Nancy Ives and Paloma Griffin join Fear No Music

The Fear No Music Ensemble embarks on its 18th season with a couple of new members: cellist Nancy Ives and violinist Paloma Griffin. Ives is the principal cellist of the Oregon Symphony and Griffin is the founding director of the Melegari Chamber Players, a former member of the Oregon Symphony's violin section and of Pink Martini.

Fear No Music's first concert will take place on Friday, October 16th at 8 pm at the Colonial Heights Presbyterian Church (2828 SE Stephens Street, Portland). The program will feature works by Crumb, Saariaho, Ives, Carter, Hartke, and Daugherty.

Here's some information about the concert from FNM's press release:

What do the stillness of the night, the structure of a lily, a Hallowe’en bonfire, acoustic blues, and the voice of Paul Robeson all have in common? They’re all celebrated by the composers of our season’s opening concert!

George Crumb gives us four delicate nocturnes in his Night Music II . . . then Kaija Saariaho describes the structure of a water lily through the medium of string quartet and electronics. Charles Ives, the forefather of American experimentalism, evokes an eerie and mischievous Hallowe’en party . . . then Elliot Carter (a sprightly centenarian) remembers his friend Mr. Ives. Stephen Hartke tips his hat to early blues in Oh Them Rats Is Mean in My Kitchen . . . and Michael Daugherty gives us a tribute to a great actor, singer, and activist in Paul Robeson told
me (for quartet and digital tape) — incorporating excerpts from a rare recording of Robeson singing in Moscow in 1949 . . .

Five iconic, subversive Americans — and one fascinating Finn — bring to life their memories, influences, ideals, and preoccupations — demanding in the process our fearlessness and our most poetic instrumental voices!

For more information, see FNM's web site.