“Women’s Voices / Women’s Vision” will feature its second annual afternoon exposition of visual art and new music by women on April 26th, 2009. The eleven visual artists—selected from an open call for entries—will present collages, sculptures, videos, paintings, needlepoint pieces, and appropriated film stills. The exhibition’s theme is “Dissonance and the Female Experience.” By staging music and visual art in the same space, and by featuring all women, the event’s organizers seek to explore the question: Do any compelling analogies emerge between the sensory dissonance evoked by a society’s evolving artistic conventions, and the cognitive dissonance that occurs when women—as members of that society—adapt to new identities?

In Roberta Melzl’s pieces, layered plaid wallpaper is at once decorative and jarring in its juxtaposition of grids and patterns. Rather than simply representing the female form, Helene Brandt builds around it a tight-fitting cage of negative space. And Crisanta De Guzman’s sculptures bring odd, open-ended stories to the digitally enhanced scenes they inhabit. Even the songs by “musical anthropologist” and composer Gabriela Frank yield discord, both aural and cultural, whether in Frank’s use of Quechua lyrics, or in the preconceptions overturned when audiences find out that she happens to be hearing- impaired.

The artists selected for the 2009 exhibition are: Elena Wen, Teri Richardson, Laura Meyers, Roberta Melzl, Tamar Meir, Joetta Maue, Nadja Marcin, Marcia Jones, Crisanta De Guzman, Helene Brandt, and Kristen Anderson.

Composer Yoon-Ji Lee whose works have been performed by cellist Jason Calloway, the International Contemporary Ensemble, Due East, and Kammerensemble Neue Musik Berlin will be in attendance at the event for the world premiere of her piece, "Her Clang" for piano and cello which will be performed by Ryosuke Yanagitani and Michael Haas.  The Musique à la Mode ensemble will be joined by special guest Tara Helen O'Connor, one of New York's most sought after flutists.  Also on the program: "Two pieces for Viola and Cello" by Rebecca Clarke, songs by Nadia and Lili Boulanger for mezzo and piano, "Cover" for flute, cello and piano by Belinda Reynolds, "Running the Edge" for two flutes and percussive piano by Jennifer Higdon, "Mirage" for flute, clarinet, violin, cello and piano by Shulamit Ran, and "Cuatro Canciones Andinas" for mezzo and piano by Gabriela Lena Frank. The featured composers include Shulamit Ran, Belinda Reynolds, Gabriela Lena Frank, Jennifer Higdon, Nadia Boulanger, Lilli Boulanger, and Yoon Ji Lee, who will be premiering a work for piano and cello.

ABOUT THE SERIES “Women’s Voices / Women’s Visions” is an annual visual art and music event organized by Musique à la Mode, a cutting-edge chamber-music ensemble that specializes in performing and programming new music, while integrating the visual arts, storytelling, theater, and other artistic genres. More about the ensemble can be found at http://www.musiquealamode.com. This year’s call for entries was curated by Dawn Chan, an independent writer and curator who frequently contributes to Artforum.com.

Tickets: $15 (advance) online at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/57141 and $20 at the door (cash only).  Limited $10 student tickets are available with valid I.D.  For more information, please email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

"Love Has No Bounds"

A concert of chamber music in response to Proposition 8

Sunday, February 15th, 2009
St. Mark's Church-in-the-Bowery
131 E. 10th St. (@ 2nd Ave.)
New York, New York
2:00 PM

Tickets: General Admission $25 (available online or by calling 1-800-838-3006) or $30 at the door on the day of the performance

"In response to the recent emotions stirred by both sides of California's Proposition 8 and other gay marriage bans, our goal in this concert is to convey the depth and beauty of love in LGBT relationships." - Laurie Rubin, Musique à la Mode Founding Member

"Because people always make the argument that gay marriage is harmful to "the children", proceeds for this event will go to an organization that protects and nurtures OUR (LGBTQ) children" - Jenny Taira, Musique à la Mode Founding Member

"Love Has No Bounds", a concert of chamber music in response to California's Proposition 8 will showcase works by LGBT composers Gordon Beeferman, Aaron Copland, Paula Kimper, and Lowell Liebermann. Works will include scenes from the opera “Patience and Sarah” by Ms. Kimper (Libretto by Wende Persons, Stage Director: Beth Greenberg, Conductor: Braden Toan), “San Francisco Songs” by Mr. Beeferman, “As it fell upon a day” by Aaron Copland, and Mr. Liebermann’s “Quintet for Piano and Strings”.

Participating performers will include Melissa Fogarty (soprano), Laurie Rubin (mezzo-soprano), Rosalie Sullivan (mezzo-soprano), Jeffrey Worthey (flute), Jennifer Taira (clarinet), James Smith (oboe), Sydney Braunfeld (french horn), Angelia Cho (violin), Will Frampton (viola), Michael Haas (cello), Hannah Shields (piano), and the Tessera String Quartet, as well as both Mr. Beeferman and Mr. Lieberman.

The afternoon’s concert will benefit The Hetrick–Martin Institute, home of the Harvey Milk High School, the largest and oldest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth-service provider supporting New York City’s most vulnerable and at-risk community. Hetrick-Martin provides a safe environment with year-round free services that are designed to place these young people in a nurturing environment, instill in them a strong sense of belonging, and provide them with the skills necessary to become thriving citizens in their community and obtain opportunities of a lifetime. (http://www.hmi.org).

There will be a reception following the performance.