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The Westerlies

Thursday, February 21, 7:30PM

Machine Shop

Now in its sixth season, Schubert Club Mix is an innovative series that takes the formality out of classical music. Audiences are treated to remarkable and intimate performances with relevant artists who are influencing the musical landscape of today.

Based out of New York (but originally from Seattle), the self-described “accidental brass quartet” featuring two trumpets and two trombones takes its name from the prevailing winds that travel from the West to the East. “Skilled interpreters who are also adept improvisers” (NPR’s Fresh Air), this Mix performance in our newest venue, Minneapolis’s Machine Shop, will explore jazz, roots, and chamber music influences to create the rarest of hybrids: music that is both “folk-like and composerly, lovely and intellectually rigorous” (NPR Music). Expect the precision of a string quartet, the audacity of a rock band, and the charm of a family sing-along.

About the Program: 

The Westerlies dive into the world of the piano, translating music old and new from eighty-eight keys to four horns. Contrasts abound with the impressionist beauty of Debussy, Ravel, and Ellington set against the explosive chromaticism of Ligeti, while Jason Moran’s contemplative Arizona Landscape finds common language with electronic artist Aphex Twin’s popular 2001 work Avril 14th. The program title comes from Robin Holcomb’s expansive 1996 solo piano work, which is paired with two pieces by her husband Wayne Horvitz, recorded by The Westerlies on their debut album. With their signature genre-bending voice, The Westerlies weave through the world of the piano as never before heard, with original compositions by each member for ensemble rounding out the program.