Curator Alex Mincek on INTERVAL 6.2

Programming for the Wet Ink Ensemble is usually quite straightforward. We play new or recent pieces that were often written especially for us, alongside pieces that were written by us (the latter being much more common). For example, Wet Ink concerts most frequently feature works by the composer members of the ensemble (Kate Soper, Sam Pluta, Eric Wubbels, and myself), and then, for the sake of context, either to re-enforce or contrast with the central thematic or aesthetic arch of a particular program, an additional work (sometimes more), by a composer outside the group, is folded into the program. Of course there have been many exceptions to the strategy above, but it offers a general perspective on how I, together with the other members of Wet Ink, approach the group’s concert programming. For Interval 6.2, MATA suggested a slightly different approach. Instead of programming a collection of pieces from within the group and then perhaps coloring those works with one from outside the group, they thought I could perhaps do the opposite. So I did. And I choose to program recent works by Simon Steen-Andersen, Ben Hackbarth, Ted Hearne and Sam Pluta (yes, one Wet Ink person in the mix). Simon Steen Andersen is a Danish composer currently living in Berlin. He is also active as a performer and installation artist. His works often include amplification in combination with samplers, video, low-tech gadgets and everyday objects. His recent work emphasizes physical and theatrical movement in instrumental performance. The music of Ben Hackbarth is focused on combining instruments and electronic sound in new and unexpected ways. His electro-acoustic compositions revolve around the timbres, gestures and acoustical properties of western instruments. Through mapping notions of instrumental identity, tradition, technique and virtuosity onto electronic sound, he seeks to engage and enlarge our semantic understanding of instruments, emphasizing the perception of boundaries and limitations to create friction and form. He is currently a Ph.D. candidate at the University of California, San Diego where he studies composition with Roger Reynolds. Ted Hearne is a dynamic composer, conductor and performer. Hearne's compositions are often socially engaging, exploring the complexity of contemporary experience with visceral power and raw emotion. His Katrina Ballads, a modern-day oratorio with a primary source libretto, was awarded the 2009 Gaudeamus International Composers Award from Music Center the Netherlands, and the recording, on New Amsterdam Records, was named one of the best classical albums of 2010 by Time Out Chicago and The Washington Post.Sam Pluta is a New York-based composer. He is also an avid improviser on the laptop. As an electronics performer he frequently collaborates with acoustic instrumentalists, mixing these sound worlds to create novel sonic spaces. He has also made audio-visual installations and performed solo audio-visual laptop performances all over the United States and Europe. His most recent audio-visual work was American Idols, an installation for four electric guitars feeding back and 20 televisions. I choose these four composers because I find in their music a combination of highly refined technical craft, cultural/aesthetic awareness and experimentation. I also find that the music of these composers simply pairs well with the skills of the Wet Ink Ensemble – namely, instrumental virtuosity, group precision and a willingness to take risks.