Ensemble Variances

French composer Thierry Pécou leads the Ensemble Variances in his 2003 work Outre-mémoire (Beyond Memory), a meditation on the Atlantic slave trade. Pécou’s aural world in Outre-mémoire explores “still timely questions about wealth and poverty, exploitation and oppression…” (The Guardian), through a musical palette that draws upon Afro-American work songs, the Brazilian Candomble, and jazz. Pécou’s transatlantic travelogue is inflected by his own cultural heritage and roots in Martinique, the locus for eighteenth-century European oppression in the Caribbean. As a student, Pécou sensed his cultural otherness from the traditional Parisian musical pedagogy, leading him to travel the world exploring how different cultures express themselves through music. These experiences have given Pécou a wide envelope of aesthetic modalities through which to map the stories and histories of others.

This event will be broadcast live from the Music Room on Sunday, March 27 at 4 PM. To reserve a ticket, follow the link above to register. All registered ticket holders will receive a link directing them to a livestream webpage where the performance can be accessed. Ticket holders will be able to watch this performance “On Demand” for 48 hours following the broadcast time. 

IN PERSON AUDIENCES: KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

• Concert guests 12 years of age and over must show proof of vaccination or a same-day negative COVID-19 test.
• Concert guests over the age of two must wear a face mask covering their nose and mouth at all times, regardless of their vaccination status.
• The Music Room is now able to operate at 1/2 capacity. However, given the intimate nature of the setting, we can no longer follow strict social distancing guidelines. All in-person guests may be seated next to, in front of, or behind other vaccinated and masked concert guests.