DESCRIPTION:
Kimmel Center and PRISM Quartet, Inc.

Present the World Premiere of

COLOR THEORY: Saxophones, Percussion, and Harry Partch Instruments

PRISM, SŌ PERCUSSION and PARTCH (East Coast Debut)

Premiere new works written for them by STEVEN MACKEY, KEN UENO and STRATIS MINAKAKIS

For centuries, visual artists have used color theory to develop a body of knowledge about mixing pigments to create color combinations that provoke powerful emotional responses. PRISM’s COLOR THEORY project pioneers new possibilities of orchestration and musical color with first-time instrumental pairings that represent enormous unexplored potential.

The PRISM Quartet partners with the PARTCH Ensemble and Sō Percussion, and composers Ken Ueno, Steven Mackey, and Stratis Minakakis to create, present, and record a new body of music combining saxophones with a breathtaking range of percussion, including Harry Partch’s visually and sonically fantastic instruments. The project also features groundbreaking music by Donnacha Dennehy, Kati Agócs, Georg Friedrich Haas, Steve Lehman, Iannis Xenakis, Bryce Dessner, and Harry Partch.

COLOR THEORY includes community outreach activities for all ages (elementary school to teens and adults), with a fascinating panoply of exploratory lectures, panel discussions, instrument-making workshops, drumming workshops, and composition classes. Partners include the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, Curtis Institute of Music, and Nextfab.

COLOR THEORY will be broadcast by media partner WWFM and culminate in a recording of commissioned works for release on XAS Records (PRISM’S new label), distributed worldwide by NAXOS, with liner notes by WNYC’s John Schaefer.

SCHEDULE
June 1, 2016: Free Family Drumming Workshop at Kimmel Center
http://www.prismquartet.com/?concerts=color-theory-members-of-so-percussion-in-family-drumming-workshop

June 4, 2016: CONCERT: PRISM and So Percussion at Kimmel Center
https://www.kimmelcenter.org/pdp-pages/201516/kimmel-center-presents/prism-quartet-with-so-percussion-color-theory/

June 8, 2016: Harry Partch Lecture and Instrument Making Workshop at Nextfab
http://www.prismquartet.com/?concerts=color-theory-harry-partch-lecture-and-instrument-making-workshop

June 11, 2016: Free Composers Forum at Curtis Institute
http://www.prismquartet.com/?concerts=color-theory-composers-forum-at-curtis-institue

June 11, 2016: CONCERT: PRISM and Partch at Kimmel Center
http://www.prismquartet.com/?concerts=color-theory-prism-quartet-and-partch