As a contemporary piano-percussion duo that specializes in music of twentieth-century classical composers, E N S E M B L E S I R I U S (Michael Fowler, keyboards and Stuart Gerber, percussion) have been described by one of the most prominent German composers of the late twentieth century, Karlheinz Stockhausen, as “musicians of the highest caliber” and hailed by critics internationally as a duo of unparalleled commitment and virtuosity. They have captivated and stunned audiences on three continents with their innovative programming and enthusiasm to the classics of the 20th century, while at the same time showing a tireless dedication to the creation and promotion of new works by composers of international stature.

ES has been heard throughout North America at such prominent venues and festivals as the Cervantino (Mexico), the neoPhonia concert series (Atlanta), the Groundwave new music series (New York), Sick Puppy (Boston), the 2001 Percussive Arts Society International Convention (Nashville), and the Music99, ‘00, ‘01 and ‘02 festivals (Cincinnati). In addition, ES has been presented in Australia at the Newcastle Keyboard Festival and the 12th annual Sydney Spring Festival of New Music at the historic Sydney Opera House. In Europe they have worked extensively with Karlheinz Stockhausen at the Stockhausen-Kurse held annually in Kürten, Germany.The duo has been the recipient of numerous awards. These include: a top prize given by Stockhausen for their interpretation of his work Kontakte, the critic’s “best performance” award at the Sydney Spring Festival, and grants from Arts International, the University of Cincinnati Globalization Initiative, and the US-Mexico Fund for Culture (supported in part by the Rockefeller Foundation) for their most-recent commissioning project: “Expanding a US-Mexico Musical Dialogue.”

The primary goal of ES has been to expose audiences to cutting-edge works for this instrumentation. They have worked vigorously in the development and dissemination of new pieces by important contemporary composers. In the last year alone ES has been involved in no less than 11 premieres; including eight world-premieres through the US-Mexico Fund for Culture, as well as the Australian and US premieres of three works by Stockhausen. They have thus so far then created a sturdy institution of quality and sustainability for the genre. In addition to their numerous live performances ES has also been heard on television and radio. Their performances have been broadcast nationally on the Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) Classic FM and the ABC Radio national AM, as well as the Radio de la Universidad de Guanajauto, Mexico. They have also appeared on the well-known cultural television channel Canel 22 (Mexico) in a delayed broadcast of their Cervantino Festival appearance. In addition they were the subject of interviews and reports on Canel 22, ABC 1130 AM and 2NUR FM in Australia. They have also appeared prominently in print in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Friday 4 October) and the German music publication Das Orchester (Fall 2000) as well as reviews from the Sydney Morning Herald, Realtime Arts (Australia), Unomasuno (Mexico), 21st Century Music, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (US).

In their constant search for new musical expression ES utilizes not only the piano and standard percussion battery, but also a diverse arsenal of implements. Music commonly heard at an ES concert may come from a variety of disparate sound sources. These may include the prepared piano, bowed piano, and toy piano, a non-traditional use of traditional instruments, electronic elements like synthesizers, real-time computer processing, electronic music on tape and CD, contact microphones, and amplification, as well as the integration of vocal, theatrical, and dramatic elements. They believe that the future of music lies in the embracing of technology, as well as inclusion of elements previously considered “non-musical.” The current repertoire of ES spans the early works of Stockhausen to recent commissions from the younger generation of composers today.

Bookings
 
contact@ensemblesirius.com


Address: in the US please use
         E N S E M B L E  S I R I U S
                  1009 Greenwood Ave, NE #10
                  Atlanta, GA, 30306
                  USA
for Australia please use
         E N S E M B L E  S I U R I S
                  32 Robert Campbell Dr. Raymond Terrace, 2324
                  NSW
                  AUSTRALIA