UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The College of Arts and Architecture and Penn State School of Music's Other Arts Ensemble, directed by Kevin Sims, will present a special collaborative performance from 6 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, April 4, at the Perch Music & Arts Workshop, 2321 Emerald Street, Philadelphia.
The 12-piece experimental music ensemble will perform "Messier," a three-hour work by Texas-based composer, performer and producer Kory Reeder. Reeder, who runs the independent record labels Sawyer Editions and Sawyer Spaces, will join the ensemble as a performer for the evening.
The performance marks a three-way collaboration between the Other Arts Ensemble, Reeder and Penn State alumnus Jeff Carpineta, who owns and operates the Perch. In addition to rehearsing and performing, students will engage in conversations with Reeder and Carpineta about the many dimensions of sustaining a career as an independent artist, organizer, presenter and producer.
"Messier" is a slowly evolving ensemble meditation inspired by the life and vision of the 18th-century French astronomer Charles Messier. Expansive and immersive, the work unfolds over three continuous hours, inviting listeners into a reflective sound world shaped by patience, deep listening and collective focus.
“Rehearsing and performing such a long work requires a tremendous amount of attention and trust within the ensemble,” said Sims. “The students are building strong musical connections as they learn to sustain concentration and shape a shared musical arc across an extended span of time.”
Early rehearsals have already demonstrated the ensemble’s commitment to the project’s meditative intensity and subtle evolution, Sims said, adding that the performance promises to be a unique and enriching artistic experience for both performers and audience members.
The Perch Music & Arts Workshop is a community-oriented venue featuring multiple performance spaces and an outdoor wildflower garden, creating an intimate and welcoming environment for experimental and exploratory work.
The April 4 performance is open to the public.