ChamberQUEER 2024: Constellation
Tuesday, June 11 through Sunday, June 16 at MITU580
580 Sackett Street Unit A - Ground Floor - Brooklyn NY 11217
Tickets on Sale Now!
ChamberQUEER is thrilled to present ChamberQUEER 2024: Constellation, our 2024 Pride Month celebration of queer community, diversity, and excellence in chamber music! Featuring multiple live performances and workshops every day, Constellation runs Tuesday, June 11 through Sunday, June 16 at MITU580, with additional community events at nearby coffee shops and bars.
ChamberQUEER 2024: Constellation is our sixth annual and biggest-ever festival; this year’s Fringe-style format highlights a diverse variety of queer artists from around the world in engaging, innovative concert programs and community events, including family-friendly, sensory-friendly, and free events, providing a platform & community for queer artists and audiences alike during Pride month.
A full outline of programming and artists, including descriptions of planned presentations & community events and ticketing information, is below. Doors for all events will open a half hour prior to showtime. In alignment with our mission, no one will be turned away due to lack of funds; if you’re in a tough spot financially, email hello@chamberqueer.org and we’ll help you out!
This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the city Council, and by the National Endowment for the Arts.
Accessibility
Our venue, MITU580, is wheelchair accessible with a flexible ramp that can be placed at the entry door on Sackett Street to gain access to the lobby and a built-in ramp that leads directly into the main performance space on the ground floor. Two all-gender restrooms are located in the lobby; unfortunately they are not wheelchair-accessible.
Our Front of House Staff will provide any necessary accommodations to all of our community guests during events, and approximate ending times are in each event description.
Digital OCR programs are available at evening events. Where possible, text for sung and spoken elements of music will be reproduced either via projection and/or in the concert program. Feel free to move around, come and go, and react to the music as needed. We will have earplugs at FOH if you need them.
if you have specific access needs that are not addressed here, please email us at hello@chamberqueer.org
Tuesday, June 11
1:00 PM - Sound Bath with Bloom Sound Collective
Tickets Available Here
Bloom Sound Collective is a community of musicians and sound healing artists that create safe and supportive spaces for sonic exploration and self-discovery through sound baths and immersive concerts. Since its founding in 2022, the Collective has worked with renowned collaborators in New York City including the World Trade Center, Cathedral of St. John the Divine, Choral Chameleon, Sound Mind Live, Yvette Vexta, and Spirituality Week NYC. Bloom's signature "choral sound bath" molds vocal repertoire with traditional sound healing instruments and has been produced across the city and the greater northeast — bringing sound meditation to new audiences through innovative and first-of-its-kind programming. This event will end at approximately 2:00 PM.
5:30 PM - big dog little dog
TICKETS available here
big dog little dog is the mind-melding duo project of violinist/composer Jessie Montgomery and bassist/songwriter Eleonore Oppenheim. Their music has been described many ways, but perhaps the most apt so far has been “post-minimalist groove americana.” The pair use an improvisational composition technique that draws on many genres and their experience as native New Yorkers to create lush, cinematic soundscapes that are by turns sweeping and achingly intimate.Their work is both a deep dive into the meditative space of the interior and an exploration of our place as humans in the natural world.
This event will be livestreamed and will end at approximately 6:45 PM.
7:30 PM - Project [T]: A Mixtape
Tickets available here
Project [T]: A Mixtape is the first artistic iteration of a new project from Canadian duo Teiya Kasahara 笠原貞野 (they/them), opera singer and theater creator, and David Eliakis (he/him), piano. The concert will be the premiere of Kasahara's 5-year autobiographical account of their professional career and personal life as they document their transition in real time. Kasahara was assigned female at birth and identifies as a trans(masculine) non-binary person.
