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Slought Foundation and Soundfield NFP are pleased to present New York composer and vocal artist Theo Bleckmann in a special evening dedicated to his compositions on Thursday, June 18, 2009 from 8:00-10:00pm at Slought Foundation.
The program will include new works for voice and ensemble, featuring Bleckmann with Philadelphia's innovative Ensemble Noamnesia and special guests the JACK String Quartet from New York. Widely known for his many years of vocal collaborations with Meredith Monk, this program will offer a rare chance to hear Bleckmann as a compelling, and beautiful, composer of music.
Genre -bending, -skipping and -skirting vocalist and composer Theo Bleckmann has been a steady force in the music scene in New York for over 15 years. Since his move to Manhattan in the late 80’s, Bleckman has forged his own sound in jazz and contemporary music today, drawing from jazz, ambient and electronic music, often integrating extended vocal techniques as well as live electronic processing and looping. He has performed worldwide on some of the great stages including Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Hall, the Sydney Opera House, L.A.’s Disney Hall, The Whitney Museum and the new Library in Alexandria, Egypt. The New Yorker called him a “local cult favorite”, Downbeat a “ “mad” genius”, The New York Times “excellent” and according to OUT Magazine, Bleckmann is “a singer who has only recently fallen to earth“ and indeed Bleckmann's style has something otherworldly and ethereal.
Forseveral years, Bleckmann has been voted into the small group of artists called "Cultural Elite" by New York Magazine and was recently interviewed by Terry Gross for NPR’s Fresh Air.
In 1989 Bleckmann moved from his native Germany to New York City after meeting legendary jazz vocalist Sheila Jordan at a workshop in Graz, Austria, who remains an influential mentor and supportive colleague to this day. Together they can be heard on Sheila Jordan's "Jazzchild" (High Note). Since his move to Manhattan (and ultimately taking on US citizenship in 2005) he has worked with such artists as Laurie Anderson, Anthony Braxton, Steve Coleman, Dave Douglas, Philip Glass, Meredith Monk, Michael Tilson Thomas, John Zorn and the Bang On A Can All-stars and was a featured soloist with the Albany Symphony, San Francisco Symphony Chorus, Estonian Radio Choir, Merce Cunningham Dance Company and Mark Morris Dance.
This program is made possible in part through the generous sponsorship or support of the Philadelphia Music Project, a program of the Pew Center for Arts and Heritage, funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts and administered by The University of the Arts
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