MÔTÔSynthesis

A MÔTÔ Spirits x Muzosynth Orchestra x Vogue UniverCity Massivemuse

Saturday, April 22nd at 7pm

MÔTÔ Spirits Distillery at 93 Forrest St., Brooklyn, NY, 11206

BROOKLYN, NY - On Saturday, April 22nd at 7pm, Groupmuse presents Muzosynth Orchestra, partnering with Vogue UniverCity and MÔTÔ Spirits, for an evening of “MÔTÔSynthesis”, an unprecedented collaboration of sound synthesis, live coding, and Vogueing. It takes place at MÔTÔ Spirits Distillery at 93 Forrest St, Brooklyn, NY. Tickets are $20, purchased at the event page, and $15 for Groupmuse Supermuser members.

Groupmuse is a worker- and musician-owned cooperative seeking to uplift artists and strengthen broader community bonds through live, intimate performances of historically-rooted music.

Their next Massivemuse, “MÔTÔSynthesis”, presents Muzosynth Orchestra (formerly the Moving Orchestra), who The Road to Sound has described as combining “lightness with their passion for complex improvisation, making experiences that feel both musically illuminating and human.”

Muzosynth-founders violinist Katherine Kyu Hyeon Lim and pianist Joey Chang combine with:

House of Zion founder and Vogueing dancer Pony Zion (featured on The Cut)

Dancers of Pony Zion’s Vogue UniverCity

Lumen Prize “Golden Award”-winning group Elekhlekha (synth-player Kengchakaj Kengkarnka and visual live coder Nitcha Fame Tothong)

Through each artists’ talent for on-the-spot improvisation, this unheard of combination presents a whole new way of performance.

Katherine and Joey share, “We are so excited for the incredible people we are gathering with. Combining the languages of electronic music, live coding, and Vogue is a monumental opportunity. In our first rehearsals with Pony Zion, we knew it was possible to build an incredible language together, and we have long admired the mindblowing collaboration between Kengchakaj and Nitcha. We all care so much about our communities of Black, Brown, and Asian artists, and we simply cannot wait to show what we’ve made together.”

For more information, visit the event page here (at http://grpm.us/fmgGWA).

About MÔTÔ Spirits

MÔTÔ Spirits creates small batch, rice-based whiskeys and specialty spirits inspired by discoveries during motorcycle trips around the world. Handcrafted in America’s first rice whiskey and Jabuka distillery, their adventurous spirits are inspired by travel and made in Brooklyn, New York.

Silent and Still

A Brooklyn Meeting X Impromptuo Groupmuse 

Sunday, March 19th at 2:30pm

Brooklyn Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)

110 Schermerhorn St., Brooklyn

BROOKLYN, NY - Without silence, there is no sound, and without stillness, there is no movement. 

On Sunday, March 19th at 2:30pm, improvising piano-violin duo Impromptuo and movement artist Mio Ishikawa partners with Brooklyn Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) to present “Silent and Still”, a Groupmuse concert event at 110 Schermerhorn St., Brooklyn. RSVP is $5, purchased at the event page, and a suggested $20 donation at the event.

Groupmuse is a worker- and musician-owned cooperative seeking to uplift artists and strengthen broader community bonds through live, intimate performances of historically-rooted music. 

This upcoming Groupmuse, “Silent and Still”, draws upon Impromptuo’s and Mio Ishikawa’s deep connection to the art of collaborative improvisation. “The meeting room at Brooklyn Meeting is an almost otherworldly space, as someone who had never been in there before,” Joey shares. “It has the feel of a sanctuary, but all the benches face the center of the room, and there is no podium, no stage. We liked the way it spoke to collective art making, and that is what this performance rests on.”

Through techniques of Conduction by Butch Morris and Deep Listening by Pauline Oliveros, the meeting room will turn into a chamber of harmonious and joyful vocalization, sound, and simple movements, punctuated by the performer’s improvised commentaries through violin, piano, and dance. 

For more information, visit the event page here. 

About the artists

Based in New York City, Impromptuo is an innovative improvisation-focused duo made up of violinist Katherine Kyu Hyeon Lim and pianist Joey Chang. The duo has been commissioned and presented by Metropolis Ensemble, House of Yes, (Le) Poisson Rouge, Fifth Wall Performing Arts, and National Arts Diversity Integration Association in 2020. 

Mio Ishikawa is a movement artist based in New York City with a deep interest in collaborations across multiple artistic mediums. Mio is currently dancing with Sidra Bell Dance New York, Company Stefanie Batten Bland.  She’s a founding member and associate director of BODYSONNET since 2019. 

About the venue

110 Schermerhorn St. is the home and place of worship for the Brooklyn Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends. They describe “Quakerism” as a belief “that within each person is a special power. Some call this power God, some the Holy Spirit; many Friends call it the Inner Light.”

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Celebrate-Five-Years-Of-Valentines-Day-Shows-With-Matthew-Liu-at-Rockwood-Music-Hall-20230201

Have You Eaten Yet? 

