INSECTUM is a sonic exploration of the resilience and beauty of the world’s oldest living multicellular creatures: arthropods. Originally inspired by the pioneering imagery of artist-entomologist Maria Sibylla Merian, and furthered by consultation with entomologists Alex Wild and Jo-anne Holley at the University of Texas at Austin, the event aims to not only bring audiences “down” to these creatures' level but also to reframe our relationship with them. As global climate change accelerates and insect populations suffer from a rapid collapse, INSECTUM challenges listeners to move beyond simply writing these organisms off as mere “bugs.”

The event will feature world premieres by composers/performers Susie Ibarra, Jeffrey Zeigler, and Graham Reynolds. Part performance, part educational experience, INSECTUM combines science and music to weave together an unforgettable evening that finds beauty in all things small.

 

INSECTUM commissioned by Golden Hornet

Co-Commissioned by Kathleen and Harvey Guion & The Guion Family Fund

Co-Commissioned by Suzanne Deal Booth & The Suzanne Deal Booth Cultural Trust

This project is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts

 

Created in consultation with Alex Wild and Jo-anne Holley at the University of Texas at Austin.

Insect images displayed are courtesy of Alex Wild. 

 

Susie Ibarra is a Pilipina- American Composer, Percussionist and Sound Artist whose artistic practice combines being on field, in performance, in studio and supporting conservation of traditional heritages and environments. She has recorded over 40 albums as a composer and drummer and performed in events such as the London Olympics, Rio Olympics, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Carnegie Hall, MASSMoCA, Anthony Davies Hall, Sharjah Art Biennial UAE, Zamane Music Festival Morocco, and many more.

Jeffrey Zeigler has released dozens of albums on Nonesuch Records, Deutsche Grammophon, Cantaloupe and Smithsonian Folkways and has appeared with Norah Jones on her album Not Too Late on Blue Note Records. While serving as the cellist of the internationally renowned Kronos Quartet for eight seasons, Zeigler was the recipient of the Avery Fisher Prize, the Polar Music Prize, the President’s Merit Award from the Grammys and The Asia Society's Cultural Achievement Award. Jeffrey Zeigler was recently appointed Assistant Professor of Chamber Music and Innovation at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami.

Called “the quintessential modern composer” by the ​London Independent​, Austin-based composer-bandleader-improviser Graham Reynolds records and performs music for film, theater, dance, rock clubs, and concert halls. He recently scored Richard Linklater’s Where’d You Go, Bernadette (Annapurna Pictures) with Cate Blanchett, Kristen Wiig, and Laurence Fishburne, Happy Jail (Netflix), Stop Hitting Yourself (Lincoln Center Theater), Out of Her Mind (BBC), Grimm Tales (Ballet Austin), and a multi-year commission from Ballroom Marfa, The Marfa Triptych, culminating in his Creative Capital Award winning project Pancho Villa from a Safe Distance. Amidst his many other projects, Graham also serves as the Artistic Director of the new music focused non-profit Golden Hornet. In 2020, Graham signed with London-based record label Fire Records and released his original score for Alfred Hitchcock’s silent classic, The Lodger, with a forthcoming album of original material in 2024.

In the 1990s, Golden Hornet co-founders Graham Reynolds and Peter Stopschinski were both composers struggling to find spaces, presenters, and funding to support their original chamber works. During their search, they found that many other young and emerging composers were facing the same challenges. At the time, both Reynolds and Stopschinski were also bandleaders in the burgeoning rock and punk scene of Austin, TX -- of Golden Arm Trio and Brown Whörnet respectively -- and they decided to team up to solve this challenge. By applying the collective creation and self-production methods of the rock genre to the world of classical music, they were able to form a thriving community of living composers. Through Golden Hornet, numerous new works have emerged over the years from full-size symphonies performed in warehouse spaces to collaborations with Tosca String Quartet, Austin Lyric Opera, local high school orchestras, and composers like Glenn Kotche.  Our methods continue to be informed by the extensive experience and network of Artistic Director Graham Reynolds and by our central values of inclusion, accessibility, collaboration, innovation, and excellence. In 2008, Golden Hornet received an official 501(c)3 designation and has since grown in both capacity and consistency.

 

Kathleen and Harvey Guion are proud to be once again involved with Graham and Golden Hornet in the production of another wonderful music event. They have been Co-Commissioners or Commissioners of The Sound of Science, Marfa Country and Western Big Band Suite, and MXTX Cross Border Exchange. They have been involved in Executive Producing and Producing theatre productions in NYC and Austin for the past 20+ years; for companies like, Boundless Theatre Company, Theatre East, Zach Scott Theatre, Rude Mechanicals, Salvage Vanguard Theatre, and Shrewd Productions. They have also been key supporters of the Fusebox Festival for many years.

Suzanne Deal Booth is an arts advocate, vintner, and specialist in the preservation of cultural heritage. She earned a BA (cum laude) in Art History from Rice University, and an MA in Art History and certificate in conservation from the Institute of Fine Arts at New York University. During her studies, Deal Booth was mentored by the humanist and art collector Dominique de Menil, founder of the The Menil Collection in Houston. These early experiences working with de Menil continue to influence her to this day, as seen through Deal Booth’s own philanthropy and arts patronage. In 1998, Deal Booth founded Friends of Heritage Preservation, which has undertaken over 80 projects to protect cultural heritage around the globe. As proprietor and steward of Bella Oaks Vineyard in the Napa Valley, Deal Booth emphasizes organic and biodynamic practices to produce wine and olive oil that respect the land. In addition to her preservation work, Deal Booth serves on the boards of the following cultural organizations: The Contemporary Austin, The Menil Collection, LACMA, Blanton Museum of Art, Atelier Calder, and Centre Pompidou.

 

Explore the dynamic tapestry of Austin's contemporary classical music scene with KMFA's Offbeat Series. This captivating program presents talented artists at the forefront of innovation, bringing their performances to life in the renowned Draylen Mason Music Studio. With a mission to introduce a new genre to dedicated classical music enthusiasts and foster a growing community of new music lovers, KMFA invites you to join us on a journey that celebrates the vibrancy of Austin's musical landscape.