Ex Machina | WSN 23-24, 2024 Festival on the Hill

FEATURING

Clara Yang, piano/electronics
Xuan, new media artist

Commissioned Composers and Artists:
Dr. Allen Anderson (UNC)
Prof. Suzi Analogue (UNC)
Dr. Peter Askim (NC State)
Dr. Stephen Anderson (UNC)
Yili Fan (movement artist, filmmaker)
Dr. Lee Weisert (UNC)
Phil Young
Yvette Young (electric guitarist, composer)

PROGRAM

EX MACHINA is an interdisciplinary and multimedia project exploring the complex connections and relationship between technology and humanity through visual art and music. Evolving technology has been changing our lives, including how we experience arts and music. The title, Ex Machina, or From the Machine, reflects on humanity’s creativity and struggle of identity in this fast changing world. As a starting point, the piano is a musical machine with which I create sound stories to evoke ideas and emotions. In this project, we will explore the machine’s multifaceted meanings artistically, musically, and philosophically. -Dr. Clara Yang

*This program will be a continuous show without the performer’s remarks. There will be live tracking of the performance and program notes online. For more info about the making of the project and the commissioned works, please come to the March 21 event.*

Program
Act I, Atomic Pulse
Crystal Prelude No. 1 (solo piano), Cryoacoustic Orb Installation Video | Reena Esmail, composer; Lee Weisert and Jonathon Kirk, sound installation designers
Clinamina (piano and electronics) | Lee Weisert, composer
Deep ConditioNN Redux (piano and fixed media) | Suzi Analogue, beatmaker; Clara Yang, composer/piano

Act II, Organic Machines
Nebula (solo piano) | Clara Yang, composer/piano
RoboDream (solo piano) | Phil Young, composer; Yili Fan, movement artist
Conception (piano and fixed media) | Yvette Young, composer/producer/electric guitar/violin; Clara Yang, composer/piano

Act III, Synthetic Souls
Analogue Confession (solo piano) | Peter Askim, composer
Think that’s you – a personality software recognition software toccata (piano and electronics) | Allen Anderson, composer
Drones (solo piano) | Stephen Anderson, composer

Postlude
Hoyt-Schermerhorn (piano and electronics) | Christopher Cerrone, composer

View the full digital program

TICKETS

$15 general admission
$10 students, faculty, and staff
Free UNC Music students, faculty, and staff

Purchase tickets online now or at the door, 30 minutes prior to the concert start time.

PARKING

Please plan to arrive early as parking on campus can be tricky. Learn more about parking and directions to UNC-Chapel Hill’s campus.

This event is part of the 2023-2024 William S. Newman Artists Series, a series of select concerts celebrating the alliance of scholarship and performance that animates the lives of music faculty and students at Carolina. It is also part of the 2024 Festival on the Hill and the 2023-2024 Conversations in Modern Music Series, and is supported by The Jaroslav F. and Barbara S. Hulka Fund for Music in the Community.