Invertigo Dance Theatre was recently named by Dance Spirit Magazine as one of the “top six trend-setting companies to watch in LA.” Founded by choreographer Laura Karlin, Invertigo uses dance to tell compelling stories and create deep connections with communities. One of the most fascinating aspects of Invertigo is that they perform with live musicians, and even use musicians who double as dancers in their productions.
One of my goals with this show is to bridge boundaries and showcase a wide variety of musical styles and perspectives. As a musician, it’s easy to overlook the symbiotic relationship between music and the movement arts. To that end, I’m delighted to present this interview with Laura Karlin and my first inside look at the inner workings of a dance company, Invertigo Dance Theatre, with their innovative use of live music and musicians as integral components of their performances. Their upcoming production of “After It Happened”, a piece inspired by the aftermath of the Haiti Earthquake, and set to premiere at the Ford Theater in Los Angeles this Friday, Sept. 30.
Links
Invertigo Dance Theater's website: http://www.invertigodance.org/
Film and television composer Gary Lionelli created the music for ESPN’s critically acclaimed five-part miniseries “O.J.: Made in America,” directed by Ezra Edelman. In addition, he has provided music for Rory Kennedy's 2015 Academy Award nominated film "Last Days in Vietnam" and HBO's dramatic series "LUCK," starring Dustin Hoffman.
Most television projects for composers involve providing music for 30-60 minutes of show time. Most movie projects call for music for 1.5-2 hours. But what if you were approached to write music for a massive 7.5 hour movie, and given only 3 months to do so? That’s what composer Gary Lionelli faced when he was called on to provide music for the massive ESPN mini-series, “O.J.: Made in America”, a project that has the unique distinction of being eligible to win both television Emmy and film Oscar awards.
Links
Gary's Website: http://www.garylionelli.com/
Jonathan Wilson, creator of the GuitarViol: http://www.jonathanwilsondesigns.com/
Anthony McGill is one of the greatest clarinetists in the classical music field today. He’s been the Associate Principal Clarinet of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, the Principal Clarinet of the Metropolitan Orchestra, and currently serves as Principal Clarinet of the New York Philharmonic.
Several months ago, Anthony’s older brother, Demarre McGill, was featured on the show. What an honor to have the opportunity to talk to Anthony, whom I’ve known since he was a student at Curtis. In addition to his remarkable achievements in the orchestral world and collaborations with some of the greatest classical musicians, Anthony performed with Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma and Gabriela Montero at the inauguration of President Barack Obama back in 2009. On a tangential note, Anthony was actually partially responsible for inspiring me to become a paperless musician, and start a little company called “AirTurn” to create wireless page turning pedals for reading digital sheet music hands free.
Links
Anthony's website: http://www.anthonymcgill.com/
Mozart Clarinet Quintet in A major, K. 581: I. Allegro
Mozart Clarinet Concerto in A major, K. 622: II. Adagio
Brahms Clarinet Quintet in B minor, Op. 115: IV. Con moto
Poulenc Sonata for Clarinet and Piano: II. Romanza
Anthony's blog article "Why I Do What I Do"
New York Philharmonic website: http://nyphil.org/