Lauded for providing “a once-in-a-lifetime experience for adventurous concertgoers,” Zeitgeist is a new music chamber ensemble comprised of two percussion, piano and woodwinds. Lauded for providing “a once-in-a-lifetime experience for adventurous concertgoers”, Zeitgeist is a new music chamber ensemble comprised of two percussion, piano and woodwinds. One of the longest established new music groups in the country, Zeitgeist commissions and presents a wide variety of new music for audiences in the Twin Cities and on tour. Always eager to explore new artistic frontiers, Zeitgeist collaborates with poets, choreographers, directors, visual artists and sound artists of all types to create imaginative new work that challenges the boundaries of traditional chamber music. Zeitgeist presents a full season of events for audiences in the Twin Cities. Highlights of the 2008-09 season include a partnership with the Walker Art Center to premiere The Making of Americans, an innovative, media-rich chamber opera based on Gertrude Stein’s novel of the same name. Zeitgeist’s Playing it Close to Home concert features works by Minnesota composers Janika Vandervelde, Jeffrey Brooks, David Wolff, Carei Thomas and Libby Larsen as well as works from the 14th annual Eric Stokes Song Contest and Zeitgeist in the Schools Project. Earth, Wind, and Fire includes a fascinating musical exploration of the natural world featuring the world premiere of Angles of Repose by Ethan Wickman plus works by James Dillon, Frederic Rzewski, Alex Shapiro and John Luther Adams. The season closes with Converging Traditions featuring world premieres of Paul Elwood’s Appalachian-infused work, The Labyrinths of Time, and Seasons, a new work by Chinese-born composer Gao Hong. Zeitgeist is supported by the The City of St. Paul’s Cultural STAR Program, The Amphion Foundation, The Knight Foundation, The Lowertown Future Fund, the Target Foundation, the McKnight Foundation, the Jerome Foundation, the Albrecht Family Foundation, the Aaron Copland Fund, The Mandel Family Foundation, and the Minnesota State Arts Board and the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, through an appropriation by the Minnesota State Legislature.
