About the series

Jack Straw Productions and WCF present a series of talks and performances of new music. The series is free to the public. Refreshments are served. Events are wheelchair and special needs accessible. Contact Jack Straw for arrangements at (206) 634-0919.

 

Begun in 1999, the series has offered over 115 free presentations of visiting and local composers and performers to the public.

 

past presenters

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Upcoming

Hope Wechkin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

photo: Ingrid Pape-Sheldon

 

HOPE WECHKIN

CHARISMA

Wed., Feb. 13 @ 7:30pm

Hope Wechkin is a singer, violinist, and composer. She previews her one woman music and theatre piece about a hospital patient who faces down a stream of visitors bearing dour advice, dire predictions, and drastic schemes for healing. With a score influenced by Balkan and classical music, Wechkin delivers a virtuosic performance while simultaneously singing and playing the violin. The evening length show opens at ACT Theatre on Feb. 22, and features text and lyrics by Margaret Shafer. The production is directed by Cathy Madden. more

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Composer Spotlight

Gust Burns

GUST BURNS

Wednesday, Jan. 9 @ 7:30pm
Jack Straw Productions
4261 Roosevelt Way NE Seattle map

FREE

 

Gust Burns is a composer, improvisor, pianist, music instigator, and Jack Straw artist in residence. While at Western Washington University, he spent two years studying improvisation and composition with Canadian virtuoso pianist Paul Plimley, in addition to receiving his B.A. in Philosophy, focusing on Heidegger, metaphysics, and Existentialism. Burns plays improvised/composed new music from a perspective influenced by both jazz and "classical"/avant-garde traditions. He also sees the rap and hip-hop music he grew up with as an influence on his musical sensibility. The pool of musicians and artists with whom he works is ever growing and expanding: improvisors such as Jack Wright, Damon Smith, Wally Shoup, Michael Bisio, Tom Swafford, Adam Diller, Jesse Canterbury, Jacob Lindsay, Greg Campbell, Reuben Radding, Travis Baker, Garth Powell, Bob Marsh, and many others. An organizer as well as a performer, Burns is the current director of the Seattle Improvised Music Festival (Feb. 8-10, 17-19, 2008), and is continually attempting to stimulate the Seattle improvised/new music community with new venues, series, and festivals.

 

Listen to music by Gust Burns.

 

 

Supporters

Jack Straw ProductionsJack Straw Productions gratefully acknowledges The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, City of Seattle’s Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs, 4Culture King County Lodging Tax Fund, Washington State Arts Commission, National Endowment for the Arts, PONCHO, ArtsFund, Seattle Foundation, and individual contributors for their support of Jack Straw Artist Programs.