CMS Announces 2017 Season of Workshops and Concerts

Events in Manhattan and the Catskill Mountains Feature Mary Halvorson, Nels Cline, Billy Martin and others

CMS will present an expanded series of concerts and workshops in Manhattan and upstate New York throughout 2017, featuring a diverse line up including Nels Cline, Mary Halvorson, Min Xiao Fen, Billy Martin and many others.

The CMS™ 2017 season begins with the first workshops it has conducted in New York City in over twenty years, from March 31 – April 2, at the Greenwich House Music School (46 Barrow St.) in Greenwich Village. The workshop features two master classes per day with guiding artists guitarist/bandleader/composer Nels Cline (Wilco) and percussionist/composer Susie Ibarra, along with CMS co-founders Karl Berger and Ingrid Sertso leading CMS ‘basic practice’ as well as improvisers’ orchestra sessions. Bassist Ken Filiano and other musicians work with participants on a more personal level, informally coaching, playing and tutoring daily.  Details and registration are here.

Also at Greenwich House Music School CMS will present two evening concerts.  “The Music of Richard Teitelbaum” with noted composer Richard Teitelbaum  (electronics), Marilyn Crispell (piano), Leila Bordreuil (cello) and Miguel Frasconi (glass object instruments) on Saturday, April 8 at , 8:30 PM.  The next month CMS will present “The Music of Karl Berger” with Karl Berger (piano), Steve Gorn (bansuri flutes, clarinet), Sana Nagano (violin), Jason Hwang (viola), Tomas Ulrich (cello), and Ken Filiano (bass) on Saturday, May13 at 8 PM.

In June CMS heads upstate to Big Indian, NY in the Catskill Mountains for an expanded workshop intensive at its upstate home, Full Moon Resort.  The workshop will be split into two parts. The first will take place June 12 -16, featuring Warren Smith, Peter Apfelbaum, Min Xiao Fen on Chinese modes, Joe McPhee, Tanya Kalmanovitch, Ken Filiano, Karl Berger, Ingrid Sertso, and others.  The second part will take place June 19 – 23, featuring Billy Martin, Cyro Baptista, Mark Guiliana, Gil Olivera, Allen Herman, Adam Morford and others.  Musicians and non-musicians can sign up for either part, and if they register for both workshops, they will receive a 25% discount.

CMS will be back in Manhattan for a series of concerts by the CMS Improvisers Orchestra at the El Taller Cultural Community Center 215 East 99th Street.  The concerts will take place on three Saturday evenings, April 29, May 27 and June 10 and will feature special guests composer/violinist David Soldier (4/29), poets Papoleto Melendez and Bernardo Palumbo (5/27) and percussionist Valerie Naranjo (6/10), along with CIO regulars Peter Apfelbaum, Warren Smith, Graham Haynes and Ken Filiano, among many others.

On Labor Day weekend, on Saturday, September 2 at 8:00pm, CMS will be at Woodstock’s legendary Maverick Concerts to present “In the Spirit of Don Cherry,” a septet led by Karl Berger and featuring CMS associate artistic directors Steven Bernstein and Peter Apfelbaum, Mark Helias, Tani Tabbal, Bob Stewart and Ingrid Sertso, exploring musical themes from Cherry’s 50 year-old landmark recordings Symphony for Improvisers and other recordings.

CMS’ Fall 2017 Workshop will take place at the Full Moon Resort from October 2-6, featuring composer/guitarist Mary Halvorson, drummer Billy Martin, Omar Tekbilek on Turkish music, bassist Ken Filiano, Karl Berger, Ingrid Sertso and additional performers to be named.

The CMS 2017 season will conclude with a second concert series at El Taller on four Saturdays: September 30, October 28, November 25 and December 9. Special guests and artistic collaborations will be detailed at a later date.