The Seattle Chamber Players (SCP), in partnership with On the Boards, presents week one of Icebreaker V: Love and War. Over the course of 5 concerts, the ensemble — Paul Taub, David Sabee, Laura DeLuca and Mikhail Shmidt — will play 7 world premiere compositions from European leaders in contemporary music. Joining them are special international guest musicians from the Netherlands, Italy, Poland, Russia, Ukraine, Iceland and Denmark.

From the claustrophobic streets of Kafka's Prague to the fragmented and ethereal melodies echoing through the ancient streets of Kiev, from the vibrant performance art of Amsterdam to the African influences at play in today's Copenhagen, Seattle Chamber Players (SCP) and its dynamic guests traverse the delicious new music of today's European capitals.

The festival will continue into the following weekend, March 4–6, with Heiner Goebbel's Songs of Wars I Have Seen, a presentation with Pacific Musicworks. Stay tuned for our next newsletter that will contain details about week two of the festival, or visit our website now for full details.

FRI | FEB 26 | 8PM

Tomoko Mukaiyama

Amsterdam to Seattle: Post Modernism Strikes Back

Featuring the world premieres of compositions by the Amsterdam-based Yannis Kyriakides and Michiel Mensingh.

Performed by Tomoko Mukaiyama, piano (Japan) and SCP

SAT | FEB 27 | 5:30PM

Xenia Ensemble

Music from Modern Italy: Life, Color and Movement

Featuring compositions by Alfredo Casella, Franco Donatoni, Salvatore Sciarrino and Lucio Gregoretti.

Performed by Xenia Ensemble (Italy)

SAT | FEB 27 | 8PM

Agata Zubel

Kafka Fragments

Composed by György Kurtág.

Performed by Agata Zubel, soprano (Poland) and Mikhail Shmidt, violin (SCP)

SUN | FEB 28 | 5:30PM

Ivan Sokolov

Russia and the Ukraine: Rivals and Lovers

Featuring the world premieres of works by Virko Baley, Igor Kefalidis and Alexander Wustin. Additional work by Yevgeniy Sharlat.

Performed by Ivan Sokolov, piano (Russia) and SCP

 

SUN | FEB 28 | 8PM

Figura Ensemble

Preludes to Disaster: Contemporary Danish and Icelandic Music

Featuring the SCP/FIGURA ensemble commissions of Peter Bruun's Preludes to disaster and Steingrimur Rohloff's Still not/not yet. Additional works by Steingrimur Rohloff and Anders Brødgaard.

Performances by FIGURA ensemble (Denmark) and SCP

SAT | FEB 27 | 11:30AM

The Gathering Note's Zach Carstenson recently inteviewed SCP violinist Mikhail Shmidt. Click here for his interview about the Icebreaker V festival and to view links to music by some of our international guest composers. And click here for Mikhail's thoughts on Hungarian composer Gyorgy Kurtag's "Kafka Fragments" which will be performed on Saturday February 27th at 8pm.

Meet the Composers

And remember the meet the composers seminar series on Saturday, Feburary 27th. This and all Icebreaker events take place at On the Boards.

11:30AM — Igor Kefalidis (Russia)
12:15PM — Yevgeniy Sharlat (Russia/USA)
1:00PM — Virko Baley (Ukraine/USA)
2:30PM — Peter Bruun (Denmark)
3:15PM — Steingrimur Rohloff (Iceland)