Selections from new opera to be performed in Brooklyn

May 18, 2015 Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Shown is American composer George Lewis. Selections from his opera “Afterword: The AACM (as) Opera” will be formed at Roulette in Brooklyn on May 22 and 23. Photo courtesy of Roulette

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On Friday and Saturday, May 22 and 23, at 8 p.m., Roulette, a performance venue at 509 Atlantic Ave. in Brooklyn, will present excerpts from composer George Lewis’ new opera, “Afterword: The AACM (as) Opera.”

“Afterword” is based on Lewis’ own book on the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians, “A Power Stronger Than Itself: The ACM and American Experimental Music.” (University of Chicago Press, 2008). The AACM, which was founded on the South Side of Chicago and turns 50 this year, has played a major role in experimental music.

The International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE) will perform the concert excerpts. Singers include Joelle LaMarre, soprano; and Gwendolyn Brown, contralto.

The Roulette performances will combine pre-structured music, text, and movement in connection with elements created in real time. The singers will take on multiple roles to reflect the AACM’s many personalities.

The opera explores the different historical periods through which the AACM has lived — the Great Migration of African-Americans to the North, the urbanization of American life, decolonization and the civil rights struggle. The work also foregrounds the AACM as a creative collective noted for its revolutionary ideas.

Lewis is a professor of American music at Columbia University. He has studied composition with Muhal Richard Abrams and trombone with Dean Hey. His work has been presented by the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, the London Philharmonia Orchestra, Ensemble Dal Niente, the Talea Ensemble, the American Composers Orchestra and many more. He has been a member of AACM since 1971.

ICE has been described by The New York Times as “one of the most accomplished and adventurous groups in new music.” It features a lineup of 35 leading instrumentalists who appear in combinations ranging from solos to large ensembles. Since its founding in 2001, ICE has premiered more than 500 compositions.

“Afterword” is supported by the Richard and Mary L. Gray Center for Arts and Inquiry, Mellon Fellowship for Arts Practice and Scholarship; the Multi-Arts Production (MAP) Fund in conjunction with the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago; and the Edwin H. Case Chair in American Music, Columbia University.

Tickets can be bought for $25 at a pre-sale that ends at noon on May 22 and $30 at the door. Seniors, students and Roulette members are eligible for $20 tickets through noon on May 22. Doors open at 7 p.m.