Bass Concerto (Nightlife)

From the composer: The piece combines multiple styles and genres; a language I call counter-classicism. Mirroring the way people listen to music today, I seamlessly move between genres and rhythms, a quality that likens this piece to a playlist. I compose on the train often where I listen to music from Korngold, Mahler, and Bach. Then upon entering any concert venue, I'm met with music from SZA or Frankie Knuckles. Bass Concerto, subtitled Nightlife, is an exploration of the core tenet of music: dance. Throughout history, music has been used for dance, with classical music no expectation. I take forms like the French Baroque Overture and infuse them with modern genres like house music, jazz, and especially gospel.

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Educational module

Building off of Kebra-Seyoun Charles’s improvisational and collaborative background, students are given creative activities as an entrypoint into exploring improvisation. Through focusing on ornaments, students are able to craft their own unique artistic impulses and apply them to Kebra-Seyoun Charles’s chorales, letting students bring their own creative ideas into the piece.

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Arrangement for youth orchestra (ant. July 2024)

Kebra-Seyoun Charles will arrange excerpts from the work in the form of an "improvisation treatise" and chorales for youth orchestra in addition to the professional version of the piece and accompanying educational module.

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Level/instrumentation: Beginner to advanced, any form of trio/quartet

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Bass Concerto (Nightlife) is published by American Composers Orchestra via EarShot: Advancing Equity through Publishing & Repertoire Development, made possible through support from the Sphinx Organization. Bass Concerto (Nightlife) is commissioned by the American Composers Orchestra and workshopped as part of ACO’s EarShot CoLABoratory, generously funded by TD Charitable Foundation.