Airwave Premieres: WKCR x Columbia Composers

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Friday, May 14, 2021 - 3:00pm to Friday, July 30, 2021 - 4:30pm

Airwave Premieres: WKCR x Columbia Composers

In lieu of the 2021 Columbia Composers live concert series that has been cancelled due to COVID-19, WKCR presents a special summer-long music and interview series to present the new works of Columbia University's PhD composers! WKCR programmer Annie Nikunen will present special interviews and premiere new works recorded by Fonema Consort, Wet Ink Ensemble, Ekmeles vocal ensemble, Distractfold Ensemble, and more. Tune in every Friday during Afternoon Classical before Bach Hour (3:00pm-4:30pm) to catch exclusive interviews from Columbia's incredible composition cohort. 89.9 FM and wkcr.org for online streaming!

Week 1: 5/14/21 Fjóla Evans and Jessie Cox

First up kicking off the series is Jessie Cox and Fjóla Evans, talking about everything from self-care to improvisation to the COVID recording experience. The episode will also feature the premieres of their new pieces. - The Weaving of Worlds by Jessie and Self-Care by Fjóla! Both works were recorded by Fonema Consort.

Week 2: 5/21/21 Dani Dobkin and DM R

This week features Dani Dobkin’s work-in-progress sound installation “White Roses” for unfired porcelain and hydrophone as well as DM R’s “Anatomical Venus” performed by Berrow Duo. Check out the visual component for "White Roses" here. Unfortunately DM R wasn’t able to join us for an interview this week, but we hope to catch her again later in the series!

Week 3: 5/28/21 Nina Fukuoka and Artun Çekem

This week features Nina Fukuoka's “fever dream made manifest” and Artun Çekem's “Silicone Skin and Fleshy Masses”, both performed by Ekmeles Vocal Ensemble for voices and electronics. Tune in to hear these incredible works, and conversations about everything from SPEAR to composing in the pandemic.

Week 4: 6/04/21 Anna-Louise Walton, Josh Mastel, and Katie Balch

This week features Anna-Louise Walton's “the deep glens where they lived”, Josh Mastel's "animal”, and Katie Balch's “forgetting”, all performed by Ekmeles Vocal Ensemble (Unfortunately Katie couldn’t join us for an interview this week, but we’ll still get to listen to her brilliant work). Tune in to hear such different yet spellbinding pieces, and conversations about everything from nature sounds to all the fun things you can do with a flute headjoint

Week 5: 6/11/21 Bill Dougherty and Bethany Younge

This week features Bill Dougherty’s “When Sound Becomes Like a Spaceship” and Bethany Younge's “with flesh, no bones” all performed by Sun Ra Arkestra. (Unfortunately Bethany couldn’t join us for an interview, but we hope to catch her later in the series!) Join Annie Nikunen in a chat with Bill about everything from our WKCR memories to holes in French horns to marching band conducting, as well as his profound insights into “sonic relational experiences”, composing being about the people, and his projects in Rome as a Rome Prize Fellow. Won’t wanna miss!

Week 6: 6/18/21 Fjóla Evans and Jessie Cox

This week features round 2 of chatting with Fjóla Evans and Jessie Cox, this time about their works for Sun Ra Arkestra, including “St. Michael’s dragon at the beach” by Fjóla and “Sun Song No. 1” by Jessie. Tune in to hear these beautiful works as well as convos about everything from “interpretation as improvisation” and expansion of the place of question to the art at the Met Cloisters and electric guitar part.

Week 7: 6/25/21 Emily Praetorius and Uri Kochavi

This week features the works of Uri Kochavi, “Relics of Movement”, and Emily Praetorius, “Nothing Never Always Sometimes Changes”, all performed by Wet Ink Ensemble! These pieces are written so beautifully for the ensemble - won’t wanna miss, along with convos about everything from not being afraid to fail, concert as ritual and “extending the performer” with Uri to marching band, breathing and the community of coffee shops with Emily.