Throughout the past two decades their voice has been classified as a high-voiced “treble” singer or soubrette, lyric coloratura soprano, and dramatic soprano, and with these categorizations they have endured the weight of stereotypical feminine gender expectations associated with these voice types and the roles they have been cast to play (ex. The Queen of the Night, Lucia di Lammermoor, Madama Butterfly, etc). Kasahara will reflect on their gender and musical journey thus far: the voice that has led them to this moment of transition in their life, the music that has shaped who they are, and to look ahead to what is to come. Repertoire for A Mixtape will include songs by Handel, Puccini, Purcell, Medtner, Mozart, Schubert and Verdi; American composers Barber, Blitzstein, Rorem, Copland, and Sondheim; and Canadian composers Ian Cusson and Leslie Uyeda. For more on Project [T], follow @projecttdoc or visit www.projecttdoc.com.
This event will be livestreamed and will end at approximately 9:00 PM.
10:30 AM - InfraSound & ChamberQUEER
Tickets AVAILABLE Here
InfraSound and ChamberQUEER present a workshop, installation, and performance of Dancing to the Music of You, a multidisciplinary collaboration featuring musicians from both ensembles, sculptures by Jeremy Martin, and sound installation by Alex Gray. Originally premiered on May 3rd at the LGBT Center in Manhattan with lighting design by Madeline Whitesell, this project is a continuation of IS and CQ’s creative partnership.
InfraSound’s Artistic Director Yoshi Weinberg will lead a workshop and discussion about queer embodiment, performance, musical improvisation, and interpretation. Participants will explore sound through exercises inspired by queer composers like Pauline Oliveros, Sarah Hennies, and Julius Eastman as well as theater artist Mary Overlie’s Six Viewpoints. Yoshi will then lead discussion and conversation about InfraSound and ChamberQUEER’s collaborative performance “Dancing to the Music of You,” where musicians interpret and interact with sculptures created by Jeremy Martin from his ongoing series, JUSTAPOSE.
The workshop will conclude with a performance of “Dancing to the Music of You.” After the performance, audience members are welcome to mingle and enjoy the sound installation and sculptures.
No instruments required, but feel free to bring any sound-making device you like! Wear comfortable clothes as some movement will be involved. Audience members will be encouraged to participate but are free to observe the workshop as they feel comfortable. This is a judgment-free zone – come as you are and leave as you wish! This event will end at approximately 12:15 PM; the statues and soundscape will remain on display until 1:00 PM.
2:00 PM - QUEER MUSIC HISTORY coffee hour
Free, No reservation required
*Off-Site Location: Ninth Street Espresso Gowanus*
Isaac Jean-François, a scholar of African-American studies, and Poe Allphin, a musicologist who focuses on queer archival histories, will discuss their work and lead an interactive session where participants can work with archival materials and try their hands at zine-making. This event will end at approximately 3:30 PM.
6:00 PM - Eric Umble and VicToriA Cheah
Tickets available here
Eric Umble and Victoria Cheah present a long-duration piece for clarinet and electronics installed in the theater that will foster a welcoming communal space and allow audiences a meditative, come-and-go-as-you-are experience. The evening will evolve into a disco dance party DJ’ed by Eric beginning around 8:30 PM and continuing until 10:30 PM.
This event will be livestreamed until the beginning of the dance party.
Wednesday, June 12
10:30 AM - Elly Kace: Yoga Session/Sound Bath
Tickets AvailabLe Here
Elly Kace is a certified sound healing/yoga/meditation facilitator and singer based in Brooklyn, NY. Kace will offer an intuitively based energy work and sound healing session rooted in ancient yogic practices with a focus on radical self acceptance. She also writes indie pop incorporating sound healing instruments and intentions as a tool for her students in their self practice, which can be found on all streaming platforms and will be incorporated into her session. This event will end at approximately 12:00 PM.
2:00 PM - Luna Composition Lab Open Workshop
Free EVEnt - Reservations Available Here
As part of a new collaboration between ChamberQUEER and Luna Composition Lab, a roster of CQ players will workshop commissions from LCL alumni Lili M. Namazi (2022–23) and Sage Shurman (2019–20) and a new arrangement by Devon Lee (2020-21) in preparation for performances of these new works in fall 2024. CQ musicians will then moderate a Q&A/talkback with the composers and audience.
