A/B Duo

From djembe to Nintendo Gameboy to contrabass flute to drum set, A/B Duo’s no-limits instrumentation and imaginative concert programming has delighted audiences all over the United States since 2013. Made up of flutist Meerenai Shim and percussionist Christopher G. Jones, A/B Duo has made a mark for its “fresh, vibrant new music” and “commitment to widening the repertoire.” (Fanfare Magazine)

A/B Duo appears in concert throughout the United States, with performances at The Green Mill in Chicago, Spectrum in New York City, The Center for New Music in San Francisco, and the Goat Farm Arts Center in Atlanta, in addition to the Eastman School of Music and Oberlin Conservatory. A group with notoriety beyond the classical and new music world, A/B also performed at the video game and indie music festival Rockage 4.0.

The acclaimed duo is proud to have commissioned new work from American composition’s best established talent and rising stars, including Drew Baker, Zack Browning, Andrea La Rose, Ned McGowan, Brendon Randall-Myers, Ivan Trevino, and Ken Ueno. Many of these commissions can be heard on their full-length album, Variety Show on the Aerocade Music label, and on their debut 2013 EP, Things We Dream About. Their albums and performances have enjoyed warm reviews from outlets across the United States, including Cleveland Classical, Chicago Classical Review, The Flute View, and ArtsATL, among others.

Among their many diverse projects, A/B Duo created a fully functional video game in lieu of a music video to accompany their game-themed commission from Matthew Joseph Payne, Echoloquacious. Play the game and learn more here.

Clocks In Motion

Hailed as “nothing short of remarkable” (ClevelandClassical.com) and “the most exciting addition to Madison’s classical music scene” (The Isthmus), Clocks in Motion is a percussion quartet that performs new music, builds many of its own instruments, and breaks down the boundaries of the traditional concert program.

Formed in 2011, Clocks in Motion is quickly becoming a major artistic force in today’s contemporary music scene. Among its many recent and upcoming engagements, the group served as performers at the Interlochen Arts Academy (MI), The Stone (NY), The Overture Center for the Arts (WI), Casper College (WY), University of Michigan (MI), Baldwin-Wallace University (OH), The University of North Carolina-Pembroke (NC), and The Ewell Concert Series (VA).

With a fearless and uncompromising ear to programming challenging and adventurous contemporary percussion ensemble repertoire, Clocks in Motion consistently performs groundbreaking concerts which involve performance art, theater, and the construction of new instruments. Clocks in Motion’s instrument collection now includes a set of 88 microtonal steel pipes known as the Galvitone, a microtonal marimba known as the Quarimba, and six sets of Sixxen, large metal microtonal keyboard instruments built for Xenakis’ 1979 masterpiece, Pleiades. These instruments serve as a great resource and inspiration to the creation of new music and are useful in the performance of pre-existing works. Featuring world premieres alongside rarely performed classic works, Clocks in Motion strives to create a new canon of percussion repertoire.

Not only known as a virtuosic performing ensemble, Clocks in Motion works passionately to educate young audiences through master classes, residencies, presentations, and school assemblies. The individual members of Clocks in Motion’s unique skill sets and specialties contain an impressive mix of musical styles including, rock, jazz, contemporary classical music, orchestral percussion, marching percussion, and world music styles. Clocks in Motion works regularly with all age groups in accessible hands-on workshops.