Part of: Decoda
Support for the 125 Commissions Project is provided by members of Carnegie Hall’s Composer Club.
Encounter something new or reacquaint yourself with a classic in a whole new way, but certainly expect the unexpected. The performers of Decoda—alumni of Ensemble Connect—will keep you on your toes when they take the stage in a program where high spirits prevail. There’s the revelry of Lutosławski folk-flavored dances, the impish laughter of Strauss’s madcap trickster, and the New York premiere of a work by ensemble member Brad Balliett with illustrations by Will Storie that evoke merry pranks.
The world premiere of Valerie Coleman’s Revelry, commissioned by Carnegie Hall, takes a different turn in a two-movement sensory guide to the reckless abandon that emerges when people congregate, while Guillaume Connesson’s Techno-Parade is an exhilarating carnival in which the illusion of reveling abandon belies the taut precision and craftsmanship.
The program ends with Poulenc’s raucous and ravishing Sextet for Piano and Winds that evokes the Parisian nightlife its composer frequented, in his characteristic tender yet sardonic musical tone.
A “collective of some of the brightest young classical musicians in the world” according to Time Out New York, Decoda is dedicated to creating dynamic performances and creative projects designed for social impact. Decoda’s pursuits place equal emphasis on artistry and engagement to create meaningful musical experiences around the globe through both concerts in major international venues and neighborhood projects with vibrant community partners.
At home in New York City, Decoda works with partners such as the Police Athletic League, New York Police Department, New York City Administration for Children’s Services, and WQXR to engage a diverse cross section of people in the city through creative songwriting workshops and interactive performances that promote collaboration and compassion. Music for Transformation, Decoda’s social justice initiative, empowers the vulnerable and disenfranchised voices of incarcerated individuals; it has received recognition from the Associated Press, Billboard, CNN, Huffington Post, and The Washington Post. Other ongoing programs—such as the annual Decoda Skidmore Chamber Music Institute, and residencies at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London—serve to expand the global community of audience-centric performers and to create a ripple effect of deep engagement through music around the world.
As an affiliate ensemble of Carnegie Hall, Decoda’s activities are anchored by a commitment to creating compelling performances. The ensemble’s 2018–2019 season includes two concerts presented by Carnegie Hall and an appearance at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. In the past, Decoda has performed at London’s Southbank Centre and Barbican Centre, Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Abu Dhabi Festival, San Diego’s Mainly Mozart, Bay Chamber Concerts in Maine, Við Djúpið Music Festival in Iceland, Tokyo’s Suntory Hall, Mumbai’s National Centre for the Performing Arts, Performing Arts Center at Purchase College, and New York City’s Chelsea Music Festival, Metropolitan Museum of Art, and National Sawdust.
Decoda was founded in 2012 by alumni of Ensemble Connect, a two-year fellowship program of Carnegie Hall, The Juilliard School, and the Weill Music Institute in partnership with the New York City Department of Education.
To learn more, visit decodamusic.org.
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