Program
This piece is written for, and dedicated to, the guitarist Gene Bertoncini. Terrence studied with Gene during his senior year at William Paterson University. Gene was a good teacher and a good friend.
The piece uses various compositional devices and aims to blend jazz and classical frameworks. The form of the piece consists of seven distinct sections. The main melody was constructed serially; each note of the prime line is based on the spelling of the name Gene Bertoncini. As the melody keeps restating itself, the line shifts to different formations of the prime row.
In general, harmony in the piece moves by thirds. During the composed sections the harmony generally shifts by minor thirds, and during the solo sections that harmony ascends by major thirds.
Aside from the dedication and the aforementioned serial influence, this piece also draws inspiration from the music of the John Coltrane Quartet.
Part of this Toccata is fully improvised; part of it sounds like it may be improvised but actually isn't; and part is neither improvised nor sounds improvised, but may nonetheless inspire you to improvise a dance.
Another World in the Dark grew out of one of my favorite activities: playing piano in the dark. Over the years, I noticed I mostly played with my eyes closed. So I wondered, "What would happen if I turned the lights off?" Note by note, I found myself discovering new musical worlds.
The process feels like your eyes adjusting to the dark. At first, you can't see anything. As your mind settles, more details emerge. The same thing happens with your musical imagination.
So far, I have taken nine of these journeys alone. Today, my friend and collaborator Jared Luís joins me to discover another world in the dark, and we bring you along for the ride.
You can find the other nine worlds on my SoundCloud and YouTube channels.
My personal philosophy is dominated by two distinct worldviews: the Artist and the Archivist. The Artist is very creative, impulsive, and obsessed with personal freedom. In contrast, the Archivist tends to apply an exclusively practical and logical mindset to all situations.
The competition between these two philosophies has inspired many aspects of this composition. There are two distinct sections that present material in vastly different ways. One section, representing the Artist, presents material via colors and shapes. The other section, representing the Archivist, asks the performers to play specific notes. Many aspects of the piece, from the general ranges of the Archivist material to the structure of the performance, are left up to the performers. This reflects my current status as a doctoral composition student, which has led to the Artist worldview increasingly dominating that of the Archivist.
Every edition is built with collaborators. If you write or play and want to be part of an upcoming concert, send a note and Maxwell will reach out as programs come together.
Or email maxwellhenrymusic@gmail.com.
Join the list for future Concert Theory concerts.
Bios
Terrence McManus
Terrence McManus is a guitarist, composer, and sound artist that has worked in New York City, and in Europe, for close to twenty years. The New York Times has described him as a "guitarist drawn to abstract texture" and Time Out New York has called him a "texture-minded guitar abstractionist." His works have been performed by Talea Ensemble, Contemporaneous, Bergamot Quartet, Hub New Music, Christopher Otto, Josh Modney, Joshua Rubin, Mariel Roberts, Kyle Armbrust, Tyshawn Sorey, and Bill Frisell.
Laurence Freed
Laurence Freed is a composer based in New York City. Laurence tends to write for chamber ensembles, male and mixed choirs, and musical theater. His music has been noted as a fusion of the opera burlesque tradition, the 19th century theoretical writings of Victor Gustave Lefèvre, and Paul Hindemith's Unterweisung im Tonsatz, but with a contemporary twist. Ultimately, he hopes his music can represent an affirmative act of joy, and offer a safe space for performers and listeners alike to experience pleasure, humor, surprise and connection.
Luca Pasquini
Luca Pasquini is an NYC-based composer and interdisciplinary artist exploring the complexity of human emotions through themes of the natural, supernatural, and digital worlds, often meditating on memory and connection. His work spans various mediums, from the concert music stage to music for dance and film. Luca's music has received recognition from ASCAP Morton Gould, ArtzEnter Institute, Tribeca New Music, Voices of Change, the YoungArts Foundation, the National Young Composers Challenge, the Marvin Hamlisch International Music Awards, and more. Luca has also collaborated with esteemed ensembles including the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, Salastina, the Rhythm Method Quartet, Tempo Ensemble, E4TT, Hub New Music, UnheardOf Ensemble, Playground Ensemble, Dither, Chamber Project St. Louis, and the New York University Orchestra. He has taken part in programs such as the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival New Music Workshop, Connecticut Summerfest, Salastina Sounds Promising, and Yellow Barn. Luca recently earned his Bachelor's in Music Theory and Composition from the New York University Steinhardt School. His mentors have included Michael Gordon, Robert Honstein, Justin Dello Joio, and Leanna Kirchoff.
Maxwell Henry
Maxwell Henry is a Brooklyn-based composer, pianist, drummer, and producer. Maxwell's music brings classical tradition together with, what is often thought of as the opposite end of the musical spectrum, modern popular music. He holds a master's in songwriting from NYU and a bachelor's in classical composition from the University of Wisconsin.
