PROGRAM
Wadada Leo Smith – String Quartet No. 9

The sheer creativity of Wadada Leo Smith, both as composer and performer, is simply mind-blowing, and we’re eager to plunge into his chamber music repertoire with the powerful String Quartet No. 9. Each movement is inspired by a strong woman that continues to inspire him–Ma Rainey, Marian Anderson, Rosa Parks, and Angela Davis–and we can’t wait to learn more about how he transformed these sonic portraits into notes on the page. Given Wadada’s exceptional career as an improviser, we’re looking forward to asking him about his experiences with the relationship between notated and improvised music.