Addressing themes and/or narratives existing inside the LGBTQIA+ community, queer saxophonists Nathan Mertens (he/him) and Kyle Jones (he/him) will be performing a new chamber work from Anthony R. Green (he/him) entitled kWEe(a)r(e) (pronounced “Queer”). This work, as the title suggests, is not centered on a typical trope of painful queer experiences, but rather, on all aspects of queer visibility and excellence.
Complementing Mertens and Jones is an additional performance by the Spectrum Ensemble, a queer percussion duo that grew in response to a distinct lack of LGBTQ+ representation in the classical music community despite queer artists making up a large portion. They will be performing additional new works by composers Alex Temple, Darian Thomas, Derek Tywoniuk, and Leonard Bernstein.
At the end of the performances, performers will also speak on a Community Panel Discussion built around artists of the LGBTQIA+ community.
This discussion will interrogate the question “What is Queerness in Art?” by exploring the role of identity in the creative process among our varied panelists.