New Series ‘Eko Nova’ Showcases ‘Modern Classical’
September 18th, 2015
Omaha, NE — Some new sounds are coming from downtown.
[audio:https://kvnonews.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/eko-nova-night-web.mp3]Several area performers are ready to make some noise.
“It’s called Eko Nova, and it’s a new music series that’s being produced in conjunction with the Omaha Chamber Music Society and the KANEKO, and I’m the Artistic Director of that series.â€
That’s John Klinghammer, Assistant Principal Clarinettist with the Omaha Symphony. He is also working with the Kansas City Symphony.
“I really look at it as a two-part mission with the concert series,†he said. “It’s going to be mostly new music. My impression of the arts community in Omaha, there’s a lot of being that love art who might go to the Bemis or the KANEKO, others to the Slowdown for a concert, or Film Streams for film. But, they are a little disconnected to classical music for whatever reason. I think it’s a perception problem. Maybe they think it’s music for old people or music from long ago. It’s unfortunate but it’s what comes across. With this series, we want to present classical music that’s written today so that it has a modern language. I find that a lot of people who don’t ‘get’ classical music might hear composers that are writing stuff today and think ‘That’s really beautiful. I like that.’ I at the same time, I want more traditional concert goers who go to a symphony to come check out Eko Nova to hear what we’re trying to program as modern masterworks…we want to find music that will inspire you to communicate and make you excited to come back and hear more.â€
The concerts will take place in the KANEKO downtown, a modern space for a modern music series.
“The space is called Space Five. It’s a modern warehouse space with brick walls and really cool glass windows. In fact, they’re going to have a show in the building called Design in Motion, featuring different classic cars, bicycles, different things that move. We’re going to be in a space full of bicycles.â€
The first Eko Nova performance is Monday, September 21, and features three area musicians:
“The performers will be flutist Maria Harding, violist Brian Sherwood, and harpist Katie Wychulis,†Kinghammer said. “The concert is called Night Visions. The theme is music that is evocative of nighttime and darkness. There’s a piece by David Bruce called The Eye of Night, a piece by Anna Clyne called Beware Of, and another piece by Robert Patterson called Embracing the Wind. Then we’ll feature each of the performers as unaccompanied soloists so you can get a chance to experience how talented they are on their own.â€
The inaugural Eko Nova concert, Night Visions, is Monday, September 21 at 7 pm at the KANEKO in downtown Omaha, at 1111 Jones St. For tickets and more information, visit thekaneko.org or omahachambermusic.org.
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