On February 15, 2011, ALIAS released its first CD, an all-Gabriela Lena Frank recording on the Naxos “American Classics” label. “Hilos,” which quickly broke onto the Billboard Top 100 classical chart at No. 93, has since drawn widespread critical acclaim, including:

From Classicstoday.com:
“The performances…are uniformly excellent, and so are the sonics. A wonderful disc of inventive, fresh, characterful music, plain and simple.”

From Chamber Musician Today:

“This Naxos label disc featuring the virtuosity and soulful playing of the Alias Chamber Ensemble offers a unique musical adventure.”

Re: Hilos: “So vivid are the melodies and rhythms, skillfully performed here by the Alias Chamber Ensemble, that the spirited Afro-Peruvian dance…teases and exhilarates.”

Re: Danza de los Saqsampillos: “… Danza de los Saqsampillos for marimba duo offers a dazzling display of virtuosity by percussionists Christopher Norton and Todd Kemp.”

Re: Adagio para Amantani for cello and piano: “Frank and Walker perform this poignant meditation with sensitivity and pathos.”

Re: Quijotadas: “The four intrepid players – Bowers, Walker, violinist Alison Gooding and violist Chris Farrell – join forces to perform this texturally varied and rhythmically pulsating score with all the quirkiness and gusto it demands.”

From Nashville Scene:
“Alias’ debut disc, featuring Gabriela Lena Frank, was well worth the wait”

Re: Hilos: “The music is remarkable for its shimmering, transparent textures. It’s also full of vivid sonic images… Frank performs…with power and sparkle. Bowers, Levine and Walker respond with playing that is both passionate and spontaneous.”

Re: Danza de los Saqsampillos: “Alias percussionists Christopher Norton and Todd Kemp bring this glistening music to life. They are equal to the work’s challenges…playing with a sense of pure joy.”

In addition to classical, you’re known for your dance, electro and hip-hop music. What attracted you to this genre? I’ve actually always been involved in pop, as well as classical music. Some of my first experiences in music were writing pop songs with a friend when I was 10 years old. Then, I continued to play in bands throughout my teens. I became increasingly interested in rhythm and syncopation, and find that some dance, hip-hop and urban music is particularly innovative in its creative rhythms.

How has your dance, electro, hip-hop background influenced your classical writing? I see hip-hop, electro, etc. as the urban folk music of our times, and so I’m just following the age-old tradition of classical composers taking influences from the folk music around them. Classical music over the last century has had a tendency to focus on a predominantly academic and intellectualized approach (especially in Europe), and it often feels like it has lost touch with the general public and the world outside. I think that taking influences from contemporary urban “folk” is one way that we can re-engage with the world we live in and make music that connects more to the culture of our times.

You have a very well-known grandfather, Sergei Prokofiev. How did he influence what you’re doing today? I don’t know how much my grandfather influenced me to follow music, but I am certainly very inspired by his music and his incredible work ethic. If anything, having such a famous ancestor should have put me off making a career of music!

Your music label, Nonclassical, has released some very interesting and diverse albums, including one that features instruments like a Fanta bottle and an oil pan. What attracts you to a project or artist? Nonclassical Records was set up in order to release young, contemporary music that is truly fresh, contemporary and hopefully relevant to the world we live in. There are surprisingly few record labels releasing contemporary classical music, and almost none just focusing on the works of young composers and performers. So when I come across artists or composers who are really doing something unique and contemporary, the discussion begins…

The name of your label is interesting: Nonclassical. What’s the story behind the name? The simplest way of explaining the name Nonclassical is: Classical music presented in a “non classical” way. The initial reason for the name was almost accidental. About seven years ago, I was co-running an independent dance/urban record label (along with producer Boxsags) that was called Nonstop Recordings. When I decided to release The Elysian Quartet playing my first quartet independently, I thought the label could be a classical off-shoot of Nonstop; so I initially called it “Nonstop Classica,” but that sounded too clunky. While I was looking at the name I thought: “Why not just simplify it to Nonclassical?” The more I thought about the word, which contains the word “classical,” but also questions it, the more it felt right.

You often remix your classical works, which is a relatively uncommon practice. Why do you do it? What do you hope to accomplish or offer your audiences through your remixes?
There are a few reasons. The initial reason was that when I decided to release my first quartet, I quickly realized that, at 16 minutes long, it wouldn’t fill a CD! So I thought I’d take inspiration from the dance music tradition of having remixes in order to complete the CD. My first quartet also has some rhythmic elements and syncopated grooves that are clearly inspired by electronic dance music, so I thought it would be quite an interesting musical experiment to see what would happen if producers were to remix it and potentially take some of those elements back to their root.

