Cellist and composer William Jason Raynovich opens the evening with a solo, continuous set exploring drone and minimalist music spanning over fifty years of composition, using the open-source visual programming language Pure Data. This set includes works by Alvin Lucier, Eve Beglarian, and Colin Kemper, concluding with Raynovich’s now for cello and electronics. Immediately following, Origin of Animal, which combines elements of classical, rock, jazz, and metal to create music that is carefully crafted while remaining spontaneous, joins Raynovich for James Tenney’s postcard piece Swell Piece No. 3, leading directly into a new interpretation of Pamela Z’s Twenty Answers. This curated sequence will be performed without breaks between pieces. After the continuous set, Origin of Animal presents works composed by its members, led by David Keller, culminating in a re-imagining of Vivaldi’s Concerto for Two Cellos by Origin of Animal’s James Baum, featuring Alyson Berger (amplified cello) and Raynovich (electric cello).

This program reflects a broad spectrum of contemporary composition, drawing inspiration from New York’s downtown scene and experimental traditions alongside West Coast experimental and jazz-influenced aesthetics, with a Midwest twist.