January 2020 Shows Announced At National Sawdust

See full details for January 2020 performances at National Sawdust

FERUS Festival - The Eagle and The Tortoise

Sister Sylvester

January 10, 2020 7:00 PM and 9:30 PM

The Eagle and the Tortoise is a theatrical reading experience tracing the story of a young Turkish woman who became an icon of leftist resistance as an armed militant, political prisoner, and proxy soldier in the American war against ISIS. Moving between myth, history, and journalism, The Eagle and the Tortoise shifts our perspective on this still-unfolding tragedy of our time. The piece makes use of Meyer Sound's Constellation acoustic system and its immersive component Spacemap to envelop audiences in a live score improvised by both human and non-human performers.

FERUS Festival - The Processing Series Part II: A Barely Arching Bridge

Lucy Dhegrae

January 11, 2020 8:00 PM

The Processing Series, from vocalist and 2019-2020 Artist-in-Residence Lucy Dhegrae, was sprung from a prompt to four composers: write a piece for voice that deals with an aspect of trauma recovery. Part II: A Barely Arching Bridge is the second installment in The Processing Series. This concert confronts sexual violence squarely and unapologetically, and explores how one can transform one's abuse into a tool of healing. Eve Beglarian's She Gets to Decide, which combines personal history, the painting Thérèse Dreaming by Balthus, and the words of Judge Rosemarie Aquilina during the trial of Larry Nassar - "Leave your pain here, and go out and do your magnificent things" - is the centerpiece of a program which also features works by Amadeus Regucera, Philippe Leroux, Georges Aperghis, Chaya Czernowin, Peter Kramer, Guillaume de Machaut, and Francis Poulenc.

FERUS Festival - Come 'Round Right

Sarah Hennies

January 12, 2020 7:00 PM

Taking its name from one of the most famous Shaker hymns, Come 'Round Right is an opera with no characters - taking place after everyone has left - and explores the persistence of a disappearing community by examining what remains. Blurring the lines between music, visual art, and theater, it concerns itself with labor, identity, survival, love, and the passage of time. Come 'Round Right pairs sculptural set pieces by Mara Baldwin, inspired by Shaker furniture and crafts, with music by Sarah Hennies based on Shaker hymns. Hennies reinterprets this monodic music by replacing horizontal time (melody) with vertical time (harmony), each section of the piece consisting of a block of immersive and hypnotic sound.

FERUS Festival - Sonic + Womxyn Amplify presents Seasons

Sonic

January 14, 2020 8:00 PM

An Artist-in-Residence at National Sawdust for the 2019-20 season, and the first-ever resident to come out of The Revolution series, Sonic presents a special preview of her 3-act performance Seasons: An Experiential Voyage Through Sound as part of FERUS Festival. Based on songs from her LP of the same name, as well as new, unreleased work, Seasons immerses audiences in Sonic's journey of self-discovery, acceptance, and self-love by navigating through her experiences as a queer, partially deaf womxn of color. Sonic makes use of National Sawdust's new Constellation and Spacemap systems from Meyer Sound, alongside ASL interpretation, to craft an evening that reflects how she experiences sound. Made in collaboration with her collective Womxyn Amplify, an experiential production house that creates experiences that amplify the voices of LGBTQIA womxyn and non-binary artists, Seasons aims to provide accessibility for all audiences and increase awareness around disabilities of all kinds. Incorporating live performance, monologue, movement, and more, Seasons amplifies the senses and invites audiences into Sonic's world.

Agnes Obel

Agnes Obel

January 16, 2020 7:30 PM and January 17, 2020 7:30 PM

For almost a decade, Agnes Obel has been one of the most independent and original artists in contemporary music. Now Obel has returned with new music, releasing the enchanting single "Island of Doom" ahead of the release of her highly anticipated new album Myopia - released through Deutsche Grammophon, Universal Music Group's prestigious Yellow Label, and Blue Note in North America, out on February 21st 2020.

