Harlem Chamber Players and Talea Ensemble Celebrate Julius Eastman
April 18, 2020 7:30pm – 10:00pm
Considered one of the most controversial and progressive composers of the 1970s and 80s, Julius Eastman’s music bonds minimalism, jazz, and pop to create a joyous mesmerizing experience. Building on the traditions of his minimalist contemporaries, such as Steve Reich and Philip Glass, his music has drive and propulsion but is considered to be more influenced by organic harmonic changes than strict structures. Tragically, his music was nearly completely lost after he was evicted from his New York apartment in the late 1980s and his scores and music mostly lived on only with those who knew him after he died, alone, in 1990 and was nearly forgotten forever. Those who knew him as a strong vocal African-American queer artist say he left a deep impression on New York and that this late revitalization of his work will become a pillar in the development of contemporary music.
In this performance of Eastman’s Femenine, the Harlem Chamber Players and Talea Ensemble pay tribute to Eastman’s work as an important statement to the community and commitment to solidifying Eastman’s place in the canon.
Tickets: $25
Location
Harlem Stage
150 Convent Avenue at West 135th Street
New York NY 10031 US