This event will be livestreamed and will end at approximately 4:00 PM.
This partnership is made possible through the support of the New York Community Trust.
5:30 Pm - CQ Co-Founders Concert
Tickets Available Here
Three of the co-founders of ChamberQUEER - Jules Biber, cello; Danielle Buonaiuto, soprano; and Brian Mummert, baritone - will perform sets exploring and expanding the range of what is considered “chamber music.” Brian’s set, created in collaboration with pianist Jeremy Chan, will explore the porous boundaries between art song, popular music, and jazz, with a particular focus on queer writers from across these genres. As Duo Calisto, Jules & Danielle perform works by queer composers for soprano and cello, and bring their own take on some beloved queer anthems. The event is rounded out by trio and quartet performances from the whole group.
This event will be livestreamed and will end at approximately 6:45 PM.
7:30 PM - Amir Farsi, flute & Maxwell Foster, piano
Tickets Available Here
In a nation as diverse as America, where the very definition of "American" continues to expand, what does American classical music truly sound like? Amir Farsi presents a recital in collaboration with Maxwell Foster examining that question by showcasing works by queer and POC composers, as well as composers who have immigrated to the United States. Join Farsi and Foster to explore the rich tapestry of voices that have shaped, and continue to shape, the ever-evolving American sound.
This event will be livestreamed and will end at approximately 9:00 PM.
Thursday, June 13
11:00 AM - Roundtable Chat with International Artists
Free, No reservation required
*Off-Site Location: Ninth Street Espresso, 333 Douglass St*
Join a group of out-of-town artists - Coady Green (Victoria, Australia), Marschnee Strong (Chicago), Teiya Kasahara (Toronto) - who will share perspectives on making art and music in the queer communities in their respective cities. This event will end at approximately 12:30 PM.
5:30 - Coady Green, piano
Tickets available here
Internationally-award-winning concert pianist Coady Green presents a kaleidoscopic and joyous exploration of works by a diverse group of queer living composers. Aside from the evocative, nuanced etudes of Nico Muhly, this program is a celebration and promotion of music from Green’s native Australia, with nearly all the works on the program being US premieres. Featuring Elizabeth van Os on Meta Cohen’s Delphi Songs, the concert also includes premieres by James Rushford and Bryn Renard, along with other repertoire from Green’s years-long history of commissioning new works.
This event will be livestreamed and will end at approximately 6:45 PM.
7:30 PM - Parker Ramsay, Harp
Tickets available here
Acclaimed harpist Parker Ramsay presents an evening of new works for harp and electronics by Lucy McKnight, Tom Morrison, Janet Sit, and Kennedy Dixon - all created specifically for him. This concert will be performed in sets, interwoven with a wine tasting coordinated by Heather Meyer in partnership with Black Cat Winery. Each wine will be paired with a piece on Parker’s program and will be available to attendees between pieces with an additional donation.
This event will be livestreamed and will end at approximately 9:00 PM.
Friday, June 14
10:30 AM - Songwriting Workshop with JL Marlor
Tickets Available Here
Ever wanted to write your own song? Join indie-rock front person and composer JL Marlor for an interactive hands-on workshop that will have you composing, writing, and performing your own original song. Designed for people ages 7 and up (including adults!) No instrument skills necessary, but bring an instrument if you play one. For those who do not want to play, we encourage bringing a laptop or tablet to begin making and exploring sounds. JL Marlor will be joined by Kasey Blezinger to flesh out any of your songs with guitar and percussion. This event will end at approximately 12:45 PM.
1:00 PM - Community Sight-reading Party
Free - Reservations Available Here
Bring your instrument, some sheet music you’d like to play through, and an adventurous spirit to ChamberQUEER’s Community Sightreading Party! Musicians of all abilities and instruments/vocal ranges are welcome; at our last party, we had baritones singing cello lines, violinists & flutists playing soprano duets, and much more. If you’re a composer, feel free to bring along one of your own scores - we’ll try to read through as much music as we can (though FYI the crowd is likely to be string player & singer-heavy). This event will end at approximately 3:00 PM.
