Deena T. Grossman Shares Flutes in the Garden - a Joint Benefit Concert for Leach Botanical Garden and Columbia Riverkeeper
“Her music melds a passion for the environment with knowledge of the folk traditions of America, Bali, and Japan to form a unique voice from the Pacific Northwest.” - Oregon ArtsWatch
June 8, 2023; Portland, OR: On July 9th, 2023, composer Deena T. Grossman presents Flutes in the Garden, partnering once again with the Leach Botanical Garden to bring her “elegant music [to this] equally graceful setting.” (East PDX News) With musical soundscapes directly inspired by the plants, trees, and spaces of this special place, Flutes in the Garden is a perfect example of what Grossman does best: she celebrates a universal interconnectedness and the importance of environmental stewardship by mirroring the rhythms, patterns, and fluidity of nature through music in true Oregonian style. Proceeds from this concert equally benefit both the garden and Columbia Riverkeeper where Grossman is composer in residence.
Especially well-versed in flute technique through her own performance in both Western and Eastern traditions, Grossman is well-respected amongst the global flute community for her lyrical and heartfelt contributions to the flute repertoire. This particular program features two highly-anticipated World Premieres of pieces for flute sextet, created especially for performance on the garden’s Aerial Tree Walk. Six flutes from small to large, including piccolo, flute, alto, and bass flute will connect the audience to the magical environment under the forest canopy. The roster of performers features a variety of artistic voices that include jazz superstar John C. Savage, who will offer a solo performance of his extroverted and energetic Ritual Condition (alto flute), and local new music luminary and Powell Flutes Artist Amelia Lukas who will play “the bass flute to render a soulful and solitary 'Snowy Egret, January Messenger,' impressively fashioning raspy tones and to give the impression of the bird flying away at the end of the piece” (Oregon ArtsWatch on Lukas’ previous performance). Additional flutists skilled in responsive improvisation and global styles will join Savage and Lukas in the World Premieres of Circular Bridge and Thrice Burned Forest: Antares Boyle, Gabriela Gimenes, Elaine Martir, and Natalie Van Slyke.
Directly following the hour-long concert program, guests are invited to stay for an after-party to enjoy drinks, conversation with the composer and performers, and Brazilian music by Choro da Alegria featuring flutist Gabriela Gimenes, guitarist Peter Fung, and percussionist Estevan Diaz.
PROGRAM:
Deena T. Grossman, Snowy Egret, January Messenger (bass flute)
The free rhythm and extended flute techniques reflect the sonic world of shakuhachi and evoke the image of white egrets standing in the water among the brilliant green shoots of rice plants
Deena T. Grossman, Circular Bridge - World Premiere (piccolo, two C flutes, two alto flutes, bass flute)
Meditative, connective, atmospheric
John C. Savage, Ritual Condition (alto flute)
A strong and extroverted example of the flute’s wide array of sound possibilities through extended techniques and breath variance
Deena T. Grossman, Thrice Burned Forest - World Premiere (piccolo, two C flutes, two alto flutes, bass flute)
A sonic response to the stark landscape left behind by the immense wildfires that burned around Mount Adams in Gifford Pinchot National Forest (2008 Cold Springs fire, 2012 Cascade Creek fire, and 2015 Cougar Creek fire) that reflects the mysterious sounds the composer heard while hiking there: women’s voices singing high, sighing and breathy, interspersed with wooden, percussive rattling sounds at unpredictable intervals, charred trunks of burnt trees quaking with the wind coming off the mountain.
WHEN: Sunday, July 9th, 7pm / doors open at 6pm
WHERE: The Leach Botanical Garden
TICKETS: $30 in advance / $36 at the door
https://www.leachgarden.org/flutes-in-the-garden
All proceeds benefit Leach Botanical Garden and Columbia Riverkeeper
Composer Deena T. Grossman creates music that is deeply rooted in the natural world and synergistically integrates a unique range of global stylistic influences. Mirroring the rhythms, patterns, and fluidity of nature, Grossman highlights a universal interconnectedness and the importance of environmental stewardship. Her upbringing in Berkeley, California and later travels offered first-hand exposure to many musical cultures, including traditional American and Jewish folk tunes and music of Japan, Bali, and India. She combines these influences into a coherent, multicultural vision realized through dynamic, expressive, and variegate compositions. Grossman has worked closely with some of classical music’s most influential figures of the 20th century including Lou Harrison and Thea Musgrave. With formative studies at the University of California Santa Barbara and The Center for World Music, Grossman received a Master of Music degree from Rice University, Shepherd School of Music. A resident of Portland, Oregon, “Grossman’s environmental music poignantly expresses the mission and values of Columbia Riverkeeper, where she is composer-in-residence.” (Oregon ArtsWatch) Deenatgrossman.com
About Leach Botanical Garden: Situated along a free-flowing creek in outer SE Portland, the garden is an inviting, restorative urban greenspace. The Upper Garden features an entry plaza, aerial tree walk, four-season pollinator garden, and basalt stone sculptural installation. The hillside and lower garden feature native plants, historic Leach plant collections, meandering, wooded trails, and riparian area pathways along Johnson Creek. Leachgarden.org
About Columbia Riverkeeper: Columbia Riverkeeper’s mission is to protect and restore the water quality of the Columbia River and all life connected to it, from the headwaters to the Pacific Ocean. Columbiariverkeeper.org