A MÔTÔ Spirits x Impromptuo Massivemuse

Friday, October 22nd at 7:30pm

MÔTÔ Spirits at 93 Forrest St., Brooklyn, NY, 11206

BROOKLYN, NY - On Friday, October 22nd at 7:30pm, Groupmuse presents Impromptuo, partnering with MÔTÔ Spirits, for a heartfelt evening of film, friends, and food at MÔTÔ Spirits at 93 Forrest St., Brooklyn, NY, 11206. Tickets are $25, purchased at the event page, and $20 for Groupmuse Supermuser members. 

Groupmuse is a worker- and musician-owned cooperative seeking to uplift artists and strengthen broader community bonds through live, intimate performances of historically-rooted music. 

Their next Massivemuse highlights the NYC based group Impromptuo, an innovative improvisation-focused duo made up of violinist Katherine Kyu Hyeon Lim and pianist Joey Chang. The duo has been commissioned and presented by Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, Fifth Wall Performing Arts, House of Yes, (Le) Poisson Rouge, Metropolis Ensemble, and National Arts Diversity Integration Association. Though primarily trained in European classical music, Impromptuo draws influence from traditions of free jazz, experimental electroacoustic music, etc., and suggestions from you, the audience!

For this Massivemuse, Impromptuo will be performing "Darkroom Processing: 吃飯了嗎?/밥 먹었니?", a 30-minute original film that is live scored by the duo.

Katherine and Joey share: “You'll see scenes of New York City, but more importantly, you'll see our beloved friends depicted on the projector, centering the people who we care about the most, simply being themselves and enjoying life. As our friends are made up of mostly Asian, Black, and Brown artists, capturing these moments of happiness and peace is a tribute to the work our community does everyday, carving out our own spaces to live fully.

The phrases in Han characters and Korean (which translate to “have you eaten yet?” in English) are customary greetings that signify care for another person. The phrase references our own heritages of Taiwan and South Korea, and this forms the heart of the work’s story. We want to show you why we love these people - how, even in ordinary moments, our friends are truly extraordinary.”

For more information, visit the event page here. 

About MÔTÔ Spirits

MÔTÔ Spirits creates small batch, rice-based whiskeys and specialty spirits inspired by discoveries during motorcycle trips around the world. Handcrafted in america’s first rice whiskey and jabuka distillery, their adventurous spirits are inspired by travel and made in brooklyn, new york.

TRIO
Sae Hashimoto (percussion) Zack Hann (woodwinds) Joey Chang (piano)

RSVP at: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf5onAqRbXhJkb63PJLEVL2225XRX5wz4aWtDd1tEcK3QXK5w/viewform

https://www.groupmuse.com/events/12524-impromptuo-darkroom-processing-at-beloved-cafe

Hello friend, have you eaten yet?

Darkroom Processing: 吃飯了嗎?/밥 먹었니? is a 30-minute self-created silent film that is played alongside our original, improvised composition.

You'll see scenes of New York City. But more importantly, you'll see the beloved friends in our circle depicted on big screen on Beloved Cafe's projector, centering the people who we care about the most, simply being themselves and enjoying life.

The phrases in Mandarin and Korean (which translate to “have you eaten yet?” in English) are customary greetings that signify care for another person, and this forms the heart of our story. Let us show you why we love our people - how, even in ordinary moments, our friends are truly extraordinary.

Our endless gratitude to (in order of appearance): Can (Tsan), Nikki, Kalun, Kalia, Yuma, Joy, Hillary, Adrienne, Matthew, Bao, Zack, Thomas, and Sarah

W/ Anjna Swaminathan. More info TBA

RSVP for The Moving Orchestra’s Massivemuse “In Good Spirits”!

Groupmuse presents The Moving Orchestra, partnering with MÔTÔ Spirits, for a wild evening of expansive sound worlds, music synesthesia, and aural treats for the palette! Come enjoy a multi-sensory experience in a performance matching textural sophistication of drinks from MÔTÔ Spirit’s renowned whiskey distillery for this incredible Massivemuse!

This iteration will feature The Moving Orchestra’s co-founders, violinist Katherine Kyu Hyeon Lim and pianist Joey Chang, alongside extraordinary trumpet player Dave Adewumi, kaleidoscopic vocalist Hillary Bonhomme, and paragon dancer Zachary Gonder.

Cheers!

Note: Alcoholic drinks will be sold by MÔTÔ Spirits at the entrance. No outside drinks permitted (this is not a BYOB event). Please enjoy this distillery's offerings to support this amazing local business!

Masking is required when not actively drinking. Please help us keep each other safe!

New year, new adventures by Impromptuo! RSVP here:

We've been away from the virtual scene for a while, but we're back!

Featuring new work premieres:

Joey Chang
Evocation for the People of Two Bridges (2021)

Impromptuo
Long-Form Duo Improvisation

Joy Guidry
On the Wings of a Hummingbird for Any Instrument and Electronics (2021)

Joey Chang
Quarantine Works (2022)
I. Black Wall
II. Impetuous
III. Passacaglia
IV. Milky Way
V. Rain Drops
VI. Swell

Program -

Chang: Astrophysics

Improvisations based on YOUR suggestions!

