Musiqa to Present DEEP SKY OBJECTS at Space Center Houston, 2/13

Related: Musiqa, Deep Sky Objects, Space Center Houston

Contemporary classical group Musiqa, winner of the 2013 Chamber Music America/ASCAP Adventurous Programming Award, will partner with Space Center Houston to present two performances of Deep Sky Objects at the Space Center Theater at Space Center Houston on Wednesday, February 13 at 11:30 a.m. and 5:45 p.m. The live performances of the contemporary chamber work will be accompanied by a spectacular series of NASA space images by photographer Colin Legg projected onto the huge theater screen. The performances are open to the public with standard admission to Space Center's theater.

The song cycle Deep Sky Objects, with music composed by Sebastian Currier set to poetry by poet Sarah Manguso, weaves a futuristic tale of a long-distance romance between two lovers separated by a galaxy. With lyrics that reflect intense longing and desire, the piece features soprano soloist Karol Bennett, a piano quintet and electronic music that eerily captures the sounds of deep space. Musiqa presented the world premiere of Deep Sky Objects, which the group commissioned, at its season opening concert at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts' Zilkha Hall in September 2012.

Rare time-lapse photographs of star fields by noted nature photographer Colin Legg enlarged for the IMAX screen will enhance the concert experience.

This commission has been made possible by the Chamber Music America Classical Commissioning Program, with generous funding provided by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the Chamber Music America Endowment Fund.

Musiqa's Deep Sky Objects
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Two performances: 11:30 a.m. & 5:45 p.m.
Space Center Houston Theater
1601 NASA Parkway, Houston, TX 77058 (Clear Lake area)
Tickets: General admission to Space Center Houston
Purchase tickets at: www.spacecenter.org
More information at: www.musiqahouston.org and Space Center Houston

An American composer whose works have been performed at major venues worldwide by acclaimed artists and orchestras, Sebastian Currier is the 2007 recipient of the prestigious Grawemeyer Award. Heralded as "music with a distinctive voice" by The New York Times and as "lyrical, colorful, firmly rooted in tradition, but absolutely new" by the Washington Post,
his music has been enthusiastically embraced by violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter, for whom he wrote Aftersong, which she performed extensively in the US and Europe. His violin concerto, dedicated to Ms. Mutter, was premiered by the New York Philharmonic in the 2010-2011 season. He has also written works that involve electronic media and video.

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