The Grossman Ensemble could be thought of as a new-music incubator. The resident ensemble of the Chicago Center for Contemporary Composition (CCCC) at the University of Chicago, the 13-piece group—which comprises some of the best contemporary players in the city—rehearses extensively with composers over the course of several weeks. Some of their commissions emerge collaboratively […]
Author Archives: Hannah Edgar
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The Pacifica Quartet fortify new foundations with Contemporary Voices
It might seem backhanded or cute to say that a Grammy–winning string quartet’s 16th record has the feel of a second act. But that more or less describes the Pacifica Quartet’s new release, Contemporary Voices. The album is the ensemble’s second since they changed up their ranks; violinist Austin Hartman and violist Mark Holloway replace […]
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And then there were four: Kneebody settle into life as a quartet
As far as album titles go, Kneebody’s Chapters is pretty damn on the nose. The record, which came out in October, is the instrumental avant-pop-jazz omnivores’ first full-length since they announced the departure of founding bassist Kaveh Rastegar last February, along with their transformation from a lean five-piece into an even leaner quartet. It’s the […]