...and more TBD!

RSVP at: Impromptuo (piano violin duo) performs in Hell's Kitchen - Groupmuse

Jonathan Levin’s film, “Play My Music Anyhow”, consisting of improvised pieces of mine woven to selected poems and excerpts of acclaimed poet/wordsmith, artist, music-lover, and friend, Shelby Stephenson, will be presented in a live screening at the Ava Gardner Museum in Johnston County, NC.

The work is a collaborative portrait of Shelby Stephenson’s work as a poet through several of his past published books. These include stories of his childhood, the land he and his family grew up in, and his ancestry, including their complicity in slavery.

This film was originally premiered for the Clayton Piano Festival’s 9th Festival online.

Admission - "Telling Stories" – Ava Gardner Museum (ava-gardner-museum.myshopify.com)

The Moving Orchestra is producing our most ambitious event yet, happening in-person, October 9th, time and location TBD, in New York City. Strange worlds are surfacing, parallel universes generating. We invite you to journey with us as we ascend this multiverse of sound, movement, and design...

Dave Adewumi, trumpet | Heather Chang, fashion curation | Joey Chang, piano | Carol Chave, dance | Alfredo Colon, EWI | Zachary Gonder, dance | Clifton Joy Guidry, bassoon | Katherine Kyu Hyeon Lim, violin | Can Wang, dance

This performance is supported by the City Artist Corps Grants program.

Welcome friends, on Friday September 24th at 7:30pm ET, I invite you to join Katherine and I for a house concert Groupmuse with dance performance by Carol Chave.

Come be among friends in our first in-person Groupmuse since the pandemic, and come prepared with vaccine proof and your own food/drink! (Since we’re not sharing communal snacks at Groupmuse at this moment…)

RSVP ($5) at: http://grpm.us/pFaQ4Q

On September 19th, 2021, presented by Open Space Music, my duo with Jasmine, Chez Cherie, will be performing for a restaurant crawl in Jackson Heights organized by Homecoming, a community-led organization working to support food security for New Yorkers by driving business to local New York restaurants.

Tickets for the crawl are sold out, but you can catch just our performance at Travers Park in Jackson Heights around ~3:30pm and ~4:30pm.

More info about the event at: Homecoming (homecomingnyc.org)

Featuring architectural 3D modelling and graphic fashion design, The Moving Orchestra is back with a collaboration between music, movement, and design!

On June 27th at 7pm ET, virtually, you'll be able to see the architect's 3D modelling, hear the sound that the musicians designed, and wear the clothings that come out of this collaboration.

RSVP here on Groupmuse ($3)

Overjoyed to be able to perform with Anjna Swaminathan, this time for their work |borders/lines|.

Event will be streamed from Roulette here: Anjna Swaminathan: |borders/lines| – Roulette

Limited in-person tickets also offered!

Pictured: Anjna Swaminathan

Impromptuo (pianist Joey Chang & violinist Katherine Kyu Hyeon Lim) was invited by Metropolis Ensemble to curate a virtual sonic art installation called "Flame Keepers" in late April. The duo has decided to bring the curation into individual tracks for a premiere on Groupmuse!

If you're interested, please check out our original sound installation that will be live between April 26th - May 3rd at this link - https://flamekeepers.metropolisensemble.org/

RSVP here

Jasmine Wilson and Joey Chang (now the Chez Cherie duo) present an evening featuring printmaker and book artist, Meera Mittal. Together, they will develop original prints simultaneously with improvised piano and vocal musical textures. This project is a testament to the times of creating art while distanced from each other, with Joey and Jasmine in New York and Meera in Philadelphia. Joined virtually from different cities, this collaboration reimagines the elusive and organic connection of artists creating in the moment.

RSVP here

Impromptuo is back with architectural designer Davis Butner for an interactive concert on Zoom!

An immersive Zoom performance utilizing architectural design with music, combining the visuals of a graphic 3D sandbox with the equivalent in music. We’ll perform J. S. Bach and Arvo Pärt with live space sketches and free improvisation to instantly created design.

Groupmuse event here

This time, collaborating with animators and visual artists, TMO's first show of 2021 will be an evening at the movies!

Premiering on YouTube

Free to RSVP, donations accepted during the show - tickets here

Jasmine and I will be livestreaming from SEEDS::Brooklyn for the first time with a program of lots of original work and experimental improvisations.

We have been working a lot together this past year, making songs, stories, performing arias old and new, and jamming a lot. Tickets are $15 per stream.

Katherine Kyu Hyeon Lim and Joey Chang performing:

Brahms Violin Sonata No.2 “Meistersinger”
Auerbach 24 Preludes for Violin and Piano
...and a surprise!

https://www.groupmuse.com/events/10983-brahms-auerbach-letters-from-germany-poems-from-russia