Presented by Nonsequitur and Earshot Jazz Festival. Interview here.

Known for radically expanding the sonic, tonal, and expressive possibilities of the violin, Malcolm Goldstein has been a key figure of the American avant garde since the 1960s. As a co-founder of the seminal Tone Roads Ensemble with composers Philip Corner and James Tenney, he helped champion important American composers such as Ives, Ruggles, Cowell, Varèse, Cage, etc., as well as composers of their own generation. As a regular participant in Judson Dance Theater, Goldstein helped forge new developments in interdisciplinary post-modern performance, and continues to collaborate with dancers. He has also pioneered the use of improvisational structures via graphic notation and verbal scores. These visually beautiful calligraphic works have a conceptual and structural integrity while allowing for spontaneity and the unique qualities and abilities of each musician to come through. Far from being a free-for-all, his open-ended compositions allow tremendous freedom while demanding a high degree of focus, intention, presence, and discipline.

This concert features Malcolm’s breathtaking improvisations (Soundings) and compositions for solo violin, as well as two ensemble works, Configurations in Darkness and Two Silences, performed by an all-star group of Seattle musicians including Eric Barber (saxophones), Stuart Dempster (trombone), Beth Fleenor (clarinet), Lori Goldston (cello), and Esther Sugai (flute).