by Joey Amato | photo courtesy Nashville In Harmony
Intersection, Nashville’s professional contemporary instrumental ensemble, and Nashville in Harmony, a 120-voice mixed citywide chorus of LGBT people and their allies, have announced the program and further details for Spectrum. The event will take place on May 18 and 19 at OZ Arts Nashville.
Nashville in Harmony and Intersection have commissioned a new 20-minute work, titled “Those Moments,” by composer TJ Cole for chorus and instrumental ensemble that explores the concept of the gender spectrum. TJ Cole has been commissioned by the Cincinnati Symphony, the Louisville Orchestra, and the Baltimore Symphony, among others.
Intersection and Nashville in Harmony have worked with additional community partners to engage the LGBT+ community and its allies in the planning and implementation of this project that incorporates the stories of Nashville in Harmony singers into the new performance.
“Building on the work that Nashville in Harmony has done for 15 years using music to create social change, for our 15th anniversary season the chorus chose to tackle the hot topic of gender identity by partnering with Intersection Ensemble to commission a bold new work,” mentions Don Schlosser, Conductor of Nashville In Harmony. “‘Those Moments’ by TJ Cole was created based on the stories of member singers and their personal experiences of gender development. The result is an expansive new work that challenges us all to think in new ways about gender, rejecting concepts that are fixed and binary, and embracing a new understanding of fluidity and spectrum.”
Strengthening the theme of self-expression, Nashville in Harmony will perform additional repertoire that is both powerful and aspirational, with lyrics by Leonardo da Vinci, Emma Lazarus (“Until All of Us Are Free”), and Annie Lennox (“1000 Beautiful Things”), featuring an exciting palette of musical styles including both heroic video game music as well as ‘60s jazz.
Intersection will also present Esa-Pekka Salonen’s “Mania” and Liza Lim’s “Voodoo Child”. Salonen and Lim’s works will showcase virtuosic talents from cellist Michael Samis and vocalist Rebekah Alexander. “Salonen’s piece is a rhythmic, vibrant roller coaster while Lim’s piece demonstrates passionate poetry through the discovery of new instrumental and vocal colors that extend the sonic universe,” says Kelly Corcoran, Artistic Director of Intersection.
“Our younger singers are introducing us to new ways to think about the cross-sectionality of gender and orientation and race, with a view toward equity and diversity and inclusion that is radical,” states Schlosser.
“During my visit to Nashville last fall, I was able to meet with members of Nashville in Harmony and record some of them speaking about the broad topic of gender,” says TJ Cole. “Through working on this project, I have reflected on how powerful memories can be. They’re not only impactful on a personal level, but the sharing of memories can allow us to gain more perspective, insight, understanding of each other, and connection to others.”
SHOW SCHEDULE
Saturday, May 18, 2019 – 7:30pm
Sunday, May 19, 2019 – 4:00pm
OZ Arts Nashville
6172 Cockrill Bend Circle
