be sure to get a seat!

DISCOVERY will feature the full world-premiere of Augusta Read Thomas' "Shakespeare's Jesters" as well as the premiere of a brand new video for Darian Donovan Thomas' Sun Thrower (done by our new friends at Four|Ten Media).

DISCOVERY will also feature the winners of our 2024 Young Creators Fellowship. We'll also be featuring our super-star intern, Natalia Warthen in her duo SiP. They'll be performing two pieces from their repertoire by Daijana Wallace and Minoo Dixon.

Get tickets HERE: https://www.ticketweb.com/event/nois-kinds-of-nois-album-space-tickets/13399253

All tickets purchasers will receive a copy of Kinds of ~Nois shipped directly to their home! 

Join ~Nois as they celebrate the release of their sophomore album, Kinds of ~Nois. The group presents a post-minimalist and experimental collection of new works by the international composer collective Kinds of Kings. Kinds of ~Nois celebrates six years of collaboration with Shelley Washington, Gemma Peacocke, and Maria Kaoutzani in world premiere recordings of works written specifically for the ensemble.

From inspiring melodies, driving grooves, and haunting textures, the musical voices of the Kinds of Kings collective brilliantly highlight some of the best of what this ensemble can do.

All good things must come to an end! Our season closer will feature the music we’ve discovered along the way this year. Music by Angel Alday (Young Creative Fellow), Kennedy Taylor Dixon, Julia Flores (YCF), Bobby Ge, Travis Laplante, and Christian Quiñones.

Tickets available HERE.

Livestream available HERE.

This concert will feature two performances of I Tell You Me, first by Amanda DeBoer Bartlett and second by Annika Socolofsky. In the work, Annika draws from her personal experiences in this “feminist rager lullaby for a new, queer era” as she highlights societal perceptions of femininity and sexuality.

In between the two performances, a panel conversation between the two vocalists, Darian Donovan Thomas, and music critic Hannah Edgar. will discuss the themes of the work to explore queerness and expression through the lens of performance and composition.

RSVP for your FREE ticket HERE.

Join us as we kick off our 22-23 Season at Curiosity V. Curiosity is our yearly series at Constellation Chicago where we premiere and perform new music from composers with strong ties to our hometown of Chicago. Come get curious with us in person or via the livestream. Facebook event page here.

Premieres by Lisa Atkinson, Alex Mincek & AJ Santillan. Existing works by Maria Kaoutzani & Elliott Lupp.