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Susie Ibarra: Sky Islands (Houston premiere)Amir AlSaffar: New work (Houston premiere)
TALKING GONG (CLAIRE CHASE, flutes; SUSIE IBARRA, percussion; Alex Peh, piano and keyboards); AMIR ELSAFFAR, trumpet, santur
Crossing genres of jazz, improvisation, and experimental electronics, the all-star Talking Gong trio brings two new works to Houston: Susie Ibarra’s 2025 Pulitzer Prize-winning Sky Islands and a new collaborative creation with guest artist trumpeter-composer Amir ElSaffar, commissioned by MacArthur-winning flutist Claire Chase. Both works have their Houston premieres at the spectacular new Ismaili Center.
In Sky Islands, Susie Ibarra creates a sound world inspired by the fragile ecosystems of the Philippine rainforest, weaving themes of biodiversity, climate change and cultural tradition into music of vivid texture and interconnection, using her stunning collection of percussion instruments.
Amir El-Saffar - acclaimed for fusing jazz and Western classical traditions with the microtonal maqam music of Iraq and the Middle East - joins the trio for a new collaborative work. Through ostinato, groove, repetition and composed and improvised structures, the musicians invite the listener to join them in a state of Tarab, or musical ecstasy.
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Event venue
Ismaili Center Houston, 2323 Allen Pkwy,Houston, Texas, United States
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