Art of Elan's former ensemble-in-residence, the Chicago-based Kontras Quartet, returns to San Diego for an evening of dynamic music-making and multimedia collaboration. The program features colorful music by some of today's most innovative composers, including Caroline Shaw, Jessie Montgomery, Javier Alvarez and Nathalie Joachim, as well as the world premiere of the string quartet "Hidden Mothers." Written by Boston-based composer Steven Snowden and commissioned by Art of Elan in 2019, this powerful piece reflects on the invisible sacrifices that mothers make on a regular basis. It was initially inspired by the Hidden Mother Photography trends of the 19th Century, where mothers were frequently disguised as furniture or other items in portraits in order to keep young children calm during the long exposure time.
Followers of the "Sounds & Swells" series (a gorgeous pairing of classical music with high-quality surfing films) will also be treated to the unveiling of a new project that features the music of Felix Mendelssohn and local footage from McCracken Films and Joey Taylor Photography, dramatically captured during the bioluminescence phenomenon of March 2020.
This one-hour musical program will take place outdoors in the Garden at the Education Pavilion, with a pre-concert reception beginning at 6:30pm and admission to the current exhibit by Greg Ito included with the price of admission.
For everyone's safety:
- Masks are strongly encouraged for all guests unless actively eating or drinking
- All Art of Elan artists (including guest artists) are fully vaccinated