Another reason for the remixes is that they provide the perfect music for the DJ-sets I do at the Nonclassical club nights, as they combine modern, club-friendly production with contemporary classical harmony, textures and instrumentation. Finally, I think it’s a very interesting musical experiment having producers from different genres working with contemporary classical source material; very interesting to see what it will inspire them to do, and also fascinating to blur the boundaries between genres.

Your monthly “classical club nights” feature contemporary classical music performed in an informal club or bar setting. What inspired the club night concept? Why does it work? The initial inspiration for the night was the simple truth that very few of my friends and peer group ever came to my classical music concerts. The typical classical chamber concert just did not fit into their live-styles; but, I really wanted my peers to hear my music. I hoped that it would resonate with them; after all, surely a young composer should appeal to their own age group, as well as the typical (more mature) classical audience.

So, I decided to take my music to the places where my friends went for music: night-clubs and bars. And that led to hosting the first Nonclassical club night in an east London venue called Cargo in 2004. Since 2008 the club-night has been monthly and we have a strong, mainly young following. The nights work in a similar way to club-nights for rock or jazz gigs. The DJs start at 8 p.m., and then the live music starts around 9 p.m. and continues until midnight. But there is quite a particular approach at Nonclassical in that the live sets tend to be just 20 minutes each. This helps keep the night really dynamic and the audience stays focused. Normally there will be four live sets in a night with a 10-15 minute DJ breaks in between, and then DJ sets from around 11:30 p.m. until 2 a.m. Most of the DJ-sets are made up of Nonclassical remixes along with some contemporary classical music, and a little bit of left-field electronica.

What’s next? Wow! I’m actually crazy busy at the moment. I have two big symphonic commissions to finish in under three weeks, and I’m going to be working right until the last minute… pressure! Also, I’ve just expanded the orchestration of my Concerto for Turntables and Orchestra, as it’s going to be performed at this year’s BBC Proms in the Royal Albert Hall, which is very exciting for me. Vladimir Jurowski will be conducting the NYO, with DJ Switch (three-time DMC world supremacy champion) as the soloist.

The Symphonic commissions are quite unique: one is an orchestral ‘remix’ of Beethoven’s Ninth, commissioned by American conductor John Axelrod (for French Orchestra ONPL). The other commission is a ballet of Midsummer Nights Dream for Bern Ballet in Switzerland; it will be half my music and half Mendelssohn….I’ve even done a waltz interpretation of Mendelssohn’s famous Wedding March!

Learn more about Gabriel Prokofiev on his blog at http://gabrielprokofiev.com.

As a young boy growing up in the Tony Sudekum public housing “projects” of South Nashville, Charles Davis longed for a positive alternative to the negative influences that were ever-present in his community. He desperately wanted to escape the grips of poverty, drugs, crime, violence and welfare dependency that has engulfed the inner city generation after generation.

However, many of the role models of success to which he had been exposed were those who had attained their wealth by either becoming drug pushers, thieves or hustlers; therefore, he felt those “occupations” represented the only possibility of financial security for him as well. Luckily, one infamous night, as Charles was being persuaded by a would-be “mentor” to break in an area warehouse, something deep inside told him there had to be a better way. From that point on, Charles decided he was never again going to let “where he was from” determine “where he was going”. He took control of his destiny and assessed his options for a plan of action that would free him from the downward spiral of poverty. Based on his strengths, he set the goal of becoming a professional basketball player. More importantly, Charles made a vow to God that once he achieved his dream, he would always come back to Nashville’s inner-city to empower others to reach their full potential as well.

For over a decade now, The Charles Davis Foundation has provided programs that enhance the quality of life for thousands of residents of Nashville’s most impoverished areas. These programs include sports camps and leagues, mentoring, job placement and training, tutoring, computer training, drug prevention, character development, HIV/AIDS awareness, survival skills, scholarship, financial aid, guest lectures, cultural exposure and economic development. With the help and support from many concerned individuals, corporations and public agencies, Charles Davis and The Foundation are winning many battles in the war to save our
youth by Giving positive, educational, athletic, cultural & economic empowerment Back To Our Future.”

CLICK HERE for tickets and for details about the show, to be held Saturday, May 21, 2011 at 8 p.m. at Blair School of Music.

Click HERE for streaming audio of the performance at the Performance Today website.

The Alias Chamber Ensemble and composer Gabriela Lena Frank kicked off the season with the magnificent debut of “Hilos”

by John Pitcher

October 07, 2010

If you want to terrify a concert audience into fleeing a theater, you don’t have to shout “fire.” In many American cities you only have to whisper the words “modern music.”Fortunately, that’s not the case in Nashville, where the Alias Chamber Ensemble has developed a large and loyal following for its adventurous programming. Alias packed the Blair School of Music’s Turner Hall for its season-opening concert last Friday with a program that included the world premiere of Gabriela Lena Frank’s “Hilos” for clarinet, violin, cello and piano, along with music by D.J. Sparr, Kenji Bunch and Bayani Mendoza de Leon.

