In Two Worlds: Exploring the duality of music and society

About this event

Saxophonist John Sampen and composer-engineer Mark Bunce have traveled throughout the world, presenting master classes and concert performances that explore the intersection of saxophone and electronic media. Their tours have included appearances across the Pacific Northwest, the Carolinas, the Southwest, New England and many other locations throughout the continental United States, as well as Alaska, Hawaii, Italy, Greec e and Canada.

Their current multidisciplinary presentation,

In Two Worlds, offers an immersive musical experience featuring projected visuals, interactive electronics and theatrical elements. The program includes works by John Cage, Toru Takemitsu, Morton Subotnick, Brian Egan, Marilyn Shrude, William Bolcom and Mark Bunce. Recorded readings and poetry incorporate the voices of the composers themselves, bringing their presence into the live performance.

The presentation begins with contemplative pre-concert chance music by John Cage as audience members enter the hall. Special lighting effects transition into Marilyn Shrude's Trope, enhanced by the composer's animated visual projections.

James Mobberley's

Spontaneous Combustion, a classic work for saxophone and fixed media, is paired with video imagery by Michiko Saiki. Bunce's

Schrödinger's Cat, composed specifically for performances with Sampen, explores the origins of the universe through interactive electronics and film.

The program continues with Takemitsu's

Distance, a work for soloist and shō, a Japanese mouth organ. In this presentation, the piece is accompanied by interactive sounds and visuals inspired by Japanese rock gardens.

William Bolcom's theatrical

Short Lecture

on the Saxophone

offers a satirical look at the instrument and its colorful history. Sampen combines humorous anecdotes with quoted and original saxophone excerpts while projected visuals enhance the presentation.

The performance concludes with Morton Subotnick's energetic In

Two Worlds, which contrasts traditional acoustic sounds with modern technology, bringing the concert's exploration of music and media full circle.