MISSION
OCTET is a New York-based music ensemble comprised of stellar instrumentalists performing contemporary compositions that push boundaries. OCTET is dedicated to collaborating with artists in a variety of disciplines, forging a unique, unheard and unseen intermingling of music and media in order to provide audiences an alternative music experience.
ABOUT
Contributing to the unique sound of OCTET is its instrumentation. Essentially, it is a scaled down big band using one each from the brass section plus rhythm: saxophone, trumpet, trombone, drums/percussion, piano, keyboard, vocals, and contrabass.
New pieces for OCTET include Camille, Piano Concerto, two new song cycles: Scatter My Ashes and, Moving in to an Empty Space, plus film scores performed live to picture.
OCTET film score repertoire includes a live performance to Native New Yorker, WINNER as Best Documentary Short Tribeca Film Festival and film score suites from the mystical Tibetan Shaman documentary Fate of the Lhapa and When Medicine Got It Wrong, a PBS documentary on the early advocacy and treatment of Schizophrenia.
MUSICIANS
- SAXOPHONE Demetrius Spaneas
- TRUMPET Mike Gurfield
- TROMBONE Alan Ferber
- DRUMS/PERCUSSION Greg Zuber
- PIANO Elaine Kwon
- KEYBOARDS William Susman
- CONTRABASS Eleonore Oppenheim
- VOCALS Mellissa Hughes and Ronit Widmann-Levy alternate performances
ADMINISTRATION
- ARTISITC DIRECTOR William Susman
- MUSIC DIRECTOR Demetrius Spaneas
- OPERATIONS MANAGER Kevin Powell
OCTET DEBUT AT CARNEGIE HALL
Best Buddies New York Benefit Concert: Elaine Kwon and Friends
Premiere of Piano Concerto with Elaine Kwon, soloist
Thursday, November 10, 2011 | 7:30PM
Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall | 881 Seventh Avenue at 57th Street | New York, NY 10019
Excerpts from OCTET
VITALITY from Camille:
TRANQUILITY from Camille:
TRIUMPH from Camille:
RESEARCH from film score suite When Medicine Got it Wrong:
MEETING WITH THE DALAI LAMA from film score suite Fate of the Lhapa:
THE WORK from film score suite Fate of the Lhapa:
ONLY CLEAR SPACE INSIDE from song cycle Scatter my Ashes:
Recorded at John Kilgore Sound, New York City by Josiah Gluck, March 17 & 18, 2011 Mixed at The Site, San Rafael, CA by Stephen Hart, assisted by Ana Sophia Dunham, April 25, May 2 & 6, 2011
For Bookings contact:
Kevin Powell - Operations Manager
Tel: (301) 395-0779
Email: kevinpowell012@gmail.com
Download OCTET Press Kit (pdf)
