West Coast String Summit 2024

FEATURING:

Laura Ortman (Brooklyn) • Chamber of Bones: Jesse Zubot & Pura Fé with Strings (Saskatchewan & Vancouver Island) • Marina Hasselberg (Vancouver) • Toni-Leah C. Yake (Vancouver) • Anju Singh (Vancouver) • Julia Ulehla (Vancouver) • And, more!

VENUES:

The Ironworks (235 Alexander Street)

8EAST (8 East Pender Street)

TICKETS:

•Tickets for May 25th concert at The Ironworks $12-23 in advance and $15-25 at the door. Advance tickets available on Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/west-coast-string-summit-2024-tickets-836187307747 and at the door.

•Tickets for May 26th concert at 8EAST by donation. Available at the door.

CONCERTS:

Saturday, May 25; 8pm (doors 7:30pm) – The Ironworks, Main Room (235 Alexander Street)

Laura Ortman (solo) • Chamber of Bones: Jesse Zubot & Pura Fé with Strings • Marina Hasselberg (solo)

Sunday, May 26; 8pm – 8east (8 East Pender Street)

A night of improv with local and visiting artists.

SLOW SOCIAL:

Saturday, May 25; 5-7:30pm (FREE) – The Ironworks, Back Room (235 Alexander Street)

For Slow Social #4 we'll be hearing themed readings by Julia Ulehla alongside musical performances by Toni-Leah C. Yake and Anju Singh.

WORKSHOP

Sunday, May 26; 5-7pm – 8east (8 East Pender Street)

Improvisation as a process of discovery; a workshop for bowed string instrument musicians with Lan Tung

Free workshop. Space is limited. Please RSVP to reserve your spot at info@improvisedarts.ca.

improvisedarts.ca • newmusic.org • nowsociety.org • theonlyanimal.com •kwstudios.ca

Vancouver, BC – Back for its second year, the West Coast String Summit, presented by Vancouver Improvised Arts Society, in partnership with Vancouver New Music, The Only Animal Theatre Company, KW Studios, and NOW Society, brings an annual celebration of creative music and the power of strings to The Ironworks and 8east in Vancouver, BC.

VIAS will host its second annual West Coast String Summit and residency on May 25th and 26th, 2024. Alongside community partners Vancouver New Music, NOW Society, and The Only Animal Theatre Society, VIAS will present two days of concerts, workshops, and artist talks that showcase contemporary improvising and experimental string players, composers, and bandleaders, both emerging and fully established in their fields. The West Coast String Summit is a place to meet, collaborate, listen, learn, and create new connections within the experimental string world, which Western Canada, and Vancouver in particular, is known for worldwide. Sharing ideas through composition, improvisation, and dialogue, artists and audiences will benefit from hearing diverse local and visiting musicians perform their genre-defying works by gaining inspiration for what is possible on traditional stringed instruments and a deeper understanding of the cultures they come from.

VIAS is thrilled to be presenting Brooklyn-based Apache experimental violinist and vocalist, Laura Ortman, who creates visceral, all-consuming, and powerful performances. Pairing the immense talent and skill of renowned violinist, Jesse Zubot, and vocalist, Pura Fé, backed by an incredible string ensemble (Parmela Attariwala, Meredith Bates, Trent Freeman, Marina Hasselberg, Nikko Whitworth, and Joshua Zubot), we are sure that this concert experience will bring immense inspiration to listeners. An opening set by acclaimed local cellist, Marina Hasselberg, will be a wonderful opportunity to showcase her recent album, presenting both original compositions and improvisations using acoustic, prepared, and processed performance techniques. This concert will elevate our community, including but not limited to young string students, by showcasing two talented IBPOC women who are masters of their craft. In all of our programming VIAS aims to break down silos between disciplines and genres in order to bring the art we present to a wider audience. We bring together diverse artists in collaborative processes to share their practices and create original works that will be offered to a broad audience at our festival. Audiences and performers alike are treated to art that asks them to reflect on their intersecting circumstances by disrupting expectations and challenging the ways in which art is traditionally presented. Once again we will feature artists highlighting myriad musical qualities and concepts to showcase what can be achieved within the string world. In addition to evening concerts at The Ironworks and 8east, the 2024 West Coast String Summit is offering several opportunities for our expanding community of experimental string lovers to gather in social and educational settings: A free public workshop at 8east, led by Lan Tung; a Slow Social (in partnership with The Only Animal); And, a collaborative improvised music event (in partnership with NOW) featuring local and visiting artists. Our workshop and artist talk will hone in on improvisation, sound development, composition, and philosophy. While focused on stringed instruments, the workshop is open to all players. We believe sharing our experiences in social settings where dialogue is possible is important to growing a safe(r) and compassionate community and will allow us to deepen our understanding of each others’ needs and desires while immersing ourselves in artistic endeavours.

The Only Animal’s Slow Socials, is an ongoing series of gatherings that invites our communities to connect to joyful climate futures through relaxed textile creation, environmental readings, and musique d’ameublement ('furniture music'). Join our team in crocheting, knotting and knitting a set piece for our traveling Slow Practice installation, bring your own craft work, or catch up on some social coziness before the mainstage events. Materials provided, no previous craft experience needed. For Slow Social #4 we'll be hearing themed readings by Julia Ulehla alongside musical performances by Toni-Leah C. Yake and Anju Singh.

Presented by The Only Animal, in partnership with Vancouver Improvised Arts Society and The Public Swoon.

Detailed West Coast String Summit information can also be found at www.improvisedarts.ca. Media requests can be made to info@improvisedarts.ca.

The West Coast String Summit will close on Sunday, May 26th with a collaborative improvised music concert featuring local and visiting string players at 8east (8 East Pender Street). Everyone is welcome to attend this by-donation event, presented by Vancouver Improvised Arts Society in partnership with NOW Society.