Cellist Maya Beiser Performs Michael Harrison’s Just Ancient Loops Tonight, 6/17

Maya Beiser, described by the Boston Globe as having "virtuoso chops, rock-star charisma, and an appetite for pushing her instrument to The Edge of avant-garde adventurousness," will give the world premiere of Michael Harrison's Just Ancient Loops with new film by Bill Morrison during the 12-hour Bang on a Can Marathon after 9pm tonight, June 17, 2012 at World Financial Center Winter Garden (220 Vesey Street, NYC). A recording of Just Ancient Loops will be released on Cantaloupe Music in fall 2012. The album, entitled Time Loops, also includes Harrison's Hijaz for Maya Beiser and the Young People's Chorus of New York City with Harrison on piano, plus music by Arvo Pärt and J.S. Bach.

Just Ancient Loops is a 25-minute piece that unveils every aspect of the cello – from its most glorious and mysterious harmonics to earthy, rhythmic pizzicatos. Michael Harrison explains, "Just Ancient Loops uses Just tunings, Ancient modes and harmonies, and Loops of melodic and rhythmic modules. It is a musical odyssey for an orchestra of cellos, with each cello part recorded separately in the studio by Maya. In concert Maya plays the lead part live accompanied by a recording of all of the other pre-recorded parts and a new film created specifically for the project by multi-media artist Bill Morrison."

Of the new piece, Maya says, "In this work the cello becomes this "über" instrument – laying down the drones, building rhythmical grooves on top of each other, singing melismatic melodies, and reaching up to the stratosphere as the music evolves and builds into a massive, exhilarating climax. There are those rare moments in an artist's life when you realize that you are part of something that is greater than yourself, your collaborators, your listeners – when everything falls into place and music just lives and breathes on its own: raw, naked, real. It takes over. It becomes a force of nature. Such was the moment when I listened to the first mix of Just Ancient Loops."

TICKETING INFORMATION: 

Admission: Free 

Date: The marathon begins tonight, June 17, 2012 and ends the 18th. 

Location: World Financial Center Winter Garden, 220 Vesey Street, New York, NY. 

For additional information: 

Box Office: (718) 852-7755

Online: www.bangonacan.org