Hailed as friendly, unpretentious, idealistic and highly skilled by the New Yorker, eighth blackbird is widely lauded for its unusual performing style often playing from memory with virtuosic and theatrical flair and its efforts to make new music accessible to wide audiences. It has been featured on CBSs Sunday Morning, in the New York Times, and on several NPR news programs. Highlights of the ensembles 2005-06 tenth anniversary season included a widely-acclaimed tour of California, a performance at New Yorks 92nd Street Y, and the groups debut performance at Boston's renowned Celebrity Series. In past seasons eighth blackbird has played in South Korea, Mexico, the Netherlands, Poland, and throughout the United States, including appearances at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. During the 2006-7 season eighth blackbird makes its Houston debut and returns to Philadelphia and Los Angeles, as well as playing at The Kitchen, New York Citys famed performance space. Since its founding in 1996, eighth blackbird has been active in commissioning new works from eminent composers most notably Frederic Rzewski and George Perle as well as ground-breaking works from Jennifer Higdon, Derek Bermel, David Schober, Daniel Kellogg, Carlos Sanchez-Gutierrez, and the Minimum Security Composers Collective; the ensemble looks forward to premiering new commissions by Steve Reich and Bang on a Can composers Michael Gordon, David Lang and Julia Wolfe in spring 2008. The ensemble has won numerous competitions, including the Naumburg Chamber Music Award and the Concert Artists Guild Competition, and is now in residence at both the University of Richmond and the University of Chicago. Its fourth CD release on the Cedille label, titled strange imaginary animals, will be released in November 2006. eighth blackbird is represented by ICM Artists, Ltd.
