This program of new music performed by trombonist Weston Olencki of Fonema Consort explores banalities, absurdities, commodities, comedies, and realities. It features [in order] poorly sampled opera overtures, sounds beyond the auditory threshold, a misused YouTube video, the use of headphones, and sheets of glass and metal. Its purpose is to survey various inaccessible, private, withheld, hidden, uncontrollable objects—those that are interpersonal, inaudible, digital, internal, mechanical.
The Soloists of Fonema Consort series is sponsored by Access Contemporary Music in partnership with High Concept Labs. This second edition of the series showcases instrumentalists from the ensemble exploring recent approaches to the capabilities of their instruments in contemporary repertoire. This year the series highlights collaborations between the soloists and selected composers affiliated with ACM resulting in three world premieres.
Opus 1 (from Time with People) [2014], Tim Parkinson
few [2013], Charlie Sdraulig
AUTOPROCESS :: RESOLVE :: DISSOLVE [2012], Jessie Marino
Laughter Studies [2015], Louis D’Heudieres
New Work [2015-16], Michelle Lou
Weston Olencki is a San Francisco-based trombonist and multi-instrumentalist specializing in the performance and production of new music. Weston is a member of Fonema Consort and has performed with Ensemble Dal Niente, wasteLAnd, wildUP!, the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, Wild Rumpus, Eco Ensemble, Chicago Symphony Orchestra's MusicNOW, a.pe.ri.od.ic, and Chamber Cartel - under conductors Alan Pierson, Cliff Colnot, Steven Schick, Marino Formenti, and Michael Lewanski. He is a recipient of a Stipendenpreis from the 47th Internationales Musikinstitut Darmstadt (IMD).
An active proponent of new repertoire, Weston has pursued individual collaborative work with composers Katherine Young, Kurt Isaacson, Dave Reminick, Eric Wubbels, Michelle Lou, Marek Poliks, Andrew Greenwald, and Timothy McCormack, alongside US and world premieres of pieces by Peter Ablinger, Bernhard Lang, Elliott Carter, Michael Gordon, James Saunders, Dai Fujikura, Katharina Rosenberger, Erik Ulman, and Chris Mercer. He has performed and curated solo programs on Constellation's Frequency Series, Permutations, sfSoundSalonSeries, IMD, NUNC (1&2), Indexical, Switchboard Presents, OPTION, Omaha Under the Radar, and performs regularly at Stanford University's CCRMA.
Ongoing collaborative projects include an experimental sound art series with Charlie Sdraulig (People Making Sounds), hk&tcs (a young bay-area group devoted to music of radical aesthetics), a low brass duo with Matt Barbier (RAGE THORMBONES), and ATHLETICS, (alongside pianist Eric Wubbels and saxophonist David Wegehaupt).
He holds a B.M. cum laude from Northwestern University with degrees in trombone performance and musicology. His teachers include trombonists Michael Mulcahy, Peter Ellefson, Timothy Higgins, Paul Welcomer, and Colin Williams - additional guidance with Mike Svoboda and Ryan Muncy - private composition studies with Erik Ulman. westonolencki.com
Fonema Consort
consort : a group of instrumentalists and singers performing together
fonema : (Spanish, phoneme) the smallest unit of speech, which distinguishes words according to their sonic quality
These concepts define the essence of Fonema Consort, as we endeavor to diffuse and expand the repertoire of 20th and 21st century vocal and instrumental music, and live out our fascination with the exploration of vocal possibilities in music.
Formerly known as Ensemble Vulpine Lupin (EVL), Fonema Consort was founded in October 2011. Since then, we have put down roots to become a national and international performing entity, which in these formative years of development we strive to build upon. We hope that our audience will join us on this journey at the edge of musical and vocal discovery. fonemaconsort.com
High Concept Labs (HCL) is a Chicago-born not-for-profit arts service organization and cultural platform dedicated to supporting working artists and engaging the Chicago community with arts. Partnering with artists at every step of the creative process, HCL offers high-quality custom support services through its Sponsored Artist Program and Institutional Incubation Program. HCL also curates and hosts Cultural Conversations, presents special community events, and facilitates educational arts partnerships. With a vibrant cycle of programs and process-support, High Concept Labs grows community alongside culture and fosters new audiences for the arts. highconceptlabs.org
HCL is supported in part by the generosity of MANA Contemporary Chicago, the Chicago Community Trust, the MacArthur Funds for Arts and Culture at The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, The Norwottock Charitable Trust, The Samuel J. Baskin Charitable Trust, The Cliff Dwellers Arts Foundation, and individual donors.