On Saturday, March 3, Kansas City’s renowned eight-voice vocal ensemble Octarium will present Art Local, a concert of new music from local composers. Readers of this post have a chance to win tickets to the March concert. Like the post and winner will be announced on Friday. The concert will be paired with a panel discussion and performance the evening before at the Kansas City Central Library titled: The State of Choral Music in an American Idol Age. The Art Local concert will feature nine world premieres. Six of those nine were written specifically for Octarium, four commissions by established composers and two compositions by student composers who worked with the ensemble through the composition process.
The Art Local concert will feature nine world premieres. Six of those nine were written specifically for Octarium, four commissions by established composers and two compositions by student composers who worked with the ensemble through the composition process.
Artistic Director Krista Lang Blackwood said the concept was inspired by the locavore trend that champions locally grown food.
“Eating local supports local farmers and ensures our food is fresh,” Blackwood said. “With that in mind, we should also art local — support art being created in our own backyard; fresh art; new music.”
The group used an unusual internet-based fundraising campaign through a web site called Kickstarter to raise money to commission new works by local composers, including Robert Pherigo, Forrest Pierce, Ingrid Stolzel and Ian Coleman.
The concert will be at 7:30 p.m. March 3 at Community Christian Church, 4601 Main St., Kansas City, Missouri. Tickets are $15 at the door, $10 for students and seniors. They are available in advance through Brown Paper Tickets:
As a companion event, the Kansas City Central Library, 14 W. Tenth St., is hosting a discussion and special performance including some of the composers and musicians at 6 p.m. on March 2. This event is free to the public.
Since its inception in 2003, vocal octet Octarium, based in Kansas City, has gained a national reputation for performances suffused with what composer Morton Lauridsen called, “stunning artistry combined with an absolutely beautiful blending of voices.” Each season, Octarium offers a Kansas City based subscription concert series, as well as two touring programs and educational outreach programs. Octarium has also produced and recorded four highly acclaimed recordings (Octarium, Hodie, Essentials and Modern Masters).
Since its first season, Octarium has expanded its scope but never changed its vision and mission: Octarium is Latin for “Eight as One,” and the name defines our vision: Eight Singers, One Choral Voice.
