FIREWORKS
From Sequenza21/NetNewMusic Wiki
Hailed as “the hottest new classical band in New York,” Fireworks [1] – Jennifer Grim (flute), Taimur Sullivan (saxophone), Oren Fader (guitar), Tricia Park (violin), Leigh Stuart (cello), James Johnston (keyboards), Brian Coughlin (bass), and Julian Molitz (percussion) – combines the subtlety and depth of classical chamber music with the freedom of jazz and the power and energy of rock.
Embracing the richness and diversity of today’s music, Fireworks moves effortlessly across category boundaries. The ensemble is well-known for fearlessly championing new works, and for its remarkable arrangements and interpretations of classical repertoire, ranging from J. S. Bach’s The Art of the Fugue to Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring. Its revitalizations provide a contemporary and unbiased entrée into these masterpieces for new listeners, and a fresh perspective on time-honored classics for established audiences.
In New York, Fireworks has traversed the city’s cultural geography from The Riverside Church Theater uptown to The 92nd Street Y, to The Duke on 42nd Street, to The Knitting Factory downtown. The group’s frequent tours throughout the East Coast have brought them to venues as diverse as Philadelphia’s esteemed Curtis Hall and Hartford’s funky jazz and world-music hot spot, Real Art Ways.
The ensemble has recently held residencies at The Hartt School (2003 Resident Feldman Ensemble) and Williams College (2004), and has conducted workshops and collaborative performances at The Hotchkiss School (Lakeville, CT), The KLHT School (Stamford, CT), and at Steinway Hall (NYC) with Soyulla Artists.
Fireworks' acclaimed, rock-inspired recording of Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring (2003) was featured as the top classical pick by CD Baby for two months, and has been heard on radio worldwide, from Soundcheck on WNYC in New York to La Otra Musica in Spain. The group’s first recording, First Tracks (2002) was recently featured on John Schaefer’s New Sounds on WNYC.
In addition to its regular concert series in New York, Fireworks' 2004-05 season includes performances at Carnegie Hall, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the Deer Valley Music Festival in Utah, and a residency at the Oregon Bach Festival Composers' Symposium. "Dance Mix," the ensemble's third CD, will be available in 2005.
