*Recording In Session*
Thursday, August 15th, 25th Street Recording, Oakland
Join us in the studio at 25th Street Recording for our first in a series of evenings where Musaics’ artists will be recording in front of a live audience!
Featuring cellist Coleman Itzkoff and pianists Audrey Vardanega and Christos Vayenas, we’ll be documenting the creative process from the perspectives of both classical interpretation and spontaneous improvisation. We hope to see you at what should prove to be a very special experience for all involved!
FEatured Artists
Audrey vardanega
Praised as a “[musically] eloquent” (San Francisco Classical Voice) player “with the kind of freedom, authority, and strength…that one expects from the world’s finest pianists” and a “bewitching musical presence” (The Piedmont Post), American pianist and arts entrepreneur Audrey Vardanega (b.1995) has performed as a solo and collaborative pianist across Europe, China, and the United States. In response to her passion for bringing artists together for opportunities for performance, the creation of new work, and interdisciplinary collaboration, Audrey founded Musaics of the Bay in 2019. Musaics is a nonprofit chamber music series dedicated to connecting musicians, composers, and visual artists for collaborations, residency programs, mentorship, and the creation of new work in the Bay Area and beyond. From March 2020 to April 2021, Musaics of the Bay presented "The Stay-at-Home Symposium," commissioning over 75 new works of music inspired by community-submitted artwork. The Symposium involved over 100 artists from around the world, including performers, composers, poets, filmmakers, painters, photographers, and more, for virtual collaboration.
Christos Vayenas
A pianist/composer, writer and impresario, Christos is a autodidactic learner who draws inspiration from the romantic and symbolist eras of the past, as well as various improvisational musical traditions of the world.
As a curator he works to innovate the way people perform, share and encounter the arts. Honoring the timeless rituals and art forms of the past, he aspires to help define a universal artistic culture for the future.
Coleman Itzkoff
Hailed by Alex Ross in the New Yorker for his “flawless technique and keen musicality,” cellist and performer Coleman Itzkoff stands at the intersection of baroque/classical/new music, contemporary dance, and experimental theater. Whether premiering works by living composers, performing baroque music on historical instruments, acting and dancing and playing in pieces of avant-garde dance theater, composing, arranging, and recording music for films, or simply playing solo Bach for hospital patients in the time of COVID, Coleman continues to push the boundaries of what it means to be a musician of the 21st century, bringing his diverse range of interests and shape-shifting presence to every room and stage he occupies.
Coleman has performed in the great halls and festivals of America and abroad, and is a dedicated member of several ensembles, including the early music ensembles Ruckus and Twelfth Night, and is a founding member of AMOC, the American Modern Opera Company. Coleman holds degrees from Rice University, USC, and The Julliard School.
25th Street REcording
25th Street Recording is a world-class music recording facility, designed by award winning studio design firm Francis Manzella Design Ltd. All of the construction was contracted by Bay Area studio builder Dennis Stearns.
25th Street Recording features many specialized construction techniques that make it one of the quietest, best sounding studios in the world. The recording spaces and control room feature beautiful wood floors and acoustic treatments made from reclaimed Douglas fir.