Throughout the galleries
Free with museum admission

Renowned composer and multi-instrumentalist John Zorn leads 12 different ensembles in 12 different gallery performances in a program that pairs his acclaimed compositions with iconic artworks from the museum’s collection. This daylong performance features Bill Frisell, Erik Friedlander, JACK Quartet, the American Brass Quintet, Kenny Wollesen, and many more.

PROGRAM:

11:00 – Grand Staircase – Pulcinella – American Brass Quintet

11:30 – G240 (Monet) – The Gnostic Preludes – Bill Frisell, guitar / Kenny Wollesen, vibes / Carol Emanuel, harp

12:00 – G396 (Dali) – Freud – Chris Otto, violin / Jay Campbell, cello / Michael Nicolas, cello

12:30 – Sculpture Court – Frammenti del Sappho – Rachel Calloway, Kirsten Sollek, Sarah Brailey, Eliza Bagg, Elizabeth Bates, voices

1:00 – G292 (Warhol) – Naked Lunch – Sae Hashimoto, vibes / Shanir Blumenkranz, bass / Ches Smith, drums

1:30 – G397 (Cornell) – Bagatelles – Erik Friendlander, Mike Nicolas, cello

2:00 – G291 (Pollock) – Improvisation – John Zorn saxophone / Kenny Wollesen, drums

2:30 – G391 (Picasso) – Midsummer Moons – Julian Lage, guitar / Gyan Riley, guitar

3:00 – G144 (Chagall) – Blue Stratagem – American Brass Quintet

3:30 – G393 (Klee) – Zeitgehöft – Chris Otto, violin / Jay Campbell, cello

4:00 – Ando Gallery — Hockey – John Zorn, percussion / Kenny Wollesen, percussion / Sae Hashimoto, percussion

4:30 – G392 (Kandinsky) – The Unseen – Jack Quartet

About the Artist:

John Zorn (born 1953) has been a central figure in New York’s downtown music scene since 1975. Drawing upon his experience in jazz, rock, hardcore punk, classical, and klezmer, as well as film, cartoon, popular, and improvised music, he has created an influential body of experimental work that incorporates a range of styles and compositional formats. His experimental works in rock and jazz with bands such as Naked City, Painkiller, and Masada have earned him a cult following, and his music has been performed worldwide by rock bands, improvisers, jazz musicians, and classical ensembles alike. Zorn established the Tzadik label in 1995, opened the Stone performance space in 2005, and has published and edited five volumes of musicians’ writings under the title Arcana. He is the recipient of commissions from the Kronos Quartet, the New York Philharmonic, the Netherlands Wind Ensemble, and pianist Stephen Drury, among others. In addition to a MacArthur fellowship, Zorn has been awarded the William Schuman Award for composition from Columbia University and the Cultural Achievement Award from the Foundation for Jewish Culture.

Visitors who would like to request an accessibility accommodation for an Art Institute program are encouraged to email access@artic.edu as far in advance as possible.

Support for Live Arts programming is provided by the Woman’s Board of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Image: John Zorn. Photo by Scott Irvine.

Official Website

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Tags: American Brass Quintet, Bill Frisell, Carol Emanuel, Chicago, Chris Otto, Eliza Bagg, Elizabeth Bates, Erik Friendlander, Gyan Riley, Jack Quartet, Jay Campbell, John Zorn, Julian Lage, Kenny Wollesen, Kirsten Sollek, Loop, Michael Nicolas, Mike Nicolas, Rachel Calloway, Sae Hashimoto, Sarah Brailey, Shanir Blumenkranz, The Art Institute of Chicago, Wollesen