Jude Duane
Jude Duane is a composer and sound artist whose work merges plunderphonic intensity with Post-Internet edge; one listener compared it to "niche internet micro genres invading a classical music concert." Based in New Jersey, Jude's music has been performed by ensembles such as the Kompass Ensemble, newCELF, SydeBoob Duo, Sputter Box, RE: Duo, and the Bergamot Quartet. He has been a resident at leading contemporary music programs including New Music on the Point, Electronic Music Midwest, the Summer Institute of Contemporary Performance Practice (SICPP), and Divergent Studio. A pianist since kindergarten and a trombonist since the fourth grade, music has always been Jude's language of connection. He found in music not just a form of self-expression, but a bridge to community. This path naturally led to composing. He is currently in the Doctor of Musical Arts program at the Manhattan School of Music, studying with Dr. David Adamcyk. Previously, he completed the Bachelor of Music program at Montclair State University and the Master of Music program at New Jersey City University. Jude is also a professional archivist with current work at the Ironbound Community Corporation and prior experience with Cengage and the Institute of Jazz Studies.
Terrence McManus Quartet
Guitarist and composer Terrence McManus leads the quartet in his For Gene Bertoncini, with Billy Drewes on tenor saxophone, Chris Lightcap on double bass and Billy Mintz on drums.
Xiaolin Zhang
Born and raised in Dubai, Xiaolin Zhang is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Music at The Juilliard School under the guidance of Hung-Kuan Chen. He has received top prizes from international music competitions, including first prizes from the Chopin International Piano Competition Hartford, Fujairah International Piano Competition, Young Musicians of the Gulf Competition and more, as well as top prizes from the Koussevitzky Young Artists Awards, Gershwin International Competition, the International Anton Rubinstein Piano Competition, Dusseldorf, International Franz Liszt Competition for Young Pianists, Weimar, etc. Xiaolin has participated and performed at festivals including Aspen Music Festival, Bowdoin Music Festival, Juilliard ChamberFest, Gijon Piano Festival, International Summer Academy of Mozarteum, EuroArts, etc., having worked with esteemed professors including Veda Kaplinsky, Bernd Goetzke, Haesun Paik, Soyeon-Kate Lee, Robert McDonald, Mikhail Voskresensky, Douglas Humpherys, Anton Nel, Logan Skelton, Sofya Gulyak, and Alexander Ghindin. A frequent collaborator with fellow artists, Xiaolin has worked and performed with several instrumentalists, spanning a wide range of repertoire for viola, clarinet and violin etc. Working often with composers, he is set to be part of three New York premieres of new works this October. An advocate for making music more accessible for all, Xiaolin has been part of crafting numerous community engagement programs for nursing homes and hospitals across New York City as part of Juilliard's Gluck Fellowship. Aside from piano, Xiaolin enjoys playing electric guitar and formed a rock band in Dubai. He enjoys composing and jamming with peers. He supports football (soccer) club Borussia Dortmund.
Luca Pasquini
Luca Pasquini is an NYC-based composer and interdisciplinary artist exploring the complexity of human emotions through themes of the natural, supernatural, and digital worlds, often meditating on memory and connection. His work spans various mediums, from the concert music stage to music for dance and film.
Maxwell Henry
Maxwell Henry is a Brooklyn-based composer, pianist, drummer, and producer. He holds a master's in songwriting from NYU and a bachelor's in classical composition from the University of Wisconsin.
Jared Luís
Jared Luís is a multi-instrumentalist, producer, and digital storyteller based in New York City. After earning music degrees from Stanford University and NYU, he has had the privilege of performing in a wide range of contexts, from indie venues in south Texas to the storied stages of Lincoln Center and Radio City Music Hall. Jared currently serves as the Associate Director of Digital Strategy at Chamber Music America, where he combines digital communications and creative content creation to inspire and engage audiences across the country.
Moon Unit
This multi-instrumentalist trio (Olivia Katz, Stephen Tamas & Robert Karpay) make up Moon Unit: a genre-bending and boundary pushing ensemble that specializes in free improvisation. Moon Unit's beliefs are based upon questioning and challenging the unspoken expectations of modern art and music by expanding sonic possibilities and reimagining stage presence. Moon Unit is grounded in sincerity, deep and active listening, absurdity, and unfiltered expression.
Every edition is built with collaborators. If you write or play and want to be part of an upcoming concert, send a note and Maxwell will reach out as programs come together.
Or email maxwellhenrymusic@gmail.com.
Join the list for future Concert Theory concerts.
About Improv Theory
Improv Theory is the second concert in Concert Theory, a recurring composer and performer showcase for new concert music started by NYC composer Maxwell Henry. After Groove Theory in June, this one turns to improvisation: music brought to life in real time.
Every edition is built with collaborators. If you write or play and want to be part of an upcoming concert, send a note and Maxwell will reach out as programs come together.
Or email maxwellhenrymusic@gmail.com.
Join the list for future Concert Theory concerts.
Thank You
Improv Theory wants to thank our gracious hosts, Scholes Street Studio.
Special thanks to:
- Our wonderful audience members and their generous donations which support local musicians and composers, and allow for future concerts to happen.
- The talented composers for creating and presenting their work.
- The incredible performers, without whom this music would not be possible.
- Saad Haddad, Maxwell Henry's mentor and teacher, whose guidance and encouragement directly led to this concert series.
Please stay for a reception after the concert.
Every edition is built with collaborators. If you write or play and want to be part of an upcoming concert, send a note and Maxwell will reach out as programs come together.
Or email maxwellhenrymusic@gmail.com.
Join the list for future Concert Theory concerts.
Watch & Listen
Video
Audio
From the audience
Every edition is built with collaborators. If you write or play and want to be part of an upcoming concert, send a note and Maxwell will reach out as programs come together.
Or email maxwellhenrymusic@gmail.com.
Join the list for future Concert Theory concerts.