Offering “a tone so pure it is almost a sine-wave” (The Wire), Adam Lion is a percussionist dedicated to performing experimental music rooted in both classical and improvisational traditions. Based in Asheville NC, his performances have been described as “rife with psychological effects” by the New York Times and “closely attuned… playful, and mimetic” by Pitchfork Media. Notable projects include his 2020 release with Sarah Hennies and Ashlee Booth “The Reinvention of Romance” (Astral Spirits), a 2021 residency with New York University composer collective “nevermind the noise”, and his 2023 solo vibraphone album “Gilgul” (cmntx). He has collaborated closely with a diverse spectrum of contemporary artists including Harold Budd, Laura Steenberge, Matt Nelson, Mustafa Walker, Thom Nguyen, Brett Naucke, Mark Applebaum, Nief-Norf, bang on a can, and Sarah Hennies. Lion has received grant funding from New Music USA, the Foundation for Contemporary Arts, and The North Carolina Arts Commission. He has been a featured performer at many notable venues and festivals including the Big Ears Festival, {RE]Happening Festival, University of Chicago, Vanderbilt University, the Boston Conservatory at Berklee, Duke University, the Red Room, MASS MoCA, and the Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center. Lion holds an M.A. in Music from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and a B.A. in Music from Southern Oregon University. He can be heard on the New Village Tapes, cmntx, Astral Spirits, and innova labels.
Liner notes from his new album, “Gilgul”-
“Lion’s intensely repetition-driven performances are an engrossing study on the possibilities of sound. His solo vibraphone is enough to flood a room with music one would only expect from amplification or supplementary electronics. Slowly evolving ostinatos result in pulsating, dissonant overtones whose frequency beatings bring about scintillating clouds of polyrhythms; in a live setting, it is enough to bewilder one’s ear drums. In Gilgul, Lion has captured this phenomenon as a certain metamorphosis takes place.”
Will Yager is a versatile bassist/improviser committed to experimental music, improvisation, and collaborating with living composers in the creation of new solo and chamber repertoire for the double bass. He has worked directly with composers Michael Gordon, Scott Wollschleger, David Lang, Miya Masaoka, Jean-François Charles, Sivan Cohen Elias, and Amy Williams, among others. He is a founding member of the soprano/double bass duo LIGAMENT and improvising trio Wombat. Performance highlights include appearances at the University of Iowa Center for New Music, High Zero Festival, Experimental Sound Studio’s Quarantine Concerts, Omaha Under the Radar, SEAMUS National Conference, Nief-Norf Virtual Marathon, Big Ears Festival, Feed Me Weird Things, and the Bang on a Can Summer Festival, where he was a Robert Black Double Bass Fellow. Yager is also a founding member and currently serves on the board of the nonprofit organization Bass Players for Black Composers.
Dr. Bonnie Lander is an adventurous, virtuosic soprano, composer, and improviser specializing in classical and avant-garde music performance. With a “signature ability to embody a seemingly endless supply of vocal timbres and personalties,” Dr. Lander is a favorite among composers, songwriters, and improvisers. Frequently featured in collaborative performance with Rhymes With Opera, The High Zero Foundation, Performing Arts Services NYC, and with Love Love Love.
Based in the Hollins Market area of Baltimore, Bonnie teaches online individual and group voice lessons. Dr. Lander uses her technical expertise to help amateur and professional students across all genres find confidence and ease in their singing. Bonnie received her Doctorate of Musical Arts (DMA) from UC San Diego, Master of Music from the Peabody Institute, and a Bachelor of Music from The University of Miami Frost School of Music. With over 15 years of professional performance and teaching experience, Bonnie is an excellent instructor for any student who seeks knowledge, freedom, and ease in their singing voice.
