Together
A collaboration of Adam Larsen and Sue Schroeder
TOGETHER
a collaboration of Adam Larsen and Sue Schroeder
Music composed by Judd Greenstein (2020-21)
And performed by YMusic:
Alex Sopp, flute/piccolo
Hideaki Aomori, clarinet
CJ Camerieri, trumpet
Rob Moose, violin
Nadia Sirota, viola
Gabriel Cabezas,cello
Audio mixed by Michael Hammond
Film Direction, Cinematography, and Editing: Adam Larsen
Choreographic Direction: Sue Schroeder
Dance Artists:Walter Apps, Juana M. Farfan, Shawny Evans Humlao, Dana Lupton, Benji Stevenson, Lori Teague, Nadya Zeitlin
Commissioned by Town Hall Seattle and Contemporary Youth Orchestra
Screenings as of 8.30.23:
World Premiere (and Commission) Town Hall Seattle: May 5, 2020
Rogue Dance Film Fest
Dance Camera Istanbul
Screen Dance Festival Stockholm (Sweden)
Mill of Performing Arts (Greece)
Description
Together is a collaboration between composer Judd Greenstein, yMusic ensemble, filmmaker Adam Larsen, and choreographer Sue Schroeder. Crafted during the pandemic with a majority of the components recorded in isolation, both the score and visuals explore the ideas of togetherness/separateness and what connection means without touch.
Artist Statement
Listening to Judd’s composition, I experimented with a variety of images to see which best supported the music. I quickly realized that the human form and gesture provided the feeling and intent I wanted to express so I invited my friend, choreographer, Sue Schroeder, to collaborate. My vision was to film 4-5 dancers both inside and outside their homes as they interpreted the idea of what togetherness/separateness has meant to them during this past year. Sue and I worked on movement concepts and ideas - considering at times incredibly calm energies like living portraits and at other times more dynamic acton. As we filmed, we shifted from very personal solos to group movement. Through this process - and without touch - the dancers explored the spaces both within and between themselves eventually finding togetherness.
Judd Greenstein is a composer and advocate for the independent new music community in the US and around the world. His works for standout groups such as Roomful of Teeth, NOW Ensemble, and yMusic have reached global audiences and received widespread critical acclaim. As a founder of New Amsterdam Records and the Ecstatic Music Festival, Judd has been a leading voice in developing a genre-fluid musical infrastructure that endeavors to open new channels of participation and representation in contemporary music.
yMusic, "six contemporary classical polymaths who playfully overstep the boundaries of musical genres,” (The New Yorker) performs in concert halls, arenas and clubs around the world. Founded in New York City in 2008, yMusic believes in presenting excellent, emotionally communicative music, regardless of style or idiom. “One of the groups that has really helped to shape the future of classical music,” (Fred Child, NPR’s Performance Today) their virtuosic execution and unique configuration (string trio, flute, clarinet, and trumpet) has attracted the attention of high profile collaborators—from Paul Simon to Bill T. Jones to Ben Folds—and inspired original works by some of today’s foremost composers, including Nico Muhly, Missy Mazzoli and Andrew Norman.