Grand Valley ensemble to launch new CD locally and in New York

The Grand Valley State University New Music Ensemble, recently profiled in Newsweek magazine, will give a free local performance of their latest project before repeating the program in New York, in celebration of releasing their second CD.

The ensemble will perform Terry Riley's minimalist masterpiece "In C," re-imagined and remixed by noted guest artist DJ Dennis DeSantis. The Grand Valley performance will be Wednesday, November 4, at noon, in the Cook-DeWitt Center, Allendale Campus. The New York program will take place Novemeber 8, at Le Poisson Rouge, New York's sizzling new venue for adventurous music.

Their new CD, "In C Remixed," features the ensemble performance plus remixes by a cast of luminaries and rising stars--Jad Abumrad, Masonic (Mason Bates), Jack Dangers, Dennis DeSantis, R. Luke DuBois, Mikael Karlsson/Rob Stephenson, Zoë Keating, Phil Kline, Kleerup, Glenn Kotche, David Lang, Michael Lowenstern, DJ Spooky That Subliminal Kid, Nico Muhly, Todd Reynolds, and Daniel Bernard Roumain.

The CD not only received a glowing review in the October 12 issue of Newsweek, but the ensemble's upcoming New York City performance was picked as a 2009/10 season highlight by the New York Times and the New Yorker. The Newsweek review by Seth Colter Walls can be read here http://www.newsweek.com/id/216586.

The ensemble's previous CD, "Steve Reich's Music for 18 Musicians," released in 2007, vaulted to number one on the iTunes and Amazon classical charts, and spent 11 weeks on the Billboard charts. WNYC's John Schaefer called it "the story of the year in classical music."

Led by Professor Bill Ryan, the mostly undergraduate student group also includes five faculty members. For the complete ensemble biography, click http://www.in-c-remixed.com/ensemble/ensemble.html.

More information about the recording is available at www.in-c-remixed.com, including a video trailer and free downloads from the new CD.

Media may contact NME Director Bill Ryan at (616) 331-3087, or [email protected].