Fri 5/17-Sun 5/19 @ 7:30PM
Is your idea of music at the far end of the spectrum of catchy tunes with coherent lyrics, something Eagles or Taylor Swift fans might not even consider “music”? Then the programs put on by CUSP — the Cleveland Uncommon Sound Project — might be your cup of tea. Cutting edge, experimental, avant-garde, often including improvisational elements, CUSP presents artists who explore the outer limits of sound, sometimes performing on things most wouldn’t even consider musical instruments or blending traditional acoustic instruments with electronic processing to discover totally new sounds.
This year, the organization has presented a series of concerts at Convivium 33 in AsiaTown, showcasing both Cleveland and noted out-of-town artists who work this territory. This weekend, Convivium 33 will be the site of its annual festival of new and experimental music called Re:Sound. As usual, local artists will join with nationally recognized names in this genre for three days of performances.
On Saturday, the festival’s biggest name, composer/multi-instrumentalist/visual artist Elliot Sharp, does a solo performance, as well as a performance with collaborators from the workshop he’ll be doing that afternoon. The 73-year-old musician, a maor player in New York City’s avant-garde music scene, has performed all over the world with a multitude of projects, ensembles and collaborators ranging from Sonny Sharrock to Deborah Harry, with orchestra and at festivals, and has won a Guggenheim Fellowship. Even if this section of his bio — “His compositional strategies have encompassed the use of fractal geometry, chaos theory, algorithms, genetic metaphors, and new techniques for graphic notation to yield work that catalyzes a synesthetic approach to musicmaking as well as functioning as retinal art” — is a mystery to you, you’re still likely to find his performance riveting.
Sunday’s headliner is violinist Charlotte Munn-Wood who uses her instrument to produce experimental noise pieces. She’ll perform a solo version of her violin duo Du.0’s Soundnest with graphic scores by Aimée Niemann.
In addition, all weekend, visitors can stop in at the Cleveland Museum of Art’s Community Arts Center at the Pivot Center for Art, Dance and Expression to see sound art installations by Andrew Dyet, Ella Medicus and Maya Nguyen. Hours are 10am through 5pm.
Get more information and tickets here.
uncommonsoundcle.com/resound-2024
Cleveland, OH 44114
2937 W 25th St, Cleveland, OH 44113
2937 W 25th St, Cleveland, OH 44113