FERUS Festival - Untitled (inspired by Film Stills)

Work-in-progress, featuring new music by Ellen Reid, Paola Prestini, Nico Muhly & Missy Mazzoli

January 17, 2020 2:00 PM

Untitled (inspired by Film Stills) is a series of four operatic monodramas exploring the stages of transformation and identity in a woman's life. Inspired by iconic photographs from Cindy Sherman's Untitled Film Stills (1977-80), #12, #60, #39 and #48, the piece is a study of four women, each confronting a critical choice that determines the course of their lives. Join the artists at the culmination of their second workshop at National Sawdust, in which mezzo-soprano Eve Gigliotti performs new music by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Ellen Reid and composer and National Sawdust Co-Founder & Artistic Director Paola Prestini. This work-in-progress showing will also feature excerpts by Nico Muhly and Missy Mazzoli, followed by a conversation with the collaborators, offering insight into the process of creating this new chamber opera work.

Winter Jazz Festival: Morley: Sphere Ensemble ft. Meshell Ndegeocello, Elio Villafranca, and Chris Bruce | Sasha Berliner | Quantic

Morley: Sphere Ensemble ft. Meshell Ndegeocello, Elio Villafranca, and Chris Bruce; Sasha Berliner; and Quantic

January 17, 2020 10:30pm

A part of Winter Jazzfest's Brooklyn marathon night.

The Hum presents Greta Kline (Frankie Cosmos) and Jilian Medford (Ian Sweet)

Greta Kline (Franke Cosmos) and Jilian Medford (Ian Sweet) with Emily Yacina and special guests

January 18, 2020 8:00 PM

In the latest edition of the female and nonbinary series The Hum at National Sawdust, Jilian Medford (Ian Sweet) and Greta Kline (Frankie Cosmos) join forces for a unique evening of collaboration that's not to be missed.

Lucas Debargue, Piano

Lucas Debargue

January 22, 2020 7:00 PM

In his New York recital debut, French pianist Lucas Debargue presents a selection of works that catapulted him to miraculous success at the 2015 Tchaikovsky Competition and have a profound personal significance to him. Ravel's Gaspard de la Nuit was the centerpiece of the recital program Lucas played at the competition and became his signature piece, the perfect vehicle for his highly personal playing style. Debargue also performs a selection of sonatas by Domenico Scarlatti, part of his most recent large-scale project: a four-volume, 52-sonata tribute to the 18th-century keyboard luminary, released this season on Sony.

The Revolution, VOL. 46

donSmith, Alita Moses, and OJ in the Yams

January 23, 2020 8:00 PM

The Revolution is a performance series highlighting Brooklyn- and Harlem-based artists and musicians that not only represent the core of independent pop culture but also stand in the breeding ground of evolution within their genre.

NationalSawdust+ Presents Lucia Lucas + Justin Kangmin Kim

Lucia Lucas and Justin Kangmin Kim

January 24, 2020 7:30 PM

NationalSawdust+ is a lively performance and conversation series in which luminaries from across disciplines share their passion for music and explore ideas, making surprising connections. The series taps artists and thinkers from theater, film and visual art, literature, science and beyond, to create insightful programs that reflect their own interests. Whether through live performances, conversations, or readings, each program has its own alchemy, engaging the audience in new and unexpected ways. Often topical, and always imaginative, NationalSawdust+ is an ideal space for those with curiosity, adventure, and vision.

Ramy Essam & Friends: A Celebration of the Egyptian Revolution

Ramy Essam & Special Guests

January 25, 2020 7:00 PM

Rock artist and human rights defender Ramy Essam is considered to be one of the loudest voices of today. His resilient journey from the hub of the Egyptian revolution to the international stages has included viral hits and awards as well as moments of struggle. With his background in being the voice of the streets of his country, Ramy today stands for social justice and human rights worldwide. Presented in partnership with the Artistic Freedom Initiative and WEARE.org.

John Zorn Presents: The Stone Commissioning Series

Anna Webber

January 26, 2020 7:00 PM

The John Zorn Commissioning Series celebrates The Stone, Zorn's revolutionary venue "dedicated to the experimental and avant-garde", which served as a vital spot for new music in the East Village for over a decade. Held on the last Wednesday of every month, National Sawdust honors the spirit of The Stone, hosting artists selected by John Zorn presenting world premieres of new works.

Mwenso & The Shakes

Mwenso & The Shakes

January 30, 2020 8:00 PM

Over the course of three evenings, Artists-in-Residence Mwenso and the Shakes, an international, multicultural troupe of musicians and dancers led by Sierra Leone-born, London-raised, and NYC-based singer Michael Mwenso, present a new music-theater piece exploring forms of African spirituality and celebrating strength and resilience.

For more information, please visit https://nationalsawdust.org/calendar/.