3:00 PM - Composer-Performer Speed Dating
Free, No reservation required
*Off-Site Location: Principles GI Coffeehouse*
Come away with a whole new set of potential collaborators from our Composer-Performer Speed Dating event! Whether you’re a cellist looking for new works by queer composers, or a composer seeking a singer to premiere your new cycle, you’re sure to make some new musical friends this afternoon. Plus, Principles GI makes a mean cappuccino. Bring scores, bring recordings, bring whatever you want to introduce yourself to a new collaborator! This event will end at approximately 4:30 PM.
5:30 PM - Kebra-Seyoun Charles: Enby
Tickets available Here
Kebra-Seyoun Charles joins forces with dancer-choreographer Kobe Atwood Courtney and a team of dancers to present a workshop performance of their new evening-length ballet, Enby. This performance will incorporate choreography created live in the room, and will also include several movements from the full work and other music by Charles.
This event will be livestreamed and will end at approximately 6:45 PM.
7:30 PM - Outcalls: Release the gowns
Tickets available here
Release the Gowns is a theatrical variety show written by Outcalls and featuring brand-new music from their record Greatest Hits, vol. 1. Celebrate the journey of Britt Olson-Ecker and Melissa Wimbish's friendship, bandleading partnership, and their continuing survival of the patriarchy, spanning over a decade of collaboration. Directed by Genevieve de Mahy of Single Carrot Theatre and joined by an all-star band, Release the Gowns will leave you heavy breathing.
This event will be livestreamed and will end at approximately 9:00 PM.
Saturday, June 15
11:00 AM - Chamber Music for Kids of All ages
Free - Reservations available here
Join us for a musical adventure exploring the colorful world of chamber music! Kids of all ages and their caregivers are welcome to listen, move, make art and ask questions as a string trio led by CQ co-founder Jules Biber plays a range of music that explores the wide variety of sounds, colors and moods produced by a small ensemble. Enjoy this engaging musical “conversation” in a kid-friendly, exploratory atmosphere. This event will end at approximately 12:30 PM.
1:00 PM - CircleSinging With Matt Goldstein
Tickets Available here
Gaia Music Collective’s CircleSinging sessions are warm, welcoming spaces for spontaneous group singing, led with joy, passion, and kindness by founder Matt Goldstein. CircleSinging is a vocal jam session, sung by all of us and led by a facilitator in the middle of the circle who invents parts, teaches improvised harmonies, and shapes the music as we flow from meditative moments to vibrant dance parties to heartfelt anthems and everything in between! Circle Singing is done all over the world in many different forms, and, while popularized by musical legends such as Bobby McFerrin and Rhiannon of WeBe3, it dates back to the earliest forms of human singing. No need to be a professional singer: his playful, intuitive approach to singing meets you wherever you are in your vocal journey, and allows professional artists, former choir kids, and shower singers alike to bond, collaborate, & create beautiful vocal music as a spontaneous vocal community. This event will end at approximately 3:30 PM.
3:00 PM - Pauline in the Park
Free, No reservation required
*Off-Site Location: Thomas Greene Playground & Park*
Join us as we open our ears and hearts to the sounds around and within us! Together, we will perform various works by the legendary experimental soundmaker and composer, Pauline Oliveros. No musical experience necessary for this group meditation in the great outdoors - just a readiness to explore. This event will end at approximately 4:30 PM.
5:30 PM - Closing Night Celebration
Tickets Available Here
We’re closing out Constellation with a bang! First, Ringdown (Caroline Shaw and Danni Lee) will play a set of their irresistible “electronic cinematic pop”; then, after a celebratory champagne toast, Thalea String Quartet will perform CQ co-founder Andrew Yee’s new String Quartet, premiered by Thalea earlier this year. Yee will then take the stage to perform and facilitate an evening of her music; expect special guests, lots of cross-pollination, and a heck of a good time.
This event will be livestreamed and will include a break and champagne toast at approximately 6:45 PM, ending at approximately 9:00 PM.