Epstein - For Aperiodic [CD]

Chicago based aperiodic performs music grounded in post-Cagean experimental traditions. "for aperiodic" features music written for the ensemble by ensemble members Nomi Epstein (artistic director and founder), Kenn Kumpf, Billie Howard, and pivotal Wandelweisser composer Michael Pisaro. Each work engages with the relationship of the individual to collective, highlighting one of the fundamental parameters for exploration in ensemble music. Founded in 2010, aperiodic's repertoire explores the indeterminacy of various musical elements including instrumentation, structure, pitch, and/or duration. Drawn to works of sparseness, contemplation, and quietude, this "daring group" (Chicago Reader) has a history of interpreting distinctive pieces using a collaborative rehearsal process, deriving meaning and intention from oblique prose scores with great sensitivity. Led by Nomi Epstein, the ensemble has commissioned, premiered, and recorded works by composers such as Michael Pisaro, Eva-Maria Houben, Jürg Frey, James Saunders, and Pauline Oliveros. aperiodic released it's debut album, more or less, featuring the music of Jürg Frey in 2014 under New Focus Recordings. The ensemble has received funding from the Swiss Arts Council, the Earle Brown Foundation, the Goethe Institute, and the Foundation of Contemporary Arts. Members of aperiodic hold graduate degrees in music performance or composition from Chicago-area universities and conservatories, and are featured in other Chicago-based groups including Ensemble Dal Niente and Outer Voices.