Western Front presents Karen Ng's improvised concert Backwards Blue, March 26
Toronto-based artist is known for her prowess as a saxophonist and creative music collaborations
Karen Ng. Photo by Green Yang
Western Front is presenting a concert by Toronto-based improviser Karen Ng on March 26 at 7:30 pm.
Ng’s debut LP Backwards Blue is a collection of saxophone and electronics-centred compositions shaped by electroacoustic interpolation and exuberant sonics. Blending a free improvisational vocabulary with interactive patches, Ng crafts vivid sonic vignettes that examine what emerges between acoustic and electronic sources.
In a cultural moment shaped by technological frontierism, Backwards Blue identifies a more nuanced lattice of creative approaches and music technologies, woven together deftly so as to understate their apparent divergence.
Ng, who is best known as a saxophonist, is a key figure in Toronto’s improvising community and an active collaborator with creative music ensembles across Canada, the United States, and Europe. She has performed as part of the Vancouver International Jazz Festival, Suoni Per Il Popolo in Montreal, Pique in Ottawa, Venus Fest in Toronto, Sonic Transmissions in Austin, Texas, and with other established institutions that focus on experimental programming. She is a cofounder and curator of the experimental music series and festival TONE.
For her performance at Western Front, Ng will present an improvised saxophone and electronics set utilizing a variety of material extracted from the album. Following the performance, Western Front’s executive director Susan Gibb will join her for a brief post-performance conversation.
Ng’s upcoming concert is presented with support from the Government of Canada. It will take place in the Grand Luxe Hall, which is located on the second floor of Western Front and accessed by a flight of 26 stairs. While plans for a full building upgrade to facilitate access for wheelchair users are still underway, events in the Grand Luxe Hall are made available virtually via high-quality livestream. Learn more about accessibility at the venue here.
Admission to Ng’s concert is by donation. Tickets and more details are available through Western Front.
Post sponsored by Western Front.
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