Leslie Ross will present an evening of solo works created for a micro-microphoned bassoon. Fifteen microphones are placed right at tone holes of the instrument and the signals routed to speakers placed around the room. This set up takes apart the sound of the instrument, each microphone differentiating and picking up slightly different timbre and frequency nuances which when sent to multiple speakers creates a thickly textured listening environment. This is particularly true with multiphonics which are used extensively in most of the pieces. Pitches and phrases blending in and out of these multiphonics are often further supported with the use of circular breathing.
Leslie Ross, performer, sound-installation artist, bassoonist and instrument-maker, has been exploring and experimenting with sound for over 25 years. In both gallery and street performance settings as well as in collaboration with choreographers, she has created works for numerous constructed instruments and installations. As an improviser Leslie played and toured with many musicians and groups through the 90s' including with 'Trigger', a collaborative trio with Fred Lunberg-Holmes and Paul Hoskin. Her own compositions for performance are structured scores that play with memory and recall, where the 'recalled' may be developed in predetermined various ways. Improvisation remains the central and essential element of these scores.
In the past few years she has returned her focus to a detailed exploration and understanding of bassoon multiphonics. This process of investigation has led to the creation of solo works that use an extensive system of micro-amplification: 15 microphones are placed at tone holes on the instrument and the signal from these microphones are directed to many speakers around a room.
She continues to build replicas of historical bassoons in her workshop on the Lower East Side of NYC.
Cost: $10 general, $5 student/senior