Andrew Byrne Introduces yMusic
Do you know what is guaranteed to send a chill down the spine of any arts administrator? Receiving an email with “visa problem” in the subject line!
You could imagine my reaction when I found one such email in my inbox on Monday morning. Icelandic musician and producer Valgeir Sigurðsson — the featured artist in the concert on February 2 — had become stuck in the US government visa process and would not be able to come to New York next week as part of our Fuse Project.
But never fear! I had no doubt that the intrepid Nadia Sirota, the curator of next week’s series, would come up with a fantastic solution. And she did –she has invited the chamber ensemble yMusic to step in.
For those of you who have not heard of the group, yMusic is a New York-based sextet (violin, viola, cello, flute, clarinet, and trumpet) that gleefully straddles the pop and classical worlds. They are celebrated for their collaborations with popular music icons such as Ben Folds, Bon Iver, the Dirty Projectors, and Sufjan Stevens, as well as contemporary composers Nico Muhly and Timo Andres, among many others.
I think this charming video, “Capable of Anything” with Ben Folds, is a good introduction to the group.
It’s funny how these things happen. When I first met Nadia last year to start discussing the Fuse Project, yMusic was at the top of my list. Although it’s a disappointment that Valgeir won’t be able to appear, it’s also incredibly exciting for this to fall into place.
As Nadia herself explains: “While I am sorely disappointed that my good friend, the insanely talented Valgeir Sigurdsson, can’t be here for these concerts due to visa problems, I can think of no more festive solution that having yMusic, my co-conspirators and partners-in-crime, perform on the festival. yMusic are all badasses and poets and my favorite performers in the world. I have no doubt that this snafu will yield some 1990’s youth-sports-film-style triumphs. I hope you can join me for them!”
Come along on Tuesday, February 2, to see yMusic in action.
