Ever Present Orchestra

Alvin Lucier and members of the Ever Present Orchestra.
Alvin Lucier and members of the Ever Present Orchestra.

The Ever Present Orchestra is dedicated to the presentation of the exceptional work of Alvin Lucier. The orchestra attempts to make Lucier’s beating-pattern-focused instrumental music approachable to a wide audience with its uncommon instrumentation of four electric guitars, three saxophones, four violins and piano. Along with classical musicians, the presence of prominent Lucier interpreters such as Stephen O’Malley and Oren Ambarchi, allows for the ensemble to appeal to a wider audience than the conventional contemporary music scene.
The Orchestra was founded by Bernhard Rietbrock during the 85th Birthday Festival of Alvin Lucier at the Zurich University of the Arts. It was named after Lucier’s composition ‘Ever Present’ (2002). Its unusual instrumentation came about as a result of the adaption for electric guitars of the Lucier piece Hannover (2015). Alvin Lucier kindly supports this initative, was involved in the naming of the Ever Present Orchestra, and has recently composed a new piece for the ensemble titled “Semcircle” (2017).

Line Up

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Repertoire

Compositions by Alvin Lucier

Double Helix (2018), Flight Path (2018), Tilted Arc (2018), Semicircle (2017), Hanover (2015), Braid (2012), Two Circles (2012), Criss-Cross (2013), Panorama II (Copied Lines) (2011), Shadow Lines (2013), Firewood (2013), August Moon (2015), Just Before Dark (2010), On the Carpet of Leaves Illuminated by the Moon (2000/2012)

Concerts

Alvin Lucier and the Ever Present Orchestra:
Illuminated by the Moon Book/Record Release Tour 

2017

  • 10 Oct: Berlin, St. Elisabeth Kirche
  • 7 Nov: Philadelphia Ars Nova Workshop, FringeArts
  • 8 Nov: New York City, Issue Project Room (plus performances by Joan La Barbara)
  • 9 Nov: New York City, Issue Project Room
  • 11 Nov: Boston, Non-Event, Laboratoire Cambridge supported by Swissnex
  • 12 Nov: Montreal, Concordia University, Black Box
  • 13 Nov: Chicago, Constellation

2018

  • 27 March: Hongkong, Connecting Spaces
  • 29 March: Shanghai, Conservatory of Music (plus academic exchange, 30 March)
  • 1 April: Kyoto
  • 3 April: Tokyo, Superdeluxe 
  • 4 April: Tokyo, Superdeluxe 
     
  • 30 May: Cologne, Kunststation Sankt Peter
  • 31 May: Berlin, Universität der Künste, Joseph Joachim Saal
     
  • 20 July: New York, Issue Project Room, Sonic Arts Union Celebration
  • 21 July: New York, Issue Project Room, Sonic Arts Union Celebration
     
  • 4 October: Chur, Bündner Kunstmuseum
  • 17 October: New York, Issue Project Room
  • 23 October: Paris, St. Merry Church

Upcoming events 2019

  • 12 March, London, Round Chapel (13 March, Academic Exchange ZHdK / Royal Academy of Music)
  • 22 March, Knoxville, Tennessee, Big Ears Festival 
  • 24 March: Knoxville/Tennessee: Big Ears Festival
  • 26 March: Los Angeles, RedCat in cooperation with California Institute of the Arts

Press clippings

Lucier «Illuminated by the Moon» Box set reviews

Concert reviews

Academic Exchange

Workshops   

  • On Experimental Composition Techniques and the Repertoire of Alvin Lucier (+ Performance Workshop) (Bernhard Rietbrock, Jan Thoben)
  • Instrumental Improvisation Workshop (Oren Ambarchi)
  • Alvin Lucier Score Analysis Workshop (Felix Profos, Bernhard Rietbrock, Jan Thoben)

Lectures

  • Dieter Mersch, From Science to Art. Alvin Lucier’s Experimental Compositions as Artistic Research
  • Volker Straebel (UdK, Berlin), Experimental Music Beyond Sonification
  • Sabine Sanio (UdK, Berlin), The Musical Spaces of Alvin Lucier
  • Jan Thoben, Vibratory Alchemy: Science and the Senses in the Work of Alvin Lucier
  • Bernhard Rietbrock, Alvin Lucier and the Minimal Difference