The University of Iowa’s Hancher will present the Grammy Award-winning contemporary classical music ensemble eighth blackbird at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 6 at the Englert Theatre. Hailed by the New York Times as “a polished, personable, routinely dazzling sextet,” eighth blackbird combines classical musicianship and rock ‘n’ roll energy.
The ensemble is committed to performing music by living composers of all stripes—young and old, modernist and indie. The concert—the ensemble’s third Hancher appearance—will feature a new work by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Aaron Jay Kernis. The work has been co-commissioned by Hancher in collaboration with a consortium known as Music Accord.
While eighth blackbird’s studio recordings are critically acclaimed, the group is continually lauded for its dynamism in live performance, as well. Rather than adopt the seated stage formation of most classical performers, the group’s live shows are theatrical in nature and involve much movement and choreography. During the opening piece of a 2011 New York performance entitled Two Sides, the group split in two and initiated a game of Red Rover, playing their instruments all the while.
With degrees from Julliard, Northwestern, and the Oberlin Conservatory, the members of eighth blackbird are masters of classical musical techniques—but with a twist. The group has performed compositions as diverse as John Corigliano’s Mr. Tambourine Man: Seven Poems of Bob Dylan and J.S. Bach’s Chaconne, combining traditional musical methods with contemporary elements. eighth blackbird also frequently performs commissioned work, including Steve Reich’s Double Sextet and Steve Mackey’s Slide, for which the group won a Grammy Award for “Best Small Ensemble Performance” in February 2012.
While eighth blackbird’s studio recordings are critically acclaimed, the group is continually lauded for its dynamism in live performance, as well.
The ensemble adopted an unconventional piano playing method during another performance in Australia last April, using guitar picks, credit cards, and percussion mallets to strum the piano’s inner strings. By infusing their live concerts with performance art, the members of eighth blackbird set themselves apart from their more traditionally-minded counterparts.
The performance by eighth blackbird is supported by the Hancher Partners and gifts to Hancher Circle through the UI Foundation.
How to Get Tickets
Tickets for eighth blackbird are $35 and $25 for nonstudents; $31.50 and $10 for college students; $31.50 and $22.50 for senior citizens; and $17.50 and $10 for youth. Tickets are available from the Hancher Box Office, located on the first floor of the south end of the Old Capitol Town Center near the parking ramp. The Hancher Box Office is open for phone (319-335-1160 or 800-HANCHER) or walk-up business from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. weekdays. Tickets may be ordered online at www.hancher.uiowa.edu. Any remaining tickets will be available for sale one hour before show time at the Englert Theatre.