Philadelphia Music Roundup - September 2021

September! Back to school and back to music! Outdoor events and streaming events are in the line up this month. Did we miss something? Events coming up in October? Let us know at calendar@acfphiladelphia.org.

September 2021 Events

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ARS NOVA WORKSHOP

Over the summer Ars Nova Workshop and The Woodlands teamed up to present Spiritual Atmosferic Cleansing, a recurring “rhythmic release” featuring percussion, song, storytelling, and more led by Philadelphia percussionist Karen Smith. There are two more left in September: Wednesday Sept 8 and Sept 22. 

September 22nd also kicks off the organization’s second annual John Coltrane Symposium that runs until the 25th. Events will be held around Philadelphia with the opening concert featuring Odean Pope, Immanuel Wilkins, and the Chad Taylor Trio.

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THE CROSSING

On September 11th, the Crossing returns to Philadelphia to open their 2021-22 season at the Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill. The program, Returning, features music of Ayanna Woods, Michael Gilbertson, Ēriks Ešenvalds, and James Primosch with percussion by Ted Babcock.

PENN LIVE ARTS

New York based new music ensemble Alarm Will Sound returns to Philadelphia on September 25th to perform Ten Thousand Birds by John Luther Adams. Presented by Penn Live Arts, this experiential, open-ended collection of pieces is based on native birdsong, encompassing a range of colors and instrumentation and newly informed by actual migration patterns tracked at the Morris Arboretum.

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PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA

The Philadelphia Orchestra opens its season with two concerts that include contemporary composers. Streaming from September 8 - 15, the program features Valerie Coleman’s Red Clay and Mississippi Delta for wind quintet. Following that on September 22 - 28, the orchestra performs Undistant by Mason Bates, a work for orchestra and electronics.

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THE FRINGE FESTIVAL

The Philadelphia Fringe Festival returns with in person and virtual events. Find the whole list of events on their website. Below find a list of performances featuring new music.

STREAMING AND IN PERSON EVENTS

  • Fire Museum Presents two performances in early September, one streaming and one live performance. The streaming performance, part 10 of the 20th Anniversary Video Premieres series,  airs on September 1 and features “White Fire” by Carmina Escobar and concludes with the duo of Sam Newsome and Dave Liebman. The live performance on September 3rd is unfortunately sold out, but will take place at The Ice Box and features percussionist Tatsuya Nakatani and Pete Dennis. 

  • Bowerbird presents two late-night livestream concerts this month featuring Philadelphia based musicians. The first concert on September 6th features Chris Powell, then on September 16 Birdie Busch performs.

  • On September 8, ACF Philadelphia in collaboration with PRISM Quartet presents an online artist talk between Melissa Aldana and Terell Stafford. These two composer/performers will discuss their creative process, reflect on their artistic influences, and share recent work

  • On September 9 The American Composers Forum presents ACF Equity Study Group: Everyday Discrimination Scale, a virtual study group focused on The Everyday Discrimination Scale and its usefulness in understanding how the stress of racism affects the human body in the long term.

  • September 12-13, the PRISM Quartet presents PRISM in the Parks, free concerts in three Philadelphia parks featuring Blue Note recording artist/tenorist extraordinaire Melissa Aldana and jazz trumpet virtuoso Terell Stafford

ON GOING

  • Opera Philadelphia presents Organ Stops, a musical tour of Philadelphia’s historic pipe organs with the Opera Philadelphia Chorus. Among works to be performed are newer works written specifically for chorus and organ by contemporary composers Hannah Kendall, Melissa Dunphy, Marcus DeLoach, and David Hurd.

  • Running until September 30th, Ellen Reid’s SOUNDWALK is an immersive audio experience tailor-made for Fairmount Park. Recorded by musicians of The Philadelphia Orchestra and the Soundwalk Ensemble, Ellen Reid's compositions were meticulously programmed for Fairmount Park and the Mann’s campus, and can be experienced via a GPS-enabled mobile app. Soundwalk is free to the public and was created with social distancing guidelines in mind.

SEPTEMBER 2021 at a glance

CHRONOLOGICAL LISTING

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