Thirdstream | Strings & Sax at Marigny Opera House
Chicago-based experimental string duo Missing Piece and sound artist/composer/multi-instrumentalist Hunter Diamond join New Orleans string players James Singleton, Sixto Franco, and Kyle Anderson to present Thirdstream. Thirdstream is neither classical nor jazz, or both classical and jazz, or music that explores porous boundaries, or exposes limits of traditions and genres, and asks what’s possible in musical conversations.
This performance will take place on October 23 at 7:30pm at the Marigny Opera House and features a collaboration between Chicago and New Orleans musicians from diverse musical backgrounds as they present Diamond’s large multi-movement work for chamber ensemble.
Diamond’s new work, Unsettling, features strings, winds, and electronics. Unsettling offers sound and comment on Israel from the perspective of an American Jew. Diamond takes inspiration from contemporary Israeli writers who seek to hold Israel to account for its immense transgressions without devaluing its enormous accomplishments. In this work and in Diamond’s relationship to the state of Israel, as well as the Jews and non-Jews of his Chicago community, and to the Jewish members of his family, one tactic has continuously proved most helpful in maintaining a sustainable position: holding contradiction.
The evening will also feature compositions by Singleton (Hall of Winds), and Franco (Tiralineas).
This 2025 Thirdstream project features commissioned work by Missing Piece from Chicago saxophonists/composers to write music for saxophone, violin, and cello. These compositions explore notated sounds, spontaneous sounds, and encourage us to listen in unexpected ways. These commissions are supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, and premiered in Chicago in March. They will be released as a studio album.
The genesis of the Thirdstream Project is part of an ongoing collaboration between New Orleans violist & composer Sixto Franco and Missing Piece. The 2024 performance at venues throughout New Orleans featured Thirdstream works by Gunther Schuller, Leroy Jenkins, Jonathan Freilich, and Franco, and was supported by the John Burton Harter Foundation and New Orleans theater artist Brian Sands.
The Marigny Opera House is located at 725 St Ferdinand Street. Tickets are available for a suggested donation of $25 ($15 for students and seniors), and can be found at Marigny Opera House’s website (https://marignyoperahouse.org/upcoming-events/thirdstream-strings-sax/).
