About

Ensemble Π bio

For the last four years, Ensemble Π has presented a Peace Project – an annual multi-media event at the Cooper Union. The project’s goal is to make a space for a dialogue between ideas and music on the great issues of the day, through commissioning new works and collaborating with visual artists, writers, actors, and journalists. Collaborators have included the South African artist William Kentridge, American journalist/writer Naomi Wolf, Iraqi actress Namaa Alward, and Israeli philosopher/activist Anat Biletzki.

In 2003, Ensemble Π began an ongoing close collaboration with the American Composers Alliance (ACA), and has been the ensemble in residence at four American Music Festivals presented by ACA at Symphony Space in New York City. Ensemble Π premiered over fifty works by American composers from across the country.

In the last three years, Ensemble Π has created artistic and educational programs in response to major exhibitions at the Chelsea Art Museum, the Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art, and the Museum of Modern Art, all in New York City.

Multi year collaboration with the composer Elias Tanenbaum resulted in a CD of his chamber music, Keep Going, to be released by Parma Recordings in 2010.

Ensemble Π has championed the work of contemporary composers by premiering and commissioning works by Frederic Rzewski, Philip Miller, Alice Shields, Kristin Norderval, Karim Al-Zand, and Peter Ablinger among others. The Lower Manhattan Cultural Council and the Argosy Fund for Contemporary Music have provided major support for these efforts.

Ensemble Π performers

Karl Kramer, horn
Kristin Norderval, voice
Barry J. Crawford, flute
Claire Bryant, cello
Idith Meshulam, piano
Airi Yoshioka, violin
Amy Zoloto, clarinet
William Trigg, percussion