In 2015, The Montréal Contemporary Music Lab partnered with Black House Collective for a musical exchange. Parallel to the mandates of MCML and Black House Collective, our aim with this pilot project was to bridge the two artistic communities and showcase original work.
Hunter Long, director of the Black House Collective in Kansas City, was a participant during the 2014 edition of MCML. In a forum presentation that year, he introduced us to his project and from there the brainstorming began for a collaboration venture.
For this initiative, six composers (3 from each community) composed new works for the mixed ensemble (3 performers from each community). The entire group then met for two four-day residencies, the first in Kansas City and the second in Montreal. A total of six 7-12 minute new compositions will be premiered.
Participants
Ensemble:
Krisjana Thorsteinson, oboe, Montréal
Jennifer Lachaine, alto, soprano saxophones, Montréal
Jane Chan, cello, Montréal
Molly McLaughlin, flute, Kansas City
Hunter Long, tenor sax, recorders, Kansas City
Mai Tadokoro, percussion, Kansas City
Composers
Emilie Lebel, Toronto, Ontario
Carmen Vanderveken, Montréal, Québec
Juro Kim Feliz, Montréal, Québec
William Lackey, Kansas City, Missouri
Russell Thorpe, Kansas City, Missouri
Hunter Long, Kansas City, Missouri