Frank, a 38-year-old California-based pianist and composer, often writes music that draws on her multicultural heritage. Her mother is a Peruvian of Chinese descent, and her father is an American of Lithuanian-Jewish ancestry. ”Hilos” finds its inspiration in the composer’s Peruvian background. The title means “threads” and alludes to the colorful beauty of Peru’s textiles. Frank refers to the piece as a kind of Peruvian “Pictures at an Exhibition.”

Lasting about 30 minutes, “Hilos” is an expansive work consisting of eight short movements, which boast such descriptive titles as “Charanguista Viejo” (Old Charango Player) and “Zumballyu” (Spinning Top). The score is positively brimming with rhythmically vital and lyrically appealing ideas. But its greatness stems from its prismatic beauty.

Frank left no timbre unexplored. She mixed and matched the work’s instrumental combinations, with some movements highlighting the sounds of just two instruments — “Charanguista Viejo,” for instance, was primarily a dialogue between violin and piano. The result was a work full of diaphanous textures.

For the rest of the story at nashvillescene.com, click HERE.

The Tennessean’s Evans Donnell gives the first review of the Hilos world premiere last night during ALIAS’ fall concert. The following is an excerpt; for the full story at tennessean.com, click HERE.

ALIAS Chamber Ensemble can do more than make good music: It can, for a time, alter the season and time of day.

A cool fall evening became a warm spring afternoon on Friday with the world premiere of Gabriela Lena Frank’s vibrant “Hilos” quartet. ALIAS’ seasonal concert before more than 200 people in Blair School of Music’s Turner Hall also featured the charming renewal of three carefully cultivated pieces.

Frank, a Guggenheim Fellow and Latin Grammy winner, joined ALIAS at the piano for the first public performance of “Hilos,” which ALIAS and Frank recorded recently for an upcoming Naxos CD.

Hilos is the Spanish word for threads. The piece consists of eight short movements (the longest runs about five minutes) and finishes in less than 30 minutes. In that short span, Frank on piano and ALIAS musicians on violin, cello and clarinet vividly weaved a rich South American-flavored musical textile by using various musical techniques to create the illusion of multiple instruments and voices.

The work began with Canto del Altiplano (Song of the Highlands): Frank’s piano opened with tremolos, and the rapid reiteration created the feeling one might have viewing the morning mist clinging to a chain of mountains. The illusion of highland wind instruments that followed offered some fun-loving hints that the heart of “Hilos” is a light and happy one.

We’re honored, flattered and very, very pleased to announce that the Nashville Scene newspaper is featuring ALIAS on the front cover of its Fall Guide, along with in-depth and beautifully-written article about the upcoming Oct. 1 performance of Hilos by ALIAS and Gabriela Lena Frank. Please, pick up a copy and read the story by Scene writer Russell Johnston, which includes photography by Scene photographer Eric England. For the full story at Nashvillescene.com and all the photos, CLICK HERE. Here is an excerpt, followed by several of England’s photos:

So a Peruvian-American, a violinist, a cellist, a sociologist and a philosopher walk into a bar. Stop me if you’ve heard this one.

No? Well that’s not surprising, since it’s not actually a joke. The Peruvian-American is up-and-coming classical composer, Guggenheim Fellow and Latin Grammy winner Gabriela Lena Frank, who’s written commissioned works for many high-profile performers, including Dawn Upshaw and Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble. Violinist Zeneba Bowers is the founder and artistic director of music cooperative Alias Chamber Ensemble, and cellist Matt Walker is the group’s executive director. The sociologist and philosopher are Jennifer Lena and Jonathan Neufeld, co-leaders of Vanderbilt’s “Music, Community and Authority” project.

This motley crew wound up sipping craft beer at Bosco’s on a hot August evening because they’re taking a dinner break after a long day’s work on an ambitious and inventive project: Alias, the city’s most daring chamber music group, has enlisted support from Vanderbilt and the storied Schubert Club of St. Paul, Minn., to commission, perform and record an exciting new work by Frank for clarinet, violin, cello and piano called Hilos. (They also recorded it for a Naxos CD.) Not only is the news sure to boost national awareness of Nashville’s classical music scene, but the commission process also fosters unique opportunities for community involvement. Hilos debuts Oct. 1 at the Blair School of Music.

For the full story at Nashvillescene.com, click here.

Gabriela Lena Frank practices Hilos:

ALIAS members Lee Levine and Matt Walker practice for the Oct. 1 performance:

Hilos sheet music: