Performed live in the woods of Virginia’s Appalachian mountains by Fuse Ensemble, Gina Biver’s Concert for the Trees was composed and filmed for DC-based IceBox Collective as part of The Taxonomy of Breathing, a project that looked to investigate our current societal moment through the lens of breath. Concert for the Trees brings forth the notion of our communion with nature and the gift of breath that is evident and fundamental to our very existence, but often ignored. In the piece, the musicians are essentially breathing along with the forest – the length of the piece mirroring the 5-½ times per minute the average human breathes. The composition employs “chords of nature,” a theory that roots harmony in the natural, physical elements of music. Deep, low tones then evolve into effervescent and sparkling moments as the oxygen dissipates through the leaves and into the air. Here, Appalachian fiddle chords bounce along -- a nod to the mountain range the musicians are on and the music created there more than a century ago. Congruence is the natural state of being, and as with breathing, the cycle then returns.

Performers:
Yana Nikol, flute
Angela Murakami, clarinet
Greg Hiser, violin
Pam Clem, cello
Ethan Foote, bass
Ina Mirtcheva Blevins, piano

Special Guests:
Ashley Larson, soprano voice
Jon Carr, baritone voice