Kristin Lee x Sandbox Percussion

LINKS & ASSETS

Kristin Lee x Sandbox Percussion Brochure

BOOKING INQUIRIES

Christina Jensen, christina@jensenartists.com

Gina Meola, gina@jensenartists.com

646.536.7864

Kristin Lee joins GRAMMY®-nominated ensemble Sandbox Percussion in a captivating collaboration of violin and percussion quartet. The focal points of this program are two new works - Joan Tower’s To Sing or Dance, and a new commission by Vivian Fung.

Of her work, Joan Tower says “When I spent some time with the wonderful composer Arvo Pärt, we had a discussion about the origins of music. He felt music came from the voice (or singing) and I had a different idea that it came from the drum (or dancing). Basically, this difference of opinion reflects a longtime split between composers who write mostly for the voice (Pärt, Verdi, Puccini, Wagner, etc.) and those that compose mostly for instruments (me, Beethoven, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, etc.). When I was asked to write a piece for violin and percussion, that difference became immediately apparent: how to have these two very different instruments in the same space, living fairly comfortably together.”

Vivian Fung says, “I am very excited to announce this new collaboration with Kristin Lee and Sandbox Percussion. Our relationships extend back many years. I wrote my Violin Concerto No. 1 for Kristin in 2010, with Birdsong and Twist following shortly thereafter. Sandbox and I partnered on (Un)Wandering Souls in 2020.

I see this project as a violin concerto of sorts, but in a more adventurous vein, as a percussion orchestra forms the backdrop for this setting. While the possibilities for sound exploration are almost endless, my focus will be finding percussion sounds that complement, contrast, and augment the sounds of the violin. A natural way of dividing the work is by the material type used - wood, glass, metal, etc. So, for example, the glassy sounds of the harmonics on the violin may be complemented by an orchestra of glass sounds of different timbres in the percussion, and that can be augmented by experimenting with different shaped vessels, such as wine glasses, vases, and tubes. There is an inherent theatricality in the sound world I am seeking to explore, so as part of the process of composition, I will be working with the performers to maximize the use of spatial possibilities in the room, placement of instruments, and movement of performers during the work.”

Booked in collaboration with Blu Ocean Arts for Sandbox Percussion