nief-norf describes its Summer Festival as “an interdisciplinary summer music festival,” but that really falls substantially short in communicating just how important and compelling it is in the world of contemporary music. The festival brings together performers, composers, and scholars in an immersive participation and performance experience that also absorbs those audience members that find themselves trapped in its unrelentingly satisfying gravity.
Now in its 7th year, the 2017 nief-norf Summer Festival (which I will henceforth call nnSF) begins on Monday, June 12, and runs through June 26. Seven of the ten evening public performances take place in the Natalie L. Haslam Music Center at the University of Tennessee. The other three venues are UT’s Ewing Gallery (Saturday, June 24), the Standard on Jackson Avenue (Thursday, June 22), and the Mill & Mine on Jackson Avenue for the Marathon Final Concert (Sunday, June 25). See the information below for details.
The festival features full-time performance and composition faculty-led workshops lasting the duration of the festival. In addition, each year the nnSF hosts two international calls for projects: the first, a Call for Papers for a weekend-long Research Summit on contemporary music (this year on minimalism), and the second, a Call for Scores competition for composers. These projects bring some of our generation’s brightest and most promising composers and scholars to the festival for interaction with the performance & composition fellows, the faculty, and the Knoxville community.
Tickets
• Individual performances are $15 (unless otherwise noted)
• VIP Minimalism Pass: $75 (good for admission into all five minimalism evening concerts, including the final Minimalism Marathon)
• VIP Festival Passes: $135 (good for admission into all concerts!)
CONCERT ONE: Mon., June 12 @ 7:30 PM @ UT Powell Recital Hall
Performed by Nief-Norf (Festival Faculty)
FEATURING MUSIC BY: Michael Maierhof, Adam Greene, Lewis Nielson, Jason Eckardt, and Nina Young (Composer-in-Residence)
CONCERT TWO: Thurs., June 15 @ 7:30PM @ UT Powell Recital Hall
FEATURING MUSIC BY: Anthony Vine, Jenna Lyle, Donnacha Dennehy, Georges Aperghis, and Nina Young (Composer-in-Residence)
CONCERT THREE: Fri., June 16 @ 7:30PM @ UT Powell Recital Hall
FEATURING MUSIC BY: Girard Grisey, Federico Garcia de Castro, and Nina Young (Composer-in-Residence)
CONCERT FOUR: Sat., June 17 @ 7:30PM @ UT Powell Recital Hall
FEATURING MUSIC BY: Carolyn Chen (Guest Composer), George Lewis, and Nina Young (Composer-in-Residence)
CONCERT FIVE: Tues., June 20 @ 7:30PM @ UT Powell Recital Hall
Eleven World Premieres by nnSF 2017 Composer Fellows
FEATURING MUSIC BY: Zheng Shao, Jacob Gelber, Douglas Hertz, Alexis Lamb, Louise Fristensky, Victoria Romano, Nicholas Papador, Max Vinetz, Tyler Eschendal, Ernest Ling, and Douglas Osmun
CONCERT SIX: Wed., June 21 @ 7:30PM @ UT Powell Recital Hall
MINIMALISM DAY ONE, FEATURING MUSIC BY: Mary Jane Leach (Guest Composer), Steve Reich (featuring Russell Hartenberger), Christopher Adler (Composition Director), Marc Mellits (Composer-in-Residence), and Carolyn Chen (Call for Scores Winner)
CONCERT SEVEN: Thurs., June 22 @ 7:00PM @ The Standard
MINIMALISM DAY TWO, FEATURING pianist R. Andrew Lee performing Randy Gibson’s “The Four Pillars Appearing from The Equal D under Resonating Apparitions of the Eternal Process in The Midwinter Starfield”
CONCERT EIGHT: Fri., June 23 @ 7:30PM @ UT Powell Recital Hall
MINIMALISM DAY THREE, FEATURING music by Julius Eastman and Mary Jane Leach (Guest Composer)
CONCERT NINE: Sat., June 24 @ 7:30PM @ UT Ewing Gallery
MINIMALISM DAY FOUR: FEATURING Ellen Fullman’s LONG STRING INSTRUMENT with cellist Theresa Wong
CONCERT TEN: Sun., June 25 @ 2:00PM @ Mill & Mine
Minimalism Marathon Tickets: $35
MINIMALISM DAY FIVE: Marathon Concert, FEATURING MUSIC BY: Marc Mellits, Pauline Oliveros, Steve Gisby, Michael Gordon, Janice Giteck, Louis Andriessen, Molly Joyce, Philip Glass, Michael Pisaro, Mary Jane Leach (Guest Composer), Steve Reich (featuring Russell Hartenberger), Christopher Adler (nnSF Composition Director), and Brooks Frederickson (Call for Scores Winner)
