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A Workshop on the Operas of Robert Ashley
May 5 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm EDT
Ashley’s work explores the blurry, shifting line between talking and singing, the immense musical possibilities of text and paralinguistics, and a distinctive compositional approach to spinning a tale, singing a tune, ranting a philosophy, and building collaboration.
Gelsey Bell, Brian McCorkle, and Dave Ruder will lead an interactive workshop exploring Ashley’s specific theories of the voice, his unique singing techniques, his scores and notational practices, and the methodologies used to perform his vocal works. Open to all levels of musicial experience, participants will be invited to vocalize, though they are also welcome to join as only spectator-listeners.
Bell, McCorkle, and Ruder have been performing Ashley’s work since 2011, including originating roles in Ashley’s finale opera, Crash, in 2014; performing in many of the revivals of his work such as Improvement, Foreign Experiences, and Celestial Excursions; and co-founding the performance collective Varispeed, which specializes in new arrangements of Ashley’s work including their site-specific Perfect Lives.
“I am completely knowable in every way” – Robert Ashley, “The Park,” Perfect Lives
