Elemental Music is thrilled to announce its groundbreaking collaboration with four-time GRAMMY award-winning contemporary music ensemble Eighth Blackbird, to create Blackbird Elementals, an ambitious project commissioning a collection of new works for young musicians. This initiative brings together some of Southern California’s most exciting emerging composers and the next generation of performers from Santa Monica in an intergenerational celebration of contemporary music.
Students with composer Carolina Heredia
Through Blackbird Elementals, Eighth Blackbird will lead a residency with Elemental Music's Chamber Music Institute, coaching students in new works commissioned from an impressive roster of composers including Juhi Bansal, Sakari Dixon Vanderveer, April Dawn Guthrie, Carolina Heredia, Thomas Kotcheff, and Wenbin Lyu. The project will culminate in a joint concert of world premieres at St. Matthew’s Music Guild on April 27, 2025 (though we are uncertain if this location will remain the same due to recent fires) offering a unique opportunity for young musicians to perform alongside one of the world's leading contemporary music ensembles.
The pieces commissioned for Blackbird Elementals are not intended to be “learning pieces” for solely educational purposes; they will stand on their own as works in the contemporary repertoire, and will be available for ensembles around the world to perform after these world premieres. The composers selected have skillfully composed works that, while mindful of the technical proficiency of young musicians, are rich, challenging, and fully realized in their concepts and execution. Each composition pushes the boundaries of what is possible within the expected skill levels of the students, allowing them to engage deeply with the material while producing high-quality, musically significant performances.
Students with composer Thomas Kotcheff
Josephine Moerschel, Executive and Artistic Director of Elemental Music, expressed excitement about the partnership: "This collaboration embodies Elemental Music's mission to inspire the young musicians of tomorrow by giving them direct access to the composers and performers of today. We are honored to bring in the incredible musicians of Eighth Blackbird to work alongside our teaching artists this season and foster the next generation of music-makers."
Lisa Kaplan, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Eighth Blackbird added, “I remember as a student the experiences I had collaborating with and performing alongside professional musicians, and how inspiring that was. Even now, I love to collaborate with other artists as it enhances my own level of playing. We are delighted to collaborate with Elemental Music to engage and hopefully inspire these talented young artists.”
Blackbird Elementals represents a powerful fusion of creativity and education, highlighting Elemental Music's continued commitment to fostering artistic growth and community engagement for young musicians.
For more information about Blackbird Elementals, please contact Elemental Music at emily@elementalmusic.org.
Students with composer Sakari Dixon Vanderveer
About Elemental Music:
Elemental Music celebrates music-making and builds community through its exceptional youth education programs. Over 3,500 students have been a part of Elemental Music programs since 2004. Over the past two decades, Elemental Music’s programs have transformed from a single string orchestra into in-school and after-school programs for strings, band, choir, full orchestra, classical guitar, chamber music, and more - building community through the transformative power of music!
About Eighth Blackbird:
Eighth Blackbird moves music forward through innovative performance, advocacy for music by living creatives, and guiding an emerging generation of artists. Eighth Blackbird has been a touring ensemble since 1996. Accomplishments include four GRAMMY awards, a Chamber Music America Visionary Award, an Ensemble of the Year Award from Musical America, and the MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions.