Public Records
233 Butler St.
Brooklyn, NY 11217

The Kitchen continues its presentation of Claire Chase's Density 2036, now the 11th year of the project for which the artist commissions and presents new work for solo flute, building a bold repertory for the instrument (May 2 & 4). "Perhaps the [flute’s] most imaginative living advocate” (The New Yorker), Chase adds new contributions annually to this collection reimagining solo flute literature over the course of 24 years (culminating in 2036, the 100th anniversary of Edgard Varèse’s groundbreaking 1936 flute solo, Density 21.5). This year, Density 2036, part xi features the world premiere of The Holy Liftoff, a large-scale new piece by legendary composer Terry Riley, performed by Chase and the JACK Quartet on May 2 at 6pm at Public Records (233 Butler St, Brooklyn). On May 4 at BRIC, as part of Long Play Festival, Chase will perform selections of works from throughout the last decade of the project.

The Holy Liftoff is a large-scale new work from Riley, who began composing it in 2022 as an open score sketchbook brimming with colorful drawings that were intended to be realized by Chase (on multiple flutes) in collaboration with any number of additional musicians. Over the following two years, the sketches evolved into a multidimensional work. It now combines extensive through-composed material — heard in this rendition as an eight-voice chorus of low and high flutes, seven of which are pre-recorded and one of which Chase plays live — as well as graphic notation, evocative artwork, and Riley’s signature open-form scoring that can be freely interpreted by the performers in variable durations and realizations. For the premiere at Public Records, Chase partners with the dynamic JACK Quartet in a 60-minute rendition arranged in collaboration with Samuel Clay Birmaher.

Terry Riley said, “When I improvised the first 16 bars of The Holy Liftoff the melody and the chords whispered its name while simultaneously urging me to make drawings of the experience. The drawings had angels and flying creatures and all the energies were rising up into a surrealistic skyscape…This piece could only have been written for Claire Chase.”

Claire Chase: Density 2036, part xi is organized by Matthew Lyons, Curator.

Tickets and more info HERE.